Lets say you are taking that once-in-a-lifetime helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon, when suddenly a Red Flocked Booby smashes through the windshield, incapacitating your pilot.
If you, the non-pilot, find yourself in the unenviable position of being in a helicopter without a pilot, you’re going to have to land. With some mental preparation and a whole lot of luck you may be able pull this off.
Let’s take a look at the controls:
Cyclic: The main control stick coming up between your legs is called the cyclic. Push forward, the nose goes down. Pull back, the nose goes up. Push left, the helicopter banks (or tilts) left. Push right, bank right.
Pedals: The pedals on the floor control the tail rotor. Push the left pedal to turn the nose left, push right to turn the nose right. You use these to keep the noise pointed forward. If you want to turn the helicopter, use the cyclic; adjust the pedals only as necessary to keep the nose from being cocked off to one side or the other.
Collective: The stick coming out of the floor by your left thigh is the collective. It makes the rotor blades blow more or less air. When you pull up on the collective all the rotor blades rotate slightly so that each blade takes a bigger bite and more airflow is induced through the rotor system.
Throttle: The throttle that controls engine speed is usually found as a motorcycle-like twist-grip on the collective, or as an overhead lever between the two pilots. In almost all helicopters the throttle is automatic. Before takeoff you set it to 100% and leave it there the whole time. So don’t mess with the throttle.
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You have to control all three at the same time. Most people can barely deal with two things at once. Just kiss your ass good bye and enjoy the view on the way down.
🙂
I would at least try to get away from being over the canyon–to make it easier for the rescue crews to get to the wreckage.
But I will still beat them to the wreckage.
Let’s see. First you have to get out of the back seat, then move the pilot out of your way before you can even start to control the chopper. Of course all of this is going on while the chopper is spinning toward the ground. Yep, you are toast.
I knew this but I have never flown one ,kinda like a plane the pedals are for left and right and the wheel is for up and down
A Huey Cobra practicing autorotations during a military night training exercise had a problem and landed on the tail rotor, separating the tailboom. Fortunately, it wound up on its skids, sliding down the runway doing 360s in a brilliant shower of sparks.
As the Cobra passed the tower, the following exchange was overheard:
Tower: “Sir, do you need any assistance?”
Cobra: “I don’t know, tower. We ain’t done crashing yet!”
Theological questions will be answered before you get the hang of it
Piece of cake. I bet I could do it
I learned everything I need to know from M*A*S*H. There is nothing that show can’t teach you!