ROTORSPEED. IMC UA recovery for a PPL(H) in a light single bears little resemblance to attempting to do the same in a 12T helicopter.
You, and the others posting similar on this and other threads are missing the point. Every NS pilot undergoes IMC UA recovery, training and checking, every six months. We all pass!!
However, I have had two horrific, real IMC UA recoveries in a heavy helicopter. I inherited one from an Analogue AP input and one from the Commander. I survived both by the very skin of my teeth. One of them led me to draft the Night Stabilised Approach procedures only 2 weeks before the first Bond ETAP CFIT.
The common element in both recoveries was the incredible inertia required to overcome the fu*cked up flight path I was presented with. It is not like the simulator. It is real, the adrenalin explodes into you heart and time slows down to make the recovery even harder. I have given both events a lot of thought. I concluded that if I was a little bit more patient with my inputs recovery would have been smoother in both events....but the time thing really distorts your perception.
I reflect on both incidents knowing only that I was very lucky and I never want to face an event like this again. Both were deeply harrowing and humbling experiences.
When I speak of Unusual Attitude recoveries I consider myself unfortunately experienced. I cannot recall in either event following any structure to the recovery. I took action and I really feel luck played a great part.
Both events were reported IAW the Company procedures.
History, repeated time and time again has shown that we usually arrive in these situations BY HAND FLYING THERE. If you do not believe this then do some research. The sad truth is even when there were no couplers, everything being hand flown and most pilots were ex military,we dunked an awful lot more in the ocean than your rosé tinted glasses allow you to see.
My first event was AP related. The second, my Commander "Hand Flew" me into it (we had a 4 axis coupler) because there was nothing in our OM to say he could'nt and thus nothing but my airmanship remained to protect us.
I remain convicted that the only sure way forward is DAFCS, envelope protections and full and complete training and checking of the pilots using these systems. Pilots perceptions of their skill sets and emphasis during Training needs to change. Cultures need to change. AW and Sikorsky NEED TO build better AFCS to support their products.
Above all we need to trade in real, tangible currencies here. By this I mean there is no quantifiable way to subjectively assess hand flying skills such that we could improve the performance of the pilot leading to an end to these events.
We should remember that every one of these pilots will have successfully demonstrated and flown approaches and UA recoveries within the proceeding 6 months.
DB
Last edited by DOUBLE BOGEY; 13th Sep 2013 at 12:49.