How Fast Can a Helicopter Fly?

Being able to travel fast in a helicopter is always at the top of most passengers ‘Want List’. Getting to the destination fast, being able to land in confined locations, and doing it smooth and quiet presents some great challenges to civilian helicopter designers.

With military helicopters, making a helicopter fast is also at the top of the wish list, but then add on the various multi-role capabilities and weapons systems, getting the helicopters to go as fast as they do is some real engineering wizardry!

The top speed for most single-engine helicopters is around 150 kts or 173 mph. The top speed for most twin-engine helicopters is around 160 kts or 185 mph. The world record holder, G-LYNX flew at 223 kts or 257mph! Tilt-Rotor helicopters like the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey can fly at 305 kts or 351mph.

This comparison was written to give you the best quality, accurate content for the helicopters currently in production today. Each helicopter was researched from the actual manufacturer’s data and included where applicable. You will be able to find more information on each helicopter from the links included.

The Maximum Speeds this comparison is based on are the helicopters Max Cruise Speed as this was the most common speed given by the manufacturers, not Vne. A lot of the military helicopters will not have a published Vne. Only the Flight Manuals will have these numbers.

You may feel some aircraft have been left out and this may be because I could not find any credible evidence of speed data and this is not just a Wikipedia Copy&Paste like all the other comparisons.

This comparison also only focuses on the ‘Traditional’ helicopter as the new breed of ‘Compound, Hybrid or Tilt Rotor’ helicopters have an unfair advantage and are for a future comparison article.

Enjoy!

Top 10 Fastest Production Civilian Helicopters

10. HAL ALH MkIII DHRUV

Designed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited this 5.5 Tonne Twin-Engine, Multi-Role helicopter is the civilian version of the LCH (Light Combat Helicopter) for the Indian Armed Forces.

Orders for this civilian model are increasing with from the Sarang ALH Display Team showcasing the helicopter’s capabilities at airshows worldwide since 2003.

Manufacturer:	HAL
Engines:	2x Safran Ardiden 1H1
Engine Power:	1,384 shp ea
Maiden Flight:	1992
Max Cruise Speed	143 kts 165 mph 265 kph
Max Vne Speed	158 kts 181 mph 292 kph

HAL ACH MkIII DHRUV Website

9. Airbus H155

Previously the EC155 B1 from Eurocopter, the H155 from Airbus Helicopters is a Medium, Twin-Engined helicopter used in a variety of roles where high speed is welcomed.

Used all over the globe by EMS, Law Enforcement, Private and Business owners the H155 is latest generation building on the legendary Dauphin history.

Manufacturer:	Airbus Helicopters
Engines:	2x Safran Arriel 2C2 Turboshaft
Engine Power:	935 hp ea
Maiden Flight:	1997
Max Cruise Speed	144 kts 165 mph 266 kph
Max Vne Speed	Not Given

Airbus H155 Website

Learn More…
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8. Leonardo AW169

The AW169 is the latest 4.5 tonne Twin-Engine Helicopter from Leonardo.

Designed for Luxury VIP, EMS, and Law Enforcement this helicopter may be at the smaller end of Leonardo’s range but it packs a punch.

Latest generation avionics and engines and the only helicopter in its size group to come equipped with an on-board APU to ensure the highest levels of comfort without the rotors turning.

Manufacturer:	Leonardo
Engines:	2x P&W PW210A Series Turboshaft
Engine Power:	1,000 shp ea
Maiden Flight:	2012
Max Cruise Speed	145 kts 167 mph 268 kph
Max Vne Speed	145 kts 167 mph 268 kph

Leonardo AW169 Website

7. Airbus H175

The H175 from Airbus is a world record-setting Light-Medium Multi-role Helicopter.

With its main role aimed at Off-Shore Oil&Gas transportation, this helicopter is also seeing use in Search & Rescue, Law Enforcement, and VIP Government contracts.

With a maximum seating for 18 passengers on board getting to the destination at 150 kts does not take long in this helicopter.

Manufacturer:	Airbus Helicopters
Engines:	2x P&W PT6C-67E Series Turboshaft
Engine Power:	1,775 shp ea
Maiden Flight:	2009
Max Cruise Speed	150 kts 172 mph 277 kph
Max Vne Speed	Not Given

Airbus H175 Website

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6. Sikorsky S92A

The S92A has become the mule of the Off-shore market. A large cabin with high speed and long range has solidified this aircraft as the ‘Go-To’ machine for Airlines, Search & Rescue, and VVIP Ownership.

The high-caliber technology used in every part of this helicopter is one of the reasons why it is the top of the list for many large operators, but with a price tag around $27M you better have deep pockets!

Manufacturer:	Sikorsky Helicopters
Engines:	2x General Electric CT7-8A Turboshaft
Engine Power:	2,520 shp ea
Maiden Flight:	1998
Max Cruise Speed	151 kts 174 mph 280 kph
Max Vne Speed	165 kts 190 mph 306 kph

Sikorsky S92A Website

5. Airbus H160

The latest helicopter from Airbus, this ACH160 is the Corporate VVIP model in the range.

One of the most stunning helicopters ever developed this new fully composite helicopter is crammed with the latest technology including Airbus’ Blue Edge Main Rotor Blades. Their most efficient and quietest rotor blade ever developed.

Its first customer delivery began in early 2021 and this helicopter is going to be raising the bar for years to come.

Manufacturer:	Airbus Helicopters
Engines:	2x Safran Arrano 1A Turboshaft
Engine Power:	1,280 shp ea
Maiden Flight:	2015
Max Cruise Speed	155 kts 178 mph 278 kph
Max Vne Speed	Not Given

Airbus H160 Website

4. Leonardo AW189

This all-weather, long-range 8.5 tonne helicopter from Leonardo is their latest Super-Medium addition to their fleet.

Flexible cabin configurations make this a perfect multi-role helicopter whether it is in Off-Shore Transportation, Search & Rescue or VVIP Operations.

Long legs and high speed make this a great utility platform.

Manufacturer:	Leonardo
Engines:	2x General Electric CT7-2E1
Engine Power:	2,000 shp ea
Maiden Flight:	2011
Max Cruise Speed	155 kts 178 mph 287 kph
Max Vne Speed	158 kts 181 mph 292 kph

Leonardo AW189 Website

3. Leonardo AW109 GrandNew

Leonardo’s latest Light-Twin offering built on the back of the hugely popular A109 series started by Agusta back in 1976.

This modern multi-role helicopter is now certified for Single-Pilot IFR making it a great personal or corporate helicopter when speed is of the essence.

With seating for up to 7 passengers this Cat A, Class 1 helicopter is a favorite!

Manufacturer:	Leonardo
Engines:	2x P&W PW207C
Engine Power:	735 shp ea
Maiden Flight:	2015
Max Cruise Speed	156 kts 180 mph 289 kph
Max Vne Speed	Not Given

Leonardo AW109 GrandNew Website

2. Russian Helicopters KA-62

Russian Helicopters latest offering to the Medium Class civilian helicopter market.

This fast, multi-role helicopter was designed to meet international standards for Cargo Transport, Offshore Transport, Search & Rescue and VVIP operations.

Utilizing the latest materials, engines, and avionics this sleek all-weather helicopter has some tough competition!

Manufacturer:	Russian Helicopters
Engines:	2x Safran Ardiden 3G
Engine Power:	1,776 shp ea
Maiden Flight:	2017
Max Cruise Speed	157 kts 180 mph 290 kph
Max Vne Speed	167 kts 193 mph 310 kph

Russian Helicopters KA-62 Website

1. Leonardo AW139

One of the most popular Twin-Engined helicopters in the world. Not only does this machine boast fast cruising speeds, but full Cat A, all-weather IFR capabilities.

Used all over the globe in Off-Shore Transportation, EMS, Law Enforcement, and VVIP operations this is my favorite helicopter I have ever flown.

Easy to fly, smooth and capable allows any pilot a stress-free flight.

Manufacturer:	Leonardo
Engines:	2x P&W PT6C-67C Turboshaft
Engine Power:	1,100 shp ea
Maiden Flight:	2001
Max Cruise Speed	165 kts 190 mph 306 kph
Max Vne Speed	167 kts 193 mph 310 kph

Leonardo AW139 Website

Top 10 Fastest Production Military Helicopters

10. KA-52 ‘Alligator’

This unique Contra-rotating reconnaissance and combat helicopter is a tank & armored vehicle destroying machine.

With the latest aviation and weapons technologies this helicopter is seeing action with the Russian and Egyptian Armed Forces.

With the manufacturer stating it has ‘Shock-Absorbing Ejector Seats’ it is definitely a helicopter to further inspect!

Manufacturer:	Russian Helicopters
Engines:	2x Klimov VK-2500 Turboshaft
Engine Power:	2,400 shp ea
Maiden Flight:	1997
Max Cruise Speed	140 kts 162 mph 260 kph
Max Vne Speed	162 kts 186 mph 300 kph

Russian Helicopters KA-52 Website

9. Мi-28N ‘Night Hunter’

This advanced attack helicopter has been designed to seek out and destroy enemy targets in all weather conditions.

Built with combat survivability in mind this helicopter is designed to take a beating while unleashing hell on its targets.

The Mi-28N & its export version, Mi-28NE is in service with the Iraqi, Algerian and Russian Armed Forces as well as the Russian Air Force Berkuty Flight Display Team.

Manufacturer:	Russian Helicopters
Engines:	2x Klimov VK-2500-02 Turboshaft
Engine Power:	2,200 hp ea
Maiden Flight:	1982
Max Cruise Speed	143 kts 166 mph 265 kph
Max Vne Speed	162 kts 186 mph 300 kph

Russian Helicopters Mi-28N Website

8. Leonardo AW101 ‘Merlin’

The AW101 is the latest highly versatile helicopter from Leonardo. Building on the very successful EH101 this helicopter is used by over 14 different Armed Forces in both land-based & sea-based operations

Featuring 3 powerful engines, highly advanced avionics, composite fuselage, this helicopter is fast, capable, and quiet due to its ‘BERP‘ rotor blades.

Manufacturer:	Leonardo
Engines:	3x General Electric CT7-8E Turboshaft
Engine Power:	2,527 shp ea
Maiden Flight:	1982
Max Cruise Speed	145 kts 172 mph 277 kph
Max Vne Speed	167 kts 192 mph 309 kph

Leonardo AW101 Website

Learn More…
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* How Much Can a Helicopter Lift? 20 Helicopters Compared!
* Police Helicopters: All Your Questions Answered!

7. Boeing AH-64E ‘Apache’

Source: U.S. Army Tech. Sgt. Andy Dunaway

The Apache is one of the most recognizable attack helicopters in the world.

The E model is the latest generation of this formidable helicopter with upgraded engines, avionics, and weapons systems this latest version is a true soldier’s friend or foe!

In use in over 15 countries this fast, invisible attack platform is by far one of the most deadly helicopters in the world today.

Manufacturer:	Boeing
Engines:	2x General Electric T700-GE-701D
Engine Power:	1,890 shp ea
Maiden Flight:	1975
Max Cruise Speed	+150 kts 173 mph 278 kph
Max Vne Speed	Not Given

Boeing AH-64E Website

6. Leonardo AW109M

This fast, agile multi-engine, multi-role helicopter from Leonardo is a popular, cost-effective helicopter.

Its small footprint makes it perfect for use aboard naval ships while also allowing it to provide discreet reconnaissance during land-borne operations.

Its use in over 20 countries shows the versatility of this helicopter.

Manufacturer:	Leonardo
Engines:	2x P&W PW206C
Engine Power:	561 shp ea
Maiden Flight:	1971
Max Cruise Speed	154 kts 177 mph 285 kph
Max Vne Speed	168 kts 193 mph 311 kph

Leonardo AW109M Website

5. Leonardo AW149M

The AW149M is built on the success of its civilian partner the AW189 and its transport capabilities in the Off-Shore sector.

With 7 cabin configurations available straight from the factory to support every kind of mission this is a true multi-role helicopter.

State-of-the-art avionics make this all-weather helicopter a true pilots machine and able to carry 16 fully loaded troops over 500 nm at 155 kts is no mean feat either!

Manufacturer:	Leonardo
Engines:	2x General Electric CT7-2E1 Turboshaft
Engine Power:	2,000 shp ea
Maiden Flight:	2009
Max Cruise Speed	155 kts 178 mph 287 kph
Max Vne Speed	169 kts 194 mph 313 kph

Leonardo AW149M Website

4. Boeing CH-47F ‘Chinook’

One of the most globally recognized helicopters on the battlefield this latest generation Chinook from Boeing stretches the boundaries even more

Whether it is carrying troops, slinging heavy equipment or being used as a MedEvac ship this beast is a true multi-role helicopter.

For saying how big this helicopter is, the speed it can move at is phenomenal, hence why it’s a very popular troop MedEvac helicopter.

Manufacturer:	Boeing
Engines:	2x Lycoming T55-GA-714A Turboshaft
Engine Power:	4,700 hp each
Maiden Flight:	2001
Max Cruise Speed	157 kts 181 mph 291 kph
Max Vne Speed	163 kts 188 mph 302 kph

Boeing CH-47F Website

3. Sikorsky S70i ‘Blackhawk’

The S70i Blackhawk from Sikorsky is the international military version of the ubiquitous UH-60 Blackhawk.

The S70i is assembled in Poland by PZL Mielec under license from Sikorsky.

The Blackhawk is one of the most widely used military helicopters in the world and partly due to its high cruise speed!

Manufacturer:	Sikorsky
Engines:	2x General Electric GE-T701D
Engine Power:	1,940 shp each
Maiden Flight:	1974
Max Cruise Speed	160 kts 184 mph 296 kph
Max Vne Speed	Not Given

Sikorsky S70i Website

2. NH90

Built by a European consortium of Airbus Helicopters, Leonardo & Fokker Aerostructures to meet the requirement from NATO for a multi-role medium-lift military helicopter.

In service with 13 Countries Armed Forces in either as a Naval or Tactical Transport Helicopter.

This helicopter leads the technological race as it was the first true Fly-By-Wire helicopter and boy is it fast!

Manufacturer:	NHIndustries
Engines:	2 x Turbomecca RTM 322-01/9A
Engine Power:	2,417 shp each
Maiden Flight:	1995
Max Cruise Speed	162 kts 186 mph 300 kph
Max Vne Speed	Not Given

NH90 Website

1. Leonardo AW139M

Taking the top spot for both the fastest production civilian and military helicopters the AW139 is a fantastic aircraft.

After seeing the success of the AW139 in the civilian sector the military version was released in 2011 as a versatile Intermediate Twin helicopter.

With such a wide mission-capable platform it’s no wonder this helicopter is in service with over 45 countries!

Manufacturer:	Leonardo
Engines:	2x P&W PT6C-67C Turboshaft
Engine Power:	1,100 shp ea
Maiden Flight:	2011
Max Cruise Speed	165 kts 190 mph 306 kph
Max Vne Speed	167 kts 193 mph 310 kph

Leonardo AW139M Website

Current Fastest Helicopter In The World

Westland Helicopters Lynx

On August 11, 1986 a modified Westland Lynx helicopter, G-LYNX broke the world speed record over a 15 km course with a top speed of 257 kts and an average of 216 kts. This record still stands today for a conventional helicopter.

The Lynx has been developed into over 40 variants and has been used by over 17 Armed Forces and stays in production with its latest evolution the AW159 ‘Wildcat’.

Manufacturer:	Westland Helicopters
Engines:	2x Rolls Royce Gem with Methanol Injection
Engine Power:	1,200 shp ea
Maiden Flight:	1971
Max Cruise Speed	216 kts 249 mph 400 kph
Max Vne Speed	223 kts 257 mph 413 kph

Leonardo G-LYNX 30th Anniversary Brochure

How Fast Do Air Ambulance Helicopters Fly?

Generally, most air ambulance helicopters can fly between 80-130kts/90-150mph/150-240kph. At top speed, flying in a straight line, an EMS helicopter can reach 40 miles away in as little as 15 minutes. Flying in a straight line and being able to land in tight spaces allows rapid medical attention.

The most common EMS helicopters in use are Bell 407s, Airbus AS350s, Airbus H135s, Leonardo A109s, Leonardo AW139s and MD902s. The Leonardo helicopters have the highest top speeds due to their design and power but each medical helicopter is able to reach the scene well before a land ambulance.

The other way that an air ambulance helicopter is much faster than land transport is the ability to land in the middle of remote farmland, hills, mountains, swamp, and woodlands. For the ground transport to park as close as possible and then complete the rest of the journey on foot consumes precious time.

The helicopters ability to land in a clearing the size of a tennis court allows the onboard medical attendants to begin providing medical care extremely quickly.

How Fast Do Search & Rescue Helicopters Fly?

Most SAR helicopters cruise around 140-150knots but have flying times of 3-6 hours or more with auxiliary fuel tanks. The majority of SAR helicopters are large, powerful, twin-engine helicopters that are built for endurance rather than top speed.

The most common search and rescue helicopters in the world are the Sikorsky S92, Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawk, Leonardo AW139, and Leonardo AW101. SAR helicopters are used more for searching or casualties and the rescue of multiple casualties in one go so their cabin and fuel tanks need to be large.

When SAR helicopters are required is usually due to the remoteness of a casualties location that is beyond the capabilities of a local air ambulance or ground-based medical attention.

To Finish

The top speed of most helicopters is around the 300 kph mark at this time mainly due to the aerodynamic drag caused by the main rotor blade tips reaching the speed of sound as they rotate and creating shockwaves that introduce huge drag.

As you may be able to see in a few of the photos, manufacturers are designing main rotor blades with odd-shaped blade tips to help overcome this, but this can only do so much.

For true speed in a helicopter we are starting to see huge developments in the Hybrid, Compound, and Tilt-Rotor designs that are really pushing the speed limits.

Having flown in the AW139 it is a great feeling to be cruising close to 160 kts but then it really hurts when jumping into the AS350 with a Utility Basket and being only able to push it to 105 kts!

What Can You Do as a Private Pilot?

The joys of gaining your Private Pilot Certificate are a well-earned achievement, but now you have your license what exactly can you do with it? I used to take friends and family out for flights every weekend for a small fee, but how much can you legally charge?

The holder of a Private Pilot Certificate is able to fly any aircraft they are certified on and take as many passengers as it can fit, but must pay an equal share for the cost of the flight. The Private Pilot Certificate is great for taking family and friends on fun trips.

