Lesson 27 - Stage II Flight Check
1.5 Hours 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 knowledge and proficiency in the Stage II advanced maneuvers and off-airport operating procedures. The stage check instructor will determine whether the student is ready to advance to Stage III or if the student requires further review of Stage II material.
Elements
Oral Examination
- Weight and balance
- Performance planning
- Hazardous conditions
- Turbulence
- Low G conditions
- Dynamic rollover
- Settling with power
Flight Check
- Quick stops
- Maximum performance takeoff and climb
- Steep approach
- Slope operations
- Confined area and pinnacle operations
- Shallow approach and running landings
- Antitorque failure
- Low rotor RPM recognition and recovery
- Settling-with-power
- Autorotations with power recovery
- Systems and equipment malfunctions
- Forced landings - simulated engine failure
- Hover autorotations
- Maneuvers as selected by instructor
Schedule
- 0-30 minutes: Drive to helicopter hangar and preflight inspection
- 30-40: Startup
- 40-115: Maneuvers and procedures as determined by stage check instructor
- 115-120: Shutdown
- 120-140: Put helicopter away
- 140-155: Discussion
Equipment
- Robinson R22/R44 Helicopter
- R22/R44 P.O.H.
Completion Standards
- The student will demonstrate knowledge of the elements related to straight-in and 180-degree autorotations by selecting a suitable touchdown area, initiating the maneuver at the proper point, establishing and maintaining proper aircraft trim and autorotation airspeed, +/- 5 knots, maintaining rotor RPM within normal limits, compensating for windspeed and direction as necessary to avoid undershooting or overshooting the selected landing area, utilizing proper deceleration and collective pitch application to terminate in a hover within 200 feet of the designated point.
- Hover autorotation touchdowns will be completed with acceptable forward movement, minimum sideward movement, no aft movement, and without excessive loads on the landing gear. Heading shall be maintained +/- 10 degrees and the student will exhibit orientation, division of attention, and proper planning.
- During forced landings (simulated engine failures/power failure at altitude), the student should immediately recognize the emergency, enter autorotation and select a suitable landing area.
- The student will exhibit knowledge of the causes, indications, and corrective actions to be taken for various systems and equipment malfunctions.
- The student will exhibit knowledge of the elements related to settling-with-power. The student will promptly recognize and appropriately recover at the onset of settling-with-power no less than the greater of 1,000 feet AGL or the manufacturer's recommended altitude.
- The student shall exhibit knowledge of the elements related to the development of low rotor RPM. The student shall recognize low rotor RPM and take immediate corrective action by simultaneously lowering collective and increasing throttle to regain appropriate rotor RPM.
- The student shall exhibit knowledge of the elements related to antitorque system failure by describing the aerodynamic indications of the types of possible system failure(s) associated with the helicopter and the manufacturer's recommended procedures for dealing with the different types of system(s) failure.
- The student shall exhibit knowledge of the elements related to the aerodynamics of dynamic rollover, understand the interaction between the antitorque thrust, crosswind, slope, CG, cyclic, and collective pitch control in contributing to dynamic rollover, and explain preventive flight techniques during takeoffs, landings, and slope operations.
- The student shall exhibit knowledge of the elements related to low G conditions, understand and recognize the situations that contribute to low G conditions, and explain proper recovery procedures.
- Shallow approaches to running landing shall be performed with descent at a proper approach angle, an acceptable rate of closure, and at the recommended airspeed to . The student will maintain a proper ground track with crosswind correction as necessary, and will be aware of the possibility of wind shear and wake turbulence. A smooth transition will be made from descent to surface contact while maintaining an airspeed that takes advantage of effective translational lift, and the landing skids will contact the surface parallel to ground track. Surface contact should be smooth with level aircraft attitude. Ground track shall be maintained +/- 10 degrees.
- 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 confined area and pinnacle operations, the student will demonstrate the ability to perform a high and low reconnaissance to evaluate wind, terrain, and obstructions. The student shall select a proper approach path, termination point, and departure path. He/she shall track the selected approach path toward the termination point at an acceptable approach angle and rate of closure, verify findings of the high reconnaissance, and terminate the approach either to a hover or to the surface, as appropriate, at the selected termination point. The student will perform a ground reconnaissance to evaluate wind and obstructions, select a proper takeoff point, and plan a safe takeoff and climb. He/she shall perform a proper takeoff, safely clearing obstructions, tracking the pre-selected departure path and maintaining engine power and rotor RPM within normal operating limits throughout the maneuver.
- The student will exhibit knowledge of the elements related to slope operations. He/she will select a suitable slope, approach, and direction considering wind effect, obstacles, dynamic rollover avoidance, and discharging passengers. He/she will properly move toward the slope, maintain engine power and rotor RPM within normal limits, make a smooth positive descent to touch the upslope skid on the sloping surface, maintain positive control while lowering the downslope skid or landing gear to touchdown, and recognize if slope is too steep and abandon the operation prior to reaching cyclic control stops. Slope liftoffs will be made using a smooth transition from the slope to a stabilized, level attitude (on upslope skid) momentarily prior to lifting off vertically to a hover. The student shall move slowly and safely away from the slope, avoiding turning the tail upslope. Abrupt, erratic, or over controlling with cyclic, collective, or antitorque pedals, should be avoided at all time and the specified heading will be maintained throughout the operation, +/- 10 degrees.
Instructor's Evaluation and Recommendations:
Flight Training Record, Lesson 27
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: