Learning to hover!
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keep practicing you'll get the hang of it. i don't remember how long it took for me to hover reasonably well, but it seemed to take forever.
i found looking at something far away helped me be more stable, my instructor was always yelling at me to not look at the ground.
also try and relax, i found after my first few lessons my wrist would be sore from holding the cyclic so tight.
keep control movements to a minimum, it should take very little movement of the cyclic to hover and if you are constantly moving the collective or the pedals it gets a lot more complex.
also hovering into the wind is a lot easier, especially the stronger the wind is.
anyway hope that helps, i only have 50 hours now so others with more experience may be able to add more advice. just don't give up, once you get the hang of it it is a lot of fun
i found looking at something far away helped me be more stable, my instructor was always yelling at me to not look at the ground.
also try and relax, i found after my first few lessons my wrist would be sore from holding the cyclic so tight.
keep control movements to a minimum, it should take very little movement of the cyclic to hover and if you are constantly moving the collective or the pedals it gets a lot more complex.
also hovering into the wind is a lot easier, especially the stronger the wind is.
anyway hope that helps, i only have 50 hours now so others with more experience may be able to add more advice. just don't give up, once you get the hang of it it is a lot of fun
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When learning to hover, i'm going to assume you are learning in an R22. Twitchy little buggers!
Get your head around this first. Pretend you are holding a shoelace with a snooker ball attached to the end of it. Now, holding the end of the string, swing the ball back and forth. Easy isn't it? Okay, now whilst swinging it, try and bring it to a stop quickly. What are you doing with your hand to get this to happen? In effect, you are moving the string in the same direction as the ball which kind of cancels out the motion. Like a pendulum. ( at this point, go and tie something to the end of a piece of string and move it forwards, backwards, left and right, always bringing the weighted object back to a perfect stop.
Ok, now to the real thing. Sitting in the helicopter, the cyclic is controlling the disc above your head (hopefully your instructor will have explained that the blades spinning above your head form a disc) which is what we are referring to.
You now have to imagine that the directional inputs made to the cyclic are the same as holding the shoe lace. Remember i'm just trying to help you get your head around the principal, not teach a hover. When you make a cyclic input, the aircraft starts to move in the direction of that movement after a slight delay. That delay will always be there but in time you will forget about it.
When you want to stop the movement in the direction you are going, move the cyclic back in the opposite direction. Remember what happens with the string? Make small movements. Relax! Relax! Don't stare at the ground. Look out a ways. What you have to do is picture the 'disc' above you as spinning in a flat plane parallel to the ground. If the wind gets under the front of the disc, it'll tip backwards so you will need to correct it with forward cyclic input, etc etc. Just try to imagine that disc as staying flat to keep you in a steady hover over a fixed point. Obviously, the stronger the wind, the more cyclic required to overcome movement. Going back to the string and ball, if you move the string, the ball follows as long as you keep accelerating in that direction until such time as you reach steady velocity and then the ball swings forwards. Initially, That's the cyclic anyway.
Use a reference ahead to maintain heading using the pedals. Small inputs only and just remember left pedal yaws left and right, right!!
The collective makes you go up and down. How easy is that!!
Don't worry about it taking time. I once taught a woman to fly who couldn't get straight and level within ten hours. She succeeded in the end though.
Good luck and any questions, just ask.
Oh, and if the above doesn't make any sense, don't worry about it.
PS I was told once that if you imagine the cyclic as a piece of soft dog poo wrapped in thin tissue, you won't grab it too tight.
Get your head around this first. Pretend you are holding a shoelace with a snooker ball attached to the end of it. Now, holding the end of the string, swing the ball back and forth. Easy isn't it? Okay, now whilst swinging it, try and bring it to a stop quickly. What are you doing with your hand to get this to happen? In effect, you are moving the string in the same direction as the ball which kind of cancels out the motion. Like a pendulum. ( at this point, go and tie something to the end of a piece of string and move it forwards, backwards, left and right, always bringing the weighted object back to a perfect stop.
