This kinda ticks me off. Are they (Silver State) telling you that if
it is hot and high, that the helicopter can not do an auto? Sure seems
like it. All it tells me is that they do not know how to do them
(instructors). Understanding your machine includes all the conditions
you can encounter. Makes me want to really fly with them.... NOT.

Where I fly now, as part of recurrency, we do full touch down auto's,
hydraulic failure to touch down, stuck pedal also to touch down. Glad
of that and I shake my head when I see it not being a requirement.
Sure you may bang up a bird (I understand the financial impact), but
when the **** hits the fan, you may have just saved 4 or 6 people.

When I taught fixed wing, my requirement was to do spins even though
the FAA did not require it. And depending on the student, I would take
them up in a Citabria and show some limited aerobatics. Was not a
requirement, but everyone of my students gained confidence.

-Mark



On Thu, 20 Apr 2006 17:00:48 GMT, Don W
wrote:

Seems like a bad idea to have instructors that have not
actually demonstrated a spin (for airplanes), or a touchdown
auto (heli's). I went to talk by the founder of Silver
State helicopters, and he mentioned that they had wrecked
two R-22s in one week practicing touchdown auto's when the
outside air temperature was hot, and the density altitude
was high. It could be that the FAA is responding to
pressure from the flight schools that touchdown autos are
too dangerous to their equipment.

Don W.