FAA Rotorcraft Flying Handbook download (Updated 03/17/2013)

gyromike

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Edit: 03/17/2013

The FAA now has two Rotorcraft flying Handbooks available for PDF download.

Here is the link to the original, which is now to be used For Gyroplanes Only (even though it still has a helicopter section).
It's about 16 megabytes in size:
Rotorcraft Flying Handbook

Here is the link for the latest handbook to be used for Helicopters Only.
It's 84 megabytes in size:
Helicopter Flying Handbook
 
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I bought the book a few years back to study for my Rotorcraft/Gyroplane rating. I has good information most of the book is devoted to helicopters & about 7 chapters for gyroplanes.

I found that some of the explanations about flight, were included in the helicopter sections.
 
Rehan K.Janjua said:
Thank You Mike.


Now that I have had a look at it I can say there is some really fine information
and illistrations. You don't suppose the FAA heard about that nut trying to teach himeself how to fly do you?
This is a good book.
Thanks again



.
 
The Last Church said:
Now that I have had a look at it I can say there is some really fine information
and illistrations. You don't suppose the FAA heard about that nut trying to teach himeself how to fly do you?
This is a good book.
Thanks again.

It'll give you a good basic understanding of how they work, and what to look for in a design.
 
Thanks, Mike!

Saves me having to Google it every time I recommend this book to somebody.

As Rudy points out, even if you are not real interested in helicopters it's important to begin at the beginning because some of the concepts you will need to know to fly gyros are only introduced in the helicopter section.

For instance, just to mention the bad stuff, you need to understand mast bumping, dynamic rollover, and ground resonance, and know the onset indicators and corrective action for each. That's all in the helo bit. (NB Ground resonance is only a factor with a fully-articulated rotor system like an Air & Space 18A or McCullough J2, but it has been fingered in at least one 18A prang. Ground resonance is usually survivable for the pilot, but fatal to the rotorcraft).

Thanks again, Mike!

cheers

-=K=-
 
I guess you ought to know...

I guess you ought to know...

how it came about. Jeppesen was contracted by the FAA to rewrite the RFH. A helicopter pilot and very talented technical writer, Jim Mowery, was tasked to rewrite the book, including for the first time, several chapters on gyrocopters. The first 14 chapters went very smoothly, but he was stumped on the last few. He contacted one or two of the high-profile gyro people at the time, mainly Don Farrington, and one of the RAF guys. Farrington provided most of the early information. The needed graphics had to go to the artist early, so many, if not most of the illustrations featured the 18A. One day I received a call from Jim asking if I would meet with him, show him my gyro and discuss the gyro chapters as written. I reviewed what was already done and found that there were things stressed that had little bearing on most gyro's, such as jump takeoffs and ground resonance, and little about aerodynamics, such as PPO and thrust line. I was able to put Jim in contact with many gyro notables such as Chuck Beaty, Rob Rominger, Jean Fourcade, as well as representatives from all of the major manufacturers such as Ron Herron, Ernie Boyette and a rep from Air Command. It was their input which turned around what started as an Air & Space 18A flight manual into a balanced discussion of aerodynamics, training and flight operations. Jim was frustrated as the 8 gyro chapters took longer than the 14 helicopter chapters, but in the end, it turned out pretty well. At least it didn't try to explain autorotation as "like squeezing a bar of soap" as was noted in a previously well quoted book. It is not as complicated as a technical text on aerodynamics, but addresses most of the important information for the average pilot. My contribution? My right main wheel was featured in Chapter 18.
 
Thanks, this is a great addition to the information I am getting about starting my flying career!
 
Bill, me thinks you are being modest about your involvement and contributions! A big thanx for your efforts.
 
Hi Guy's very interested in learning as much as posible about Gyroplanes and rotorcraft in general before buying or learning to fly. Can somebody please mabe break the book in to 4Mb segments for me as the company police does not allow the download of files bigger than 5Mb.
 
Thanks Bill,
Its good to know that the information I am studying is worth the effort. I read through it the other day and will do it again along with the helo sections mentioned.

Rick
 
Great book

Great book

I too just had a look at it.
I went through Chapters 15 to 22. Well, I keep getting referenced back to earlier chapters.

Well worth reading. Found it quite informative.

Thanks for posting the link, and Bill, your right main gear looks great!!!

Jim.
 
Thank you for the tip Mike, ordered it this evening.
 
Ed Newbold gave a copy of Chapters 15 through the end, and the glossary. I have the CD (bought off E-bay from some pirate!), and gonna review the early sections that are referred to in the Gyro manual, so I'll be good and ready to pass the checkride test; as well as to keep my bony old butt outta harm's way.
 
Just finished downloading the faa rotorcraft flying handbook and glansing at it as it was being downloaded and printed it is going to be an interesting and informative read , thanks for posting the link gyromike
 
The Rotorcraft Flying Handbook is no more.

The Rotorcraft Flying Handbook is no more.

Just a few years after publication of the RFH, it has been terminated. And gyro's with it. As recently reported in "Rotorcraft" the FAA has published the "Helicopter Flying Handbook" without any reference to gyro's. They even initially dropped the RFH from their website. Jeppesen's Jim Mowery worked very hard on the RFH and struggled to include a balanced, informative section on gyro's, a first for the FAA. There has been a promise of a "Gyroplane Flying Handbook" in a year or so, but I remain doubtful given the very limited potential market. Pay tens-of-thousands of dollars to write and publish a new text with an expected market of a few hundred copies? I don't think it likely.
 
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