ACS Alignment

FAA-S-ACS-29 — Flight Instructor, Rotorcraft–Helicopter · Area of Operation XIII. Postflight Procedures · Task: A — After Landing, Parking, and Securing

HI.XIII.A.S1 — teaching after-landing, parking & securing HI.XIII.A.K1 — teaching shutdown, rotor coast-down & securing HI.XIII.A.R1 — teaching coast-down & FOD safety HI.XIII.A.K2 — teaching discrepancy documentation

⚑ FLAG (Walter): confirm Task letter (A) and HI. codes for Area XIII (Postflight Procedures).

Teaching Postflight Procedures

Coach a complete close-out — cool-down, shutdown, securing, coast-down safety, and honest squawks.

By the end of this lesson you can:

Teach the after-landing and shutdown flow (cool-down, checklist, rotor stop).
Teach securing the helicopter (tie-downs, controls, doors, covers) against wind.
Teach coast-down and FOD safety with bystanders.
Teach honest, clear documentation of discrepancies and the records.

1 · Shutdown & securing

Teach the POH after-landing/shutdown flow (cool-down, switches, fuel, rotor stop / rotor brake per procedure) and securing the aircraft (blade tie-downs in wind, controls, doors, covers/chocks). Rushed shutdowns and unsecured rotors are habits students copy — model the right way.

2 · Coast-down, FOD & records

Teach keeping bystanders clear during rotor coast-down (the rotor droops and is still dangerous), FOD discipline, and clear documentation of any discrepancy for maintenance and the next pilot. Teach that an honest squawk and a secured aircraft are part of professionalism.

3 · Closing the lesson

Tie postflight to the debrief (Lesson 04): the flight is not over until the aircraft is secured and the records are complete. Make this routine and non-negotiable.

4 · Watch

Curated reference clip — “Robinson R22 Shutdown Procedure — 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) — Postflight 📄 Robinson R44 POH — Shutdown & Securing (Section 4)

Your aircraft: the shutdown/securing procedure is aircraft-specific — teach from the R44 POH Section 4 and blade-tie-down guidance.

✍️ Fill in for the aircraft you fly the R44 cool-down/shutdown and securing steps you teach and your squawk/documentation process — 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 shutdown or leaving the aircraft unsecured / a squawk unrecorded — students copy it. Teach the full shutdown flow, secure against wind, keep bystanders clear during coast-down, and require honest documentation every time.