STEEP APPROACH

6JJ · Maneuver Study Card
5:00
5 minutes down — keep going?

Purpose

  • To clear obstacles.
  • Pinnacles.
  • To clear turbulence.
  • Night landing.

Objectives

  • To clear the object.
  • To maintain ETL until hover.

Performance standards

  • Clear the object between 50 to 100'.
  • Maintain a descent of less than 300' per minute.
CAUTION: Avoid SWP.
Approach Pattern
500' AGL65 kts
400' AGL60 kts· start to slow down gradually
350' AGL40 kts· to the North Pad
The Profile
1Straight & level
2Descend at normal approach
3Slow to ETL
450 – 100' clearance
5300'/min descent or less

Approach notes

  • 15° for practice. In actual conditions, the angle depends on obstacle height. Keep the minimum angle to clear.
  • If wind: land into the wind or at crosswind, but avoid a tail wind.
  • No steeper approach than needed to clear obstacles.
  • Arrive at hovering altitude, attitude, and zero ground speed simultaneously.

Common errors

  • Improper collective in maintaining the angle of descent.
  • Failing to make pedal corrections to compensate for collective pitch changes.
  • Slowing excessively to remain on the proper angle of descent.
  • Failing to determine when ETL is being lost.
  • Failing to arrive at hovering altitude, attitude, and zero ground speed simultaneously.
  • Too much cyclic close to the surface.
  • Failure to align skids with direction of travel.

Card writes "0 g's" for the zero-ground-speed item.