Which maneuver is performed before landing to slow the helicopter?

Which maneuver is performed before landing to slow the helicopter?

• A. Flare
• B. Hover
• C. Descent
• D. Pitch back

Answer: (A)

In rotorcraft landings, slowing the descent just before touchdown is achieved with a flare. By briefly raising the nose with aft cyclic, you increase lift and reduce the rate of descent while also reducing forward speed, setting up a softer, controlled touchdown. This maneuver prepares you to settle onto the surface smoothly rather than landing with a steep vertical speed. Hovering is a different phase used to stop all motion or reposition, not specifically the final slow-down before landing. Descent describes the downward movement itself, not the protective technique used to cushion the landing. Pitch back isn’t a separate, named final-approach maneuver; the recognized method to slow and control the descent just before landing is the flare.

In rotorcraft landings, slowing the descent just before touchdown is achieved with a flare. By briefly raising the nose with aft cyclic, you increase lift and reduce the rate of descent while also reducing forward speed, setting up a softer, controlled touchdown. This maneuver prepares you to settle onto the surface smoothly rather than landing with a steep vertical speed. Hovering is a different phase used to stop all motion or reposition, not specifically the final slow-down before landing. Descent describes the downward movement itself, not the protective technique used to cushion the landing. Pitch back isn’t a separate, named final-approach maneuver; the recognized method to slow and control the descent just before landing is the flare.