Ducking under helicopter blades - why?
Discussion
Mave said:
Vipers said:
Always told you approached towards the door, not the front, especially an S76, that's the one took the HLO's head off on the DSV Mayo I believe.
Out of interest, why not the front? Is that because if the pilot hadn't spotted you and was taking off he'd dip the front of the rotor circle downwards to accelerate? Assuming he landed into wind, would wind gusts make the rotors lift more at the front than the sides?A beautiful sight, after five weeks onboard.
Mave said:
Good video, thanks.
Any idea why it's set up like that? Reduce ground resonance by putting a bit of forward load on the helicopter? Is that actually the "neutral" point on the cyclic, so you get more total range in the forward direction than the rear? I guess a high speed helicopter is limited by the articulation of the hinges, so maybe they're biased towards forwards flight? I couldn't see from the film, is the rotor shaft inclined forward?
I'm pretty sure that to get forward motion on flight it's better to have the rotor head / disc angled forward to help with the 'drive'. It doesn't matter at idle as long as the blades are neutral.Any idea why it's set up like that? Reduce ground resonance by putting a bit of forward load on the helicopter? Is that actually the "neutral" point on the cyclic, so you get more total range in the forward direction than the rear? I guess a high speed helicopter is limited by the articulation of the hinges, so maybe they're biased towards forwards flight? I couldn't see from the film, is the rotor shaft inclined forward?
ecsrobin said:
Vipers said:
My pal who works offshore tells me this.
Assuming the chopper is facing 12'o clock, you only approach from 2 to 4, and 8 to 10, photo coming.
All depending on the model of helicopter. Chinooks, Marlins S-92 all have rear ramps Assuming the chopper is facing 12'o clock, you only approach from 2 to 4, and 8 to 10, photo coming.
kev b said:
Does anyone else remember a while back, 20 yrs or more iirc, a wealthy bloke arrived home by helicopter, his wife and young child were awaiting his arrival.
The youngster ran to her dad and he swept her up straight into the rotors, my children were the same age at the time and my blood still runs cold thinking about it.
Yes, I remember that too. A terrible thing. The youngster ran to her dad and he swept her up straight into the rotors, my children were the same age at the time and my blood still runs cold thinking about it.
Siko said:
ecsrobin said:
All depending on the model of helicopter. Chinooks, Marlins S-92 all have rear ramps
A though if you walk up the ramp of an Oil and Gas S92 you'll get as far as the cargo bay and a wall wokkadriver said:
Except in a chinook. The front is a bad thing….
Many, many years ago I used to marshall visiting aircraft for a living and by and far the most scaryiest ones were the Chinook and the Jolly green giant! Very large rotor discs, and very low at the front when they are driving towards you!Ray Luxury-Yacht said:
This is why, when the chopper I sometimes work with starts up, our Pilot tells us to stay away from the disc until he gives us a thumbs up - when he does, we can then approach the aircraft and it is apparently when the engine is up to Flight Idle mode, and the disc is the least likely to deflect in wind.
HTH...
The standard practice where I work is to be close in the the fuselage and in the drivers view during start up.HTH...
Sophiefatale said:
Just watched Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry again and one thing got me thinking.
When people run for a helicopter that has it's blades spinning, why do they duck down?
On a R22 or something, yes, I can understand that but you get people ducking even when running up to chinooks and other big stuff.
Anyways, that film always impresses me in the quality of the flying, stupid but enjoyable.
I used to refuel chinooks and all other RAF helicopters, if youy dont lean forward while running towards them they will blow you off your feet.When people run for a helicopter that has it's blades spinning, why do they duck down?
On a R22 or something, yes, I can understand that but you get people ducking even when running up to chinooks and other big stuff.
Anyways, that film always impresses me in the quality of the flying, stupid but enjoyable.
Well, I just finished watching the S76 safety video, again. Every five weeks for the last ten years, I can almost recite it word and verse......
"Always approach the helicopter in the 45 to 90 degree corridor, and NEVER duck under the tail boom. The tail rotor operates and very high speeds and......" etc etc
"Always approach the helicopter in the 45 to 90 degree corridor, and NEVER duck under the tail boom. The tail rotor operates and very high speeds and......" etc etc
King Herald said:
Well, I just finished watching the S76 safety video, again. Every five weeks for the last ten years, I can almost recite it word and verse......
