From the SU5 beta release notes:
Improved CFD simulation on building edges
Anyone seeing different behavior near elevated platforms?
Optimistically, it feels much better now for me. Landing on elevated pads feels much more intuitive and I donāt get any huge unexpected jumps or drops like before.
Also feels much more stable in a hover too, previously it needed a lot of movement on the collective to stay at a constant height, less so now in my experience.
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I just tried a variety of helicopter landings on oil platforms and skyscrapers, really had the impression that something changed to the good. The ground effect was more like a ācushionā, just like I would imagine it to be (as a non-pilotā¦)
Butā¦ going into the Needles landing challenge:
I do not see an improvement in SU5 beta 1.7.7
You can still fly slowly and level towards the platform and then shoot up into the sky without changing power.
Maybe thereās (also) a design bug specifically at the Needles?
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Not sure because last time I tried it in free flight, replicating the conditions in the challenge, there was no catapult effect.
I am finding the same effect on all raised platform landings. The Needles, Bridrangaviti, Belayim, but not on Chiba.
Is the ground effect still strong when approaching a chemical truck? Or has it been reduced?
I was sure this was improved in 1.7.6.0 but it seems worse in 1.7.7.0. Flying towards a raised platform does, in some circumstances, send you soaring up at >1000ft/min with no change in collective.
Please file a bug ticket. Thank you.
Something is still very very off with SU5.
In career oil rig hook missions when thereās significant wind (>15 kts), when approaching the ship from downwind slowly, not touching the collective, first I get into a downward flow, then, above the platform a strong upward flow, being catapulted hundreds of feet at 1000+ft/min.
Similar to flying into a thermal 
but I checked with the visualization, it isnāt a thermal.
Theyāll never get this right.
In the last dev stream (April '26) they happily announced the SU5 improvements of the ground effect for raised platforms, specifically the ones with gratings/grids (like āthe Needlesā has).
Just tried it again in SU5 beta 1.7.24 - in my opinion it still acts like a vertical catapultā¦
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Yeah, I can confirm, Needles challenge same as before, not fixed.
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