Original Message

407 pilots who just got helisas.

There's a Switch on the cyclic labeled FTR.  That means Force Trim Release. 

You don't have to keep pressing the sas button on the center console controller to engage and disengage sas

when you want to hand fly.  You can leave it engaged and press that FTR button all you want.  It's the same

as disengaging sas or going to stby.  You don't have to keep engaging and disengaging the SAS.   That's just

retarded. 

I know some of you will think this is stupid, but I had to explain this to a new guy this week. 

He was flying with sas engaged, then when he wanted to land on the platform he'd fly his circle around with sas in stby, land and then hit the engage sas to hold his cyclic stick for him while off loading pax and playing on the ipad.  Then he would disengage sas, takeoff hand flying and then try to engage sas in cruise again.  I don't know who trained the fella, but all I could say was W-T-F?

Then he's saying a few times during the day it refused to engage when he landed and then again on climb out.

And I'm like well, you wore it out bro.  It got tired of you flying it backwards from what it was intended for.

From the book. 

Engage sas

Pull pitch and hover, cruise, land......all with sas engaged green light.

Once landed, go stby.  white light.  and use the cyclic friction knob if you need to let go of the stick.

That's the proper procedure as per the book.

Any deviation and you are asking for problems.