Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Stratus Helicopters

Originally published on April 19, 2017.


I don't know how this one didn't get into the blog for so long.  Back in October 2016, I had a 45-minute introduction and safety course about helicopters, then climbed aboard this blue two-seater on a beautiful sunny day for the ride of my life. I got to pilot the helicopter for about 15 minutes as we made a big loop around northern Cincinnati.  It's very touchy, but Matt was there to take over in a split second if needed.

He demonstrated during the flight how a helicopter, without engine power, can float down towards the ground, just like a glider. We, fortunately, didn't test out the final part of the maneuver, which would involve pitching the copter nose-up near the ground to kill the forward speed and falling the last few feet. But it's nice to know you can survive and not end up a splotch on the ground.

No comments:

Post a Comment