# Why don't helicopters ever break down and fall out of the sky?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-helicopters-ever-break-down-and-fall-out-of-the-sky/517668>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 15, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-helicopters-ever-break-down-and-fall-out-of-the-sky/517668 "2009-11-15T17:31:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-helicopters-ever-break-down-and-fall-out-of-the-sky/517668/61 "2009-11-16T19:37:25Z")

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> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#):
>
> Robert Mason, in his excellent Vietnam helicopter-pilot memoir _Chickenhawk_, tells of training in Hueys which had an off-switch for the instructor, who loved to turn off the helicopter’s engine at the most inconvenient moments.

Civilian instructors like to chop the throttle without warning. I could get to tell when they were going to do it though, since was lovely.

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