From 1st August 1996 FAA Airworthiness Directive 96-11-08 requires all Robinson R22 helicopters to be fitted with an RPM governor. Flight with the governor selected off will be prohibited, exceptions being for in-flight system malfunction or emergency procedure training.
Whilst it is recognised that a fully functional governor system will greatly reduce the need for pilot RPM management, this manual has been written in order to explain the effects in-flight manoeuvres and other environmental issues will have over the helicopters RPM and power requirements.
It is therefore assumed throughout this manual (unless stated otherwise) that the helicopter is not fitted with a governor system or that the governor system is selected off in order that correct RPM and power management is fully realised and understood.
