Spinning the Main Rotor

The stamped pilot seat was secure, but the helicopter's overhead blades remained locked in place. I stood up on the metal skid, climbed onto the engine cowl, and inspected the rotor mast. Dried grime had wedged into the gear hub beneath the twin tin blades. Holding the mast steady with one hand, I used the hardened tip of my stylus to work free a thick flake of hardened grease from the spindle teeth. I gave the trailing edge of the main blade a measured push. The rotor swung smoothly in a wide, metallic arc, casting a rhythmic flash across the windscreen. Flight mechanics are dependable once the gears are cleared.