Kenny KellerCreator Helicopter Online Ground School LLC

Left Seat Liability: The Risk You Can’t Ignore

29 Jul 2025 · 1 min

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0:57

A short YouTube conversation led by Kenny Keller recounting a near-miss in an R22 helicopter where a non-rated passenger (Darcy) unintentionally hit the cyclic while Kenny had the controls, prompting an immediate landing and a reminder to remove controls from non-rated passengers. The clip underscores the safety practice of removing controls from non-rated passengers and includes a brief closing tip to "hit the hogs" (stand down) when pressured to fly.

Chapters

Well, we had a good one today where we almost had a problem. You know how they say take these out when there's person's not a rated pilot? I didn't take this out. I had Darcy shooting pictures of you guys in R22. She leaned forward and hit that cyclic when it was in my hand. I'm like, whoa. So we landed. I took it out. So there through transparency. That's why they want you to take the controls out when the person's not a rated pilot because accidents happen. So I was taking. And I was taking pictures. Yeah, you were taking pictures and you just didn't think about it and you turned and your shoulder went into the cyclic and I grabbed it and said whoa. And we landed and took it out. But that's a good point. That's a good tip. Good reason that it could get your aircraft wrecked because somebody jammed on a control by accident.
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.