Flying, just like driving, requires experience to be gathered to become safer. The Private Pilot Certificate is the first step to flying more than one passenger while gathering your experience but you have to do it in a safe manner.

As with everything in aviation, there are limits and restrictions on what you can do. This article goes through some of the most common questions regarding what a pilot can do with their Private Pilot Certificate.

What are the Privileges & Limitations of a Private Pilot Certificate?

Everything that the owner of a Private Pilot Certificate is allowed to do and to what extent they can do it is governed by 14 CFR Part 61 Subpart E – Private Pilots. In particular §61.113 Private pilot privileges and limitations: Pilot in command.

Let’s turn these regulations into plain English!

What You Can & Cannot Do With a PPL Certificate:

No Financial Gain:
A Private Pilot cannot make a financial profit from any flight. However:
- A flight can be used for business purposes if its deemed incidental to that business.
- They must not carry any passenger or cargo for which the pilot receives money.

Pay an Equal Share:
A Private Pilot must pay an equal share of the rental costs, fuel, oil, and any airport fees with the other passengers on board.

Fly For Charity:
A Private Pilot may fly at Charitable Events and for Non-Profit Organizations provided no payment is received by the pilot. Money can be charged for the flights but that money must go to the charity or non-profit organization.

Search & Locate:
A Private Pilot may fly Search & Locate Operations when authorized by a local, State, or Federal agency or a SAR organization and only be reimbursed any rental costs, fuel, oil, or airport fees.

Flying Salesman:
A Private Pilot may act as an aircraft salesman for that aircraft while in flight with a prospective buyer, provided said pilot has logged over 200 hours of flight time.

Undertake Flight Tests:
A Private Pilot may conduct a production flight test for a Light-Sport Aircraft that is intended for certification providing that:
- The Aircraft is a Powered Parachute, or
- The Aircraft is of Weight-Shift-Control
- The pilot has a minimum of 100 hours in that aircraft category & class
- The pilot is familiar with product flight tests for certification

Glider Towing:
A Private Pilot may pilot an aircraft to tow Gliders or Unpowered Ultra-Light Aircraft providing they meet the requirements of:
§61.69 Glider and unpowered ultralight vehicle towing: Experience and training requirements.

So the bottom line is the FAA does not allow the holder of a Private Pilot Certificate to make any money from a flight they are piloting.
This is more to prevent unscrupulous persons flying for profit and possibly creating a safety hazard to passengers or people on the ground due to their lack of training and/or experience.

For Example:
Uncle Bob shows up to a community event in his Robinson R44 helicopter, the ink still wet on his license, and begins charging the public $50 a ride. They would be expecting a professional pilot with all the necessary training and insurance. – This is ILLEGAL in the eyes of the FAA.

But:

Uncle Bob shows up to a family BBQ in his Robinson R44 helicopter, the ink still wet on his license, and gives rides for free. Family members would be aware of his experience (or lack of it) and can then make up their own mind whether to take a ride or not – This is LEGAL in the eyes of the FAA.

Uncle Bob’s Robinson R44 – Source: Raymond Wambsgans

But what if Uncle Bob had won the Lotto and were to land in a large 12 seat helicopter…?

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How Many People Can a Private Pilot Fly?

There are two parts to this question:

Medical Certificate
Recency Requirements

Medical Certificate

With Valid Medical Certificate:

A Private Pilot is only limited by the number of passenger seats available for the aircraft they are currently certified on.

With No Medical Certificate:

According to §61.113(i)
A Private Pilot is able to fly without a valid Medical Certificate providing:

They have a Valid US Drivers License, &
Comply with the requirements of §61.23(c)(3)

Then that pilot can fly:

An aircraft no heavier than 6000 lbs at take off, &
That aircraft can only carry a maximum of 6 occupants, &
No more than 5 passengers can be onboard

This is far better than the passenger-carrying restrictions of:
Sport Pilot = 2 Seats Max in aircraft – Only 1 Passenger Allowed
Recreational Pilot = No Max number of seats in aircraft – Only 1 Passenger Allowed

Recency Requirements

According to §61.57 Recent flight experience: Pilot in command:
To legally carry passengers a Private Pilot Certificate Holder has to ensure they have been the sole manipulator of the controls of an aircraft of the same Category, Class & Type, and completed 3 take-offs and landings within the 90 days preceding any passenger flight.

In an airplane, this is 3 touch-n-go’s with a full circuit in between
In a Tail-dragger, the same, but each landing must come to a complete stop
In a helicopter, there must be a full circuit between each take-off and landing

Learn More…
Try These Articles:
* Helicopter or Airplane: Which is Easier To Fly?
* Pilot Medical Exam – What You Need To Pass Each Class

Can a Private Pilot Carry Passengers at Night?

Yes, a Private Pilot Certificate holder is able to as many passengers as the aircraft has seats for at night but there are a few additional factors that the pilot needs to ensure are met before the flight can commence.

The FAA Class Night As:
‘The Period Commencing 1 Hour After Sunset & Ending 1 Hour Before Sunrise’

Time&Date.com has a great little Sunrise & Sunset Calculator for your location – Click Here To Try

Recency

Just like the day recency requirements, the pilot has night recency requirements to fulfill:

According to §61.57(B)
To legally carry passengers at night a Private Pilot Certificate Holder has to ensure they have been the sole manipulator of the controls of an aircraft of the same Category, Class & Type and completed 3 take-off’s and landings at night within the 90 days preceding any passenger flight.

In an airplane, this is 3 take-offs & landings with a full stop and a full circuit in between
In a helicopter, there must be a full circuit between each take-off and landing

Required Aircraft Equipment

In addition to the required instrumentation & equipment to be on-board for flights during the day the FAA stipulates the following additional equipment to be onboard for Night VFR flights:

According to §91.205(C):

Position Lights
At least one Anti-Collision Light
An adequate source of electrical energy
Spare fuses accessible to the pilot

Weather Limits

Because flying at night has its own additional challenges for the pilot it is also much harder to see or detect inclement weather and the chances of losing visual reference to the surface are dramatically increased.

To help improve flight safety the FAA raises the minimums for flying in Class G airspace. All other airspace retains the same minimums.

According to §91.155(A):
Night Weather Minimums:

Helicopters – 1200ft AGL & Below:
1 Statute Mile Visibility, &
Clear of Clouds

All Other Aircraft – 1200ft AGL & Below:
3 Statue Miles Visibility, &
500ft Below Clouds, 1000ft Above Clouds & 2000ft Horizontally from Clouds

All Aircraft – Above 1200ft AGL & Below 10,000ft MSL:
3 Statue Miles Visibility, &
500ft Below Clouds, 1000ft Above Clouds & 2000ft Horizontally from Clouds

Night Training Circuits

According to §91.155(B):
If operating within Class G Airspace, in an airport traffic pattern, and remaining within 1/2mile of the runway the above weather limits can be reduced to:

Helicopters:
1/2 Statute Mile Visibility, &
Clear of Clouds

Airplane, Powered Parachute, or Weight-Shift-Control aircraft:
Above 1 Statute Mile Visibility, &
Clear of Clouds

Can a Private Pilot Cross an International Border?

Yes, A Private Pilot flying an aircraft with passengers on board is allowed, and to be honest, it is encouraged! Taking your family or friends on a trip across the border opens up even more incredible scenery and experiences that they will never forget.

Flying in the Rocky Mountains is Unforgettable!

The process to cross the border is fairly simple and after it has been completed once or twice, then flying across a US border will be no more work than planning a regular flight within the US.

There are a few extra things the pilot has to ensure and do before the flight:

Passports

A passport for each occupant in the aircraft that is valid for the duration of the trip has to be carried for each flight crossing the border. Both ways!

Visas

Any occupant onboard the aircraft that is not a US citizen may require a visa for the country you plan on entering. This requires research before the flight to ensure compliance. All US citizens on board do not need a visa to visit neighboring countries.

Aircraft Insurance

Before planning to visit another country it is advisable to check your aircraft insurance covers you once over the border. Every policy is different so a quick phone call is needed to ensure you will remain covered. This also applies to rented aircraft – Check before leaving!

eAPIS Registration

In 2009 the CBP implemented an Electronic Advance Passenger Information System (eAPIS) requiring the details of all occupants on board to be filed before the flight when planning to cross any US border. This is a simple online process but failure to complete will likely end you with a big fine

Flight Plan

Just like any flight, a thorough flight plan is a sensible option, but for crossing any US border it is mandatory. You also need to research if you need to be on flight plans for every flight while in that country and also what restrictions may be applied to your type of pilot certificate, for example, VFR flights at night may be prohibited.

Be sure to Open and Close all flight plans to, especially the flight crossing the border!

Children

If any of the passengers on board are under 18 years of age and one or both of their parents are missing from the flight that child must have a Notarized letter signed by the missing parent/s authorizing the child’s border crossing.

If the child is part of a joint parent custody agreement by divorced parents then a copy of the Custody Agreement should also be onboard.

For more information on crossing a border with a child Click Here to visit ezbordercrossing.com

Border Crossing Resources:

For some great border crossing information check out the following links:

Learn More…
Try These Articles:
* Do You Need a Pilots License To Fly?
* Skills Needed To Become a Pilot? – A Flight Instructors Perspective

What Aircraft Can You Fly with a Private Pilot License?

