Hover and Landing ?

[Sirxamoc 22]

As a retired Army Pilot this may possibly help those trying to fly a flight sim that cannot look around like they could in the real thing.  When I first tried to hover a sim I too had problems because in the real thing you have instant visual cues that help you determine movement.  In the sim by the time you percieve movement if looking straight ahead you have built up too much speed and then have to over compensate.  So after pondering this I started remembering how I first started to learn to fly goggles in the OH-58.  What you do is place your eyesight are approximately 30 degrees to the right and about a 15 degree down angle.  What this angle will give you is movement cues left and right and forward and backward.  Start by ever so slightly inputing power, then make slight adjustments as you input.  A real helicopter depending on the model can be squirrely when it starts to break ground until you understand that particular airframes nuances.  Example as you apply power to a OH-58 you have to apply aft cyclic due to the airframe comes off the ground front right skid last, the UH-1 you have to apply a little forward cyclic.  AH-64 computers help keep it pretty level so it picks up smoothly. 

 

In flight school as far as technique of movement on the cyclic we had this really hi-speed advanced training tool, a 10in square board with a 5 in broom handle centered on the bottom.  Draw 5 circles on the board, one in the center, and the others about 2 inches from the corners.  Place a marble on the board and try and place the marble in the center of each circle.  That is about as much movement you need when hovering.

 

Practice picking up and setting down, when you can accomplish that, then at a stable hover 3 to 5 ft move around a taxi way, then try and do the same thing backwards, finally for hovering use the edge of the taxi way and land with just the nose of the aircraft sticking over the grass with the skids or wheels still on the pavement.

 

Before cutbacks the US Army would compete in international helicopter competition that tested a pilots skills from navigation to hovering,,,http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=14&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CEQQtwIwAzgK&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.helitraining.co.nz%2Fevents%2Fupcoming-events%2Fnz-helicopter-championship&ei=5OBjU9ydCsmnsATLlYHICw&usg=AFQjCNHffKEAdhaS4VzieCA0StQVhK8O6w&sig2=Tj-j0AUv6bi1Bl4MFhKdIA&bvm=bv.65636070,bs.1,d.cWc

 

So hang in there and just keep practicing!