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How to Fly an AH-6 Little Bird

The AH-6 Little Bird is a light attack helicopter used by the U.S. Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Based on the Hughes MD500 and MD530 civilian air frames, this two-seater is a small, agile craft that can land on rooftops or in other small areas. Advanced avionics and a formidable array of weapons and countermeasures options including miniguns, anti-tank missiles and rocket launchers, make the Little Bird a versatile and deadly addition to the our military arsenal. Flying a helicopter requires skill and training. Flying a military attack helicopter requires even more skill and training, but the basic principles of flight are the same as those of a civilian craft.

Things You'll Need

Helicopter license

Instructions

- 1
  Start the helicopter engine and allow it to idle for a few minutes. You should already be familiar with the basic controls -- the throttle and collective control are on the pilot's left side. The throttle controls the helicopter's speed while the collective controls altitude. The cyclic is in front of the pilot, it controls the direction of the helicopter. The foot pedals are on the floor of the helicopter, these control the tail rotor and, by extension, the spin of the helicopter.
- 2
  Use the throttle control to increase power until takeoff speed has been reached. Raise the collective to lift off of the ground, using the foot pedals to counter spin -- left pedal moves the nose of the craft to the left, right pedal moves the nose of the craft to the right.
- 3
  Use the cyclic control to keep the helicopter steady and settle into a stable hover.
- 4
  Push the cyclic forward to transition from hover into forward flight. Continuous adjustments to the cyclic, collective and foot pedals are necessary to maintain stable flight.
- 5
  Land the helicopter by reducing speed and altitude, bringing the craft into a hover over the landing area. Use the cyclic and foot pedals to make any needed corrections to the helicopter's position. Slowly reduce the throttle and lower the collective until the helicopter settles on the ground. Shut down the engine and exit the helicopter.

Aviation