ACS Alignment

FAA-S-ACS-29 — Flight Instructor, Rotorcraft–Helicopter · Area of Operation V. Preflight Procedures · Task: A–D — Preflight Assessment, Flight Deck Management, Starting/Rotor Engagement, Before-Takeoff Check

HI.V.A.K1 — teaching the preflight & rotorcraft-critical items HI.V.B.K1 — teaching flight-deck management & passenger/rotor safety HI.V.C.S1 — teaching start & rotor engagement HI.V.D.S1 — teaching the before-takeoff check

⚑ FLAG (Walter): combines Preflight-Procedures Tasks A–D — confirm HI. codes against the current FAA-S-ACS-29.

Teaching Preflight Procedures, Start & Run-up

Coach a disciplined walk-around, an organized cockpit, and a safe start, engagement, and run-up.

By the end of this lesson you can:

Teach a POH-based preflight emphasizing rotorcraft-critical items and discrepancy decisions.
Teach flight-deck management, securing items, and the passenger rotor-safety brief.
Teach a safe start and rotor engagement with the area cleared.
Teach the before-takeoff check and the ‘stop and investigate’ response to abnormals.

1 · Teaching the preflight

Have the student lead the POH walk-around while you observe, prompting on the rotorcraft-critical items (blades, control hardware, drive belts, fluids, fuel sumped, tail rotor). Teach the discrepancy/airworthiness decision and resist letting schedule pressure shortcut the inspection.

2 · Flight deck & safety brief

Teach securing loose items, setting up avionics/EFB, and the rotor-safety passenger brief (approach/depart in the pilot’s view, never toward the tail rotor, stay low, wait for the signal). The student must be able to deliver this brief clearly.

3 · Start, engagement, run-up

Teach clearing the area and calling clear, a smooth start and clutch/belt engagement, and the before-takeoff check (gauges green, governor holding, hydraulics if fitted, controls free). Drill the rule: any abnormal = stop and investigate, never lift off to see if it clears.

4 · Watch

Curated reference clip — “Robinson R22 Preflight — Helicopter Online Ground School” · Helicopter Online Ground School (YouTube), verified via oEmbed. Embedded with the creator’s player; we don’t host or alter it.

5 · Reference sources

Use the authoritative references

📄 Helicopter Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-21) — Preflight & Run-up 📄 Robinson R44 POH — Normal Procedures (Section 4)

Your aircraft: the preflight/start/run-up procedure is aircraft-specific — teach from the R44 POH Section 4.

✍️ Fill in for the aircraft you fly the rotorcraft-critical items and run-up checks you emphasize on the R44 — follow the R44 POH and confirm with your CFII.

⚑ FLAG (Walter): the R44 is VFR-certificated; confirm any aircraft-specific values you teach from the current R44 POH, and confirm all endorsement wording against AC 61-65 and 14 CFR Part 61.

Risk management (the “Consider”): the teaching risk is modeling a rushed preflight or sloppy engagement — students copy your habits. Slow down, require the student to find and justify items, clear the area, engage smoothly, and treat every abnormal as a stop-and-investigate.