Strapped Into A Falling Helicopter...For Science!

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Seriously, I love the SmarterEveryDay videos, but I don't need to actually get in the chopper like this guy did to see how this works first hand. I am perfectly fine with someone just explaining to me how to land a helicopter when the motor goes out. There's no need for me to be in the helicopter for me to understand the science behind this. :eek:
 
Common mostly required test to do when getting a roto license. Fairly straight forward, much easier situation to recover from than say a flat spin in a small airplane (which also used to be a required test to get a license)
 
VladDracule said:
Common mostly required test to do when getting a roto license. Fairly straight forward, much easier situation to recover from than say a flat spin in a small airplane (which also used to be a required test to get a license)
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The flat spin portion was dropped when it resulted in more funerals than licenses.
 
I deal with a lot of LEO pilots and their operations. I've seen this done many times as part of a periodic training re-certification. Looks scary as hell but they've always said it was quite simple to accomplish. At least in a controlled environment.
 
Oh, boy. I've done this in a Robinson R22. This, and spin training in a Cessna 152-2 were certainly my two biggest Depends moments of my life.
 
The most fun you can have is practicing crashing helicopters.

It's better than whitewater kayaking, sport bikes on curvy mountain roads, and is less of a head ache than red heads.

If you have a helicopter school nearby, it behooves you to go get a demo flight and ask the instructor to show you how to perform a full down autorotation.

VladDracule said:
Common mostly required test to do when getting a roto license. Fairly straight forward, much easier situation to recover from than say a flat spin in a small airplane (which also used to be a required test to get a license)
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Two autos were part of my last check ride, one from cruising altitude, one from hover altitude. You have to do almost exactly the opposite thing with your hands to keep from bending parts and having a long conversation with maintenance and the chief pilot, and you know, that whole potentially screaming and dying thing...
 
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I thought most modern aircraft couldn't actually glide because they didn't have the wingspan. They had to have the thrust from the engines at all times.
 
KarsusTG said:
I thought most modern aircraft couldn't actually glide because they didn't have the wingspan. They had to have the thrust from the engines at all times.
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All airplanes glide, otherwise they wouldn't fly in the first place. How far and how long is the question. Same principle applies in a rotary-wing aircraft, like a helicopter. Tthe potential energy that got it in the air in the first place is converted into kinetic energy in the rotor during autorotation as the air passes through the blades. As long as there is still hydraulic power available, the pilot can change the angle of the blades at the right moment for them to "catch" the air and create enough lift to land the helicopter safely.
 
Here are some cool vids of the ultralight Mosquito Air undergoing autorotation.





 
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