BEST CFS AC
Gazelle. Outstanding. It had autoland,
I can remember it now:
Throttle closed lever fully down.
Establish 70 knots.
Collective pitch to 2 degrees engine to 1500 rpm.
When sure of reaching EOL area reduce to 45knots close throttle and pull slow running cutout.
(the engine is now stopped so you are committed).
At 200 ft fl flare hard to minimised forward speed.
At about Jeeeessssuuuus height pull half collective to check descent and ease cycle forward to ensure some groundspeed.
Just before impact use all collective to cushion landing.
IMMEDIATELY after landing carefully lower collective and restart the engine before the rotor decays with the inevitable risk of the blades chopping the tail off.
My instuctors did it perfectly every time.
The engine had to be shut down to stop the throttle cam causing the engine to burst into life when you pulled up the collective.
You had to land with forward speed because the undercarriage was hinged laterally so if you landed with zero airspeed the u/c would spread and the tyres would roll off.
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
IIRC, on the Whirlwind, at Jeeeesssus height, you counted to three (slowly) and THEN pulled enough colective to arrest the descent. Wonderful things, low-energy rotors. 
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Whirlwind "Range auto".... 80 kts and 180 Rotor RPM, I think?
You could see the individual blades going past, quite unnerving.
You could see the individual blades going past, quite unnerving.
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Guys,
I am seriously impressed by your recollection of the numbers.
For me, Ternhill was a blinding nightmare of helmeted, moustache-faced loonies leering at me,asking if we're 'gonna make it'. In my nightmares (and in real life,actually) whatever I said, be it 'Yes!, No!, Or for 'For f*ck's sake, snake!', they would inevitably reach to the roof and disconnect the engine from the whirly bit with the little yellow handle of 'was that really necessary?'.
Fluttering down into the sea of disgruntled post-PFL gazelles sat on the grass having a long chat about how it could all have been better, I would often take a couple of seconds out to remind myself of the facts that I was not the Captain, he'd signed it out out and he'd disconnected the engine. My stampede to Air Rank was secure, as long as I got the f*cker with the fire axe as he crawled from the wreckage.
QHIs eh? About as welcome as a QHI on an overseas landaway. I sh*t 'em. No really, I do.
I am seriously impressed by your recollection of the numbers.
For me, Ternhill was a blinding nightmare of helmeted, moustache-faced loonies leering at me,asking if we're 'gonna make it'. In my nightmares (and in real life,actually) whatever I said, be it 'Yes!, No!, Or for 'For f*ck's sake, snake!', they would inevitably reach to the roof and disconnect the engine from the whirly bit with the little yellow handle of 'was that really necessary?'.
Fluttering down into the sea of disgruntled post-PFL gazelles sat on the grass having a long chat about how it could all have been better, I would often take a couple of seconds out to remind myself of the facts that I was not the Captain, he'd signed it out out and he'd disconnected the engine. My stampede to Air Rank was secure, as long as I got the f*cker with the fire axe as he crawled from the wreckage.
QHIs eh? About as welcome as a QHI on an overseas landaway. I sh*t 'em. No really, I do.
Avoid imitations
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Gazelle. Basic course, Low level EOL demo (students weren't required to fly these, only watch his QHI).
However, Pre-brief and student participation was required. QHI briefs student how to manage the throttle, on the ground, prior to flying a positioning circuit to the EOL.
1. QHI: "Identify the throttle" (i.e not the fuel shut off or rotor brake). Student required to point correctly at throttle lever.
2. QHI: "Throttle - Out of the gate!" Student required to move throttle sideways, out of the gate.
3. QHI: "3-2-1-NOW!...retard the throttle on 'now'. Student required to do just that.
4. QHI: "Got that, Bloggs?"
5. Student: "Yes, sir!"
6. QHI: "Good, off we go then!"
Positioning circuit flown, descending to 100ft agl on the run in to Tern Hill. Plan is to fly at 100ft agl, 120 kts. On the run-in, when stabilised, student to manage the throttle, using previous brief (remember, 3-2-1-NOW!). After throttle retarded, QHI to make an impressive zoom climb to approx 450 ft agl and carry out a variable flare EOL to airfield.
So:
7. QHI: "Identify the throttle!"
Student reaches up and without further ado, immediately retards throttle!
8. QHI: "Bastaaard!"
However, Pre-brief and student participation was required. QHI briefs student how to manage the throttle, on the ground, prior to flying a positioning circuit to the EOL.
1. QHI: "Identify the throttle" (i.e not the fuel shut off or rotor brake). Student required to point correctly at throttle lever.
2. QHI: "Throttle - Out of the gate!" Student required to move throttle sideways, out of the gate.
3. QHI: "3-2-1-NOW!...retard the throttle on 'now'. Student required to do just that.
4. QHI: "Got that, Bloggs?"
5. Student: "Yes, sir!"
6. QHI: "Good, off we go then!"
Positioning circuit flown, descending to 100ft agl on the run in to Tern Hill. Plan is to fly at 100ft agl, 120 kts. On the run-in, when stabilised, student to manage the throttle, using previous brief (remember, 3-2-1-NOW!). After throttle retarded, QHI to make an impressive zoom climb to approx 450 ft agl and carry out a variable flare EOL to airfield.
So:
7. QHI: "Identify the throttle!"
Student reaches up and without further ado, immediately retards throttle!
8. QHI: "Bastaaard!"
Last edited by ShyTorque; 27th Apr 2012 at 11:21.
Shy Torque - range auto, indeed ... as proved by a certain Antipodean instructor at Valley who went out to South Stack on a very on-shore windy day, computer-out, wound it back to 180 -ish and 'slope-soared' for long enough to raise concerns that he MUST have run out of fuel!! Still lots of 'go-juice' in the tank on return.
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Probably get a bit worrying if you could only count two blades and there were supposed to be three of them...
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No mention of the Dominie especially good fun at 500'......ish. Great fun whizzing around the UK. Also around Europe although my memory fails me but I think it was 1000'. It might has well have been 10000' after the weekend landaway in RAFG. I always knew it was a good idea to lead on the way out!
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Dominie - cracking little jet, especially post avionics update.
Dutch low level was 1000ft with (in my time) a W/E at Ramstein. Friday night was break the nav studes in the O Club, Saturday shopping in the B/X, and Sunday all day brunch.
Happy days.
Dutch low level was 1000ft with (in my time) a W/E at Ramstein. Friday night was break the nav studes in the O Club, Saturday shopping in the B/X, and Sunday all day brunch.
Happy days.
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
As my Flight Commander on 72 used to say "If you aren't hitting your wheels on the ground every hundred yards, you're flying too high"
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.. think my nose bleeds up there ......
Unfortunately the Cloggie greens would allow us to do proper low level.
