Helicopter Training Articles

Taming Instability

2009-02-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

When you see a helicopter lifting off the ground flawlessly and climbing ahead annoyingly smoothly, it’s because the pilot has learned to develop a thorough peripheral visual scan to offset the helicopter’s instability. Pilots who wobble about in the air are best advised to learn how to develop a good points-of-reference scan, so they too can have smooth and accurate control in both hovering and forward flight.

An aircraft is said to be stable if it returns to its original flying position when abruptly displaced. And, let’s face it, the basic visual flight rules helicopter is naturally unstable. Take your hands off the controls and in short order you will be seeing green above and blue below. The rotating blade system above the airframe does not have the rigidity in space of a gyroscope. In fact, it has been better described as having the stability of a rotating wet noodle. Everyone attempting hovering for the first time has found this out.

Good eye-hand co-ordination and muscle memory from repeated practice are important factors in learning to fly, but learning to develop a good visual scan is the best way to tackle instability.

Sitting in the helicopter behind the cyclic, if no movement is occurring ahead outside, the learning pilot tends to fixate on the ground too close to the helicopter. When that happens, you might as well be looking through a mailing tube while you are trying to hover.

At this point, your instructor will remind you to look ahead. But, where should you be looking and what should you be looking at?

Looking close to the helicopter will give you positioning and accuracy. For stability, though, you must look much further away. Accuracy alone won’t give you the stability you need to hover smoothly.

On your next visit to the multiplex, consider how you watch the movie on the 60- by 80-foot screen. To follow the action, you use a passive scan, which involves keeping your head still and moving your eyes up and down and side to side when your peripheral vision detects motion. This passive scan can be transferred to the helicopter to become an active (forced) scan ahead.

Sitting on the ground prior to lifting off in to the hover, imagine the theater widescreen outline in front of you, and start an active scan to and from several reference points ahead of you, throughout a wide field of vision. At an airport, for example, you might scan from the wind sock ahead, to a parked airplane at the far left, to a hill five miles away at center, to the control tower at the far right, and finally back to the wind sock. You must learn to develop this kind of active scan on your own, it will not occur automatically as the passive scan at the movie theatre did, because that was triggered by movement on the screen.

Your view outside should extend from side to side as you reference several visual points inside the large field of vision ahead of the helicopter. This is in much the same way cameras search for reference points to automatically focus on. If you keep your head up, look straight ahead, then roll your eyes up and down and side to side to the various selected reference points, you will be able to lift to the hover and maneuver the helicopter much more accurately and predictably.

More than just helping you become a smoother pilot, a good points-of-reference scan is needed for long-line work and to accurately approach to no-hover landings on small pads, platforms and helidecks.

Working with an external line, the technique of referencing the ground below requires the same points-of-reference scan we have been discussing, but with your head positioned outside, looking at the ground below. Pilots having difficulty handling external loads are the ones who have not yet developed a good horizontal scan that can be transferred down vertically below the helicopter.

Expanding further, you will be able to hold height and heading more accurately if you add the altitude and direction indicators on the instrument panel into your scan. By bringing an aviation chart into the same viewing area ahead, cross-country navigation becomes almost effortless.

A good scan also helps with steep observational turns at work sites, as you will not only be less likely to turn into unusual attitude entries and recoveries, but hovering out of ground effect will be smooth and steady.

I remember watching a not-so-smooth pilot on a very disorganized approach to a job site. After a bumpy landing, the crew boss, who had many years of experience in helicopters, walked over and told him that his services would not be required and that he should go home. Unfortunately, I doubt if that pilot ever came to the realization why he got such a severe response.

Charter customers that use helicopters frequently know when they are flying with a good pilot, because every lift-off, landing, approach and departure is smooth and accurately controlled. When a helicopter is flown smoothly, the folks on board feel comfortable and safe. Passengers don’t know how to fly a helicopter, but they sure know when it is being flown well… or badly.

Smooth pilots are the best pilots. So, when your passengers tell you they had a great flight and will be calling you again soon, you’ll know that all the efforts you put into learning to scan for stability have been more than worthwhile.

Learning From the Past

2009-02-08T09:11:00.000-08:00

Learning to fly in an older helicopter like the legendary Bell 47G2 is more than just a unique experience, it is an indispensable lesson in itself.

In 1946, the Bell 47 became the first helicopter to be civilly certified in the United States. The result of a determined effort by aviation businessman Larry Bell and inventor Arthur Young, the B47 was also the first production helicopter in the industry.

Today, this old pioneer is seen as somewhat nostalgic because of its age. It is practical with the classic look everyone associates with a helicopter, but is also roomy inside with excellent visibility.

The question many of you probably have is can you still learn to fly in this old bird, and should you? Well, let’s go to the flight line and have a look.

Preflights and Checks

The preflight on the Bell 47G2 is straightforward, as it has no cowlings or doors to open. The main rotor transmission is fitted to the top of the vertically mounted six-cylinder Lycoming VO-435 engine. Oil for the two combined units is scavenged from an airframe-mounted dry sump reservoir. The high mounted saddlebag fuel tanks hold 43 US gallons of avgas, which is gravity fed to the carburettor below.

