What are your 'tips' to being a better helicopter pilot?
 

What are your 'tips' to being a better helicopter pilot? I'm currently hour building towards the CPL-H and interested to hear experienced pilots 'pearls of wisdom'.
What can only experience teach you? What do you wish you were taught/told but weren't? What's not in 'the books'?

My first tip is 'learn how to use the search function on PPRuNe'.

But, to get you going, here is one of the various previous threads on a similar subject. (This one was started in 2002):

https://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/17...ng-ilafft.html

If you think that throwing the machine around is going to impress the pax, then you aren't thinking.

The smoother, the better. And you don't get to see their breakfast.

Avoid doing stupid things when a YouTube vlogger is around

If in doubt? Bug out! :rolleyes:
Do everything into wind....except piss :8 (whenever possible) :ooh:
Know Your power margins before turning final & before departure...have You got the power to safely land & depart? :bored:

Before Landing....visualize exactly where the Skids/Wheels be at Touchdown then put them there exactly.

Take out the holds & fly hands on as much as possible ..... and remember the 5 P's

Fly accurately. ;)

Keep learning, every flight, every day.
If or when the day comes you think you know it all, get out of the heli and stop flying!

Think about where your `tips`(main and tail) are at all times,and where your downwash is going when manoeuvring on airfields...

• Always, always, always have a Plan B, and a Plan C (and maybe even a Plan D) in your back pocket. And don't be so married to Plan A that you won't use them if need be.

• Always know where the wind is coming from and LAND INTO IT. That way you won't have to explain yourself when some smart-aleck comes up to you and says, "I thought aircraft were supposed to take-off and land *into* the wind..." And you won't get into VRS or SWP or LTE and then you won't have to blame the helicopter for your poor planning and execution.

Don't wear brown shoes with a blue suit.

Never put any part of the aircraft into any place which your conscious mind has not properly explored already. Make sure that exploration discovered at least two ways out.

Enjoy it! When to stop enjoying it, move over and let someone else have a chance. Organisations are riddled with bitter and twisted has-beens clogging up the places that young, keen and interested Wannabees will gladly fill.

Don't scare your passengers. Always land into the wind. Don't crash.

Useless Things
 

The airport and emergency landing area behind you.
The altitude above you.
The fuel you have already used.
The lower you fly the less options available to you.
Fly like your passenger has a full G and T and doesn't want it in his/her lap.

Actually 7 p's prior planning and preparation prevents piss poor performance
Never ever go with someone who says they know everything about helicopter flying, no one knows everything