Ten Commandments for Helicopter Flying

L/C Willis R. "Joe" Kusy, who wrote the "Ten Commandments for Helicopter Flying" in 1949, died on 5 July 2004.  His "Ten Commandments" slowly found their way to all the helicopter military training bases and became the "bible" for all military helicopter schools around the country.

The following is paraphrased from the book Learning to Fly Helicopters, by R. Randall Padfield.

The Commandments were found all over Fort Wolters, Texas and Fort Rucker, Alabama where they trained the Vietnam era helicopter pilots. They were printed on plaques, on prints suitable for framing, on beer mugs, on wallet-size cards, on posters, and other items. The commandments were also bought as graduation gifts by wives for their pilot-husbands, perhaps hoping to avoid becoming widows.

Hiller OH-23 Raven

There are a lot of ways to get yourself into trouble flying helicopters, but if you follow these commandments you can avoid most of them.

Ten Commandments for Helicopter Flying


I. He who inspecteth not his aircraft gives his angels cause for concern. (Corollary: inspect your aircraft carefully before each flight.)

II. Thou shalt not become airborne without first ascertaining the level of thy propellant. (It is better to spend minutes refueling than hours regretting.)

III. Let infinite discretion govern thy movement near the ground, for the area of destruction is vast. (Use extra caution while operating on or near the ground.)

IV. Thy rotor RPM is thy staff of life, without it thou shalt surely perish. (Low RPM is really dangerous. Keep it within safe operating range.)

V. Thou shalt maintain thy speed between ten and four hundred feet, lest the earth rise and smite thee. (Complete recovery is doubtful in case of power failure at slow speed within the dead man's curve of the height/velocity diagram.)

VI. Thou shalt not make a trial of thy center of gravity, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. (A few misplaced pounds may exceed the limits of your controls.)

VII. Thou shalt not let thy confidence exceed thy ability, for broad is the way to destruction. (I think I can make it' is high up on the list of famous last words.)

VIII. He that doeth his approach and alloweth the wind to turn behind him shall surely make restitution. (Make all approaches into the wind.)

IX. He who allows his tail rotor to catch in the thorns, curseth his children. (Avoid a terminating tail low attitude while near the ground.)

X. Observe thou these parables lest on the morrow thy friends mourn thee. (Safety dwells with the pilot who flies as safe as he can.)