North Country Heli FlightHELICOPTER GROUND SCHOOL · ACS-ALIGNED
Private (PPL-H) · Lesson 26
ACS Alignment
FAA-S-ACS-15 — Private Pilot, Rotorcraft–Helicopter · Area of Operation VIII. Navigation · Task: Diversion & Lost Procedures
PA.VIII.C.K1 — diversion decision & executionPA.VIII.C.K2 — lost procedures (the 4/5 C's)PA.VIII.C.R1 — risk: fuel, weather, get-there-itis
Diversion & Lost Procedures
What to do when the plan changes — or when you're not where you thought.
By the end of this lesson you can:
Decide to divert promptly and pick a suitable alternate.
Estimate heading, time, and fuel to the alternate quickly.
Apply a structured lost procedure (e.g., the C's) to re-establish position.
Manage fuel, weather, and the pressure to 'press on' (get-there-itis).
1 · Diversion
A diversion is a timely change of destination for weather, fuel, time, or aircraft reasons. Pick a suitable alternate early, turn toward it, then refine the heading, time, and fuel — don't keep flying the old plan while you do the math. ForeFlight makes the 'nearest' and 'direct-to' quick, but the decision and the fuel check are yours. Deciding early preserves options and daylight.
2 · Lost procedures
If you're unsure of position, fly the aircraft first, then work a structured lost procedure — commonly the C's: Climb (for visibility, radio, and radar coverage), Communicate (ask for help — flight following, nearest facility, 121.5 if needed), Confess (tell ATC you're unsure of position), Comply (follow instructions), and Conserve (manage fuel). Use known landmarks, time/heading since your last fix, and ATC/GPS to re-establish position. Squawk and call for help before fuel or daylight becomes critical.
3 · Watch
⚠ DRAFT — video pending CFII verification (Walter). No clip was embedded this run: automated oEmbed verification was unavailable (build sandbox offline + restricted fetch), and course rules forbid embedding any unverified/guessed video ID. Suggested candidate to verify & embed: “Help! I’m Lost — General Aviation Lost Procedures” (YouTube, watch?v=_7DEHNLBY_Y). Confirm it is real, reputable, and embeddable via oEmbed before inserting.
In the cockpit: use ForeFlight for nearest-airport and direct-to, but verify fuel to the alternate against your actual burn and reserves. Know your R44 fuel state and reserve requirements.
Risk management (the “Consider”): the killers here are fuel exhaustion, weather, and get-there-itis. A diversion delayed because you 'didn't want to give up' becomes an emergency. Decide early, ask for help without ego, protect your fuel reserve, and never trade a safe alternate for a hopeful push into deteriorating conditions.