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D E L I V E R I N G G L O B A L C O V E R A G E O F T H E H E L I C O P T E R I N D U S T R Y
J A N / F E B 2 0 0 8 I I S S U E 5 2
C O N T E N T S I i s s u e 5 2 I j a n / f e b 2 0 0 8
COvEr fEaTurE: helI-loggIng – eco-style
Mark Ogden reports from sarawak on the extraordinary work of the erickson air Crane and its crew in the Malaysian jungle, and ponders questions over their future.
bIg lIft! bIg coUntRy!
When Redfern Resources needed to commence construction work at a challenging remote site they turned to the heavy lifting Chinook of Columbia helicopters to get the job done.
a qUaRteR c of hIgh flyIn’
as Malaysian Helicopter services celebrates 25 years of operation, it is embarking on an ambitious program of expansion, at the same time facing all the challenges of satisfying customer demand whilst maintaining safety and profitability.
RUssIa’s pRodIgal pRototype
This year, Russia’s most important civil helicopter project, the Mi-38, enters a very important development phase. alex Mladenov provides an insight into the helicopter’s protracted development set against Russia’s struggling economy.
long lIne boot caMp
so you think you can hover a helicopter? sure! but take away the horizon and visual cues, hang out the door looking directly behind you and suddenly the feeling is anything but familiar. sarah bowen checks out long line training for herself at Los angeles Helicopters.
can yoUR helIcopteR have too MUch poweR?
nick Lappos examines the helicopter designer’s dilemma of how a helicopter can sometimes have too much power.
24
36
46
54
64
74
34
44
54
from the editor 3
new products and services 7
personal profile: rafael perez, offshore pilot – eket, nigeria 79
the last word: the rotorcraft market – Bear or Bull? 80
environmentallY responsiBle loGGinG – the extraordinary erickson air crane hard at work in the heart of the malaysian jungle. 24
r E g u l a r f E a T u r E S C O l u m N S
eYe on east europe: all Balls in one Basket – russian-style 13
fliGht dYnamics: retreating Blade stall 15
law & order: emergency action plans – they’re not Just for operators 17
fliGht traininG: instructing Basics – part 1 19
safetY: the single pilot 21
cfi: teaching – the Greatest lesson 23
photo: ned dawson
AerospAce FiltrAtion systems, inc. A Donaldson company 636-300-5200 fax 636-300-5205 www.AFs f i l t e r s . com
No matter where you fly, you need AFS.
AFS leads the industry with high-performance engine Inlet Barrier Filtration systems for commercial and military propulsion systems. Commercial systems include Bell 205, 206B, 206L‑1/3/4, and 407, MDHI MD 500/900/902, Eurocopter AS350, and AgustaWestland A119 helicopters. Military systems include OH‑58A/C/D Kiowa, UH‑1H Huey, AH/MH‑6J/M Little Bird, UH‑60 Black Hawk, AH‑64 Apache APU, and CH‑47 Chinook APU. Development systems include Eurocopter EC‑130, Bell 417/429/430 and AgustaWestland AW139.
From the deserts of Iraq to the forests of California, AFS systems are protecting engines, enhancing performance, reducing costs, and helping operators do what they do best.
Insist on an AFS filter. Install before flight.
Your mission.
Our filter.
Install before
flight.
AFS 1P ad HO08.indd 1 1/25/08 4:39:24 PM
3AerospAce FiltrAtion systems, inc. A Donaldson company 636-300-5200 fax 636-300-5205 www.AFs f i l t e r s . com
No matter where you fly, you need AFS.
AFS leads the industry with high-performance engine Inlet Barrier Filtration systems for commercial and military propulsion systems. Commercial systems include Bell 205, 206B, 206L‑1/3/4, and 407, MDHI MD 500/900/902, Eurocopter AS350, and AgustaWestland A119 helicopters. Military systems include OH‑58A/C/D Kiowa, UH‑1H Huey, AH/MH‑6J/M Little Bird, UH‑60 Black Hawk, AH‑64 Apache APU, and CH‑47 Chinook APU. Development systems include Eurocopter EC‑130, Bell 417/429/430 and AgustaWestland AW139.
From the deserts of Iraq to the forests of California, AFS systems are protecting engines, enhancing performance, reducing costs, and helping operators do what they do best.
Insist on an AFS filter. Install before flight.
Your mission.
Our filter.
Install before
flight.
AFS 1P ad HO08.indd 1 1/25/08 4:39:24 PM
elcome to Issue 52, our biggest and brightest yet. In this, our Heli-Expo 2008 issue, you will notice some major changes including a new design, heavier paper
and many more pages. We decided to unveil our new look at Heli-Expo since this is the place where “all” new products and services for the helicopter industry are revealed each year. I am sure our new look will appeal to most, and in addition, we have also enhanced our worldwide coverage with new correspondents providing valuable insights from the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Africa.
With all these new contributors coming onboard we thought it was also a great opportunity to introduce you to a few of the HeliOps crew, and reflect on the knowledge and expertise they bring to our magazine.
alex mladenov
In this issue we introduce alex as our eastern european columnist, and we are pleased to announce that he has been appointed deputy editor alongside sarah Bowen. alex will be bringing us regular updates from eastern europe including russia.
alex grew up near sofia, Bulgaria and since 1991 has been working as an aerospace journalist and photographer,
specializing in east european and russian military and civil aviation topics. he has been a regular contributor to helitac since early 2007 and his first article for heliops appeared in our last issue.
Nick lappos
Nick brings an almost incomparable wealth of experience to our pages as editor of what is arguably one of the best flight dynamics columns you’ll find in any industry magazine. nick is the vp Government programs at Gulfstream aerospace, and trying to single out just a couple of nick’s achievements is challenging. as well as being a us army vietnam veteran flying cobras in
over 900 combat missions for which he was awarded the Bronze star and the republic of vietnam’s cross of Gallantry, nick’s engineering honors include a mention on the dean’s list, a listing in the who’s who in american colleges and universities, tau Beta pi, and sigma Gamma tau. he is a fellow of the american helicopter society and received the frederick feinberg award as most outstanding pilot and also the society of experimental test pilots tenhoff award in 1988.
he holds 16 us patents and three fai world-speed records and has authored numerous technical papers for the american helicopter society, the royal aeronautical society and the sae. nick was a test pilot for sikorsky for over 27 years, flying over 70 different helicopter types and was their chief r&d test pilot for over 12 years. he was the program manager for the s-92 during its development, certification and introduction into production, and in 2002, the national aeronautic association awarded the s-92 industry team the robert J collier trophy.
nick’s columns and articles in heliops have led to the rewriting of some instructional texts and given readers a better understanding of many facets of helicopter flying and development.
Phil Croucher
Our uK-based safety editor, phil croucher, holds Jaa, uK, uae and canadian professional licenses for aeroplanes and helicopters and has over 8,500 hours’ experience on 37 types. at various times, he has been a chief pilot, ops manager, training captain and type rating examiner for several companies, and he is also a Jaa
w
By mark Ogden
fRoM the edItoR
The Name To Know In Helicopters
SEASPRITE
KAMAN AEROSPACE | CONNECTICUT USA | 1-860-243-7431 |[email protected]
The Kaman name is synonymous with creativity, innovation and leadership. It has been this way since we were founded in 1945and it still holds true.
Kaman continues to innovate and respond to the needs of a changing market with new products, new technologies and an exciting new area of focus.
From innovating new concepts and vertical flight solutions to delivering design, integration and manufacturing services to meet a rotorcraft industry in need.Kaman is the name to know.
Come visit us at
Heli-Expo 2008 Booth 2447, Hall C
Kaman 1P ad HO 20080123.indd 1 1/23/08 1:54:47 PM
5
certified crm ground instructor. his flight experience includes vip/corporate, airline/scheduled, police, ems/ambulance, high/low-level photography, long lining, mountain flying, seeding, power line & gas pipeline survey, and offshore work.
phil has also been successfully publishing his own computer books for over 20 years, and, after discovering the poor quality of ground study material available to pilots in canada when converting his uK licenses, he decided to transfer his skills and form his own training and consultancy company to produce aviation books and publications for the worldwide market.
rob van de vuurst
rob shares his vast legal knowledge in our law & order column every issue. he is a shareholder in the Johnson city/tri-cities office of Baker, donelson, Bearman, caldwell & Berkowitz, pc, and is a recognized expert in aviation law, with an emphasis on corporate, regulatory and general transactional issues. rob has been named one of the outstanding 150 attorneys in the state of
tennessee for two years running and was the vice chairman for the 2007 heli-expo human resources committee. rob’s legal columns have provided an insight into the considerations and issues many of us need to be aware of in the helicopter industry.
Well these are just a few of HeliOps’ big team that we’ll introduce you to over the next few issues. But talking of “big”, this year’s Heli-Expo is bigger than ever – reflecting the general health of the industry. Some manufacturers, like Eurocopter and Sikorsky have firmly established themselves as leaders in the industry’s future and their products on show reflect their dynamic approaches. Then there are the companies that have taken the old and made them new again – companies like Carson and Heli Lynx. Yet one company looks quite different. I may well be wrong, but I am starting to wonder if Bell has lost its way. Under Redenbaugh, Bell looked like a company that was going to resurrect itself and once again become a power in the civilian industry with the 429 being the first of a long line of new products. Yes, he was a great showman but since his departure, we have heard little positive news about Bell’s future products. The 429 is developing and has great potential, but the 609 is years late, and then what else is happening? I sincerely hope that after it decided to end manufacture of the 206B, 427, 430 and 210, Bell will soon announce some firm plans for visionary civilian products based on its MAPL concept. There are some great people in a great company but they have some catching up to do – again.
As I travel the world, it is evident that the industry is facing severe shortages in experienced pilots and engineers globally. I have often commented on the need for operators to institute schemes to encourage inexperienced newcomers into the industry in a controlled and well-supervised manner. The trouble is that there is such a lead-time; what worries me is that rather than paying the right amount to hold and encourage people, the industry as a whole will lower its standards. I hope that doesn’t happen, but with offshore, EMS and law enforcement sectors expanding all around the world, growth and development needs to be carefully controlled to avoid the “accident” headlines.
With all the frenzied work around mainly associated with the oil market, it is interesting to hear how some operators are taking a “step back”. In trying to meet their customers’ overnight demands for increased services, some operators have been “pushing” a little too hard with limited resources and experience. Some have tripped and have been forced into a little navel gazing. Yet what really needs to happen is for customers such as oil companies to become partners and understand that operations can’t be ramped up overnight (especially with the shortages in pilots, engineers and equipment) and that more progressive and planned expansion is needed.
I hope you enjoy the new look HeliOps. As always we welcome your feedback and comment – either good or otherwise. Please let me know at [email protected].
Safe flying and see you at Heli-Expo. n
ceo neville (ned) Dawson
pUblIsheRCathy Horton
edItoRMark Ogden
depUty edItoRssarah bowen alexander Mladenov
sUb edItoRsCallum McPherson Leigh neil Rob neil
Us edItoRsGreg Davis aaron fitzgerald
legal edItoRRobert Van de Vuurst
technology edItoRnick Lappos
safety edItoRPhil Croucher
ItalIan coRRespondentDamiano Gualdoni
scandInavIan coRRespondentRickard Gilberg
pRoofReadeRbarbara Mcintosh
pRIntIngPrint World
edItoRIal addRessOceania Group intl PO box 37 978, Parnell auckland, new Zealand PHOne: + 64 21 909 699 faX: + 64 9 528 3172
websItewww.heliopsmag.com
is published by Oceania
Group Intl. Contents are copyright and may
not be reproduced without the writ ten
consent of the publisher. Most ar ticles are
commisioned but quality contributions will
be considered. Whilst every care is taken
Oceania Group Intl accept no responsibility
for submitted material. All views expressed
in HeliOps are not necessarily those of
Oceania Group Intl.
fRoM the edItoR (Continued)
i have often commented
on the need for operators to
institute schemes to encourage
inexperienced newcomers into
the industry in a controlled and
well-supervised manner.
The Name To Know In Helicopters
SEASPRITE
KAMAN AEROSPACE | CONNECTICUT USA | 1-860-243-7431 |[email protected]
The Kaman name is synonymous with creativity, innovation and leadership. It has been this way since we were founded in 1945and it still holds true.
Kaman continues to innovate and respond to the needs of a changing market with new products, new technologies and an exciting new area of focus.
From innovating new concepts and vertical flight solutions to delivering design, integration and manufacturing services to meet a rotorcraft industry in need.Kaman is the name to know.
Come visit us at
Heli-Expo 2008 Booth 2447, Hall C
Kaman 1P ad HO 20080123.indd 1 1/23/08 1:54:47 PM
Bigger. Better. More.
Pick up your copy at Heli-Expo, booth 2263.
darthelicopterservices.com
Dart 1P HO.indd 4 1/23/08 1:34:09 PM
geneva aviation has received faa certification of an advanced version of its popular P132 avionics switch Console. The console significantly expands the space in as350 for installation of electronic components widely used by airborne law enforcement and electronic newsgathering helicopters. The new console provides wiring compatibility with recent electrical system changes and also enables improved compatibility with previous modifications of the as350b3.
The console provides space for a 10-inch stack of avionic components conveniently in reach of the pilot and crew. it can be delivered in a standard configuration or customized for specific mission requirements
nVG compatibility is available as an option and the unit has an independent dimmer for maximum crew comfort during night operations.
daRT’s apical Pop-Out/emergency float systems for R44 and R44 ii have been approved by easa. The floats are already TC and faa approved.
The apical float system provides a lightweight and easy-to-install solution for R44 operators who routinely or even occasionally fly over water, and want the added security of having floats installed. The system is also suitable for Clipper helicopters.
The kits are composed of two forward floats and two aft, engineered for mounting on float or standard skid tubes, and a single composite wrapped inflation reservoir. The floats do not have an age limit and are replaced on condition.
bristow has exercised options to acquire two s92 and three s-76C++s as well as three eC225s. The combined value of these purchases is approximately us$143 million.The s92 and eC225 will serve oil and gas facilities in the most remote offshore locations and the s76C++ will provide versatility in terms of distance, passenger capacity and markets in which they can operate. bristow expects to take delivery of all eight aircraft by the end of 2009 and deploy them in various domestic and international markets.
eurocopter has delivered the first two eC225s to China for the Ministry of Communications in Zhuhai. The helicopters will be operated by the China Rescue and salvage bureau for saR missions.
The new additions will strengthen the MOC’s existing fleet of 10 helicopters and one fixed wing, and will no doubt further contribute to its track record of 518 successful missions and 548 lives saved during the operations.
helicopters nZ’s new aW139 has been contracted to shell for five years with an option to extend for another five years. The aircraft is being operated by australian Worldwide exploration and shell Todd Oil services.
FAA Certification for P132 Avionics Switch Console
DarT announces EaSa approval of r44 floatsBristow announces 8 New aircraft Purchases
China Reinforces Fleet with Two EC225s
Shell Contracts aW139 from Helicopters NZ
new pRodUcts and seRvIces
8-07 ahl
8
Please visit us
at Heli-Expo Booth 4337
800.257.4847 US + Canada 425.353.6591 Internationalwww.BLRaerospace.com [email protected]
It’s a Bell 212 with FastFinThe FastFin™ technology from BLR Aerospace is an exciting breakthrough that will transform the performance of your Bell 212 helicopter.To learn more, we invite you to visit us at Heli-Expo (Exhibit 4337), where we’ll be taking pre-certification orders.
A BELL 212 .
BLR P2 ad HO.indd 7 1/23/08 2:23:05 PM
delivery of a Grand to finmari took place in january at a ceremony attended by the participants of the first agustaWestland italian Corporate Pilot Conference.
The two day conference held at agustaWestland’s Cascina Costa facility provided an excellent forum for both the company and pilots to deepen mutual relationships and exchange views on a number of subjects including operations, safety, performance, training, technology and innovation.
the latest addition to the start Pac family, the start Pac Model 53300 Power supply has been announced.
The 53300 is a 28.5 Volt continuous DC power supply when plugged into a 220 Volt single-phase aC power source and will deliver a full 300 amps DC output to power up avionics, GPs systems, on board air-conditioning and various DC motor-driven devices. However it is not recommended for engine starting.
tromsoe-based independent airline Lufttransport as has signed contracts for the purchase of four new augustaWestland helicopters.
The expansion is due to new contracts with the norwegian state air ambulance and the Coastal Piloting service, and the helicopters will be put into service in mid 2008.
finmari Takes Delivery of agustaWestland grand
New Start Pac Power Supply announced
New fleet for lufttransport, Norway
new pRodUcts and seRvIces
the Kent, surrey and sussex air ambulances have taken delivery of their new MD902, fitted with the latest medical and electronic mapping equipment. The helicopter is based at Dunsfold on the surrey/sussex borders.
Together with its sister helicopter based at Marden in Kent it will provide eMs to the people of Kent, surrey and sussex.
The new aircraft replaces their bolkow, and according to the Operations Manager, the higher payload, more cabin space and of course its speed will make it a more efficient aircraft for air ambulance work.
sei announces the release of the GPs Drop Controller, a bucket add-on device allowing pilots a new level of control and accuracy in firefighting for the bambi, aqualanche and Torrentula buckets.
The GPs Drop Controller marks a milestone in aerial firefighting by pairing GPs technology with advanced water drop management allowing for dramatically improved detail for post-mission analysis, as well as unprecedented precision in aerial bucketing operations.
The device offers location data for each water drop and pickup, creates downloadable mission reports including drop times, locations, and quantities, maximizes fuel cycles by electronically managing water loads, and offers coverage control and preset drop patterns.
tulsa Turbine engines and aircraft have recently delivered a number of aircraft including an as350b2 to Prism Helicopters in Canada, an as365n to norderflug, eHf in iceland, and 407, 206-L1 and 206-L4 to operators in the us.
Manager Craig frank says they have a long list of clients ready to buy, but are just having a hard time finding good new and used machines.
New 902 for uK air ambulance
gPS Capability added to the Bambi Bucket
Tulsa announces Helicopter Deliveries
new pRodUcts and seRvIces
10
daRT has obtained TC approval of the GPs Gimbal Mount for the 204, 205, 212, 214 and 412.
