Customer Reviews

Fatal Traps for Helicopter Pilots

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First off, the idea of dissecting accidents to learn what/what not to do is a great idea and something that rotorcraft pilots definitely miss out on--Whyte should be praised for taking the initiative to do this. On the downside, too much of the book is just raw accident reports (or Whyte's summary of them) that offer either the most basic details or minutiae that makes sense only to the manufacturer's engineers. At some points it's frustrating to read through these not knowing where they're going, or trying to understand technical details only to end a chapter without getting any insight from them. Whyte could have vastly improved this book by taking the time to cut through the crap in these reports and focus on the details relevant to the point he's looking at, although the page count would have been much smaller...

On the flip side, the value in this book comes from:
1/ It is specific to helicopter flight and operations
2/ Whyte's sorting thru all the accident reports that illustrate all the bad stuff you read about in your training. In addition, some (but not all) of the illustrations and explanations go far beyond what you'll find in other books (eg, the FAA's book), making it a good complement for what you'll need during your training. For example, Whyte's book has the best explanation of VRS/SWP that I've seen.

I would have liked to see more focus on R22-specific issues (the SFAR 73 accidents) and a chapter on personnel safety at landing sites would have been a nice addition. Operation-specific hazards (eg, long-lining, operations over water or dense forest), discussion of the relative risks in different ships, and an analysis of how a situation could have been averted or recovered would have made this book a grand slam. Don't get me wrong, all student pilots should read this book at some point in their training, but I hope Whyte will significantly improve the content in later editions.

Fatal Traps is a very well thought out and informative book. I am an airplane and helicopter pilot, and as such have read many books on both subjects. This book manages to be very educational without a lot of superfluous material (as is a problem with a lot of aviation books). All the dangers brought forth are supplemented by very pertinent case studies. An excellent read for the helicopter student, or an engaging review for the seasoned veteran.

Well,i had been looking for a book related to helicopter accidents and causes until i saw "Fatal Traps For Helicopter Pilots".The dramatic accident rate of helicopter operations always took my attention and made me ponder over the subject.This book gives vast information of helicopter aerodynamics and inspects the accident "cause" and "result" logic,rather than connect the dots theory.It does not matter if you are a novice or a veteran pilot,you had better have a look at the Fatal Traps For Helicopter Pilots,because i am sure that you would find something from yourself in this book.
Bottom line;Helo pilots must read this book in order to save lives,because the experince which is the most valuable asset in aviation world comes to you with a reasonable cost.

This book is a must for heli pilots . The service to here in Aus was awesome . What more can I say .

My favorite thing about this book is the amount of topics which are covered.

Definitely a great book and highly recommended for any pilot, even students. It also explains things like LTE and how to avoid them.


Improvements:
It would be great if the author made a website with videos of hard to find helicopter accidents like rotor stalls and settling with power. Color pictures. More case studies (there are enough to prove the point but more variety for each thing wouldn't hurt).

More tips on handling rotor stalls and other SFAR issues on low inertia rotor blade helicopters like the (ultra popular) R22. There was one tip in the book about a common sign of engine issues which was great.

A summary of important things to remember.


Thanks for a great book

Great reading for helicopter students. Not only gives case studies on accidents but also an explanation on helicopter aerodynamics and methods to avoid making the same mistakes.

Very good, easy to read and understand. Informative with case studies, accident reports and technical info.

It makes the current and/or future pilot think through risk factors before they do something risky.

If you are a helicopter pilot, you have to read this book before you do the same mistake. Do not ever think that "I have thousands of hours, I know every trick about choppers. You will be very surprised when you realize that you just missed your own funeral several times.

my dad flys and I got him this book. needless to say he liked it.