The J-hook, step by step

Read this first: it is a SQUAD tutorial

The standard J-hook

1. Approach at normal altitude and a sensible speedHe flies these between 80 and 120 knots — roughly 150–220 km/h. Fast enough to have energy to trade, not so fast that you cannot manage it.
2. Roll toward the side you are hooking toHe demonstrates hooking right, so he rolls right. Commit to the direction.
3. Collective completely downAll the way, as you commit. This is the same non-negotiable every source repeats.
4. Pull back on the cyclicNose up as you roll — the roll and the pull happen together, not one after the other.
5. Hold pedal to whip the tail roundHooking right means holding right pedal. This is what swings the tail out while the nose stays where you are looking.
6. Raise the collective and level outOnce the rotation has done its work, collective back in and wings level, using the pedals to settle the direction you are facing.

Gauging the collective on the way down

His rule for the last part of the descent is refreshingly mechanical: falling too fast, raise the collective; not falling fast enough, lower it. Balance altitude against collective and land softly.

The low, fast variant

The second version is his go-to when the priority is getting down now. Same approach, but flown lower, turning sharper, with the nose pointed toward the ground. Once the tail has come fully round, level the aircraft and kill the remaining speed as fast as you can.

It is the same maneuver with less margin. Worth having, worth not attempting first.

The three mistakes he sees most

1. Forgetting to level outWatch the attitude indicator in the centre of the screen. Even with backwards momentum, the smallest lean will correct it — and do not chase it with big corrections.
2. Misjudging the collectiveHe is blunt that there is no trick here: soft landings come from practising the collective until you can feel the sink rate. Nothing else fixes it.
3. Not knowing the landing zoneYour odds go up enormously if you already know the LZ and what kind of landing it needs. Same conclusion Sim Controls reaches — premeditate the spot.