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HELICOPTER Winter 2008

LIFE COVER STORY

Show & Tell Guide 4 World Helicopter Aviation shows and conferences. Championships Gill Jenkins 32 The Editor’s Letter 5 watches helicopters in Eisenach in Aerial Forum 6 & 10 Germany and fol - Richard Patterson looks at Altitude & Hypoxia lows the fates of the national teams in Letters to the Editor 7, 11, 21 the WHC Flying Crackers 8, 9 Gas and Oil 40 Rainer Herzberg visits CHC Helikopter Service Oxford Graduates 12 A/S Norway’s largest supplier of oil platforms Georgina Hunter- Jones flies the Defenders of the Dutch 46 MD500 to Oxford to Arjan Dijksterhuis see the new airport, visits the Dutch which is hoping to Defence Helicopter become the ‘London Command, evalu - at Oxford’ alterna - ates how it has been tive to the small air - restructured after fields around the capital and those slightly further defence cuts and away such as Luton and Stansted whether the public are still getting New Technology 16 good bang for buck Helicopter Life looks at the new Sikorsky X-2 and the Spidertracks ELT alternative British Aristocracy 52 Rainer Herzberg visits one of the few remaining Eurocopter EC225 Simulator 18 Bristol Sycamores still flying Helicopter Life flies to Marseille to visit HeliSim and see the inauguration of the EC225 simulator Dubai HeliShow 56 Helicopter Life Shadows in the goes out to Dubai to Rain 22 see how the helicop - Jakub Fojtik ter market in the Gulf visits the Slovak region is expanding police and writes and whether or not about the changes the exhibitors, local in the force since or international, have the end of the era been hit by the world credit crunch HeliTech Cascais 26 Georgina Hunter- HUMS by Ralph Arnesen 60 Jones flies out to the first HeliTech in Helicopter Futures 62 Cascais Portugal and watches their Book Reviews 63 live fire fighting dis - play and assesses Accident Reports 64 the show and its potential future House & Helicopter 66

HELICOPTER LIFE,Winter 2008 3 SHOW & T ELL HELICOPTER G UIDE

22 February - 24 February 2009 LIFE HAI HELIEXPO 2009 Orange Convention Centre, Anaheim, California, USA WINTER 2008 Phone + 1 (703) 683-4646 HON. EDITORIAL BOARD Fax: + 1 (703) 683-4745 Captain Eric Brown, CBE, RN Email: [email protected] The Lord Glenarthur, DL Website: www.heliexpo.com Jennifer Murray Michael J. H. Smith 30 March - 1 April 2009 Wing Cdr. Ken Wallis, MBE, RAF THE FUTURE OF HUMAN ERROR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / PILOT MANAGEMENT IN AVIATION Georgina Hunter-Jones CHC Helicopters 5th Annual [email protected] Safety & Quality Summit CREATIVE DIRECTORS Fourmont Vancouver Hotel [email protected] Vancouver, BC, Canada COPY EDITORS Evangeline Hunter-Jones, JP Email: [email protected] John Wilson Website: www.chcsafetyqualitysummit.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Arjan Dijksterhuis, Jakub Fojtik, Rainer 21 May - 23 May 2009 Herzberg, Gill Jenkins, Ralph Arnesen, Alan Norris, Richard Patterson, Antoine Grondeau HELIRUSSIA 2009 Moscow Expo Centre CONTRIBUTED PHOTOGRAPHY Agusta Helicopters, Arjan Dijksterhuis, Jakub Phone: +7 495 643 11 93 Fojtik, Eurocopter, Rainer Herzberg, Alan Norris, Daniel Rybka, Sikorsky Helicopters, Neil Fax: +7 495 643 11 94 Harrison, Milo Brockway, Antoine Grondeau E-mail: [email protected] SPECIAL THANKS TO Website: http://www.helirussia.ru Dave Smith ATPL(H)IR, Robert Edmonds ATPL(A) IR, translator 22 May - 24 May 2009 ADVERTISING AEROEXPO 2009 Prague Telephone: +44-(0)20-7430-2384 [email protected] Letnany Exhibition Centre Letnany / Kbely Airfield SUBSCRIPTIONS Go to our website or turn to page 54 9 miles outside Prague [email protected] Phone: +44 (0) 20 8549 3917 WEBSITE Fax: +44 (0) 20 8255 4300 www.helicopterlife.com Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.expo.aero/prague COVER PHOTOGRAPH Neil Harrison, Mil Mi-2 at the World Helicopter 15 June - 21 June 2009 Championships in Eisenach, Germany PARIS AIRSHOW 2009 Aeroport Le Bourget, Paris HELICOPTER LIFE is published quarterly by FlyFizzi Ltd. France 59 Great Ormond Street London, WC 1N-3 Hz . Fax: +33 1 47 20 00 86 Copyright © FlyFizzi Ltd. 2008. email: [email protected] ISSN 1743-1042. Registration: www.salon-du-bourget.fr All rights reserved. Opinions expressed herein are not neces - sarily those of the pub lishers, the Editor or any of the editorial Website: www.paris-air-show.com staff. Reproduction in whole or in part, in any form whatever, is strictly prohibited without specific written permission of the Editor.

4 HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 T HE EDITOR S LETTER

t happened: Barrack Obama won. now is a good time to re-evaluate and Great news, but he will have a lot decide where to go from here. How Ito do to keep up with the level of will the market change? Will the R66 expectation placed upon him. There is finally emerge as the saviour of the a joke going around that the winner floundering helicopter world? Will of the US election should ask for a the restrictions of bureaucracy and recount, so great is the crisis that the Health and Safety be called into ques - USA and the world now faces. tion? Will helicopter companies fol - This crisis has hit helicopters and low Honda’s lead and stop manufac - even jets. Ireland was one of the first turing for a few months? places to feel the effects, with Irish Strangely, I personally have been helicopter pilots streaming across the very busy as a helicopter examiner. It UK and into Europe looking for jobs, seems that a lot of people who had and helicopters going so cheap that allowed their helicopter licence, or you could pick up two for the previ - sometimes their ratings, to lapse, aircraft manufacturers, such as Miles ous price of one. Even insurance has have reached the five year mark and, Aircraft Ltd. which went bankrupt in been hit, as companies downsize and rather than let the licence disappear 1947. jet owners keep one flying while altogether, they have decided to While the current situation is not mothballing the rest of the fleet: renew it. In one week I did three five- the same, for example, we are still ground-risk saves money for the year renewals, two on turbines (the involved in several wars, there are owner but gives a lot less to the Bell 206 and the Hughes 500), and recognisable factors, principally the insurance companies, which may lead one on a Hughes 300, and two of huge debts run up by our various gov - to premiums rising next year. those were for commercial pilots. So ernments, and this is something of However, certain industries seem clearly some people, at least, have which anyone wants to be wary. There to have felt the effects of the crisis faith in the future regeneration of the are clearly rough times ahead, but we less than others: one of these is the helicopter market. have seen them before and the majori - oil and gas industry, which Rainer Of course, aviation companies ty of companies will get through, Herzberg writes about in this issue; have been in this situation before. In even if slightly changed and perhaps and the other is simulator training, the Second World War aircraft manu - slimlined. The aim is to be one of which apparently has had a boost, facturers did well. In the USA the those that can look back and remem - even though pilots may have to wait a aerospace industry became the largest ber the others, with a small smile of little to get a job. Helicopter markets, industry in the world, rising from 41st sorrowful regret! of course, are cyclical and hence this place, and producing more than As it is Christmas, I want to say a should be a good time for commercial 300,000 aircraft between 1940 and special ‘thank you’ to advertisers and training, and, assuming you complete 1945. This compared to 1939 when subscribers who have stayed with us your training around 2010, the market 6,000 aircraft were built. in these troubled times. We all know should be growing again. Once peace time returned, howev - that advertising is one of the first This does not seem to be true of er, there was an enormous problem things to go when times are hard, but helicopter shows, however, and the with the over-production of aircraft, you have stayed with us, so thank two mentioned in this issue appeared and this was true not only in the you, and I hope you and all the read - considerably down on both visitors USA, but in countries like the UK, ers have a really special Christmas and exhibitors. Personally, I enjoyed which had given favourable tax and a lovely New Year. both shows enormously, especially regimes to aircraft manufacturers and Welcome to the Era of Change the the one which featured the large, were now trying to pay off massive question is: will it be the House of s i r empty booth of one of our competitor debts to the USA and Canada. The r Fun? Or just Madness? o n magazines! But the mere fact that easiest way for the government to get n a l most of the exhibitors had plenty of out of debt was to increase tax, and to a h P

a time to joke around with the press renege on previous tax ‘favours’: this r g o speaks volumes. they did with a vengeance, leading to t o h However, as with any downturn, the demise of the majority of small P HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 5 A ERIAL FORUM

