Landing a helicopter

[Sir_Crashalot]

Hi,

Lately I've been looking into flying a helicopter in FS2004. Just for a change of things to do in the sim. Now I can take-off, the flight itself is going ok, I can go and arrive where I want. There is only one thing that keeps messing things up and that is my landing. I always crash and I am never able to land exactly on the spot I want. Any tips on how to perform a reasonable landing with a chopper in FS9 using the default JetRanger?

Thanks in advance,

Crash

[ozzy72]

Go to Hoversafe http://members.shaw.ca/hoversafe/Hoversafe.htm and work through their lessons. By the end of it you'll be ready to fly a Huey into 'Nam

[Sir_Crashalot]

Thanks Mark. Will check it out. BTW didn't plan to fly in 'Nam. Alaska might be nice though.

Crash

[BFMF]

Flying a helicoptor isn't too hard, except landing. To land, you really have to trick the helicoptor into landing

[Fozzer]

Helicopters are designed to only land once, during their very short operational life...

...(and the equally short life of their Pilots)...

Paul... ...!

[expat]

Helicopters are designed to only land once, during their very short operational life...

...(and the equally short life of their Pilots)...

Paul... ...!

They only fly because the are too stupid to know that they shouldn't.

Matt

[beaky]

Helicopters are designed to only land once, during their very short operational life...

...(and the equally short life of their Pilots)...

Paul... ...!

They only fly because the are too stupid to know that they shouldn't.

Matt

No, no... it's because they're so ugly, the ground repels them.

[matt2190]

Helicopters are designed to only land once, during their very short operational life...

...(and the equally short life of their Pilots)...

Paul... ...!

They only fly because the are too stupid to know that they shouldn't.

Matt

No, no... it's because they're so ugly, the ground repels them.

Thats a good one.

[Sir_Crashalot]

Helicopters are designed to only land once, during their very short operational life...

...(and the equally short life of their Pilots)...

Paul... ...!

They only fly because the are too stupid to know that they shouldn't.

Matt

No, no... it's because they're so ugly, the ground repels them.

LOL. I think I'm gonna give up on it. I'll stick to fixed wings. At least then I can make it to the runway in one piece.

Crash

[beaky]

Helicopters are designed to only land once, during their very short operational life...

...(and the equally short life of their Pilots)...

Paul... ...!

They only fly because the are too stupid to know that they shouldn't.

Matt

No, no... it's because they're so ugly, the ground repels them.

LOL. I think I'm gonna give up on it. I'll stick to fixed wings. At least then I can make it to the runway in one piece.

Crash

I've sort of given up, but if you try the recommended settings and practice with the right model (default Bell is supposedly a bad choice, for what that's worth), you can make some headway. I have actually managed to land the Bell 47, the Huey, and the delightful Cessna Skyhook(?)... and if I can do it, so can you! ;d
Now, don't get the impression I landed where I was trying to land... but I didn't crash!!

[Sir_Crashalot]

Now, don't get the impression I landed where I was trying to land... but I didn't crash!!

That is the other problem, I never crash where I wanted to land. Either I end up in a tree, a lake, a building or next to the whole airport. I'm off to Hoverontrol to see if they have a type that flies better then the default helicopters.

Crash (everytime)

[Boss_BlueAngels]

Laugh all you want at helicopters... it's pure envy. lol

Trust me, once you've actually flown one, fixed wing's become a thing of the past.  You can almost put a monkey in a Cessna and get them do fly it, but helicopters are another story.  They don't understand the meaning of forgiveness.  


All joking aside... I actually thought the default Jetranger was incredibly nice to fly.  Much better than previous versions.  

Before I had actually flown a real helicopter I could do anything in the flight sim version to save my life.  All I'd do is wobble around and crash.  Once I went up a few times in the real deal I realized that flight sim isn't too far off!  Helicopters are all about "pre"-action.  You don't move the stick how you want the helicopter to move right now, you move the stick to get the helicopter to go where you want it four steps from now.  Everything is connected.  Movement of the cyclic requires coordinated inputs in the pedals and collective.  It's also about very small, precise inputs.  The key to landing on the spot you want is keeping things slow... you shouldn't be moving the stick all over the place, it should be small corrections.  Try thinking of a helicopter in hover like an object in space.  Every input will have to be countered in the opposite direction to stop the motion.  Don't wait for it to get out of hand either... make the correction before you even think you need to.

I'll put together a short video together for you all to show you why helicopters are soooo much better than airplanes.

[Sir_Crashalot]

Hi Boss,

I'd like to see that video. I've not given up yet on flying a helo. I'm still trying.

Crash

[Ivan]

Hi Boss,

I'd like to see that video. I've not given up yet on flying a helo. I'm still trying.

Crash

What landing you want... vertical or rolling

Hind is hard... especially with real performance FDE (it isnt the landing that is hard... it's getting the damn thing to slow down)
Mi-8M/MT is quite doable, rolling
Mi-1 is doable... almost vertical
HueyCobra is doable, almost vertical

[Sir_Crashalot]

Ivan,

any landing NOT ending up in a tree, building, water or causing a big hole in the ground is good enough.

Crash