Australian AS350 autorotation article
Thread Starter
"Just a pilot"
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 633
Likes: 8
From: Jefferson GA USA
Australian AS350 autorotation article
Some while back I read an article discussing Ecureuil/Astar autorotations by an Australian military test pilot. I think it's a decade or two old, but I can't find it. Anybody have a link or know where I can get a copy?
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: Europe (almost)
Joined: Sep 2002
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 4,721
Likes: 637
From: Great South East, tired and retired
I have done a touchdown auto in a Squirrel without using the collective at all!
The rotten collective lock engaged while the lever was on the floor and I was manoeuvering for the touchdown. (This was a left-hand drive machine, throttle and other bits next to the left door, me sitting in right seat for dual check)
Flare, looking good, take pitch pull before sink... and there is no movement off the floor. Ground coming up faster and I am pulling hard up. Call to other pilot "The collective is jammed!"
Other pilot looks at collective lock, sees it engaged, tries to push lever down to disengage, but I am pulling upwards much harder.
I nosed over to keep some speed and level the skids, we touched down fast and bounced over a taxiway, just missed a ditch on the left, and finished in a cloud of dust and a hearty Hi-Ho Silver!
Throttle to idle, handed over to other pilot, got out, walked around aircraft to other side, opened door, undid collective lock, broke it off so it wouldn't happen again. No damage to aircraft at all - love those solid skids.
The rotten collective lock engaged while the lever was on the floor and I was manoeuvering for the touchdown. (This was a left-hand drive machine, throttle and other bits next to the left door, me sitting in right seat for dual check)
Flare, looking good, take pitch pull before sink... and there is no movement off the floor. Ground coming up faster and I am pulling hard up. Call to other pilot "The collective is jammed!"
Other pilot looks at collective lock, sees it engaged, tries to push lever down to disengage, but I am pulling upwards much harder.
I nosed over to keep some speed and level the skids, we touched down fast and bounced over a taxiway, just missed a ditch on the left, and finished in a cloud of dust and a hearty Hi-Ho Silver!
Throttle to idle, handed over to other pilot, got out, walked around aircraft to other side, opened door, undid collective lock, broke it off so it wouldn't happen again. No damage to aircraft at all - love those solid skids.
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 137
Likes: 3
From: downunder
ascend Charlie
Well done, on my last bfr ( in Australia) I was told that to the ground auto's in as350 are prohibited in training? So if you were planning on a power recovery and ended with the real thing you did very well.
Well done, on my last bfr ( in Australia) I was told that to the ground auto's in as350 are prohibited in training? So if you were planning on a power recovery and ended with the real thing you did very well.
