ACS Alignment

FAA-S-ACS-29 — Flight Instructor, Rotorcraft–Helicopter · Area of Operation X. Performance Maneuvers · Task: A–C — Rapid Deceleration; Straight-In Autorotation; Autorotation with Turns

HI.X.A.S1 — teaching the rapid deceleration/quick stop HI.X.B.S1 — teaching the straight-in autorotation HI.X.C.S1 — teaching the autorotation with turns HI.X.B.R1 — managing autorotation training safety

⚑ FLAG (Walter): combines Performance-Maneuver Tasks A–C — confirm HI. codes against the current FAA-S-ACS-29.

Teaching Quick Stops & Autorotations

High-skill, higher-risk maneuvers — teach the coordination and the autorotation entry/airspeed/RPM/flare, and manage the risk.

By the end of this lesson you can:

Teach the rapid deceleration (quick stop) coordination and its common errors.
Teach the straight-in autorotation: immediate collective, airspeed, RPM, spot, flare, cushion.
Teach the autorotation with turns and managing rising RPM through the turn.
Manage the elevated risk of autorotation instruction (entry, RPM, recovery height).

1 · Quick stop

Teach the quick stop (aft cyclic to decelerate, collective down to avoid ballooning, pedal for heading) flown smoothly. Common errors: ballooning, rotor overspeed, heading wander, and an excessive nose-high attitude that drops the tail. It builds the autorotation flare timing.

2 · Autorotations

Teach the immediate collective reduction to preserve rotor RPM, the autorotative airspeed, RPM control, spot selection, and the flare/cushion to a level, aligned touchdown. For turning autos, teach managing the rising RPM in the turn and rolling out aligned with height to flare. Common errors: delayed entry, mismanaged RPM/airspeed, and flare-timing errors.

3 · Managing the risk

Autorotation instruction is among the higher-risk training events. Brief recovery/go-around criteria, set hard minimum heights, keep your hands/feet ready, and intervene early. Practice power-recoveries before full-downs, and respect the R44 RPM limits and the HV diagram.

4 · Watch

Curated reference clip — “Landing a Helicopter When the Engine Quits | Autorotation Training,” Micah Muzio (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) — Autorotation & Rapid Deceleration 📄 Robinson R44 POH — Autorotation & Emergency Procedures

Your aircraft: autorotation airspeed/RPM and entry parameters are aircraft-specific — teach from the R44 POH (Emergency Procedures / Performance).

✍️ Fill in for the aircraft you fly the R44 autorotation airspeed, RPM limits, and quick-stop entry parameters you teach, plus your minimum-height/recovery triggers — look these up in 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”): these are high-risk to teach: a delayed entry decays RPM, and a botched flare near the ground is unforgiving. Brief recovery criteria and hard minimums, keep your hands/feet ready, build from power-recoveries, and respect R44 RPM limits and the HV diagram.