A new book for helicopter pilots, “The Little Book of Autorotations,” is now in production and should be available at the end of March 2012.

Written by test pilot Shawn Coyle (pictured), the author of “Cyclic and Collective”, “The Little Book of Autorotations” covers the practical aspects of autorotation — “no theory, and no vector diagrams, but what you’ll see in the cockpit.” Geared toward students and flight instructors, with lots of hints for instructors, the book builds from pre-flight briefings to specific flight exercises that ensure students understand each element before proceeding to the next stage. It emphasizes looking out the window and learning to judge variables, as opposed to making the “right” numbers happen.

“The Little Book of Autorotations” also has a unique chapter on descending from greater-than-normal heights in order to show the effects of changing airspeed and turning — effectively tripling the amount of time students would get in autorotations during normal practice. The book also covers the variations in technique possible in order to arrive at a specific spot, and how to use a low-cost simulator in order to learn the fundamentals. Additionally, the book covers the height-velocity curve in great detail — both what it means and what it doesn’t mean.

“The Little Book of Autorotations” will be available in print and electronic versions through the Eagle Eye Solutions LLC website (www.eagleeyesolutionsllc.com). For more books available through Eagle Eye Solutions, including “Cyclic and Collective,” visit www.eagleeyesolutionsllc.com/books or Matt Johnson at matt@eagleeyesolutionsllc.com