Yannick Meylan – Levitation, a high-flying experience

It’s an extraordinary experience, but in the Meylan family, it comes quite naturally. When you’ve spent your childhood exploring the most secret hangars, nooks and crannies of airfields, there’s nothing more natural than learning to fly yourself. In the Meylan family, the passion for the third dimension has been passed down from father to son. Like a matter of course, the pleasure of flying is in the family genes. Following in his father’s footsteps, Yannick was just 17 when he began logging hours of flight time to earn his glider license. An activity a little too time-consuming for his liking, it prompted him to turn to flying planes, which were far less complicated logistically. I spent most of my time at Bex airfield,” he recalls. One day, the heliclub organized an open house during which I had the opportunity to take an introductory flight with an instructor. Bingo, I’d found what I’d always dreamed of: hovering. Pure levitation! Pugnacious, Yannick didn’t give up his aviation license, but started learning to fly helicopters at the same time.

“Farther, faster, higher”
Barely 23 years old, license in hand, Yannick is alone at the controls of a Robinson R22 helicopter. The machine had only two seats and was powered by a piston engine. After a few years, he moved up a gear, flying a Robinson R44. Four seats and a piston engine now supplanted by the power and performance of an R66. With this helicopter, you’re much less limited by the density of the air at altitude or the outside temperatures,” stresses Yannick. With its turbine engine, you can go farther, faster and higher. Increased performance for commensurate sensations. When he talks about his helicopter experience, Yannick’s eyes sparkle. Not when he talks about the mechanics of his machine or the sensations in flight, but when he recounts a human adventure. “I mainly fly when there’s a travel purpose or to take people somewhere. And I have to say that what I really enjoy most is the amazement of my passengers. The real pleasure, the most extraordinary thing, is being able to share my passion.” The pleasure of sharing: a virus inoculated from father to son in the veins of the Meylans, and which expresses itself in their daily lives as well as in their profession as they have practiced it for 26 years.

R66 in figures

110 At cruising speed, flight takes place at between 100 and 110 knots, i.e. around 180 km/h.
5 The number of seats on board this helicopter
14’000 In theory, the R66 cannot fly above a ceiling of 14’000 feet, due to the ratio between aircraft performance and air density. In practice, flight in Switzerland is limited to 13,000 feet (3,962m).

One pilot, three qualities

Humility
“Remaining humble in all circumstances is undoubtedly the most important quality for a helicopter pilot,” explains Yannick Meylan. As long as you’re aware of the power of the natural elements, and the potential impact of human and technical factors, you can fly safely and with pleasure.

Dexterity
“Unlike an airplane, which remains stable once properly adjusted, one of the characteristics of a helicopter is its instability,” adds Yannick Meylan. You fly with both hands and both feet, never letting go, so you can constantly correct instability. This requires great piloting finesse.

Communication
“Is it the concentration of some drivers that makes them cold? asks Yannick Meylan. Personally, I believe that when you’re flying a helicopter or an airplane, it’s important to be emotionally open, to know how to communicate your emotions, to share them so you can live the adventure to the full with a smile on your face.”