Ok, now to the real thing. Sitting in the helicopter, the cyclic is controlling the disc above your head (hopefully your instructor will have explained that the blades spinning above your head form a disc) which is what we are referring to.
You now have to imagine that the directional inputs made to the cyclic are the same as holding the shoe lace. Remember i'm just trying to help you get your head around the principal, not teach a hover. When you make a cyclic input, the aircraft starts to move in the direction of that movement after a slight delay. That delay will always be there but in time you will forget about it.
When you want to stop the movement in the direction you are going, move the cyclic back in the opposite direction. Remember what happens with the string? Make small movements. Relax! Relax! Don't stare at the ground. Look out a ways. What you have to do is picture the 'disc' above you as spinning in a flat plane parallel to the ground. If the wind gets under the front of the disc, it'll tip backwards so you will need to correct it with forward cyclic input, etc etc. Just try to imagine that disc as staying flat to keep you in a steady hover over a fixed point. Obviously, the stronger the wind, the more cyclic required to overcome movement. Going back to the string and ball, if you move the string, the ball follows as long as you keep accelerating in that direction until such time as you reach steady velocity and then the ball swings forwards. Initially, That's the cyclic anyway.
Use a reference ahead to maintain heading using the pedals. Small inputs only and just remember left pedal yaws left and right, right!!
The collective makes you go up and down. How easy is that!!
Don't worry about it taking time. I once taught a woman to fly who couldn't get straight and level within ten hours. She succeeded in the end though.
Good luck and any questions, just ask.
Oh, and if the above doesn't make any sense, don't worry about it.
PS I was told once that if you imagine the cyclic as a piece of soft dog poo wrapped in thin tissue, you won't grab it too tight.
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Yes, it is even more difficult in high Summer when the sun is shining through the canopy and you are sweating like crazy. You will find that it suddenly comes together as your brain burns the synapse pathways - do you remember learning to ride a bike or to swim?
The day it clicked for me was when I was trying hard to get out of pendular instability when the instructor asked me what was the aircraft type that had just landed on the runway. I studied it and we had a short discussion about it, then he asked me what I was doing. Strewth, I was actu ally hovering in one place! Because my brain had been diverted to think about something else, the automatic reflex actions were starting to kick in. You will find that in a few hours time, you don't actually manually initiate a move to the right or left, you just sort of think it and lean that way and the helo follows.
Later it gets easier. It has to as your brain needs to be concerned about other things like RT, collision avoidance, other traffic etc etc.
Best fun you will ever have and this is the demanding bit.
The day it clicked for me was when I was trying hard to get out of pendular instability when the instructor asked me what was the aircraft type that had just landed on the runway. I studied it and we had a short discussion about it, then he asked me what I was doing. Strewth, I was actu ally hovering in one place! Because my brain had been diverted to think about something else, the automatic reflex actions were starting to kick in. You will find that in a few hours time, you don't actually manually initiate a move to the right or left, you just sort of think it and lean that way and the helo follows.
Later it gets easier. It has to as your brain needs to be concerned about other things like RT, collision avoidance, other traffic etc etc.
Best fun you will ever have and this is the demanding bit.
Helicopter Pilots Get It Up Quicker
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Sure Whirly et al will give their instructors advice too...
But Iwould say don't worry too much at 6 hrs - it ll come together.
Also weather/£/availablity permitting fly as often as possible to avoid having to re master the skills learn in the previous lesson.
Stick at it too! I know at 20 hrs I was still flying dual, (due to the FAA regs), I felt I couldnt do a thing right and was about to give up. That night I got rather drunk... next morning felt better and that afternoon solo'd after about another hour dual.
PW
But Iwould say don't worry too much at 6 hrs - it ll come together.
Also weather/£/availablity permitting fly as often as possible to avoid having to re master the skills learn in the previous lesson.
Stick at it too! I know at 20 hrs I was still flying dual, (due to the FAA regs), I felt I couldnt do a thing right and was about to give up. That night I got rather drunk... next morning felt better and that afternoon solo'd after about another hour dual.
