AV8 Aviation

AV8 Aviation Helicopter Flight Training located in Redding, CA and Sacramento, CA.

09/03/2026

A pinnacle off airport landing

Not finding this around

09/02/2026

Guess the airport ❓

We are doing some cross country flying today 🏔️

KMCC - KRDD - KMFR

When logging cross country time that is required for a certificate or rating in a helicopter the distance between the airport you depart and the airport you arrive must be 25 NM or greater

08/31/2026

Caution and warning lights 🚨

Carbon Monoxide

Emergency Actions

Shut off the heater immediately to stop potential exhaust leaking through the shroud.

Open all Vents: Fully open the nose vents and door vents to flush out toxic gas with fresh air.

Change Flight State: If hovering, transition immediately to forward flight or land.

Land Immediately:

If any physical symptoms of CO poisoning appear—such as dizziness, a headache, or drowsiness—land the helicopter right away.

Causes and False Alarms Exhaust Leaks / Recirculation:

Cracks in the exhaust system or prolonged hovering downwind can trap engine exhaust inside the cabin.

False Triggers:

Cleaning chemicals, aerosols, or faulty sensors can trip the warning light even when fresh air is circulating.

The Robinson Helicopter Company recommends covering the detector sensor during interior cleaning.

08/29/2026

Touch and go at KSMF

Night Cross-Country Training

A little look at a night cross-country training flight in the R22 with a student pilot, arriving into Sacramento International (KSMF)

For student pilots, a few things to watch for in this video:

🌙 visual references can be much harder to identify, especially around a large, busy airport. Maintaining a good instrument scan while using outside references is critical.

🗺️ Know the airport before you get there. We briefed the airport layout, runway configuration, expected route, frequencies, and what to expect before arriving.

KSMF has parallel runways 17L/35R and 17R/35L, multiple taxiways, and helicopter operating areas, so having the airport diagram in your head—or readily available—helps reduce cockpit workload

🎧 ATC is part of the workload. Listen ahead, anticipate instructions, make accurate readbacks, and always know where you are relative to the airport and other traffic

👀 Don’t chase the runway. At night, lights can create some interesting visual illusions. Use all available references and don’t let the runway environment become your only source of orientation

🧠 The lesson isn’t just flying the helicopter. A night XC is a great opportunity for a student to practice planning, navigation, radio work, situational awareness, and managing workload in a more complex environment.

For helicopter students working toward their private certificate, night cross-country training is specifically part of the FAA aeronautical-experience requirements.

08/28/2026

Caution and warning lights 💡

Governor off flight in the R22 - something you should be practicing with your flight instructor

Governor vs. Correlator

A neat feature of the Robinson R22 is how it helps the pilot manage engine and rotor RPM

🔧 The correlator is a mechanical linkage between the collective and the engine throttle

As you raise the collective and demand more power, the correlator mechanically opens the throttle

Lower the collective, and it reduces throttle

⚙️ The governor then provides the fine-tuning

It senses changes in engine RPM and makes small throttle adjustments through a friction clutch to help maintain the desired RPM

On the R22, the governor becomes active above 80% engine RPM and can be overridden by the pilot

The important lesson for students is the governor is an aid, not a substitute for proper RPM management

Pilots still need to understand the relationship between collective, throttle, power, and rotor RPM—and be prepared to control RPM manually if necessary

A great example of how mechanical and electronic systems work together to reduce pilot workload while still requiring the pilot to stay ahead of the aircraft 🚁

08/26/2026

What airport is it today boys and girls 🚁

08/25/2026

Airspace.. what is that?!?

Airspace can seem confusing at first but something every pilot must become comfortable with

Think of airspace as the rules and boundaries for the sky so different areas will have different requirements

One of the first things every helicopter student pilot should learn is VFR visibility and cloud clearance requirements

☁️ CLASS B

3 SM visibility
Clear of clouds

☁️ CLASS C

3 SM visibility
500 ft below
1,000 ft above
2,000 ft horizontal

☁️ CLASS D

3 SM visibility
500 ft below
1,000 ft above
2,000 ft horizontal

☁️ CLASS E

3 SM visibility
500 ft below
1,000 ft above
2,000 ft horizontal

☁️ CLASS G ≤ 1,200 AGL

🌞 Day: 1/2 SM + clear of clouds
🌙 Night: 1 SM + clear of clouds

☁️ CLASS G > 1,200 AGL but < 10,000 MSL

🌞 Day: 1 SM + 500 below / 1,000 above / 2,000 horizontal
🌙 Night: 3 SM + 500 below / 1,000 above / 2,000 horizontal

☁️ CLASS G > 10,000 MSL

Day or night: 5 SM + 1,000 below / 1,000 above / 1 SM horizontal

⚠️ These are general U.S. VFR helicopter minimums

And don’t forget about special-use airspace, TFRs, restricted areas, prohibited areas, and other airspace restrictions

Helicopters often operate at lower altitudes and around airports, cities, mountains, towers, power lines, and other obstacles - What is comes down to is, you need to be situationally aware

08/23/2026

How many degrees in this pedal turn 🧭

Practicing pedals turns and hover work at night

What looks like a simple helicopter maneuver is actually an important building block for new pilots!

Pedal turns teach students how to recognize and control yaw, coordinate the pedals with the aircraft’s heading, and make smooth, precise control inputs

Practicing at night adds another layer

Less visual references

Degraded depth perception

Disciplined instrument scanning

Aircraft feel and noise

The goal isn’t just to make the helicopter turn… it’s to develop smoothness, coordination, awareness, and confidence that carry over into more advanced flying

Every maneuver has a purpose

08/23/2026

Little heli shadow 🚁

08/21/2026

No airports today, we landing off airport ⛰️

What is an Off-Airport Helicopter Operation? 🚁

an off-airport operation is when a helicopter lands somewhere that isn’t a conventional airport or heliport

such as a suitable field, remote landing area, or other approved location

students, learning about off-airport operations is an important part of understanding helicopter flying beyond the airport environment

it involves careful planning, evaluating the landing area, considering obstacles, terrain, wind, surface conditions, and making sure the operation can be conducted safely and legally

we are not just about finding a spot and putting the helicopter down—it’s about risk assessment, good judgment, and thorough preparation

Address

5957 Freeport Boulevard
Sacramento, CA
95822

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