"Always approach the helicopter in the 45 to 90 degree corridor, and NEVER duck under the tail boom. The tail rotor operates and very high speeds and......" etc etc
Never approach the Pilot from the rear."Always approach the helicopter in the 45 to 90 degree corridor, and NEVER duck under the tail boom. The tail rotor operates and very high speeds and......" etc etc
Something like that as I recall from my North Sea days
Blib said:
kev b said:
Does anyone else remember a while back, 20 yrs or more iirc, a wealthy bloke arrived home by helicopter, his wife and young child were awaiting his arrival.
The youngster ran to her dad and he swept her up straight into the rotors, my children were the same age at the time and my blood still runs cold thinking about it.
Yes, I remember that too. A terrible thing. The youngster ran to her dad and he swept her up straight into the rotors, my children were the same age at the time and my blood still runs cold thinking about it.
Forget safey and the whole "losing your head" business, have you after approached a heli with the blades still going ? The power/force that comes of those things!
I work alongside/on these babies and when those blades are still going you when you approach or walk away from it, you'll duck even if you don't want to.
The 'wind' it creates is so strong your eyes will start watering and you won't be able to see anything, any nearby items (a branch/stick, empty can of drink, anything) will come flying at your head at 200 mp/h and it has once ripped my sunglasses of my face (which landed far far away, and were returned to me in several pieces by a friendly policeman)...
Does remind me of a job in winter were it was landing in a large farm field covered in snow, when it approached the ground me and 1 policeman took cover behind his large 4x4 number, whilst his collegue started approached the area were the chopper was going to land, untill he realised that was a bad idea, but he could not reach us back in time and got literally covered head to toe by this massive wave of snow that turned him into a real-life snowman
I work alongside/on these babies and when those blades are still going you when you approach or walk away from it, you'll duck even if you don't want to.
The 'wind' it creates is so strong your eyes will start watering and you won't be able to see anything, any nearby items (a branch/stick, empty can of drink, anything) will come flying at your head at 200 mp/h and it has once ripped my sunglasses of my face (which landed far far away, and were returned to me in several pieces by a friendly policeman)...
Does remind me of a job in winter were it was landing in a large farm field covered in snow, when it approached the ground me and 1 policeman took cover behind his large 4x4 number, whilst his collegue started approached the area were the chopper was going to land, untill he realised that was a bad idea, but he could not reach us back in time and got literally covered head to toe by this massive wave of snow that turned him into a real-life snowman
Getting on and off these buggering things was never fun...
...no matter how much you tell yourself that the tail rotor disc is high up, and wholly above the tail boom, you're forever convinced that you'll run out the back straight into the world's biggest meat mincer. Burgers for lunch, anyone?
...no matter how much you tell yourself that the tail rotor disc is high up, and wholly above the tail boom, you're forever convinced that you'll run out the back straight into the world's biggest meat mincer. Burgers for lunch, anyone?
Why?
Well for me, personally, the one time I exited a helicopter with its rotors turning, the reason I ducked was that there were these big black solid widgets rotating at stupidly high speed, inches above my noggin.
Plus I was about a foot taller than any of the other passengers & they all did it.
When in Rome....(well Nice to be precise).
Well for me, personally, the one time I exited a helicopter with its rotors turning, the reason I ducked was that there were these big black solid widgets rotating at stupidly high speed, inches above my noggin.
Plus I was about a foot taller than any of the other passengers & they all did it.
When in Rome....(well Nice to be precise).
You find yourself doing it naturally unless you are very short or not keen on keeping your hair! Some of the helicopters with rotors very low at the front even more so. Ours has a fairly flat rotor but its still a case of eye contact with crew and we can approach,but we have quite a big safe zone on the EC135. We don't have such an issue when getting out as its a slightly less conventional exit!
schuey said:
but we have quite a big safe zone on the EC135. We don't have such an issue when getting out as its a slightly less conventional exit!
I work as crew on an EC135 fitted with high skids, it leaves plenty of room. When we get a replacment or visiting aircraft fitted with low skids I find myself curling up into a ball with a horrible feeling they're much lower than they really are..We often work at the rear with the rotors running to get kit out through the clamshell doors. We're still very careful with our movements even if a fenestron is a lot more protected. Getting me or something caught in it doesn't bear thinking about!
If people stick at 10-2 and wait for the thumbs up before entering the disc they shouldn't go far wrong.
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