In another life, I was told about doing good autorotations to bad places. The theory was....upon realizing your arrival was going to be to a bad place....then the choice of which bad place became of little importance. The important issue was to arrive with as much rotor rpm as possible. The arrival without bags of rotor rpm was not an option.
The suggested procedure upon making the major decision about good auto/bad place...or bad auto/good place was to be made early. The auto was to be held until just off the bad stuff....hard flare done...build all the rotor rpm possible...and when forced by gravity, inertia, and experience....pick the best looking place at hand...and carry out a vertical landing into the bad stuff.
Coming off a 10,000 foot mountain near Tok, Alaska late one evening just at dark.....the donk died with a bang leaving me in a rather awkward position. Way...way...way too high up over what appeared to be the world's larget patch of forest. Gave up trying for the one "best" spot and went for the suggested method. Arrived at treetop level...just as I began the flaring maneuver...realized the nice spot was just beyond some taller trees....and within reach with a good flare....and it worked...popped over and fell right straight down into a pussy willow thicket....with no damage to the aircraft beyond the seat cover I bit off with my teeth telling the passengers they could exit the aircraft.
It pays to listen to old guys that have been there and done that you know.
"Stretch the glide" is okay.....but don't over stretch it....helicopter pilot's live and die by rotor rpm....airspeed can be traded for rotor rpm....altitude can traded for airspeed which can be traded for rotor.......you cannot have too much rotor rpm when you are doing real engine off landings. The overspeed is secondary to the primary consideration of saving what mashes your wallet to the seat.
