Advice on Hover/Pop-up From Behind Mountain Peak at Altitude

Practicing on the Nevada map, which already generally has a high baseline altitude (4000+ ft? IIRC). The mountains add a bunch of altitude to this. The idea is to: (a) come to hover behind a peak/crest; (b) pop-up and take a look around in the valley on the other side.

1. The first (coming to a hover behind a peak) is tricky enough, but I eventually get it. But just holding the hover below the peak/crest puts me at close to max collective. And then I'm stuck! From auto-hover, if I release collective hold and roll on power the auto-hover kicks out because I exceed the torque auto-limit. And if I try to hold the hover and pull up myself, I cannot stop sinking without exceeding the torque limit and blowing the engine. Is there a technique to do this? Or is this the limit of the machine?

2. I find that if I mess up on the hover, and come out of translational lift too low, there is not much I can do but fly back out, gain elevation via translational lift, and then come back in again. Which means that I find it difficult to come *up* the slope into a hover. Much easier to come down from a higher elevation and slip in behind the peak ... but the problem with this is that I will be exposing myself to all the bad guys in the valley!

Bearfoot,

there´s nothing much you can do. High elevation, thinner air, high temps, air pressure AND your gross weight limit your helicopter´s performance. The only "safe" tactic is to reduce weight before going out to the mission. Either less weapons carried or less fuel to reduce the only parameter you have influence on....the condition of your helicopter.

Another way (not safe) would be not to hover but to perform a slow forward flight (which needs less power than a steady hover) just slightly higher than the mountain and with a little distance to the rocks, check for situational awareness, fire and dive away.

Do not cover behind a high peak, when your are already outperforming the engine. Flight low and use translational lift.

Bearfoot,

 

there´s nothing much you can do. High elevation, thinner air, high temps, air pressure AND your gross weight limit your helicopter´s performance. The only "safe" tactic is to reduce weight before going out to the mission. Either less weapons carried or less fuel to reduce the only parameter you have influence on....the condition of your helicopter.

Another way (not safe) would be not to hover but to perform a slow forward flight (which needs less power than a steady hover) just slightly higher than the mountain and with a little distance to the rocks, check for situational awareness, fire and dive away.

Yes, alternate approaches seem called for. Though difficult to do. E.g., firing in slow forward flight slightly higher than the mountain: OK in multicrew, maybe, but with SP difficult to focus on WSO tasks AND control flight! Not to mention that if the bad guys in the valley on the other side have any AD, you are totally exposing yourself which undermines the point of the peak!

Difficult task, yes. But once again: you can not fight physics. These are the limits you can not overcome.

Either reduce weight at high altitude/pressure/temp or search for another way to approach the AO. Nothing more you can do...in the sim and in reality.