Hey peeps.
At what wind strengths would you no longer fly?
Park up and hide away?
Cheers
Cyclone Debbie
- aaron
- 1st Dan
- Posts: 219
- Joined: Feb 2010
- Eric Hunt
- 3rd Dan
- Posts: 914
- Joined: Sep 2006
Re: Cyclone Debbie
Depends on the task and the machine - if teaching a student to hover - 15-20 kt
Going to rescue somebody - forecast of severe turbulence
Been airborne in a 72kt wind, wasn't much fun.
Going to rescue somebody - forecast of severe turbulence
Been airborne in a 72kt wind, wasn't much fun.
- Helicoil
- Gold Wings
- Posts: 141
- Joined: Feb 2012
Re: Cyclone Debbie
Also depends on the terrain you're flying over - a 30knot wind over a flat surface like the sea is not the same as a 30knot wind approaching at 90 degrees to a mountain range at 7500 feet...
-
- 2nd Dan
- Posts: 425
- Joined: Jun 2006
Re: Cyclone Debbie
FEW @ 3500
-
- 2nd Dan
- Posts: 324
- Joined: Jan 2008
Re: Cyclone Debbie
It's not the flying that worries me, it's the start up & shut down. As a Squirrel driver around 30 knots or more you need to be on the ball, lots of people have the rotor blade strike the tail boom. Gusty conditions like those experienced with an approaching cyclone are particularly troublesome.
"Plan twice...Fly once"
- rotors99
- 1st Dan
- Posts: 224
- Joined: Oct 2009
Re: Cyclone Debbie
Not a biggy, shut a Squirrel down in 40-45knots many a times, land with the wind at 11 o'clock with loads of forward cyclic on shut down & be sure your rotor brake is well adjusted
- Yankee
- 2nd Dan
- Posts: 344
- Joined: Aug 2008
Re: Cyclone Debbie
Heard from an old codger about a time when he was doing hurricane evac from production platforms in the GOM. He said he would have to land at the front edge of he helipad and one or two rig monkeys would try jumping in before he was pushed off the back of the helideck by the wind. He would pull pitch and land back on the front of the helipad while another two would try getting in.
Sometimes It wasn't unheard of to come out and have only three broken tiedowns securely attached to the deck and absolutely no sign of a helicopter...
Fun times in the GOM.... Don't miss the work but sure do miss the fishing.
Sometimes It wasn't unheard of to come out and have only three broken tiedowns securely attached to the deck and absolutely no sign of a helicopter...
Fun times in the GOM.... Don't miss the work but sure do miss the fishing.
Don't think of yourself as and ugly person. Think of yourself as a beautiful monkey.
-
- Silver Wings
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Sep 2015
Re: Cyclone Debbie
You would start flying without cranking the engine at Hamilton Island right now.
SPECI YBHM 280008Z AUTO 29092G118KT 0200 // OVC004 35/35 Q0967
RMK RF01.6/012.8
SPECI YBHM 280008Z AUTO 29092G118KT 0200 // OVC004 35/35 Q0967
RMK RF01.6/012.8
- FerrariFlyer
- 4th Dan
- Posts: 1543
- Joined: Aug 2006
Re: Cyclone Debbie
zzodr wrote:You would start flying without cranking the engine at Hamilton Island right now.
SPECI YBHM 280008Z AUTO 29092G118KT 0200 // OVC004 35/35 Q0967
RMK RF01.6/012.8
Might need to use the strong wind start procedure for that...
- Capt Hollywood
- 3rd Dan
- Posts: 841
- Joined: Sep 2006
- Twistgrip
- 4th Dan
- Posts: 1169
- Joined: Sep 2006
Re: Cyclone Debbie
And even better goto the local establishment
All the best to everyone up that way.
All the best to everyone up that way.
"You can watch things happen, you can make things happen or you can wonder what happened"
- Pepi
- New Member
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Jun 2013
Return to “From the Hangar Floor”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests