Sport Flight Instructor Helicopter - Simplified Flight Controls › XI. Emergency Operations › Task I. Low Gravity (G) Recognition and Recovery

FH.XI.I.K2

Knowledge

Effects of low G conditions on various rotor systems.

Practice questions Ask the tutor

Study note

Get a short, cited explanation of this element written from the FAA handbooks: the core idea, the numbers that matter, common test traps, and a quick self-check.

From the FAA library

Helicopter Flying Handbook p. 11-15
Chapter 11: Helicopter Emergencies and Hazards › Low-G Conditions and Mast Bumping
Recover from a low-G situation by first gently applying aft cyclic to restore normal G before attempting to correct any roll. If turbulence is expected or encountered, reduce power and use a slower than normal cruise speed. Turbulence (where ... high rotor flapping angles are already present), and higher airspeeds (where the controls are more sensitive) both increase susceptibility to low-G conditions. • Use a flight simulator to learn to recognize and experience low G conditions that result in mast…
Helicopter Flying Handbook p. 11-16
Chapter 11: Helicopter Emergencies and Hazards › Low Rotor RPM and Rotor Stall
Other causes of a power-on low rotor rpm condition include the pilot rolling the throttle the wrong way in helicopters not equipped with a governor or a governor failure in helicopters so equipped. As the rpm decreases, the amount ... more difficult than it would otherwise be. With less power from the engine and less lift from the decaying rotor rpm, the helicopter will start to settle. If the pilot raises the collective to stop the settling, the situation will…
Helicopter Flying Handbook p. 11-18
Chapter 11: Helicopter Emergencies and Hazards › System Malfunctions › Loss of Tail Rotor Effectiveness (LTE)
helicopters. The respect and discipline pilots exercise in following flight manuals should also be applied to understanding aerodynamic conditions. If flight envelopes are exceeded, the end results can be catastrophic. LTE is an aerodynamic condition and is the result ... control margin deficiency in the tail rotor. It can affect all single-rotor helicopters that utilize a tail rotor. The design of main and tail rotor blades and the tail boom assembly can affect the characteristics and susceptibility…
Helicopter Flying Handbook p. 4-3
Chapter 4: Helicopter Components, Sections, and Systems › Main Rotor System › Semirigid Rotor System
same plane as the hub. Whatever stresses are remaining bend the blades for compliance. Helicopters with semirigid rotors are vulnerable to a condition known as mast bumping which can cause the rotor flap stops to shear the mast. The mechanical ... design of the semirigid rotor system dictates downward flapping of the blades must have some physical limit. Mast bumping is the result of excessive rotor flapping. Each rotor system design has a maximum flapping angle. If flapping exceeds the design…