Kenny Keller walks through a normal approach in a Robinson R-44, starting at 60-65 knots and descending in stages from downwind to final. Key targets: 300 feet AGL over a visual reference, then reduce to 40 knots on final using collective, cyclic, and pedal inputs.
All right, so we're going to go around and film a normal approach in the R44. Now the key to any approach, no matter what it is you're flying, no matter what helicopter you're flying, the key is a good setup. And out of all these different aircraft, I don't do a whole lot different in one than when I do the other. In general, I start my approaches about 60, 65, and then right from the time I start my approach, I'm slowly decreasing the speed all the way in. So the key is a good setup. So right now we're on downwind. I have a nice downwind base and final kind of setup where everything's at. I'm gonna go ahead, pull full carb heat, I do 500ft for downwind, 70 knots. We got that, we've got our airspeed, altitude, end trim, everything's nice where we like it. So we're going to go shoot for the numbers. 2.8. I'm almost a beam 28. As soon as I'm at beam 28, I'm going to start slowing the aircraft down and start a small, very small rate of descent. Now we always do the three things the same at the beginning of a descent. A little bit of down collective, a little bit of right pedal and a little bit of aft cyclic. So moving forward, I got a field here that makes a nice defined basin final and then I have a row of trees over to the left. If I come over those trees at 300 AGL, I know that I am going to be on a normal approach. Takes all the guesswork of trying to decide is this a normal, is this shallow, is this deep. So right now I am descending down to 1100. Textbook is 300 AGL for a textbook approach for your, the start of your approach. So I want to be at 60, 1100 in trim when I start the approach. Zero rated ascent. So it's a nice setup. I got my 60, I'm about 1200 coming around for my tree line and if I do it right, I'm going to be at 11, 60 in trim, zero rated ascent when I come over those trees. Alright, I'm a little slow, so I'll pull up a little bit of power, get rid of that descent, there's 1100ft, get back up to my 60. Now I'm using the compass, down to the numbers 2, 8, so there's my numbers, I'm 300 AGL, there's my normal approach. So I'm going to go a little down collective, little right pedal, a little bit of aft cyclic. So I started at 60, then I'm going to go to 55 and then I'm going to go to 40 or I mean 45 and then 40. It's a gradual process the whole time we're coming in. So I'm not really looking at any of the gauges or the instruments. I'm just focusing on my numbers. 2.8. I'm using the collective to control my angle, I'm using the cyclic to control my speed. About 50ft AGA, I'm going to put a little left pedal in to get in line with the Runway. Prior to 50ft, we keep it trim with the wind. Number two eight still on my line of sight from the beginning of the approach. Keeping the aircraft level, Raising a little collective. Justin. Or adding the left pedal because we've added a little power and right down to the numbers 2, 8. Alright, next we're going to do a clearing turn just to make sure there's nobody coming in behind us. Tell clear right. Going to turn to the left, make sure nobody's in the pattern, make sure nobody's coming in. And I'm going to do a quick stop. And a long time ago when I was brand new, the older instructor said, you know what, we shouldn't call them quick stops, we should call them.
