The 480B truly is a dream to fly and we often liken it to riding on a magic carpet thanks to the helicopter's smooth ride and excellent visibility. The three-bladed fully articulated system provides excellent stability and allows the pilot to have some fun with the ship without worrying about the aerodynamic problems of a two-bladed system. In fact the 480B can aerodynamically loop and roll, although we don't do this with the ship, it has safely been done. Enstrom has done an excellent job designing the 480B's control system so that hydraulics are not required which means pilots never have to worry about a failure. The helicopter's cyclic top controlled trim system is fast and easy to use, allowing for hands off flight in smooth air when required to grab a map or adjust the radios. The collective is also nicely balanced to allow for hands off flight in the cruise when required. Both the cyclic and collective have a fluid, authoritive feel that makes the 480B a blast to fly and exceptionally responsive.

The helicopter's tail rotor system provides excellent authority, which we discuss further under the safety tab and thanks to a unique planetary weight system the tail rotor blades hold their position, based on the pilots pedal setting. This system means there is minimal pressure required from the pilot to hold pedal settings and also allows for feet off operation under certain power settings.

Visibility for both the pilot and passengers is second to none and in this respect the ship must be flown for this "flight quality" of the helicopter to be truly appreciated. The instrument panel and all associated electronics are all in front of the pilot within easy reach and there's nothing above the pilot to fumble for in an emergency or stressful flight situation.

The Rolls Royce turbine engine is fully governed, once engine RPM is set in the operating range there is no further requirement for throttle input by the pilot. In addition the 480B incorporates what we call a power anticipator, which provides immediate power when the collective is raised. Many turbine helicopters have a noticeable power lag, called turbine lag, when the collective is raised based on the time it takes for the engine to "spool up" from a lower power setting, this can be disconcerting and sometimes dangerous on short final when power is required immediately. The 480B is engineered to anticipate turbine lag and the helicopter provides instant power to the pilot.