To maintain lateral CG limits, hovering is restricted to winds of 55 knots within 20 degrees of heading and 35 knots from all other directions. What are these wind limits?

To maintain lateral CG limits, hovering is restricted to winds of 55 knots within 20 degrees of heading and 35 knots from all other directions. What are these wind limits?

• A. 50 kts within 15 degrees; 40 kts all other directions
• B. 60 kts within 25 degrees; 30 kts all other directions
• C. 55 kts within 20 degrees; 35 kts all other directions
• D. 45 kts within 30 degrees; 25 kts all other directions

Answer: (C)

Hover wind limits are about keeping the helicopter’s lateral center of gravity within safe bounds while hovering. Winds coming from directions close to the helicopter’s heading interact with the rotor wash and control inputs differently than crosswinds. When the wind is nearly aligned with the heading, the pilot can counter gusts more effectively, allowing a higher wind speed to be tolerated without moving the helicopter out of its lateral CG limits. Winds from other directions push the helicopter sideways more aggressively and are harder to counter, so a stricter limit applies. So the correct answer is the one that sets a higher wind tolerance for winds near the heading and a lower tolerance for all other directions. This reflects how wind direction relative to the aircraft affects controllability and lateral CG during hover.

Hover wind limits are about keeping the helicopter’s lateral center of gravity within safe bounds while hovering. Winds coming from directions close to the helicopter’s heading interact with the rotor wash and control inputs differently than crosswinds. When the wind is nearly aligned with the heading, the pilot can counter gusts more effectively, allowing a higher wind speed to be tolerated without moving the helicopter out of its lateral CG limits. Winds from other directions push the helicopter sideways more aggressively and are harder to counter, so a stricter limit applies. So the correct answer is the one that sets a higher wind tolerance for winds near the heading and a lower tolerance for all other directions. This reflects how wind direction relative to the aircraft affects controllability and lateral CG during hover.