Altitude Related Hypoxia

Richard Patterson MBA, NR/CCEMT-P, MICP, FP-C, AGI is a FAA CPL(H) & (A) advanced ground instructor and has worked in emergency management & as a flight paramedic for the last eighteen years. uring study for the Flight Instructor ly on the air medical side of the operation, managing and work - Rotorcraft Helicopter (FHR) exam, one ing with several Part 135, CAMTS Accredited (Commission of of the questions posed to the candidates D Accreditation of Air Medical Programs) HEMS programs. is the following. (Let’s see if you not only get it The theory of the question above can be explained by a gas law right, but also understand.) called Dalton’s Gas law. Dalton’s Law explains the partial pres - sures of gases, on which the question above is based. An easy During a climb to 18,000 feet, the percentage of way of remembering this is “Dalton’s Gang”… of oxygen mol - oxygen in the atmosphere ecules! Now, why is this important to us, as pilots? “I am the PIC, I will 1. Remains the same let the medical folks worry about this…I do not fly high enough 2. Increases to worry about this…” 3. Decreases This gas law explains why one gets hypoxic at altitudes, which is why it is mandatory to provide oxygen to all persons at alti - The Aeronautical Information Manual, paragraph tudes above 15,000 ft MSL. There are several types of Hypoxia, 8-1-2, states that Hypoxia is a state of oxygen which we will briefly go over in this article. deficiency in the body sufficient to impair the functions of the brain and other organs. Hypoxia They are: from exposure to altitude is due only to the reduced barometric pressures encountered at alti - 1. Hypoxic Hypoxia tude, for the concentration of oxygen in the 2. Hypemic Hypoxia atmosphere remains about 21 percent from the n o

3. Histotoxic Hypoxia s r

ground out to space. e t

4. Stagnant Hypoxia t a

This is the textbook answer, and the rationale that P d r

the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pres - a h

Hypoxic Hypoxia is an altitude-related hypoxia, and it is caused c

ents to our fellow pilots. However, as a Flight u by a decrease in Barometric Pressure and lapse rate as we climb. r f

Paramedic and a national lecturer on the topic for o

It is true that there is roughly 21% oxygen on the ground as we y s

the last 10 years, I want to expound on this topic e t

breathe, and as we climb in altitude, let’s just say to 35,000 feet; r u

a little more in depth. o but there is still the same 21% oxygen. The problem is that the c h

Although I am also a Commercial-rated P a

oxygen molecules are now farther apart because of the decrease r

Helicopter Pilot and Instrument Instructor (IGI), g o

in barometric pressure. t o

the majority of my experience has focused entire - h P 6 HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters continue on pages 11 & 21 59 Great Ormond Street, London WC1N-3Hz, England. Telephone: 020-7430-2384, Email: [email protected]. tion. Five aircraft were built as part of the Please include your name, and email or phone. MoD Supervisor programme, the first flying in August 1978. Prior to cancella - Back Issue Search ML Aviation, to develop the tion of the Supervisor programme by the Sprite remotely piloted heli - MoD in favour of a fixed-wing solution, Hello Georgina, copter. I had by then taken three aircraft had been flown and the fifth I am trying to obtain the over as Head of RPH aircraft had undertaken fifty hours of Summer 2004 issue of Engineering and was respon - ground-rig-running to demonstrate Helicopter Life magazine. Is sible for the design and devel - mechanical reliability. Wideye’s final there anyone in the UK from opment of the Westland flight took place at Lulworth Cove range, whom I can obtain/buy a per - Wideye, an altogether more in September 1980 when, as a result of a fect or very good condtion ambitious design than Wisp data link failure, the aircraft entered into copy? and its look-alike the ML an automated power-off descent crashing [email protected] Aviation Sprite. Wideye stood within the range boundaries, as was Best wishes man-high, weighed 125kg and intended in such circumstances. David Wells carried a 25kg payload con - This, however, was not the end of sisting of a television camera Westland’s UAV activities. Design con - on a stabilised platform pro - tinued on single-engine and low drag co- Co-Axial UAVs duced by Marconi Avionics, axial rotor configurations including the Dear Georgina, from which aircraft flight con - ‘Sharpeye’ design proposed in 1982. I need to correct Reg Austin’s trol references were taken. Royal Aircraft Establishment continued statement in the Autumn Powered by two 20hp testing of Wisp and Wideye hardware fol - Edition of Helicopter Life that Weslake 2-stroke engines with lowing cancellation of Supervisor and a Westland “pulled out of UAV 2.3m diameter co-axial rotors, Wideye air vehicle was loaned to Martin development” prior to his it was operable beyond the Marietta for flight trials in the United leaving the company to join visual range of its ground sta - States in 1991/92. Westland continued to be active throughout this period and was funded to submit proposals for the British The Wideye Army ‘Phoenix’ battlefield surveillance requirement and more recently were short-listed for the current ‘Watchkeeper’ project both of which were met by com - d n a l peting fixed-wing designs. Your readers t s e may be interested in a Royal W a t s Aeronautical Society lecture on the u g a Phoenix UAV Project by Jeremy Graham r e h of AgustaWestland to be held at Yeovil P a r

g on 18th June 2009 which will include o t o archival film footage of Westland h P r Remotely Piloted Helicopters. o i n e Reg Austin omitted to mention that s

, r

o Wideye hardware is also exhibited at the y r

P Helicopter Museum at Weston-super- n o

m Mare along with a mock-up of Sharpeye i s f and both Wisp and Wideye are on show o y s

e at the Museum of Army Flying at Middle t r u Wallop. o c h Regards P a r

g Mike Breward o t o continued on page 11 h P HELICOPTER LIFE,Winter 2008 7 FLYING

AS332L Bristow Tiger New Training Academy in FusionMan Flies the Insert: Bristow’s new Aberdeen English Channel training academy at Bristow has unveiled plans for a Yves Rossy (a.k.a. Birdman and Aberdeen new European headquarters and FusionMan) flew across the training academy in Aberdeen. English Channel (also known to The company's European Business the French as La Manche) earli - Unit has invested nearly £180 mil - er this year, with a 120-pound, lion in the last three years. eight-foot carbon-fibre wing The high-specification accommoda - strapped to his back, powered tion at Kirkhill Commercial Park in by four micro-turbine jet Dyce includes over 12,000 sq ft of engines. He launched from a office space, 6,000 sq ft of class - jump aircraft and was following room training accommodation and Louis Bleriot's 1909 route. 11,500 sq ft capable of housing up As a test flight, Rossy flew to four flight simulators. from about 7,500 feet above unmanned helicopters are able to fly a Bristow expects to move into their Bex Switzerland to Villeneuve, complex routine while correcting for vari - new HQ by May 2009. turned around and flew and ables such as wind gusts. A computer John Cloggie, Director of European back, reaching about 180 mph makes quick calculations, and beams new Operations for Bristow Helicopters in clear skies and landing after flight directions to the helicopter via radio in Aberdeen, said: “This is a new era deploying two parachutes -- one 20 times per second: with no human for Bristow and again shows our at 5,000 feet and the second at input. The technology could be useful in commitment to the North Sea. We 4,000 feet.Rossy controls the ‘training’ helicopters to search for land are delighted to be delivering a first- aircraft by shifting his weight or mines or wildfires, said Andrew Ng, class training facility with simulators simply turning his head and Director. to support our fleet. We are excited shoulders. He wears a heat- by the prospect of moving into our resistant suit to protect his legs Sir David Jason becomes new headquarters and we will con - from exhaust and has evolved patron of the Air Ambulance tinue to invest to improve our prod - his flight envelope to include Actor Sir David Jason has accepted the uct and service." rolls. Rossy flew for Swissair. role of patron of the Association of Air Paul Quick, Training and Standards He also has over 1000 para - Ambulances (AAA), the organisation cre - Manager/Head of Training, said: chute jumps to his credit. ated to represent the UK’s 18 independent “This investment into our new state- air ambulance charities and from today of-the-art training facility, complete Unmanned Helicopters the 13 NHS Ambulance Trusts in with full flight simulators for the Prove Cleverer than EC225 and S92 aircraft, continues Man our heritage of investment into our Scale-model helicopters operat - own training devices, which began ed by Stanford research team with our Super Puma simulator in are learning to fly complex P

Aberdeen in the early 1980s.” h

stunts by ‘watching’ other heli - o t o

copters perform the same g r a

Mission Mars P

manoeuvers, claimed the h b “The next aircraft to go to Mars will research team. The project illus - y g e

be the helicopter,” declared Jonnie trates the capability of ‘appren - o r g i Waanidee, Director of the futurist ticeship learning;’ robots learn - n a

company Many Men for Mars. While h ing by observing an expert, u n t

the engineers in his company have not e

rather than following pre-pro - r - J

yet come up with a viable machine, o

grammed software instructions. n e Jonnie has great hopes for 2050. Using artificial intelligence, the s 8 HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 FLYING C RACKERS

ing pot of money goes to charity but sadly, despite his efforts to persuade the American courts to afford British citizens the same rights as their US cousins, no arrangement is in place in the UK. Mr Philpott has set up a website which explains how charities small and large can encourage donors and supporters to make claims and then donate the money to their charity. It is estimated that almost 1 in 10 of the British population may be entitled to claim: www.givethatmoneytocharity.co.uk even provides a template letter that good causes can use in their fund raising magazines or other communication tools with donors. Speaking about the initiative, Dave Philpott, Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air David Philpott said:“There is £73 million up for grabs, which if Ambulance Chief is urging the public to gift aided to charity would amount to almost £ 100 million. As the get their money back from the airlines credit crunch bites, charities will need to be ever more resourceful England, Scotland and Wales. Between them, in their fundraising, and it seems to me that this is a pain-free way the 18 charities operate 27 helicopters and to ask supporters to help. By registering a claim and then passing have to raise £35 million per annum to oper - that money onto the charity of their choice, thousands of good ate the aircraft and provide the advanced med - causes can benefit, whether they be a small playgroup or a national ical equipment they carry. charity.” Sir David, a keen helicopter pilot himself, has become patron of the AAA after visiting one Higher, Faster Helicopters? of England’s air ambulance charities, the DARPA's Disc-Rotor Compound Helicopter program, which Norwich-based East Anglian Air Ambulance intends to explore the possibilities of high-speed flight and high- in August. He was inspired by the dedication efficiency hover beyond the capabilities of aircraft, announced of the charity’s staff to ensuring the continua - Boeing was the recipient of the Sole Source development contract. tion of their life saving service but shocked to Boeing may ultimately develop a helicopter-like aircraft with a discover that none of the air ambulance chari - rotating circular wing and retractable blades. The programme ties in England and Wales receive any govern - begins with small-scale model testing, and will be supported with ment or National Lottery funding. They are $3 million in 2008 and $6 million in 2009. Following wind-tunnel all entirely dependent on fundraising and tests of scale models, a full-scale demonstrator aircraft would be charitable donations built to establish the concept’s feasibility, with hopes of evolving it into an aircraft capable of cruise speeds in the 300-400 knot range. £73 Million Airline Cash PayoutThat aircraft could provide vertical takeoff and landing plus hover e c n Thousands of charities and good causes could capability for troop and cargo insertion. a l u b benefit from a law case which was settled in m a Nuclear Future r the USA in September .The ruling, in the i a x Northern California District Court, in San Will nuclear-powered aircraft be carrying passengers around the world e s s