The engine and flight instruments conform to the basic aircraft minimum equipment list with the addition of an attitude indicator, heading indicator, turn co-ordinator, and vertical speed (if instrument training is required for licensing). The Bell 47 has no caution panel lights or chip detectors, and the time between overhaul period for the engine, and main and tail rotor gearboxes have not needed review for many years.

In the event of a complete electrical system failure, the 12 spark plugs will continue to fire, thanks to two self-generating magnetos. The rotor and engine needle-tachometers have their own source of power as well.

The tail rotor is held in place by a triangulated, curved support tube referred to as “the harp”. It has a somewhat Art Deco look to it, and, if things get out of hand, it will contact the ground before the tail rotor — which is a good thing. The original tail rotor blades were weak and often difficult to control in a hover, but with the installation of the larger JetRanger style blades, mandatory since 1982, thrust power from the tail rotor is now more than sufficient.

Before the invention of the Stobex (rotor balancing device), engineers tracked the Bell 47G2’s wooden blades with a greasy rag tied to a broomstick. This was held up to the blade tips from underneath the hovering helicopter. The first blade to contact the rag was flying too low and needed adjustment. In the hangar, with all present remaining still and quiet, adding or subtracting weight to the blade tips of the teeter-totter rotors kept them perfectly balanced.

To keep the rotor system running smoothly, adjustment is also needed to the four sprag mounts, which center the engine/transmission unit at the bottom of the airframe.

With everything tracked and balanced correctly, it’s time to fire up and take to the sky.

Getting Airborne

All buckled in, we can see that the large round Plexiglas bubble mounted over the cabin allows for infinite visibility, with no blind spots. The centrifugal clutch inside the main rotor transmission is easy to engage with the throttle, after starting. With run up and all checks complete, we can now begin to lift into the hover.

Pulling collective, we begin to feel authority with the pedals and cyclic as the wide track landing gear begins to shuffle slightly. With control response normal and center of gravity confirmed within limits, moving the collective up further brings us into a stabilized hover.

The hydraulically assisted cyclic has a stable feel, but with a slight lag, as the pitch links rise from the swash plate through the stabilizer bar and up to the main rotor blades. The collective, manually connected to the rotor system, has a solid feel. You will need a slight twist of the throttle grip to keep the engine’s revolutions per minute (r.p.m.) at 3,000 when raising and lowering the collective. To open the throttle, pull up. To back off slightly, push down. Eventually, muscle memory takes over and you will be doing this automatically.

The Bell 47’s wooden blades snap crisply into forward flight as we climb to altitude. To keep us flying level at 60 knots cruising speed, pay close attention to maintaining attitude. If you move the round bubble up into the airstream too much, the speed will slow, despite a cruise power setting and a constant height. Move the nose forward to cruise speed at the end of a climb to arrive on a step, much like a floatplane does when “stepping” onto the water surface before lifting off.

The sound of the blades is magic, especially on a summer day with the doors removed. You can hear them flapping and bending, especially when turning, descending and decelerating. The noise is a mini version of the familiar blade slap of the UH-1 Huey used in Vietnam.

Available power with pilot and instructor on board is similar to that of any helicopter with most of the seats occupied. Above 4,000 feet, the carburettor struggles in the thinning air and safe landing at altitudes above that are a challenge and worthy of a gold star.

When power and r.p.m. are co-ordinated properly, performance is more than adequate. Those who complain about lack of power will need some further instruction in the art of power management. Manipulate the throttle for perfect takeoffs and landings. The manual throttle here is the real deal, like driving with a manual transmission instead of an automatic in your car.

In Flight

In smooth hands, the Bell 47 is a graceful airborne flying machine. You can see the blur of the blade tips 18 feet in front of you at 340 r.p.m., and you can feel and anticipate the lift from the two blades, especially on takeoff and landing.

The engine note has a pleasant ring to it at the correct setting. A shrill high pitch, sounding much like your mother when you were late for dinner, lets you know the revs are too high. A dull, empty sound alerts you that the revs are too low. In the B47, you can hear the engine, there is no need to stare at the tachometer.

Speed-wise, you can feel the right climbing attitude of 45 miles an hour, even with the airspeed indicator covered over. Finding collective cruise power at 20 inches of manifold pressure is also possible without reference to the manifold pressure gauge. The airframe has a relaxed and positive feel to it at cruise power and feels stressed and pushed beyond its liking when too much power is applied.

In short, it’s possible and often preferable to fly the Bell 47 by feel, without reference to the instruments at all.

To prevent icing, apply carburettor heat by moving a handle at the side of the instrument panel. Although this is a nuisance at first, using carb heat soon becomes a reflex action and can even be thought of as a secondary power control. With heat applied at the hover, carb temperature is set within the green temperature arc. When ready to climb out, moving the handle to cold increases engine power and the helicopter will start to rise. Then, follow through with collective pitch for more power and the helicopter will accelerate forward into the climb.

