for a little bush flying group I run down here I sometimes try and do videos with a few tips

Im sure for most of you this video is like telling you how to suck eggs but for those just getting into off airport flying, this little thing I like to do may be something that could stop your wheel from running into a hole of hitting a rock

Some good advice there. Reminds me of a good war story.

At Army primary helicopter school we were to lay out sticks, after landing of course, to guide us in any hover taxi to reposition for takeoff. The rough simi-arid land west of Mineral Wells, Texas was rocky and with ledges. After landing at my first solo white tire confined area, I frictioned the collective down and rolled the throttle to flight idle as taught. As soon as I stepped off the skid, the little Hughes began to tip. I got back in, took off, and didn't ever get out in a LZ again.

Yes good advice.

And another Mineral Wells TX Primary Helicopter School story. My best friend, a Captain, most of us were Lt’s, and I were each cleared to land solo into white tire confined areas, we followed each other around for awhile bagging a few. Each time getting out of the OH13 while at idle as described, walking back, and placing sticks/rocks or whatever to tell us when to stop backing up. It was getting late and my friend spotted a red tire area and decided to land, he then realized how late it was and backed up without getting out. He ran the tail rotor into some tree branches and told me it sounded horrible. He shut down checked the tail rotor and only saw a few dents. Knowing he would be kicked out of the program if he were caught in a red tire area, they were for use by instructors only, he took off and landed back at the stage field. His post flight write up included “small dents in tail rotor”. As we were driving away on the bus it suddenly stopped, two instructors along with the Commander all came on board yelling his name then screaming about small dents in the tail rotor. He was taken off the bus for a debrief. He managed to stay in the program. Later when asked what he told them all he said to me was deny, deny, deny.