Ergonomic Errata

[Kelly N.]

O.k. Sorry for the alliterative 'Topic Title'. It's a sickness.

 

My question is based on an observation I've had over several lessons.

 

I'm slightly taller than a lot of the pilots I've met (6'2") and in the R-22 it seems like outside the normal expected sight picture differences (my "target" sight picture for approaches is at the compass line for normal and the trim strings for steep), I've also noticed that the ship feels slightly nose high to me when my CFIs indicate that it's actually in a level attitude.

 

I can only surmise that this is due to the height difference and my line of sight with reference to the edges of the windows and instrument panel, but that's really just a guess (it could also be my side of the ship is listing a bit due to my 30lbs difference too I suppose).

 

Anybody else experience this who's in my size range? Are there any more typical sized helo pilots (at least R22 pilots) who have the same feeling for the attitude?

 

Are there any other differences that it would be good to be aware or on the lookout for of that I may not have seen yet?

 

This topic may be a non-starter and the result of some mutant inner-ear affliction that I have yet to discover but I figured I'd ask.

 

Thanks,

Kelly

[HeloPitts]

Hi Kelly,

 

Im 6'3" and don't have anytime in r22s, but here is what works for me. Don't fixate on anything in the cockpit, and instead of looking at one point on the windscreen look at the tip path plane of the rotor disk in relation to the horizon. Once you learn how to do that you won't have a problem. It just takes time, and remember attitude is airspeed take this into consideration when flying straight and level go to a 60 kts and see how high the tip path plane is off of the horizon, then go to normal cruise speed and then enter an auto, if you go back to that same attitude you will decelerate to 60 and it wrks great and you wont be fixating on the airspeed indicator.

[Kelly N.]

Hi Kelly,

 

Im 6'3" and don't have anytime in r22s, but here is what works for me. Don't fixate on anything in the cockpit, and instead of looking at one point on the windscreen look at the tip path plane of the rotor disk in relation to the horizon. Once you learn how to do that you won't have a problem. It just takes time, and remember attitude is airspeed take this into consideration when flying straight and level go to a 60 kts and see how high the tip path plane is off of the horizon, then go to normal cruise speed and then enter an auto, if you go back to that same attitude you will decelerate to 60 and it wrks great and you wont be fixating on the airspeed indicator.

 

 

O.k. Thanks. I'll try that next lesson. I did start looking at the tip-path plane during one lesson and then started looking at the top of the instrument panel and the bottom of the front windshield for some reason and have been using those references since.

 

I'll have to wait on the auto experiment, I'm not quite there yet

 

Thanks again.

Kelly

[JDHelicopterPilot]

The tip path reference is good.

 

If you still want to use the top of the panel, compass and trim strings as your reference points you can. Just have your instructor show you what a normal approach looks like for him, and take a look at where the LZ is at in reference to the trim strings(normal app). Then have him show you what the steep and shallow profiles would look like.

[Kelly N.]

The tip path reference is good.

 

If you still want to use the top of the panel, compass and trim strings as your reference points you can. Just have your instructor show you what a normal approach looks like for him, and take a look at where the LZ is at in reference to the trim strings(normal app). Then have him show you what the steep and shallow profiles would look like.

 

 

Yeah, that's where my normal and steep approach sight pictures come from (the instructor did one first and I noted the position of my landing location on the windshield at the start of the maneuver). So, I have those references, the difference for me is that when I start my descent to my normal angle (or steep) and I'm trying to keep the ship level on the way down, if I maintain an angle that feels level to me, it's actually a bit nose down. I have to consciously maintain what feels to me like a slightly nose high attitude to maintain a level approach attitude.

 

Just curious if this is a function of my height (my suspicion) or maybe just something I need to adjust to feel-wise ( in other words, if this will feel level to me after a few hundred attempts).

 

Oddly enough, the shallow approach I've been shown had about the same sight picture (same spot on the windshield) as the normal approach does for me.

 

Thanks,

Kelly

[Pogue]

Just curious if this is a function of my height (my suspicion) or maybe just something I need to adjust to feel-wise ( in other words, if this will feel level to me after a few hundred attempts).

I think it's just a matter of getting used to your sight picture. What seemed like skids level to me to begin with really wasn't, but as I got more comfortable my perception of the helicopters attitude adjusted. Running landings are what really brought it all together for me.

[ADRidge]

Yeah, that's one thing I think people forget by the time they become a CFI. My instructor is about 5'7" or so, and I'm 6'0. Not much of a difference, but while he says a normal approach should line up with the middle of the airplane in the vert. compass, a normal for me is just below the first screw holding said compass. His normal is my steep angle, and it took me quite a while to figure out why I'd follow his instructions and still get fussed at for coming in too steep.

 

You just have to find your own references.