How to land a Helicopter

[flying dog]

 

[rgmwa]

I hope they had the patient strapped in.

[flying dog]

You have to take your hats off to those kind of pilots though.

 

[onetrack]

I've watched the video multiple times, and my opinion is the pilot is a bit of a cowboy, and enjoys taking things to their limits. It's likely to backfire on him one day.

 

These are the reasons why what he's doing is extremely dangerous, and stressing his machine severely.

 

1. Fast descents in helicopters vastly increase the mechanical loading on the transmission and rotors and mast. This is created by pulling up rapidly to arrest the descent.

2. Coming in fast in a complex, crowded environment such as city building tops, reduces the time available to spot hazards such as masts or cables.

3. Descending fast in a helicopter can cause what is called Vortex Rlng State. Essentially, the helicopter descends into its own rotor downwash, causing a far greater descent rate than expected. The rotor blades start to recirculate turbulent air, vastly reducing lift.

4. Landing fast over the tops of buildings is landing into extremely turbulent air, created by the wind blowing over and around tall buildings. There can be sudden changes in wind speeds, direction, and even downbursts, causing loss of control.

5. Fast descent, swooping approaches can lead to loss of tail rotor effectiveness, created by turbulent air, which comes from the rotor blade vortexes. Loss of tail rotor effectiveness is generally the factor that leads to a major loss of control.

 

Helicopters are finely balanced, delicate machines, that suffer from pecularities that fixed wing aircraft don't suffer from. You drive them like a cowboy at your own risk.

I would compare his actions with driving an ambulance at extremely high speed through heavy traffic. Sooner or later, the conditions arise that cause a disaster.

[facthunter]

I had a mate in TAA who flew Hueys in Vietnam called Elvis (not his real name) and he got a write up in a German flying Magazine years after, relating to how he  developed  a special  technique  for landing in long grass, "over there".. Nev

[BrendAn]

On 20/06/2026 at 10:18 AM, onetrack said:

I've watched the video multiple times, and my opinion is the pilot is a bit of a cowboy, and enjoys taking things to their limits. It's likely to backfire on him one day.

 

These are the reasons why what he's doing is extremely dangerous, and stressing his machine severely.

 

1. Fast descents in helicopters vastly increase the mechanical loading on the transmission and rotors and mast. This is created by pulling up rapidly to arrest the descent.

2. Coming in fast in a complex, crowded environment such as city building tops, reduces the time available to spot hazards such as masts or cables.

3. Descending fast in a helicopter can cause what is called Vortex Rlng State. Essentially, the helicopter descends into its own rotor downwash, causing a far greater descent rate than expected. The rotor blades start to recirculate turbulent air, vastly reducing lift.

4. Landing fast over the tops of buildings is landing into extremely turbulent air, created by the wind blowing over and around tall buildings. There can be sudden changes in wind speeds, direction, and even downbursts, causing loss of control.

5. Fast descent, swooping approaches can lead to loss of tail rotor effectiveness, created by turbulent air, which comes from the rotor blade vortexes. Loss of tail rotor effectiveness is generally the factor that leads to a major loss of control.

 

Helicopters are finely balanced, delicate machines, that suffer from pecularities that fixed wing aircraft don't suffer from. You drive them like a cowboy at your own risk.

I would compare his actions with driving an ambulance at extremely high speed through heavy traffic. Sooner or later, the conditions arise that cause a disaster.

muster pilots throw them around like that

Edited June 22 by BrendAn

[onetrack]

And muster pilots kill themselves at twice the rate of other chopper pilots, too. Exceptionally dangerous work. 

 

Nev, the Hueys were an amazing chopper, built like a tank, and one of the finest pieces of aeronautical engineering to come out of America.

I saw some of them endure terrible damage and still keep flying. 

[BrendAn]

Just now, onetrack said:

And muster pilots kill themselves at twice the rate of other chopper pilots, too. Exceptionally dangerous work. 

 

Nev, the Hueys were an amazing chopper, built like a tank, and one of the finest pieces of aeronautical engineering to come out of America.

I saw some of them endure terrible damage and still keep flying. 

true but not from mechanical failure usually.   robinsons and hueys both use 2 blade teeter rotors which can lead to blade bump in turbulence or neg g manouvres. they have to careful of that.