Purpose

To simulate landing the aircraft in the event of a power loss while in a hover or during hover taxiing.

Description

• Demonstrate the procedure for a hover autorotations.
• Allow the student to practic hover autorotations.

Instructional aids and pre-requisites

Lessons PS-1 through PS-2 are pre-requisites

Content

• Position the aircraft into the wind over the taxiway in a 2-3΄ hover
• Identify a distant vertical structure the student can use as a reference
• Reposition hand so that the throttle can be completely closed
• After a 3-count, smoothly roll the throttle into the detent position and simultaneously correct yaw with right pedal
• As the aircraft settles, increase collective to cushion the landing
  • Keep the throttle in full detent
  • Correct sideward drift with cyclic
• Apply slight forward cyclic as the aircraft makes ground contact
• Once firmly on the ground, lower the collective to full down

Common errors

• Excessive yaw
  • Encourage the student to slowly and smoothly roll of throttle to allow ample time to make compensating ATP inputs
• Hard landing
  • Early application of collective, causing loss of rotor RPM prior to touchdown
  • Not using all available collective

Completion standards

• Heading ±10°
• Touchdown in a level attitude

Teaching considerations

• Teach “Throttle-Pedal, Settle-Pull”
• Guard against aft or sideward drift
• Performing a hover autorotation during a slow forward taxi may help isolate the inputs
• Guard against student inadvertantly increasing throttle
  • Practice rolling throttle down several times while on the ground, just prior to practicing hover autorotation

Video on how to perform hovering autorotations

Additional practice

• Not applicable

Additional resources

• None currently