landing at oil rigs

[JASPRUDENTE]

anyone using autopilot and autohover for landings at oil rigs and buildings roof ?I am having difficulties in hovering over elevated helipads because the autohover uses radar altimeter. It would be better if they could use de barometric altitude.Jose.

[Guest Captain Geoff]

In the real world radar is used because it is more accurate than barometric.Using Autopilot to land a helo is a disaster waiting to happen. Helos are notoriously unstable, especially at slow speeds, and landing a helo under "computer" control should be considered very risky. And while helos can go vertical, seldom will you actually see one do that. With only a few feet of (negative) metacentric height between the rotor and the helo body, any large force can easily tip the helo into an unrecoverable position.Treat helo operations with respect and gentleness. Remember - pointy things go fast - helos go slow and deliberate. Haste will only get you into trouble. So do it manually, practice a lot, and keep practicing.Best of luck!Senior Captain, Pier Glass Aviation