Helicopter damper

[Morrisman]

I did some work for a chap who worked off shore, he said travelling by helicopter is trusting you life to 100,000 parts vibrating around an oil leak

Friend of mine is an airline pilot, he reckons helicopters only fly because they are so ugly the earth repels them.

I've flown dozens of trips in them, when I worked in the Gulf of Mexico, the 'great freedom bird' we called them, when they came to pick us up after 6 weeks off shore.

 

[Morrisman]

Spent 20 years going to rigs on choppers

It one of those low potential high consequence situations

This video was taken by a guy in a rival seismic company, CGG. Some of our ships were the same style, helideck at the front. It was quite interesting landing, flying backwards at 5 knots, while facing the wheelhouse.

 

[Onoff]

I once saw a heli fall out of the sky and was about to call 999 when it recovered. This happened a couple more times and was told it was a military training area and they were practicing auto rotation. Still shocking to see as the rate of fall was quite fast

A vague recollection that some military helicopters have depleted uranium tips. To keep momentum up or something in case of engine failure. Could be wrong...

Once worked with a guy who made test rigs of a sort. It was like two projecting arms, one above the other on wheels. They'd strap like something akin to toilet paper between the arms and push the rig into the arc of the rotating blades. Would then recover the "chopped" paper and measure the length or something. Was to do with balancing the rotors or something. Talking nearly 40 years ago so.....

 

[Parm]

This video was taken by a guy in a rival seismic company. Some of our ships were the same style, helideck at the front. It was quite interesting landing, flying backwards at 5 knots, while facing the wheelhouse.

I bet it was

 

[Morrisman]

A vague recollection that some military helicopters have depleted uranium tips. To keep momentum up or something in case of engine failure. Could be wrong...

Once worked with a guy who made test rigs of a sort. It was like two projecting arms, one above the other on wheels. They'd strap like something akin to toilet paper between the arms and push the rig into the arc of the rotating blades. Would then recover the "chopped" paper and measure the length or something. Was to do with balancing the rotors or something. Talking nearly 40 years ago so.....

We weren't allowed to carry anything, or wear any sort of hat when boarding the choppers, even a ball cap getting sucked up into the rotor would mean the chopper had to be shut down and inspection done. They left the engines running when they picked us up or dropped us off.

 

[Parm]

We weren't allowed to carry anything, or wear any sort of hat when boarding the choppers, even a ball cap getting sucked up into the rotor would mean the chopper had to be shut down and inspection done. They left the engines running when they picked us up or dropped us off.

Quick on or off with the blades turning. Any kit hoofed off by the apes. Soon learnt the importance of a well padded peli case

 

[500e]

When I was training we did auto rotations every lesson & they were to the ground ! not 6 ft recovery, and still do practice ones as well,
They need to be an automatic reaction and practiced. It all happens fast.
Sit in a chair feet in front of you you are going to land just above your toes if a strait in approach, where is the wind ? what wires can you see, can you miss the trees houses etc.
So eng stops pole down right foot to stop yaw, nose down to keep forward speed 60/70 knots in the 500, look for those things that will spoil your day on ground all the time watching Rotor rpm ( keep in green arc) Pick the spot 40/60 ft flare with cyclic this will bring up Rotor rpm, and arrest your decent level out with cyclic low forward speed and breath.
You can play with some parts to lengthen glide but not by much Glide is a relative term, after a while you are assessing all the time, I am talking about the 500 and 300 a Bell 206 has a lot more rotor inertia so behaves slightly differently
At 500 ft sheep look like maggots
@Johnnybravo
There is one for each blade it affects both balance & track.
@Morrisman
That was for tracking things have moved on thankfully all electronic now

DynaTrack for Helicopter Blade Track-and-Balance

Track and balance helicopter rotor blades with the DynaVibe GX3 and DynaTrack

www.rpxtech.com

 

[daleyd]

I was on HMS Argyll when we did deck landing trials for the EHI01 Merlin back in the early 90’s - compared to the Lynx which we normally carried it was monstrous, the FDO had to hang on for grim death when it was landing/taking off compared to the much smaller lynx.

Not my pic but gives an idea of the scale…

Damn good pilots to land those on a small flight deck that’s moving forward as well as up and down and side to side.

 

[grim_d]

Thankfully they’re not known for departing the wing as they’re my working donkeys

Very safe aircraft.

They are nickel superalloy bolts to be fair.

Tried to turn one in the lathe....hard nope.

 

[zeppelin builder]

got on a chopper on a flight to shetland everybody seated an belted in pilot had his cursory walk round as he aproached the door he bent down and picked up a rather large circlip from the helideck climbed in and showed it to the co pilot who shrugged his shoulders. he then placed it in a cubby hole overhead and proceded to take off i can asure you i breathed a sigh of relief when we touched down in sumburgh

 

[500e]

Some years ago had a friend a long haul pilot who used to pop out of cockpit with a hatch key, open an inspection cover in gangway and shake head close it up and back to cockpit, strange sense of humor, Co asked him to stop, he could never understand why

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Got a parachute briefing prior to flying in a warbird once, bloke used to fly Hercs into storms for the uscg. Brief was “ never mind 3 bailout commands, I’ll be gone before I’ve finished the first one. Make sure you get the right buckle for your harness otherwise you just undid your chute. And no counting to 10 crap, if it hasn’t popped as you leave the aircraft, pull the cord like you’re trying to pull a rapist off your sister” he was generally a man of few words, and none very long

 

[brightspark]

I once saw a heli fall out of the sky and was about to call 999 when it recovered. This happened a couple more times and was told it was a military training area and they were practicing auto rotation. Still shocking to see as the rate of fall was quite fast

did one in my mates helicopter he said was i frightened nupe not after having 3 engine fails at a few hundred foot in my mycrolite and pranged up 2 hangliders then had a cable break on the way up in a k13 glider on top of the moor at carlton bank

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

I did some work for a chap who worked off shore, he said travelling by helicopter is trusting you life to 100,000 parts vibrating around an oil leak

While beating physics into submission.

 

[cardiffrob]

I've had 3 engine failures. 2 in Piston Singles and one in a 757.

Watching that Helo video gave me a Shrinky Winkie. I find those sort of Pilot Perspective clips hard to watch, but also very hard to turn away from.

 

[500e]

Had one in a 300 fuel contamination it was not like the training 1/ it all happened faster 2/ there was not that little bit of residual power 3/ was very low and lucky, flat ground and good training don't even remember what I did. about 15 seconds and on ground
Strange contamination 1/4 tank of Avgas did water check (first flight of day) when we looked for cause water in fuel, none in the bulk tank drained both tanks about an egg cup full total we reckon condensation on sides of tank vibration shook it down tank sides never had it before or after

 

[Climber]

Is that not what gives it lift?

Lol.

 

[chunkolini]

At 500 ft sheep look like maggots

That made me laugh.
I remember my only thought on my first real paraglider flight was
'Ohmigodthesheeplooklike@#$%$#@maggots"

 

[zeppelin builder]

always felt safe in the old sikorskys !
super puma the one with the allegro gearbox that was a different matter always waiting on bing bong so many lost lives , worldwide

 

[Parm]

i couldn't imagine lasting long in the north sea

I seem to remeber the training folk saying 30 mins if you are wearing a survival suit and have three layers of clothing

Lucky if you make 30 mins as there are others things that will have a good go at ending your life first