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"Fifty Years. Ten Habits. One Small Twist."

A second-dan black belt already knows how to fight. Then his sensei taught him one small twist on a grab he'd done a thousand times — and everything changed. That's the idea behind this book: not new fundamentals, just the small refinements that quietly separate good pilots from great ones. Fifty years in the cockpit, twenty-one of them as a factory test pilot for Bell Helicopter Textron, boiled down to ten habits you can start using on your next flight.

What people are saying

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Reading this short and engaging read is a simple way to improve your flying by learning to recognize and apply subtle tips and techniques. Not only is it valuable for helicopter pilots of all experience levels, but includes additional pointers specifically for flight instructors throughout the book. As an ab-initio flight instructor and training pilot with Prairie Helicopters, I've found small adjustments and well timed comments during training can lead to significant improvements, and this book truly is a tool to go from a good pilot to a great one.

— Amy Szakacsi, Ab-Initio Flight Instructor & Training Pilot, Prairie Helicopters

— Amy Szakacsi

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This book is extremely well written and will be of great value to a student just starting out or to a wise old helicopter instructor that's likely seen it all and any helicopter pilot serious about being the best they can be at their craft. All the information in this book is so easy to understand and better yet it's your commonsense approach in explaining things that makes it a joy to read. I have been flying and training in high-performance aircraft for more than 30 years and have managed a large flight department for the last 13 years, so this book matters to me. I tell folks all the time the absolute best training I receive and have ever received comes from you Larry. Your unwavering professionalism and expertise are such a breath of fresh air in this world of aviation. The techniques you teach and how well you're able to concisely break it down in terms even I can understand is remarkable. A quality, simple and very informative small book that will help many helicopter pilots and instructors for many years to come.

— Mike York, Director of Aviation, Joe Gibbs Racing

— Mike York

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Larry's approach to instruction is unique in that he doesn't try to reinvent the way you fly a helicopter. Instead, he identifies small habits and refinements that can make an already competent pilot smoother, more precise, and more deliberate. Having had the opportunity to fly with Larry personally, I found 10 Habits for Helicopter Pilots to be an excellent representation of the way he teaches in the aircraft. The book explains not only the techniques he teaches, but more importantly, the reasoning behind them. The habits build naturally on one another and provide value to both experienced pilots looking to refine their flying and instructors looking for better ways to teach those same concepts. These aren't simply techniques to read about; they are habits that can become part of the way you fly and the way you teach.

— Art Connolly, ATP Helicopter | CFII Rotorcraft, Former Chief Pilot, Air Ambulance Operations

— Art Connolly

Twin-Engine Helicopter

A VFR pilot's guide to flying like you actually have two engines — from a CFI with fifty years in the cockpit.

Fifty Years in the Cockpit

I've spent over fifty years flying and teaching helicopters — twenty-one of them as a factory test pilot for Bell Helicopter Textron, and the rest instructing pilots at every level, from first-time students to veterans with thousands of hours.


My books are built around the small, often-overlooked refinements that quietly separate good pilots from great ones — not new fundamentals, just the kind of thing a good instructor eventually points out. If you fly, or teach people to fly, I hope you'll find something useful here.