LowOnCash

Bradmick thanks for your reply - As I mentioned, I'm not forcing anyone to change their flying habits. Looking through the forums its easy to see that 90% of all Apache pilots are struggling to fly the the machine so they revert to automation or looking for magical solution. Even with automation its difficult to fly the Apache without learning the ground work first. It's sort of like a guy who wants to fly R/C helicopters and buys a drone to practice flying, thanks to automation, he ends up just holding the transmitter watching the thing fly and learning nothing to master helicopter flying. Regretfully most sim pilots choose the easy way out with automation and never learn to really master the helicopter. Using automation is sort of like letting Fred fly the helicopter, it provides little to nothing to sharpen your skills, you're just a passenger in your own helicopter. Spend the needed time now to develop your skills and learn the traits of the helicopter on the ground first, then in the air. I have used my (Raw Flying) procedure for over 40 years now to teach thousands of pilots to fly successfully it really works! Regards- Mike

Thanks for all the replies guys - Please understand I'm not instructing anyone not use automation or how they should fly a helicopter. The advantage of learning to fly without automation, trims, and other crutches is it helps you to feel and understand the hundreds of actions and reactions that are constantly changing both in hover and in flight. Automation hides all these traits. Learning to feel and respond to these changes as a reflex are a vital part of mastering helicopter flight, be it a sim or a real helicopter. I just bought my first two DCSs helicopters a few months ago in August and have only 10-15 hours between the two of them with most of the time spent learning armament. Thanks to my 45+ years of designing and flying R/C and military aircraft with rotor spans over 20 feet the size and weight of a Hughes 300, has enabled me to feel a helicopters traits and errors the first flight. Even though the Apache is challenging to hover and fly, I immediately felt comfortable, since at this point in my career, it’s all reflex, I’m simply looking at the machine and my hands are moving. I’m presently flying the Apache and Huey with a disadvantage, since I normally fly a two stick transmitter on mode three, rather than the joystick. It doesn't really matter because I’m flying these things just for fun and having a blast! I’m very fortunate and blessed to have known some of the best military and motion picture plots in the world. For years, I hung out the doors of the likes of Rangers and 500’s with a Tyler camera mount with my life in their hands. These are the best pilots in the world and these guys could care less about helicopter theory, they know their machine and it limitations. While there is certainly nothing wrong with learning helicopter theory, like control automation, it won’t help you to master helicopter flight. Regards - Mike

Raptor 9 thanks for the reply - Don’t try to over-evaluate the backward auto or roll, it was only added to the film to show the DCS Apache can perform more than just a standard take off and landing. I never stated a reverse auto takes less effort, in fact, I clarified it took more energy since the TR is more active. In your reply you often mention the AH64, there is nothing specific to an Apache helicopter, for the most part it’s not any different (rotor-wise) than hundreds of other helicopters. With that said, it’s important to understand the only thing flying is the rotor disk itself. The helicopter under the disk is just not that important to flight, it's just there for the ride. Concerning Flight Automation - Most sim pilots get way too involved in the mathematics and technology of rotory flight and never learn to fly the actual helicopter. This is especially true on the DCS Apache & Huey platforms. There are hundreds of threads of guys looking for crutches or better automation or an easy way out, because they don’t want to confront and spend the needed time to learn the basics of rotory flight. New pilots need to hold off on theory it won't teach you to fly a helicopter. Spend that time flying rather than reading. Testimonial to this is almost every profession helicopter pilot I taught to fly R/C helicopters, had start like everyone else as a novice. Flying a helicopter from a seat is a totally different animal then flying from a monitor. A common mistake for sim developers, is some rely on full scale helicopter pilots to develop the model. Regretfully - full size, R/C models and sim models all differ considerably. Some Sim Pilots spend thousands of dollars on special joysticks or full size cyclic and collective devices some with chairs, thinking it will make helicopter flying easier, only to find out there is absolutely no advantage. The truth of the matter is; a simple Logitech $19.95 joy stick as I use, provides all the control needed to become an expert pilot. I’ve flown with and know some of the best full size helicopter pilots in the world for motion picture work, and most know nothing of the logistics of how a helicopter works nor care, what they do know is how to fly the helicopter. If Neil and Buzz would have relied solely on automation as some here suggest, when the capsule automation system failed, we would have never landed on the moon first. It was basic pilot skill and knowledge that enabled them to move to another location and land. Keep in mind - You can study helicopter theory for 20 years, when you finally get in the seat, you’ll still be a novice like anyone else. Best Regards - Mike