Weighing in at 1.4 lbs, the mount installs easily and can be used with the Garmin 100/150 XL units.
The Gimbal Mount receiver rotates so that the receiver can be custom-positioned, and is available bottom or top mounted.
los angeles Helicopters has been awarded the newest dealership for Robinson in the La area. The company has been an appointed Robinson service and overhaul center since 2000, but the new dealership will make them the closest dealer to the factory; just a ten-minute flight, ensuring convenience and easy accessibility.
Located at Long beach airport, and composed of highly experienced career pilots, La Helicopters is dedicated to providing professional flight training, tour services, and specialized flight operations, as well as maintenance, sales and service.
a new MD902 has been delivered to the Greater Manchester Police. Their first MD902, “india 99” was purchased in 2001, and since its delivery, the aircraft has flown over 7,000 hours in continuous service.
Watching over Greater Manchester and supporting officers on the ground, india 99 has used high-tech equipment including thermal image cameras, a microwave downlink that can broadcast live pictures to ground patrols, a high-powered searchlight and loud speaker system and a tracking facility for locating stolen vehicles.
Us Helicopter has signed a partnership agreement with eos airlines to provide helicopter service between Manhattan and jfK for eos guests travelling to or from London.
up to 135 eight-minute flights will take place per week, after which guests will be greeted by an eos Guide and escorted to the lounge or directly to their onward flight.
TC approval for gimbal mount
la Helicopters awarded robinson Dealership
manchester Police Take Delivery of New mD Explorer
uS Helicopter adds Eos airlines as Partner
new pRodUcts and seRvIces
11
new pRodUcts and seRvIces
Testfile-1.indd 1 16/5/05 9:18:47 am
Ultra electronics have developed Helitrack, a “fit & forget”, on-condition monitoring system capable of identifying the onset of rotor problems.
Helitrack detects rotor blades using a passive optical sensor. The sensor couples to the Data Recorder via a fiber optic cable and is electronically and magnetically inert, allowing a wide choice of mounting options with no interference to flight navigation or comms systems.
Combined with data from a One-Per-Rev sensor on the main rotor, Helitrack measures blade tip track, lead/lag, pitch and RRPM. a 3-axis vibration sensor mounted on the gearbox housing allows rotor balance monitoring and correction.
Mayo Medical Transport received their new 145 in a roll-out ceremony held at air Methods Corporate Headquarters. The aircraft is the first of two 145s on order from Mayo and is the first aircraft of its type to be completed for a customer outside of air Methods.
The helicopter is outfitted with air Methods’ state-of-the-art air medical interior, capable of transporting one or two critical care patients and up to three medical attendants. The medical interior features a ferno 93 litter system, the first commercial litter air Methods has certified for the eC145.
Next generation Track and Balance System
air methods Delivers EC145 to mayo
Things change. Like the weather.
Unexpected changes can reduce situational awareness and threaten
safe operations of emergency medical helicopters. Honeywell is coming
to the rescue with integrated solutions that provide three-dimensional,
360-degree awareness of traffic, terrain, weather, and obstacles.
Working with Integrated Primary Flight Display technology, Honeywell’s
Synthetic Vision System (SVS) synthesizes and delivers information in an
easy and intuitive way, literally helping pilots anticipate and see what’s
ahead. Fused with Honeywell’s Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System database and advanced
HUD symbology, SVS is a highly effective, leading-edge solution designed to anticipate change —
and increase safety.
forecast: clear
For more information, visit www.honeywell.com/helicoptersFor a fleet evaluation, call Doug Kult at 602-231-1238
Honeywell 1P HO.indd 1 2/1/08 2:30:24 PM
13
Things change. Like the weather.
Unexpected changes can reduce situational awareness and threaten
safe operations of emergency medical helicopters. Honeywell is coming
to the rescue with integrated solutions that provide three-dimensional,
360-degree awareness of traffic, terrain, weather, and obstacles.
Working with Integrated Primary Flight Display technology, Honeywell’s
Synthetic Vision System (SVS) synthesizes and delivers information in an
easy and intuitive way, literally helping pilots anticipate and see what’s
ahead. Fused with Honeywell’s Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System database and advanced
HUD symbology, SVS is a highly effective, leading-edge solution designed to anticipate change —
and increase safety.
forecast: clear
For more information, visit www.honeywell.com/helicoptersFor a fleet evaluation, call Doug Kult at 602-231-1238
Honeywell 1P HO.indd 1 2/1/08 2:30:24 PM
prompt re-nationalization of Russia’s helicopter industry was launched in
May 2005 and now, some two years later, tight government control has been achieved. This means that all important helicopter design houses and manufacturing plants were consolidated into a holding company named Vertolety Rossii (Russian Helicopters), which is in turn 100% owned by another state-owned holding company dubbed United Industrial Enterprise Oboronprom (OPK Oboronprom). Rostvertol, the manufacturer of the Mi-24/35, Mi-28N and Mi-26 series of helicopters is the only major helicopter manufacturer into which Vertoletiy Rossiy still lacks a controlling stake, but it will be achieved within the next two years.
Vertolety Rosii controls both Mil MHP and Kamov design houses as well as four final assembly plants and other component manufacturers. It has its principal activities directed into consolidating the scattered legacy of the Soviet era, optimizing distribution of R&D funds and revitalizing the supply chain as well as enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of Russia’s ailing helicopter industry as a whole. Its ultimate goal is to create a world-class helicopter development and manufacturing company, comparable, for instance, with Italy’s AgustaWestland and France’s, Germany’s and Spain’s Eurocopter.
The company though is currently struggling to introduce a common marketing policy in an effort to boost export prospects which are vital for the revitalization of Russia’s helicopter industry. Both Mil MHP and Kamov will continue with their current development and testing efforts as independent design houses operating under Vertolety Rossii umbrella. Kamov, for example, has been encouraged to continue developing its traditional “niche” products, namely the ship-based coaxial helicopters as well as their derivatives for logging work and firefighting purposes and unmanned vehicles.
Russia’s ambition in the next 10 years to grab 10% of the world’s helicopter market (currently its share by value is less than 5%) could be regarded as an achievable one should its industry be able to restructure itself, launch the full-scale production of its promising new designs such as the Mi-38, Ansat, Mi-28N, Ka-50/52 and Ka-226, and last but not least, establish successful cooperation with Western partners for both upgrades of existing designs as well as development of new helicopters.
In 2006, helicopter export sales accounted for some 95% of the revenue, and the remaining 5% was derived from domestic military and civil customers. In 2007 it changed to around 80% vs 20%. By 2015, it is expected the ratio to be 60% export sales vs 40% for the domestic market.
Russia’s principal markets are located in South-Eastern Asia, Africa and South America.
In the same time, there were occasional sales of the Ka-32 to European customers, in Spain and Portugal for use in the firefighting role, as well as Mi-171s in hardware-for-debt deals in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Croatia.
There will be no significant market potential for selling helicopters for cash in Europe and North America in the foreseeable future due to the extremely strong competition there; in addition the Russian helicopters as a rule lack the required EASA, FAA and TC certificates of airworthiness. It is now considered in Russia that it would not be economically justifiable to spend huge amounts of money for such an activity for the existing models, except for the Kamov Ka-32 which is about to be granted its EASA type certificate after years of efforts and design improvements that eventually resulted in the Ka-32A-11BC version. As many as nine Ka-32s were delivered in 2006 and another eleven are reported to have followed suit in 2007.
The new Mi-38, a twin-engine helicopter in the 15-16 tonne class powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada engines has some chances to sell in these areas, using the “spot marketing” strategy as currently mastered for the Ka-32 sales in Europe and Canada. The compelling reason for the inevitable cooperation with Western partners is that there are simply no local capabilities in today’s Russia for the production of engines and avionics for some new types of helicopters, not only for the Mi-38, but also for the 3.3-tonne Ansat. This twin is offered by Kazan Helicopters, which has already reported some export successes and expects a bright future.
It is noteworthy that cooperation with Western and Israeli companies in order to enhance the export potential of the Russian-made existing helicopter models, both civilian and military, offered to some potentially lucrative but otherwise demanding markets failed, despite decade-long efforts. This conclusion is being supported by the fact that examples of commercially successful upgrade and retrofit programs conducted jointly with Western/Israeli partners are still rare, and all of these have so far resulted in small-volume deliveries. As a consequence, the Russian manufacturers and design houses still continue to focus on long-standing export customers such as China, India, Iran and recently Venezuela, as well as a plethora of African states. These countries tend to purchase improved civil and military versions of the Russian-made “legacy” models such as the Mi-17/Mi-171/Mi-172s (in 2007 alone, as many as 80 examples assembled at two production plants, were delivered), outfitted mostly with affordable Russian avionics and equipment rather than with expensive Western hardware. This category of Russian “classic” rotorcraft has been sold in large numbers, thanks to their proven performance and reasonably low acquisition/operational costs. n
In this issue, we welcome
Alexander Mladenov who
will be covering Eastern
Europe for us. Alex has a
mechanical engineering
MS degree from Sofia
Technical University and
is also a Reserve Officer
(Air Defence Branch) in
the Bulgarian Army. He
is also a co-founder and
Managing Partner of an
aerospace and defence
consulting company
based in Bulgaria
By Alexander Mladenov
EYE ON EAST EUROPE
All bAlls in one bAsket – RussiAn-style
A
BREEZE-EASTERN
HS-20200
AGUSTA BELL 212/412
AGUSTA BELL AB139
MDHI MD902
HS-29700
AGUSTA A109K2
EUROCOPTER AS-350B3
HS-10300
AGUSTAWESTLAND EH-101
EUROCOPTER AS365(HH65)
HS-29900
SIKORSKY UH-60Q
AGUSTAWESTLAND EH101
HELICOPTER RESCUE HOISTS700 Liberty Avenue, Union NJ 07083, USA
Telephone: (908)686-4000 Fax: (908)686-9292 Web Site: www.breeze-eastern.com
Aircraft AOG? Need windows? Tech-Tool Plastics has long-life, perfect-fit, mission-specific replacement windows in stock and ready to ship for most MD helicopters.
Back in the air and back in business. Where you belong.
Tech-Tool Plastics, Inc.7800 Skyline Park Drive Fort Worth, TX 76108 USA1-800-433-2210 1-817-246-4694 Fax: [email protected]
Your MD.Our Windows. Perfect Fit.
Come visit us at
Heli-Expo 2008 Booth 3614
TT MD P2h HO 20080123.indd 1 1/25/08 11:26:56 AM
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he rotor has natural limits as it approaches its highest thrust. This
usually occurs in high speed flight because there the thrust produced by the rotor must supply both lift and the forward thrust that overcomes the high speed drag of the aircraft. The nose down attitude of the helicopter and the forward tilt of the disk are indications that some of the lift from the rotor is pulling the aircraft forward, and so the total rotor thrust produced is much greater than the lift alone. The behavior of the cyclic as the pilot moves it to level the aircraft commands the highest blade angle of attack as the blades sweep downwind (retreat). This is because they are losing flight speed at the retreating side, so that they must be increased in angle to maintain lift.
The high speed performance of the rotor is quite predictable, and the data to prevent stall is always provided in the flight manual, although it might be labeled differently. Many military aircraft have a specific blade stall chart, but all helicopters have a Velocity Not to Exceed (Vne) chart, usually influenced by altitude, temperature and gross weight, and sometimes by rotor RPM. If the pilot obeys the Vne chart, and does not maneuver too rashly, stall can always be avoided.
cuesThe strongest cue to the onset of
retreating blade stall is the motion and behavior of the cyclic. The pilot must move the cyclic progressively away from the retreating side of the disk as stall moves outward from the root end of the blade (as the reverse velocity region of the blade moves out the blade span). The cyclic that he uses tells the story as the retreating angle of attack is being increased to keep the aircraft laterally balanced as the rotor disk is pushed toward its limiting retreating thrust.
Usually, the stall cues are strong. The aircraft is cruising at high speed, high altitude and at or just below Vne. With each small banking maneuver or upward gust of air the pilot feels a little increase in load factor, which stresses the rotor closer to stall limits. The cyclic feels mushy and each small gust makes the pilot need to move the stick forward and to the right (in a US helo) to keep the aircraft level. Sometimes an increase in vibration can be noted, but not always. The vibe increase is more probable in an older helo with classic airfoils, symmetrical ones like the NACA 0012. Modern droop-nosed
asymmetrical airfoils, usually proprietary ones designed with modern computer tools, can be especially smooth even into stall. The H-60 high lift drooped nose airfoil was placed on the blades during aircraft development to meet the US Army high density altitude maneuver that wisely set a new standard for rotor stall margin back in the 1970’s.
Only the inattentive pilot pushes the aircraft deep enough into stall to cause a control upset, and mostly with steep turns or nose up pulls while under high stall loading situations. As stall takes over, the nose pitches up and the aircraft rolls markedly to the retreating side (left for US helos). The cyclic feels particularly ineffective, as if it were not fully connected. The “natural feel” that the pilot has always had where the cyclic response has crisp command is nearly gone, as the aircraft obeys sluggishly, if at all. The cure is simple and immediate; lower the collective pitch. The collective instantly commands reduction in the angle of attack, so that each centimeter of reduction is a measurable reduction in the stall effect. Another effective tool is increasing the rotor RPM, which increases the speed of the blades on the retreating side. This reduces the need for angle of attack, so the cyclic can be moved to the left as RPM increases. One way for the astute pilot to judge the stall propensity is to gently reduce or increase the rotor RPM in steady flight while holding the collective constant, and mark the effect on the lateral cyclic position. The more pronounced the lateral cyclic movement as the rpm is changed (cyclic to the advancing side with RPM decrease, to the retreating side with RPM increase) the closer the helo is to stall and the more caution that must be used in maneuvering. The best long term cure to control retreating blade stall is to slow down. Each 10 kts of speed has a
marked effect on the stall margin.Reducing the collective is the sure
cure, but if you are in a mountain meadow mustering cattle and 20
ft above the grass, lowering the collective could be a career-
limiting maneuver, for sure. Good knowledge of your
helo, gentle maneuvering and careful attention to
the weights, altitudes, and speeds are all
keys to success. n
T
Nick continues his trip
around the helicopter,
and in this and the
next part, comes to
places where special
understanding, flight
planning and control
techniques are needed
to guard against snappy
control surprises.
By Nick Lappos
flighT dYNAmicS
RetReAting blAde stAll
17
s you’ll remember from previous columns, I occasionally digress into topics
that are not completely aviation-centric, and this month is one of them, although it does flow somewhat nicely from an earlier column.
More specifically, I wrote a column not too long ago about Risk Management. Therein I noted that for most of us it is good practice, whether because our insurance companies demand it, or just because we’re thinking ahead, to have a written Emergency Action Plan on the shelf in case an accident happens. The reasons, of course, are simple and well known – if tragedy strikes it’ll be completely unforeseen, and your organization and its people are going to be emotionally strung out. A good EAP and its step-by-step directions will help keep your wits about you when a lot of other folks will be losing theirs. Makes complete sense, right? – and I’ll bet that most of you have them on your company’s shelf right now.
But how many of us have our own personal EAPs on our personal shelves at home?
I’m not talking about a will. Wills are great, and most of us need one. But a will typically won’t help your loved ones much if they don’t know where all the “stuff” is that’s covered by the will in the first place, right? A will usually won’t tell anyone what you owe, to whom, how the bills get paid, and, to sum it all up, where your “stuff” is. What if you’re married and, God forbid, both of you go in some cataclysm? Are your kids going to know where everything is? We all know the answer to that one. A few years ago the husband of a good client passed away suddenly, and I’ll never forget what she told me:
Now, imagine the same thing happening to you. Lets face it, a lot of us work in some arguably dangerous jobs. The unexpected can and does happen. Imagine how much trouble it’ll save everyone if they can pull your own
EAP off the shelf and know, just from reading a few pages, the “what, when, who, why, and how.” Your own personal EAP should have the following information in it at a minimum:
l A list of all savings and checking accounts, as well as safety deposit boxes (and don’t forget to note where the keys are)
l Where your estate planning documents are – Wills, Health Care Powers of Attorney, etc.
l A list of your debts, including all credit cards and whether there’s typically a balance, as well as mortgages and any other debt. If any of the payments are made by direct draft, including your utility bills, note the dates that they’re typically drafted and the accounts that they’re drafted out of.
l A list of all real estate that you own and where the deeds are.
l A list and description of your vehicles, as well as a summary of any liens on them with the balances, payment dates, and amounts.
l A list of your life insurance policies, the death benefit amounts/beneficiaries, carriers, and when the last premiums were paid.
l A list of any other significant assets, like stocks, jewelry, investment/college funds, and where they’re located.
l Any information on prepaid funeral expenses, burial plots, or cemeteries that you’ve already picked out.
l Anything else that might be important, and if you think it’s important, it probably will be. For instance, one client of mine puts all of his divorce information in it, as well as the location of all his cancelled alimony and child support checks, just in case his ex ever decides to make trouble. If in doubt, err on the side of including information rather than leaving it out.
Look at this list – imagine how much time it’ll take somebody to find all of this information by scrounging through your desk drawers and trying to put it all together, especially when they don’t have a clue where to begin and are upside-down emotionally over your passing to start with? Once you have all this together, do what you do with your company’s EAP plan – don’t let it sit on the shelf and gather dust for years. Get it down, at least once a year, review it, and update it with all the current information. Make sure that your spouse knows where it is, and give copies to family members or friends that you trust. One of these days some people may be very, very grateful that you did. n
A
I knew that we owed money
on the house, and I knew who held
the mortgage. OK, that’s fine. Now,
where’s the money???!!!! I had
no clue, because over 40 years of
marriage we had accounts all over the
place. And it wasn’t because anything
was intentionally hidden from me –
rather, it was hidden in plain sight, it
took forever to locate everything, and
that was at a time when that was the
last thing that I felt like doing.
The helicopter industry
has its fair share of
accidents and we all
expect the operators to
have a plan in the case
of an emergency. But
what happens when
emergencies happen to
families and individuals?
By Robert Van de Vuurst
LAw & oRdeR
eMeRgenCy ACtion PlAns – they’re not just for operators
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19
ome schools seem to focus on getting students through as fast as possible
at minimal cost. The student arrives, the instructor greets and then directs the student to the aircraft, and with minimal briefing or preparation off they go on the lesson. The problem is that the student is often not fully up-to-speed and is behind the aircraft before the engine starts! Below are some ideas I have about training basic helicopter pilot students.
Ever heard of training through visualization? Essentially, someone visualizes within their mind the actions required to complete a task. By repeating it over and over, it almost becomes a motor skill. I think aviation has been using this technique for a long time without understanding the dynamics or even the psychology; it just seemed to work. When I was training in the military, and in the days before simulators (yeah that long ago), we were given photographs of the cockpit to use for rote learning our checks. It was a form of training through visualization as you imagined moving your hands around the cockpit working the switches and imagining the dials. Of course, on the first engine start, it all seemed to fly out the window but it did come back!
The point I’m making here is that there is nothing more important to the success of a flight than preparation. For students, to achieve results they need to study and prepare. They need to review and review again. They need to understand and if they don’t, speak up and ask (preferably someone who knows what they’re talking about). But it also is important that the students are given comprehensive face-to-face instruction. Yes, there is a role for computer-based lessons, but after 26 years of instructing I don’t believe anything replaces face-to-face teaching for the imparting of knowledge – computer-based is good for backing up that instruction. Before flight though, the instructor should be providing a thorough brief to review the student’s knowledge and to provide an outline of the flight ahead. If the instructor doesn’t do this, then I really don’t think the student is getting a fair go and not getting his/her money’s worth. These comments are really aimed at basic training. Sure as you get more experience, then the training regime can be relaxed a bit as higher time pilots should know what they need to know and where to find it. At the same time though, I’m not a fan of spoon-feeding basic students. Guide them to where the information is but let them do the finding and extracting of the information. Some students also respond well to mnemonics to help them remember procedures or checklist actions but their usefulness is very dependent on the individual.
Personality plays a large part in the
success of teaching and it is a match of the personalities of the instructor and the student that is important. As much as psychologists have attempted to provide guides to describing and matching personalities, their success in application is quite variable. If an instructor finds that there is a conflict developing or the student is “shutting down”, then the instructor should either change his or her approach or consider asking for another instructor to takeover. There is no point wasting time, effort and money in maintaining an instructor/student combination where a personality conflict is preventing the learning process from happening.
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Make the right choice. Choose Isolair Helicopter Systems today!
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Phone: 503-492-2105 • Fax: 503-492-2756
Also, be careful of the student who attempts to “play” one instructor against another – “Well, Instructor A said to do it this way.” Schools should ensure that there are regular training meetings where the progression of students is reviewed and where any potential conflicts can be resolved. These meetings also help to resolve any standardization problems that may arise among instructors. Being rigid though is not the answer when it comes to standardization. The helicopter by its very nature is a machine that allows pilots to develop techniques that may be at variance with the accepted norm. These variances should be openly discussed and either accepted by the school as “a way” of doing something or the variance stopped because of safety or other considerations. It doesn’t hurt the student to see different techniques to achieve a similar objective provided those techniques are safe. n
Getting the most out of
instruction takes some
basic skills for both
the instructor and the
student. Here are some
ideas I picked up over
my time as an instructor.
By Mark ogden
flighT TRAiNiNg
instRuCting bAsiCs – Part 1
21
his feedback is one of the most significant items missing in single pilot
operations, and there is no real replacement, aside from reviewing your own flights and discussing them when you can. Single pilot operations actually demand much higher standards, because they typically take place in unstabilized machines with the least accurate instruments in the worst weather, and often with low time pilots. This means that the workload is high and there are significant chances of missing something.
The suggestions below have been culled from a variety of sources, including the Authorities of New Zealand, Canada and UK, plus pilots who have been in the game a long time!
To achieve the higher standards of competency and discipline that single pilot operations demand, you must:
l Maintain a positive attitude. This is very hard after a long tiring day, but a negative point of view can set you up for problems, because behavior breeds behavior. In addition, it tends to tone up your nervous system, which helps you cope with stress better;
l Maintain your medical fitness, if only because you are the only one in the cockpit! This means paying attention to your diet, taking exercise, etc. – all the usual stuff associated with this topic;
l Be less willing to accept unserviceabilities;
l Spend more time on planning and preparation, so you at least have a yardstick by which your flight can be compared when you do an after-flight review. This also helps you be prepared for eventualities before they happen;
l Maintain situational awareness. This is a core component of any flight. There are very few times when you can really sit back and enjoy the view. If you are not mentally on the go from the start of the flight to the end, there’s something wrong;
l Maintain a stricter observance of legal requirements, which ultimately means resisting commercial pressure, so you might want to work on creating a better self-image that will help you do this;
l Be more willing to ask for help, especially with clearances or directions to a reporting point. For example, in busy controlled airspace, as it’s getting dark, you are asked to go to a reporting point that you are aware of, but not exactly sure of its
location. Instead of complicating the issue and trying to look at a map in failing light, why not ask ATC for directions?
l Make more use of checklists and SOPs, if time and the situation allow it. If you have to design them as well, make them easier to read (in fact, this comment should apply to all company documentation);
l Workload Management, especially at critical moments. Make sure you have the right equipment in the first place, you know its capabilities, and that you use it properly;
l Manage your time - use relatively slack periods in the cruise to prepare for busy ones during the arrival. Prioritize!
l Manage the cockpit - get the maps in the right order! Make sure they are folded properly! Ensure you have a map holder, writing instrument, stopwatch, etc. Don’t throw the departure plates away too soon, in case you have to return to the field after takeoff.
l Use the autopilot in busy airspace, as part of a monitoring role rather than a controlling one (however, do not use it until established in flight and certainly not below 400 ft). The autopilot is a useful “crewmember” when things are happening thick and fast.
l Make more effective use of the GPS. Instead of just putting in waypoints, and therefore pushing more buttons in flight as you pass over them, combine them all into a route so that the screen changes automatically.
l Tune and use normal navaids as well as the GPS, and
l Before you operate a switch or press a button, make sure it is the right one.
l Cross check any instrument readings for logic! Don’t be afraid to query them if ATC give you headings that don’t seem right. Those guys are working hard as well, and can still make mistakes. Be especially suspicious if the FMS (if you have one) or the GPS give you weird headings – someone in the office may have put the details in wrong.
and lastly but not the least,
l Be critical of your performance so you can improve the next flight. n
T
At long last, many
authorities are getting
around to looking at the
CRM/PDM requirements
for pilots operating on
their own. The irony has
been that such people,
who need the most
support and attention,
have traditionally
been more or less
forgotten, particularly
in the helicopter world
where there are fewer
opportunities for pilots to
meet and talk about their
flights to each other.
By Phil Croucher
SAfETY
the single Pilot
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23
n my first few weeks as a flight instructor, I have learned a great deal. I’ve flown with
a 100+ hour pilot still struggling to hover, a student who flies great but has yet to crack a book (and actually tried to find gyroscopic precession on a preflight), and a retired gentleman who was able to hover in the first five minutes of trying it.
My logbook has been growing substantially. Each flight is a little story. I take notes on who I’ve flown with, all the maneuvers we have accomplished, and anything else of interest. It is certainly a lot easier for me to check my logbook for the student’s name so that I know the maneuvers we flew last time. If I fly along the beach at 300 ft, I make note of it, as I am sure many years from now I will look through the lime-colored logbook pages and smile as I sit in my rocking chair. That being said, I can see myself tiring of long logbook entries, partly because by the fourth flight of the day I can barely remember who I flew with, and partly because it takes time to be so detailed.
I can’t help but find humor in flying. I have found myself wondering if I was night-current as the sun settled below the horizon on a cross-country flight that went a little long. Next time I fly to that particular airport I will be sure to ask approach control to avoid vectoring me out 16 miles for an instrument approach in a helicopter that barely does 70 kts. I have attempted starting the Schweizer 300 several times without the mags on. Obviously, I was not too effective at getting the engine going. I was so nervous on my first day that my student had to point out I had forgotten to spin up the rotors as I was getting ready to increase the throttle for our mag check (thankfully I had not spun up above the rotors-disengaged red line). I have been exposed many times to the Chief Mechanic’s Pilot Discipline Tool, for such things as forgetting the oil cooler cover on a cold morning or leaving the fuel valve pushed in. This Tool is a gun that shoots plastic BBs. And they sting.
During my first week as a fully-fledged flight instructor, I picked up into a hover with a new student to find that something was
very wrong with the tail rotor. Or so I thought. No matter how hard I pushed on the left pedal, I only experienced a very slight left turn, and it was almost to the point that I was not able to turn left at all, despite what I felt was full deflection. I shut down, mentioned to the student that I would have another instructor check it out, and we jumped out. Unfortunately the student was in a bit of a rush and had to leave while I was running up the helicopter with another instructor. The “veteran” instructor picked up the helicopter into a hover, did a left pedal turn, and smiled. And that’s when it hit me.
There was nothing wrong with the tail rotor, or the tail rotor control rod, or the cables and linkages of the tail rotor system. My student had heavy ft on the pedals, and while he had agreed that I had control on pick-up, he didn’t know he was effectively blocking the pedal movement. I felt that I had full pedal movement but not enough tail rotor authority. I was wrong, and my student ended up missing his flight for the day. It seems that was one of those mistakes you only make once.
So far I have experienced one photo flight. To accomplish the flight, I had to pretend I had never heard of a height-velocity diagram. Let’s just say I now know the meaning of “pucker factor.” The busy airspace did not bother me,
nor did the substantial winds of the day. It was the 500 ft slow flight that had me pretending I was a much better pilot than reality might suggest. I assume I will get used to such flying shortly, though at this point in my career I have no idea how the long-line guys sit way out of the HV diagram with a load waiting to crush unsuspecting people below.
I may have only been a flight instructor for a short period of time, but I feel that it is a relatively good sign that I have not wrecked a machine yet. Knowing what I do after only 50 hours of dual given, I
am anxious to meet the new surprises waiting for me as I fly with more and more students. It’s a great feeling when I wake up and can’t wait to go to work. It’s a feeling insurance just couldn’t touch! n
I
Good news for all law enforcement operators. Whateverplatforms you use for your search and rescue, Goodrichhas a hoist that’s ready and available.
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25026_Goodrich_Air_HeliOps_297x210:25026_Goodrich_Air_HeliOps_297x210 4/2/08 17:10 Page 1
I thought my private
pilot certificate was my
license to learn and I
believed I was a pretty
competent pilot by the
time I had my CFI rating.
In reality, I gained more
knowledge in my first
30 hours of instructing
than I did in most of my
training.
By Chris esposito
cfi cOlUmN
teAChing – the gReAtest lesson
If I fly along the beach at
300 ft, I make note of it, as
I am sure many years from
now I will look through
the lime-colored logbook
pages and smile as I sit in
my rocking chair.
That being said, I can
see myself tiring of long
logbook entries, partly
because by the fourth flight
of the day I can barely
remember who I flew with,
and partly because it takes
time to be so detailed.
As the world looks to be more eco-friendly, the Erickson Air Crane has been helping the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah to minimize the impact of logging on their lush mountain jungles. Mark Ogden reports from Sarawak on the extraordinary work of both crew and craft in their jungle hideaway, and ponders questions over their future.
co
ve
r f
ea
tu
re
StOry by MARK OGDEN I PhOtOS by NED DAWSON
25
26
1 I
2 I 3 I
27
oiling away for up to ten hours a day and using a pilot-operated grapple attached to the end of a 325ft steel long line, the Erickson Air Crane collects
and arranges the cut logs from the forest, making no more environmental impact than the ever-varying noise of its two big Pratts. The roads in the forests already existed to transport the cutters and to take the collected logs away for export to overseas markets such as India and Japan. The three colors of Meranti hardwood gathered here are primarily used for housing, construction, furniture and plywood, with current markets paying between about US$180 and $260 a cubic meter for the jungle hardwood logs. At around 60cm in diameter and 8m in length, these logs can weigh over 20,000lbs each and along with palm oil from the burgeoning palm oil plantations, represent the more significant exports and employment opportunities in this part of the world.
A Better WAyTraditional logging techniques invariably leave
open scars on the ground, resulting in erosion and long term damage to the environment. Heli-logging, however, allows the loggers in Sarawak and Sabah to selectively cut their trees from the steep slopes of inland mountainous areas and have them transported without the damage so often seen as the result of ground-based collecting. There are only a few main species the timber companies seek, including three heavy hardwoods, and by using the helicopter to selectively gather the logs, other tree species are left alone. These forested mountain slopes can exceed 25 degrees making them unsuitable for tractors. Additionally, the logging companies can be more discriminating, ensuring they only cut the approved and needed species, leaving younger trees for regeneration, minimizing the ground turn over and leaving the undergrowth to hold the soil together. Usually, only four or five trees per hectare are selected and removed. Indeed, the forestry departments of these states are now requiring certain areas to be logged only by helicopter because of their minimal environmental impact.
StArting SomethingAbout 15 years ago, New Zealander Alan Shannon
started the heli-logging business in Borneo. Erickson, seeing the potential of developing the capability with its Air Crane, bought out Alan and established its fully-owned subsidiary, Erickson Air Crane Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. Erickson brought the technology and techniques used in its North American logging and fire fighting businesses, although the skills needed for this long lining job are different -– if anything, the skills needed are more demanding and more precise. After all, these guys fly the long line up to 150 hours every 18 days, doing 200 to 300 lifts each day! They log over 1,000 hours each and every year, flying logs and supporting other Erickson operations around the world when needed. The three co-pilots are ex-Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), with the local Department of Civil Aviation encouraging Erickson to employ local pilots and provide them with their ratings.
New Zealanders Lyall Mudford and Peter Avery are the back-to-back captains, working 18 days on and 18 days off. The roster used to be 21 days but with the pilots flying at the near maximum of 10 hours a day, they would hit the maximum monthly allowance of 150 hours with days left, so shortening the roster to 18 days was logical. The engineers are a mix of Kiwis, Australian and Malaysians working a 21-day cycle. Pete and Lyall are long-time Erickson pilots with more than 31,000 hours between them. Pete has more than 20,000, mostly in the Crane and mostly in Borneo, while Lyall has worked all around the world from New Zealand to Papua New Guinea, Africa and Borneo. Although the working conditions are fairly rudimentary and the work hard, these guys like the independence of making the day-to-day decisions on
there are no open
scars on the ground
when heli-logging –
something so often
seen after traditional
logging techniques
which often result
in erosion and long-
term damage to the
environment.
T
1 I the Air Crane has proved itself adept at working in the jungles of Sarawak.
2 I Using a 325ft long line, the pilots move upwards of 20 to 30 logs an hour for up to 10 hours a day.
3 I Flying and never shutting down by day unless absolutely necessary means maintenance is done whenever possible in the open and the cool of the night.
28
4 I 5 I
6 I
7 I 8 I
29
what is done and how, using honed skills that few pilots have a chance to develop, satisfaction in trying to meet customers’ expectations as well as being in one of the better paid sectors of the helicopter industry.
Paul Farrer, also a Kiwi, lives in Miri and is the General Manager of Erickson Malaysia. He has been working the contracts there for 14 years and explained that the annual 2,000 flight-hours available are divided among the four clients the company presently has – very much based on the number of camps each has. The Crane spends a minimum of 40 flying hours at each camp, but usually about 70 to 80 hours, with the companies cutting at about the same time in each area, and then through the year, rotating through each camp. He said that the Crane achieves an average of about 140 cubic feet per hour in Sabah and around 120 in Sarawak, with the difference being mainly due to the size of the logs and the yarding distance (distance between the log location and the “landing” where the logs are delivered) involved. He commented that all logging in Sarawak and Sabah is now tightly controlled by the respective forestry departments.
CAmp 72The infrastructure supporting heli-logging here is
essentially a system of camps, logging areas and landings where the logs are delivered for on-carriage by truck. While the camps are provided by the logging companies, with part of the deal being that they are fully-equipped with air conditioners, stoves etc., Erickson supplies all aspects of support for the helicopter. It is vital that every hour that the Crane flies it is productive, so the distances between the camps, logging areas and landings are kept as short as possible, usually within 2kms. It also requires close liaison between the logging company and Erickson personnel to ensure the helicopter is operated efficiently.
The Crane moves continuously from camp-to-camp throughout the logging concessions in Sarawak and Sabah – operating every day including Christmas and New Year – weather permitting. Which concessions are serviced, where and when, is determined through
coordination between Erickson and the various timber companies with which it works. Interestingly, while Erickson has been doing this for some years in Borneo, the contracts are not long-term and are renewed on an annual basis. Until November 2007, there was enough work for two Cranes, but with the softening in the export timber market one Crane has been deployed on firefighting contracts in Australia. Depending on the market demand, the second Crane may yet return to Borneo.
Scheduled servicing and daily maintenance are conducted at night. Five engineers follow the E-model Crane, with two working the day shift and three at night. The aim is to operate the Crane 10 hours a day to fulfill the programmed 2,000 hours annually. The aircraft lives in the open and with the short logs-to-landings distances involved, the lift cycles would stress any lesser aircraft; this is a true testament to Sikorsky’s design and Erickson’s engineering support. At some difficult sites the camp-to-forestry block distance can be as much as 20kms, but Paul stressed that they do encourage the companies to keep the distances to 2kms if possible. The higher gross “F” model crane, which can lift 25% more was used until recently, but Erickson found the lighter all-up-weight “E” model was more suited to the high-cycle environment of this logging. “We found the F models could turn around a bit faster than the E models but the Fs got a bit knocked around carrying that extra weight,” explained Paul. “The F airframe suffered a little bit; we had sheetmetal workers employed looking after them.” The Crane uses about 2,000 liters of fuel an hour so keeping fuel up to the machine is important in maintaining the efficiency of the operation. Clients provide fuel trucks (between 16,000 and 26,000 liters) which are constantly employed keeping between five and ten 20,000 or 45,000-liter sled fuel tanks at each camp topped up, as well as supplying the fuel needed at service pads that may be set up near landings to keep any transit times to an absolute minimum.
The helicopter can also lift its “maintenance pod” from camp-to-camp. The pod is a container in which an electric generator, support equipment, pad lights,
the skills needed for this long lining job are demanding and more precise. After all,
these guys fly the long-line 140 hours every 18 days, doing 200 to 300 lifts each day!
4 I there’s no time to waste as the crews and aircraft work to keep every flying hour productive.
5 I Pilots spend up to 10 hours a day peering out of this large bubble window to work that very long line.
6 I Camps are basic but then the crews and aircraft don’t spend much time in each as they move around the jungle plucking the selected cut trees.
7 I Each time the aircraft lands for fuel, the engineers clamber over the aircraft making sure it is in top condition. the Air Crane doesn’t shutdown by day unless absolutely necessary.
8 I the humidity of the jungle is well demonstrated by the condensation trails created by the rotor disk.
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aircraft parts and tools are stowed and it provides pad accommodation for the ground crew.
Ned (Neville Dawson, publisher of HeliOps) and I had the unique opportunity to visit Erickson’s logging operations in Borneo, spending our time at Camp 72 in the foothills of the Hose Mountain Range. The ever-smiling camp manager Lisutt Lia, a local Malaysian who has worked with Paul since the operation started, greeted us and provided hospitality second to none. The camp manager is in charge of the operation; in charge of the camp itself, arranging fuel, liaising with the clients and overseeing day-to-day operations. Although the facilities are basic, the camp is self contained with power and running water. It has satellite internet and telephone. The aircraft is equipped with a Blue Sky Iridium-based tracking system which is monitored by head office in Miri on the west coast of the state of Sarawak. The cabins are air conditioned, the food good and the people very friendly; as are the enormous bugs, moths and beetles that inevitably inhabit the jungle and Camp 72.
We were flown to the camp by Sudhir Kumaren (an ex-RMAF pilot now working for Erickson Malaysia) in the company’s Bell 206. He showed us the areas that had been worked by the Crane, and other than roads there was no visible damage to the forests. He also showed us areas that had been logged using traditional means, and although the jungle was reclaiming the area, the activity was plainly visible.
The hardwood logs here are generally destined for the Indian, Chinese and Japanese markets and the prices earned depend greatly on the quality of wood exported. Once felled, the logs need to be lifted out within 40 days to prevent damage from any of the numerous species of wood-boring beetles, which lay their eggs under the bark with the hatched larvae feeding off the wood. This makes it unsuitable for export and useable only for plywood. The logging companies need the export market to make the extraction by helicopter economically viable. Plywood manufacture can only accept about 30% of the wood in any case. As well as minimizing environmental damage, heli-logging also provides the
potential to significantly reduce wastage of valuable wood.
Selected trees are individually felled by timber company cutters who place their individual marks on each log. Local loadmasters from Erickson are provided to the clients to help ensure the efficiency and safety of the operation by ensuring the logs are properly cut through, that they won’t exceed the lift capability of the ‘E’ model Crane, and they help to assemble loads to ensure the Crane’s load-carrying capability is fully utilized. The cutters move on and the logs are left for the Crane to pick up when it is next in the area. It is a fine line between maximizing the load weight (to reduce the number of “turns” the Crane needs to clear the logs) and having to come back to cut the logs smaller. When lifting, the Crane measures the load and if it looks like exceeding the maximum (reference to the “load cell” that provides the weight on lift, or the engine/transmission instrument), the pilot places the log back down to be either picked up later (with less fuel) or for the cutters to come back and trim. Obviously the number of these “weight aborts” need to be kept to a minimum to ensure the efficiency of every hour flown, although Paul notes that one every couple of flight-hours is acceptable. The cost of the Crane represents up to a third of the price received for the wood in the current market so the number of lifts per hour has to be maximized.
A typical day at the camp starts at about 4:30am when it is still dark, with day-shift engineers readying the aircraft, pilots having breakfast, a wash and then pre-flighting the aircraft. Provided there is no fog, cloud or heavy rain that may dangerously restrict visibility, the pilots aim to be airborne at first light which is around 6 to 6:30am, and the aircraft will keep turning until nightfall, or until weather precludes safe operations. During the pressure hot refuels, the pilots have the opportunity to eat, drink and take a quick walk. The engineers crawl around the aircraft to make sure nothing has broken or developed an unacceptable leak.
As the sun rises, fog can roll in at Camp 72 but it often burns off quickly. When it rains, especially in the monsoon
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10 I
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11 I
13 I
14 I
9 I Other than an access road and a basic camp, logging by helicopter causes minimal damage
to the jungle unlike traditional methods.
10 I the Air Crane is a truly adaptable helicopter, as much at home in the jungle as it is in the urban-interface, fighting fires.
11 I the crew share their night accommodation with some “interesting” jungle visitors.
12 I And then there are some not-so-welcome visitors!
13 I the hydraulically powered grapple is an extension of the pilot’s hand allowing him to pluck the logs from
amongst the foliage below the jungle canopy.
14 I Ideally, landings such as this are located within a couple of kilometers of where the logs are being gathered so the turnaround time is minimized and
creates a better return for the customer.
Once felled, the logs need to be lifted
out within 40 days to prevent any of
the numerous species of wood-boring
beetles from damaging the wood.
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season from about November to February, it can pour for days. Even so, provided the pilots can maintain safe visible conditions, they will fly. Thunderstorms can also be a danger in this season and the pilots keep a close weather eye to avoid them. “The guys get pretty nervous when there’s a storm around,” Paul explained, “especially with a 325ft long line trailing below them.”
Only the left seat pilot (captain) flies. The copilot is there mainly to back up the captain, watch the gauges, do the paperwork (logging of timber lifted and flight time on “turn-sheets”), and learn the job. Once the aircraft is started, systems checked and everyone is happy with the location of the logs and the landings, the aircraft is immediately put to work.
Most of the logs are sighted from the air and the pilot chooses which ones they are going to lift depending on access, anticipated weight and distance to the landing and/or service pad. With the load sighted, the pilot maneuvers the Crane and its long line into position. The length of the long line has been established through experience, allowing the grapple to grab the logs regardless of the tree height around them. There are about 2,100lbs in the 325ft line and Erickson designed and manufactured hydraulically-operated grapple. Erickson began with a 250ft line but found that, especially in Sabah which has a lot of volcanic soil, the trees grow pretty tall. “The longer line also gives some extra time to sort things out if something goes wrong,” commented Paul. “It can also get a fairly big whip going through the cable.”
To work the long line and placing the grapple in position in the minimum time, the pilot handles the Crane as though it was a light helicopter. Again, the ability of this helicopter to move so responsively and allow placing the grapple so precisely, demonstrates the enormous control and engine power of the Crane. Pete Avery likes to go for the “head shot” where he sees an opening in the trees, lobs the grapple in and straight onto the log.”
And so it goes, as the day wears on the Crane moves back and forth, zig-zagging its way across the
area, picking up logs and placing them on the landings. Operating up to about 5,000ft with a temperature between 20 and 30 degrees C, the pilots have to be cognizant of the changing limits as the day’s conditions vary. Paul highlighted that at sea level they work on lifting about 8-tons but at altitude it may be down to 6.6 tons.
Approximately once every hour the pilot lands the aircraft at the camp pad to refuel and relax. Depending upon the logs and terrain, those cycles may fall to 45 or even 30 minutes. The ground-crew examines the machine, crawling up its mantis-like legs to check the transmission system and the engines without the rotors ever stopping. The load lifting equipment is checked and once the refuel is finished, the helicopter is quickly dispatched to resume its work.
A Bell 205 works as a “truck” supporting the operations; conducting searches for logs or transporting spares. It will soon be replaced by an AS-350FX2 being put together in New Zealand. Paul explained that, as the Huey is a restricted category aircraft, it can’t be used to transport personnel but does just about everything else. It can lift just about every spare component for the Crane
except the main rotor gearbox and head. These larger components need to be trucked in if required. “We can even sling the 33ft main rotor blades in their aluminum coffins,” he said. “We’ve a special rigging technique and fly with the heavy end down.”
As the end of the day approaches, the crew continue operating until either failing light makes flying unsafe or, as is more likely, they reach their daily ten-flying hour limit. While the pilots complete the paperwork, with the copilot handing over the “turn sheets” to the camp manager, the night shift engineers take the aircraft and begin the after-flight inspections, scheduled servicing or any rectification work that may be needed – although as Paul commented, the E model has been
16 I 17 I
15 I the Air Crane’s load system allows the pilots to gather the logs with extraordinary efficiency while
reducing the impact of the high cycles on the airframe.
16 I the grapple allows pilots to pluck the logs from nigh-impossible
locations and then deliver them with pinpoint accuracy.
17 I thunderstorms, cloud and fog provide constant
challenges to the Air Crane.
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extraordinarily reliable. “The aircraft lives outside being rained and dusted on but because it’s always working, it doesn’t seem to get affected by the conditions.”
An UnCertAin FUtUre“Unfortunately, there aren’t many
helicopter companies doing logging these days,” commented Paul. “It’s an industry that I can see slowly tapering off as the gas and oil industry picks up and there’s a better return in things like firefighting.”
“I don’t know how much longer helicopter logging will be around,” he mused. Unfortunately this means that the environmental gain that helicopters provide could be lost, and once again the jungle will be scarred by the more damaging ground-based methods where the logs are dragged up mountain sides or through the undergrowth by winches.
Experience in Sarawak and Sabah, as well as in North America, have shown that the Air Crane is a great workhorse and a good tool for environmentally responsible logging. The Kiwi pilots who cut their teeth on long lining in New Zealand have honed their skills on the Air Crane to ensure that the operation is efficient and effective. In an era when we are more and more aware of the fragility of our natural eco-systems, it would be an undeniable tragedy if simple economics brought about the demise of this “green” operation. n
“the longer line gives some extra time to sort
things out if something goes wrong,”
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36
story by mark ogden I Photos by dan sweet and andre HutcHIngs
When a mining company needed to commence construction work at a remote site in british Columbia, it faced a huge challenge. With the rivers frozen in winter and no roads to the site, redfern resources turned to the heavy lifting Chinook of Columbia helicopters to get the job done.
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edfern’s remote “Tulsequah Chief” mine is located at the confluence of the Taku and Tulsequah rivers, in north-western British Columbia, about 31nm outside
of Juneau in Alaska and some 8nm into Canadian territory. These two rivers are adjacent to glaciers bearing the same names, and with neither roads nor infrastructure, access to the mine site could be described as, at best, challenging. In the early development stage of the mine, personnel and their gear had always been flown in, but as the company entered the construction phase early in the northern 2007 summer, Redfern faced the challenge of how to transport people, equipment and supplies in much greater quantities.
Over the course of the summer they were able to use the Taku River to barge in a good portion of the earthmoving equipment, fuel and ancillary supplies – however not all material made it in. The Taku River was shallow at times and when winter set in early in the northern communities, barging the remainder of the supplies in became impossible after September, as the river levels fell and some parts froze over. Redfern, however, still needed to move modular camp units, culverts and bridges and also needed to find a way to transport other heavy loads. To keep their construction schedule, their only option was to start an air-highway.
Time was of the essence and, according to Redfern; they sought out companies that had experience flying in the area, with a good record of transporting and delivering large loads. Two companies were selected for this operation, Columbia Helicopters though their partner, Helifor Canada, and Ascent Helicopters. “Columbia because their Chinook was able to accommodate our capacity requirements,” explained Redfern’s Salina Landstad. “The fact that the Chinook could lift about 24,000lbs coupled with Columbia’s experience in working in the area and familiarity with the weather conditions made them a natural choice.”
“We also engaged Ascent to assist with transporting some of the lighter loads, and based on past working relationships with Ascent, we were confident that both companies would be able to assist with our requirements.”
Helifor was notified in late October, after the river froze, that the contract was theirs and after planning was completed the aircraft arrived onsite in late November. The equipment flown by the Chinook varied considerably. “Everything from trucks, loaders, graders, camp buildings, conveyors, containers, tanks, culverts, powder magazines; you name it! Anything to do with the construction of an airstrip, mine, and the roads, any essential items required
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for the construction process as well as building the camp from scratch – we lifted it,” explained Andre Hutchings, one of Columbia’s pilots who flew the project.
The Chinook was based out of Coastal Helicopters at Juneau and used Sunnycove as the barge site and fueling stop. “Sunnycove was the name of the fuel site but we didn’t see the sun come out once while we were there,” said Andre. The two barges used were loaded in Prince Rupert, towed to Juneau and then anchored about a quarter mile offshore from the Sunnycove fuel site, about 400ft lower in elevation than the mine-site. They were packed to the hilt with everything that the Chinook had to lift and were parked at Sunnycove as the area was reasonably protected and the Chinook could generally operate clear of the severe winds (around 45 knots) that blew down from the Taku Glacier, along the Taku River and into the Taku Inlet.
Andre explained that the crew would fly the Chinook from Juneau airport with the synthetic long line stowed internally and then land at the Sunnycove fuel site, unload the crew and line etc, hook it up to the helicopter, add more fuel if needed and then fly out to the barge for the first load.
Arctic Camp was the name given to the barge landing. Further up the Taku River, there was “The Chief”
camp and the “Town-site”, which had a small airfield. Even further upriver, where the Tulsequah River ran off the Tulsequah Glacier was the “Shaza” site, where a larger airstrip handled the fixed wing operations. The distance between the barge site and the mine was about 35nm as the crow flies, but the helicopter often had to follow rivers, increasing the flight distance. Additionally, weather would build in holds, so the round trip from the barge to the delivery site and back to the barge would frequently take an hour.
The ground crews had a small warming shack that Redfern supplied, two small fuel trucks and a small excavator to dig the trucks out if needed, and were continuously on snow removal detail. They were fully equipped with survival gear and prepared to camp out in case the Chinook couldn’t get back to pick them up if the weather turned bad. An A-Star stood close by on the beach to get them out if that circumstance arose. “We had two ground crews, morning and afternoon. They had survival suits, balaclavas, thermals and as much Carhartt gear they could put on. They’re a pretty tough bunch and are quite used to operating under harsh conditions.”
Weather was the biggest challenge facing both the air and ground crews. “The conditions at times were extremely harsh and were the biggest reason for delays on the job,” Andre said. He commented that the weather went from one extreme to another. “We had strong winds, fog, blinding snow-storms and plenty of rain. The weather in Juneau could be VMC, the Barge IMC and the Mine-site both changing by the minute!”
Making the lift even more challenging, the two barges were tied together with the two tugs that handled them tied off to their sides. “They were extremely tightly packed in order to maximize their carrying capacity – they were equipped with an 80ft crane, the decks were incredibly slippery with the combination of snow, rain, and ice,” commented Andre, “and to make life even harder for the load controllers, the wind chill factor was also pretty nasty.” On several occasions, the barges had to be relocated around the bend and moored on the other side of Bishop Point due to high winds and waves. “It was
1 I the weather was the biggest challenge with snow having to be removed from the Chinook as well as the loads before either could fly.
“We had extraordinary winds, fog, blinding
snow storms and plenty of rain. the weather
in Juneau could VMC, the barge IMC and the
mine site all changing by the minute.”
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About two hours of heating was needed to bring
the aircraft to a reasonable temperature. the
blades and rotor heads were “bagged” each night
and if the forecast was for really bad weather
then they would “bag” the whole engine.
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actually nice moored around the corner as it was tied up to the bank and was quite solid,” said Andre. “Sunnycove had a tendency to move the barge around and was more susceptible to the winds than Bishop Point.”
“Our remote fuel site wasn’t any warmer. We were able to use a small beach to land the ship on for fuelling. Three of our mechanics would fly out with us daily and we would have our longline in the back and our four-part rigging and detangler etc on the beach,” Andre explained. “We would land, take on fuel if required, the boys would unload the line, crawl through the snow, which at times was rubbing on the aircraft’s belly, crawl under the ship to hook up the line, hook up the rigging and then we’d takeoff.”
Before flying each day, the Chinook crews would contact the mine-site personnel and the Tug Boat Captains. “Every morning the A-Star would fly our crew out to the barge and before off-loading the guys they would cruise further up stream to where they could have a good look up river and supply us with a real-time weather check. Between those three weather checks we made our decision to go or not,” said Andre.
“One of the things up there is that the weather can change so quickly and when the round trip for a single load was about an hour, there was a good chance that at some point you were going to get caught out with a significant weather change.” With the weather being so changeable, there was no real way around it and all the planning in the world couldn’t eliminate the problems. “All you can do is take as many precautions as you can”, Andre said. “The weather at the mine site was very cold and although it could turn sour very quickly we managed to dodge most of the heavy stuff.” He said that there were times though when they had to slow everything down and then coast back to the fuel site. Even though the snow storms were frequent and visibility reduced very quickly, there were only two or three loads where the weather necessitated actually turning around across the river and looking for another route up to the mine, or back to the barge. If the weather turned bad and the aircraft was at the fuel site, the crew would just sit tight
2 I sometimes the snow was right up under the aircraft’s belly, and the crew had to crawl under the
ship to hook up the line.
3 I With no road access and rivers frozen over, the mighty Chinook
formed the air highway that allowed the mine to be built regardless of
the weather and terrain.
4 I the conditions were harsh but the Columbia Ground Crew are a
pretty tough bunch.
5 I Everything from containers and buildings to mine equipment and
bulldozers were lifted.
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and keep the Chinook running. The A-Star would be sitting there with the Chinook and if the lift crew thought there was any chance they could operate, it would pop up and check the weather, at least able to tell them the height of the ceiling etc.
Because the 234 is not approved for known icing conditions the crews were always on the alert and would continuously check the aircraft in flight and during fueling for any indications of icing. “Most of what we encountered was fairly damp and tended not to stick to the airframe – more like wet snow than ice,” said Andre. In a trip, the aircraft would experience temperatures of about -17°C at the mine site and -8°C at the fuel site so the temperature changes meant that any ice that did form soon shed and was never a major issue or lasted long. The 234 is approved for operations down to -46°C.
Adding to the crew’s challenges, the Glaciers also created their own weather. “It can be completely clear on the way up and then snowing with a low ceiling on the way back. We ran into this a couple of times and really had no choice but to just slow things down and follow the river and our route back. We were fortunate not to have to take anything back,” said Andre.
Prior to the beginning of the job the crews mapped out some alternate landing sites between the Barge and the mine, to use in the event that the weather turned IMC. “We did face some pretty low ceilings at times, but did not have to use the alternate sites.” One of the Alternates was the Taku Lodge, located across the river from the Taku Glacier which was an amazing sight. The lodge was closed but there was just enough room for the Chinook to land if necessary to shelter from the weather.
Weather also played a large part in the aircraft and crew preparations each day. The maintenance crew would arrive an hour before everyone else to start the world’s largest “Herman Nelson” heater and try to thaw the helicopter from its overnight icing by pointing the heater hoses at the aft transmission and straight into the back of the aircraft. About two hours of heating was needed to bring the aircraft to a reasonable temperature. The blades and rotor heads were “bagged” each night
and the engine covers installed. If the forecast was for really bad weather (heavy rain followed by snow and freezing conditions), then the maintenance crew would “bag” the whole engine.
The maintenance crew also did the pre-flight before the flight crew came in to check the weather and carry out their own checks. De-ice fluid was used each day to make sure the blades and airframe were free of ice. Anti-ice additives were used in the fuel but the main issue the crews encountered was the accumulation of water in the fuel due to the snow and rain during the refuels. To counter this, they checked the fuel sumps every few hours if it was raining or snowing.
At daybreak, one of the Coastal helicopters would fly the Columbia load coordinators and Redfern personnel out to the barges and would then park at Sunnycove for the rest of the day, before reversing the process when the shift ended.
Adding to the challenge provided by the weather, lifting the loads off the barges that were more offshore proved to be a difficult and tricky task. Andre pointed out that with no major visual references apart from the barge itself, it was difficult for the pilot to keep his attention on one point. “The waves and water were moving around the barge and it was real easy to fixate on that motion and start to move in the direction of the current,” he said. “Throw in some blowing snow hitting the bubble and we had our hands full.” They used 100 and 150ft long lines with a 60-ft four-part rigging. The 100-ft line gave the crews more room to move in case of low cloud. Andre said that it was also handy on the barge when it was blowing, or there were waves, as the pilot would have more of the barge in his peripheral vision.
To make the whole project work, Columbia needed to maintain constant communications with US and Canadian Customs. “We were required to present daily to a customs officer details of what loads we would be flying, as well as recording the time we hit the Canadian Border and the time we traveled back across it on the return leg,” explained Andre. “On the majority of the trips we were in Canada for an average of only 11 minutes, depending
6 I the Columbia crews were ever-vigilant for water in the
fuel system due to the amount of snow encountered.
7 I Columbia used 100 and 150ft steel long lines for the task.
8 I Lifting from the barges proved to be a challenge, again
due to the weather.
9 I Due to the length of the long line, often the pilot had little of
the barge to see to establish his hover while lifting.
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5,000lbs. “We had a couple of steel beams that were not behaving when we flew them. They were twisting and flying all over the place, so we hung a set of tracks off the beam and it seemed to fly just fine then.”
Helping keep the crew orientated was the ubiquitous GPS. Andre commented that the GPS was used on the ferry-flight to and from the job primarily because when encountering low visibility conditions, they found it very comforting knowing that they had the GPS to fall back on. “The map is always our primary navigational tool and the GPS is the back up. A straight line from a GPS isn’t a major help when you are flying the Alaskan coastline in low visibility conditions and you don’t want to get out over the water, so you have to follow the coastline.” During actual transport operations the GPS was used mainly for determining distance from the lay-down area. “The route was relatively easy to follow once we had flown it a few times,” Andre said. “It was straight up the river, and then take a left at the fork! Although at times due to snow showers etc we would occasionally have to revert back to the map and GPS.” The crews, however, relied primarily on certain land marks along the way to ensure they were on course. “A certain bend in the river, some cabins or houses, rock face etc. The majority of the trips were fine and visibility was acceptable and workable. There were only a few occasions where we were down to low-vis’ conditions and had to really work at it.” Making it slightly easier for the crews was the fact that the USA/Canadian border is a distinct line in the bush, where an actual line has been cut through the trees, making identifying the border relatively simple.
With the weather and loads being such a challenge, the experience of Columbia’s pilots came to the fore. There were four pilots on the job, two of whom were very senior with over 20,000 hours each and the two “junior” pilots with over 13,000 and 11,000 hours respectively. Although all the Columbia pilots were instrument-rated and that particular Chinook fully IFR-equipped, the aircraft was not cleared to operate IMC and, in any case, all longlining is conducted VFR. The crews therefore spent a great deal of time avoiding weather and maintaining VMC.
By the end of the operation the Chinook had flown some 70 hours including the ferry to and from Juneau, while lifting over a million pounds in 53 loads. The only maintenance required, despite the harsh conditions, was scheduled work and the daily inspections.
Although the air-lift operation represented less than one percent of the Redfern total budget, it allowed for continued construction despite the harsh weather, proving yet again the invaluable benefits helicopters can bring to operations in remote areas. “We were very pleased with the service and assistance we received from both Columbia and Ascent,” commented Salina. “Without their assistance we would not have been able to keep to our construction schedule and would have been delayed by several months. Air lifts were our only option.” n
which camp we were flying to.” Two load coordinators worked on the barges and two worked at the mine site receiving the loads. The coordinators on the barges had the task of arranging the cargo into flyable loads that maximized the Chinook’s load carrying capability, while keeping in mind the fuel load, weather and distance. Most of the loads were built to an average of 21,000 to 22,000lbs, with some loads starting out a little heavier due to the accumulation of snow. “By the end of the job, our load coordinators were quite adept at snow shoveling,” remarked Andre. After being grounded for a couple of days waiting for a break in the weather, the loads would accumulate up to two or three thousand pounds of snow. “We lifted these 20ft x 10ft thick steel shacks called “powder mags” that weighed about 22,000 lbs. But when we lifted one that was covered in snow, it came off the ground at 24,500 lbs and so we set it back down and had the guys clean it off.” Andre pointed out that when lifting from the barge, they didn’t want to leave the “safety” of the deck just to find the aircraft settling when the load was only 15ft from the water.
Basic rigging was used – steel pallets for much of the support equipment, wheel nets for the trucks, and normal chains, straps and basic rigging gear. There were several two-part loads, buildings and containers flown, and different techniques were used to stop them from spinning, including “strategically” suspending tires and individual caterpillar tracks from the loads. The Caterpillars were about 20,000lbs and each track about
story by mark ogden I photos by mark ogden and ned dawson
As Malaysian helicopter services turns 25, it’s
undergoing significant change and facing challenges
like any other helicopter service provider in today’s
environment; how to ramp up services demanded by
customers while maintaining safety and profitability.
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and adds that he believes the difficulty arises because manufacturers are focusing on new aircraft production at the expense of producing and providing adequate spares.
KertihKertih, in Terengganu State on the Malayan Peninsula’s
east coast, is the biggest base in the MHS network. A major Petronas oil refinery and terminal is located near the port on the coast just east of the airfield, which was built to support the offshore industry. From here, six S76s and three L2 Super Pumas fly to over 50 platforms (automated and manned), satellite rigs, jack-ups, seismic boats, exploration vessels and various other rigs located between 75 and 150 nm offshore.
Of the company’s total of 134 pilots and 90 engineers, around 75 pilots and 50 engineers live and work at Kertih operating and maintaining these aircraft, each of which flies an average of 150 hours a month. Throughout the year, these aircraft conduct about 36 daily movements carrying 300 people a day, seven days a week. However, in the monsoon season, the flying rate increases because the seas are too rough for companies to use boats to transfer people. According to Captain Rahmat, the utilization – which is normal for MHS – is quite high for the oil industry and he says he could do with another two Super Puma-sized helicopters based in Miri.
1 I the As332L2 super puma has proved to be a solid performer with Mhs and there are two EC225s on order.
“In offshore air transportation, our
clients require high aircraft and operating
standards. that is why we need to constantly
replace our aircraft.”
MHS Aviation Berhad (MHS) started out as Malaysian Helicopter Services Bhd (now Naluri Bhd). The company was incorporated in 1981 and
began operations in January 1983. It now earns some RM300 million (US$92 million) a year, of which 90% comes from the provision of offshore transportation services to the local market. It is also a major aircraft charter operator and provides search and rescue and emergency medical services, as well as providing training, engineering and technical services to the Malaysian police and navy.
From a fleet of just six S-61s and two bases (Miri and Kuala Terengganu) in 2003, MHS now operates a fleet of 29 aircraft from five bases (Kerteh, Miri, Labuan, Kota Bharu, and Subang) on the Malaysian Peninsula and the island of Borneo. Twenty-seven of the aircraft are helicopters: six AS332L1s and L2s, 16 S76s (of various models), two S-92s and three AS355F1s. The company recently received three S76C++s, and will receive two EC225 aircraft in 2009.
MHS has been focusing its efforts upon the local oil support market – primarily Malaysia’s Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc, and Sarawak Shell Bhd. In offshore air transportation work, customers demand good aircraft and high operating standards. According to Capt Rahmat Hussain, the MHS’s new Chief Operating Officer, that is why the company is constantly replacing its aircraft.
MHS’s fleet flies more than 20,000 hours a year and has a high aircraft utilization rate. In fact, it has withdrawn two of its S76s that have each reached 23,400 flying hours and another is within 400 hours of this time. Captain Hussain explains that once the aircraft reach this time they require some major airframe work, “which costs nearly as much as a new aircraft in effort, time and money,” he says. “It just isn’t economical. With the manufacturer struggling to provide spares in a timely manner, these aircraft will provide us with spares for the rest of the S76 fleet.” Spares support has become something of an issue for the company which once expected AOG spares within two days, but now frequently waits as long as a week for vital parts. “This is a problem for a company such as ours that has a high utilization rate on all its aircraft,” Hussain says,
A
Each base has its own Chief Pilot, while in head office in Kuala Lumpur, there is a Chief Pilot Standards and a Chief Pilot Flight Safety. The company receives engineering manpower support from three sources through service agreements with CHC, Bristow and Aerotecnica.
Kertih lies within the doldrums – an equatorial region of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans that gives rise to weather extremes such as intense thunderstorms, squalls and hurricanes, as well as contrasting lengthy periods of extreme calm.
The monsoon season, which runs from November to February, produces extraordinarily heavy rain in squall lines that reduces visibility to just a few feet. As Capt Ahmad Mustar Md Yunus, the Senior Training Captain for MHS in Kertih notes, “We shoot automated instrument approaches to the rigs using a generic approach utilizing radar, GPS and NDB. The direction of approach can change depending on the weather and the wind, which can swing quite a bit in a squall. Minima are 300 ft and 1.5 nm. If we don’t have that at the bottom of the approach,
50
2 I 3 I
we then conduct an overshoot and try again. The weather is quite localized and it is likely that the squall line will have passed by the next approach.”
However, this weather, with the northeast trade winds usually blowing at a steady 25 kt is preferable to the period from March to August when the wind stops altogether. “At least the wind helps the helicopter’s performance,” Captain Yunus says. “At other times, it can be 34°C without a breath of wind over the deck. The high humidity and temperature, coupled with no wind, really make the aircraft and the pilots work hard.” He also describes the waterspouts that regularly appear in the area. While they seldom last more than a few minutes, the aircraft’s radars rarely “see” these phenomena. Thus, if aircraft are flying at night, the waterspouts can be something of a surprise (helicopter crew changes are not made at night and only operate at night in emergencies, so the pilots practice night operations to a platform every 90 days).
Another problem in calm doldrums conditions is that the sea becomes perfectly calm and haze makes the horizon indiscernible. Distance and depth perception become difficult so good instrument flying is essential. Significant and very active thunderstorms also prevail in the area so all in all, the pilots need a good weather eye to work here.
The pilots at Kertih are primarily Malaysian and many come from the military, BOMBA (firefighting agency), and police, but the company also has “expat” pilots
from such places as Indonesia, Myanmar and the UK. Entry requirements include a CPL, instrument rating and five hundred hours’ helicopter experience. Captain Mustar explains that all of the pilots start out as copilots. Those without previous offshore experience will typically spend about two years as copilots, although this varies, depending on their overall previous experience. A pilot who does have previous offshore experience may only spend a short time as a copilot until he or she becomes acquainted with the local conditions and the company’s operating procedures.
MHS sources simulator training from various providers around the world including HeliSim, Flight Safety International and CAE. Capt Abdul Gaffar Abdul Rahman, the Base Manager at MHS in Kertih, says that because the flying at Kertih can be pretty routine, pilots often get the opportunity to fly at other bases or on short contracts. “Usually we have a few people who want to spend some time elsewhere and there are others who prefer to stay because of their families. However, sometimes we have to direct people to relieve at other bases or help carry out other contracts when there is a shortage of volunteers.”
Changing CultureUnfortunately, MHS suffered three accidents involving
AS332 Super Pumas in one two-year period. These had a big impact on the company, and as a result it has reviewed the way it operates. “Some of the
51
2 I New s76s are entering the fleet as Mhs lays up models with over 23,000 flying hours.
3 I Mhs says it could do with more “super puma sized” helicopters at Kertih to handle the growth in activity.
6 I
“At least with the wind, it helps the
helicopter’s performance, but at
other times it can be 34°C over the
deck and not a breath of wind”
problems we have experienced have been the result of pushing things a bit too hard to try and meet changing customer requirements,” explains Capt Mohd Adzmi Ariffin, MHS’s Health and Safety, and Quality Manager. “But we have decided to be as open as possible and let other companies know what happened so that we can all learn from the accidents.”
In attempting to learn from the past, one difficulty MHS has is that the reports on the official investigations conducted by the Malaysian authorities have not yet been released. Nevertheless, the company is making changes. For example, MHS discovered that training varied among the seven independent providers of helicopter underwater escape training (HUET) that it uses. Not only did training standards differ, but also the escape systems fitted to the underwater trainers were configured differently from MHS’s aircraft – even the seat belts were different! So now, the company is working with the providers to standardize and improve the quality of HUET training.
Capt Adzmi says that the company also recognized the potential clash between the Asian culture of not questioning elders or superiors, and the essential cockpit culture of questioning teamwork. “Our CRM training has been expanded to include subjects not required by the regulations, such as threat and error management,” he says. “We have also worked on our reporting system and to make sure that the company works within the ‘just’ culture that modern thinking advocates.” He says
that MHS is looking at the “big picture” to see where the system may be failing its people, rather than focusing on individual failures. The company uses its own incident and accident reports as resources in its training. “Our people were affected by the accidents as they knew the crews and often knew the passengers or their families. So rather than using case studies involving airliners – which have little relevance to them – we are using our own and other offshore examples to drive home the messages, and I think they are listening.”
After one of its accidents, the company developed an initiative to ensure that all levels of the company management are fully aware of what’s happening within the company. Capt Rahmat explains how they developed a “traffic light system” to monitor the situation at each base on a daily basis. Email reports are sent to all levels within the company from the CEO down to the hangar floor level, in order to ensure that everyone knows what is happening – and even representatives of the company’s clients get a copy. If the “traffic light” for a particular area is amber or red, it triggers immediate action to ensure the everyone concerned – right up to the CEO – works to get the light back to “green”. “We’ve had it for more than a year and it seems to be working well,” says Capt Rahmat.
expansionMHS is planning to expand its business further but
this will require careful management to ensure the
52
resources are in place to achieve the company’s aims. Like nearly all helicopter operators supporting the offshore market, MHS needs pilots, engineers and aircraft at a time when all three are in short supply. Indeed, the company has lease arrangements with CHC International and Bristow for S76 helicopters and with Bristow for some engineering support.
Targeting operations in southeast Asia, south Asia, the Middle East and Africa, Captain Rahmat says he plans to have maiden overseas operations kick off in April this year, starting in Vietnam and gradually expanding to other countries such as Iran, Sudan and Myanmar. He believes that with the continuing strong demand for offshore air transportation services, this is a good time for MHS to expand its business overseas.
Indeed, there is little sign that the current level of activity is likely to wane as high fuel prices and an insatiable market drive more and more oil companies to explore new areas. Captain Rahmat believes that within five years, its overseas operations will be earning 40% of the company’s total revenue. n
4 I
5 I 6 I
7 I
4 I Flying from Kertih on the Malayan peninsula’s East Coast, the company’s fleet of L2s and s76s service over
50 platforms of various types and sizes.
5 I passengers are handled through the Kertih airport and terminal. Ground Crew guides the passengers and load/unload baggage.
6 I the s76 fleet is extremely well utilized and has been the foundation of the operation at Kertih.
7 I Flying in the Doldrums can be challenging with the conditions ranging from monsoonal downpours with zero visibility to calm,
power sucking heat and haze that shrouds the horizon.
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54
55
This year, Russia’s most important civil helicopter project, the Mi-38, enters a very important development phase. Alex MlAdenov provides an insight into the helicopter’s protracted development set against Russia’s struggling economy.
sToRy by Alex MlAdenov I PhoTos by K AzAn HelIcopters And oboronproM
56
ussia’s Mi-38 is about to receive a much-needed funding boost from the state that will accelerate the aircraft’s test and certification effort. The
second test vehicle, which is configured as a production aircraft, is expected to join the flight test schedule by the middle of the year.
The preliminary flight-testing phase of the Mi-38, comprising handling trials and envelope expansion was completed in December 2007. Over the course of 90 hours of test flying, the Mi-38 reportedly met its test objectives in 100 out of 150 test flights. The third test vehicle is scheduled to take the air around the end of 2008. The type certification program is expected to take some 700 flights to complete.
So far, the first prototype (RA-38011), known as aircraft PT-1, is reported to have demonstrated promising performance during its flight tests and achieved a maximum speed of 320 km/h (172 knt) without experiencing any excessive vibration, and reached an altitude of 26,800 ft (8,170 m) at a take-off weight of 11,100 kg (24,260 lb). The hovering ceiling OGE demonstrated by PT-1 exceeded 9,840 ft (3,000 m) at a take-off weight of 14,200 kg (31,290 lb). The helicopter’s rotor system has also demonstrated better than expected efficiency, generating some 500 kg (1,102 lb) more lift than was originally predicted.
