Highlights: 116x / 141x with Maj Hurst

Today was a double-pump,, meaning I flew 2 syllabus events in one 3 hour flight. It was great. 116x is the Fam check-flight, so after getting tested on basic systems limitations and emergency procedures in the brief, we flew up to the north of Camp Pendleton & went through a series of maneuvers: steed approaches, single engine approaches, various other in-flight emergencies that could lead to loss of an engine or force you to think about landing as soon as possible. Then we flew over a Terf (terrain flight) area, where a lot of buffalo tend to roam free, to practice CALs (confined area landings). That’s fun too, because the flexibility of a helicopter allows you to land almost anywhere,,, but to do it safely, you have to know the conditions you’re working with (weight, altitude, temperature, wind, obstacles, etc…) and your aircraft limits. (power available vs. power required).

Coming back to the airfield, we closed out the flight with a number of auto-rotations. In the event we lose both engines, there is a technique for getting a helicopter safely to the ground, by using the wind that rushes up through our rotors to keep them turning, until a few moments before closing with the ground,,, then with the manipulaton of flight controls, we can trade the speed of our rotors for a burst of downward air & cushion our landing. It’s called an autorotation, or “auto” for short… It’s a skill you want your helicopter pilot to have, if the engines suddenly get quiet in flight. That makes for a bad day- but at least there’s a way to get safely on the ground, so you can proceed directly to the nearest bar, buy a round for everyone in sight & tell the story.