Private Pilot for Rotorcraft Category Helicopter Rating › IV. Hovering Maneuvers › Task E. Slope Operations

PH.IV.E.S8

Skill

Maintain positive control while lowering the downslope skid or wheel to touchdown.

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. 11-11
Chapter 11: Helicopter Emergencies and Hazards › Ground Resonance
range, fly the helicopter off the ground, and allow the blades to rephase themselves automatically. Then, make a normal touchdown. If a pilot lifts off and allows the helicopter to firmly re-contact the surface before the blades are realigned ... semi-rigid rotor disks because there is no drag hinge. In addition, skid-type landing gear is not as prone to ground resonance as wheel-type landing gear, since the rubber tires' resonant frequency typically can match that…
Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge p. 11-13
Chapter 11: Aircraft Performance › Takeoff and Landing Performance › Water on the Runway and Dynamic Hydroplaning
thin sheet of water rather than on the runway’s surface. Because hydroplaning wheels are not touching the runway, braking and directional control are almost nil. To help minimize dynamic hydroplaning, some runways are grooved to help drain off water ... tire pressure is at 36 psi, the aircraft would begin hydroplaning at 54 knots. Landing at higher than recommended touchdown speeds exposes the aircraft to a greater potential for hydroplaning. And once hydroplaning starts, it can continue well below…
Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge p. 5-49
Chapter 5: Aerodynamics of Flight › Boundary Layer Separation › High Speed Flight Controls
speed brakes to slow them down. Spoilers are extended immediately after touchdown to dump lift and thus transfer the weight of the aircraft from the wings onto the wheels for better braking performance. [Figure 5-71] Jet transport aircraft have…
Airplane Flying Handbook p. 14-5
Chapter 14: Transition to Tailwheel Airplanes › Touchdown › Wheel Landing
position and deceleration should be allowed to proceed as in a three-point Figure 14-3. Wheel landing. If the touchdown is made at too high a rate of descent, the tail is forced down by its own weight, resulting ... three-point landing if conditions permit. Note: The only difference between three-point and wheel landings is the timing of the touchdown (early and later). There is no difference between the approach angles and airspeeds in the two techniques…
Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook - Airframe p. 13-64
Chapter 13: Aircraft Landing Gear Systems › Anti-Skid › Touchdown & Lock Wheel Protection
Touchdown & Lock Wheel Protection It is essential that the brakes are not applied when the aircraft contacts the runway ... upon landing. This could cause immediate tire blowout. A touchdown protection mode is built into most aircraft anti-skid systems to prevent this. It typically functions in conjunction with the wheel speed sensor and the air/ground safety switch…
Airplane Flying Handbook p. 16-24
Chapter 16: Transition to Jet-Powered Airplanes › Jet Engine Landing › Touchdown and Rollout
tire-to-ground friction. Landing distance charts for jet airplanes assume that the nose-wheel is lowered onto the runway within 4 seconds of touchdown. There are only three forces available for stopping the airplane: wheel braking, reverse thrust ... braking force may be limited by tire-to-ground friction. The pilot should begin braking as soon after touchdown and wheel spin-up as possible, and smoothly continue the braking until stopped or a safe taxi speed is reached. However…