How a Helicopter Flies- an interactive introduction (part 2)

Part 2 of 2 parts. Taken from an interactive DVD used to teach the basics of helicopter flight.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• helicopter
• flying
• forces
• of
• flight
• aviation
• technology

[cameronbaily13]

im left handed. all the videos i see the pilot is using his right hand for the cyclic. and his left hand usis the collective. is the collective only in the middle or is it on the left side of each seat. if so i would sit on the left seat and use the collective with my right hand in the middle of the 2 seats. am i right? or is it unsafe for the both of us to use the same collective? or is there only one collective all together?

[socratic101]

In most cases there are two collectives and two cyclic sticks. Unfortunately, I have never seen a right hand collective - though I have forwarded your comment to Terry (my expert on helicopters) to see if what I say is absolutely true! My wife is left handed and is always complaining about how things are always designed for right handed people!

[socratic101]

Thanks, we appreciate the comment. And glad you found the video valuable.

[tjtg]

As per THambel's comment below. also very good for enabling near perfect turns. all you do is bank to the desired angel (45 degrees) and sweep the string along the horizon line. allows you to maintain accurate altitude in turns.

[ibtm]

compass

[THambel]

This highly sophisticated expensive instrument is called a "Yaw string". It lines up with the airflow when the helicopter is in forward flight. The pilot adjusts the anti-torque tail rotor pedals to make the string(s) line up with the windshield center post and then the helicoper will be flying in "trim", directly into the airflow. It performs the same function as the slip-skid indicator ball, but is more sensitive, and does not require the pilot to look down at the instrument panel.

[howlinm]

Thanks for posting,am thinking of taking introductory lesson and this is fantastic for my research.

[linkrazr]

This cleared up an entire childhood of mystery.

[GHurtSocom]

This video was extremely helpful thanks for posting it!!

[cameronbaily13]

Thanks for your concern, but i ask one of my dads friend who is in the air force and said that each hand is ment to do something. whether its uncomfortable or not. he says when he switches planes throttles and sticks always are in a difflerent hand. he basically mean is that if the control is for that hand than thats how you fly it. im going into flight school myself so ill guess ill find out.