Aircraft are split into categories and you are initially only allowed to fly the category on which you trained and passed your PPL flight exam.
There are 7 Categories your license will fall under.

Those Categories are:
(Links to Wikipedia)

Each Category can then be split into various Classes. Those Classes group together aircraft with similar flight or handling characteristics.
Those Classes are:

Airplane

Airplane: Single-Engine Land
Airplane: Single-Engine Sea
Airplane: Multi-Engine Land
Airplane: Multi-Engine Sea

Rotorcraft

Helicopter
Gyroplane

Lighter-Than-Air

Airship
Balloon

Powered Parachute

Powered Parachute Land
Powered Parachute Sea

Weight-Shift Control

Weight-Shift Control Land
Weight-Shift Control Sea

Note: Glider & Powered Lift do not contain any Classes within their respective Categories.

When you receive your License from the FAA it will stipulate the Category and Class for which you are authorized to fly.

For Example:

Airplane – Single Engine Land (eg. Cessna 172, Cirrus SR22, Mooney M20)
Rotorcraft – Helicopter (eg. Robinson R22, Bell 206 Jet Ranger, Airbus H125)
Weight-Shift Control – Land (eg. Moyes Malibu 2, Wills Wing Falcon)

A question that is often asked is along the lines of “If I have a Rotorcraft – Helicopter Category/Class on my license does that mean I can go and rent a Cessna 172 Airplane?” – The answer is NO. You can only fly what is stipulated on your license.

For most pilots, their authorized Category/Class is all they will ever need, but there are other aircraft, especially within the Airplane Category that requires additional training and an endorsement to be issued before you can fly them.

As a Private Pilot, you are not just limited to just one Category or even Class. If you wish, for example, to progress onto a Multi-Engine Class of aircraft you can get the training and pass the flight test then you will be issued a new license with both Single-Engine and Multi-Engine Classes listed.

Any Category or Class can be added or even initially trained on. A chat with your local flying instructor will give you all the options. If I listed them all here you would get a square butt from all the sitting!

What Endorsements Can a Private Pilot Get?

Staying safe is everyone’s priority and the FAA will place each aircraft into its own Category, Class, and can then further assign it a Type Certificate or an endorsement to fly it.

An aircraft that requires an Endorsement usually requires specific training to handle or operate those aircraft-specific systems or because they have unique flight characteristics that can bite the untrained. Tail-Wheel Aircraft are a great example of this.

Here are some of the Endorsements listed in §61.31 with what the FAA defines each Endorsement as:

High-Performance Airplane

A high-performance airplane is defined as an airplane with an
engine capable of developing more than 200 horsepower.

Complex Airplane

A Complex Airplane is an airplane that has a retractable landing
gear, flaps, and a controllable pitch propeller. In lieu of a
controllable pitch propeller, the aircraft could also have an
engine control system consisting of a digital computer and
associated accessories for controlling the engine and the
propeller.

Pressurized Aircraft

A Pressurized Aircraft is an aircraft that has a service ceiling or maximum operating altitude, whichever is lower, above 25,000 feet MSL (Mean Sea Level).

Tail-Wheel Airplane

A Tail-Wheel Airplane is an airplane with the two main landing wheels at the front of the aircraft and that aircraft is steered from the back wheel/Rudder.

There are some fantastic additional ratings and endorsements you can get to add on to your Private Pilots License to give you the ultimate flexibility to fly almost any aircraft you wish or can afford.

Your instructor will be able to discuss with you all the options before you begin your training to get you learning on the right aircraft to help you reach your dream.

What’s Next?

If learning to fly is something you are really considering, then I highly recommend you check out the pilot training material from one of the best flight instructors in the country – Rod Machado.

He has a great selection of online training material and courses that will not only allow you to progress through your training at a faster, deeper rate, but the knowledge you will learn will also prepare you to become a safer, more knowledgeable pilot.

You can find the complete training collection Here at Rodmachado.com

To Finish

A Private Pilots License is one of the most flexible and freedom-generating privileges you can have in your life. Providing you do not try to make any money from flying people, you can go to places you never thought existed, experience so many great things, meet so many great people, and fly some incredible aircraft.

Providing you stick to the rules governed by your license you can have a lifetime of fun, excitement, and challenges.

Header Image:
Pilot Geoffrey Gallaway After Passing His PPL Checkride!: Flickr

Why Do Helicopters Have Different Propellers?

As the decades of helicopter design have passed so too seem to be the number of blades appearing on helicopters. Two main rotor blades were once a common design but now we see helicopters with up to 8 main rotor blades. So why more?

Helicopters have between 2 and 8 main rotor blades. The larger the helicopter, the heavier it weighs and needs more lift to be produced. By using more blades, designers can increase the entire rotor system surface area while keeping the size of each rotor blade as small as possible.

There is no magic number to how many rotor blades a helicopter can have and playing with the trade-offs is how helicopter designers come up with the number of blades each helicopter design will have.

To understand these trade-offs let’s look at why some helicopters have 2 main rotor blades when others have 3, 4, or even 8…

Blade Design Characteristics

The main rotor blades on a helicopter are designed to do one thing: Lift the helicopter, its passengers, and its cargo. But, it is not just that one facet, helicopter designers also need to think about a few other factors:

Keeping costs low
Using as few parts as possible
Keeping the weight of the rotor system down
Ensuring drag created by the blades is minimal
Keep noise to a minimum
Keep vibration to a minimum

As you can see there are a lot of things the designers have to think about when they design the helicopters rotor system, let alone the insane amount of aerodynamic factors that also come into play!

Taking into account these factors above let’s look at some rotor blade fundamentals:

The bigger the rotor blade, the more lift it produces, but it also weighs more, requires more materials, costs more, creates more drag as it moves through the air, and requires more power to overcome that drag.

The Longer the rotor blade, the more it droops when not rotating. The more centrifugal force will act upon it. The faster the blade tip will travel.

So these observations may be obvious but each aspect can mean the difference between the design team having to add another blade to the rotor head or not.

What are Rotor Blade Design Limitations?

To add to the basic design principles mentioned above rotor blades create their own aerodynamic problems as they operate. Each one of these problems has to be overcome to design an efficient rotor blade.

Here are just some of the aerodynamic limitations to rotor blade design:

Blade Tip Vortices
Wake Turbulence
Static-Blade Droop
Centrifugal Loading
Vibration

Blade Tip Vortices

Main rotors have to be spun at an optimum RPM to produce the maximum amount of lift for the least amount of power. The longer the Span or length of the blade, the faster the blade tips will travel.

The tip speed of a rotor blade also increases as the helicopter itself goes faster. This is because the air meeting the rotor blade on the Advancing Side of the helicopter has its own forward aircraft speed plus the rotational speed of the rotor blade itself.

The speed of sound is around 666 kts and as the tip of the Advancing Rotor Blade reaches this speed it begins to break the sound barrier and create shockwaves. These shockwaves disturb the airflow and create huge amounts of drag.

The blade tip has now gone from producing lift to now creating drag. This reduction in lift not only reduces the lifting power of the rotor blade but also increases sound and vibration – Two further unwanted aspects of a helicopter!

To overcome this problem, designers can either reduce the Span (length) of the blade, rotate it slower, reduce the helicopter’s top speed, or design a rotor blade tip that helps reduce the shock wave.
Modern-day helicopters are being designed with these odd-looking blade tips to help improve blade performance:

Wake Turbulence

For a rotor blade to work as efficiently as possible it needs undisturbed air passing over it. Lumpy, disturbed, and irregular airflow over the blade will reduce the lift it produces.

As each rotor blade passes through the air it creates turbulence that it leaves behind in its wake. A helicopter with many rotor blades may not allow the air to get a chance to be replaced with smooth, undisturbed air before the next blade reaches it.

To help overcome this on very large multi-bladed helicopters designers and engineers adjust the plane in which half the blades rotate in. One blade rotates on a lower plane, the next blade on a higher plane, the next on a lower plane, the next on a higher plane, and so forth.

This helps provide more undisturbed air for each blade to work on. For the smaller helicopters, this can be overcome with the design of the rotor blade itself.

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Static Blade Droop

The longer the span of the blade, the more it is going to bend or droop when it is not rotating. When in flight, centrifugal force keeps the rotor blade flat but getting it up to the speed where centrifugal force kicks in can be problematic, especially in gusty wind conditions.

The lower a blade droops during slow rotation the more chances are that it can contact the tail boom causing serious catastrophic damage but it can also be very hazardous to any person walking around the aircraft.

Gusty winds can catch a rotor blade and cause it to flap up and down before the centrifugal force has taken effect. Many helicopter tail booms have been hit due to starting or stopping a helicopter in gusty winds. For this reason, many helicopter manufacturers will issue a maximum wind speed for stopping and starting the rotors.

Another way helicopter designers can prevent the blades drooping too low during slow rotation is to add ‘Droop Stops’ to the rotor head, under each rotor blade. These are spring-loaded wedges that the blade grips rest on when in slow rotation.

As the rotor head begins to spool up, centrifugal force overcomes the spring and rotates the Droop Stops out of the way so the blade has full vertical movement in flight.

Centrifugal Loading

The larger the rotor blade the more mass it has. As the mass begins to rotate the centrifugal force will increase. The amount of force trying to rip the rotor blade from the rotor head can be immense.

