A short training safety tip by Kenny Keller warning pilots to never leave helicopters unprotected when parked because curious onlookers can inadvertently damage critical parts (e.g., tail rotor blades, antennas). The speaker uses anecdotal examples (car show, a kid grabbing an antenna) to stress maintaining security and considering measures like tying off rotor blades when leaving the aircraft.
Never leave the helicopter unprotected. Never leave the helicopter unprotected where curious onlookers may advertently damage critical parts such as the tail rotor blades. You're going to run into this when you're flying. Student pilot, private pilot, going to have fun, commercial pilot. Later. Everybody wants to come see the helicopter. Everybody. And it brings people run into the aircraft. And then after the fact, when you get out, maybe you landed somewhere because you want to let some people take a look at it. People will do nutty stuff. I had a kid grab onto an antenna and almost yank an antenna off of a helicopter at all places. We landed at a car show. You got to always be maintaining the aircraft. If you're going to be leaving it parked somewhere, what kind of security are you going to have? Or can you tie off the rotor blades? There's just so many things to think about. Helicopters attract people.
