From which side of an OLF do you transition to forward flight?

• A. The downwind side
• B. The upwind side
• C. Left side
• D. Right side

Answer: (A)

Transitioning to forward flight on the downwind side gives you wind behind you to help accelerate and stay stable as you pick up speed. With the wind coming from behind, translational lift increases more smoothly as you move from hover into forward flight, so you can reach pattern speed with less power and less tendency to drift or yaw. It also makes heading control easier during the transition because you’re less affected by a crosswind component while you’re transitioning.

If you were to do the transition on the upwind side, you’d be turning into the wind, which requires more power to accelerate, can make the aircraft more difficult to control, and increases the risk of overshoot or adverse yaw in gusty conditions. The left or right side doesn’t address wind direction relative to the field, so they don’t provide the same stability and efficiency during the transition.