PW
Hovering AND talking
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Around about 12 hours for me - and then, as my personal title suggests, I couldn't hover AND talk at the same time. No sounds would come from my mouth as I really was using 100% of my mental capacity. SOME might find that unbelievable but 'strue !
Everyone can learn to hover and once you've learnt, you'll not forget. Your instructor is probably saying to you, "small inputs, small inputs." What I found hard to grasp was exactly how small. Very small! The hovering came together for me, when I stopped bloody well fiddling with the cyclic and relaxed!
However, when it's windy, then it's more like bringing an unruly horse back under control!
You will get it, don't worry. Above all, don't turn it into a competition to try to beat others. "I did it in X hours, he did it in Y" . One area that you find difficult, someone else can find easy and VICE VERSA. Even if it takes you 15-20 hours (and I'm sure it won't), you are still getting air/flying experience and once you've got the hang of it the other lessons will progress in leaps and bounds.
Cheers
Whirlygig
PS - I also did the Pilotwolf thing and nearly gave up but got drunk instead
Everyone can learn to hover and once you've learnt, you'll not forget. Your instructor is probably saying to you, "small inputs, small inputs." What I found hard to grasp was exactly how small. Very small! The hovering came together for me, when I stopped bloody well fiddling with the cyclic and relaxed!
However, when it's windy, then it's more like bringing an unruly horse back under control!
You will get it, don't worry. Above all, don't turn it into a competition to try to beat others. "I did it in X hours, he did it in Y" . One area that you find difficult, someone else can find easy and VICE VERSA. Even if it takes you 15-20 hours (and I'm sure it won't), you are still getting air/flying experience and once you've got the hang of it the other lessons will progress in leaps and bounds.
Cheers
Whirlygig
PS - I also did the Pilotwolf thing and nearly gave up but got drunk instead
The Original Whirly
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It's like learning to ride a bike - impossible till you can do it, and then you wonder what on earth the difficulty was. It takes a while, especially in the twitchy little R22, and you'll get on better if you can relax and accept that it's going to take a while. You're learning to manipulate three different and very sensitive controls, which all affect each other, and which all have a lag in them. So of course it's difficult! And you can't do it with your brain; you have to somehow get the messages to your hands and feet, so that they know when to react to a small movement of the helicopter, and which control to move and by how much. It's as though you're creating new reflexes.
Everyone learns differently, but for most people I don't think a lot of explanation really helps. So all I can really do is give you a few hints on how not to get in your own way....
1) If you try to relax and don't worry too much, it seems to help the creating-new-reflex process. Yes, I KNOW this is impossible!
2) Little and often is the best way. You're probably doing this anyway, right? A few minutes at the end of each lesson is the usual way, because you get too tired and tense after a few minutes, and it's counter-productive. So in fact you haven't done that much so far, just several few minute sessions.
3) Look well ahead, and keep reminding yourself to do that.
4) Don't get frustrated when all of the above doesn't seem to work.
5) Remember, you're supposed to be enjoying this, and it's not a competition. People learn to hover at very different rates, and it doesn't mean a thing, so don't worry about it.
And come back and tell us when you've cracked it...then go out in a gusty crosswind like we had last weekend, and you'll realise you hadn't.
Everyone learns differently, but for most people I don't think a lot of explanation really helps. So all I can really do is give you a few hints on how not to get in your own way....
1) If you try to relax and don't worry too much, it seems to help the creating-new-reflex process. Yes, I KNOW this is impossible!
2) Little and often is the best way. You're probably doing this anyway, right? A few minutes at the end of each lesson is the usual way, because you get too tired and tense after a few minutes, and it's counter-productive. So in fact you haven't done that much so far, just several few minute sessions.
3) Look well ahead, and keep reminding yourself to do that.
4) Don't get frustrated when all of the above doesn't seem to work.
5) Remember, you're supposed to be enjoying this, and it's not a competition. People learn to hover at very different rates, and it doesn't mean a thing, so don't worry about it.
