| CONTACT INFORMATION |
AHS International
217 N. Washington St.
Alexandria, VA
22314-2538 (USA)
Phone: 703-684-6777
Fax: 703-739-9279
Email: Staff@vtol.org
|
|
|
|
Helicopter Fact Sheet
The following are some helicopter facts that are distributed
when individuals tour the American
Helicopter Museum & Education Center. We urge you to visit
this facility which is located at 1220 American Boulevard, Brandywine Airport,
West Chester, PA; (610) 436-9600; Fax (610) 436-8642.
Did you know....
-
That helicopters are fundamentally safer than airplanes.
-
That if the engine stops, the helicopter rotor continues to spin allowing
the machine to slowly land, generally with out crashing to the ground.
-
Modern day helicopters are no more difficult to fly than many types of
fixed wing airplanes.
-
Helicopters are safest to fly in bad weather because they can slow down,
stop and/or fly backwards or sideways.
-
Over 3 million lives have been saved by helicopters in both peacetime and
wartime operations since the first person was rescued from the sea in 1944.
-
U.S. police and emergency rescue helicopters transport about 15,000 patients
annually. This ability to move sick and/or injured people to the
hospital saves thousands of lives.
-
There are more than 11,000 civil helicopters operating in the U.S.
-
There are more than 15,000 civil helicopters operating in more than 157
other countries around the world.
-
If you include military helicopters it is estimated that there are more
than 45,000 operating worldwide.
-
Helicopters can be flown across oceans if additional fuel is made available
or in-flight refueling is employed.
-
If you want to travel 300 to 400 miles the helicopter is often the quickest
means of transportation.
-
Tilting the main rotors enables the helicopter to lift, go forward, backwards
or sideways. The power provided by the engine is principally used
to turn the rotors.
|
