Rule 5?
 

I presume the operator had permission from the CAA to land in a congested area iaw with Rule 5. Wouldn't the take off location and departure area have been designated on that permission (ie wouldn't being so close to the house have been formally considered?).

That's a mistake one makes on their first solo...after that it should be etched in the mind at every take-off.

Agreed but it depends on what else he flys routinely. I was dual qualified on Lynx and Gazelle many years ago and regularly jumped from one to the other to give instruction - on the Lynx, left pedal was power pedal and on the Gazelle it was right. Despite the fact I had over 1000 hours on each, I still said to myself each time on the first takeoff, it's a Lynx, left pedal or it's a Gazelle, right pedal.

In this case, the distraction of having his family watching him and, in his mind perhaps, the thought that the difficult part of the trip had been successfully completed, might have lowered his arousal level for basic flying techniques.

Hypothesis ; helo arrives to p/u 3 people,probably shut-down and restart,,flies away for the jolly around Leicester,returns sometime later ,lands and parks ,nose upslope.,probably shutdown again whilst pax disembark...for Mum`s orange juice...

I agree (although we have no idea if that was done). You look out the window and keep the nose straight with whatever inputs are required.

So as you raise the lever up to the point where the aircraft is light on the skids but in full contact with the ground, are you saying you don't put any pedal input? Every helicopter I have flown needs pedal applied before you lift off and before the nose starts to yaw.

As soon as the lever comes off the min pitch stop you are progressively adding pedal or you won't achieve a smooth take-off.

Nigel - unless you have a stonking crosswind from the power pedal side, it certainly will always be power pedal.

Malabo,;last sentence,first word..`.may`........

More likely to be the rear of the left skid to dig in since that would normally be the last point of contact in a normal takeoff.

Well that must make you super-duper good then Nigel because I fly both too and I do think about it before the first take off.

But then for many years I have taught students to take off as slowly as they can so they understand the subtleties of taking an aircraft from the level attitude on flat ground to the hover attitude and then manage it smoothly instead of jerking into the air and then achieving a hover.

I agree that watching out the front window and monitoring the aircraft's tendency yaw, roll and pitch is the way to do it but some pre-positioning of the controls happens before the change occurs - it is the motor program you have learned and your control inputs will always be ahead, in anticipation, rather than purely reactive.

I´m actually with Nigel. With ever so smooth bringing up the collective, you feel which pedal is needed.
Learned that after getting confused by which one is the power pedal switching between helicopters and had a nice turn starting ;-)
And Yes, I´ll bring up power pedal when raising the collective - but you will feel, if you mock up, before you´re leaving the ground.
You will even feel the reaction with a bird at ground idle and slight pedal input (i.e., when checking the hydraulics)

FB - you rather contradict yourself there - in your first sentence you imply you wait to see which way it wants to yaw before applying pedal - but in the third sentence you say you apply power pedal as you raise the lever.

As I said, you anticipate the initial requirement for power pedal and then finesse it as the aircraft starts to lift.

Hi Crab,

I bring the power pedal - cause I feel which one is needed, not because I have to think about, which one I need ;-)
No contradiction ;-)

Lately I had the chance to fly an american build demonstrator (fly fenstron in daily life).
The safetypilot was a little bit "stiff", when it came to the lift off moment - but he relaxed immediatly, when he recognized, that I nursed the bird into the air - instead of catapulting it.
The pilot after me jerked the bird of the ground - even so he arrived at the scene with another model of that manufacturer....

And if you fly it off the ground smoothly, you have the chance to lower the collective, if it is not responding as advertised.
Guess the R44 would still be flying ;-)