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Helicopters operate under ‘Visual Flight Rules’ (VFR). This means that they have to be able to visually determine their position by reference to the ground or water at regular intervals. Helicopters used by the AAD in Antarctica use ‘dead reckoning’ as the primary form of navigation.
Do all helicopters have auto rotation?
All helicopters must have this capability in order to be certified. Autorotation is possible owing to a freewheeling unit, which allows the main rotor to continue turning even if the engine is not running. In normal powered flight, air is drawn into the main rotor system from above and exhausted downward.
Does autorotation create lift?
To fully understand how autorotation works, we need to review some basic aerodynamics. The rotor blades spin to produce airflow and consequently lift and drag. The rotational speed of the rotor system is held constant, and lift is created by increasing each rotor blade’s angle of attack.
What is full down autorotation?
What is a “Full Down Autorotation”? A: When a helicopter loses power to turn the main rotors, a helicopter pilot must ensure continued rotation of the rotors to support a controlled descent to the ground by entering an autorotation.
What is the purpose of autorotation?
The most common use of autorotation in helicopters is to safely land the aircraft in the event of an engine failure or tail-rotor failure. It is a common emergency procedure taught to helicopter pilots as part of their training.
How does autorotation work in helicopters?
A properly executed autorotation ensures the buckets don’t fully empty until on the ground. In a piston airplane the propeller is directly attached to the engine’s drive shaft. When the engine is turning, so too is the propeller. Helicopters take the engine power through a transmission that turns the main rotor and tail rotor at different rates.
What is an autorotation to a landing?
An autorotation to a landing is a more advanced maneuver usually saved for later training. When there’s a power problem in a helicopter, wind pushing up through the blades will provide a certain level of control, assuming the pilot does everything correctly.
Is autorotation safe?
Autorotation seems a bit scary at first but once you realize how precise an autorotation can be, flying helicopters seems much safer. Helicopter pilots have to demonstrate an autorotation to an examiner as part of earning a license and practice the technique frequently.
How do helicopter rotors work?
Helicopters take the engine power through a transmission that turns the main rotor and tail rotor at different rates. But if the engine quits the rotors still need to spin. To fix that problem, helicopters use a sprag clutch that automatically disengages the engine from the drive system any time rotor rpm drops below engine rpm.