FAA commercial helicopter pilot theory foundations cheat sheet
FAA commercial helicopter pilot theory foundations · Keep the key ideas within reach.
Rotary-wing airflow, loads and hub behavior
Declare rotation direction and viewing reference before using left/right rules.
Dissymmetry, flapping and lead-lag are related but distinct concepts.
Autorotation uses airflow rather than engine shaft power to drive the rotor.
Vortex ring state and insufficient available power are different mechanisms.
Response phase and actual operating limits depend on the rotor design.
Controls, power transmission and anti-torque
Collective and cyclic commands change pitch in different patterns.
Stationary and rotating swashplate functions must be distinguished.
Feel, trim, SAS and broader automatic-flight functions have distinct roles.
A hydraulic failure response cannot be inferred from one generic architecture.
Reduction, overrun, shaft support and anti-torque each have separate functions.
Rotorcraft power, instruments and protective systems
A free power turbine is distinct from a rigid common shaft.
A correlator and closed-loop governor are not identical functions.
Identify instrument and electrical sources before interpreting agreement.
Trace the actual fuel supply and protection capabilities.
Actual limitations and warning responses come from the rotorcraft flight manual.
Hover performance, loading and margins
Compare required and available capability under the actual chart conditions.
Ground-effect hover capability does not prove out-of-ground-effect capability.
Use the correct ISA temperature for the stated pressure altitude.
Check weight and both relevant center-of-gravity boundaries.
A height-velocity diagram and site assessment are aircraft-specific evidence.
Weather mechanisms, reports and uncertainty
A small dew-point spread indicates proximity to saturation, not certainty of existing fog.
Compare environmental and parcel lapse rates using the supplied assumptions.
Hemisphere and system geometry matter to wind-shift claims.
Visible cloud or radar boundaries do not contain every hazard.
Decode day, time, units, trends and scope before drawing conclusions.
Basic navigation, timing and fuel calculations
Keep true, magnetic and compass references distinct.
Wind correction and magnetic corrections solve different problems.
Use distance, groundspeed, time and fuel units consistently.
Fuel excluding reserves is not the complete operational requirement.
Checkpoints and navigation aids provide evidence within their actual limitations.
Perception, workload and decisions
Convincing sensations can disagree with actual aircraft attitude.
A common source can make several displays agree incorrectly.
Confirmation and plan-continuation biases describe different evidence-handling problems.
Startle management preserves flight path and verifies the situation.
Recognition questions do not diagnose illness or certify fitness.
FAA responsibility, planning and rule scope
Certificate, rating, currency and operational authority are different requirements.
PIC responsibility does not make an aircraft defect acceptable.
Emergency deviation has stated scope and conditions.
Rotorcraft VFR fuel requirements differ from airplane requirements.
Apply actual helicopter exceptions and conditions rather than fixed-wing shortcuts.