Let’s take a look at some common helicopters misconceptions

“Helicopters are dangerous to fly”
Looking at accidents statistics, we can see that flying a helicopter isn’t more dangerous than flying a fixed wings aircraft and most accidents are not caused by mechanical failure, but rather caused by human error, such as not enough fuel, hitting wires, etc. Several people also think that if the engine fails on a helicopter, the aircraft will simply go down, followed by a dramatic ending, while in fact the pilot can control the helicopter descent (autorotation) and can land safely on a flat area.

Did you ever have to use autorotation? Share your story with us: content@rotornation.com

“Helicopters are too hard to fly. A normal person can’t do it!”
Of course flying a helicopter isn’t a simple task, and some maneuvers will seem very difficult at the beginning, but the fact is anyone with good coordination could probably learn how to properly fly a rotary aircraft. If needed, time to think can also be provided by the ability to slow down the aircraft as much as the pilot wants.

“Helicopter owners are pretentious!”
Let’s talk about generalisation! A lot of helicopter owners have their own aircraft to save time from traveling. Indeed, they are great for business travel since no time is wasted in traffic, and you are refreshed and ready for your meeting.

“Only rich people can afford to fly a helicopter”
We would be lying saying helicopters are not expensive, especially if you want to purchase it brand new, but second-hand helicopter can be found at relatively reasonable prices, similar to a luxury car. However, flight school is pretty expensive. In some countries it cost almost double what the cost of learning to fly fixed wings aircraft. Bottom line: flying helicopter is pretty expensive, but no need to be a millionaire to enjoy it !

Last but not least, “Flying helicopters causes dependency”
Well this one is true! Once you try, you don’t want to stop!


Have you heard any other misconceptions worth sharing?


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