Hunter practices a commercial helicopter maneuver: taking off without adding power by guarding the collective and using only pedal and forward control. The result was 60 knots airspeed and 500 feet per minute climb with zero power added.
60 knots
500 ft per minute
August 2, 2025
You have the controls?
Yep.
Okay, we're gonna do a little something cool here. If you're going for commercial, you need to know how to do a takeoff without adding any power. So we're gonna make Hunter here. I'm gonna guard the collective. I'm gonna make him put his left hand on his leg.
Whenever you're ready, I'll put on my leg.
I got it covered. So put your left hand on your leg. And now you're gonna just start moving forward ever so gently.
Just slight thumb pressure.
If we touch, you gotta make sure the skids are straight. But nothing bad's gonna happen as long as you're on a smooth surface. The kids, kids, let's get straight. So stay on top of the pedals. There's one little touch. Force yourself to keep moving it forward. Keep on top of the pedals. And there, there. There it goes. There it goes. There it goes. We've added no power.
Oh, and it's hard because I'm fighting so hard to move my left hand over there, too.
Yeah, leave that left hand. Now keep this going. And this is going to give you 60 knots. Climb out. 500ft per minute. Climb out. Textbook takeoff. And that collective has not been moved. I have not. His left hand is still on the leg. I have my hand around it, but I'm not touch touching it. So there you go. At the commercial level, you need to know how to do that, because you're going to fly on hot days, full loads, four people full of fuel, and you're not going to have any power to take. Because you're going to fly a turbine aircraft, that's going to tell on you. When you overpull, the power rule of red light comes on, and the mechanics got to clear it. Then you're explaining why you over pull the power.
Yep. And that's hard. That's a hard urge to fight. Like, I wanted to put my hand down.
When you feel the pressure to fly, but know the right decision is to stay on the ground, hit the hogs no go. And live to fly another day. Helicopterground. Com.
