Kenny Keller teaches Gary how to land and pick up the Robinson R-44 helicopter. Avoid setting down while moving sideways or backward. The R-44 creates an air cushion 6 to 8 inches above ground that helps with touchdown, and you won't see the skids, so use your nose and peripheral vision instead.
About 6 to 8 inches from the ground.
Alright, now, when you're ready, let's go ahead and just do a set down. Taking your time, nice and slow. If it feels sloppy, don't set it down. They're going sideways, don't set it down. They're going backwards, don't set it down.
Basics of the set downs, doesn't matter. R22, R44n Strom doesn't matter. No sideways movement, no rearward movement. And what I've taught most all my students over the years is when you're having trouble either as a new pilot or transitioning to an aircraft, or maybe you haven't flown in six months or a year and you're trying to get freshened back up, a little bit of forward movement can be a nice trick to help you smooth out that set down. Now on a checkride, most examiners and instructors, they won't like it if you use a little bit of forward movement. They want you to go straight up and down. But it's totally acceptable to come down and go a little bit forward. And I think it's a little bit easier sometimes than just going straight down. So Gary's having no Trouble in the R22 transitioning over the R44. His set downs are pretty nice. So let's continue on.
Don't be afraid to use a little bit of forward. All right, very good. When you're ready. Now it's not deck governor, don't roll it off. Nope. So you don't have to necessarily do the right pedal. Ok. And you can usually, you know, you can supposedly find a sweet spot with that cyclic too when it's shaking. But also, I see it's just probably better to get the collective coming back up.
And the point I'm making to Gary here is there is usually a sweet spot in that cyclic, but if you're sitting there and you're shaking and you're getting ready to come back up anyway, why sit there? Spend a bunch of time trying to find a sweet spot when if you get that collective coming back up, that roughness will go away. So nothing wrong with finding the sweet spot, but just don't sit there rattling around. When you're getting ready to pick up anyway, just start picking it back up and it will smooth out for you. Alright, looking good.
Let's do another one. Set it down. One more. You can't see the skids. Yep, ground's there, you'll find it. Use a little bit of forward movement. Remember like we did in the beginning, I still cheat and do a little bit of forward Movement to this day, unless I'm doing a check ride with somebody or they're evaluating me, then I don't do it. Because they go, why are you doing that for? All right, pick us back up.
So if you, you can see or listen in that video, you can hear how it smooths out. You can hear it and you can see it in the control as he comes up with the collective, how everything smooths out. And the other thing I want to mention is Gary said, well, I can't see the skids. He's been flying a rotor way a lot. And he's been flying the instrument where you can kind of see the skids. He can't see them in the R44. So it's just, you know, he makes a comment, well, I can't see the skids. You don't need to see the skids. The ground is there. You'll find it. Remember, there's an air cushion. When you get to about 6 to 8 inches from the ground, if you're coming down nice and slow, you'll hit that air cushion and the average person starts wiggling the controls around so the ground's there. You will find it. Don't worry about it. You can see with your peripheral vision where the ground's at. If the nose is straight and you're not moving sideways and you're not moving backwards, you'll find it when you're coming down. You're coming down, you're coming down. Just nice little push to set it on down to the ground.
Okay, tail clear right. Give me a left pedal turn facing south. Let's have our taxi down that line. Alright, bring us to a stop. Turn me a left pedal turn towards that taxiway over there. Hail. Clear. Hail clear right. And hover for the taxi away.
So his transition for the pickups and set downs went real good. He only did a couple of them. That's all he needed. Came down nice and smooth again. Any helicopter across the board doesn't matter. Keep the nose straight. No sideways movement, no rearward movement. Remember, there's an air cushion there as you're coming down. Coming down when you get right, just about 6 to 8 inches. Takes a nice firm push to move it on down to the ground.
