Originally Posted by
Non-PC Plod
Vaibronco,
Of course we refer to instruments to make sure we are on the profile for Cat A takeoffs. But I disagree that external cues are not utilised, and if anyone is teaching this, they should not be.
It is in fact essential that the pilot flying is looking outside during the takeoff, because the chances of a successful reject are severely diminished if he is not looking out. It is also during the initial stages of the departure that collision avoidance by means of lookout is most critical. There are more foreign objects, birds, wires, tv masts etc below 200 ft than there are above.
If there are 2 crew, then the pilot monitoring should be assisting by looking inside and ensuring that the departure is according to the profile.
Consider 2 crews at night from coastal low height over sea surface.
I'm sure nobody is teaching CAT A takeoffs ignoring external cues.
External cues, are actually utilized before TDP in a confined (more than a cue, you keep the helipad in the chin) or vertical. After TDP, during day take-offs life is easier: natural horizon, obstacles and so on. After TDP at night, the day experience helps you to get comfortable with that IAS taking ages to get alive and you know on the 139 it will move suddenly from zero to 50KIAS while your GS gradually increases. When you leave the helipads lights behind, if you have total trust in the procedure, you keep your pitch where it should be. A smart PM knows that after rotation, even if collective force-trims are released, the PI will decrease few points and that is the time, if the helipad has a small height above water surface, time to restore those few points lost. The PM eyes controlling actively PI, and monitoring attitude, pitch timing, radalt, GS and only some seconds later air speed. Not written in the RFM, rarely taught by instructors. Let's call it experience. This happens if everything goes right. If something goes wrong it gets harder and dependent on how you performed the previous "all working ok" phase.