On approach to land with carb heat applied, move the handle to cold at the end of the approach and you get a power boost before arriving to the hover. This interconnection between the use of carb heat and collective power is subtle, but just another example of how flying the Bell 47 can teach you creativity in control.

When your instructor closes the throttle, you will need to lower the collective right away and hold it down. Once this is done, you will be able to find the 45 to 60 m.p.h. airspeed speed range by looking ahead to the horizon. Keep the rotor speed within the allowable range of 320 to 360 r.p.m. and choose your spot to land into the wind. After flaring close to the ground to stop the descent, you will find the landing gear has good lateral stability and the two crosstubes flex nicely if your landing is a bit lumpy after pulling collective.

Final Thoughts

All in all, the Bell 47G2 is truly a magnificent machine to fly and a very effective trainer. Bell and Young certainly got it right when they came up with this one. It is solid and stable, and mastering it in flight is a well-earned first step before moving up into the turbine helicopters more commonly used today in commercial operations.

Even though it is not able to leap tall buildings in a single bound and is not more powerful than a locomotive, it is certainly the helicopter in its purest original form and a delight to fly. The venerable ‘47 is still in use as a trainer years after all these years. It is a classic, and defying gravity in this little ship continues to be a thoroughly satisfying experience.

What helicopter you learn to fly in is actually more important than a lot of new students realize, and the Bell 47G2 will not only do the job very well, it will teach you creativity, while giving you a taste of where this industry came from.

Beyond the Syllabus

2009-02-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

To understand what it's really like to fly a helicopter, you have to go beyond the lessons and the information to see what it feels like right from the cockpit.

Helicopter flight is very intriguing to most people. Often all it takes is to be close to a helicopter landing or taking off for the notion of learning how to fly to take hold. For those thinking of helicopter flying as a career option, but are not sure what it’s like to learn to fly, we wanted to share with you a look at the basics from start to finish.

Now, most flight school syllabuses list the air lessons you’ll be engaging in and the classroom stuff that's required. All this can be seen on many web sites. However, from that, we still don't get an idea of what piloting a helicopter feels like and what coming to grips with the sensations of helicopter control is all about until we’re actually immersed in the training program. So, to help give you an idea of what it’s like to drive a helicopter around in the air, let’s go flying.

Up and Down, and Side to Side

Hovering flight is quite unstable and lifting off the ground into the hover can be a discouraging way to begin learning to control the helicopter. So, to start, let's get the instructor to get us up in the air, and then we can begin to break down the components of rotary-wing flight from a more suitable position.

Moving the cyclic control from side to side with our right hand is what rotates the airframe about the vertical/longitudinal axis so we can bank or turn in, much the same way a boat turns left or right in the water. Moving the cyclic control forward and backward changes attitude, which is an aviation term used to describe the relationship between the front of the helicopter and the horizon ahead. Pitching the nose up and down along the horizontal/lateral axis changes the attitude. Pitching the nose up reduces the distance or gap between the front of the helicopter and the horizon, and pitching forward increases the gap.

Attitude changes also increase or decrease speed. (When you approach your instructor with a knowing smile and announce that attitude changes also make the helicopter go up and down, he or she will be thrilled to know you are beginning to analyze the whole process and are not just nodding politely and taking notes.) A climb is initiated with aft movement of the cyclic pitching the nose up to a slower speed. Pitching the attitude nose down reduces height, but the resulting speed increase may not be useful as an approach technique. Therefore, speed is the change primarily brought about by a change in attitude.

A car travelling up and down a hill is changing attitude and pitching up and down in the same way, but without any control input from the driver. (Okay, so I hear someone pointing out that you need to use the accelerator to maintain speed while the car changes attitude. So, there you go, attitude changes speed!)

Keeping it Under Control

Rotating about the vertical/yaw axis is much like twirling an umbrella and twisting it sideways at the same time. When not in trim, the airframe yaws left and right below the rotor system much like a car sliding in the snow. The tail-rotor pedals prevent yaw and keep the helicopter in trim.

Moving the collective pitch lever up and down with the left hand increases and decreases the pitch angle of the main rotor blades (collectively) to enable climbing and descending in conjunction with the cyclic. To prevent yaw, though, pitch changes in the tail rotor must accompany the collective pitch change. If the main rotor blades are spinning counter-clockwise (as with Bell, Robinson and Schweizer trainers), then the nose of the helicopter will want to torque to the right with increased collective pitch. This requires application of the left pedal to keep the nose straight.

To add to the confusion, the airframe torque effect and the correcting tail rotor thrust cause a right drifting tendency overall in the hover. Moving the cyclic to the left counters the drift, which is the reason the left skid hangs lower in the hover.

Thus far, we are sitting in the pilot’s seat banking left and right and pitching the nose up and down with the cyclic, raising and lowering the collective to assist in climbing and initiate descending, while applying pressure to the left and right pedals to prevent yaw. And, if the engine revolutions a minute (r.p.m.) governor fails, we must now open and close the throttle grip at the end of the collective lever as we move it up and down.

So, there we have it: the cyclic controls attitude (speed) and bank or roll (turning), while the collective controls height and rate of climb or descent, and throttle movement controls r.p.m. if the governor fails or is not installed. Oh, and don’t use the pedals as a footrest as these will be needed to prevent yaw when moving the collective and possibly the throttle. Now the perspiration is beginning to form on your brow as you begin to seriously question how clever it was to take on this form of flight.

Getting the Feel of It

That fear soon fades with practice, and as the exhilaration of flight and pride in controlling a complex machine takes hold. As we begin to feel more at ease with the helicopter controls, we can get into specific air maneuvers.

Remember, to climb, we pitch the nose up to a climb attitude, increase power by raising the collective and apply pitch to the tail rotor blades to prevent yaw. To descend, we reduce power by lowering the collective, maintain an attitude near level and reduce tail rotor blade pitch to prevent yaw.

If these climbs and descents are not working out the way you thought they would, it's because the nose tends to pitch up slightly when you apply collective pitch, and pitches down when you lower the collective. Move the cyclic fore and aft accordingly when making power changes to maintain a steady attitude and don't forget to move the pedals to prevent yaw when you increase and decrease power. Also, use tail rotor anti-torque thrust to balance the airframe’s torque tendency.

Let's take a moment to clarify the term power and introduce the term transition. When we change attitude by pitching the nose up or down with the cyclic, the resulting change in airspeed is what we call a transition. We use the word power to refer to the use of the collective. Adding power means collective up and reducing power means collective down. There is a tendency to think of engine r.p.m. as power, but the engine and rotor r.p.m. must be maintained at a constant speed, so we use the term power instead in reference to collective pitch changes.

By this time, perhaps you can see that to fly a helicopter we manipulate the main rotor blade system overhead and the tail rotor at the rear. Because of its many moving and rotating parts, the helicopter is more like an airborne machine or flying apparatus than an airplane which rides the airflow on stationary wings.

Almost Ready

Alright, so now that climbing and descending is a piece of cake and turning is something your dog could have figured out, let’s approach the ground and touch down briefly with forward movement and then depart up into the climb.

After practising our approach and touch down several times, we suddenly find, at the end of one approach, we can miraculously hover somewhat motionlessly before landing. As previously mentioned, the controllability of the ship is more sensitive at the hover, but now that we are more practised and comfortable at the controls, hovering is not so difficult after all.

One important difference to remember in the hover is controlling yaw. If the nose begins to turn left or right, you will be tempted to correct this with the cyclic, as that is the directional control in forward flight. At the hover, though, it's the tail rotor pedals that control direction, while the cyclic simply controls movement across the ground. Whew, more perspiration!

Now, let's get back into the air. Moving ahead in the hover, we begin to approach forward flight, marked by an aerodynamic event we call translation or ETL (effective translational lift). At the point of translation, the rotor system goes through some stressful aerodynamic bending and shuddering, which is why early test pilots had to screw up their courage to approach and break through this point when testing a new model. “Taking her through translation” and into forward flight was a milestone event.

At translation, lift dissymmetry between the advancing and retreating blades reaches a point where the rotors begin to flap and pitch the nose up in front due to gyroscopic precession (or 90-degree phase lag). If we move the cyclic forward through translation to avoid the pitching tendency, the helicopter will accelerate smoothly and evenly at a climb-out attitude. Overall lift derived from forward flight also increases and control becomes easier and more predictable.

At this point, everyone is probably worried about the engine quitting. In that unlikely event, remember to quickly lower the collective full down to flat pitch, set the attitude near level at a speed of 60 knots, and get rid of the anti-torque by moving the right pedal forward (or the left if your ship is from Europe or Russia). At the end of the descent, at about the height of a two-story building, flare the ship nose up to slow down and reduce the rate of descent, and then raise collective to cushion the landing gently with the skids level to the ground… Well done!

So, let’s sum up. We arrive at the flight school bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and soon find out helicopter control is not exactly like anything else we have ever ridden or driven before. As training progresses, we get excited, discouraged and may even feel like giving up from time to time. But, with continuing encouragement and insight from our instructor, we persevere. With time and practice, we eventually come to grips with this unwieldy device and gain the knowledge, care and confidence needed to be a pilot. All of the hard work and effort finally pays off with your licence being issued. Congratulations, you always wanted to be a helicopter pilot, and now you really are one!

Better or Worse: Flight Training 30 Years Later

2009-02-08T08:59:00.000-08:00

Structured helicopter training began with the first commercial certification of a Bell 47 in 1946. By the late 1970s, helicopters had participated in two wars and pilots were learning to fly on a variety of different helicopter types at flight schools, utilizing regulated training programs. Now that another 30 years has come and gone, I’ve begun to wonder, is helicopter training any better than when I first started flying?

Certainly instrument training is more common now and visual flight rules pilots have better height and heading discipline. Certified flight instructors also receive better training in procedures and emergencies, and more instructors now have high-time career experience.

Good close-to-the-ground skills are important in many helicopter operations, such as vertical reference and mountain flying, and are given more emphasis now in basic training. Improved control during takeoff and landing has greatly assisted in the reduction of accidents caused by dynamic rollover.

Mountain training continues to address the need for good wind awareness and power management. Some of the early mountain pilots who were self-taught in this skill have moved on to instruction and written manuals about procedures and experiences.

Teaching full-on autorotations is still a matter of opinion and a safety concern with many. However, more check pilots and instructors are now safe and proficient at touching down without the assist of the engine, and are thus able to provide good instruction in this important helicopter skill.

Those who do autorotate to the ground on a regular basis have refined this skill. Flare, push forward and pull collective was the sequence of events in the early days, often resulting in a hair-raising run-on across the ground. With the development of turbine helicopters with more fragile airframes and landing gear, running on became a mechanical liability and a safety concern. To address this, we learned how to raise the collective toward the end of the flare, and then contact the ground in a level attitude to spot-land the helicopter onto the surface with minimal or no forward movement, even when the wind was very light.

Governors are now commonplace in piston trainers, eliminating the need to control r.p.m. while making collective pitch changes. Some instructors still insist learning to fly without a governor gives the pilot a much better collective feel, but I can hear the deafening noise building from those readers who oppose this notion.

Before the use of engine-speed governors, a stuck throttle accident in Alberta necessitated the development of an emergency procedure for this malfunction. Since throttle seizures are not common these days, this procedure is no longer practiced. Governors, however, can misbehave and although many pilots are proficient at controlling engine revs without governor assistance, many more could use more practice at controlling r.p.m with the “wrist governor”!

After a few unexplained losses in Vietnam, we learned about mast bumping and now teach pilots of two-bladed helicopters to resist the tendency to counter airframe roll if the main rotor becomes weightless in an abrupt dive or nose over. The rotor will then remain fixed to the top of the mast where it belongs. Another way to prevent mast bumping is to remove the word “abrupt” from your flight plan!

Teaching tail rotor emergencies is more widespread than it used to be, but because tail rotors can malfunction in different ways, it is difficult to group recoveries into one practiced procedure. Tail rotor emergency training can be somewhat of an involved process and opinions differ as to what the correct recovery procedures should be. Standardization here would help.

Flight schools are now more thoroughly exploring recovery options from low-gravity roll, vortex ring and loss-of-tail-rotor effectiveness (LTE). Training now addresses the critical azimuth avoidance area surrounding the tail rotor at slow speeds in an effort to confront and prevent occurrences of tail-rotor vortex ring (a.k.a LTE).

An uncontrollable descent is possible at slow forward speeds if the main rotors are settling in their own downwash. Recognizing the onset of vortex ring and how to recover from this hazard due to pilot error is now an important part of good training. In the United States, vortex ring and settling with power are considered one and the same. In Canada, though, settling with power is considered to be a hard landing resulting from a high rate of descent close to the ground that cannot be controlled with engine power.

In terms of differences between Canada and the U.S., Canadian flight schools emphasise bush operations more, because this commercial activity is far more widespread in the remote northern areas. Americans focus on speed close to the ground to be safe, whereas Canadians seem to teach the importance of good helicopter control as a primary motivation. Canadian flight schools explore many different types of confined-area procedures, while in the U.S. these procedures are more standardized. Also, Canadians no longer include rapid decelerations in flight-testing, while quick stops are still part of a pilot check ride in the U.S.

Teaching pilots to make informed decisions has always been an integral part of flight training. Pilot decision making is now a formal ground school subject and often a separate course. Good airmanship and a liberal dose of common sense go a long way to ensuring the safe outcome of every flight. Emergency procedures training and off-airport, confined-area procedures are still the exercises that, if thoroughly addressed in training, produce the best and most employable new pilots.

Overall, flight training is definitely getting better. In the next 30 years, though, the design and use of helicopters will no doubt change greatly, and our understanding of flight will surely improve. It will be interesting to see how flight training in 2038 reflects these changes.

Inherit the Wind

2009-02-08T08:58:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I’d probably rather inherit a family fortune, but if wind is all I can get...

Wind is possibly the most important atmospheric condition to be aware of every time we lift off the ground in rotary-wing flight. Departing and approaching into the wind is vital to many missions we find ourselves on, and, unfortunately, the local avionics shop doesn't yet stock a “wind direction” indicator.

Many low-timers still insist the airspeed indicater registers ground speed. When they finally learn that it doesn't, they also find out the avionics shop doesn't sell “ground speed” indicators either. Yes, I know your GPS unit can be used to determine ground speed, but your customers might be checking their watches when they see you flying back and forth reading numbers dislayed on a box. For single-pilot commercial operations, looking outside is still where all of our useful visual information comes from, especially when looking for the wind.

Wind finding should be straightforward when the wind is strong and the signs of it are evident. When the wind is light and variable, though, it is almost an art form to determine its source. So, how do we find the wind when signs of it are less than obvious? Low-timers have a tendency to downplay the wind when signs of it are not easily seen. I often hear, “There isn't any wind” or “Seattle Tower gave us the wind from 220 degrees at 10 knots.” (But that was 100 miles ago!) Good pilots are much more suspicious and wary of the wind. “There doesn't appear to be much wind” or “There should be a valley outflow from the high pressure ridge ahead” are much better observations.