Bradmick, Thanks for your reply - I agree with most of your thoughts however the point I'm stressing is all automated features and trims should be avoided during the training period since they mask what the helicopter is doing minute to minute. "If You're Not Working You're Not Learning" Regarding the backwards auto - it actually takes more rotor energy than a standard auto because you’re performing a 180 turn, forcing the TR to an upwind position. There is one positive point and that is regardless of the flair angle you no longer have any concern striking the tail on the ground ground. For this reason it allows a more productive flair to slow the machine and speed up the rotor. As you know, on a full size helicopter over-flair may cause a boom strike during low rotor rpm when there is little centrifugal force to keep the blades outwards during an unwanted input. Regarding control during an auto - As long as the rotor speed is close to normal, the rotor disk itself and its ability to steer the machine, doesn't have a clue the engine or engines are off and therefore cyclic control will remain somewhat normal as long as the rotor speed remains. In fact, during an auto, the rotor actually has more kinetic energy because unlike when the engine is running where it’s required to drive the tail rotor for anti torque, during an auto, there is no anti-torque requirements since the blades are now the power producing engine and the only torque exhibited is in slowing the rotors down. Regards - Mike t

Thanks for all the replies guys - I appreciate the comments and different views. Certainly the video is not to find fault with the DCS Apache but only to improve an already capable model. Trims - All trims and automation should be disabled since these features only prolong and mask the true feeling of the helicopter. I only recommend tail rotor trim for new pilots initially so they can provide more attention to cyclic control. As everyone knows, there is no such thing as a trimmed tail rotor, therefore there is no purpose nor advantage to offset the tail rotor since gusts, wind change, power, ground effect, speed, etc., etc. are constantly changing tail rotor trim. Ground Effect - Concerning hovering in and out of ground effect there is world of difference. In “ground effect” means just that, the ground (somewhat level surface) creates an equally high pressure area under the disk which in turn stabilizes the helicopter, requiring less cyclic input from the pilot. When hovering out of ground effect, the rotor system loses this equal high pressure stability, requiring the pilot to not only keep the disk level, but to remain in one position. Don't take my word for it, hover at 6 feet then go up to 30 feet and you'll instantly see it takes 3-4 times more effort to keep the disk level and the machine in one spot out of ground effect. Certainly out of ground effect hovering is extremely important, since few rescues are accomplished at 5 -15 feet. Autorotations - Regarding autorotations the DCS Apache lacks proper kinetic energy to perform a standard autorotation when compared to the full size Apache. I'm not implying the sim heli should sit in hover or lift back up, but certainly regardless of inertia when an autorotation is performed to spec, the pilot will be able to stop all descent of the helicopter and perform a somewhat soft landing. Another minor error in autorotation is the DCS Apache loses close to 50% of its cyclic control. With the main rotor at 100% or better, there should only be minimal loss of cyclic control during an auto. 180 Degree Autos - Regarding the 180 degree autorotation in the film - there is absolutely no difference performing a autorotation forward or backwards. The only difference is the power lost to turn the machine 180 degrees. Once any helicopter rotates 180 degrees, the reverse flair and landing are performed exactly the same as a forward auto. A full size Apache can perform a rearward autorotation easier than the sim model for the simple reason it has more kinetic energy which means more power for the tail rotor to turn the heli 180 degrees more quickly. Best Regards - Mike

Double post - Sorry

Hey guys just completed nice video on the DCS Apache AH64 helicopter where I discuss some needed parameters to becoming an expert pilot on the ground as well as address a few system errors which make the Apache challenging to hover and fly. I hope you enjoy the film - Mike Mas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDbZMUJCxpY