Purpose
To maintain motionless flight over a reference point at a constant altitude and heading; develop skills necessary for practicing pick-ups/set-downs and approaches.
Description
- Brief student on positive exchange of controls.
- Develop student’s sight picture for 5 ΄ hover by allowing him to control the collective and ATPs.
- Demonstrate oscillation from overcontrolling and ability to recover.
- Develop student’s understanding of the effect cyclic inputs have on aircraft control.
- Use all three controls to hover over a reference point.
Instructional aids and pre-requisites
- The Flight Controls module is a pre-requisite
- Hovering 1 and Hovering 2 are pre-requisites
- Ground Lesson: Pendular motion
Content
- Pre-flight briefing: Positive 3-way exchange of controls
- Position the aircraft into the wind over a large, clear, even surface with a distant reference (eg, a building or a pole) the student can use as an attitude and altitude reference
- Clear the area for traffic and obstructions
- In a 5 ΄ hover, transfer control of the collective and ATPs to the student; as deviations from 5 ΄ altitude develop, prompt student to make corrective collective inputs
- Return control of the collective/ATPs to instructor and transfer control of the cyclic to the student
- Maintain position within a large radius, accepting forward and lateral drift as long as the student can maintain control without inducing oscillation
- Assist with arresting oscillation by making corrective input followed by a return to neutral position/hover attitude and waiting for movement to stop
- When student is comfortable with the cyclic, transfer collective and ATP to student with goal of maintaining 5 ΄ hover altitude and position within large radius (no rearward drift)
- Gradually increase standard as student proficiency improves
Common errors
- Fixation on reference too close to aircraft
- Position aircraft so that suitable distant reference is available
- Overcontrolling
- Set attainable goal initially—position within 30΄ circle and minimal drift; work toward standard of maintaining position within 10′ circle
- Use distant visual reference and refocus student’s attention to it
- Encourage student to evaluate effect of one input before attempting another
- As long as aircraft control can be maintained, let students fix oscillations and drift so they understand what effect a control input has
- Tension/death grip on controls
- Provide frequent breaks
- Encourage finger-tip flying
- Resignation
- Normal approach to hover and hovering from a slow forward hover taxi can help develop hovering skills (by going starting with known skills, students can learn the new skill)
- Maintain positive self-image—hovering is a difficult skill to master
Completion standards
- Verbalizes positive exchange of controls
- Heading ±10 °
- Altitude ±2 ΄
- Position within 10 ΄ diameter circle
Teaching considerations
- Ensure that student maintains a 5 ΄ hover and intercede before risk of ground contact
- Avoid rearward drift
- Help student arrest oscillation before a dangerous attitude or excessive drift necessitates taking control
- Intermingle hovering with lessons on normal approaches to hover; as student terminates approach to hover, initiate another takeoff just as the aircraft begins to get unstable
- During breaks, set down while you provide your critique so the student isn’t comparing his performance to yours
Video on how to hover
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqHWnk2HWUU&feature=PlayList&p=584450ED140D552D
Additional practice
- Continue with Advanced Hovering Maneuvers
Additional resources
- None specified