Helicopter Flight Information
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Helicopter Flight Information |
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THE TRAINING PROCESS
Due to the fact that flight training takes place in a three dimensional atmosphere, it differs greatly from any thing else. Aviation is not very forgiving to oversights and mistakes which often result in a severely damaged aircraft possibly with injuries. If these events take place in a helicopter the aircraft will almost certainly be destroyed. This does not necessarily mean that there will be personal injury, but that possibility always exists. In your flight training you will be introduced to this three dimensional atmosphere which has a tendency to influence a person’s actions in an involuntary sort of way, especially at first. The history of air crashes does not help because it has instilled a subconscious fear of crashing in all of us. Some students can easily over come this fear but for others it can be much more difficult. These subconscious thoughts seem to surface anytime a new student feels resistance on the controls. Perhaps they think they are fighting the forces of nature that relentlessly pull the aircraft earthward to an impending crash, and consequently they strongly resist any outside forces. In flight training however, especially in the early days, the instructor is always on the controls with the student. He or she must be there to increase inputs that are insufficient, to suppress excessive inputs, and to make inputs that the student fails to make at all. The student must be made aware of this prior to the first flight, and then he or she must allow the instructor to make any necessary inputs. Who is flying the aircraft? In flight training, it is imperative that the student and instructor discuss the concept of a positive exchange of control. This is known as the “I have the controls”, “you have the controls”, “I have the controls”, exchange. In theory this is always a 3-phrase exchange and the purpose is to make absolutely sure it is known who actually has control of the aircraft. This is important even in the real world after the training has been completed when two rated pilots are at the controls of any aircraft. There is a fine line of discrepancy when it comes to this positive exchange concept. It is impossible for an instructor to be off the controls during critical phases of flight until the student has developed certain capabilities. The instructor must be there on the controls, and he or she must be adjusting inputs when needed. There may not be time for a 3-phrase exchange, especially if the situation is critical. If the instructor says, “I have the controls”, then the student should relinquish control immediately and completely. Some students have a tendency to be concerned with who is actually flying the aircraft. They want to know if they are making the aircraft do what it is doing, or if it is the instructor. Unless the instructor says otherwise, the student should always be on the controls flying to the best of his or her ability not concerned with who is actually doing the flying. When the student is capable the instructor will be hands off and relaxed. At the appropriate time the student will notice this and realize that he or she is actually doing the flying. Learning to scan inside and outside the cockpit During the training process the student must learn to divide his or her attention both inside and outside of the cockpit; nothing of importance should go unnoticed. This means that the scan outside the cockpit for traffic should be accomplished as well as inside instrument scans. A good way to accomplish this is to be consistent with a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, scan, where 1 is a look outside to the left high and low for traffic, then 2 is a sweep back to the instrument panel taking in several but not all of the instruments. Then 3 looking both high and low forward of the aircraft for traffic and 4 is back to the instrument panel taking in 3 or 4 instruments. Then 5 is a look outside to the right, both high and low for traffic, and 6 is back at the instrument panel again taking in 3 or 4 instruments. It is not practical to try to look at all the instruments each time you scan inside the cockpit, so you must study one group, and catch another group on the next pass, never overlooking the critical instruments on each pass. All pilots must keep the scan sequence moving, never becoming transfixed on one particular phase of the scan. Study, study, study Flight training is a big investment for anyone so each student should take it seriously respecting and complimenting the efforts of the instructor by studying hard. The more a student studies, the easier the flying and the testing will be. It is not enough to just read a piece of material once it must be read over and over until it is thoroughly learned. Reading is a necessary part of the training process and the instructor cannot do it for you. To often students spend their evenings partying or frequenting bars and taking part in other activities that have nothing to do with aviation. These activities are fine if that is how that particular student wishes to spend the time that should be devoted to studies that will enhance the training that their instructor is trying to give. The student who wishes to spend time in this way should ask the bartenders or other party participants for their sign-offs when they feel they deserve it. No instructor should feel obligated to sign off a student who gives a half hazard effort to his or her studies, and neither should any student expect an instructor to sign them off when they are not devoting all of their abilities to their studies. It is the instructor’s certificate that is on the line each time they put their signature on a students documents. ☺ |
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