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Old 10th May 2023, 05:01
  #43 (permalink)  
staycalm
 
Join Date: Apr 2023
Location: blue skies
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Yeah, I've seen the arguments over semantics and acronyms here and elsewhere. There are issues of physics/momentum, and issues of aerodynamics. Sometimes they occur separately, other times together. Not going further on that.

VRS is serious business, and I am opposed to anyone taking a demo to an unnecessary extreme, thinking it's safe to do so. But that goes for all the other maneuvers in a helicopter, too. Right? There's a middle ground to work within, giving us the opportunity to do cool stuff and earn a paycheck. But there's also a point to "knock it off" in any aviation operation. Perhaps the R44 doesn't have much of that middle ground. I would guess otherwise, but that community can decide for themselves.

I think it's valuable to experience how easy it is to slip into VRS, and that the entry is much more insidious than is typically assumed. The practice method I described is seemingly benign, yet results in undeniable VRS. Pilots should not be fooled into thinking it only happens with a tailwind, or flaring a certain way, only when you're heavy, or this or that... Those can all be factors, but the three ingredient of VRS can also combine under seemingly tame situations. It will bite when you're not thinking about it because of task saturation or complacency with something you've done 1,000 times. When you see the ground rush, believe it, abandon your pride and immediately make whatever ugly, aggressive recovery maneuver the situation allows for.
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