Re: Weight of passengers
Helicopter pilots have to be very clever. Flying a helicopter is much more difficult than a fixed wing aircraft as the direction you are pointing in is not necessarily (in fact rarely) the direction of travel. Plus you have the collective to determine whether you are going 'up' or 'down'. The control column has bias settings so that you can get it to remain in a certain attitude and don't have to fight against the neutral position for ages (which can be very tiring).
I know this because I learnt to fly sailplanes / gliders as a teenager and once did some consultancy for a helicopter simulator system, which I then got to fly. It was really hard work, and I have a great admiration for helicopter pilots since. (I've also flown, under supervision, a light aircraft, which was easier than a helicopter.)
Biting the hand that feeds IT
