Originally Posted by
Triple Nickel 8 Ball
Thanks for this!! I think that you have effectively, highlighted my biggest concern. Not 'mast bumping" so much as how I react to it. I think my concern is that in those situations, I might roll left and BANG! End.
TN8B: I think this has already been conveyed by others, but let me pile on here and say that things are not nearly so hair trigger as all that. Flying around in 15 gust 25 winds are a piece of cake with a bit of practice and training (and Robinson tail rotor authority is quite good, too). Mild turbulence is not really an issue, either. You've really got to let things get pretty crazy before you start to see any rolling tendency. Moderate turbulence is attention getting, and the natural reaction is (or should be) to slow down, which invariably means some aft cyclic as well. My stomping grounds include the White Mountains of New Hampshire, an area known for its dynamic weather and significant winds (Mount Washington once held the record for highest wind velocity recorded on Earth, only recently eclipsed by just a few knots by some annoying Aussie typhoon). With a little bit of mountain experience you can generally predict and plan speeds for approaching, crossing and departing ridge lines, no different than flying any other helicopter. Again, Robinson helicopters are not China dolls, constantly on the edge of disaster. There is, or should be if you are flying appropriately, plenty of warning and opportunity to select appropriate airspeeds. The only time I got worried so far was being surprised by a medium twin who was making no radio calls as we both approached an uncontrolled airfield at right angles to each other. I saw him (he never saw me) and I reflexively fell back on my plank skills for just a second or two with the beginnings of a cyclic pushover, but quickly came to my senses and bottomed the collective and back to aft cyclic to descend in a more appropriate manner for a two-bladed, teetering main rotor machine. I haven't made that mistake since!
Again, I would encourage you to get some time in a 44 and make your own assessment. That is what is most important. And make certain to get up with an instructor when it is a little gusty and turbulent (as if those conditions are hard to find in the UK
), so as to make your own assessment under more challenging (or normal for UK!) conditions as well. Ha ha, I remember when I was visiting your neck of the woods and it was exactly that as I tried to make friends for the first time with a G2 fenestron