u Francisco, paves the way for the repayment of before the end of the 21st century? Ian Poll, Head of Technology for a s d over £73 million to British victims of an alleged U.K. government-funded project to reduce the environmental impact of air n a y

e unlawful price fixing arrangement entered into travel and Professor of Aerospace Engineering, at Cranfield University, r r u by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. points out that experiments by the USSR and the USA during the 1950s s

, t

n Anybody who flew long-haul with either air - demonstrated that nuclear-powered aircraft are possible. The U.S. long ago e K

f line between 11 August 2004 and 23 March flew a B-36 carrying a nuclear reactor - and a lead-lined cockpit - to prove o y

s 2006 is entitled to claim up to £20, but Kent, the crew could be protected. It also tested nuclear-powered jet engines on e t r Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Chief the ground. Poll said that the big challenge is “demonstrated safety”. He u o c Executive David Philpott fears that public theorizes that reactors could be engineered into the wings with the engines h P a

r apathy will mean that the airlines get to keep and that the risk of crash-damaged reactors could be lessened by jettison - g o t the lion’s share of the money. In the USA, if ing them before impact and bringing them down with parachutes. o h

P individuals do not make a claim, the remain - HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 9 .

Hypemic Hypoxia of blood rushing to the head of the question from the FAA’s Rotorcraft Hypemic Hypoxia is almost as it patient could be fatal, as the increases Helicopter Instructor question test sounds. Hypemic sounds almost like in Intracranial Pressure (ICP) would bank, and see if we understand it bet - Anemia. And we know what Anemia result in no blood flow to the patient’s ter now. is: a lack of the circulating red blood brain, and this would result in perma - What physical change would most cells (hemoglobin) that carry oxygen nent damage, usually recognized by likely occur to occupants of an unpres - around the circulatory system to the stroke-like symptoms. surized aircraft flying above 15,000 vital organs of the heart, lungs, brain, feet without supplemental oxygen? kidneys, etc. Hypemic Hypoxia can Boyle’s Gas Law. 1. Gases trapped in the body contract result from severe blood loss, or from Another commonly confused gas law and prevent nitrogen from escaping anemia itself. is Boyle’s Gas Law. Boyle’s gas law is the bloodstream. also directly related to the above sce - 2. A blue coloration of the lips and fin - Histotoxic Hypoxia nario. Think about putting a balloon in gernails develop along with tunnel Histotoxic Hypoxia sounds like the back seat of an aircraft. As we vision. Histology, where “Histo” means poi - climb or ascend, the balloon will 3. The pressure in the middle ear sons or toxins. This does not necessar - expand. As we descend, the balloon becomes less than the atmospheric ily mean that someone is doing or tak - will contract. This gas law shows the pressure in the cabin. ing drugs, although it may. It could be direct relationship between barometric alcohol, sleeping aids the night before, pressure and the expansion of gases. Did we get the correct answer of #2? anti-histamines (which increase oxy - Whether we are talking about a bal - Let’s try one more. gen metabolism, and subsequently loon, or a patient’s chest tube drainage Hypoxia is the result of pose dangers with Dalton’s law, system, IV fluids and drip rates, Head Hypoxic Hypoxia, etc.) vitamins, etc. Bleed, or a collapsed lung 1. Excessive nitrogen in the blood - The foreign toxin impedes the hemo - (Pneumothorax), the resultant effects stream. globin’s ability to utilize oxygen. are the same. As we climb, gases 2. Decreasing amount of oxygen as Again, this is another reason why a expand, and as we descend, gases con - your altitude increases. person is likely to feel the effects of tract. An easy way of remembering 3. Reduced barometric pressures at alcohol more at a higher altitude, or on this is to relate Boyle’s with Balloon. altitude. an airplane pressurized to 8000 ft. MSL. Henry’s Gas Law Answer #3. Stagnant Hypoxia Henry’s Gas Law deals with the Stagnant Hypoxia results from poor expansion of gases from a solution, as In a future article, I will discuss diving cardiac output, cardiogenic shock pressure is reduced. What happens if after flying, and vice versa, and trans - P h

(heart transplant patients), blood pool - we have a can of soda that has been porting patients that have dive-related o t o g ing, stagnating blood, pulling exces - shaken up, and we open it? By shak - injuries, and the proper means of r a P a

sive G-forces, or even from the posi - ing the can, we increased the pressure doing so. We also have plans for h c tion in which the patient is loaded in inside the can, and when the pressure addressing the weather-related issues o u r t the helicopter. If we were flying a is reduced, we have the expansion of surrounding the transport of ill or e s y head injury patient, and we were theo - gases, and also gases coming OUT OF injured patients, and many others. o f e

retically to place them feet facing for - solution. This is an important detail, as In closing: stay safe, stay diligent, u r o ward on a stretcher … then as the air - there is a very well known condition always check with an Aviation c o P t craft departed nose down entering in dive-related injuries termed “The Medical Examiner or Flight Surgeon e r / Effective Translational Lift, we would Bends.” about any prescriptions you may be o b r u be pulling G-forces that might go taking; and never forget that, if it does s n i unnoticed by the crew, but the effects So in closing, let’s end with one more not feel right, then it probably isn’t. K 10 HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 M ORE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

three Robos or two AS 355s or A continued from page 7 Christmas Wish List, a result of 109s, and the approach is good; flying the products on offer for the over a meadow with trees. last 16 years :- Grampian Helipad The lat / long co ordinates are:- 1: Helicopter carbon emissions, N 57.27.59 This is expressed as carbon neutral fuel made from Dear Georgina, decimal minutes or N 57.27.33 biomass, land fill waste , grass, Readers of Helicopter Life expressed as minutes and and alternatively from the CO2 in Magazine, might like to know secondsW 002.46.89 W002.46.52 the Atmosphere and Hydrogen about this new helipad in the ADN 308 deg 19.0 nm from wind turbine electrolysis. Grampian. Run by a great family, North of the town of Huntley. 2: Specific fuel consumption , the Meikljohns, Andrew, Linda, North of the river Devron. present specific energy efficiency Nicky, and Stuart, all could not be West of the Railway line. of gas turbines and max possible. more welcoming and helpful. North of the Castle ruins (Gordon 3: Safety seat belts and air bags Andrew may be putting in a Jet Family seat, good to visit!) side and front. A1 fuel bowser as well, but there Happy trips to readers , and good 4: Tail rotor noise: variable speed, is Culter aviation, run for their fishin' hunt'n. fixed pitch, electric then at speeds own helis ( ADN180 deg 12 nm.) Best wishes, over 45 kts switch off- elimination Strictly PPO, this is 25 miles to Tony Marmont of gearbox the South East, and have Jet A1. Beacon Energy Ltd 5: Weight vs Payload full seats full fuel. Dundee is 30 minutes South. 6: Helicopter speed >150 kts Aberdeen ATC are most helpful as Letter to Santa 7: De-Icing Capability. well for lowish cloud entry from 8: Automatic Climate control in VRP Stonehaven, AQ 336 and Dear Georgina, the cabin. This is a safety issue; a then via Insch VRP and the rail - In case any manufacturer ever hot pilot is a poor risk. way line to Huntley town. asks what pilots want most in The helipad can accommodate Helicopters, here is this pilot’s continued on page 21 P h o t o g r a P a h c o u r t e s y o f t o n y m a r m o n t

HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 11 Oxford Graduates Kidlington Airport outside Oxford is now set to become the biggest jet centre between London and Birmingham

STORY BY G EORGINA H UNTER -JONES . PICTURES BY G EORGINA H UNTER -JONES & GEOFF BAKEWELL

n the late 1990s and the early 21st As a result, the airfield started look - restrictions on early and late hours. century, Oxford Airport was the ing around for survival options, and Oxford, however, lies largely away Ifourth busiest in the United during this period it was bought for from noise-sensitive areas, and it is Kingdom, with 160,000 movements £40 million by the Reuben Brothers. now open from 6.30 am to 10.30 pm, i a year at its peak. However, after the The decision was made to invest heav - with an extension to 12 midnight when n s e end of pilot training (much of which ily and to enlarge the airport to execu - necessary. This gives it a great advan - t P i c moved to the United States), there tive jet standards. The team therefore tage, particularly in the case of jets t u r was a massive decrease in move - invested £6.5 million in the runway, coming in from sporting events, which e b y ments, and 2007 saw only 50,000. taxiways, lighting and the ILS, giving tend to end later in the evening. g e o f

According to James Dillon- it the same capabilities as City Airport, Dillon-Godfray explains that the f b a

