So I learned how to start the Bell 407 helicopter. Let it stabilize. Set throttle on fly. And use collective to add or release lift, use left thumbstick to steer, and left&right triggers to yaw either directly or other buttons to lock the feet pedals for yaw in increasing or decreasing input/direction.
Every single thing I do requires me to change feet pedal position. And constant input is required at all times. atleast a little bit. unless I use locked increments of increase/decrease in either direction to automatically hold it in the place I set it.
However, regardless of all of this. I can’t even balance my helicopter.
One of the most popular bell tutorial on youtube I’ve seen, shows the player almost tipping over the helicopter upon landing, several times, spinning and flying all over the place, making a hard landing and concluding the tutorial as a succes.
But still, I feel like I am doing something wrong. Maybe there is something that I am not aware of that I have missed here?
I have seen a tv series where often a helicopter pilot flies and lands in front of the camera. And I see how they levitate above the ground in perfect near motionless fashion. Like… If they attach a tea bag under the helicopter, I would bet that they can soak the tea bag into a hot cup of water on the ground and back out, several times. That’s how stable the helicopter looks when flown by a professional helicopter pilot.
I cannot even garuantee a 35% survival rate, even after hours of practice in msfs helicopter.
What on earth am I doing wrong? Do I require more subtle tiny inputs? Is perhaps a joystick impossible for helicopters? Cause I can easily fly the airbus. Land in high winds, no problem. My xbox gamepad is very sensitive, responsive and accurate.
I also often play sim racing games with full simulation with this gamepad, so I can really accurately brake in decreasing fashion and accelerate in increasing fashion, all the while reasonably accurately steering the wheel using the thumbstick.
Yet with a helicopter, no matter my speed or reaction time, I can’t balance. Only if I plan really far ahead and using extremely subtle inputs. I can get better. But is it really suppose to be this hard to fly a helicopter?
Or am I missing a crucial component. So I’ve tried rotor brake for example. It doesn’t really do much except, well, slowly lower rpm. Doesn’t really feel like it affects stability in any way.
I simply don’t know what to do.
Anyone here can fly a helicopter as steady, or even a bit as steady as a helicopter pilots in real life? Like, can you confidently land safely, in not too big of an area, and not spending 30 minutes on a landing that has a high chance of crash? And if so, how?