To handle these forces the blade, the blade root, the blade grip, and the rotor head have to be strong enough to hold the blade tight. The stronger the material and designed strength of each one of those parts will increase, the material and machining required increases and the overall weight of the rotor head can be increased, especially on large helicopters.
The smaller the blade, the less force it will exert on all of its components.

Vibration

As a rotor blade moves through the air and creates lift it resonates and produces vibrations. The larger the rotor blade, the lower the vibration frequency will be. You have all heard this when a Huey is in flight and its infamous ‘Whop-Whop’ thunders around the sky.

This low-frequency vibration is also felt when flying in the aircraft and it feels like you are constantly bouncing on an exercise ball – especially if the rotor head is not tracked and balanced properly!

The more blades a helicopter has, the higher the resonant frequency becomes because the blades are smaller and they rotate at a higher RPM. There can also be a problem when the resonant frequency of the rotor head matches the resonant frequency of the fuselage if this condition is allowed to develop it can lead to a problem called Ground Resonance. The onset of an ever-increasing ground resonant frequency can destroy a helicopter if not recovered quickly enough.

This video shows Ground Resonance on an Astar:

To help overcome catastrophic resonant vibration from developing designers use strategically placed and tuned weights or hammers throughout the rotor head and airframe to counteract vibrations in certain axis or locations.

A higher resonant aircraft and rotor head frequency lead to a quieter helicopter and a smoother ride which is very important in today’s world.

For those of you that have flown in a 2-bladed helicopter and then a multi-bladed helicopter you will instantly feel the difference in the smoothness of the ride!

Learn More…
Try These Articles:
* What Is A Helicopter Blade Made of? It Used To Be Wood!
* How Do Helicopter Controls Work? Pilot Tells All!

What is Rotor Blade Loading?

To lift the helicopter and its cargo off the ground the rotor system as a whole must create enough lift to overcome the weight. Each individual blade can only lift so much. The load imposed on a rotor blade as it begins to lift the helicopter is called Rotor Blade Loading.

To calculate this we take the Maximum Gross Weight of the helicopter and divide it by the surface area the blades have then divide that amount by the number of main rotor blades it has.

Let’s look at some helicopter examples:

Helicopter	Maximum Gross Weight	Disk Surface Area	Disk Load	# Main Rotor Blades	Single Blade Load
Robinson R22	1,370 lb 622 kg	497 ft² 46.2 m²	2.76 lb/ft² 13.46 kg/m²	2	1.38 lb/ft 6.73 kg/m²
Bell 206 Jet Ranger	3,350 lb 1,520 kg	872 ft² 81.1 m²	3.84 lb/ft² 18.74 kg/m²	2	1.92 lb/ft² 9.37 kg/m²
Eurocopter AS350 Astar B3	4961 lb 2250 kg	966.1 ft² 89.75 m²	5.14 lb/ft² 25.07 kg/m²	3	1.71 lb/ft² 8.36 kg/m²
Bell 212	11,200 lb 5,080 kg	1,809.5 ft² 168.11 m²	6.17 lb/ft² 30.22 kg/m²	2	3.09 lb/ft² 15.11 kg/m²
Airbus H135T2+	6,415 lb 2,910 kg	879 ft² 81.7 m²	7.30 lb/ft² 35.62 kg/m²	4	1.82 lb/ft² 8.90 kg/m²
Sikorsky S61N	19,000 lb 8,620 kg	3,019 ft² 280.6 m²	6.29 lb/ft² 30.72 kg/m²	5	1.26 lb/ft² 6.14 kg/m²
Mil Mi-26	123,459 lb 56,000 kg	8,656.9 ft² 804.25 m²	14.26 lb/ft² 69.63 kg/m²	8	1.78 lb/ft² 8.70 kg/m²

As you can see in the table above most helicopter designers try to get each blade load to around 1-2 lb/ft² or 6-9 kg/m² apart from the Bell 212. This has a much higher blade loading because it is a heavy aircraft with only 2 blades to lift that weight. This was probably one of the main reasons why Bell increased the rotor head to 4 blades when they developed the Bell 412.

The Bell 212, Bell 214 & Bell AH-1 Cobra have some of the largest blades that a 2-blade rotor system can physically be.

Bell AH-1 Cobra with Wide Chord Main Rotor Blades

To lift large amounts of weight more blades are required to spread the load. But more blades bring more problems!

Fewer Blades Vs More Rotor Blades

For smaller helicopters, a two-bladed or 3-bladed rotor system gives the best option as the disk load is easily overcome with fewer blades. This makes design easier, costs less, uses fewer parts, and weighs less.

The drag created by fewer blades as they pass through the air is also easily overcome by the less-powerful piston engines. This is the main reason why most training helicopters are small 2 and 3 bladed, piston-powered machines. They offer the cheapest running cost per hour.

When more power is required to lift a heavier helicopter then a switch to a small but powerful Gas-Turbine engine is the choice of most designers.

As the size of the helicopter increases there will become a point where the minimum number of blades required to spread the disk load will reach its limit. These limits of aerodynamic and physical blade design will dictate when one or more blades will have to be added.

Take the Mil-Mi26 helicopter for example. For this helicopter to only have 3 or 4 blades, the physical size of each rotor blade would be so large that even with modern-day materials they would still not be able to be manufactured to be efficient and work safely.

Mil Mi-26 Has The Largest Rotor Blades In The World.

The blades are already 50ft long with 8 blades! With only 4 blades, both the width (Chord) and the length (Span) of each blade would have to be dramatically increased and even if a blade could be designed to work effectively and safely, the area required for this machine to land would be far too large for most construction sites where this machine is primarily used.

Everything is a trade-off and deciding which factors are more important than others is battled out between the helicopter designers and the engineers. Each helicopter design has a specific role and customer in mind so the design of its rotor head, as well as many other items, will be largely influenced by its potential market.

Learn More…
Try These Articles:
* Can Helicopters Fly at Night? A Pilot Tells All!
* Helicopters: Can They Fly Across an Ocean?

Helicopter Rotor Blade Case Study – Airbus H145:

A great example of more blades or fewer blades on a helicopter has been showcased in recent years with the Airbus H145. This was originally designed with a 4 blade rotor system.

Airbus H145 with 4 Blade Rotorhead – Source: Airbus Helicopters

Due to its increasing popularity and pressure from Airbus’s customers for an increase to its useful load, Airbus went back to the drawing board to see how an upgrade could be made to satisfy their demands.

To be released in 2020, a new 5 blade rotor system was designed and developed and is available straight from the factory or via a 250 man-hour upgrade kit to existing 4 blade H145’s.

Using new design techniques and materials Airbus was able to create the following improvements to the original H145:

5 blade rotor system with no rotor hub. Blades attach directly to the mast.
New design reduced Aircraft Empty Weight by 110 lb (50 kg)
Total useful Payload increase from 8,160 lb to 8,380 lb (3,700 kg to 3,800 kg)
Improved blade design allows for Blade Folding
Reduction in vibration for improved ride quality
Removal of Active Vibration Control System (LAVCS)
All expensive and complex parts of the blade in the blade root, only tips need to be changed after ‘Hanger Rash’
No lifetime limit on new blades – Replace on Condition
Reduced Rotor Disk Diameter from 36ft1″ to 35ft5″

Folding Blades Make for Easy Hangering If Required – Source: Airbus Helicopters

By increasing the rotor blades from 4 to 5, Airbus have been able to deliver to their customers an improvement on an already very-designed helicopter.

Using new design methods and materials the additional weight and complexity of adding a new blade were minimalized by the fact that 110 lb (50 kg) were saved by the removal of equipment and elimination of a conventional rotor head.

In a recent interview with Vertical Magazine at the launch for the 5 blade H145 upgrade, Axel Humpert, head of the H145 program was asked “Why not six blades for the upgrade?” to which he replied “If I had a sixth blade, the useful load would not increase by 150 kilograms, It would increase by less, but add more complexity to the mechanical and aerodynamic design. We achieved the target with five blades.”

Airbus H145 with 5 Blade Upgrade – Source: Airbus Helicopters

Get Your Free Copy of the H145
5 Blade Upgrade Brochure Right Here:

Click Here For
Brochure

To Finish

Helicopter rotor head design is all about meeting the economic, aerodynamic, and physical requirements of a target market. Once a number of rotor blades have reached one of these limits then the design has to advance to additional blades.

With modern design and manufacturing techniques, materials and technological advances rotor blades are becoming increasingly more efficient while producing less drag, less vibration, and less noise.

There is a limit on how many blades are the most efficient solution for each helicopter design but I can see the two-bladed rotor heads become a thing of the past as the more efficient multi-blade heads roll off the production lines.

Header Image:
Airbus H135 & H125 Singapore Airshow – Source: Airbus Helicopters

How Do Helicopter Flight Controls Work?

When you first walk up to a helicopter and peer inside you are presented with some odd-looking levers that you know are somehow used to control the thing but are not quite sure how. This was my first thought!

There are 4 pilot-operated controls in a helicopter. The Throttle is used to control the power of the engine. The Pedals turn the helicopter around its mast in a hover. The Collective is used to climb or descend and the Cyclic is used to control the direction the helicopter travels.

Now you have the very basic explanation let’s look at each one in detail so you have a full understanding of how they all work to make one of these things fly!

Pedals

The pedals, also known as ‘Anti-Torque Pedals’ in a helicopter perform two functions depending on which state of flight the helicopter is in:

In a Hover – Turning
In Forward Flight – Maintaining Trim

Both pedals are mechanically linked to one other so when the pilot pushes the left pedal away from them, the right pedal will come towards them and vice versa – Think of it like a Teeter-Totter.

The pedals are connected to the blades on the Anti-Torque or Tail Rotor (The rotor at the very back of the aircraft) by a mechanical and/or hydraulic linkage. As the pilot pushes on the pedals, this linkage moves a slider up and down the drive shaft of the tail rotor.

The pedal linkage is connected to a non-rotating side of the slider, while each tail rotor blade is connected to the rotating half of the slider via a Pitch Link.

As this slider moves up and down the shaft, it increases or decreases the pitch of all the tail rotor blades together to make them either grip more air or grip less Air. This gripping of air is called Tail Rotor Thrust.

I say grip because airfoils don’t push off air. The upper surface of an airfoil creates negative air pressure, so in essence, an airfoil ‘Sucks’ its way up into the air.

Tail rotor blades are just small airfoils mounted vertically. The more pitch the pilot puts on them via the pedals, the more they suck or grip into the air.

1. In a Hover

This type of a turn is known as a ‘Pedal Turn’ and is around the Yaw Axis of the helicopter. The Yaw axis runs vertically down the Main Rotor Mast. This type of turn is used to point the nose of the helicopter in a specific direction while in a hover or used to turn the helicopter while taxing on the ground if the helicopter has wheels.

Some Quick Aerodynamic Theory To Set The Picture:

When a helicopter is in a stable hover, all the forces acting on the helicopter are equal, therefore it should not move.
As the engine turns the main rotor in one direction, the fuselage will want to turn in the opposite direction. This is due to Newton’s Third Law:

“For Every Action, There Is An Equal & Opposite Reaction“

To prevent the helicopter from spinning around, the thrust produced by the tail rotor matches the force of the fuselage wanting to turn. Both forces are now in equilibrium and the helicopter keeps pointing forward.

The next few paragraphs are based on North American-made helicopters like Bell and Sikorsky with a main rotor that rotates counter-clockwise when viewed from above.
European-made helicopters like Eurocopter or Airbus rotate clockwise so the explanations below will be the opposite.

To Turn Left:

While in the hover, if the pilot pushes on the left foot pedal:

The pitch of the tail rotor will increase on all its rotor blades via a mechanical and/or hydraulic linkage
As the blades pitch increases, the thrust produced will be greater than the fuselage torque
This thrust will push the tail of the helicopter to the right, &
The cockpit of the helicopter will then rotate to the left around the mast of the main rotor until the pedals are centered.

To Turn Right:

While in the hover, if the pilot pushes on the right foot pedal:

The pitch of the tail rotor will decrease on all its blades
This thrust produced will be less than the fuselage torque
The torque will pull the tail of the helicopter to the left
The cockpit of the helicopter will then rotate to the right around the mast of the main rotor until the pedals are centered

2. In Forward Flight

When a helicopter is in forward flight the pedals are used to keep the tail in line behind the nose of the helicopter, especially when in a banked turn to the left or the right.

This is known as ‘Keeping The Aircraft In Trim’

When in a right-hand banked turn for example:

If the pilot puts in too much right pedal, the nose will point into the turn too much and this is known as a Skid.

If the pilot puts in too much left pedal, the nose will point out of the turn too much and this is known as a Slip.

When the pedals are in the right position, the nose points along the path of flight. This is a balanced turn and is ‘In Trim’.

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Cyclic

The cyclic control is moved by the pilots right hand and it is used to move the helicopter in any direction over the ground.

When the pilot pushes left on the cyclic, the helicopter banks slightly left and then moves.
When the pilot pushes right on the cyclic, the helicopter banks slightly right and then moves.
When the pilot pushes forward on the cyclic, the helicopter tilts slightly nose down and then moves.
When the pilot pulls backward on the cyclic, the helicopter tilts slightly nose up and then moves.
When the Cyclic is centered, the helicopter should not move – Unless the wind pushes it!

When I talk about ‘Move the Cyclic’ it is more like putting pressure on the Cyclic in the direction the pilot wants the helicopter to move. If you watch an experienced pilot you should never really see their right hand moving!

The Cyclic control is connected to a device called a Swashplate that sits on the main rotor mast. This device transfers the movements from the Cyclic to the rotor blades via mechanical and or hydraulic linkages to ‘In effect’ tilt the main rotor ‘disk’. (The main rotors look like a disk when they are spinning).

AS350 Astar Main Rotor Transmission, Mast, Swashplate & Rotorhead

The Swashplate is made of two halves that work together. The bottom half connects to the Cyclic linkages, or actuators of the helicopter if it has hydraulics or ‘Power Steering’. The top half of the Swashplate rotates and connects to each main rotor blade. As the cyclic is moved by the pilot, the linkages tilt the Swashplate in the direction the Cyclic has been moved.

This video will help you visualize its operation:

Learn More…
Try These Articles:
* A Hovering Helicopter: How Does It Do That?
* Why Do Only Some Helicopters Have Wheels? There are Plenty of Reasons Why!

Most helicopters have 3 linkages connected to the swashplate. The swashplate is used to increase or decrease the pitch angle of each rotor blade. Both the Collective Control and the Cyclic control are connected to the Swashplate via engineering wizardry. (If you have seen the Mixing Unit on a Sikorsky S76A model you will know what I am talking about! – I will try and get a video of it one day. It will blow your mind!)

If the Collective Control (More on this later), is raised or lowered, all the linkages/actuators raise or drop the entire Swashplate together. This increases or decreases the pitch angle on all the main rotor blades ‘Collectively’ so the helicopter climbs or descends.

When the pilot moves the Cyclic Fwd, Aft, Left, or Right, each hydraulic actuator or linkage moves independently to effectively tilt the stationary part of the swashplate in the direction the cyclic was moved.

As the stationary half tilts, the rotating half mirrors the tilt. As each blade rotates around the helicopter, its pitch angle will change according to how the swashplate is tilted.

https://youtu.be/Pu48f7s5Ru8

This is where it gets a little more complex so I hope I can explain this clearly. I’m not going to go into deep fundamentals like the Pendulum Effect, Dissymertry of Lift, Gyroscopic Precession, and things like that as the mantra of this site is in the tagline “Everything Aviation – Simply Explained”

For Example:

If the pilot pushes the Cyclic to the right, the linkages/actuators will raise the Left-hand side of the Swashplate and drop the right-hand side (if you were sat on the tail boom looking forward). This will appear to tilt the rotor disk to the right.

To accomplish this tilting of the disk, when each blade is at the 9 o’clock position the Swashplate is causing the blade to have a high pitch angle, it produces more lift, and causes it to rise.

As each blade moves around to the 3 o’clock position it reduces to its flattest pitch angle.
At 12 & 6, each blade is either increasing or decreasing its pitch angle as it rotates.

This is the same for any direction the pilot moves the cyclic. If the pilot wants the aircraft to move forward, the rotor disk raises at the back and drops at the front.

If the pilot wants the aircraft to move left, the rotor disk raises on the right and drops on the left.

By tilting the rotor disk in the direction of travel, the fuselage will follow. The more the cyclic is moved, the further the disk will tilt and the quicker the helicopter will bank and turn or accelerate/decelerate.

I hope I explained that simply enough!!

Collective

The Collective control is raised and lowered by the pilots left hand. This controls the rate at which the helicopter climbs or descends.

When the pilot raises the Collective, the helicopter will climb higher
When the pilot lowers the Collective the helicopter will descend lower

The Collective is connected via linkages and/or hydraulic actuators to both the Swashplate and the fuel control unit on each engine.

Swashplate

As briefly mentioned earlier, the Collective control moves the entire Swashplate up and down, thus changing the pitch angle of all the main rotor blades together.

By increasing all the blades together they all produce more lift at the same time causing the helicopter to begin climbing. The more the Collective is raised, the faster the helicopter will climb.

When the Collective is lowered, the pitch angle is decreased on all the main rotor blades so they all produce less lift at the same time, causing the helicopter to begin descending. The more the Collective is lowered, the faster the helicopter will descend.

This type of control system is very similar in principle to the ‘Slider’ used on the Tail Rotor.

Fuel Control

When the Collective is raised, we know it increases the pitch angle of each rotor blade to increase the lift it produces, but that also increases the drag it creates as it rotates through the air.

Think of putting your hand out of the car window as a kid. When your hand was flat and parallel to the ground it would cut through the air. As you then rotated your palm upwards your hand would want to move up and backward. This is the lift moving it up and the drag moving it back.

As the drag on each rotor blade increases it will begin to slow down how fast that blade travels through the air and thus decrease the Main Rotor RPM. The fuel control unit needs to increase engine power to overcome this drag and maintain the optimum RPM of the Main Rotor.

The opposite happens when the collective is lowered. The drag reduces and if the engine power is not reduced this will allow the Main Rotor RPM to increase and cause what is referred to as a Main Rotor Over-Speed. The higher the RPM during an Over-speed, the higher the centrifugal force will be on all the rotor head components which can lead to failure or premature wear.

By having the Collective directly linked to the engine/s fuel control unit/s, this addition or reduction of power happens automatically as the Collective is raised or lowered.

