Thwyllo
Well-Known Member
It's a sad but inescapable fact that a helicopter is, in normal flight, with the possible exception of the most extreme stealth aircraft, in the most unstable flight configuration possible. Fixed wing aircraft can normally transition to glide configuration with minimal drama, although landing speed can be an issue. An autogyro, the safest form of aircraft, is permanently in autorotation and in the event of anything but a traumatic rotor failure will simply float to the ground like a sycamore seed. A helicopter pilot on the other hand has to have sufficient height and nous to undertake a fairly extreme manoeuvre in order to get the craft into autorotation.
All the above, for the sake of clarification, exclude pilot error, which opens a whole new can of worms.
All the above, for the sake of clarification, exclude pilot error, which opens a whole new can of worms.