Finishing the flight as deliberately as you started it.
By the end of this lesson you can:
Run the after-landing and shutdown checklist from the POH.
Allow proper engine cool-down and rotor coast-down before approaching.
Park, secure controls, and install tie-downs/covers correctly.
Manage the hazards of a coasting rotor and a hot aircraft.
1 · After-landing & shutdown
After setting down, run the POH after-landing and shutdown checklist in order: cool-down at the specified RPM/time, switches and avionics off as listed, and a proper engine shutdown. Do not rush — many engines require a cool-down, and the rotor takes time to stop. Keep the controls as specified (frictions/cyclic) and stay aware of anyone approaching while the blades are still turning.
2 · Parking & securing
Park clear of other aircraft and downwash-sensitive areas. Once the rotor is stopped, install blade tie-downs/covers and any control locks per the manufacturer, tie down to mooring points with anti-slip knots and appropriate slack, and fit pitot/inlet covers as applicable. Critical: tie-downs and covers must be removed before the next start — a blade tie-down left on can cause severe damage. Note that tie-down points and procedures are aircraft-specific.
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. No dedicated after-landing/securing instructional clip was located; consider a short R44 shutdown/rotor-tie-down walkthrough, then verify via oEmbed before inserting.
Your aircraft: the R44 after-landing, cool-down, shutdown, and securing steps — including blade-tie-down and control-friction procedures — are in your Robinson R44 POH, Section 4 (Normal Procedures). Follow that checklist exactly.
✍️ Fill in for the aircraft you fly (N-________)
Value / limit:
R44 POH section & page:
Leave blank until you look it up in your R44 POH (see the reference above) and confirm it with your CFI. Aircraft-specific numbers vary with weight & conditions — don’t guess.
Risk management (the “Consider”): the postflight hazards are a coasting rotor (people approaching too soon), a hot engine/exhaust, and FOD from downwash while blades turn. Keep bystanders clear until the rotor stops, follow the cool-down, secure the aircraft properly, and — above all — make removing tie-downs/covers part of the next preflight so a blade tie-down is never left on at start.