R
1 I
A HeAltHy MArketAndrey Shibitov, the Director General of the Mil
Moscow Helicopter Plant (Mil MHP), which is the design authority for the Mi-38, believes that there is a market for between 170 to 200 Mi-38s between 2010 and 2020. He describes this as a conservative estimate and says most of these helicopters are likely to be sold to customers in Russia. However, more optimistic market estimates suggest sales of at least 300 Mi-38s, whose program “break-even” point is around 90 helicopters.
The Mi-38 was originally conceived to supplement and eventually replace the omnipresent Mi-8/17 utility and passenger workhorse, with the -38 offering much better range/payload performance and lower direct operating costs than those of its predecessor. In the mid to late 1990s, the Russian State Research Institute and Eurocopter each conducted independent market research studies that both indicated a market for some 200 Mi-38-class helicopters in Russia with an additional 100 export orders expected.
A 15 to 16-tonne class new generation helicopter, designed to handle a wide range of missions, the Mi-38 was originally developed as a joint venture by the Euromil consortium comprising Eurocopter, Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant (as the once famous Mil Design Bureau is now known), Kazan Helicopter and Klimov as risk-sharing
57
development effort in January 2005. Two years later, Eurocopter officials publicly identified two other reasons behind the move: the first being the notably protracted development effort and second being the lack of clear market prospects for the Mi-38. It is worth noting that the Mi-38 is a direct competitor to Eurocopter’s EC225 on the international market.
However, before its withdrawal, Eurocopter reportedly fulfilled its obligations as a risk-sharing partner by supplying cockpit avionics and other equipment for PT-1. In order to save money, reduce risk and simplify development effort, Eurocopter supplied off-the-shelf hardware including analogue cockpit instruments borrowed from its “legacy” helicopter types.
Despite Eurocopter’s withdrawal from Euromil, Mil MHP and Kazan Helicopters continued with the program as risk-sharing partners, investing significant amounts of their own money as well as using a small amount of government funding support. Pratt & Whitney Canada remained as the only foreign supplier at the time, supplying two PW127T/S engines for the sole flying prototype.
In May 2006, it was announced that another significant Western partner might join the program. Thales of France, together with the Russian company Transas, were to have developed the Mi-38’s automatic flight control system and
1 I In december 2007, oP completed the so-called preliminary flight test phase; it took as many as 150 flights totalling 90 hours, and in 100 of these flights the test objectives were reported to have been met.
partners, each holding a 25% stake. According to the agreement signed between EADS and Rosaviakosmos (the Russian Aviation and Space Agency) in 2001, Mil MHP was tasked with the design and flight test program and Eurocopter was to be responsible for the avionics, cabin equipment and international certification, while Kazan Helicopters would manufacture the new helicopter. In 1996, engine design house Klimov, which was to have developed the engine, left the project and thus the remaining partners’ stakes increased to 33% each.
eurocopter WAlks AWAyAccording to the original program plan announced
by Euromil in 1994, the Mi-38 was to have flown in 1999. However, the program had already suffered a significant delay by the time the Mi-38 made its maiden flight on 22 December 2003. The flight test effort then proceeded slowly and the ambitious development and certification program – estimated to have cost no less than US$800 million – suffered a serious blow in early 2005, when Eurocopter decided to withdraw from the joint venture.
Eurocopter claimed that it took this abrupt step because of changes in Russian legislation that eventually restricted foreign participation in local aircraft manufacturing companies to 25%. As a result, Eurocopter sold its entire stake and walked away from the Mi-38
More optimistic market estimates say that Mi-38
sales could account to not less than 300 examples,
while the breakeven point should be reached after
selling around 90 helicopters.
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2 I 3 I
provided navigation and electrical equipment. However, in June 2007, Mil MHP sources unofficially hinted that negotiations with Thales had proved fruitless and it was unlikely that the French company would enter the Mi-38’s development program. This left Transas with two alternatives – either seek another Western risk-sharing partner to co-develop and produce the Mi-38’s avionics suite or develop it independently. It is now understood that Transas has pursued the second option and is currently working on the new avionics for the Mi-38. It is unfortunate that significant delays in the Mi-38’s avionics development caused by Eurocopter’s departure from the program have resulted in a slip in the flight test schedule of at least three years.
A Big iMproveMentThe Mi-38 is a conventional pod and boom design
with a six-blade main rotor and four-blade tail rotor; both rotors have composite blades with electrical de-icing. The rotor head is made of titanium and features spherical electrometric bearings and hydraulic drag dampers.
The cabin has the same cross-section as the Mi-8/17 but is slightly longer and has clamshell rear-loading doors and a cargo ramp. The aircraft’s primary structure is predominantly of aluminum alloys with composites used only in secondary, non load-bearing structures and fairings. The improved aerodynamic layout of the Mi-38’s fuselage generates significantly less drag than that of the Mi-8/17 making it possible for the new machine to achieve higher cruise speeds; 148-154 kt (275-285 km/h) for the Mi-38 against 113-124 kt (210-230 km/h) for the Mi-8/17. Maximum range for the Mi-38 with internal fuel
is 477 nm (885 km), while with auxiliary fuel tanks it can travel 701 nm (1,300 km).
The Mi-38 was predicted to require only half as much maintenance as the Mi-8/17, produce a noise signature four times smaller and have vibration levels six times lower than the Mi-8/17, while its main systems were intended to last significantly longer between overhauls (TBO) than the older aircraft.
Its cabin, which is 1.85 m (6ft 1 in) high by 2.36 m (7ft 9 in) wide, has a volume of 29.5 m3 (compared to the Mi-8/17’s 22.5 m3). The stand-up cabin can accommodate 26-30 passengers in the utility transport role, or up to 12 passengers in a VIP configuration. There are eight push-out widows provided for emergency egress.
In the cargo role, the cabin can house up to 5,000 kg (11,020 lb) of freight. As an air crane, the Mi-38 can be equipped with a 7,000 kg (15,430 lb) capacity belly hook. Future versions are expected to boast a 6,000 kg (13,230 lb) internal cargo capacity and up to 8,000 kg (17,630 lb) externally.
engine storyOriginally, the Mi-38 was to have had two Klimov
VKA-3000 (TV-3500) turboshafts rated at 2,500 shp (1,838kW) continuous power and 3,750 shp (2,757kW) emergency (OEI) power. The poor financial situation prevailing at Klimov at the time, led to an eventual decision in 1997, that the first prototype and the civilian versions of the helicopter would be powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney PW127T/S engines rated at 3,300 shp (2,461kW) for take-off and 3,600 shp (2,684kW) OEI
59
emergency rating. The PW127 is the first member of the popular PW100 turboshaft family tailored for use on helicopters.
The Mi-38 features an all-new VR-38 four-stage planetary main gearbox that has a reduction ratio of 80.5:1.
In 2003-2004, another new generation Russian engine was proposed for the Mi-38 – this time it was the Klimov VK-3000 (previously known as the TV7-117V) – a turboshaft derivative of the TV7-117 turboprop used to power the Il-114 regional airliner. Weighing 360-380 kg (793-838 lb), it is OEI-rated at between 2,800 and 3,750 shp (2,059-2,757 kW), while take-off rating is 2,500-2,800 shp (1,838-2,059kW) and cruise rating is 1,800-2,000 shp (1,324-1,470 kW). It is not yet clear when this engine, which is still at an early stage of development, might enter the flight-testing phase, or when it might possibly be ready for installation in the Mi-38.
A sloW-Moving progrAMThe Mi-38 made its first hovering flight on 22
December 2003 at Kazan Helicopters’ factory airfield and the first level flight was on 24 August 2004. It was an important milestone in the first stage of the Mi-38 program, which formally commenced in 1999. The second stage will involve two production-representative examples in the type’s certification program, with final certification tentatively scheduled for some time between 2008 and 2010.
The Mi-38’s development, f light-testing and certification efforts are still progressing slowly and as yet, there have been no firm commitments for the new helicopter from either civilian or military customers. Chief reasons cited for the dearth of firm orders include the fact that the helicopter is, as yet, unproven and more importantly, it carries a considerable price tag compared to current Russian-made helicopter types. Unit list price in 2008-2009 is expected to be at least US$20 million compared to $7-8 million for a factory-new baseline Mi-17V-5 or Mi-171 (in 2007 dollars). Use of indigenous engines and avionics will undoubtedly make the Mi-38
cheaper and therefore more attractive for Russian commercial, military and parapublic customers.
In 2007, Kazan Helicopters invested some US$1.6 million of its own funds in the final assembly of the second flying vehicle and production of parts and assemblies for the third one. Transas, which is the new risk-sharing partner in the program and responsible for the avionics, has reportedly already invested some US$6 million in developing, producing and testing the avionics for the second and third flying vehicles that will be involved in the type’s certification program.
The Mi-38’s production phase was expected to commence at Kazan Helicopters in 2010, with first customer deliveries tentatively scheduled for 2011. Considering the frequent delays in the program thus far, and the lack of any firm orders by early 2008, customer delivery dates will probably slip further to 2012-2013.
priceIt can reasonably be assumed that in the absence of
sufficient state subsidies to cover the type’s development, the helicopter’s price will continue to escalate as a result of increased labor prices, increases in parts and systems prices and the inflation expected to be experienced in Russia in the foreseeable future. It is now widely considered as “impossible” to design from scratch and produce an “affordable” heavy-class helicopter in the present Russian economic conditions. However, Mil MHP has announced a more realistic target, which is to keep the Mi-38’s price some 20-25% lower than that of a civilian-configured AgustaWestland AW101. It is worth noting that while the rather expensive three-engined AW101 has sold well to military customers worldwide, it has thus far achieved only a single civil sale.
2 I The Mi-38 made its first hovering flight on 22 december 2003 at Kazan helicopters’ factory airfield and the first level flight followed on 24 August 2004.
3 I Thanks to the better aerodynamic layout, the fuselage is advertised to generate two times less drag than that of the Mi-8/17 making it possible to achieving higher cruise speeds; 275-285km/h (148-154) vs 210-230km/h (113-124kt).
The chief reasons
cited for the lack of
firm orders include
the helicopter still
being unproven and
more importantly,
it carries a
considerable price
tag compared to the
current Russian-
made helicopter
types.
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Eurocopter’s EC225 and the Sikorsky’s S-92 are considered to be the strongest competitors to the Mi-38. By late 2007, these two modern types were reported to have achieved 40 and more than 100 sales respectively. The current baseline price for each type (in the utility configuration) is more than US $20 million.
There is much impetus for increases in the state subsidies for the Mi-38, the development costs of which are to be partially covered by a state-backed program named “Development of Civil Aircraft in Russia Between 2002 and 2010 and then to 2015”. It was originally envisaged that state funding support would provide between 15 and 25% of the total cost of development and certification. However, in mid-2007, Vadim Ligay, Kazan Helicopters’ newly-appointed Director General, insisted that state aid should be increased to cover up to 50% of the program’s total costs.
By September 2007, the Mi-38’s design and development efforts were reported to have consumed some US $350-400 million – reportedly nearly half of the program’s expected budget (although this cannot be confirmed independently). Around 20% of this amount has already been granted by the state budget, while the rest has come from Kazan Helicopters, Mil MHP, Transas, Eurocopter and Pratt & Whitney Canada. According to Mil MHP sources, state support amounted to around US$12 million in 2007.
MArket prospects not cleAr yetThe Mi-38 was designed from the outset to comply
with Russia’s AP-29 airworthiness rules – broadly equivalent to US FAR-29 and Europe’s EASA Part 29 and the helicopter’s performance and design features are in line with American and European equivalents. However, after Eurocopter’s withdrawal, FAR 29 and EASA Part 29 certifications are likely to be prolonged and rather problematic, which may delay Western Mi-38 sales considerably. Nevertheless, Denis Manturov, former head of Oboronprom – a state-owned Russian holding company which now controls both Mil MHP and Kazan Helicopters – maintains that the “spot marketing” strategy,
currently adopted for Kamov Ka-32 sales in Canada and Western Europe, may still produce some sales to Western customers.
Remaining conservative in his sales forecasts, Manturov predicts a market for between five and ten Mi-38s a year between 2010 and 2020 (both domestic and international sales). At the same time, he expects the Mi-8/17’s new derivatives to continue selling well for the next 15 years – a factor likely to reduce near-term demand for new Mi-38s. The Mi-38 variants that will be offered to the Russian Air Force and other military and government organizations, will undoubtedly feature more Russian content in the form of engines, avionics and mission equipment.
Once the helicopter enters service with such customers, it will become eligible for export to military and paramilitary customers through Russia’s monopolist defense export agency, Rosoboronexport. However, at this stage, no military or government customers have identified any formal requirements or specifications for engines, avionics or mission equipment.
The market niche for the Mi-38 is rather narrow – at least for the foreseeable future. In addition to being more expensive than the latest members of the Mi-8/17 family, it does not offer any significant performance increases and despite early predictions to the contrary, initial production examples have been achieving lower airframe and systems TBOs than those of its predecessor.
When the Mi-38 was first conceived in the 1980s, internal competition with Mi-8/17 derivatives was not considered as a significant factor. However, new Mi-8/17 derivatives appeared in the 1990s as a result of development initiatives by Kazan Helicopters and Ulan Ude Aviation Plant in response to market demand for the effective workhorses. As a result, in the 1990s and early 2000s, the affordable Mi-8/17 family was greatly improved with the addition of uprated powerplants and new avionics and mission systems. Today’s Mi-17V-5, Mi-171 and Mi-172 derivatives offer almost identical payload capacity both internally and externally as the Mi-38. Furthermore, passenger versions of the Mi-17 offer
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utility seating for 24-28 passengers compared to 26-30 for the Mi-38.
Against this less-than-favorable internal competition, Mil MHP is trying to promote the Mi-38 as a much- needed gap-filler solution in Russia, nesting between the Mi-8/17 and the much larger and more expensive-to-operate Mi-26. The Mi-38 is advertised as being well suited to replace the now obsolete Mi-6 and Mi-10 workhorses with their maximum payloads of 10,000-12,000 kg (22,400-26,500 lb) that were previously widely used to support the oil and construction industries.
Of the potential customers in Russia who have expressed interest in the Mi-38 – and who could afford to buy it – a handful of state-controlled oil and gas companies would use it for passenger and cargo transport. As well, there has been some interest expressed for as many as 80 VIP variants to meet the needs of a small VIP market in Russia and its client states. However, the only publicly stated intention to procure Mi-38s (although it has not committed to firm orders) has been by UT Air, Russia’s largest helicopter operator, for five examples.
The reason for the lack of orders for the Mi-38 is simple. Potential customers who are currently operating the Mi-8/17 are reluctant to announce firm commitments for the Mi-38 until it completes its development and certification successfully. n
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Heli-Expo 2008
So you think you can hover a helicopter? Sure, for an experienced pilot it’s hard to remember not being able to. But take away the horizon and visual cues, hang out the door looking directly behind you and suddenly the feeling is anything but familiar. SARAH BOWEN rises to the challenge and checks out long line training for herself at Los Angeles Helicopters.
StORy & pHOtOS By sarah bowen
66
s long as helicopters have been lifting loads, there has been a need for good quality, competent long line pilots; the kind who can bring a load right
to your hand with virtually no oscillations, and who are right outside the cockpit both physically and mentally. These exceptional pilots are few and far between, and the industry has been crying out for a course that could build the foundations of a professional long line pilot. In response to this need and in partnership with Columbia Helicopters Inc. (CHI), Long Beach-based Los Angeles Helicopters (LAH) developed a Part 133 approved Professional Long Line Course that does just that.
The course delivers one-of-a-kind long line training, beginning with the introduction of Direct Visual Operational Control (DVOC), better known as “Vertical Reference” – the ability to fly without reference to the horizon, a technique developed by CHI’s pioneer Wes Lematta and the first step in learning to fly a line. The next stage is landing on “Alaskan-style” heliports, and then flying a 200ft steel line. Upon successful completion, the company can issue graduates a Part 133 Rotorcraft External Load Operation Statement of Competency, which, let’s face it, is a pretty useful thing to have on your résumé. Mastering this unbelievably challenging skill, however, is not as easy as the professionals make it look.
Andre Hutchings, Director of Operations at LAH, CFI and Command Pilot for CHI climbs aboard the R44 Clipper II and demonstrates the most stable hover and landing you ever saw – the bizarre thing is that he’s hanging right out the door, looking back at the aft skid cross-tube the whole time. That’s weird enough, but he makes it look like a piece of cake. We watch in astonishment as several thousand-odd-hour instructors jump in to try their hand, thinking “This should be okay, I’ve lifted to a hover a million times before – how hard can it be?” only to find themselves completely humbled as the ship goes crazy and starts dancing about like a demented rodeo-bull.
There really is no preparing yourself for the intimidation you endure as it sinks in that you can’t even hover that darned helicopter, let alone place the skids precisely onto two logs. You desperately want to look up at that horizon,
A
1 I Early morning out in perris Valley, where students practice hook shots and landing on logs.
1 I
but instead you force yourself to look behind you. It’s like déjà vu, where all of a sudden you’re back to square one feeling like a newbie student pilot learning to hover all over again. Oh yes, this is what vertical reference is all about, and the challenge makes it all the more addictive – just like the early days when you’d fly over and over until you could finally master those controls. The only thing stopping you this time is discomfort; fly in that position for 10 minutes and you’re soon thinking, “I can’t take any more of this!”
How long liners manage it for 10 hours a day, every day really is incredible. Long lining is a seriously demanding job, but these guys are out there flying for hours on end in the avoid curve, with a heavy load hanging hundreds of feet below in an OGE hover. Thorough training is paramount, not only for the safety of the pilot and crew, but for the precision needed to get the cargo to its destination without damage, or punching it off too far from the target. Some of these makeshift heliports are only just big enough for the helicopter, and often the landing site is made of a couple of logs amongst tall trees and obstacles. You think you know what a confined area is until you see the site picture and ask yourself, “Okay, so where is the heliport?” Often there’s only one way in and one way out. You need to be able to look out at your tail rotor to confirm both blades and cargo are clear of becoming snagged.
