Fatal Traps for Helicopter Pilots (Paperback)

by Greg Whyte (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Acquire the Life-Saving Skills Needed to Eliminate or Reduce Most Helicopter Accidents

A vital resource for pilots, helicopter enthusiasts, and aircraft maintenance technicians, Fatal Traps for Helicopter Pilots analyzes all aspects of helicopter accidents, including flight basics, engineering, meteorology, flight training, and human factors. This life-saving guide shows how proper preparation can help prevent accidents by addressing causes such as aerodynamic problems, mechanical failures, poor loading, mid-air collisions, and more.

Filled with case studies and first-hand accounts of accidents, the book organizes accident types by primary causes, presenting proven methods for eliminating or reducing the possibility of each type. Greg Whyte, an ex commercial helicopter pilot and professional aviation writer, draws on his own flying experiences and those of other flight veterans to provide a wealth of practical information and safety tips that are essential for everyone who flies, maintains or crews in helicopters. Filled with over 100 helpful illustrations, Fatal Traps for Helicopter Pilots enables readers to:

• Identify and address the common causes of helicopter accidents
• Explore in-depth examples of accident scenarios
• Examine the technical details of accident causes
• Review case studies and first-hand accounts of accidents
• Learn from the plain-English notes on avoidance and recovery

Inside This Aviation Accident-Prevention Guide

• Basic Flight Principles • Vortex Ring State • Recirculation • Ground Resonance • Retreating Blade Stall • Dynamic Rollover • Overpitching • Main Rotor Strikes • Mid-Air Collisions • Mast Bumping • Engine Failures • Tail Rotor Failures • Mechanical Failures • Fuel • Fire • Ditching • Loading Issues • Winching • Weather • Crew and Pre-flight Hazards • Human Factors • Training Mishaps

From the Back Cover
ACQUIRE THE LIFE-SAVING SKILLS NEEDED TO ELIMINATE OR REDUCE MOST HELICOPTER ACCIDENTS

A vital resource for pilots, helicopter enthusiasts, and aircraft maintenance technicians, Fatal Traps for Helicopter Pilots analyzes all aspects of helicopter accidents, including flight basics, engineering, meteorology, flight training, and human factors. This life-saving guide shows how proper preparation can help prevent accidents by addressing causes such as aerodynamic problems, mechanical failures, poor loading, mid-air collisions, and more.

Filled with case studies and first-hand accounts of accidents, the book organizes accident types by primary causes, presenting proven methods for eliminating or reducing the possibility of each type. Greg Whyte, an experienced commercial helicopter pilot and professional aviation writer, draws on his own flying experiences and those of other flight veterans to provide a wealth of practical information and safety tips that enables readers to:

• Identify and address the common causes of helicopter accidents
• Explore in-depth examples of accident scenarios
• Examine the technical details of accident causes
• Review case studies and first-hand accounts of accidents
• Learn from the plain-English notes on avoidance and recovery

Inside This Aviation Accident-Prevention Guide:
* Basic Flight Principles * Vortex Ring State * Recirculation * Ground Resonance * Retreating Blade Stall * Dynamic Rollover * Overpitching * Main Rotor Strikes * Mid-Air Collisions * Mast Bumping * Engine Failures * Tail Rotor Failures * Mechanical Failures * Fuel * Fire * Ditching * Loading Issues * Winching * Weather * Crew and Pre-flight Hazards * Human Factors * Training Mishaps

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 395 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional; 1 edition (November 29, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071488308
• ISBN-13: 978-0071488303
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #45,450 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Idea, September 16, 2007

By	Run Kodoz! (Eastern Washington Desert) - See all my reviews

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.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent overview of many of the dangerous situations helicopter pilots need to be aware of, March 22, 2007

By	J. Baechler "Pilot/Reader" (Iliamna, AK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book for Helo Pilots, August 15, 2007

By	Cem KÜRKÇÜ (Izmir,Turkiye) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.