And come back and tell us when you've cracked it...then go out in a gusty crosswind like we had last weekend, and you'll realise you hadn't.
rsm,I`d just like to add a few observations to the excellent advice given already. Make sure you are as comfortable sitting in the helo as you would be in a good armchair-it obviously depends on your stature, but it helps if you can hold the cyclic with your right wrist just resting on your right knee, and `caress` the cyclic in your right hand.Also, don`t wear big boots/trainers when flying; again ,your feet should rest lightly on the pedals, so you can have plenty of `feedback`Same for the collective lever- use cushions if necessary,otherwise you will get very tense, and overcontrol.
Your instructor should probably started your hovering `phase` by showing you the effects of each individual control,ie you control yaw whilst he controls collective and cyclic, then collective, collective and yaw, cyclic, then all three, so that you can see all the interactions. Remember that collective and yaw have very little ` lag` in aircraft response when you make an adjustment. The cyclic has a finite `lag`, but that is the fuselage response; the rotor disc moves instantaneousely, but the aircraft will only move after the `lag`.So, as there is this lag , when making a cyclic input, in any direction, following the aircraft movement, you must `anticipate` the `lag` to stop the aircraft continuing in the direction it is travelling.Try to make correction to cyclic inputs of about half, then half again, ie gradually reducing, Don`t worry about moving around, or trying to get back to where you started. It`s much better to be smooth on the controls,and above all RELAXED.Use a reference point some distance away in the 1-2 o`clock position, but also something ahead to maintain your heading. Don`t look down at the daisies in front of the nose. Your instructor should only start you off on hovering for maybe 10 min at a time, and doing other exercises in between, otherwise you will become tense and frustrated, as Whirly says. Try to `keep it light` on all the controls, and cultivate an` ear` for RRPM/ENGINE as well. Soon ,you`ll wonder what all the fuss about hovering was all about.....Then, you`ll want to try spot turns, around the nose/tail,backwards circling, sideways loops, and with a 360 turn at the top !!!!!!!!!! Relax, relax, you hum it...Syc.
Your instructor should probably started your hovering `phase` by showing you the effects of each individual control,ie you control yaw whilst he controls collective and cyclic, then collective, collective and yaw, cyclic, then all three, so that you can see all the interactions. Remember that collective and yaw have very little ` lag` in aircraft response when you make an adjustment. The cyclic has a finite `lag`, but that is the fuselage response; the rotor disc moves instantaneousely, but the aircraft will only move after the `lag`.So, as there is this lag , when making a cyclic input, in any direction, following the aircraft movement, you must `anticipate` the `lag` to stop the aircraft continuing in the direction it is travelling.Try to make correction to cyclic inputs of about half, then half again, ie gradually reducing, Don`t worry about moving around, or trying to get back to where you started. It`s much better to be smooth on the controls,and above all RELAXED.Use a reference point some distance away in the 1-2 o`clock position, but also something ahead to maintain your heading. Don`t look down at the daisies in front of the nose. Your instructor should only start you off on hovering for maybe 10 min at a time, and doing other exercises in between, otherwise you will become tense and frustrated, as Whirly says. Try to `keep it light` on all the controls, and cultivate an` ear` for RRPM/ENGINE as well. Soon ,you`ll wonder what all the fuss about hovering was all about.....Then, you`ll want to try spot turns, around the nose/tail,backwards circling, sideways loops, and with a 360 turn at the top !!!!!!!!!! Relax, relax, you hum it...Syc.
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Loads of excellent advice has already been given, so my two penn'orth...
Despite all the good advice urging you to relax, of course nothing makes it more difficult to relax than being told to - this will come with time so just try your best not to tense up on the controls when you notice bits of you are starting to ache!
Less is more - if you are learning in an R22 then this may seem impossible at this stage, but the less you stir the cyclic, the more economical you are with movement, the more stable and controllable your hover will become. Watch your instructor and the minute pressures that he/she applies to the controls and try to emulate this (while on the subject, what do you experienced folk think about the whole "following through on the controls thing? I often found it more confusing as I was holding them so lightly so as not to interfere I hadn't a clue what was going on...)
Finally, enjoy it! You won't know what you are doing any differently when you finally manage a stable hover, but it's got to be one of the best feelings in the World!
