Now we are getting somewhere with excellent posts from Savoia and Paco. Other very experienced helo drivers are also in agreement with the statement:
At an EOL entry gate, the mantra should be to lower collective first to prevent Nr from decaying further and adjust cyclic second to maintain attitude.
If this tactic became second nature, it would serve you well, time and time again.
NOW: A more experienced pilot (and I'm sure most pilots think they are more experienced
) will have either been taught or at least shown the spectrum of entry gates so that they will have covered nearly all eventualities.
And this means engine(s) failure from 50 feet/high speed right across to a high hover. The former will demand that the collective should be lowered at the same time as the cyclic selected aft. The hover will demand collective ONLY and NO cyclic aft whatsoever. So we have a sliding scale of cyclic position ARE WE ALL AGREED? the message I am making is that Mr Gillies or whatever - shouldn't go around preaching to the NON converted (ab initio's) that
first - is the way to go. Because here, he is categorically and utterly wrong. He is also wrong when he believes that this is the best kept secret (what is all that bollox all about?????).
I have been privileged in my early training to have been taught by the finest military Instructors in the UK. (Tri Service)CAT A1 Instructors. I went on to become an A2 Instructor and flew single engine a/c for many thousands of hours. I have carried out several hundred EOL's to the deck. I have even carried out EOL's in Sea Kings before that evolution was deemed too expensive by HM!! I know what it is like to 'lose' an engine in every conceivable configuration known to man
And I know (a) There are no secret's in aviation - people have died discovering them all. (b) ALL EOL's without exception require the pilot to THINK collective first and cyclic second. The choice after that is yours based on the flight mode you are in.