Helicopter

In all of aviation, the training needs of helicopter pilots are unique. No other aircraft is as fundamentally complex and unstable as rotorcraft, or as frequently asked to perform so dangerous a mission profile. Costs of operating and training in the actual aircraft are generally much higher than for fixed-wing aircraft of the same weight class. Even more so than in fixed-wing training, there is a wide range of maneuvers and emergencies that simply cannot be taught in the aircraft at all. There should be a significant role for simulation tools in helicopter training, yet there is a very limited selection for effective training alternatives. Why?
The inherent instability of rotorcraft demands an enhanced “feel” for flight control that is extremely complicated and difficult to simulate. In many helicopters, stability augmentation systems (SAS) provide enhanced stability but also affect the pilot’s feel of the aircraft. Autopilot systems in more complex rotorcraft types are correspondingly complex. These challenges plapxce great emphasis for simulation engineers on the interface between the pilot and flight control systems, and on autopilot integration.