I have been shown a couple while on the controls, I know its not the same as doing them, but Ill give a breif run through.
It was a simulation type run, emergency landing to small area, the idea being you didnt want to loose sight of your landing area by doing S turns.
60knts, 1500ft, reducing speed to 35-40knts IAS. Maintaining RRPM top of green. You really come down very steeply. First time feels like youre droppng vertically.
I would like to say the alt that pitch was pulled, Im guessing that it came on at about 60-75ft AGL, but Im really not sure, it all happens pretty quick. Arresting ROD, with a extra pull at teh bottom to cusion.
The instructor showed me 2 to ground. I stayed on the controls for both, but I wouldnt like to try one myself, not yet anyway.
I must say the first one really scared the c**p out of me. It feels very different to a "standard auto", especially during the decent. Its at the bottom where it all starts to become very quick.
Probably what makes it so harrowing is seeing the sirspeed drop below 60knts. You have drilled into you that 60knts is life in the robbie, so doing something different can be pretty unnerving at first.
I think that the reason the 60knt flare auto is the recommended is that if a low time pilot has an engine failure, establishes autorotation, and performs some sort of flare at teh bottom, then more than likely he will walk away, even if the machine is destroyed. Im not so sure that low time pilot in a constant speed auto, screwing it up at the bottom would be so lucky.
However all that paled in comparison to the backwards auto. Im convinced that that is not a natural manouver.