Godfray, Head of Marketing and east of London. airport moved from Category 1 to K e W

Development at Oxford airport, “the Opening hours were another factor. Category 5/6 in only six months, and it e l airport fundamentally changed in Its major competitors—Farnborough, is now “a serious airport in terms of l character and direction as a result of Biggin Hill, City Airport and capability.” the huge decline in activity.” Northolt—are all subject to severe Gulfstream 5 and Global Express

12 HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 are regular visitors, and the runway is now long enough to take an A318. However, having become a serious airport, Oxford is now also a potential terrorist target, and it has had to introduce security-screening capabilities. A 30-metre zone around the airport is now necessary, and it can be closed off if a large aircraft is coming in (as became obligatory after the failed Glasgow Airport attack). Oxford has become the guinea pig on this regulation, as it is the newest airport to be upgraded: those already in play have been given more time to meet the requirements. As far as access from London goes, the team are upbeat, and point out that the road to Central London is better than the road from Luton to London, and that Chiltern Railway is developing a new link to Kidlington. Dillon-Godfray says, “it takes the same time to get from Oxford to Central London, as it does from Luton.” Helicopter shuttles into London are also available at short notice: to Battersea takes 22 minutes, and to Heathrow 20. Dillon-Godfray points out that the heli - copter shuttle costs less than a day’s parking for a pri - vate jet at Luton. On a relevant personal note, we flew in to Oxford from Biggin Hill for the press day, via the heliroutes, in a MD 500. However, as Heathrow were using their east - erly runway, we were held for half an hour at Gutteridge (south of Northolt), and as a result the journey took over an hour. This may be something that a regular shuttle

MD500 GCCUO flew in to Oxford via the London Heliroutes - the journey to Battersea Heliport should take 22 minutes P h o t o g r a P h b y g e o r g i n a h u n t e r - J o n e s

HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 13 Oxford’s future? Heathrow with a static Concorde

could avoid, although Heathrow does others are being renovated to make helicopter operation.” use the westerly runway more fre - them suitable for the new owners. However, he re-iterates that they quently. However, it is a factor that David McRobert, MD of PremiAir still need more engineers, and will be the helicopter shuttle company might Aviation, explains that the PremiAir training ‘ab initio’ with apprentice want to explore. team is moving into Hangar One as schemes at Oxford. And Hangar One Eurocopter UK is already based at “we feel, with the growing fixed- is only a starting point: they will be Oxford, but several other large com - wing activity, this is the right place developing further at Oxford. panies are currently moving in, for us to develop.” Asked about the effects of the cred - including PremiAir Aviation, which “PremiAir, with both the helicopter it crunch, none of the speakers felt will be doing both jet maintenance and fixed-wing sides growing, have that their clients had been much and some helicopter maintenance. outgrown Blackbushe, and so moving affected so far, nor did they expect There is an ongoing expansion of the stuff here to Oxford allows us to max - this market to be greatly affected in hangars: more are being built, and imize the Blackbushe space for the the future.

David McRobert CEO of PremiAir at Battersea Heliport P h o t o g r a P h s b y g e o r g i n a h u n t e r - J o n e s 14 HELICOPTER LIFEW inter 2008

Sikorsky X-2 Flies

The Sikorsky X-2 demonstrator made its first flight on 27th August 2008 at

t the romantically named Horseheads in New York the Sikorsky X-2 demonstrator made its first Aflight on the 27th August 2008. Sikorsky’s Chief Test Pilot, Kevin Bredenbeck manoeuvred the prototype aircraft through hover, forward flight, and a hover turn, in a test flight that lasted approxi - mately thirty minutes. However, speed was still limited and further tests will be taking place in West Palm Beach, where the crew hope to be able to get the helicopter up to its potential top speed of 260 knots. Sikorsky President Jeffrey P. Pino said the successful first flight attests to the company’s commitment to excel - lence and to industry-leading innovation. “X2 Technology has crossed a major threshold,” Pino said. “The team’s achievement sets the stage for the next series of tests eventually leading to maximum speed. It s r e

also sparks the imagination for what ultimately the tech - t P o c nology can mean to the future of the rotorcraft industry. i l e

We are far from having a product, but closer than ever to h y K s

realizing the potential.” r o K i

Among the innovative technologies the X2 Technology s f Demonstrator employs are: o y s e

Fly-by-wire flight controls t r u i

Counter-rotating, all-composite rigid rotor blades o c s

Hub drag reduction h P a

Active vibration control r g o t

Integrated auxiliary propulsion system. o h P 16 HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 N EW T ECHNOLOGY

SpiderTracks Helicopter Life evaluates the possible light-weight alternative to the ELT

fifteen years before developed an electronically con - t HeliTech Portugal I was given the ‘Spider trolled seed metering system, which is now the most Tracks’ to evaluate for a year. Setting it up on commonly used system in North American salad-mix the computer was easy. Getting weather good A growing. enough to fly in the UK was the hard bit, and we went A helicopter pilot, Don saw a need for a portable track - to press before I was able to check it out, so we’ll have ing system for aircraft, land and sea vehicles that was to wait for next issue for that one. simple, affordable and provided global coverage. Spidertracks is a satellite tracking device which is Working with an engineer James McCarthy, Don identi - portable rather than being permanently attached to the fied a way to accomplish the impossible – combining a machine. My experience so far is that SpiderTracks is a GPS position receiver and a separate transmitter into small box which goes in the helicopter and needs to be one unit without the need for external antenna. The connected to the battery either via the cigarette lighter, patented technology was partnered with the global or some other device. Unfortunately, in the first two hel - Iridium Satellite network to deliver a package of hard - icopters I tried, there was no way of attaching the ware and information delivery. Spidertracks is also a Spidertracks to the electrical system, so we may have to Value Added Reseller for the Iridium Network. go for a separate battery. If we weren’t just testing it we s

K The first spider tracking device was sold to a Taupo c could have had it attached properly. There is also a set a r Eurocopter owner Bruce Bartley. Recognising the t r of button controls, which you carry with you, which can e d

i potential of the business, Bruce offered to invest in the P i be used for basic tracking or alerts if you have a prob - s product and spidertracks limited was established with f

o lem. On the website you register your box, the helicop - y Don, James and Bruce as equal partners. s

e ter you are going to use and any others you want to t r The company says the system is Automated Flight u i include in your flying and tracking family. o

c Following (AFF) accredited, and it can be easily set-up

s Spidertracks Ltd was formed in 2007 by a trio of New h

P and used by pilots, owners and anyone who wants or a

r zealand entrepreneurs and engineers, the tracking solu - g needs a back-up system. Over the year we will see if o t tion was developed by Don Sandbrook, an engineer who o

h this is true: once we manage to get it attached. P HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 17 Virtually a Helicopter The inauguration of the EC225 simulator in Marignane, near Marseille in France

BY G EORGINA H UNTER -JONES PICTURES BY M ILO BROCKWAY

eliSim was started in At the opening, Guy Dabadie, full-motion system with six February 2002, in CEO of HeliSim, said, “Our strat - degrees of freedom, an instructor HMarignane, France egy is in tune with Eurocopter’s station, simulation of all systems (where Eurocopter is also based) reinforced commitment to improv - and optional equipment solutions, with the object of training pilots ing flight safety by providing sim - avionics system and full replica of more cheaply and efficiently than ulated alternatives to real flight... the EC225 cockpit, sound system, was possible in the real helicopter. due to the increasing number of original OEM (Original Equipment m Since its inauguration, HeliSim EC225s in the oil and gas market, Manufacturer) simulation data pack - i s i l

has annually trained 2,400 pilots we have installed the first EC225 age and a visual system field of view e h f

from 62 countries, performing FFS (full flight simulation, ie full of 200° horizontal and 60° vertical o y s

10,000 flight hours per year, and movement) at our HeliSim facility. daylight/dusk/night. e t r

The visual database features u has a customer base of 115 opera - It is now fully operational.” o c

detailed airports, heliports, heli - h tors from all over the world. The The EC225 FFS will be capable P a r

EC225 simulator was officially of going to Level D in line with pads and oil platforms as well as g o t

moving models such as freighters o inaugurated in October this year. JAR FSTD 1H standards. It has a h P

18 HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 EC225 Puma on an oil rig off Aberdeen

and allows full correlation between databases. Défense Conseil International concurred, “it is vital Training courses offered by HeliSim and Eurocopter to use simulators as they can simulate conditions that on the EC225 FFS include standard and recurrent train - cannot be created in any other method... this is partic - ing such as type rating, emergency refresher, IFR, GPS ularly important for North Sea operators, whose approach and recurrency training; mission training such pilots fly in demanding conditions in bad weather.” as night flight, NVG training, confined area procedures, Major GJ Bommelje, from the Royal Netherlands SAR (Search and Rescue), crew reaction in deteriorat - Air Force, spoke warmly of his experience on the ing conditions (single engine, MET conditions, low simulator, explaining that they have the Cougar, fuel) as well as platform or rooftop landings; and tai - which is why they started training with HeliSim. He lored courses such as simulator handling for instructors, said his pilots found the simulator exceptionally real - line oriented flight training, crew resource management and Multi-Crew Co-operation (MCC). One novel idea in this simulator is the concept of a ‘roll on roll off’ cabins, which means that a simulator can be changed from one type of helicopter to another in one and a half hours. This means an increased number of crews who can use the simulator for training and a reduction in the space needed for the simulator. The genius behind the company was a co-operation of Eurocopter, Thales Training & Simulation and Défense Conseil International. HeliSim already operates four simulators for the AS365 Dauphin, the EC155, the AS332 Super Puma L1 and L2. The EC225 FFS is its fifth. In 2007, HeliSim extended its facility to accom - modate a Flight Training Device (FTD) capability. If required by the customers, all of HeliSim’s helicopter cabins can also be utilized in FTD mode. In 2009, HeliSim is planning to add a NH90 Full Flight Simulator.

