Helicopter Lesson Plans for the Schweizer 300

Lesson Plans - Contents

Helicopter Lesson Plan for: Setdown

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Objective: Transition from hover to setdown.

 

Controls: Cyclic - movement, Collective - height, Pedals - directional control, Throttle - RPM

 

Technique:

  • 1. Focus 20-30' away
  • 2. Correct for drift using ALL controls (one input affects another)
  • 3. Uninterrupted setdown until light on skids (2 phase technique)

Hazards (solutions):

  • 1. Rollover (proper use of cyclic and collective, improper setdown, clear area)
  • 2. Striking Object (clear area - left,right,tail)

Errors (solutions):

  • 1. Target Fixation (deliberate control when turning head)
  • 2. Failure to maintain height (use reference point)
  • 3. Failure to maintain heading (pedals)
  • 4. Failure to maintain direction (cyclic)
  • 5. Tendency to setdown too quickly
  • 6. Hesitating too close to surface

Certain times it is helpful to have slight forward drift in transition to setdown to shift focus away from improper setdown techniques.