Andre is a seasoned pilot who has logged well over 11,000 helicopter hours across an impressive array of missions. He flies a multitude of singles, twins and
67
torso up to the door frame, which puts less strain on your neck. This position alone feels completely screwed up and half the battle is forcing yourself to stay there. After ten minutes in the seat that cheek’s already taken a beating, and if you’re not relaxed enough your neck and other muscles get all tensed up. Andre reassures the class that everybody will be more relaxed and will have buns of steel by the end of the course!
Due to the physical demands the course is run with several students in a class, enabling pilots to swap over when they get tired. This also gives them a chance to watch and learn from each other. The R44 works hard, doors off and blades turning all day long; only shutting down for refuels and a quick lunch break. The course is broken down into stages, so before you go anywhere near a line, you’ve got to get your head around the vertical reference; there’s just no point trying to “fly the line” without it. After an hour of ground school, students Sy, Sofia, Joel, Claire and Troy move out to “helipad four” to give it a shot. After assuming the “position”, looking back as far as possible, it’s time to get light on the skids. “Break ground real slow,” Andre says. And at that point all hell breaks loose! Where’s the horizon? Need to see the horizon to level the ship. But Andre insists we can’t cheat, and so we persevere, uttering all manner of profanities and trying desperately to hold a steady hover. “Now show me an inside easy.”
heavy-lift machines, including the BV107 and Chinook. In the 1990s, Andre helped numerous law-enforcement agencies build awareness on the importance of air-to-ground support, and for a few years flew as a police pilot himself. Andre’s devotion to a higher standard of flight operations has earned LAH a lot of respect in the industry and he has worked hard to incorporate his “real-world” flight experience into their courses.
“Our long line course is a true utility course based on the training CHI give their H500 pilots as well as those headed for the Vertol,” he remarks. “We designed and implemented the course with the help of Kerry Allen, Assistant Chief Pilot at CHI. He came down to Long Beach, sat with us and discussed exactly what CHI looks for in a vertical reference / long line pilot and we went from there.” According to Allen, the Professional Long Line Course is exactly what the name implies. “This course contains the same methods of instruction and content that have been used to train our support ship pilots. The skills taught are what we require at CHI in order to be considered for upgrade as a Command Pilot in one of our BV107s.”
The first important thing about vertical reference is getting comfortable in that seat. Most long line is flown left seat, since you’re leaning so far out the door you need to have the collective within easy reach. This would be too impractical from the right, and probably impossible when you’re doing it in the big machines like the Vertol. Andre describes the position as getting right up onto your left butt cheek so you can square your
you desperately
want to look up at
that horizon, but
instead you force
yourself to look
behind you. It’s like
déjà vu, where all
of a sudden you’re
back to square
one feeling like a
newbie student pilot
learning to hover all
over again.
Gregg Rochna, owner of Maverick Helicopter, did not become the world’s largest EC130
tour operator overnight. His attention to details such as engine reliability and customer
service is the essential key to his success. His engine of choice – the Arriel. www.turbomeca.com
- Gregg Rochna, Owner Maverick Helicopter
Service.
You have to be kidding. Land it? And with the aft skid cross-tube within 3 three inches of that white line? The whole point of this precision landing technique is that only the strongest parts of the skids touch down on the made-to-measure heliports; on the R44 this is just forward of the point the skid meets the cross-tube. Landing too far fore or aft could damage the weaker parts of the skid, or cause the rotor disc to clip something. The inside easy (someone was having a laugh when they thought that one up – believe me there’s nothing easy about it), is so called because it requires you to land on the corner helipad markings, giving you two references for lining up the skid tube.
At first there’s a tendency to move the cyclic as your head moves between the fore and aft parts of the skid, which throws it off completely, and for some reason your feet don’t work so well either. Every time you get within inches of that line the hover just seems to go to pieces. It’s as if someone has sprayed the thing with helicopter repellent, and Troy describes it as the most intimidating 12 inches he’s ever come across! Everyone experiences exactly the same problem, regardless of hours, experience, or whether commercial pilots or instructors. It’s just a whole new skill set that has to be developed, which is of course why it’s so much fun trying to nail it. After a couple of days it all begins to come together; holding a three-inch hover feels great, and that left skid is going down right on the money.
The next stage is simulating a pickup over the helipad. Andre is covering the controls and watching the gauges as you lift the ship up to a 200ft hover right over the pad. Looking down at pad four from 200ft is a weird sensation, particularly as the only things between you and the ground are fresh air and Frank’s seatbelt! Fixating on the pad is a big no-no, and a sure-fire way to bring on the nasty effects of vertigo, which unfortunately I soon discovered. During a real pickup, you’d be consistently crosschecking the load with the target, with the wind, with your height, with the hooker’s hand signals so there shouldn’t be a time you’re just staring at the same thing. The key to it all is slow and smooth, particularly when going back down, keeping your ROD under control to avoid entering vortex ring state, which is always a possibility with long line flying.
By this stage that left cheek has got quite used to supporting your weight and it’s bearable to fly longer sessions. Back at a sensible height Andre demonstrates a series of mini patterns and approaches to the pad, setting it down from overhead the pad at 8 to 10ft. In the real world this could be your only “safe” area to let down. One of the hardest things on your neck is doing a turn about the tail, using the tail rotor as your visual reference for height and position; those feet need to work really hard and you’re all twisted out, which makes it quite awkward. After four days of intense hovering through all kinds of weather (including one particular downpour that had us
nicely soaked, with the instructor side strangely enough remaining dry!), it’s time to move out to Perris Valley, a small field about 30 minutes east of Long Beach, where the guys have built some real log heliports.
Heliport operations require great care and precision. Some heliports will be nothing more than a couple of tree stumps, or a makeshift pad on a massive slope. As the maneuvering area is extremely tight, or non-existent, holding position over the pad is vital. You never really know how those logs are going to hold out with the weight of the helicopter suspended upon them, so you don’t ever take the power all the way out. If loggers are
2 I
2 I Joel and Andre climb slowly up to 200ft above the pad at Long Beach, simulating a pickup.
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Heli-Expo stand 131
attention and most students actually found this easier than the “inside easy”, although perhaps it was due to increased proficiency following days of practice! Joel, an investment banker, who attended the first course LAH ran back in October last year, enjoyed it so much he came back to do it all again. “From a skill-building standpoint,
At that point all
hell breaks loose!
“Where’s the
horizon? Need to
see the horizon to
level the ship.” But
Andre insists we
can’t cheat, and
so we persevere,
uttering all manner
of profanities and
trying desperately
to hold a steady
hover.
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chucking tools, gear and perhaps even themselves into the aircraft, the weight is constantly changing and the helipad could even collapse.
LAH have simulated two helipads, one consisting of two logs on the ground, and the other, an elevated rig. Having something thin to land on seems to focus the
3 I A quick refuel break and helicopter and students are all set to go again.
4 I Slow is the word as you pick up the line, making sure it’s clear of getting snagged at all times.
5 I the 230lb cement bucket sits on the target, ready to be hooked up again.
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3 I
you can’t beat it,” he remarks. “I’m sure there are hundreds of pilots out there, just like me, who would simply love to have a go at this for the sheer challenge, even if they don’t intend to make a career of it. It’s entirely addictive!”
With almost a week of brutal flying out of the way, we return to Perris Valley for the duration. This place is beginning to feel like “boot camp”! Andre demonstrates a 200ft pickup of the line, gently standing up the cone and remote hook, and lifting it gracefully into the air to fly a circuit. Again, he makes it look like child’s play, but the skill involved in keeping that line from swinging about requires even more refining. The line is made of steel and attaches underneath the helicopter using a belly hook with an electronic and manual release. “Our students only fly a steel line as opposed to synthetics; steel is way less forgiving and much harder to fly,” Andre says. “We also go straight in with a 200ft line, which is really unheard of in training, but that’s what they use at Columbia and if the students can master that, the shorter ones will be easy.”
Picking it up is one thing, flying it around is another. Any sudden changes in pitch, altitude and speed can throw the line into a wild oscillation, and regaining control can be hard work. The only way to get it back is to fly in the direction of the swing, skids level, to try and catch it. Sofia says it was the most incredible training she’s ever had. “Having a top-notch CHI instructor talking you through the maneuvers is fantastic. He displays incredible patience in allowing you to make mistakes and
then figure out how to recover from them. The extreme precision required to get the job done was certainly an eye-opening experience,” she says. Judging the hook’s distance from the ground is also incredibly tough; looking at the shadow helps, but you’re not always lucky enough to have one. More often than not you’re higher than you think, but 200ft is a long way down and it can be difficult to tell whether you’re going to clear the trees, power lines and other obstacles on the ground. Sy described this as the most challenging flying ever, besides maybe getting in for that very first lesson. “I have a lot of respect for the guys who do this day in, day out,” he says.
The golden rule for a nice “hook shot” is flying slowly enough with no sudden cyclic inputs at all, and just walking the hook or load to the target with it sitting completely straight underneath you. The ground crew can give hand signals to tell you when you’re level, or if you need to come down or go up, or they can talk you down on the radio, calling out the load’s height to guide you into the target zone. Wind direction is an important consideration as this can seriously affect both the helicopter and the load. We practice flying various loads around, from a 230lb bucket full of cement, to a bunch of logging chokers, even a medical litter, all of which have different flight characteristics and require additional skills.
One success story is Forrest Garton, a graduate of the very first LAH long line course, who has just completed
the golden rule for a nice “hook shot” is flying slowly enough with no sudden cyclic inputs at all, and just walking the hook or load to the target with it sitting completely straight underneath you.
4 I 5 I
CHI’s Chief Pilot, Jim Coates, commended LAH on their unique program. “I chose to send our new pilots to LAH because they had developed a curriculum focused on bush and utility work. While EMS, the Gulf, tour and news helicopters grab the headlines, a large part of the helicopter industry quietly goes about its business. That business is out in the bush, and utility work is where the helicopter is the workhorse,” he remarks. “Differing skill sets are needed – mainly precise aircraft control and vertical reference external-load long line skills. If one was to acquire the skill set and be good at it they would never be without work.”
According to Coates, most companies do not have the time, money or structure to provide basic vertical reference flight training, and for those operating large helicopters the cost to train a person without basic long line skills can be huge. “Having someone like LAH offering this type of training is cost-effective for us and helps to provide skilled pilots to the industry as a whole. Certainly anyone who completes this course would have a major advantage in obtaining a job with companies whose bread-and-butter is long line external load work”. Vertical reference and long line are incredibly fulfilling skills to muster and any pilot looking for a way to expand their flying ability, or perhaps steer their career in the direction of long line work should definitely check out LAH’s highly regarded course. n
his first 40 hours in the Vertol with CHI. “Before I did the course I had zero long line experience, but Andre was super to fly with and very inspiring. Once I found that helicopter’s sweet spot and started lining up the hook shots, it all came together and it felt so much better.” Forest started training with CHI right after he finished at LAH, and having previously been a logger, he’s finding it great to be at the other end of the line. “CHI have a motto – it’s not how fast you go, it’s how much time you don’t waste,” he says. In other words, if you come in too fast you’re just going to make it harder on yourself and spend longer trying to stop it swinging about. Forrest was told that it takes a long line pilot around 2,000 hours to reach 80% of their potential, but the 15 hours he spent on the course taught him all the basic principles; the rest can only come with experience.
The defining quality of this course has to be the experienced team of professional long line pilots teaching it. It is targeted, though not exclusively, at existing commercial pilots wishing to add the final touch to their résumé and provides a way of breaking into the industry. LAH run the course approximately once a month, and it lasts for ten days with a combination of ground school and up to 20 hours flying. They also run shorter introductory courses for those who just want to have a go, and see if they can face up to the challenge and the fun of learning vertical reference and long line.
…so you’ll do more of this.
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ae West was probably speaking for all pilots about power margin when she said, “Too much is not enough!” In every coffee talk, pilots
almost always ask for enough reserve power in a twin-engine helicopter, sufficient emergency power to hover on one engine, and greater power margins to allow safer maneuvering in a hover. The extra power they request is margin – power that is not used during a normal mission but held in reserve, just in case. It is extra power to be available should the pilot need it to get out of a jam. Flying close to the margin is uncomfortable, and the skill and nerve needed to keep things right is palpable.
In questioning pilots about the shortcomings of their machines (the best way to help understand what to get right next time) I have discovered that the question is almost never “How much of any attribute does one want,” but rather, “What will you give up in exchange for that attribute?”
The training for helicopter pilots does not include an appreciation of the balance of a successful design and the inexorable rule that adding “extra” of anything always takes something else away. Compare an aircraft’s delicate design balance to the panels on a football (a soccer ball to our American cousins), where each pentagonal panel represents a particular attribute, such as payload, range,
M purchase price, operating cost, power margin or OGE hover ceiling. By asking for a change in one attribute, by measurably increasing the size of one panel to effect that change, the design becomes skewed, and consequently the several other panels will have to be reduced in order to retain the design’s overall “design volume.” The panels must be reduced, and the amount by which they are reduced, measure the cost of the attribute that is increased. There is no way to change a design without trading off on something else, no matter what one might wish. So when we ask a pilot, “Do you want more power margin?” we have misunderstood the designer’s dilemma. The question must be, “Mr Pilot, what are you willing to give up in return for more power margin?” Let’s look at the costs, using some simple design rules.
Additional Empty Weight – Let’s look at a hypothetical family of three helicopters in which we change the engine power, but leave everything else unchanged. For simplicity we will use a venerable helicopter as the baseline, something close to the S-76A, whose performance and weight are well known. As we change the engines, we will leave the rotors and fuselage unchanged. Therefore, the hover power and single engine power required remain unchanged, so that
Revealing what might be an anathema to most helicopter pilots, Nick Lappos,
an ex-sikorsky test pilot, examines the helicopter designer’s dilemma of dealing with the various components of a helicopter system and as a result, how a helicopter can sometimes have too much power.
The Influence of Power MargIn on helIcoPTer DesIgn
75
We assume the weight of each set of engines based on the total power. We will not skew the analysis by comparing a low technology, older small engine with a high technology, modern large engine. For this study, all the engines have the same level of technology and net thermal efficiency. Also note, we increase the total aircraft empty weight by adding a half pound of airframe for each additional one pound of engine weight. This extra weight accounts for things like the bigger main transmission necessary to handle the power, bigger engine bays, more fire zone shielding, larger fuel pipes and pumps, larger cowlings, and more oil tankage. It is probably a low number, but again, we don’t want to skew the analysis against power.
Turbine Engine Efficiency – A turbine engine’s fuel consumption is directly related to the percentage of power it is producing. Chart 1 plots a typical high performance turbine engine’s fuel consumption per horsepower. It is actual data, based on the tables in several flight manuals. Note that the specific fuel consumption (pounds of fuel per hour per horsepower) is much better at high power than at low power. This is because at high power, the engine runs hotter and exhausts its work more efficiently – a property known as thermodynamic efficiency. A power source is much more efficient when the power is produced at a very high temperature, so that the heat and work flow easily to the colder outside environment. Engineers know that the greater the “delta temperature” between the hot section and the outside air, the greater the thermodynamic efficiency.
A second big reason why a turbine engine is less efficient at partial power is because the compressor blades are designed for one best angle of attack, where they operate at maximum efficiency. This best power point is often set by the engine designer near takeoff power, since an aircraft can carry more payload – and
the extra engine power available can be used as margin to improve the performance when needed. However, the extra engine weight and fuel required must be subtracted from the available payload.
Table 1 outlines the three helicopters we have built with different engines, and tested their payload and range. For this analysis, we use “rubber” engines, where all share the same level of technology, and have the same weight per horsepower and the same thermodynamic efficiency. In effect, we just “stretch” the engine design to change its power and weight. A quick glance at the weight of the engines compared to the power they produce, shows that most engines weigh about 0.36 to 0.49 lbs for each horsepower they produce. We have assumed a weight of 0.4 lbs per horsepower – comparable to the entire family of gas turbines between 600-1,500 hp. We will also discuss the thermodynamic efficiency of the engines, and show some data to describe why we want to operate at high power if we can.
Each of the three helicopters has the same maximum gross weight and requires the same cruise power and hover power because we have assumed that they are all aerodynamically identical. This simplification slightly favors the higher-powered helicopters, because we ignore the fact that larger engines have a bigger cross-section and therefore more drag, which requires more power, in flight. We ignore that increased drag and additional power requirement, not only for the sake of simplicity, but also to be sure that we are not loading the case against high power. n The Low Performance Twin has two 650 hp engines for
1,300hp in total – just enough power to stay aloft with one engine shut down at low altitude. Note that the 80-knt power is almost all that one engine can produce. It has a hover ceiling that is only a few thousand feet above sea level, by having an excess power ratio of only 108%. With a baseline equipped empty weight of 7,500 lbs, it has a maximum payload of 3,000 lbs.
n The High Performance Twin has two engines with 1,000 hp each, for 2,000 hp in total. It has excellent OEI (One Engine Inoperative) performance, as well as high altitude twin engine hover capability, perhaps HOGE at 5-7,000 ft above sea level. It has an empty weight of 7,920 lbs and maximum payload of 2,580 lbs.
n The Ultra Performance Twin two engines are each about as powerful as the combined engine power of the Low Performance helicopter, so that the Ultra, with one engine shut down, behaves a bit like the Low Performance helicopter with both engines operating! Its HOGE performance is outstanding – over 10,000 ft – and so is its OEI performance. It effectively has no OEI dead man’s curve at low altitude. It has an empty weight of 8,220 lbs and max payload of 2,280 lbs.
