autorotating

Unpowered helicopter gliding

Autorotating describes something rotating by its own momentum or external airflow rather than engine power.

The term appears most often in aviation: a helicopter autorotating has lost engine power but its rotor blades keep spinning from air rushing up through them, allowing controlled descent.

Maple seeds autorotate as they fall, spinning to slow their drop.

The pilot practiced autorotating to a safe landing.

rotorcraft

helicopter

Rotary-wing aircraft

gyroplaneRotorcraft with unpowered rotor
autogyroRotorcraft with unpowered rotor
collectiveJointly organized group

cyclic · hovering · freewheeling · clutch · mast · hub · transmission

descent

flare

Sudden bright burst

touchdownSix-point gridiron play
controlledKept within limits
descentDownward slope or lineage

altitude · airspeed · glide · unpowered · sinking · vertical · landing · collective · pitch · cushioning

aerodynamics

lift

Mechanism for vertical transport

dragResistance through fluid
airflowMovement of atmosphere
inflowArriving stream or current

upflow · thrust · momentum · gyroscopic · equilibrium

emergency

malfunction

Failure to operate properly

practiceRepeated work toward mastery
trainingDeveloping abilities through practice
simulatedMade to imitate reality

terrain · recovery · procedure · checklist · drill · precautionary

Opposites

power source

autorotatingpowered flight

Aircraft movement via engines

climbing · ascending · gaining altitude · self-propelled · hovering

flight mode

autorotatinghovering

Suspended without support

climbing · ascending · cruising · lifting off

power source for rotation/lift

autorotatingpowered

Supplied with energy

power-on · throttled

Family

autorotation

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Rated G