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1
| Never
push the cyclic forward to descend or to terminate a pull-up (as you would
in an airplane). This may produce a low-G (near weightless) condition
which can result in a main rotor blade striking the cabin. Always use the
collective to initiate a descent.
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2
| Never
intentionally allow the fuel quantity to become so low in flight that the
low fuel warning light comes on. |
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3 | Never
leave the helicopter unprotected where curious onlookers may inadvertently
damage critical parts, such as the tail rotor blades. |
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4 | Turn
the strobe light on before engaging the drive system and leave it on until
the rotors stop turning. The strobe light is located near the tail rotor
and provides a warning to ground personnel. Leaving it on in flight is
also advisable since the helicopter may be difficult for other aircraft to
see. |
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5 | Never
carry an external load except when using an approved hook, nor attach
anything to the outside of the helicopter. Also be sure no loose articles
are in the cabin, particularly when flying with any of the doors removed.
Even a small object or piece of cloth or paper could damage the tail rotor
if it came loose in flight. |
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6 | Avoid
abrupt control inputs or accelerated maneuvers, particularly at high
speed. These produce high fatigue loads in the dynamic components and
could cause a premature and catastrophic failure of a critical component. |
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7 |
A
change in the sound or vibration of the helicopter may indicate an
impending failure of a critical component. Make a safe landing and
thoroughly inspect aircraft before flight is resumed. A good practice
would be to hover the helicopter close to the ground for a prolonged
period and re-inspect before resuming free flight. |
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8 |
Be
sure ground personnel or onlookers don’t walk into the tail rotor. The
main blades can also be dangerous, particularly on a sloped surface where
the bystander may be on higher ground than the helicopter. |
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9 |
Never
allow rotor RPM to become dangerously low. Most hard landings will be
survivable as long as the rotor keeps turning and is not allowed to stall. |
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10 |
Never
make takeoffs or landings downwind, especially at high altitude. The
resulting loss of translational lift can cause the aircraft to settle into
ground obstacles. |
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11 |
A
vertical descent or steep approach downwind can result in “settling with
power.” This happens when the rotor is settling in its own downwash and
additional power won’t stop the descent. Should this occur, reduce the
collective and lower the nose to increase airspeed. This can be very
dangerous near the ground as the recovery results in a substantial loss of
altitude. |
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12 |
The
helicopter is stable on its landing gear as long as ground contact is made
vertically or with the aircraft moving forward. Should ground contact be
made with the helicopter moving rearward, tail damage and possible a
rollover could occur. Low time pilots and students should practice
landings and hovering with the aircraft slowly moving forward.
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13 |
When
operating at higher altitudes (above 3000 or 4000 feet), the throttle is
frequently wide open and RPM must be controlled with the collective.
Throttle/collective correlation is not effective under these conditions
and governor response rate is fairly slow, so extreme care must be taken
to roll throttle off as collective is lowered to prevent an overspeed. |
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14 |
Do
not use collective pitch to slow the rotor during shut-down. Collective
pitch produces lift on the blades which can disengage the teeter hinge
friction and allow the blades to strike the tailcone. Also, do not slow or
stop the rotors by grabbing the tail rotor. Stopping the tail rotor by
hand can damage the tail rotor drive. |
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15 |
Never
land in tall dry grass. The exhaust is low to the ground and very hot; a
grass fire may be ignited. |
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16 |
Always
check an area for wires or other obstructions before practicing
autorotations. |
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17 |
With
hydraulic controls, use special caution to avoid abrupt control inputs or
accelerated maneuvers. Since no feedback is felt in the flight controls,
the pilot may be unaware of the high fatigue loads generated during such
maneuvers. Frequent or prolonged high-load maneuvers could cause
premature, catastrophic failure of a critical component. |
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18 |
Never
attempt a magneto check while in flight. If one magneto is malfunctioning
and the pilot grounds the other one, the engine may stop completely. If a
magneto malfunction is suspected, leave the key in the BOTH position and
land as soon as practical |