Oh, and thanks to Pat Malone, who visits these forums. He was alongside me the day I cracked it, so it would be interesting to hear his advice...
Keep trying
DBChopper
Despite all the good advice urging you to relax, of course nothing makes it more difficult to relax than being told to - this will come with time so just try your best not to tense up on the controls when you notice bits of you are starting to ache!
Less is more - if you are learning in an R22 then this may seem impossible at this stage, but the less you stir the cyclic, the more economical you are with movement, the more stable and controllable your hover will become. Watch your instructor and the minute pressures that he/she applies to the controls and try to emulate this (while on the subject, what do you experienced folk think about the whole "following through on the controls thing? I often found it more confusing as I was holding them so lightly so as not to interfere I hadn't a clue what was going on...)
Finally, enjoy it! You won't know what you are doing any differently when you finally manage a stable hover, but it's got to be one of the best feelings in the World!
Oh, and thanks to Pat Malone, who visits these forums. He was alongside me the day I cracked it, so it would be interesting to hear his advice...
Keep trying
DBChopper
The Original Whirly
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(while on the subject, what do you experienced folk think about the whole "following through on the controls thing? I often found it more confusing as I was holding them so lightly so as not to interfere I hadn't a clue what was going on...)
Extremely good point.
I managed to do my PPL(A) and PPL(H) without having a clue how to follow through; like you, I was holding the controls too lightly, and never found it helped at all. Because no-one told me HOW to follow through! I now use Mike Greene's words, as taught on my instructor's course with him. I tell students, "Place your hands and feet on the controls, and apply enough pressure that you can feel what's happening, but not so much that you restrict my movements". Hopefully that gets the message across. It seems to, as I get comments like: "Oh, I see what you mean about only tiny movements".Mike, if you happen to be reading this, I realise just about every day what a fantastic instructor you were; many, many thanks.
Better red than ...
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Keep going. It just 'clicks' suddenly.
Then things keep clicking through the next few hundred hours because learning never stops.
h-r
Then things keep clicking through the next few hundred hours because learning never stops.
h-r
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Hovering a helicopter is very much like making love to a beautiful women. You hold the stick lightly in your right hand and move it gently: any rough movement is likely to cause upset. Your left hand should should be making gentle up and down movements but only if necessary: remember, you are not unblocking a sink. Your feet should be fairly static and should only be used if your balance is affected. Finally, a relaxed approach is more likely to have the desired effect for you both.
Swiss Tony
Swiss Tony
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rsm,
Try a computer simulator. I use X-Plane. The $50 is well spent.(and $40 for a joystick)
Practice at home, about 20hrs on the sim and the real helo will probably be even easier to handle. Helped me.
But all the approach training on the sim did not seem to help.
Try a computer simulator. I use X-Plane. The $50 is well spent.(and $40 for a joystick)
Practice at home, about 20hrs on the sim and the real helo will probably be even easier to handle. Helped me.
But all the approach training on the sim did not seem to help.
Light finger grip, rest forearm on knee if possible, small movements.
Hover attitude!
For a given aircraft, c of g, wind, etc, there will be a picture out the front (horizon vs. coaming, windscreen struts etc) that corresponds to helicopter not drifting in any direction.
When you get the 'Pilot Induced Oscillations', look for and select the hover attitude and it will settle down remarkably.
Where do I look?
A relaxed scan in 3 main places - to the horizon out front for hover attitude, to about the 2 o'clock and middle distance for a general overview of what's going on, and closer in (say 10 ft from you) for hover height assessment.
Once you get comfy with it you'll be able to look anywhere and still keep it under control, but when you feel like you're fighting it, relax, breathe and scan.
One other thing I always remember from my early instructors' crusty words of wisdom was that if it takes 1 psi of pressure to move the pedals, try to use only that, rather than 150 psi on one pedal and 151 on the other one to acheive the same result!
Hover attitude!
For a given aircraft, c of g, wind, etc, there will be a picture out the front (horizon vs. coaming, windscreen struts etc) that corresponds to helicopter not drifting in any direction.