y Dr Lutz Bertling, Eurocopter’s CEO and President a W K

c said, “Eurocopter’s number one priority is safety... o r

b (hence) our use of high-end simulators... We have o l i put great emphasis on investment and training... m s h you the customer said you needed simulators and P a r

g we have listened.” o t o Jean Baptiste Pinton, General Manager of the h P

HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 Marseille in the sunset, a beautiful, evocative mediaeval town

istic and it was a valuable training ing experience. Probably, however, day or time, VMC or IMC and so aid, not least because they were being in a simulator made it easier forth. The machine, I am told, feels able to do such things as mountain rather than harder, as the instructor exactly the same as the real Puma. training and map of the earth fly - has complete faith in the machine’s We then had an attempt to land ing, which was necessary for their ability to resurrect itself after a fall! on a freighter, not as easy as it work in Bosnia and Afghanistan. It We flew out from Aberdeen to sounds! Although I managed to is also approximately 50% of the an oil rig. The graphics were clear, pull alongside successfully, having cost of running the real helicopter, although of course digital, however missed the first landing and nearly which clearly makes a big differ - much you expect to be conned that ended in the sea, when I then put ence to the company budget. this is the real thing, it is not in fact down heavily on the second I was Flying the simulator, as someone the case. This is a representation, glad this was virtual reality. who had never flown an EC225 but it was good, clear, sharp and It might be my imagination but, before and was used to single there were many factors that could as I landed, I thought I could feel engine turbines, without all the be changed to affect the pilot each wheel separately. ‘cyclic inhibitors’ was an interest - including wind, visibility, time of s e n o J - r e t n u h a n i g r o e g d n a y a W K c o r b o l i m s h P a

Bond Puma on an oil rig r g o served by Aberdeen t o h P M ORE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

continued from page 11 extensively used then. The Pave Low fleet is phased out not because of their lack of reliability but for economic 9: Electro hydrodynamic electricity generation from reasons, the maintenance costs are simply too high. exhaust efflux - elimination of gearbox. Most crew members will step over to other aircraft, like 10: Heat cooling from exhaust pipe heat recovery. the Osprey which replaces the MH-53 helicopters and 11: Glass display panel standard fit….retrofit. the AC-130 gunships or will pilot an Unmanned Aerial 12: Licensed software mechanics re above, anyone can Vehicle (UAV), the MQ-1 Predator. Some other crew alter or amend the software of systems. members will be transferred to Air Combat Command 13: Ignition key: prevents fool thefts, damage...warning if to continue their career on the HH-60G Pave Hawks. key is left in inadvertently. Warning to prevent leaving Best wishes, Master on and draining the battery. Arjan Dijksterhuis Best wishes,

Professor Tony Marmont , DSc. Dtech.

Pave Low Retirement.

The MH-53 Pave Low fleet operated by the AFSOC (Air Force Special Operations Command) is now offi - cially withdrawn from use. The final mission was flown in Iraq on September 27 with a flight of six helicopters. This mission marked the end of more than fourty years H of acti v e duty. Th e predec e ssor o f this version saw its first military action during the Vietnam war and was

Factory Authorised Sales Representative for UK & Ireland The New Sikorsky S-76D Power – Performance – Prestige

• New flaw tolerant composite main rotor blades • Rotor Ice Protection System (RIPS) • Active Vibration Control • Quiet Tail Rotor (QTR) • Dual speed rotor for reduced external noise • PW210 engines • Upgraded electrical generation system • Next generation avionics system and autopilot Sikorsky S-76D delivery positions available first quarter 2010 For further information contact Adrian Munday, Harrods Aviation Limited T +44 (0) 1582 589 365 F +44 (0) 1582 486 646 E [email protected]

Please quote reference ASHLQ7 in any correspondence

HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 21 Shadows in the Rain

Letecky utvar Ministerstva Venuta Slovenskej Republiky (LU MV SR) the Aviation body of Slovak Ministry of Interior

BY JAKUB FOJTIK PICTURES BY JAKUB , DANIEL RYBKA AND THE LU MV SR

fter the break up of on the fuselage. In early 2005, the heavy-sized Mi-8 Hip helicopters, Czechoslovakia, the newly unit was given a new and complicat - six light utility Mi-2 Hoplite chop - Acreated Slovak Republic ed name – Odbor leteckej prepravy pers, two Yak-40 planes and one Tu- established its own police and rescue Uradu pre ochranu ustavn_ch 154M airliner (and bought another aviation unit. It was called Letecky cinitelov a diplomatickych misii MV new in 1998). The planes and heli - utvar Ministerstva vnutra Slovenskej (Department of Air Transport subor - copters that had been the property of republiky (LU MV SR - Aviation dinated under the Office for the federal aviation unit were divid -

body of Slovakian Ministry of Statesmen and Diplomatic Embassy ed 2:1 in favour of the Czech P h o t

Interior). This unit was not part of protection of Slovakian MoI). Republic. This was in line with the o g r

the Police corps, but a department of However, problems arose in using proportions of both the inhabitants a P h

the Ministry of Interior. In Eastern this complicated (but apposite) and the dimensions of the two new c o u

European countries, this is a rare sit - name, and the previous name (LU states. All the aircraft were based at r t e s

uation, because Police units are not MV SR) was reinstated. Bratislava Ivanka international air - y o f

usually departments of power min - In 1993, at the time of the cre - port. After they first landed there, l u

istries. Despite this, all the helicop - ation of the independent Slovak their landing technicians removed m V

ters had “Policia” (Police) insignia Republic, the LU MV acquired four the federal insignia and fitted self- s r

22 HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 High Tatra Mountain

adhesive labels with Slovak national emblems. The fuse - -SAR missions on demand (this is not a routine activity) lage numbering of the helicopters retained the federal B- LU MV is subordinate to the Office for Statesmen and 1234 format. It is noteworthy that the “B” letter is also Diplomatic Embassy protection, and thus provides trans - used to designate Chinese planes. The planes carry the port flights for Statesmen (President, Prime Minister, national insignia OM-BY. ministers, attaches, etc.). For long journeys the Cabinet uses the Tu-154M, and the Yak-40 and Tu-154 within LU MV tasks European borders. Helicopters provide transport within The LU MV SR is responsible for many national secu - the country. The most recently implemented task is rity tasks. It does not provide the Helicopter emergency unique: LU MV now offers its planes for commercial medical service, although doing so was considered in flights. This improves its cash budget somewhat. 1993. HEMS is operated by the private Air Transport Europe Ltd. Company, which uses A-109K2s. The LU Real employment MV cooperates closely with the police and the fire LU MV planes have visited almost every country in the brigade. Police tasks include: world. Tu-154s were involved in the Tsunami in Sri -prosecuting those who commit criminal offences Lanka, and in earthquakes in Turkey and Algeria. -documentation of offences Helicopters provide aid only within Slovakia. In the -traffic control and management 1990s they helped find many tourists who had become -searching for missing persons and fugitives from justice lost in the Slovakian Tatra Mountains. By the end of the -transporting SWAT teams -management of major police operations -monitoring border areas training flights Between 7:30 and 15:30 on working days one helicop - ter is always on standby. Take off must occur within 20 minutes. On weekends and holidays the limit is 90 min - utes. This task is now very important, because Slovakia r s

lies on, and secures, the outer border of the European V m

Union. It abuts on Ukraine, where many illegal runners u l

f are based. Its rescue activities include o y

s -transporting fire brigade troops – especially to forest e t r fires in summer u o c -extinguishing fires s h P a -rescue operations over water and in the mountains r g Crashed Mil Mi-2. No one o -operational activities during emergency situations, and t o was hurt in the accident h

P crisis management support

HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 23 Mil in High Tatra Mountains 1990s, many helicopters were taken out of service. The technical life of Mi-2s decreased very radically. In 2001, only two helicopters were in service. The situation of the Mi-8 was not much better. Only one helicopter survived after the “cannibalising” of “dead” brothers. Many requests for air support had to be rejected because of the catastrophic shortage of airworthy helicopters. The Slovakian government decided to reinforce the capabili - ties of LU MV. The Mil Mi-171, a heavyweight Russian helicopter, seemed suitable, and the government bought four. They were equipped with large clamshell rear doors, and one is fitted with a flat loading ramp. The new helicopters increased the operational capabili - ties. Shortly after their delivery, in 2001, and along with LO MV Mi-8, private Mi-8s, army Mi-17s and Czech Police Aviation Department Bell 412s, they assisted in extinguishing several major forest fires. Some careless ramblers had started fires by throwing away lighted ciga - rette butts, and the result cost millions in damage. In 2006, all the LO MV helicopters were engaged in moni - toring the volume of an enormous typhoon in the Tatra Mountains, which damaged over 40% of the forest in the country. The police used the last remaining Mohican Mi- 2 (matriculation B-2744) for this task. It helped to localise and neutralise many dangerous criminals. The Mi-171, of course, helped the Mountain Rescue Service to localise and evacuate injured tourists. Incidentally, it is not generally known that any visitor to the Tatra Mountains must, according to Slovak law, be insured. If a tourist has not bought the required casualty insurance, he or she will have to pay the costs of the rescue operation, Using civilian helicopters including that of a helicopter. The first rescue operation for training took place in 1965 (as mentioned above), and later many others followed. However, sometimes the helicopter reaches the site of the accident too late. The crew then helps to evacuate the bodies of dead tourists from awk - ward places. Treacherous weather and wind eddies often create many dangerous situations. In 1979, an Mi-8 crashed after failing to land on a narrow mountain shelf. In the adverse wind conditions the helicopter lost height, and the tail boom made contact with the ground. The fuselage then caught fire, and the entire crew of seven died, in the most serious catastrophe in Czechoslovak police history.

