Attitude, altitude, and speed precision

In the previous lesson we went over transitional flight. Those lessons will be put to use in this one as well. You cannot obtain forward flight correctly without those lessons. In this lesson there are three topics that we will discuss.

1. How to achieve forward flight while maintaining a constant heading and altitude.

2. Controlling your desired airspeed.

3. Maintaining altitude and airspeed while conducting a timed/coordinated turn.


Forward flight

Back on the ground at Hood River runway 07 centerline, obtain a nice hover and transition into a good rate of climb. What we will do is keep climbing until we reach an altitude of 2,000 ft while maintaining the runway heading. When an altitude of 2,000 ft. is reached, lower the collective until the torque is at 60%. This will allow us to have an airspeed of 70 knots. We don't want to go too fast. As you lower the collective, pull back on the cyclic just enough to attain level flight. As you make the needed adjustments to the collective and cyclic controls, you will also have to make the proper anti-torque adjustments to stay in the desired heading. Keep a watchful eye on the rate of climb indicator. Your attitude indicator should read a couple degrees below the horizon line. Maintain level flight while staying on the runway heading with an airspeed of 70 kts. Now you are in forward flight.

Panel view while in forward flight. Airspeed of 70kts., torque at 60%, level flight and at runway heading.




Controlling airspeed

You can control your airspeed by changing your collective and cyclic inputs. Let's raise our airspeed to 85 kts. Increase the collective from a reading of 60% to 61%, and a very slight amount of forward cyclic. Now we have an airspeed of 85 kts. You should now see the pattern here. To increase your airspeed, increase collective and apply forward cyclic. To decrease your airspeed, decrease collective and apply back cyclic.

Maintain altitude and airspeed while conducting a timed/coordinated turn

Making a coordinated turn requires more attentiveness and coordination than maintaining level flight. To help us make a coordinated turn, we will be using the turn coordinator highlighted in the picture below in green.



The turn coordinator will help us to achieve the most efficient turn rate. We are going to turn to the right 90 degrees. As you move the cyclic to the right, the needle on the turn coordinator moves in the same direction as the turn. To ensure that you are applying the correct amount of anti-torque input, you will need to keep the ball that is below the turn coordinator needle, between the two white lines on the glass tube. That is a coordinated turn.

While you are in your turn, the nose of the helicopter will want to point below the horizon resulting in more airspeed and the loss of altitude. To compensate for this, pull back on the cyclic and increase collective. This will allow you to maintain altitude and airspeed while conducting a coordinated turn.

A timed turn is nothing more than us knowing the time it takes to complete our turn. If you look at the turn coordinator, you will see that it has five white marks at the top. One in center and two more on either side. The center one indicates that you have no bank at all. The next white mark, either to the left or right, indicates that a turn of 360 degrees will take two min. to complete the turn. The marks furthest from the center, indicated by either a white L or R, equals a one min. turn. To use these marks for a timed turn, the turn must be coordinated.

The picture below shows the correct instrument readings for a timed/coordinated turn.



Practice the lessons above until you are comfortable with forward flight while maintaining airspeed, heading, and altitude. Give yourself a set airspeed to reach. Once you have reached it, hold it there for a while and then change it to a different one that you set for yourself. When you think that you have it down, practice making timed/coordinated turns maintaining altitude and airspeed.

Summary

In this lesson we have explained how to achieve forward flight while maintaining a constant heading and altitude, controlling your desired airspeed, and maintaining altitude and airspeed while conducting a timed/coordinated turn. When you feel that you are proficient at performing these manoeuvres on your own you will be expected to demonstrate, in front of an instructor pilot, the exercises listed above. This will be done on the runway centerline.

Apply what you have learned in this lesson and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!