Why are helicopters allowed to fly so low?

Helicopter operations may be conducted below the minimum altitudes set for fixed-wing aircraft. The reason: they have unique operating characteristics, the most important of which is their ability to execute pinpoint emergency landings during power-out emergencies.

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Why can't helicopters fly very high?

The air is thinner at high altitudes. In thinner air, it is harder for both the engine and the rotor to enable the helicopter to fly. To summarize: helicopters tend to be quite heavy for their size, and the thinner air at altitude makes it hard for the lift to be produced.

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How low can a helicopter fly legally?

An altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In those cases, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.

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What is the lowest altitude a helicopter can fly?

What is the minimum altitude for a helicopter? Minimum altitude flight over cities is 1000 feet otherwise the minimum is 500 feet. Low flying helicopters may be performing flight inspections of power lines or mapping.

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What is the maximum height a helicopter can fly?

The maximum altitude which can be reached during forward flight typically depends more on the ability of the engine to breathe the thinner air than the rotor's ability to provide lift. Turbine-engined helicopters can reach around 25,000 feet.

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Why Don't Helicopters Crash Like a Rock When Engine Dies?

40 related questions found

Can a helicopter fly to the top of Everest?

Helicopters with turbine engine can fly around 25,000 feet high. The first helicopter landing on Everest summit though has overcome the entire issues but yet has failed in filling up some points due to the height of Everest. Thus its take off has been recorded to be the best and the highest ever grabbed.

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Which is harder to fly a plane or helicopter?

Helicopters are generally more difficult to operate as compared to aeroplanes and are thus more expensive to learn how to fly. However, there are many benefits to helicopter flying.

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What is the highest ceiling helicopter?

The absolute record for helicopter altitude made in 1972 by celebrated French test pilot, Jean Boulet, still remains unbeaten on its 50 year anniversary. Boulet took the lightened Aerospatiale SA315 Lama 001 to an impressive 12,442m altitude on 21 June 1972, above Istres airfield in France.

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How high can a blackhawk fly?

Speed – powered by two General Electric T700-GE-701D engines, the Black Hawk has a cruising speed of 174 mph, a rate of climb of 1,315 ft/min, and a service ceiling of 19,000 ft.

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Why do helicopters fly low over my house?

Most of the time, they are used for training purposes. If you live near a military installation, there is a high chance the military helicopters, planes, and jets fly over and past your house during training operations.

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How low can helicopters fly Australia?

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) have regulations for how low aircraft, including helicopters, can fly. These regulations require helicopter pilots fly no lower than 1,000 feet (ft) over built-up areas, or 500 ft over any other areas, unless they are landing or taking off.

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What is the 500ft rule for helicopters?

In general, except when necessary for take-off or landing, an aircraft should be 1,000 ft over a built-up area or otherwise 500ft from people, vehicles, vessels and structures.

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Can a helicopter land straight down?

Unlike an airplane, a helicopter does not have to move quickly through the air to have lift. That fact means it can move straight up or down. Most airplanes cannot do this. A helicopter can take off or land without a runway.

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Are helicopter pilots afraid of heights?

It's probably embarrassing to admit it, but if you're like most other pilots, the answer is “Yes.” According to Chaytor Mason, a retired professor of aviation psychology at the University of Southern California, the rate of acrophobia is upwards of 90% in some of the pilot groups he's encountered.

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Why can't helicopters fly upside down?

A helicopter has a collective pitch rotor, meaning that the pitch of the rotorblades is controlled by the pilot while flying whilst the engine rpm is set before take off. A helicopter has no use of being upside down, so the negative pitch range is not sufficient to keep the machine flying inverted.

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Can helicopters fight air to air?

These missions developed a number of new helicopter air-to-air maneuvering (HAAM) techniques, which had not been considered before J-CATCH. Helicopters proved to be every bit as capable of air combat as their fixed-wing brethren, at least when operating against other helicopters.

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Is Black Hawk bulletproof?

The Blackhawk featured various bulletproof capabilities, including a ballistically tolerant main structure, armored troop seats, and even a crashworthy, bulletproof fueling system. All of these features made the UH-60 Blackhawk a popular choice for transporting troops in hostile environments.

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Can a civilian fly a Black Hawk?

The Civilian Black Hawk Helicopter

These multi-purpose Black Hawk helicopters were originally designed with military use in mind, but with the certification they received they are now available to the U.S commercial and civilian market.

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How high can chinooks fly?

Maximum cruising speed: 160kt (296km/h) Maximum density altitude: 15,000ft. Payload: up to 55 troops or around 22,000lb (10,000kg) of freight.

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What the heaviest thing a helicopter can lift?

Light utility helicopters frequently lift between 1,200 and 4,000 pounds. On the other end of the spectrum is the M-26–the world's largest heavy-lift helicopter–which is capable of transporting up to 44,000 pounds. That's the equivalent of 11 midsize cars!

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Can a helicopter lift 100 tons?

For example, fixed wing like An225 can lift more than hundred tonnes of payload, while the biggest helicopter is 25 tonnes. Why there is no effort to build a helicopter can lift 50 - 100 tonnes.

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Can a helicopter pick up a tank?

Powered by massive, twin 4,500 horsepower engines, the aircraft is capable of lifting payloads approaching 20,000 lbs., which in the past have included United States Army tanks, other helicopters and heavy munitions.

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Who gets paid more helicopter or plane?

Mature experienced airplane pilots can make well over $100,000 per year, but it takes longer to get to the big money than it does for helicopter pilots. Experienced helicopter pilots can make $65,000 to $85,000, and some make up to 100K and above.

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Is it cheaper to learn to fly a plane or helicopter?

Training to become a helicopter pilot will typically be more expensive than becoming an airplane pilot. This is because helicopters are more expensive to maintain and fly.

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Is a helicopter faster than a private jet?

Distance and Speed: Private jets are typically faster and have longer range capabilities than private helicopters. If you need to travel a long distance in a short amount of time, a private jet may be the better option.

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