Helicopter ground taxiing uses less fuel than hover-taxiing and ___.

• A. is faster
• B. minimizes air turbulence
• C. is easier for the pilot
• D. keeps the helicopter higher out of the way of ground traffic

Answer: (B)

Ground taxiing uses less fuel because the helicopter is supported by the ground, so the rotor doesn’t have to produce as much lift. The engine mainly powers propulsion to move along the surface, not to keep the aircraft aloft, which saves fuel compared with hover-taxiing where the rotor must generate lift to stay in the air. Hover-taxiing also creates strong rotor downwash, leading to more air turbulence around the helicopter and nearby people and objects. Ground taxiing reduces that downwash, making air around the helicopter smoother. So, the best description is that this method minimizes air turbulence. The other points—being faster, easier for the pilot, or staying higher to avoid traffic—aren’t consistent advantages of ground taxiing.