Lesson 17 - Stage I Flight Check
1.0 Hour Dual; Pre/Post Flight Discussion 0.75 Hours
by Philip Greenspun and Kasim Te; revised August 2006
Developed for students at East Coast Aero Club which operated under FAR Part 141 from July 2008 through July 2010.
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Objective
The chief flight instructor, or a designated appropriately-qualified instructor, will evaluate the student's proficiency in the Stage I maneuvers and procedures. The stage check instructor will determine whether the student is ready to advance to Stage II and solo flight or if the student requires further review of Stage I material. The student will demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the material presented in the helicopter's POH through written and oral examinations.
Elements
Written Examination
- Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH)
- Airspace rules
- Airport procedures
Oral Examination
- Airport procedures, airspace rules, and radio communications
- SFAR 73
- Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH)
- Airworthiness requirements
- Limitations
- Normal and emergency procedures
Flight Check
- Preflight preparation and visual inspection
- Startup procedures
- Before takeoff engine checks and flow check
- Radio communications
- Vertical takeoff to a hover
- Hovering: stationary, sideward, forward, backward, and pedal turns
- Air taxi
- Quick stops
- Normal/crosswind departure from hover
- Straight and level flight, and turns in both directions
- Climbs, climbing turns
- Descents with and without turns
- Airport operations and traffic patterns
- Collision, wind shear, and wake turbulence avoidance
- Normal/crosswind approach to hover
- Go-arounds
- Autorotations with power recovery
- Hover autorotations
- Simulated forced landings (simulated engine failures)
- Low rotor RPM recognition and recovery
- Governor-failure/governor-off operations
- System and equipment malfunctions
- Vertical landing from a hover
- Shutdown procedures
Schedule
- 0-60 minutes: Written examination and review
- 60-85: Drive to helicopter hangar, oral examination, and preflight inspection
- 85-95: Startup
- 95-140: Maneuvers and procedures as determined by stage check instructor
- 140-145: Shutdown
- 145-165: Put helicopter away
- 165-180: Discussion
Equipment
- FAA Rotorcraft Flying Handbook
- Robinson R22/R44 Helicopter
- R22/R44 P.O.H.
Completion Standards
- The student will demonstrate adequate knowledge of the material contained in the helicopter's POH by correctly answering at least 80% of the questions in the written exam. Following discussion with the instructor, the student will demonstrate an adequate understanding of any and all incorrectly answered questions.
- The student will demonstrate adequate knowledge of the material discussed during the oral examination.
- Radio communications will be handled completely by the student unless the stage check instructor determines otherwise. The student shall efficiently select appropriate frequencies for the ATC facilities to be used, transmit requests and reports using the recommended standard phraseology, and receive, acknowledge, and comply with ATC instructions and/or light signals.
- During vertical takeoff to a hover, the student shall ascend and maintain a 3-5 foot hover, and check the instruments and flight controls to ensure flight can be conducted safely. During this manuever, he/she shall
- keep forward and sideward movement to a minimum with no aft movement throughout lift-off,
- maintain stationary position in hover over a surface reference point,
- and maintain desired heading +/- 15 degrees in hover.
- During vertical landing from a hover, the student will descend from the recommended hovering altitude to a landing in headwind, tailwind, and crosswind conditions by
- establishing and maintaining a safe, constant rate of descent,
- landing within +/- 2 feet of the designated touchdown point, with minimum forward and sideward movement, and no aft movement,
- and maintaining desired heading +/- 15 degrees.
- During hover taxi, the student shall maintain desired ground track and skid alignment, maintain constant rate of turn on pivot points during turns and stop +/- 15 degrees from desired heading, and maintain the recommended hovering altitude +/- 2 feet.
- During air taxi, the student shall select a safe airspeed/altitude combination so as to avoid the shaded area of the helciopter's Height-Velocity Diagram.
- During rapid decelerations (quick stops), the student shall properly coordinate all controls and maintain an altitude that permits safe clearance between tail boom and the surface. He/she shall maintain engine power and rotor RPM within normal limits, initiate the maneuver without excessive ballooning, decelerate and terminate in a stationary hover at the recommended hovering altitude, and maintain heading +/- 10 degrees throughout the maneuver.
- During normal and crosswind departures, the student shall maintain the desired heading +/- 15 degrees, correct for crosswind during the takeoff leg and accelerate to the normal climb airspeed and establish a proper climb power setting.
- During traffic pattern operations, the pattern altitude shall be held within +/- 100 feet, desired airspeed shall be maintained within +/- 10 kts, and desired heading shall be maintained +/- 15 degrees.
- During normal and crosswind approaches, the student shall correct for crosswind to maintain a straight ground track, maintain the proper approach angle and rate of closure, make a smooth transition to a hover, and terminate the approach within 3 feet of the designated point.
- The student initiates a go-around when it becomes necessary. He/she shall apply necessary power and establish the proper aircraft attitude to attain recommended climb airspeed, climbs at recommended airspeed +/- 10 kts., and maintains the desired ground track with wind correction if necessary.
- The student recognizes low rotor RPM, and takes immediate action by simultaneously lowering collective and increasing throttle to regain appropriate RPM.
- During system and equipment malfunctions, the student shall take appropriate action for malfunction as outlined in the POH.
- The student recognizes simulated antitorque system failure in a hover or cruising flight and takes proper action immediately.
- During simulated power failure at altitude, the student shall enter autorotation promptly. The recommended autorotation airspeed will be established and maintained and the collective pitch will be varied as necessary, to maintain rotor RPM within normal limits. The student will select a suitable landing area and arrive at the selected area with proper altitude, landing attitude, and rotor RPM. The autorotation will be terminated with a power recovery into a hover.
- During simulated power failure at a hover, the student shall touchdown with acceptable forward movement, minimum sideward movement, no aft movement, and without excessive loads on the landing gear. He/she shall maintain heading +/- 10 degrees.
Instructor's Evaluation and Recommendations:
Flight Training Record, Lesson 17
Any deviations from the completion standards should be noted in previous section.
After completing a maneuver listed under Introduction, place a check mark next to that maneuver.
Assign grades of Above Standard, Meets Standard, or Below Standard to maneuvers listed under Review.
- Student Name:
- Instructor Name/CFI#/expiration:
- Date of Lesson:
- Aircraft Type/Registration:
- Route of Flight:
- Number of Landings:
- Hours Dual/Solo:
- Hours Cross-Country:
- Hours Night:
- Hours Simulated Instrument: