Hi all
Autos i love em but when i first started to do them i was terrified but as i do test fly so many new Rotorway i just practice them all the time.
The easy way to get used to autos is to a have a perfectly serviceable helicopter under your bum and don't wait for it to stop.
Climb to 2 to 3000 feet above ground 60 knots and just lower the collective slowly keeping the aircraft balanced and the needles together until you see the rotor RPM start to climb then bring the engine back to idle rotor speed stablise the and there you are in a no stress auto. Power recover after about five hundred feet and climb back up and do it again until you can coordinate it all together.
Then as you build your confidence you'll find you'll get quicker and more coordinated to a point you'll be able to just chop the throttle and get it all right with out really thinking and no pressure .
Rotorway Execs fly the same with or with out power they are really great fun to auto.
The bottom bit this is a bit tricky if you get it wrong so the best way to practice this maneuver is not to fly autos all the way to the ground but to practice the bottom bit separately by practicing quick stops first at 30 knots and do them smoothly and in no hurry and as you get confident you start to speed them up to a point you can be doing 70 knots at twenty feet and put you chopper in to an auto with out gaining hight then wait for it to slow down them power recover to a hover.
Once your happy with the upstairs bit and the bottom bit then put them to together and practice them down to the hover with power recovery as there really is no point in risking your helicopter to do touch downs unless you really do have to.
If you get comfortable with your autos and if it really does happen you only be worrying about the touch down.
This is how i practice and how i became comfortable with the auto and now with around 450 hours on the rotorway i will do an auto at any speed and any hight and hopefully if the day ever comes ill have a good chance to saving both me and the helicopter
