Helicopters

[Maydup]

In light of the awful news of yesterdays helicopter crash in Leicester, and the number of similar tragic accidents involving these light private machines, do you they are suitable form of transport?

[gness]

Being in the oil industry MrG must have flown in hundreds of helicopters, often in remote and wild places and I hated it, Maydup.

I also refused all the gifts of flights over places like the Grand Canyon.....just not for me...x

[Patsy33]

Not safe it seems. Some terrible tragedies over the years. I wouldn't want to go in one.

[AuntLydia]

There is no wiggle room with a helicopter. They drop like a stone. On the other hand thousands of flights take place every year and for some remote places its the only form of communication with the outside world for large parts of the year. You would only get me on one in an emergency.

[New Judge]

They're not the most pleasant form of transport (I've flown in quite a few). But they are very useful and versatile. I haven't checked but I'm not sure that their safety record is any worse than fixed wing light aircraft.

[TonyV]

yes of course. Yesterdays tragic accident will be investigated. A helicopter always took of from the stadium after home games.

[TonyV]

Aunt you can auto rotate a helicopter if you are high enough and almost glide it to a safe landing if engine failure occurs

[AuntLydia]

Tony V I didn't know that. I thought if the blades jammed they would just drop. Still not going on one though :-)

[New Judge]

"There is no wiggle room with a helicopter. They drop like a stone."

That's not actually correct. A helicopter that suffers an engine failure will "auto rotate" and, providing it is piloted properly and the transmission has not suffered damage to prevent it, the rotor will turn freely and provide sufficient lift to enable a controlled descent. Helicopters have a "freewheel" device which disconnects the rotor from the engine in the event of power failure or failure of the tail rotor. It's rather like a fixed-wing aircraft gliding after loss of engine power.

Of course a safe outcome depends on there being somewhere safe to land. The main causes of helicopter crashes are either seized transmission (which prevents auto-rotation) or landing under aut-rotation but in an unsuitable place.

[retrocop]

Have no qualms at all about helicopter flights and have done many but I was a little concerned when flying out of RAF Odiham in a chinook I noticed a large pool of liquid on the deck under neath the rear motor turbine.I mentioned it to the Loadmaster and he shrugged nonchalantly and said,"It's either hydraulics or lube oil from the gearbox. Happens all the time." We got to what was RAF Nutts Corner anyhow.

[EDDIE51]

If the engine fails in a Helicopter it just drops from where ever it is. They can not glide as a fixed wing aircraft can. This is why they are less safe. They are banned from flying over built up areas unless they are police or other essential services.

[retrocop]

NJ
The seized transmission was very much in the back of mind when the Load master suggested it could be lube oil from the rear turbine gearbox. I was aware that USAAF had already lost a Chinook or two from transmission seizure. Much later,fter that flight a RAF chinook ploughed in with a load of High Ranking Staff Officers killed. The Enquiry suggested pilot error but many believed it was a failure of the transmission and a cover up

[retrocop]

I believe single turbine choppers are banned from over flying urban areas. but not double tubine. The Met police used Twin Turbine Squirrels in my day in any case.

[retrocop]

Eddie
See Point 10.
Top 10 Reasons for using Twin-Engine Helicopters



1.Safety – two engines are always better than one.

2.Longer distance – you can fly much further before refueling.

3.They are faster- knocking 20 minutes off a light between London and Manchester

4.More luxurious – bigger aircraft means more room for you, your guests and luggage

5.Quieter. Twin-engine helicopters tend to be equipped with better sound-proofing.

6.More experienced pilots

7.Night flights – ideal for flying into London in the evening

8.Fly to the continent – Paris is only 90 minutes from London

9.All weather capability

10.Fly over built-up areas – get closer to your destination

[Prudie]

"They are banned from flying over built up areas unless they are police or other essential services" - that statement is quite untrue unless you deem every flight an essential service. Taking off from Leicester football ground for example...

[retrocop]

Quite Prudie as I pointed out above.

[ummmm]

Eddie gets it so wrong so often.

[TonyV]

retro these seem to work quite well

https://www.heliair.com/aerial-application/

[Rockrose]

My father a seasoned flyer absolutely hates helicopters and has to be dragged kicking and screaming on to them. Interesting state of affairs given his previous career

[Prudie]

I'm a nervous flier so you wouldn't get me in a helicopter ever - it is the dropping like a stone thing that terrifies me - however I guess their safety record is on a par with planes though.

[derek-33]

i get a few every week over my town centre and not police or rescue either