Originally Posted by
gulliBell
The key to flying the S76 in IMC is not to touch the flight controls. Fly it in ATT mode using the trim switch for attitude changes, or just let George fly. Some pilots feel bravado is required as soon as they punch a hole in a cloud and they hands fly, failing to make use of George. It takes demonstration and training to get out of that mindset. And you can only do that training in the S76. Fair chance the IIMC and UA recovery training the pilot did in his May 2019 check was not on the S76. As soon as pilots touch the force trim release on the cyclic (or worse, fly in SAS mode), and it's their instinctive reaction to do that, things can go pear shaped very quickly. Which is why S76 pilots should do their IIMC and UA recovery training in the S76.
I had a pitch hard over on an ILS once. Happened so quickly and I estimated we lost 400 feet before I managed to recover and climb back onto the slope. Was the shock of a lifetime. ATC asked us what the hell we were doing. We were lucky that it happened early after capture and we had plenty of airspace to cushion us. If it was low IFR and it happened near mins it could have been a different story. Learned many lessons that day and will always shadow the controls when coupled descending IFR. Servo went to the garbage.