Pinwheel Exercises

cburg

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May 31, 2012
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These are great fun and really challenging (when windy). We've called them "Nose-Around-a-Point". Just heard them called Pinwheel Exercises today...I like it.
 
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I was taking to my neighbor, a retired police helicopter pilot about his training. I was impressed by the rigorous standards they were trained to, both initial and recurring.

One of their training maneuvers, I had not been taught was “Tail-Around-a-Point”. I intend to add it to my list of stuff to do in helicopters.
 
Trying to visualize the control requirements...

smiles,
Charles
 
He said they used to put the traffic cop's cones in the trees (when they weren't looking) until they got caught and in got in trouble for the stunt.

The ground cops were convinced it was the wind doing it somehow.
 
Nose out, Nose in, siedward, backward,forward, spins, piroettes, Chase squerrls, sideward quick stops, Had a dam spill way with squares, circles & dots Autos to a point, Play is a learning tool.
 
Chuck- I love doing turns around a point. Just last Saturday at a fly-in I flew to, there were some orange cones marking holes in the did. I did several turn around a point maneuvers with these cones. Though I am no expert, I found doing these very smoothly in the 15 mph winds that day. Much easier to do it subconsciously now than when I was early in my flying and had to "think" ahead of the cyclic. Much easier operating anything when your subconscious takes most of the work load.

Stan
 
Let us know how tail-around-a-point goes. I might try it tonight. I love nose-around-a-point and the traveling 360 (with and without 90 degree stops) the most so far.


Chuck- I love doing turns around a point. Just last Saturday at a fly-in I flew to, there were some orange cones marking holes in the did. I did several turn around a point maneuvers with these cones. Though I am no expert, I found doing these very smoothly in the 15 mph winds that day. Much easier to do it subconsciously now than when I was early in my flying and had to "think" ahead of the cyclic. Much easier operating anything when your subconscious takes most of the work load.

Stan
 
My police heli friend also commented on normal landings and how they differ from what we were taught in basic heli instruction.

In both cases, you follow the string down, it’s just that the police keep their speed up longer and flare harder at the bottom…basic a partial auto every time. I actually prefer that method myself, but was taught to slow down more at the bottom with less aggressive flare. Again, we are talking about a normal landing. During instruction it was all about VRS/SWP avoidance (standard three parameters).

Then I see most guys (pros) don’t establish a hover and then a set down…instead they decend all the way to touch-down without hestitating. I can tell a big difference between the two methods. In a two-step touch-down there is way more churn to contend with.
 
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