You’ve Heard of a “Good Setup” — But Do You Actually Know What It Means?

Oct 15, 2025

Ask any pilot what a “good approach” is and you’ll get the same answer every time — a confident nod, a smile, and something vague like, “Oh yeah, I’ve heard that term before.”

But when it’s time to fly?
The truth comes out.

Over the last 30 check-rides, Kenny’s seen it again and again: pilots who can recite the phrase “good setup” but can’t demonstrate one. They start too fast, too high, too late — and spend the rest of the approach trying to fix what went wrong 30 seconds earlier.

That’s the problem.
A “good approach” doesn’t happen on final — it starts way before that.


Setup Happens Before the Descent

A good approach begins long before the landing zone.

Before you even start descending, you should already have:

  • 60 knots airspeed

  • A clean descent path

  • Your RPM and power set

  • The aircraft trimmed and stable

If you’re fighting the controls, chasing your airspeed, or trying to line up the sight picture halfway through final — you’re too late.

The setup is everything. Once you’ve got that dialed in, the helicopter practically lands itself.


“Good Enough” Isn’t Good Enough

Examiners can tell instantly when a pilot doesn’t understand what “set up right” really means.

They’ll see it in the way you approach the numbers, the way your scan breaks down, and the way you overcorrect.
A sloppy setup always leads to a sloppy approach.

A professional setup — steady, predictable, consistent — sets the tone for your entire check-ride.

As Kenny says,

“If your approach starts messy, the rest of the ride will follow.”


The Smart Pilot Goes Around

Too many pilots try to force a bad approach to work.
They know it’s off — too steep, too fast, too flat — but they keep pushing anyway.

Here’s the truth: a go-around doesn’t hurt your check-ride.
Forcing a bad approach does.

If it’s not right, go around. Examiners see that as good judgment, not failure.



Repetition Builds Understanding

A “good setup” can’t be memorized.
It has to be felt.

Repetition — in calm conditions, crosswinds, with power changes — is what teaches a pilot what “right” really feels like.
That’s why every H.O.G.S. student who comes through the Final Approach Course works on this — not just hearing it, but doing it over and over until it becomes second nature.

That’s the difference between a student who’s heard of a good approach… and a pilot who can actually fly one.


Ready to finish your check-ride? Visit FinalApproachCourse.com or call/text Heather at (574) 767-1797 to grab the last October slot before it’s gone.

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