- That if the engine stops, the helicopter rotor continues to spin allowing the machine to slowly land, generally without crashing to the ground.
- Helicopters are safest to fly in bad weather because they can slow down, stop and/or fly backwards or sideways.
- Over 3 million lives have been saved by helicopters in both peacetime and wartime operations since the first person was rescued from the sea in 1944.
- There are more than 11,000 civil helicopters operating just in the U.S. and more than 15,000 civil helicopters operating in more than 157 other countries around the world.
- If you include military helicopters it is estimated that there are more than 45,000 operating worldwide.
- Helicopters can be flown across oceans if additional fuel is made available or in-flight refueling is employed.
- The Jesus nut that holds the main rotor to the shaft got its name because pilots said, “Oh Jesus, if that nut comes off…”.
- The fastest helicopter is the Westland Lynx, which flew at 402 km/h on 6 August 1986.
- The biggest helicopter was the Russian Mil Mi-12 Homer of 1968 which could lift 40,204 kg up to 2255 m.
Posted by: Helicop Aviation | August 3, 2011