Originally Posted by
ShyTorque
The problem with trying to maintain a level attitude in a rapidly rotating helicopter for more than a very brief period is (as SND wrote from personal experience) that cyclic inputs may not have the expected effect, even if the pilot was able to overcome the visual confusion caused by the rotation. Think about the trimmed position of the cyclic. The normal reference point for the fixed main rotor swashplate constantly changes once rotation begins. After 90 degrees of fuselage rotation, what was a pitch is now a roll, and vice versa. After 180 degrees of rotation, what was a pitch up is now a pitch down.
Shy, I am not suggesting there is anything like an absolute answer. However, I am convinced that exposure to TR Drive failures in the hover, in the FSTD, to overcome the initial "Startle Effect" will significantly improve the chances of success in the real helicopter. Of course all the hooded horsemen of the FSTD apocalypse rise up when we defeat the flight loop in the FSTD. Modelling is problematic as OEM data for these events are generally not available for obvious reasons. However, even if the FSTD modelling is dodgy, teaching a reaction to the event is still important.
In my experience of even the most reluctant learning students in the FSTD, plenty of practice and exposure will produce a favourable reaction from the pilot before the helicopter nose has passed through 90 degrees. And I mean not only during the recurrent training but on a repeat visit 6 months later with little prompting.
Whatever the outcome here, it provides another "hobby Horse" for me try ride in that the current EASA regulations allow us to spread the Emergency Procedures syllabus over a 3 year period. Many operators therefore, only schedule retrain and check TR malfunctions every 36 months. Clearly this sucks a bit. I would like to see regulations make a more discerning requirement to the effect that some emergency procedures should be practised and checked at every OPC. Lord knows we flog the !!!!! out of the CAT A OEIs at every OPC, which lets be honest, are probably the easiest exercises we do.
Many TREs I know, despite the syllabus they are given, are doing this already and rightly so.