Heavy fog

[Ron Spiker]

We had dense fog and .25 mi visibility reported yesterday morning. I think the 1/4 mile was being generous many times. With the first student we just worked on ground maneuvers until the fog burned off, then did some patterns. Here are a few photos after we took off.

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Then I worked for a couple hours with another pilot doing advanced maneuvers in the Enstrom. Precision autos were quite fun. I'd call out the when to enter and where the target was, then help him make the target when needed. We worked on stretching out the glide, slow way down for a steep descent (then build speed back up with enough altitude to get a good flair at the bottom), backwards when needed (and enough altitude), big "S" turns, long shallow flairs, short aggressive flairs. Quite a good workout.

[seneca2e]

That was great training to be sure. I like the photos-you can feel yourself falling right toward the airport as you describe maneuvers.

[Ken_Shea]

Ron,
Great pictures

I remember being taught and practicing 360 autos for an area directly below you, also remember I didn't care much for them.
They rather gripped your attention with the seemingly very nose down attitude, you also had to pull some collective as the rotor RPM wanted to increase.

Do you also teach 360 auto's?
Ken

[9121u]

NICE job RON you need to give KEN your web sight video for 360 autos I think there great...keep up the good work...

[Ron Spiker]

Yes, I teach autos straight on, 90, 180, 270, 360, backwards, during takeoff, and every where in between. You never know when the engine or other component will fail, and here in PA there may or may not be a field straight ahead. Your target may be ahead, either side, behind, or right below you. I teach shooting for a field (target) from any position, and with entries anywhere from zero to 95 mph. Of course, some of these are for my more advanced guys, but even the private students will be proficient at autos from many positions before their checkride. We were doing night 360s without landing lights a few weeks ago.

[Ken_Shea]

Backwards auto's is a new one for me, never did those, never heard of them actually but I can see that they should be part of any complete instruction.
Did lots of the others mentioned though and lots of them on my own after getting my license.
When I got my rotorcraft Helicopter license there were less the 7500 in the entire USA, I am sure instruction have been refined a great deal since then.

Ken

[Ron Spiker]

Scenerio: you're flying ENG or a photo flight and flying slow or even HOGE. You're not at an altitude high enough for a 360 and your target spot is pretty well right below you. How are you going to hit it? I try to put students into scenerios they could actually find themselves in for most of the maneuvers we work on, instead of just learning the mechanics of the flying.