Although the LU MV operates in dangerous mountain r s

areas, only two helicopters have been lost. The Mi-8 B- V m

8939 crash-landed after an engine failure in 1993. The u l f

crew of six died. In 2001, one Mi-2 (B-2048) landed o y s e

badly during trooper practice. The left engine failed at t r u

low height. The pilot managed to push the helicopter for - o c s

ward and landed with difficulty. The tail boom and the h P a r

undercarriage broke away, but the crew escaped with no g o t

serious injury. The wreck of the helicopter is still in a o h P 24 HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 Police training trol TV screens is in the office of the Minister of the Interior. Although these helicopters carry civilian insignia, according to the International conventions on civil aviation they are police helicopters. A shortage of available helicopters has led to close cooperation with both army aviation and civilian com - panies. This is apparent in fire-fight - ing operations. Until 2001 only LU MV helicopters performed this task. Now some areas are covered by army Mi-17s, and others by civilian Mi- hangar in Bratislava. Some of its parts capacity 300 kg), weather radar, 171s (UT Air Europe) and Mi-8 were later used in the one remaining Mi- ABRIS digital moving map inside the (Tech Mont Ltd). 2 helicopter (B-2744). cockpit, NVG compatible interior and There is no need to explain that NVG goggles GEO-NV-III, and bambi this “model” is very expensive, and Modernization attempts bucket VSU-5A with a volume of operationally it is not very effective. After buying the Mi-171 and the 1,188 gallons of water (which the Civilian operators must make a prof - Tu-154, the LU MV developed a under-slung limit of the Mi-171 it, and they sign mny contracts for long-term strategic plan for the future. reduces to 792 gallons). the future use of their helicopters. With a help of the European Union Thus it sometimes happens that a (more precisely, of the Phare fund) Today’s life commercial helicopter is engaged on two surveillance sets were donated to The lack of helicopters suitable for other work, and cannot be made the LU MV. Each consists of an SX- the flying conditions was resolved by available for police duty. 16 search lamp (made by Spectrolab) purchasing “wet-lease” AS-355N and At present only one elderly Mi-2 and a forward-looking infrared cam - Bell 206B Jet Ranger II helicopters B-2744 and two Mi-171s are in regu - era FLIR Ultra 4000 (made by FLIR from commercial operators. These lar service. In the future, the LU MV Systems). The intention was to install choppers are used from time to time plans to replace them with a new each of these items in two Mi-2s. by police units in close air support of type (two EC-145s, four A109s or However, after the crash of B-2048 in SWAT teams, or on search missions. four EC-135s). But there are insuffi - 2001, only one helicopter remained in These quasi-civilian helicopters are cient funds to buy new helicopters. good condition. The other Mi-2s were also used to guard the eastern EU bor - Initially, the LU MV did consider stored, with no hope of repair. As a der, where a permanent surveillance selling two Mi-171s. But such a step result, only Mi-2 B-2744 was upgrad - camera system, complete with wire would make things very difficult for ed with this surveillance equipment. fence, was installed. One of the con - the rescue system teams. The second set was stored. The FLIR operator sits on the right. The original Para training CRT FLIR monitor was later replaced by one of the superior LCD type. A few months later, an analogue down - link was added. The FLIR ball turret was installed in place of the left aux - iliary fuel tank, and the search lamp is r

s located under the external right fuel

V

m tank. Tthe SX-16 was disassembled. u l A very serious lack of money f o y made it necessary to cannibalise two s e t r Mi-171s, which are now stored in u o c Bratislava. The single remaining Mi-2 s h

P is approaching the end of its working a r g

o life. The Mi-171s are fitted with an t o h SLG internal rescue hoist (lifting P HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 2525 Live Fire Fighting Display at Cascais

Portugal HeliTech 2008 words and pictures by Georgina Hunter-Jones

he first European HeliTech move into Europe a couple of years some three quarters of an hour out - took place in October at ago, but were unable to complete side Lisbon, and which, in the nor - TCascais, in Portugal. the deal after a crash at the airport mal course of events, is mainly HeliTech itself has been going for they were going to use in Spain. used for helicopter and jet traffic. twenty one years, having started in Hence, their Portuguese début. The majority of the static exhibi - Aberdeen, moved to Redhill and Although attendance overall was tion was related in someway to fire more recently to Duxford in not very high the first day boasted fighting, but although some of the Cambridgeshire, where it is still. 1300 plus visitors, which was cer - booths ( Inaer, a data company, and They made a previous attempt to tainly a success for a small airfield Kamov, a helicopter company being

Astar using the Simplex ‘fast’ bucket method of water dropping

Beginning the run-in

two good examples) had a connec - Called the Einforex System it was ‘real time’ images, which are then tion with the fire industry the many started in 2007, to help with emer - send directly to the controller in the were either from peripheral or gencies and forest fires and has Control Centre, who can see the unrelated companies. been tested through the fire season direction, speed and evolution of the Exhibitors included Mark in 2008, in the Region of Gallacia fire in 3D imagery, which he uses to Souster and London Helicopter in Spain. The company say they assess the extent of the fires and Centres, Eurocopter, with a centre have had excellent results. determine his subsequent actions. piece spread and excellent catering, Aircraft carrying cameras fly This means that the controller does Simplex from Oregon, Spidertracks over the affected sites capturing not have to be in the aircraft to be from Australia, offering an alterna - tive to the ELT, Bayards, the Filling with water is Aluminium Construction company, more usually done in HR Smith Group, who are involved a lake or stream with search and rescue. Red Box s

International. Ross Aviation, Bose e n o J

Headsets, Sloane Helicopters, - r e t

Bristow European Air Crane, and n u h

many others. All aircraft moving a n i g

was by TLC handling’s Tony r o e

Hancock. g s h

Inaer, the database company, P a r

have created new software and g o t o

camera system to help fire fighters. h P 2828 AS350 starting the drop from the Drop done! fast bucket

assessing the picture. and high resolution. The package copters, are working with the BBC Inaer have found the system to be including the cameras and the soft - in a follow-up to Planet Earth in the popular and to work well, they say it ware may be hired from Inaer at a most extreme regions of the north is cheaper than the present system, cost of 60,000 Euros for three and south poles. where the controller has to fly over months. The Portuguese helicopter opera - all the fires and potential fire areas. Axys Technologies, who are tor, Empresa de Meios Aereos, had The cameras, which are designed known for their innovative use of two Kamov Ka-32 on static display by Inaer, work in infra red, video highly specialised cameras on heli - for the first time. Sadly, they did not

AS350 using the snorkel and drop-tank technique There is still a severe shortage of engineers

Huey and bambi bucket

take part in the live aerial fire fight - were supporting the ground crew, Junot, who used the Palácio da ing display, which many spectators some of whom arrived in the heli - Citadela as his army headquarters. had hoped they would. The Ka-32 copters and others who came in fire During the first part of the 19th can carry four tonnes of water in a engines. The display was slightly Century the port trade declined, sling-load bucket. held up as the fire engines arrived bringing poverty to the town. The Lisbon-based company oper - late (it was said that this was However, when in 1870 King Luís I, ates six Kamov Ka-32A11BCs and because they had had to attend to a decided to convert the 17th Century four AS-350 Squirrels on firefight - real fire first) but once on the air - Citadela building into his summer ing duties and SAR (the Ka-32 can field were very effective, putting the residence, the town’s fortunes rescue up to eight people on one fire out in a very short time inspite reversed and Cascais quickly mission). The first Kamov was of very windy conditions on the first became a very fashionable place delivered in September 2007 (previ - day, and only slightly less on the where aristocratic palaces and man - ously they rented their helicopters) second day. sions were built. and the company has 24 pilots Cascais itself started life as a In 1926, the railway line from trained on the type. Examinations small fishing port, situated at the Lisbon to Cascais was the first to be are currently done in Russia but the mouth of the Rio Tejo. electrified in Portugal and this also company hope that will change in Owing to its protected position it had a positive economic effect. the future. was very popular and often invaded. During the 2nd World War several The live aerial fire fighting dis - It was occupied by the Duke of Kings and Heads of European coun - play featured two AS350s, one with Alba, for the Spanish in 1579. tries sought refuge in Cascais and a bambi bucket, the other with a In 1807, it was invaded by the nearby Estoril. With these people hose and tank combination. They French, commanded by General came other aristocrats, politicians,

Kamov Ka-32 and Line up of visiting bambi bucket helicopters s e n o J - r e t n u h a n g i r o e g s h P a r g o t o h P 3300 HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 Polish PZL W-3A Sokol Kamov Ka 32A11BC

actors and writers: so many that the Cascais Airfield population increased by over 20,000 Inset: Cascais town people between 1939 to 1946. Names of important exiles such as Duke of Windsor, King Umberto of Italy, Princess Joana of Italy, King Carol II of Romania, Prince Juan of Spain, Count Henri of France, part of the Hapsburg family, Regent Horthy of Hungary, all can be associated with the history of both this town and that of neighbouring town Estoril. Today, Cascais is a popular tourist resort, with many hotels in various prices ranges and excellent walks and fish restaurants along the beach. Although the first HeliTech Portugal was not as well attended as many of the exhibitors hoped, it was an excellent start in a beautiful place and already many people were talking about return - ing in two years time.

Fire fighting helicopters on the static display s e n o J - r e t n u h a n i g r o e g y b s h P a r g

o One of the Kamovs used by the data t o

h and fire-fighting company Inaer P HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 31 Another day

The World Helicopter Championships in Eisenach Words by Gill Jenkins Pictures by Alan Norris and Neil Harrison

he 13th World Helicopter Open Freestyle event. The World best that the host nation has to offer. Championships was held in Championships also provided the The British team consisted of the TAugust 2008 in Eisenach, basis for a wonderful social week in 2002 and 2005 Ladies World Germany, the birthplace of Johann which helicopter pilots and those Helicopter Champions, Caroline Sebastian Bach. Forty-four teams, interested in helicopters, and their Gough-Cooper & Imogen Asker in from Russia, Austria, Germany, UK, families and friends from around the their R22, along with Ron Watkins France, Switzerland and Ukraine, world, were able to enjoy the com - & Jeff James in the military met to compete in four events: the pany of the friends and acquaintanc - Gazelle; David Monks & Jonathon Navigation exercise, the Precision es whom they meet at this event, Penny, Martin Rutty & Simon Square, the Slalom and the Postman. only once every three years. This Lichtenstein, and Alistair Sutherland There was also, as usual, a separate gives them the chance to enjoy the & Colin Morrison in R22s; Andrew in Paradise Winter s i r r o n n a l a h P a r g o t o h P Taee & Mike Buckland in a 206; and tice. That this has often been The Navex Peter Barker & Candy Stockton- achieved in ageing and lumbering In the individual events, the Tracey in Peter’s Enstrom. Backing Mil2s only adds to their glory. Navex is the most complex, and up the flying teams were a variety of Increasingly, however, the presence probably the most difficult to do Brits who were Judges or Observers, of the R44 in post-Soviet Russia has well in. Indeed, its rules often defy as well as many supporters, engineers led it to become the machine of many a lesser pilot to achieve any and family members, all of whom choice. However, with less than 70 points at all. There is a very compli - enjoyed the sunshine and socialised points between the top five, and 150 cated plan of navigation involving a with old friends. between the top ten, it was still a variety of reporting points and a Several of the team had attended close run competition. The overall search box, with defined entry and the German Championships in 2007 gold medal was won by the Russians exit points with their own time lim - in order to meet the competition, get Viktor Korotaev & Nikolay Burov its, between which the team must a feel for the area and then prepare (1279.4 points), and Alexsay look for markers and plot them on for this year’s world event. Eisenach Mayorov & Sergey Shvartz (1241.5 the map. There is also a definite role is a small town, previously in East points), also from the Russian team, for strategic planning, for working Germany, and it has been undergoing took the silver. The Germans Holger out in which areas it is worth striv - great social upheavals and develop - Hoven & Michael Schauff (1235.7 ing to gain points, and which are ment. There is much interesting local points) came third. less important when time matters. history and wonderful scenery, and In the women’s rankings, Russians Does one break the time rules to several of the British team found Lyudmila Kosenkova & Elena carry on looking for a certain report - time to explore the area during and Prokofyeva took the gold and Galina ing point, or blow the timing points after the event. Shpigovskaya & Liubov Gubar the in order to gain points for the mark - The Results bronze, whilst the silver went to the er, and so on. As in any sport, prepa - Those of us who have attended previous Ladies World Helicopter ration is half the skill, and a team previous World Championships could Champions, the British team of does well to sort out its strategy have predicted the general outcome: Caroline Gough-Cooper & Imogen before the game. At the end of the Russian teams took four of the top Asker. Kosenkova & Prokofyeva five places, indeed six of the top came 7th in the overall ranking with eight. In previous Worlds they have 1189.8 points, and Gough-Cooper & swept the board with awe-inspiring Asker came 9th with 1139.1. flying, and with accuracy and team - work born of, on the whole, military experience and long hours of prac - n o s i r r a h l i e n h P a r g o t o h P 34 HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 HELICOPTER LIFE,Winter 2008 35 Navex there is a complicated rule involving flying a table and for the water retained in the bucket. Again the planned route, a bomb drop and then, at a timed arrival, Russians made it look easy, and took the top three releasing a skittle from a specified height, and dropping it places, but it was a very close call. The highest ranking into a ‘doghouse’-roofed slotted box. It’s all great fun if British team, Taee & Buckland, came 13th, but were you have all the time in the world, but a bit stressy when only 18 points behind the winners. the clock is still ticking. At the end of the day, as we had Precision Square expected, the prizes went to three Russian teams: Alexsay Based on a tennis court, the aim of this event, which Mayorov & Sergey Shvartz, Alexander zhuperin & features a short chain and a long chain hung beneath Vasily Golovkin and Viktor Korotaev & Nikolay Burov. the helicopter, is to control hover and path, including The highest placed Brits in the Navex were Monks & some timed turns, and to keep the long chain on the Penny, in 10th place. ground within the tram-tracks of the square, whilst Slalom keeping the short chain off the ground. At the end there The slalom is an elegant event, in which the co-pilot is a precision landing on a set line, and the whole event holds a rope from which hangs a milkmaid’s bucket of is timed. Some of it may sound easy, but the track water. As the co-pilot instructs the pilot on position, they involves both backward and sideways flight. In particu - must swing the bucket through slalom gates, following lar, the hardest element is getting the hover height cor - the course dictated by the planners on the day; and then, rect when you can’t see your chains, and this requires from a pre-determined height, they must land the bucket hours of practice and an observer’s help, to tell you on the target table. Points are awarded for timing, for how the chains lie. Russian teams took five of the top gate passage, for where exactly the bucket lands on the six places, and the Germans Hoven & Schauff took the silver. Again it was a close competition with little between the top fourteen, the top British team being Rutty & Lichtenstein in 8th position, only thirteen points behind the Russian gold medallists Korotaev & Burov. Postman The Postman was a new event this year, replacing the Fender event of previous world Championships, and it involved ‘posting’ skittles into oil drums, on a timed course. Although Russians came first and third, the British girls Caroline and Imogen performed excel - lently to take the silver, only five points behind the gold medallists Korotaev & Burov. Ron Watkins & Jeff James were the next best placed UK team, coming 8th. s i r r o n n a l a

Mil Mi-2 pass - Measuring the s h P water levels in a ing the bucket r g o through a gate the bucket t o h P

HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 Measuring the precision landing Italian team n o s i r r a h l i e n h P a r g o t o h P 37 HELICOPTER LIFE,Winter 2008 CH-7 Kompress, the two seat version of the Cicare Angel The path to success Freestyle In the Freestyle there were only four competitors, including our own Dennis Kenyon in an Enstrom. The event was won by the Austrian Stefan Seer with an excellent smoke-trailed performance in an R22. The social side of the champi - onships is, for many, the real reason to attend. By the last night, with the final dinner and the awards ceremo - ny at the Burgermeisters Hall, old friendships had been reestablished, and the evening entertainment con - tinued on into the night in the hotel bar. We look forward to the next World Helicopter Championships in Wind check Moscow, which will be hosted by the Russian team. n o s i r r a h l i e n d n a s i r

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s The World i r r Champions a h l i e n d n a s i r r o n n a l a f o y s e t r u o c s h P a r g o t o h P HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 39 Oil and Gas

Rainer Herzberg visits CHC Helikopter Service Norway’s largest supplier of oil platform translated by Robert Edmonds ATPL

40 Photographs Courtesy of CHC and HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 Rainer Herzberg Crew loading on the rig