Low Performance High Performance Ultra Performance Twin Twin Twin Max Gross Weight 10500 10500 10500 Baseline, we take the same helo and just increase engine sizeHOGE Power Needed, Sea Level 1200 1200 1200 Engines 2 engines @650HP 2 engines @1000HP 2engines @1250 HP Total Engine Power 1300 2000 2500 Hover Power Margin 1.08 1.67 2.08 The Ultra hovers on one engineEngine Weight 520 800 1000 HP X 0.4 lb per Horse PowerWeight Growth Factor baseline 1.50 1.50 Engine and airframe increased weightEmpty Weight Increase baseline 420.00 720.00 Equipped Empty Weight 7500 7920 8220 Useful Load and max payload 3000 2580 2280 125 knot Cruise Power 962 962 962 Power for 125 knots. 145 Kts = 118HP, 155kts = 1300 HP125Kt % Power 0.74 0.48 0.38 125 Kt Cruise SFC 0.53 0.64 0.72 Look up on SFC chart125Kt Cruise Fuel Flow 510 616 688 Fuel flow Lb/Hr at 125kts, SFC times Horse PowerFuel per NM @125Kts 4.08 4.93 5.50 Pounds of Fuel to go 100 NM 408 493 550
TaBLE 1
(for the budding engineer, turbine fuel contains 17,500 BTUs per pound, and one horsepower is 550 foot-pounds per second. At 778 foot-pounds per BTU, one horsepower is about 2,545 BTUs per hour.) At highest power, the engine is about 30% efficient, so that 30% of the heat energy of the fuel is converted to power. A very well-trimmed electric generating power plant can reach 40% using fancy regeneration and other heavy expensive features. At 30% for a light, robust helicopter engine, we are not doing too badly! Most reciprocating engines have less efficiency, perhaps 25% for a multi-valve racing engine, but a piston engine maintains similar efficiency at almost any power setting, because it does not vary its power by changing the temperature of combustion, but by operating at either lower RPM or lower manifold pressure, with the result that each combustion cycle is as hot, and nearly as efficient as the others. Pistons are very good at partial power, compared to turbines. But piston engines weigh almost twice as much as turbines and have many more parts constantly jostling each other and wearing out at a very high rate. The smooth rotational motion of a turbine induces almost no wear on its components, so we live with its one most serious drawback – poor partial-power efficiency.
Payload EffEcTs of PowEr MarginChart 3 tells the final story, and shows the cost of the
extra performance margin on payload at range. Note that at 200 nm, the “high” performance helicopter has lost 550 lbs of payload – more than three passengers – while the “ultra” performer has lost more than five passengers. The lesson here is actually intuitive. You might ask, “Why is there less payload with more power?” Don’t forget, you asked for more power margin – more in reserve, not to be used, but waiting in the wings. If we used the power to carry more weight, we’d be in the same low-margin case and no better off. We would just be building a bigger helicopter and carry more payload but with the same performance margins. Some observations:1) Unless you use the extra power with an appropriate
increase in rotor and airframe, it can only harm the payload, since bigger engines weigh more, cost more and burn more fuel. Anyone who has ever flown a
make more money – if the engine has more takeoff power. The peak efficiency for a turbine blade is near its peak angle of attack, just like a wing or a rotor. When the engine is at low power, the blades are off peak efficiency, they require more power to squeeze the air, and this eats extra fuel. Similarly, note that at more than about 110% power, Chart 1 shows that there is an increase in fuel needed to produce the power (the curve turns upward). At this point, the engine loses efficiency as the fuel burn increases with the higher temperature. This probably shows that the engine is tuned to 110% power so the compressor is at an ideal angle of attack there, and any increase in power “chokes” the engine at the expense of efficiency.
Plotted on the right on this chart is the actual thermodynamic efficiency of the engine, based on the heat value of the fuel it is consuming in the fuel it burns
Speci�c Fuel Consumption Vs % Takeo� PowerT700-701C Engine Spec
0.4
0.45
0.5
0.55
0.6
0.65
0.7
0.75
0.8
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140
chaRT 1
% pwr Fuel Flow HP Specific % pwr % Fuel Consuption Thermodinamic lb/HP/Hr efficiency
10.00 240.00 141.40 1.70 10.00 8.5720.00 295.00 282.80 1.04 20.00 13.9430.00 342.00 424.20 0.81 30.00 18.0440.00 394.00 565.60 0.70 40.00 20.8850.00 442.00 707.00 0.63 50.00 23.2660.00 493.00 848.40 0.58 60.00 25.0370.00 542.00 989.80 0.55 70.00 26.5680.00 595.00 1131.20 0.53 80.00 27.6590.00 646.00 1272.60 0.51 90.00 28.65100.00 702.00 1414.00 0.50 100.00 29.29110.00 756.50 1555.40 0.49 110.00 29.90120.00 811.00 1696.80 0.48 120.00 30.43130.00 900.00 1838.20 0.49 130.00 29.70
chaRT 1 – pLoT poiNTs
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Association of Oil and Gas Producers aviation subcommittee. Readers can search the web for OGP Aviation Safety Subcommittee and read their excellent reports. This data shows the safety statistics for the accidents in the oil industry over millions of flight hours and, interestingly, shows that engine-caused fatal accidents are very rare, and that in multi-engined helicopters, engine failure is no longer a serious safety concern. This tends to support current JAR OPS rules that control safety by demanding twin engine en route capability during the many hours of cruise flight, should also control the probability of an engine failure during the critical portions of a flight where an engine failure might result in an unplanned landing. In this way, safety is maintained at extremely high levels by employing lower performance twins whose engine failure probability is accounted for and fully understood. The alternative – full engine failure tolerance with extremely high excess power margins (the Ultra Helicopter) and the ensuing loss of 30% of the passenger load (or looked at another way, the 30% increase in transport costs) is avoided.
cosT To oPEraTE The bigger-engined turbine bird costs more to buy
– perhaps 10% more for the “ultra”, since we pay by the horsepower – costs more to insure (higher replacement cost), incurs higher direct operating costs (fuel and parts costs are driven by horsepower), and costs more to overhaul (those bigger engines and transmissions.) Remember that the “ultra” carries 30% less payload, so it produces less revenue for its owner, as well.
Too Much PowEr?Considering the cost of this engine power margin, it
could be argued that excess power robs safety, because the power may come at the cost of expensive but worthwhile safety gear that the helicopter’s maker might otherwise have fitted, but left off in order to help the helicopter compete. If safety truly is a serious goal, then safety dollars should go where they will do the most good. For example, measures to reduce the incidences of CFIT (Controlled Flight Into Terrain – or water), which account for 30-40% of our accidents, would be a very worthwhile safety improvement, according to those OGP accident statistics. n
Wessex knows this by heart, since the Wessex flies quite well with one engine shut down, and goes further as well.
2) Larger engines weigh more, so the helicopter grows in empty weight. In effect, when you compare a helicopter with a small engine package to one with big engines where its power is held in reserve, you may have a bigger helicopter, but can only use some of its capability while the rest is held as a safety margin. Think of it as having a 15,000-lb helicopter power train, but restricting it to a maximum weight of 10,500 lbs, with the concurrent reduction in payload and productivity.
3) The range suffers because the bigger engines weigh more and burn more fuel, so that the highest-powered helicopter in our study gives up over 800 lbs of payload at 100 nm range – enough to have carried more than four more passengers. This is a 33% difference in payload between the two helicopters, so that it would take four of the higher-powered helicopters to do the work of three of the lower powered ones.
4) None of these designs are bad. The higher-powered helicopters are fine machines, and have advantages that some customers might desire. The lesson here is that there is a price to be paid for those performance advantages, just as the more efficient helicopter pays a performance price for its extra payload capability.
safETy iMPlicaTions Not only does excess power come at a steep
productivity cost, but beyond a certain threshold, extra OEI power does not contribute to safety. Once a helicopter has good single engine cruise performance (traditional Cat A) it gains no more statistical safety from more engine power – mostly because the places where traditional Cat A falls short (a few seconds on takeoff and landing) are so rare that they don’t contribute to the safety statistics. For that reason, the ability to hover on one engine does not show up as a safety improvement on any accident data available. This is why civil authorities have allowed statistical data on engine reliability to permit offshore rig operations, and will continue to do so at least for the next few years.
Detailed data is available from the International
Payload and Range
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
Max 100NM 200NM 300NM 400NM
Low Perf Twin
High Perf Twin
Ultra Perf Twin
Range
PayloadLbs
3
4
5
6
120 130 140 150 160
Low Perf twin
Med Perf twin
High Perf twin
Extra Power Burns More FuelPer NM
Cruise Speed - Knots
15% better fuel economy
1300 HP
2000 HP
2500 HP
Better FuelEconomy
More payload at range
28% better fuel economy
chaRT 3chaRT 2
78
EC-145Tel-Tail Floodlights
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79
that I joined Helibravo for another firefighting season, but this time with a brand new PZL Sokol W3A2 flying with test pilots from the Polish factory. I later found my most enjoyable job – working for Helisureste flying public transport operations in a Bell 412 between the islands of Malta and Gozo, where I met a lot of nice colleagues.
WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED ALONG THE WAY?I found the bigger helicopters easier to fly; more stable, more power, better-equipped, safer, but the greatest challenge was to learn all about the new operations (HEMS, Firefighting, etc), and learn all the procedures to perform efficient and safe work.
SO HOW DID YOU END UP IN NIGERIA?The Bell 412 experience I built up with Helisureste in Malta blazed the way for my present work with Bristow Helicopters. An opportunity came along, and in August 2006 I started working in Eket, Nigeria, flying offshore support for the oil industry. The helicopter base is inside the Qua Iboe Terminal (QIT), which is a big ExxonMobil oil facility near the coast. There are six helipads, a 1,620ft (494m) grass strip and a big hangar. Bristow has six Bell 412 EPs fully-equipped with GPWS, TCAS, and Blue Sky Network, and my role is to carry passengers and cargo between the QIT, the platforms and the airport at Port Harcourt. Bristow is the best company I’ve ever worked for. They have excellent safety standards and in my experience they have always been very focused on ensuring all pilots comply with the company procedures. All the other pilots and engineers I have worked alongside are very professional and I am very happy to be a part of the team - it makes the job a real pleasure. I have already learnt a lot from their knowledge and experience.
HOW MANY HOURS DO YOU HAVE?I’m getting on for 2,500 hours now.
WHAT KIND OF DUTY AND FLYING HOURS DO YOU WORK?We fly for five or six hours a day, but no more than 100 hours in every 28 days. We work on a six-weeks-on, six-weeks-off basis.
DID YOU HAVE TO DO ANY SPECIAL TRAINING IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE?When I joined the company I had to pass an OPC. They also train us to follow all company procedures, and take-off and landing profiles both onshore and offshore. We do two flying checks every year, and for one of them we travel to the UK to use a Bell 412 simulator. To remain current with our night flying we also have to conduct at least three take-offs and landings to offshore installations at night every three months.
WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE ADJUSTING TO LIVING AND WORKING IN NIGERIA?Nigeria is a very underdeveloped country and is not easy to live in. The main threats here are Malaria and kidnappings. More than 150 oil industry expatriates were violently kidnapped during 2007. Almost all of them were safely released, but four were killed during the attacks. Pilots and engineers live in hotels or compounds and are not allowed to go out, so it is completely different to a normal life in Europe.
HAVE YOU HAD ANY BIG LEARNING EXPERIENCES AS A PILOT?A long time ago we were flying near cloudy high land in Spain. It was time to return to our base and in order to get through we decided to go into cloud without any previous real IFR experience. We started to climb through the clouds and after a few minutes we completely lost our speed, the helicopter fell, descending over 3,000 ft without control. Miraculously we recovered visual conditions in a valley with big mountains at each side covered by clouds. This was my greatest learning experience. Aviation is serious work, and I learnt that the price you pay for not respecting the rules, ignoring common sense or going further than you should, could be your life.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE HELICOPTER INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA?The helicopter industry in Nigeria is so big because of the oil. There are an immense number of helicopters in the Niger Delta, most of them operated by CHC and Bristow who comply with international aviation safety standards. Bristow operates around 50 helicopters in Nigeria.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GET INTO FLYING HELICOPTERS?Find what you most like and go for it. I think that any objective can be reached. n
as a young and newly
qualified commercial pilot
from spain, finding that
first career break was a
tough challenge, but once
the opportunities started
rolling in there was no
stopping him.
personal profile
Rafael PeRezOffshOre PilOteket , Niger ia
WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN HELICOPTERS?I really don’t remember when I started to become interested in flying - I actually think I was born with it! I have been fascinated by all kinds of aircraft since I was a child. One day I started to build model kits, a few years later I started to fly remote control models, and finally I ended up becoming a real helicopter pilot!
SO WHAT ROUTE DID YOU GO TO GET QUALIFIED?When I finished High School I went to Aero Madrid where I followed an integrated CPL(H) and IFR course with ATPL(H) theory and I flew 101 hours on R22, and 39 hours on Hughes 500. I completed my studies in late 1998.
AS A NEWLY-QUALIFIED COMMERCIAL PILOT, HOW DID YOU GET YOUR FIRST CAREER BREAK?I found it was very difficult to find a job in Spain – even more so with only the minimum number of hours you get when you finish your commercial course. One day, after more than one year of persistent job-seeking, my telephone started ringing and I received an offer from FAASA Aviación to fly as a radio operator on a firefighting Bell UH-1H. I was really excited; I had found my first job! The contract was for only ten days and I flew with Captain Mitxel Zubizarreta, who nowadays is one of my best friends in the helicopter world. A few months after that I received an offer from another company to continue the firefighting season with a Bell 412 and Kamov32.
SO WHAT HAPPENED AFTER YOUR FIRST BREAK?I didn’t get a job as a real type-rated co-pilot until I joined Helicsa Helicopteros for an HEMS operation in Galicia, in Spain, where I flew a Dauphin SA 365 C2 for almost three years. After
80
ilitary Programs – Reports are that most new military programs are not
doing well, with delays in most countries and shortfalls in performance. The VH-71 Presidential helicopter is reported to have survived cancellation by a hair, and will be about US$1 billion dollars over its $6+ billion cost (for fewer than 30 helicopters!) The US Army UH-72 LUH seems to be recovering, and the AH-71 ARH is also righting itself, although the US Army has reported that it will cut a number of deliveries from the contract to balance the budget. The NH-90 delivery to the Danes and Fins is very late, and penalties are reported. Credible rumors say that the CH-148 Cyclone to the Canadian military (the S-92’s naval variant) will be late, but no official confirmation has been issued.
Late programs might tell a dual story – one of industrial over-reach but also of lack of teamwork. Not all manufacturers can be so simultaneously inept, and they surely do not plan on cancellation or penalties to buy time. A strong factor might be the inability of industry development teams to make the lowest level military approver happy that the item he is watching is finally ready. The sum of refusals on several key components or tests can doom a schedule while the contractor watches helplessly, unable to tell the folks with the purse strings that the folks with the approval power are delaying the game. Since the Military are both the customer and the approving authority (as opposed to the predictable and independent EASA or FAA for civil machines), then roping an approval for each step could be a strong contributor to the delays; thus the thought that lack of teamwork is also a culprit. We saw a hint of this when the LUH and ARH programs (both
as a sizable number of EC-225s. Both of these big guys are said to be sold out for the next few years. AgustaWestland is doing land-office business, with their AW-139 having over 300 orders booked, giving the S76C+ and B412 strong competition in the medium market.
The Bell line was recently “rationalized” by cutting some older models with large overlap, thus concentrating the marketing and manufacturing chores of the Bell team. We will especially mourn the loss of the 206, that venerable classic that saw us through our entire career, but we will not miss LTE, and we welcome the bright future that the 429 seems to hold. Bell sales are so strong that their sales folks are selling line slots three years down the road.
This whole paragraph could be made bigger and in colour… don’t repeat it. Just use it once BIG!
Eurocopter has had an all-time record sales year, reporting that it had “once again secured its position as the world’s No. 1 manufacturer of civil and parapublic helicopters with a total of 488 helicopter deliveries.” The math is interesting, since Robinson Helicopter reported (in dueling press releases) that there were 803 R-44 and R22s delivered in 2007! Perhaps there is a different number system on the Eastern shore of the Atlantic?
MD seems to be making a comeback, with new emphasis on parts and support, energy derived from their new management team and their dynamic Chairman Lynn Tilton, who has shaken up the management team several times, by our count. Executive bonuses might be measured by the Richter Scale at MD. An independent aircraft publication reported that their customers rated MD just below Bell in overall customer service – a major leap for MD, which has struggled in the recent past, mostly due to the disruption of its supply base when it was broken off from its parent several years back.
The use of helicopters world-wide is at an all time high, with flight hours and revenues moving upward in all segments. The successes are surely due to the string of excellent quality machines, good operational equipment and a growing recognition that safety is the single most important deliverable.
This observer notes that the seat-of-the-pants operators of the past are moving into the high tech world with great speed – driven by competition with newcomers who buy and use top-of-the-line products and technologies. In a world where a radar altimeter was once considered a luxury, now fully-coupled IFR machines with GPS navigation and moving maps are being placed – a welcomed sight! n
M
With heli-Expo coming up and putting
helicopters on the worldwide stage, where
exactly is our industry at?
the last word
“off the shelf” procurements) were found to shortfall in puzzling ways. How can an aircraft that was measured and tested before it was bought suddenly become too short just prior to delivery? Is this “shrinkage” likely to continue, will the 200th aircraft get shorter yet? We doubt it, but perhaps the next Lieutenant to test the aircraft will stumble upon another new problem, and help trigger another delay.
An example of success might be the V-22 Osprey, which deployed to Iraq in the Fall, and has had no losses, and a string of self-reported successes, as well as a 68% availability rate – not at all shabby for a first deployment and an Iraqi environment. Of course, the press release pointed out that the V-22 was used for all missions, including scouting! Some scout!
Several Indian and Chinese indigenous military models were delivered, showing that the inexorable spread of technology is finally hitting home across the globe. The technology flow comes in spite of security rules, it seems, since the latest Chinese helicopter gunship sports top-of-the-line Pratt and Whitney engines that were shipped to a Chinese civil helicopter, but were somehow lost in the post and turned up (pun intended) in a first-line attack machine.
Civil Programs – Sales are booming in every weight class across the industry from Frank Robinson’s record breaking deliveries of his R-44 to the big guys at the top end, where it is said over 70 S-92s have been delivered, as well
Not all manufacturers
can be so simultaneously
inept, and they surely do
not plan on cancellation or
penalties to buy time.