When you get the 'Pilot Induced Oscillations', look for and select the hover attitude and it will settle down remarkably.
Where do I look?
A relaxed scan in 3 main places - to the horizon out front for hover attitude, to about the 2 o'clock and middle distance for a general overview of what's going on, and closer in (say 10 ft from you) for hover height assessment.
Once you get comfy with it you'll be able to look anywhere and still keep it under control, but when you feel like you're fighting it, relax, breathe and scan.
One other thing I always remember from my early instructors' crusty words of wisdom was that if it takes 1 psi of pressure to move the pedals, try to use only that, rather than 150 psi on one pedal and 151 on the other one to acheive the same result!
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Took me about ten hours,
once its there though you find yourself doing all sorts of things on the fato with a silly grin on your face. The best is when you get to hover taxi back to base past the tower when you know that you have been observed for the last few days struggling like hell.
Keep the inputs small, dont look at the ground - take a larger view and then place the top of the panel or something fixed in your peripheral vision with relation to the horizon and RELAX!!. I found that I had to almost force myself to relax but once I did it was so much easier. Its true when they say you get a motor reflex system, when it comes in to effect- and it surely will, you will have the greatest time of your life.
12 months ago I would have probably told you where to insert a helicopter, what a lot of wasted time I spent with a "helis are too dodgy" attitude. These are the best days of your life, I almost neglect my work to go flying sometimes, but its worth evry second of it.
Good luck, keep at it and let us know how you are getting along.
Micky
once its there though you find yourself doing all sorts of things on the fato with a silly grin on your face. The best is when you get to hover taxi back to base past the tower when you know that you have been observed for the last few days struggling like hell.
Keep the inputs small, dont look at the ground - take a larger view and then place the top of the panel or something fixed in your peripheral vision with relation to the horizon and RELAX!!. I found that I had to almost force myself to relax but once I did it was so much easier. Its true when they say you get a motor reflex system, when it comes in to effect- and it surely will, you will have the greatest time of your life.
12 months ago I would have probably told you where to insert a helicopter, what a lot of wasted time I spent with a "helis are too dodgy" attitude. These are the best days of your life, I almost neglect my work to go flying sometimes, but its worth evry second of it.
Good luck, keep at it and let us know how you are getting along.
Micky
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I have found that teaching just 5-10 minutes of hovering at the end of each of the initial flights is ten times more effective than going out for 'an hour of hovering'.
The mind works on the problem subconciously overnight and has an amazing ability to solve it over several days.
Using this technique, by the time it comes to the sixth flight the students are normally hovering without ever having had a single 'hovering flight'.
The mind works on the problem subconciously overnight and has an amazing ability to solve it over several days.
Using this technique, by the time it comes to the sixth flight the students are normally hovering without ever having had a single 'hovering flight'.
Last edited by splodge; 26th Feb 2005 at 15:53.
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Loads of great advice given so far.
Remember that this is going to be the hardest thing about your flying course. And if like so many you are on an R22 then if you can hover a Robbie you can hover anything. If you are on another 2 seater then you can hover anything (including the robbie but not quite as prettily than you can hover your first type). If you are learning on a bigger type.... you lucky........!
Next time go out and don't think about the hover - if you are thinking about what inputs to make, then it is too late. Relax, keep your eyes moving (ie don't fixate on anything) and don't give a stuff if you can't do it. One day you will and you won't know why. Oh and if you take longer than average, don't worry you will be better than average at something else.
Happy flying
Remember that this is going to be the hardest thing about your flying course. And if like so many you are on an R22 then if you can hover a Robbie you can hover anything. If you are on another 2 seater then you can hover anything (including the robbie but not quite as prettily than you can hover your first type). If you are learning on a bigger type.... you lucky........!
Next time go out and don't think about the hover - if you are thinking about what inputs to make, then it is too late. Relax, keep your eyes moving (ie don't fixate on anything) and don't give a stuff if you can't do it. One day you will and you won't know why. Oh and if you take longer than average, don't worry you will be better than average at something else.
Happy flying