This is about as basic as I can explain it.

Learn More…
Try These Articles:
* Black Box Flight Recorders: Do Helicopters Have Them?
* How Does Wind Effect a Helicopter? Pilot Tells All!

Throttle

The throttle is just the same as on any vehicle, it is used to control the power output of the engine. The same is true for a helicopter.

The Main Rotor and the Tail Rotor are connected to the main transmission which is driven by the engine/s. As the engine/s turns the gears in the transmission, it turns the Main Rotor and the Tail Rotor together albeit at different speeds. Usually around a 6:1 ratio. For every complete revolution of the Main Rotor, the Tail Rotor will turn 6 revolutions.

All helicopters have an optimum RPM that the main rotor needs to turn at to produce the most lift. This RPM is designed by the helicopter manufacturer.

When the pilot starts the helicopter engine/s there are two engine settings the throttle gets set to.

1. Idle

After the initial fire-up of the engine, this is an RPM that the pilot accelerates the engine to and then sets. The purpose of idle is to allow all the aircraft seals, bearing, flight controls, engine/s, and oils to warm up. This is paramount to prevent early fatigue of parts.

Once all the aircraft’s Temperatures and Pressures are beginning to rise this is when the pilot increases the throttle to the final setting – Flight.

Idle is also used to cool down the engine and oils upon landing before shutting the engine off. Most idle times upon landing are set by the engine manufacturer. The Rolls-Royce engine in a Bell 206 Jet Ranger has a 2-minute cooldown idle time, whereas the Arriel engine in a Eurocopter AS350 Astar has a 30-second cool time.

2. Flight

Flight is where the engine RPM is set for take-off. The engine/s increases RPM and sit at the optimum speed for the entire flight. Only the power required from the engine changes during the flight and that is accomplished by the fuel control unit.

Fuel Control

As the aircraft accelerates or slows down, turns, climbs, and descends, the power needs to be adjusted to overcome the drag created and maintain the Main Rotor RPM. On earlier helicopters like the Bell 47, this adjustment had to be done manually via a twist grip throttle on the end on the Collective Lever. It took some practice to get it balanced!

On most helicopters, it is now done automatically via a mechanical linkage that increases the fuel flow on the fuel control unit when the Collective is raised and reduces fuel flow as the Collective is lowered. This maintains Main Rotor RPM in the ballpark, then some version of electronic governor tweaks the fuel control unit to keep the Main Rotor RPM at the desired speed.

On modern helicopters with digital engine control, the throttle is controlled by the engine computer. These are truly a ‘Set To Flight & Forget’ system that really reduces pilot workload.

To Finish

Once the throttle has been set, the pilot really only has the three flight controls to look after. Pedals, Cyclic & Collective. Each one requires practice to master but the worst part that always makes the beginner pilot sweat is that when you adjust one control, it affects the other two!

Just to maintain a helicopter in a hover is one of the most challenging parts of learning to fly and it usually takes around 10 hours of flight time before a new student begins to keep it somewhat under control! If you have never had a flight in a helicopter I highly recommend you go and book in for a trial flight with an instructor and go try hovering! You will sweat, curse, and laugh! It is great fun!

What is a Pilot’s Medical Examination?

Getting ready for your first aviation medical examination can be an exciting or nerve-wracking time. The decision of the medical examiner could mean your future flying career is dead in the water or you could be soon above the clouds. What if you just want to fly your own plane on weekends? Do you still need a medical certificate?

In the US there are 3 Classes of Aviation Medical Certificates. The First Class Medical is aimed at the Airline Transport Pilots, Second Class is for Commercial Pilots & Third Class is for Student, Private & Recreational Pilots. Each Class has different eligibility criteria.

The medical certificate breakdown may seem complicated but this article will explain it all and what medical criteria is need to for each type of pilot certificate.

IMPORTANT

One very important thing ALL potential pilots need to do before they begin any flight training is to have a medical examination for the class of medical they wish to hold to ensure there is no medical condition that prevents them from gaining that pilot certificate.

It would be a horrible waste of time, money, and effort if a student went all the way through flight school to then find out they have an irregular heartbeat found on an ECG that disqualifies them from obtaining a Class 1 medical required to hold an Airline Transport Pilot License!

Who Needs a Pilot Medical Certificate?

You may be thinking you need a Medical Certificate to fly any aircraft but there are only certain pilot certificates that require you to have a Medical Certificate.

Pilot License	Minimum Medical Class	Expiry: Under 40 Yrs Old	Expiry: Over 40 Yrs Old
Sport Pilot	Not Required	N/A	N/A
Balloon Pilot	Not Required	N/A	N/A
Glider Pilot	Not Required	N/A	N/A
Student Pilot	Third Class	60 mnths	24 mnths
Recreational Pilot	Third Class	60 mnths	24 mnths
Private Pilot	Third Class	60 mnths	24 mnths
Commercial Pilot	Second Class	12 mnths	12 mnths
Airline Transport Pilot	First Class	12 mnths	6 mnths

For More Information See 14 CFR §61.23 Medical certificates: Requirement and duration.

Do I Need a Medical for a Sport Pilot Certificate?

§61.23(b)(2)
When flying a Balloon or Glider that you are endorsed on NO Medical Certificate is required.

§61.23(c)
If you are flying a Light-Sport Aircraft for which you are endorsed you must have either:-

A valid medical certificate of any class
or
A valid US Driving License and must comply with §61.315.

Skyleader GP-One Light-Sport Aircraft – Source: B H Conway

Do I Need a Medical for a Student Pilot Certificate

§61.23(b)(1)
When learning to fly a Balloon or Glider for a Sport Pilot Certificate NO Medical Certificate is required.

For all other Categories of aircraft, at least a Third Class Medical Certificate is required for a student pilot certificate as per §61.23(a)(3)(i)

Do I Need a Medical for a Recreational Pilot Certificate

For all Categories of aircraft, at least a Third Class Medical Certificate is required for a recreational pilot certificate as per §61.23(a)(3)(i)

Do I Need a Medical for a Private Pilot Certificate

For all Categories of aircraft, at least a Third Class Medical Certificate is required for a private pilot certificate as per §61.23(a)(3)(i)

Do I Need a Medical for a Commercial Pilot Certificate

For all Categories of aircraft, at least a Second Class Medical Certificate is required for a commercial pilot certificate as per §61.23(a)(2)

Do I Need a Medical for an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate

For all Categories of aircraft, a First Class Medical Certificate is required for an airline transport pilot certificate as per §61.23(a)(1)

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What Are the Classes of FAA Pilot Medical Certificates?

There are 3 classes of FAA pilot medical certificates. First Class, Second Class & Third Class. If a person is unable to obtain a medical certificate, some aircraft can be flown with just a valid U.S. driving license or a BasicMed certificate. All commercial pilots will need a medical certificate.

Not every pilot needs to be an example of the perfect human, we all have our ailments and bumps so the FAA, together with their team of medical examiners put together several classes of Medical Certificate to allow most people to be able to fly.

The more professional the job and the more responsibility the PIC (Pilot-In-Command) position holds, the stricter the medical requirements become.

You would not want a 90-year-old pilot with heart troubles and poor eyesight to be flying your family on vacation, even though they may have 60 years of flying experience!

Below are each Class of Medical Certificate available:

BasicMed

On July 2015, 2016 Congress passed Legislation to increase the funding of the FAA. This led to the BasicMed program that allows pilots to fly under certain conditions without the need of an Aviation Medical Certificate.

To qualify for BasicMed a pilot must:

Possess a valid U.S. driver’s license
Have previously held a medical certificate after July 14, 2006
Have a physical exam with a state-licensed physician, using the Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist
Complete a BasicMed medical education course

The BasicMed Authorization will then allow that pilot to fly:

Any aircraft authorized under federal law to carry not more than 6 occupants
Has a maximum certificated takeoff weight of not more than 6,000 pounds
Carry not more than five passengers
Operate under VFR or IFR, within the United States, at less than 18,000 feet MSL, not exceeding 250 knots
Without compensation or for hire

There are certain medical conditions however that can prevent a pilot from gaining BasicMed and a full list of those conditions can be found on the FAA website HERE.

Learn More…
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Third Class Medical Certificate

14 CFR Part 67, Subpart D
This is the lowest class of medical certificate and is aimed at the non-professional pilots who wish to go and get their $100 hamburger at the weekend.

This medical certificate will need to be renewed every 60 months if you are under 40 years old and every 24 months once you reach your 40th birthday.

Second Class Medical Certificate

14 CFR part 67, Subpart C
This is the middle class of medical certificate and is generally aimed at the pilots who fly for a living and are engaged in commercial operations. Tour flights, Crop dusting, Aerial survey, Flight instruction, etc will all require at least a Second Class Medical Certificate.

This medical certificate is required to be renewed every 12 months regardless of age.

First Class Medical Certificate

14 CFR part 67, Subpart B
This is the most stringent Medical Certificate and it is aimed at the Airline pilots and pilots that fly regularly under IFR conditions. Off-shore Helicopter Operations, MedEvac as well as the airlines all require at least the Captain to have a First Class Medical Certificate.

This medical certificate will need to be renewed every 12 months if you are under 40 years old and every 6 months once you reach your 40th birthday.

A Co-Pilot or Second in Command operating under certain Part 121 operations can hold a Second Class Medical Certificate.

