NOTE: Ground taxiing uses less fuel than hover-taxiing and minimizes air turbulence. However, under certain conditions, such as rough, soft, or uneven terrain, it may become necessary to hover/air-taxi for safety considerations. Helicopters with articulating rotors (usually designs with three or more main rotor blades) are subject to “ground resonance” and may, on rare occasions, suddenly lift off the ground to avoid severe damage or destruction.
NOTE: Hover-taxiing consumes fuel at a high burn rate, and helicopter downwash turbulence (produced in ground effect) increases significantly with larger and heavier helicopters.
NOTE: Air-taxi is the preferred method for helicopter movements on airports provided ground operations/conditions permit. Air-taxi authorizes the pilot to proceed above the surface either via hover-taxi or flight at speeds more than 20 knots. Unless otherwise requested or instructed, the pilot is expected to remain below 100 feet AGL. The pilot is solely responsible for selecting a safe airspeed for the altitude/operation being conducted.
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