ANAC Private Pilot Helicopter (PPH) (ANAC) cheat sheet

ANAC (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil) is Brazil's civil aviation authority; it issues and enforces the RBAC regulations that govern private pilot licensing and operations.

A private pilot licence (PPH) does not permit remuneration or hire: carrying passengers or cargo for payment requires a commercial licence.

Pilot logbook entries must record date, aircraft type and registration, departure and arrival points, flight time, and the nature of the flight, signed by the pilot.

Recency: a pilot may not carry passengers unless current, having completed the required takeoffs, landings, and refresher training within the preceding period set by RBAC.

Medical certificate class must be valid on the day of flight; the certificate expires on the last day of the stated month unless an earlier date is printed.

Pre-flight documents carried or available: certificate of airworthiness, registration, radio station licence where applicable, and pilot licence with valid medical.

Aircraft maintenance releases and the journey log must be available; flight without a valid maintenance release is prohibited except under an approved ferry or special authorization.

Alcohol and drugs: any blood alcohol above the regulatory limit or impairment by psychoactive substances bars acting as a crew member; minimum rest periods apply before duty.

Main rotor system types: fully articulated (each blade has flapping, lead-lag, and pitch bearings), semi-rigid (teetering two-blade with a single flapping hinge), and rigid (blade flexure replaces hinges).

The swashplate converts non-rotating control inputs from the cyclic and collective into rotating blade pitch changes; the cyclic tilts the disc, the collective changes pitch equally on all blades.

The anti-torque system (tail rotor or NOTAR) counteracts main rotor torque; loss of tail rotor authority causes uncontrolled yaw, countered by lowering collective and entering autorotation.

The freewheeling unit (sprag clutch) disconnects the engine from the rotor system when engine power falls below rotor speed, enabling autorotation.

Piston and turbine engines drive the rotor through a main transmission with a fixed reduction ratio; rotor RPM is normally kept within a narrow green arc.

The magneto system is independent of the aircraft electrical system; a magneto check verifies both magnetos and the RPM drop is within the manufacturer's limits.

Carburettor icing can occur at outside air temperatures well above freezing; carburettor heat is applied as a preventive measure, not as a cure for an already-iced engine.

Fuel system: check quantity, grade, water and sediment drains, and the fuel shut-off valve position; turbine fuel contamination and water are critical pre-flight items.

Density altitude rises with elevation, high temperature, and high humidity; it reduces both engine power and rotor/thrust efficiency, lengthening takeoff and landing distances.

Weight and balance: compute total mass and centre of gravity from the empty mass, crew, passengers, fuel, and baggage; the CG must lie within the forward and aft limits for the whole flight.

Takeoff and landing performance charts are read for pressure altitude and temperature; apply corrections for wind, surface slope, and surface type (grass, snow, or water).

Hover performance is limited by the in-ground-effect (IGE) and out-of-ground-effect (OGE) ceilings; above the OGE ceiling, a hover is impossible and a running takeoff or landing must be used.

Fuel planning: compute trip fuel, reserve, and contingency; the reserve must meet the RBAC minimum for the flight, and fuel remaining must be verified against the planned figure in flight.

Maximum takeoff mass must not be exceeded; the performance-limited mass may be lower than the structural maximum on a hot, high, or humid day.

Headwind shortens takeoff and landing distances; tailwind lengthens them considerably, and a downslope or soft surface increases the required distance.

Autorotation descent rate and glide distance depend on mass, density altitude, and airspeed; the manufacturer's height-velocity diagram defines the avoidable region.

Hypoxia: symptoms include euphoria, headache, impaired judgement, and reduced night vision; supplemental oxygen is required above the altitude set by RBAC for the flight.

Hyperventilation causes dizziness and tingling; it is treated by controlled, slower breathing, and must be distinguished from hypoxia before oxygen is used.

Spatial disorientation occurs when visual cues conflict with vestibular (inner ear) inputs; trusting instruments and maintaining a scan is the reliable countermeasure.

Carbon monoxide from the engine exhaust is odourless; symptoms include headache and drowsiness, and cabin heat should be suspected if they appear in flight.

Fatigue degrades reaction time, vigilance, and decision-making; duty and rest limits and adequate pre-flight sleep are the primary defences.

Alcohol impairs judgement and coordination; it is metabolized at roughly one standard drink per hour, and coffee or cold air does not accelerate elimination.

Stress and workload: use prioritization (aviate, navigate, communicate) and the IM SAFE checklist (illness, medication, stress, alcohol, fatigue, emotion) before flight.