What Are The Pilot Medical Requirements?

To qualify for each class of certificate your body needs to meet the following requirements:

	First Class	Second Class	Third Class
Distant Vision	20/20 or better in each eye separately, with or without correction.	As Per First Class	20/40 or better in each eye separately, with or without correction.
Intermediate Vision	20/40 or better in each eye separately (Snellen equivalent), with or without correction, as measured at 16 inches.	As Per First Class	As Per First Class
Intermediate Vision	20/40 or better in each eye separately (Snellen equivalent), with or without correction at age 50 and over, as measured at 32 inches.	As Per First Class	No Requirement
Color Vision	Ability to perceive those colors necessary for safe performance of airman duties.	As Per First Class	As Per First Class
Hearing	Demonstrate hearing of an average conversational voice in a quiet room, using both ears at 6 feet, with the back turned to the examiner or pass one of the audiometric tests below.	As Per First Class	As Per First Class
Audiometery	Audiometric speech discrimination test: Score at least 70% reception in one ear.Pure tone audiometric test.	As Per First Class	As Per First Class
ENT	No ear disease or condition manifested by, or that may reasonably be expected to maintain by, vertigo or a disturbance of speech or equilibrium.	As Per First Class	As Per First Class
Blood Pressure	No specified values stated in the standards. The current guideline maximum value is 155/95.	As Per First Class	As Per First Class
Electrocardiogram (ECG)	At age 35 and annually after age 40 (first-class only)	As Per First Class	Not routinely required

To get a downloadable PDF copy of this table from the FAA website CLICK HERE

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Disqualifying Medical Conditions for Pilots

As with any medical-related issue, your medical certificate can either not be issued or even revoked if the medical examiner deems necessary.

Here are just some of the factors that can cause disqualification of a medical certificate:

Any diagnosis of a mental disorder like psychosis, bipolar disorder, or severe personality disorders
A diagnosis or medical history of Substance Dependence or Substance Abuse, especially in the preceding 2 years
Diabetes mellitus requiring hypoglycemic medication
Angina pectoris
Coronary heart disease that has been treated or, if untreated, that has been symptomatic or clinically significant
Myocardial infarction
Cardiac valve replacement
Permanent cardiac pacemaker
Heart replacement
Epilepsy
Disturbance of consciousness and without a satisfactory explanation of the cause
Transient loss of control of nervous system function(s) without a satisfactory explanation of the cause

This is just a brief list of some of the disqualifying issues that can prevent the issuance of a medical certificate. If you have any of these, have a family history of, or any medical issue you are not sure about I highly recommend you speak to an Aviation Medical Examiner before undertaking any flight training to discuss if any could disqualify you.

You can find a local Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) on the FAA website HERE.

To Finish

Many pilots are flying with medical issues but providing the medical examiner is happy with the treatment and handling of those issues there is no reason why anyone should not be able to fly.

As we get older it is usually the medical certificate that will prevent a pilot from flying professionally but that does not mean the flying has to stop. You may not be able to hold a First Class Certificate any more but that does not mean you cannot hold a Second Class and continue flying professionally but in a different role and company.

There are many pilots well into their 80’s and even 90’s who still fly and being able to do so just keeps their soul alive!

Header Image:
Getting a Medical Examination Should Not be Stressful! – Source: PA1 Barry Lane

What Skills Are Needed To Become A Pilot?

I’m sure there are many people who dream of learning to fly at some point in their life but for the vast majority that is all it will ever come to – A moments thought. For those that act on that impulse some of the first questions they can have are about the skills required.

I have seen this many a time as a flight instructor and it is instantly clear to me within a students first 5-10 flight hours if they have what it takes not just to be a pilot, but a good, safe pilot.

To become a good pilot a person needs a basic ability of math, physics, communication, hand-to-eye coordination, and a rational thought process. Other skills like decision making, situational awareness & foresight can be improved during training providing there is commitment and determination.

Learning to fly an aircraft and being happy to just fly around on the weekends requires a very different skill set to that of a professional pilot but the fundamentals are the same.

This is an observation of what I have seen over many, many students, and it is not like all the other articles written by ‘Career Advisors’ that pump out the same skills as the guy next to them. These are things I have personally found that separated those who could fly, from those who would become great pilots.

Top 6 Basic Skills Needed By All Pilots

As I briefly mentioned, not all those who wish to fly have the basic skill set to even gain their Private Pilots License. Many of those early applicants see the ‘Cool’ factor in learning to fly but then dwindle when the hard work and dedication required starts to build.

For the dedicated student there must be some competent levels of the following skills and attributes:

1. Communication

This may be obvious but this doesn’t just involve being able to talk to Air Traffic Control – Which by the way, scares ALOT of student pilots! Myself included when I was first learning to fly. But, being able to listen and talk effectively at ALL times is a must.

Air Traffic Controllers Are Not Monsters! – They Are There To Help

I’ve had both ends of the scale with students. Some would never say a word and I was never sure if they understood, to the other end of the scale where they think they know it all and fought me on every single aspect. Both situations are frustrating in their own ways!

Effective 2-way communication is a must and if you have to learn to speak slower and clearer, then practice you must!
My thick UK accent took some refining trying to teach students with English as a second, third, fourth language but it was a skill I had to refine to give my students the best instruction I could.

As a future student with English as a second language, this may be one of the biggest hurdles you have to overcome as a pilot.

I used a Computer-Based pilot communications tool way back when and it really, really helped my confidence when talking on the radio. Today’s apps and online tools have advanced so much and the tool I recommend is PlaneEnglish – You can check it out HERE ( Use code PilotTeach to get 10% off!)

2. Math

There is no getting away from math in aviation and being able to do math in your head while on-the-fly is a must at times. Basic math skills are required for a Private Pilots License so you are able to understand Aircraft Weight & Balance, Trip-Planning, Fuel Burn, Timing, and although most of these can seem complex at the start, it will get easier as your training progresses.

I have seen many younger students unable to work out in their head how much fuel we will have by the end of the flight and this was something that I would insist they work on – Mental Math is a Must!

The ability to be constantly evaluating your situation and calculating if things like the current wind, fuel, your position is where it should be cannot be done with a calculator, especially if flying a training helicopter and both your hands cannot leave the controls!

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3. Physics

Physics governs the fundamentals of how these machines fly and being able to see and understand basic principles is a skill. Because we are unable to see how air works and flows it can be difficult to understand how an airfoil works or why it is harder for an aircraft to take off at 8000ft as opposed to 800ft.

Fundamentals of Flight can be an aspect that scares people but when they take it one step at a time and understand each step before moving on, that can really help.

As your training progresses things will begin to drop into place and your mind will begin to think physics. It is at that point where frustration becomes interest.

Many people may find it hard to begin with especially if the last time they were in a classroom was decades ago. Dedication and study is the only way to move forward.

4. Decisive Thinking

Everyone can think and everyone can act on a decision, but being able to assess lots of factors, calculate the best result, and then act upon that result is what is required as a pilot.

Making a decision and then being too scared to act on it can be fatal. Those decisions can be real hard at times.

For Example:
A group of experienced pilots are going out flying in the poor weather conditions but should you? Is it better to stay on the ground and wait it out or load up and go, believing its fine because they have gone?

Making a decision and sticking to it is just as important as realizing your decision was wrong and you need to make a change before it is too late.

Effective decision-making is one of the most important aspects of being a safe pilot. You will get better as your experience grows but you need to have a good head on your shoulders to begin with.

Learn More…
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5. Planning

Every flight requires some form of planning. Whether you are just going to play around the airfield doing touch and goes or you are planning a 1000nm cross-country trip. Planning is how you can try to foresee and mitigate many of the factors that are ultimately trying to kill you.

Is the aircraft still going to be airworthy during your flight? How much fuel do you need for the flight? Is there any cargo you need to take? How much does it weigh? Where is it going to be placed in the aircraft? What is the weather doing?

The number of questions that need to be answered before you ever fire up an aircraft engine is immense and even though it becomes second nature, you need to have some form of planning skills to ensure nothing gets left out.

A single, simple error can be, and has led to a lot of people not making it home that night.

6. Receptive

Every pilot needs to be constantly aware of their surroundings. I’m sure you can think of one person in your life that just seems to have no idea what’s going on around them and you wondered how they made it so far in life! Would this person be someone you want flying you around?

These people do not make for a good pilot. Constantly assessing the situation right now, then in 5 seconds, or 5 minutes or 50 minutes requires a pilot to absorb everything their senses are telling them.

This is especially important in an emergency situation or when the cockpit workload or stress is high. There are times when I purposely increase a student’s mental workload to try and train them to assess, process, and act.

All forms of training are essential until that person is unable to receive and understand the information their body is telling them. At that point, they need to understand where their limit is so they can prevent them from reaching it again outside of a controlled training environment.

To Finish

I have had some of my quietest, shy and unconfident students turn out to be some very, very good pilots because they all had some basics of the underlying skills above, but the most important thing about them all was that they listened and worked really hard to overcome the hurdles they faced while training.

Some struggled with feedback, some struggled with hand-to-eye coordination because they were left-handed and helicopters are more for righties, some couldn’t do mental math as they had not been in school in 30 years, but they all had the desire to become a good pilot.

Dedication, determination, and leaving any ego at the door will allow you to learn many of the things you may lack, and for those who want it, will achieve it.

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