Safety
Learning to fly safely
A good example is what helicopter flight school Hillsboro Aero Academy teaches its students: the concept of the en-route descent point (EDP). Before taking off, the student has to specify their particular EDP on a written form, and it varies depending on their experience level.
For example, a relatively low-time student might create an EDP that says, “If I have to reduce speed by five or more knots twice,” (typically due to deteriorating weather), “then I will either land or turn around.” Another example is that if the pilot finds himself lowering the collective two times or more and, due to the lower power output, descending 200 feet below the flight-planned altitude, then he would turn around or land. The fixed-wing analog might be descending 500 feet below the planned altitude and slowing 15 knots below cruise speed, but that also could depend on the type of airplane.
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