The “Monkey Seesaw” Mistake Every Student Makes in Autos

Oct 18, 2025

If there’s one maneuver that separates the calm, confident pilots from the ones still gripping the controls too tight — it’s the autorotation.

And if there’s one mistake Kenny sees over and over during Final Approach Course training, it’s what he calls “The Monkey Seesaw.”


🐒 What’s the Monkey Seesaw?

Picture this: you’re in an auto. Everything looks fine at first — decent entry, good attitude, speed’s close enough.
Then suddenly, the RPM starts creeping up.
You drop the collective.
RPM falls — you raise it back up.
Nose drops — you pull back.
Speed’s off — you push forward.

Before long, you’re bouncing between bad corrections like a monkey on a playground seesaw, and the helicopter’s flying you.

Sound familiar?
You’re not alone.


🎯 The Core Problem

The Monkey Seesaw isn’t about poor coordination — it’s about lack of trust and setup.

Students get nervous. They try to control everything at once — the airspeed, the RPM, the attitude — and forget that most of those things take care of themselves when you enter correctly.

What they’re really missing is this simple truth Kenny repeats all the time:

“If you set it up right, you won’t have to fight it.”


⚙️ The Setup Makes or Breaks the Auto

Every good autorotation begins before the throttle ever comes off.

You need to be trimmed out, airspeed above 70 knots, and mentally ready for what’s about to happen.

A sloppy setup equals a sloppy descent.

The helicopter doesn’t need you to babysit the gauges — it needs you to fly the profile. When you’re chasing the needles, you’re behind the aircraft. When you fly the setup, you’re ahead of it.

It’s that simple.


💡 The Turning Point

At H.O.G.S., Kenny sees it happen almost daily.
A pilot comes in from another school, nervous about autos.
They’ve been taught to focus on RPM more than anything.

Then, halfway through their first flight here, it clicks.
They make one clean setup, hold the airspeed steady, and suddenly everything smooths out.

The helicopter stops fighting them.
The RPM stays where it should.
And for the first time, they actually enjoy the maneuver.

That’s the moment the Monkey Seesaw disappears — and real control takes over.


🚁 Why This Matters for Check-Rides

The examiner isn’t looking for perfection — they’re watching for confidence, understanding, and composure.

If you’re chasing the RPM like it’s running away from you, that examiner is going to see one thing: a pilot who’s not ahead of the aircraft.

But when you enter smooth, stay on speed, and let the helicopter fly clean — you’re showing judgment, skill, and calmness under pressure.

That’s what gets you the handshake at the end of the check-ride.


🔧 From Monkey Seesaw to Mastery

Kenny says it all the time:

“Autorotations are supposed to be controlled. The only thing out of control should be the engine.”

When you truly understand what makes a good setup — and stop overcorrecting — you’ll find that autos aren’t scary at all. They’re actually one of the most satisfying maneuvers you’ll ever fly.

And the only way to get there?
Repetition, correction, and the right kind of training.



✈️ Ready to Fix It?

If you’ve been stuck in the Monkey Seesaw, it’s time to train smarter.
The Final Approach Course at H.O.G.S. has helped hundreds of pilots just like you get rid of the bad habits and finally master their check-rides.

Kenny’s 25+ years of helicopter experience and decades of student patterns have led to one proven truth: when you stop chasing and start flying — everything changes.

👉 Learn more at: www.FinalApproachCourse.com
📲 Email Heather for scheduling: [email protected]