#18 Helicopter Landing Set Down Biggest Reason You May Be Struggling!
Mar 06, 2019Helicopter Set Down Biggest Reason You May Be Struggling!
Hey Kenny with Helicopter Online Ground School. I've been doing these videos each morning when I'm drinking coffee. Things I want to really reiterate. This one I'm going to do with the toy helicopter in a nice quiet environment because maybe this will make more sense.
So the reason a lot of people struggle with the set down is this, they're in a nice hover, and when they go to set down they might have a nice slow approach to the ground as you should, when you get to about six to eight inches above the ground, and you don't move the collective, it will usually stop. This is where people come down, they're nice, looking good and they get there and they're feeling for the ground and they think, I should be there and they don't do anything with the collective. And then they start doing this, start banging around. You can actually do a test. If you get that nice smooth speed coming down and don't change anything it will touch, and then it'll come back up, and then it'll come back down. And if you find the right spot it'll just go keep going up and down.
So what you have to do, again, this is when you're perfecting, this isn't for brand new student, this is after you kind of got it figured out and things are looking pretty good, you get a nice hover going before the set down. And then just as you're coming down nice and slow, you get almost there and people go, "Why am I not touching?" It takes a nice little push to get it on down to the ground. Now if you're coming down a little faster, you'll push right through that air cushion. It happens right about somewhere about when the skids are about four to six inches above the ground. Jerry Ventrella showed me this, this guy is a legend. Okay? I was privileged to do my private and commercial with this gentleman and he showed me this many years ago, my private check ride.
So the problem people have, they're coming down nice and smooth, nice and slow, they're almost there, and you've seen it, you've done it yourself where somebody has this beautiful hover, they're coming down nice and slow. They're almost there and then all of a sudden it goes to hell and they're just wiggling all over the place and then they slide sideways and they go backwards. It's because they didn't push through that air cushion. So this is a very simple tip, but you know what? I'm obsessed with teaching you guys and girls these little tips and tricks that help you through. So again, in 10 years I have three other videos, cockpit footage or outside footage you can go see. I put all three of those down below. This one I wanted to try this method just to really hone this in and make you understand that this is where people run into trouble. It's such a beautiful set down, it's coming down, when you get there and it starts to hang, it just takes a very small push of the collective down. Not a bunch or else you'll smack down. But if you learn that as you're coming down nice and slow, nice and slow, nice and slow, you're almost there. Give it that little bit of push and it'll set right down onto the ground.
So if you've seen this, let me know. If you haven't, let me know. If you have any other tips or tricks about hovering, picking up, setting and down. We've been doing a lot of stuff on Hovering Private Pilot section for members. Last night we updated two new videos to lesson one. The team of four of us, they're working on rebuilding the whole Private Pilot section. So for the next couple months, you're going to see a ton of new videos coming in the Private Pilot section. If you're not a member yet, you can do it for only $49 bucks a month. You can keep it as long as you like. You can cancel any time.
Know that four to six inches, if you have a nice slow movement coming down, coming down, when you get there, a little tiny collective push and you'll set that baby down nice and smooth.