Vision: the fovea provides detail and colour in daylight, while peripheral vision detects motion and is better at night; scanning off-centre improves night detection.

Standard atmosphere: sea-level pressure 1013.25 hPa, temperature 15 °C, and a lapse rate of about 2 °C per 1000 ft in the troposphere.

QNH is the altimeter setting that makes the altimeter read elevation above mean sea level; QFE makes it read height above the aerodrome reference point.

Wind is named by the direction it comes from; a headwind component is the wind speed multiplied by the cosine of the angle between wind and runway heading.

Low-level wind shear and mechanical turbulence are strongest near buildings, trees, and ridges; lee-side downdrafts and rotors can exceed a helicopter's control authority.

Convective clouds (cumulus, cumulonimbus) signal strong updrafts and downdrafts; avoid flying under or near them, and respect the thunderstorm avoidance distance.

Icing: carburettor icing and airframe icing are distinct; visible moisture near or below freezing is the risk condition, and airframe ice degrades rotor performance and increases mass.

Fog and low stratus form when temperature and dew point converge; the spread (temperature minus dew point) indicates the likelihood of saturation and reduced visibility.

METAR reports current conditions; TAF forecasts aerodrome conditions; SIGMET warns of significant hazards such as severe turbulence, icing, or volcanic ash.

True heading = true course ± wind correction angle; magnetic heading = true heading ± magnetic variation (east is least, west is best).

Compass deviation is the error from the aircraft's magnetic field; it is read from the deviation card and applied to obtain compass heading.

Time en route = distance ÷ groundspeed; fuel required = time en route × hourly fuel consumption plus reserves.

The wind triangle relates true airspeed, wind velocity, and groundspeed; a headwind reduces groundspeed and increases time and fuel.

Dead reckoning uses heading, time, and speed from a known position; pilotage confirms position by visual reference to landmarks and checkpoints.

A VOR radial is a magnetic bearing from the station; the CDI centres when the selected OBS matches the aircraft's bearing to or from the station.

GPS position must be cross-checked with other sources; RAIM and receiver autonomy affect integrity, and a lost signal requires reverting to pilotage or dead reckoning.

Map reading in flight: identify checkpoints ahead, note the time over each, and compare the actual elapsed time with the planned time to detect wind error.

Pre-flight: check documents, mass and balance, fuel, weather, NOTAMs, and the aircraft walk-around; confirm the route and alternates before start-up.

Before takeoff, brief the departure, emergency actions, and the actions after an engine failure at low altitude (lower collective, maintain rotor RPM, land ahead).

Hover checks confirm controllability, engine parameters, and the absence of unusual vibration before committing to takeoff.

Emergency: engine failure in flight → enter autorotation, maintain rotor RPM, select a landing area, transmit MAYDAY if time permits, and cushion the landing with collective.

Emergency: engine fire in flight → shut off fuel, close the fuel valve, activate the extinguisher if fitted, and land as soon as possible.

Emergency: tail rotor failure → lower collective to reduce torque and yaw, maintain forward speed, and perform a running landing.

Radio distress call: MAYDAY repeated three times, station addressed, callsign, nature of distress, position, altitude, and intentions; PAN-PAN for urgency without immediate danger.

Post-flight: record flight time, report defects in the technical log, refuel and secure the aircraft, and file the flight plan closure or arrival report.

Lift on a rotor blade follows the same principles as a wing: lift increases with angle of attack up to the critical angle, beyond which the blade stalls.

Induced flow (downwash) through the rotor reduces the effective angle of attack; translational lift occurs as forward speed increases efficiency, reducing power required.

Dissymmetry of lift: the advancing blade sees higher relative airflow and the retreating blade lower; flapping and cyclic pitch equalize lift across the disc.

Retreating blade stall occurs at high speed, high mass, high density altitude, or high load factor; symptoms include vibration and pitch-up, corrected by reducing speed and load.

Autorotation: the rotor is driven by upward airflow; the inner region drives the outer, and rotor RPM is controlled with collective and airspeed.

Ground effect reduces induced velocity and power required near the surface, typically within about one rotor diameter of the ground.

Torque reaction turns the fuselage opposite to rotor rotation; the tail rotor thrust balances it, and the required pedal input changes with power and airspeed.

Settling with power (vortex ring state) occurs in a descent with low airspeed and power applied; recovery is by increasing forward airspeed and reducing collective.