A helicopter pilot explains vortex ring state, a dangerous condition where a descending helicopter gets trapped in its own rotor wash. The key is managing airspeed and descent rate together, not separately. Slow descent with zero airspeed is the trap.
So there's a general rule called Keep 30 on your airspeed until your rate ascent is below 300ft per minute. So we're slowing down right now on approach. So what that means we want to keep 30 here on the airspeed until the rate of descent is below 300ft per minute. So I'm going to get a little more aggressive in my descent and we can get over the 300 as long as we've got 30, no big deal. But I'm going to start slowing it down right now. And before I drop below 30 on that airspeed, I want it to be below 300ft per minute. This is what keeps you out of selling the power of orgas texturing state, whatever terminology it is you're using. But by doing a nice slow approach, slowing it down nice and easy, by just getting rid of that rate of descent a little bit by little bit. You see now we're about 35 and we're about 100ft per minute now we can drop below 30 and we know we're totally safe from selling a power vortex ring state. Again, whatever you call it, people still using terminology both ways. I'm not arguing the point, I'm just saying. So people say so now. No big deal. So it's a very simple rule. A lot of people fly by it and know it. A lot of people come here from around the country and they might be working on advanced rating. And I'm like, what's the general rule for flying that approach? And they, I don't know. When I say that, they go, I've never heard that. Pretty common in the Robinson world, but I guess not totally. And it's a great rule. Keep 30 on your air speed till your rate ascent is below 300ft per minute. And you want some more free tips. Private Pilot 101, a helicopter training blueprint. Heather's got a copy right there. There's a link around this video or you can just go to the link. Privateblueprint.com A ton of free information in there, help you get through ground, get through flight, get through your ratings. Tons of free resources in there. And also did you know we have affiliate program, we're paying 50%. We'll pay you 50, 50 commissions. For example, somebody signs up for our 97amonth course for as long as they keep the course, you get 50% of that every single month. Heather sends that out once a month. Everybody gets paid. And you can find out more. You can sign up for that actually@hogspaceme.com hogspaceme.com go check it out. All right, See you next video. Peace out. 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.
