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: This diagram is based on height above the ground and airspeed. Height and airspeed are the two best friends to a pilot in an engine failure situation and having both are great but what if you only have one…
If I have lost you, just hang in there and I will explain: If the aircraft is low and slow when then engine fails then the chances of the helicopter making a safe autorotation landing are slim. If the helicopter is low and fast and the engine quits the pilot may be unable to slow the helicopter down in time before it sinks and contacts the ground. In the diagram above, to avoid these scenarios, the pilot will accelerate to around 50 knots while staying 5-10ft above the ground then begin to climb away. By doing this the pilot avoids the red ‘Avoid’ areas. So how does his apply to a circling helicopter? One of the questions my friend asked was why not just hover? In the diagram, to hover (0kts) the helicopter would need to be over 800 feet high to be able to make a safe autorotation landing, and that’s provided there is an open area pretty close by. By circling around at 60 kts the pilot does not have to worry about the H/V Diagram and if the engine were to quit, the best autorotational speed for most helicopters is 60 kts, which they are already at.