When approaching a helicopter, whether the rotor blades are moving or not, you should:

When approaching a helicopter, whether the rotor blades are moving or not, you should:

• A. Never duck under the body or the tail boom because the pilot cannot see you in these areas
• B. Approach from the left side
• C. Stand directly in front of the helicopter
• D. Touch the rotor blades to test speed

Answer: (A)

The key idea is safety around rotorcraft relies on staying out of the rotor’s arc and being visible to the crew. The pilot cannot see into blind spots under the fuselage or along the tail boom, so stepping into those areas means you could be struck by a blade if the rotor starts or moves unexpectedly. That’s why the strongest and safest rule is to avoid going under the body or tail boom and to approach only from directions where you can be seen and where you’re out of the rotor’s sweep. Touching blades is dangerous, and standing directly in front can still put you in the blade path depending on rotor position, so those options aren’t appropriate.

The key idea is safety around rotorcraft relies on staying out of the rotor’s arc and being visible to the crew. The pilot cannot see into blind spots under the fuselage or along the tail boom, so stepping into those areas means you could be struck by a blade if the rotor starts or moves unexpectedly. That’s why the strongest and safest rule is to avoid going under the body or tail boom and to approach only from directions where you can be seen and where you’re out of the rotor’s sweep. Touching blades is dangerous, and standing directly in front can still put you in the blade path depending on rotor position, so those options aren’t appropriate.