With the GPS navigation system in your automobile, the sultry-voiced lady tells you everything you need to know, completely bypassing the thought process. “Do a u-turn if safe to do so” and “Continue two miles ahead to your destination” leaves little for you to contemplate. Of course, GPS voice prompts are not available at the job site, so wind finding becomes more like a challenging board game. Looking for clues is the way to solve the challenge of approaching into wind.

Less than obvious wind signs do exist, and a list of possible clues could be made as long as a toy request to Santa. These clues include: ripples on standing water, shimmering tall grass, the thin tops of coniferous trees bending to the side, the calm side of obstacles floating on the water, and low stratus moving across the ground.

The jury is still out on whether cows face into the wind, but birds, especially large ones, will float on the air currents, and descend and turn into the wind on approach. I asked a student pilot recently why she couldn’t do an approach like the seagull up ahead. She quickly pointed out the bird probably had more flight time! Touché!

Another creative observation came from a student pilot who determined that hamburgers were on the grill in the immediate area; and, upon noticing the local McDonald's up ahead, turned onto his final appropriately. Of course, after that good determination of the wind and a good touchdown, he then asked his instructor if they could return to the flight school for lunch… even though it was only 9 a.m.

Away from the flight school, a new recruit on the work site may find the nurturing qualities of the chief pilot somewhat lacking. I was told of an aspiring heli-logging junior birdman announcing to his logging captain, with bold confidence, that there was no wind. The captain fired off a terse reply, including salty language that would surely set fire to this page, stating, “You moron, there's always a wind. It's just not here yet.” It seems the “Popeye the Sailorman” instructional technique does have its place on the job… maybe!

The next time you find yourself beside a fast moving stream or river, have a look at the water descending downstream along, beside and around the rocks and other obstructions. The eddies and rough water below the rocks and boulders illustrate how wind can react in much the same way along the terrain you are flying, causing the turbulent areas we find behind hills and ridges.

Sometimes the source of the wind is elusive enough that putting together a practice approach and overshooting to the target area, along the approach path that you feel is into wind, is the way to get on with things. You should be able to anticipate the approach power setting required in still air considering the weight on board. If your chosen approach can be done at this power or less, then you are most likely into the wind.

Signs to look for if you are downwind are tail rotor sway, uneven power requirements and the buoyant undulations of “riding” the downwind flow. These indications should prompt you to overshoot and set up an approach from the opposite direction, because a further reduction in speed could ultimately result in excessive power or an engine overtorque. At worst, with no aerodynamic lift from ahead, you could settle to the ground with power.

If the wind where you are working is strong and its direction apparent, lift and buoyancy will be good, but handling the rising and descending air currents on approach might be the challenge. If the wind is light, available power may be the concern, especially if you have burly fishermen, oil rig workers, firefighters, etc., on board.

Finding the source of the wind and making sure you are approaching into it is the reason you are being paid the big bucks.

The Art of Control: Approach and Departure with a Heavy Load

2009-02-08T08:54:00.000-08:00

Fasten your seatbelts folks, we’re going in!

Recently, an enthusiastic 500-hour cyclic attendant came to us for an evaluation prior to a check ride with a prospective employer. Unfortunately, at the controls of a fully loaded helicopter, our sky captain could not get the aircraft through translation and into the climb at 100 percent power. Then, when confronted with a confined area, our subject started down the approach path, but had the landing been allowed to continue the engine’s transient limits would have reached record highs and the ship’s Airworthiness Certificate instantly rendered invalid due to airframe collapse.

Five hundred hours of experience is a commendable achievement for any new pilot, but, regrettably, some forms of helicopter time building don't call on the skills needed to fly commercial charter in off-airport terrain. For those pilots, and as a little recurrency for everyone else, let’s look at some key points on how to manage weight and power.

A hovering helicopter has lift support from the ground cushion of air under the rotor system. Ahead of translation, at a jogging pace, the helicopter acquires added lift from forward flight. If the helicopter is not too heavy, increasing power and applying forward cyclic will launch the aircraft through translation into climbing forward flight. ***Gee, Andy, why don't you tell us something that isn’t obvious!*** Okay, here goes. You will have to coax a very heavy helicopter across the surface on the ground cushion, until translation and forward flight can be achieved, because added power is not available. Yes, the stick you move up and down with your left hand has travel restrictions — just like Martha Stewart.

So, how about approaching into that confined area when the ship is heavy? In basic training, we learned how to fly the approach and pull power to slow the helicopter before landing. The cyclic controls speed and the collective controls height and rate of descent. But, approaching with a heavy helicopter requires understanding how to effectively use power, translation and the aerodynamics of speed.

The helicopter is far more versatile than many pilots realize. To fully appreciate the subtleness of helicopter control, we need to learn that the cyclic, not just the collective, can control height and rate of descent. ***The devil you say!***

The heavy helicopter has a great deal of aerodynamic lift in forward flight, ahead of translation at cruising speed, and the power setting is simply assisting the process. When the helicopter approaches to land, all of that speed and resulting aerodynamic lift will have to be scrubbed off and replaced with lift from brute horsepower. Power alone, though, may not be adequate, or even available, to slow the rate of descent of a heavy machine that is about to lose all lift from forward speed when its six feet above the ground.

When weight and rate of descent are high on a short final, and engine power is not able to slow and control the approach, we refer to the resulting hard landing as settling with power caused by pilot error. Entry into the vortex ring state close to the ground is a separate issue, but it’s pilot error all the same.

A ferry boat captain has to apply full power in reverse early on the approach to the dock to slow a heavy ship. Similarly, the helicopter pilot must slow down, apply power and increase blade pitch in anticipation of the upcoming confined area.

The weight of the ferry is supported on the surface of the water. The weight of the helicopter can also be supported, on translation. Slow the helicopter to translation early on an approach and you’ll be able to use high power plus lift from translation to control and support the weight of the helicopter on a predictable approach.

Slightly ahead of and behind translation, collective power will support the weight of the helicopter, and the glidepath can be maintained with small attitude adjustments. Remember, forward cyclic to climb and aft cyclic to descend. You are now magically controlling a heavy load on approach, with lift from constant high power and the aerodynamics of translation.

Conversely, a gliding approach does not have the same predictable outcome unless the helicopter is very light. Still, a late, scary burst of power may not allow you to control the helicopter the way you thought you could prior to landing.

What about departing a confined area with a heavy load? Before attempting a landing, put together a practice approach to determine the power required to land. Then, before committing to the spot, overshoot at full power at the nose pitch attitude you expect to use on departure. This way, you get a feel for the performance capability of the helicopter to exit the area. Arriving empty and departing with a heavy load you say?! In these situations, you will have to rely on good judgment and previous experience in similar departure situations.

Good helicopter drivers know the power needed to land in advance and how they’re going to get out before going in. Nothing is left to chance in rugged-terrain operations. When you know how to predict the outcome of each approach and departure, you will be able to fly confidently throughout the day.

Pilots who find themselves exhausted after only a few hours on the job are the ones not able to visualize how the events in front of them will play out. They lack the confidence to completely control the situations they are in. Remember, CONTROL is not only where Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 work, but is the needed ingredient for predictable, safe landings and departures with a heavy load.

This Way to Your Approach

2009-02-08T08:33:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the fast lane — now slow down!

Many low-time pilots try to rush into a confined area as if it were the newly vacated parking spot near the front entrance to the multiplex. This always results in a poorly controlled approach, an abrupt landing and a departure plan over the trees ahead that doesn’t exist. An instructor can correct this tendency during training, but show this sort of flying to a prospective employer or seasoned customer, and you will soon find yourself and your new Gallet back on the street again.

Good confined area work is what helicopter flight is all about. For customers, smoothly controlled and well-defined approach sequences make them feel safe, and they see this as good helicopter flying. Low-timers in a hurry, though, lack smooth control and are not able to handle the extra work load of a pending emergency or unanticipated wind change because all of their concentration is devoted to flying the helicopter.

I once asked some customers of mine if they would consider flying with a low-time pilot who was able to put together smooth and accurate approaches, landings and departures, but took some extra time to compose them. Without any hesitation, their answer was yes. Customers want to be safe, end of story.

To ensure controlled and efficient landings and departures when doing confined area work, there is a procedural aspect that needs to be practiced and refined. All fight schools have a formal reconnaissance procedure designed to assess an enclosed area prior to setting up the first approach. In a nutshell, these can be summarized in three questions. Is the area suitable given the size and height of the obstructions? How will we get in and out? Do we have enough power to exit?

The best approach path will not have a sign stating, “Helicopters thru here!” You must look for the most suitable approach. This is best done by circling 360 degrees around the area, far enough away to view all the gaps and openings leading into the vicinity. If there is a wind, the approach possibilities will be limited to the 180-degree arc on the downwind side. Golfers often hold their putter up in front of them to sight the curves, bumps and wind influences that might affect their ball on the way to the cup. All this effort simply to knock a dimpled ball toward a hole in the ground. As helicopter pilots, we need to have the same effort, and more, considering our human cargo on board.

On initial base leg, a good pilot can sometimes see the best into-wind approach ahead, determine that power and departure performance is adequate, and then turn onto the approach with a soft touchdown at the best location inside the area, all in one continuous sequence. Customers tell everyone at home that the pilot took them into the area without hesitation. In this case, the pilot was able to put together a comprehensive reconnaissance leading up to a good approach and landing in a timely manner. At the next location, though, more time may be needed to accomplish the same thing.

New pilots often choose the first approach they see or the one that seems obvious, and are frequently hard pressed to put together a short landing sequence. Plan one or more practice approaches from different vantage points to find the best one and to solve any problems associated with an area. Eventually, one of the practice approaches will become the final one. Don’t go in until you are ready, and give yourself the option of overshooting if the approach is poorly managed.

There are also two additional common low-time concerns that should be covered. First, the continuous, long, oval-shaped circuits to and from an area, where most of the air time is spent viewing the local scenery. Spend the same amount of time keeping the landing area in view and the customers will be able to size it up as well. If they want a scenic tour, they can go to the Grand Canyon.

Second, the really good approaches that begin to fall apart half way down are because the pilot abandons the approach and shifts all concentration to where the landing should take place. A variation on this is the approach that doesn’t take full advantage of the length of an area, because the pilot is too focused on the great-looking spot on the upwind side at the beginning of the area. The resulting steep and uncontrolled approaches have the customers grabbing for anything that will help them brace for impact. Finish the approach to a hover using the available length, then taxi inside to find the best touchdown location. It’s just that easy!

It is important to visualize all the events leading up to a successful confined area landing. When you learned to fly a basic circuit pattern during initial training, you needed to visualize all of the sequences ahead of you, all the way around to the landing where you are about to depart from. The same is true of any confined area landing. When you can visualize exactly how the approach, landing and departure are going to play out ahead of you, then and only then is it time to go in. The helicopter is an extension of your feet, arms and the large gray mass inside your Gentex. You must be in complete control of both the machine you are in and the situation that surrounds you at all times. Control is everything. And don’t forget that the pilot slinging the Port-a-Potty around the movie set is the one who hasn’t yet learned how to properly land in a confined area.

Mission Possible

2009-02-08T08:30:00.000-08:00

“This isn't Mission Difficult, Mr. Hunt, this is Mission Impossible. Difficult should be a walk in the park for you.” What a great line from Mission Impossible III. In many ways, the search for work for the newly licensed pilot is mission difficult, but for those who confront the difficulties and rise to the challenge, success will be a realistic possibility.

Helicopter flying is an exciting career option. Many people eagerly sign up for training only to be spit out on completion with a license... and then what? Career enthusiasts should consider the process from the first notion of becoming a pilot through to a paying job as a package, like the bundling that is so common with telecommunications and entertainment sales these days. I’m sure you already thought carefully about which training school to give your money to. Now you must consider the research, focus, effort and determination necessary to confront the helicopter business head on and apply yourself to the job of finding work.

Throughout your flight training, you are exposed directly and indirectly to the business you want to be a part of. Take full advantage of this, and, as early as possible, start thinking like a helicopter pilot. What companies would you like to work for? Be realistic. A high-mountain long-line operator would probably not be too interested in welcoming you on board as a freshman pilot. Operators who fly general charter in more flatter terrain are the ones you should be aiming for. Choose a handful of good companies and find out everything you can about them: from the number and types of ships they fly, to the names of key personnel and everything the company has been involved in.

Significant contracts awarded to operators are often reported in the media. When talking to the chief pilot or ops manager, make mention of a recent new contract or that the company is sponsoring a local kids’ hockey team. This will make a positive impression and show you have taken the time to familiarize yourself with the company’s activities.

Remember, though, your job search begins even before you graduate. Your time at the training school is under observation, whether you realize it or not. The people you are paying money to for training can and will be valuable supporters. Arriving at the hangar at the crack of dawn every day and pitching in with the day’s activities will never go unnoticed — and it makes for a great recommendation when a potential employer calls your chief flight instructor to inquire about you.

Many student pilots treat the training program like a job. They arrive early every day and help out with company operations, as well as prepare for their own training flights and ground study. This is the kind of enthusiasm and work ethic employers are looking for from entry-level pilots.

I remember meeting a low-timer who walked into our hangar and shook hands with every person in the building, engineers, pilots and all the office staff. What an overwhelming first impression this made and needless to say this person is now somewhat of a legend in the industry. I’m not suggesting this is what everyone should be doing, but it is an example of what can be done to make you stand out. Think of ways you too can you make a positive impression and set yourself apart from the competition.

After you graduate and have all that time to concentrate on your job search, continue mingling with operators and gathering useful information. Also, stay positive and upbeat. If you keep your focus, motivation and determination, you will be successful. Above all, be realistic and never become despondent. Don’t spend time on projects you know won’t lead anywhere, like wishing you could be a search and rescue pilot in the Swiss Alps with only 101 hours of flight time.

Many job-anxious pilots are convinced that a mass mailing of their impressive résumé is the way to go in the search for work. It’s not. Launching a box of business cards from the top of a tall building and waiting for CHC’s chief pilot to call is hopelessly optimistic.

Plan out your job search as you would any major undertaking. First, continue to learn everything you can about the helicopter industry and how you can effectively penetrate the job market. Next, prepare a comprehensive business plan on yourself, as the new product in the marketplace. Outline all the steps necessary to sell yourself to prospective employers. Make a list of your positive qualities. Also, make a list of any negative ones, then determine how to overcome them.

Any successful business is a team effort. Where can you fit in and how can you enhance the team? Consider discussing an internship with an operator. Suggest what you can do for them. What strength do you have that could benefit their business? Maybe you can help with technical records keeping or the never ending task of organizing the operations gear, long lines, nets, lanyards and Bambi Buckets? Be creative and always make a positive impression.

Looking back over these past 30 years, if I had to do it all over again, I would, in a heartbeat. This is an exciting business to be a part of. Yes, the search for work can be a daunting and overwhelming task, but with effort, research and determination, you can make it Mission Possible. After all, Ethan Hunt is not a helicopter pilot, but you are!