Title: Helicopters Flying In Circles – Why Do They Do That? – Pilot Teacher
Headings: Helicopters Flying In Circles – Why Do They Do That?
Helicopters Flying In Circles – Why Do They Do That?
Why Do Helicopters Circle Overhead?
Why Does A Helicopter Circle Before Landing?
Circling Vs Hovering
Hovering
Circling
H/V Diagram
To Finish
Further Reading:
Rick James
Aircraft Cockpits: Why Are There So Many Buttons!!?
What Do Pilots Use iPads For? More Thank You Think!

Content: Shadows and sun can really hide objects from up high and depth perception can be very obscured. By taking the time to circle the landing spot, the pilot gets the best chance to find anything that could cause them problems once on final approach. Circling Vs Hovering
The one thing that makes helicopters unique is that they can hover. They can hover several feet off the ground or, if sufficient power is available they can hover thousands of feet in the air – So why don’t pilots just hover to look at a spot or object? Hovering
Hovering can be a great way to inspect something and the main ways that hovering is used instead of orbits are: Tall Buildings – When trying to look down into the street that is surrounded by tall buildings a high hover is a better option. If a helicopter orbits, the surrounding buildings can block the view. By maneuvering the helicopter into the best stationary position it allows the object to be observed easily. Limited Airspace – When many news helicopters like to cover an incident the pilots can talk to one another and each hold their position. I saw this happen at Boeing Field near Seattle when 6 news helicopters all sat hovering to the sides of the runway when the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner flew in for the first time.