“G” is an abbreviation for acceleration due to the earth’s gravity. A person standing on the ground or sitting in an aircraft in level flight is experiencing one G. An aircraft in a tight, banked turn with the pilot being pressed into the seat is experiencing more than one G or high-G conditions. A person […]
Low-G Conditions and Mast Bumping | Helicopter Emergencies Read Post »
A helicopter is susceptible to a lateral rolling tendency, called dynamic rollover, when it is in contact with the surface during takeoffs or landings. For dynamic rollover to occur, some factor must first cause the helicopter to roll or pivot around a skid or landing gear wheel, until its critical rollover angle is reached. The
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Helicopters with articulating rotors (usually designs with three or more main rotor blades) are subject to ground resonance, a destructive vibration phenomenon that occurs at certain rotor speeds when the helicopter is on the ground. Ground resonance is a mechanical design issue that results from the helicopter’s airframe having a natural frequency that can be
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In forward flight, the relative airflow through the main rotor disk is different on the advancing and retreating side. The relative airflow over the advancing side is higher due to the forward speed of the helicopter, while the relative airflow on the retreating side is lower. This dissymmetry of lift increases as forward speed increases.
Retreating Blade Stall | Helicopter Emergencies and Hazards Read Post »
Vortex ring state (formerly referenced as settling-with-power) describes an aerodynamic condition in which a helicopter may be in a vertical descent with 20 percent up to maximum power applied, and little or no climb performance. The previously used term settling-with-power came from the fact that the helicopter keeps settling even though full engine power is
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In a helicopter, an autorotative descent is a power-off maneuver in which the engine is disengaged from the main rotor disk and the rotor blades are driven solely by the upward flow of air through the rotor. [Figure 1] In other words, the engine is no longer supplying power to the main rotor. Figure 1.
Autorotation | Helicopter Emergencies and Hazards Read Post »
A pinnacle is an area from which the surface drops away steeply on all sides. A ridgeline is a long area from which the surface drops away steeply on one or two sides, such as a bluff or precipice. The absence of obstacles does not necessarily decrease the difficulty of pinnacle or ridgeline operations. Updrafts,
A confined area is an area where the flight of the helicopter is limited in some direction by terrain or the presence of obstructions, natural or manmade. For example, a clearing in the woods, a city street, a road, a building roof, etc., can each be regarded as a confined area. The helicopter pilot has
Prior to conducting any slope operations, be thoroughly familiar with the characteristics of dynamic rollover and mast bumping, which are discussed in Helicopter Emergencies and Hazards section. The approach to a slope is similar to the approach to any other landing area. During slope operations, make allowances for wind, barriers, and forced landing sites in
Use a shallow approach and running landing when a high density altitude, a high gross weight condition, or some combination thereof, is such that a normal or steep approach cannot be made because of insufficient power to hover. [Figure] To compensate for this lack of power, a shallow approach and running landing makes use of
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