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Articles for category Rotorcraft Checkride




Jan
22
2021

Confined Area Operations…A Well-Trained Instructor is Key to Safety!

Posted by Admin

One maneuver that offers many variations in the methods by which flight instructors teach is Confined Area Operations. Over the years, helicopter pilot applicants have approached this topic with a wide variety of acronyms and procedures. Passed down from instructor to instructor, this is often more tribal knowledge than fact. [Read More...]



Tags: Randy Rowles Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories: categoryRotorcraft Checkride



Dec
28
2020

When FAA Legal Interpretation and Common Sense Collide | Does Safety Even Matter?

Posted by Admin

A commercial pilot student transferring to our pilot school provided training records that included a cross-country flight that met the requirements of 14 CFR 61.129(c)(3)(iii). It was a 2-hour cross country flight in a helicopter in nighttime conditions that consists of a total straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure. However, it was conducted prior to his private pilot check ride. My initial response was that the flight time was unacceptable because it was pre-private and would not count toward commercial pilot requirements. [Read More...]



Tags: Randy Rowles Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories: categoryRotorcraft Checkride



Nov
17
2020

Rote Knowledge vs Correlative Evaluation…Applying What You Know!

Posted by Admin

After many years of administering FAA Instrument Rating examinations, a consistent trend remains the cause of Unsatisfactory check rides. Having seen this trend develop, we as Pilot Examiners will mentor and train flight instructors to ensure their students not only know the material, but more importantly know how to apply the material in given situations. [Read More...]



Tags: Randy Rowles Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories: categoryRotorcraft Checkride



Oct
19
2020

Helicopter Systems | Get It Right the First Time

Posted by Admin

A few weeks ago, I conducted a Private Pilot exam in a Robinson R22 helicopter. My helicopter systems questions often begin with correlative level questions requiring the student to understand many aspects of the system to provide a comprehensive answer. This level of questioning provides a path for the applicant to demonstrate higher order of thinking skills or HOTS as the FAA refers to this in the FAA instructors handbook. [Read More...]



Tags: Randy Rowles Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories: categoryRotorcraft Checkride



Sep
18
2020

Power Failure at a Hover…How to Teach and Stay Safe!

Posted by Admin

The FAA Practical Test Standards require each applicant completing a helicopter specific flight evaluation to conduct a Power Failure at a Hover (aka Hovering Autorotation) maneuver. The maneuver is a combination of throttle manipulation reducing engine speed with the required flight control inputs to safely land the helicopter. When conducted correctly, the maneuver is rather benign. During the learning process, the maneuver is anything but benign and is the cause to many hard landings during flight training. [Read More...]



Tags: Randy Rowles Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories: categoryRotorcraft Checkride



Aug
24
2020

Aviation Memoirs Are A Pilot’s Greatest Gift

Posted by Admin

Each Friday, a group of the greatest helicopter pilots on the planet meet for lunch in Fort Worth, Texas. They discuss past, present, and future happenings within the helicopter industry, enjoy a great meal, and then it happens: oral history lessons for those who listen. [Read More...]



Tags: Randy Rowles Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories: categoryRotorcraft Checkride



Jul
14
2020

Added Ratings and Foreign Pilots…Revisited

Posted by Randy Rowles

Within the past few months, the number of pilot applicant’s ineligible for a pilot certificate practical test has increased because their instructor misunderstood the requirements for an additional certificate or rating. Additionally, the number of ineligible applicants when using a foreign pilot certificate as the basis for FAA certification has increased as well. Let us review each of the problem areas directly. [Read More...]



Categories: categoryRotorcraft Checkride



Jun
22
2020

Flight Training Scare Tactics | Does Fear Really Help the Learning Process?

Posted by Randy Rowles

By definition, a scare tactic is a strategy using fear to influence a reaction. Instructors may use the fear of failure, injury, or death as well as other scare tactics to motivate students to emphasize a point. The fear of a negative outcome is one of the leading problems in students today and the data has yet to show a valid reason for flight schools and other organizations to continue using fear. Instructors are supposed to encourage flight students to learn, not scare them to the point of anxiety or indecision. [Read More...]



Categories: categoryRotorcraft Checkride



May
11
2020

The Airline Mistress…An Affair of Necessity

Posted by Randy Rowles

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a helicopter pilot requesting a Bell 407 transition course. He had been flying for the airlines and was recently furloughed. Once he arrived, we engaged in conversation about his transition to the airlines two years prior. He was hired by the airlines via the Rotory to Airline Group (RTAG) organization. Having been furloughed, his only option was to return to the helicopter industry. A job opportunity had opened in a Bell 407, and the transition course would provide the aircraft currency to be eligible. [Read More...]



Categories: categoryRotorcraft Checkride



Apr
27
2020

Advanced Autorotation Training…What Is It?

Posted by Randy Rowles

Recently, I read an article regarding helicopter autorotations from the perspective of a new helicopter student pilot. Although the article was merely an overview of the author’s pre-solo training experience, it was titled “Advanced Autorotations.” Why such a title? [Read More...]



Categories: categoryRotorcraft Checkride


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