his is a business in which a lot al to find that airframes delivered to able floats. It was not confined to of money can be made! This operators by the manufacturers still water, but was also used from hard Tis true not merely of the prof - have considerable technical problems ground, grass and snow. Clever its made by the oil multinationals, that then must be put right at the chaps these Norwegians, then as but also for the people working in home base. now. Start-up capital for the new this field, in whatever capacity. And The Norwegians have been firm was just 15,000 Norwegian qualified labour is in demand, not engaged in this business for over Kroner! Scancopter-Service later just on the oilrigs but also in the hel - fifty years. In fact, it started not with changed its name to Helikopter- icopter businesses that supply the flights out to sea, but with reporting Service, thus acquiring the legendary platforms. Helicopters fly to a regu - the 1952 Olympiade at the name that, over the decades, became lar schedule, like the airlines, in Holmenkollen in Oslo. Photo flights a synonym worldwide for great relia - almost any weather, and they fly out and transport were conducted in a bility. As contracts increased, the into the North Sea, to distant rigs and chartered Swedish Bell 47. Thirty- fleet grew. In 1962, the Agusta-Bell supply ships up to 400 kilometres off year-old Marten H. Hancke, a car 204 B began the era of external load the coast. It is a job for profession - dealer from Oslo, was so fascinated carrying, for which there was a huge als, which means not just the flight by this operation that he contacted demand in Norway. Masts, concrete crews, but especially the male and Bell and received the Norwegian to construction sites in rough coun - female engineers who, in their indi - dealership for the helicopter. try, complete wooden houses, vidual stations, ensure that the heli - Under the name Scancopter- machinery, cars, everything was copters take to the skies in "better Service, the first Bell 47D1 operated slung from the hook and somehow than new" condition. It is not unusu - came already equipped with inflat - had to be put down in places where HELICOPTER LIFE,Winter 2008 paths were non-existent or very poor. Later, the Bell 214 B took over Co-pilot Per this work. Morten Helikopter-Service entered the offshore business in 1966, still using the Bell 204. The Rolls-Royce Gnome engines originally installed had proved problematic, and they were exchanged for Avco Lycoming T53s. This investment was justified by their proverbial reliability. The large helicop - ter era began in 1970 with the Sikorsky S-61N. Aerospatiale's Super Frelon was also considered, but the S-61 was chosen on performance grounds. In those days, Esso Exploration was looking for a helicopter concern that could deliver oil workers to the rigs at regular intervals, and it had to be a Norwegian company. Helikopter-Service received the con - tract, and it has kept it ever since. The Sikorsky flew on till 2005, to be replaced by the Eurocopter AS 332L/L1 and the L2 Super Puma. The Boeing 234 Chinook was used for a brief while, but it was discontinued because the oil companies disliked the type. In 1999, the Canadian CHC Group took over the company and re- named it CHC Helikopter Service A/S. The rigs are served by air from four bases. Kristiansund in the north serves Heidrun, Asgard, Draugen and Njord. Flights for the Statfjord Field leave from Floro, those for the Oseberg Field from Bergen, and those for the Ekofisk Field from Stavanger. Altogether, the work is undertaken daily by 24 helicopters: 13 EC AS 332 L2, 7 EC AS 332L/L1 and 4 Sikorsky S-92A. A Bell 214ST shuttles between the rigs and the supply ships. The firm's own training centre at Furos, near Stavangar, is employed to capacity, with 5,000 simu - lator and 4,000 ground-school hours annually. A total of 50 companies from 40 countries use the two AS 332 Super Puma simulators and the S- 61 simulator, although for type ratings on the Sikorsky S-92 the crews still have to go to West Palm Beach in the USA. The firm currently employs 160 pilots, ten of whom are women. By 2010 the total should have risen to 200. But the problem lies in finding enough qualified per - sonnel on the open market. The same holds true for engineers. Applicants with a technical background are trained as helicopter mechanics by HeliOnline, the maintenance centre for CHC Helikopter Service A/S. Meanwhile, even low-hours pilots have a chance at CHC. The training programme is designed specifically around the company's requirements, to qualify them to fly as co-pilots. Helicopter operations have been boom - ing and good people with the requisite licences are much sought world - wide. As the whole operation is generally conducted in accordance with IFR, an ATPL(H) is a necessity. So it is no surprise that pilots formerly in the German naval air arm sit in Norwegian cockpits, because these chaps already have relevant experience of maritime flying in Sea Kings, and so have excellent promotion prospects. Working patterns of 14 days on, 14 days off, excellent pay and social conditions, and a marked company cul - ture of being a family, plus the most modern aircraft, all attract military pilots to make the move to Norway. Here we find Americans, Australians, Britons, Swedes, Czechs and at least eight Germans, to mention but a small selection. But flight experience alone is not sufficient at the job interview. Whoever is not a team player and would not fit into the larger family stands no chance. So an American with a glittering flying career failed to be offered a contract, because his arrogant behaviour had shocked the selection committee. Through CHC Sumburgh on the Shetlands I was put into contact with Detlef Bonning, who opened the doors for me to CHC Helikopter Service

42 Stavanger Airport Inset: Oilmen boarding the helicopter at Stavanger

43 Maintenance Captain Lena Alquist (Norway) and hangar co-pilot Kelly Palmer (USA)

A/S. A former naval Sea King cap - When I later ask the pilots why they tain, he already had a few thousand fly in normal flying suits, I receive hours in his logbook when he signed the dry answer, "those things would LN-OHN. At every seat there is a on with CHC. Those hours are rapid - kill us a hundred times over before headset for noise protection and a yel - ly increasing up here, where he flies we actually had a crash." Each of the low emergency transmitter, which each a good 800 hours annually in Super three or four daily flights averages passenger arms and tucks into his left Pumas over the North Sea. In two-and-a-half hours; no one could breast pocket. I sit by the cockpit Stavangar, he has just passed the endure that in these suits. So what entranceway, connected to the crew by type rating for his new flagship, the happens in a genuine emergency? intercom. For Per Morten this flight is EC AS 225, the first of which was "Then we have another light suit also a check ride. The job is performed delivered in June. He is cheerful and which we pull over the top." Okay, I in friendly, conversational tones as relaxed as we discuss my article at think, swimming in the water whilst Glenn makes the standard callouts. CHC at Stavangar Airport. Not pulling on another skin must be an Glenn, incidentally, is just the type being a man to waste time, Bonning interesting manoeuvre... you would imagine as a Norwegian. has soon organised a flight for me in I had already met Captain Glenn Angular features, a dazzling laugh, a Super Puma, to the Maersk Inspirer Christiansen and co-pilot Per Morten lightning blue eyes, blond hair and the platform. Aasgard at the briefing, and the composure often associated with peo - The work is for Statoil Hydro, for engines are running as we are led out ple up here in the north. He takes whom about 90% of all operations to board the Super Puma, registered enough time to explain the take-off are flown. This gigantic drilling and production rig lies at position N 58.26.5 and E 001.53.2, 220 nautical miles off the coast. Take-off is at 1300 hours sharp. Check-in with all its usual procedures is at 1100 hours, the security check being no different from that at Frankfurt Airport. After that, though, things are rather differ - ent. Cold weather suits are handed out, to be donned before flight. After each of the ten passengers has put on his so-called "Frankenstein" suit, we Captain Glenn are shown an information film about Christiansen the special features and safety requirements of this maritime flight. In the Italian temperatures then pre - vailing at Stavangar, this is a verita - ble torture, and inside a few minutes underwear is sticking to the body.

44 procedure to me and patiently answers my questions ly taught. Every flying manual has a so-called "dead after lift-off. I had hoped for Norwegian weather with man's curve," a graph illustrating the danger zone for dark clouds, showers and shafts of sunlight; it would helicopters, including steep departure climbs at low have made for fine photographs, but it is not like that speed. But we are climbing vertically, alongside three today. Instead there is a Mediterranean feel, with a bright huge masts to our left, and we transition to forward flight blue sea and not a cloud in the sky. At 2,000 feet, the only once clear. I am not used to this, but Glenn quickly crew sit calmly facing the instrument panel, allowing the explains that only this manoeuvre offers a chance to autopilot to do its work. Stavangar's controller would escape and reach sufficient forward speed should an have no inkling of our position were it not for the ADS, engine really fail. For the landing pad is 200 feet above an additional transponder provided by the oil firms, sea level, and the platform with all its appurtenances which has a range of about 200 miles and sends a clear reaches to 424 feet; every foot of height helps, adding to signal even at this height. We fly an Airborne Radar our safety. The return flight at 3,500 feet, now with a Approach to the platform. The helicopter is directed to light tailwind, turns into a delightful sightseeing tour as the rig down to minima of half a mile and 200 feet by we fly over the coast and its islands. day and 300 feet by night. The wind limit for landing is What I have just described is a standard flight in the 60 knots. The helicopter could cope with more, but the best of weather. In winter, snow, rain, poor visibility, platform owners are not prepared to risk having passen - icing and long periods of darkness make life difficult for gers blown into the sea from the unprotected landing crews, and flying assumes a whole new dimension. If the pads. For engaging and disengaging the Super Puma's wave height out there in the North Sea exceeds ten rotors, the limit is 45 knots. metres it is necessary to evacuate the rigs rapidly by heli - Maersk Inspirer emerges from the horizon. Nearby lies copter. This is not unusual, and it happens about twelve a tanker, taking off the oil. Approach and landing are times annually. Additionally, there are Medevac and SAR executed unspectacularly. The passengers leave the flights, transport to the ships and, of course, between the machine, rotor running, and straightaway the next lot run mainland and the islands, in all weather conditions. This over to take their place. They strap in, listen to the safety is work for exceptionally well-rested and well-trained announcement and we are ready to take off again. pilots. And in the background there also needs to be a What happens next rather surprises me, the climbout well-functioning organisation and reliable technology, being so different from what a helicopter pilot is normal - without which this workload could not be undertaken.

45 Defence Helicopter Command

Words and pictures by Arjan Dijksterhuis

n recent years, many air forces phased out, including the MBB Bö- Netherlands Air Force. The (not forgetting the army and 105. Several air bases have been SA.316B Alouette IIIs, the CH-47D Inaval forces) have restructured, scheduled to close. Even the gates Chinooks and the AS.532U2 Mk2 and cut their expenses, resulting in of Soesterberg, which has a long Cougars will have to move to their a reduced number of aircraft, per - history in aviation, will soon have new home base. sonnel and locations. This is also to close. This will result in the On the fourth of July, the Defence true of the Royal Netherlands Air transfer of a large part of the heli - Helicopter Command (Defensie Force. A few types are now being copter fleet of the Royal Helikopter Commando) was found -

46 47 ed at the Gilze-Rijen airbase. During the official ceremony a few squadrons were (re)established: 299, 930, 931, 990 and 991. On the same day, Commodore Ten Haaf was installed as the new commander of the Defence Helicopter Command. The ceremony included a fly past of all the helicopter types in the inventory, along with a new type, the NH-90, which is scheduled for delivery to the Defence Helicopter Command next year. The new command structure should increase effi - ciency. A single command centre, the OCC, will now control all types of helicopters and their specific qualities, and this will result in a more efficient use of flying hours and helicopters. One exception has been made: the Dutch Coast Guard will still communicate directly with the Search and Rescue operations helicopter unit, to prevent any unnecessary loss of time when lives are at stake and every second counts. The maintenance of the helicopters has normally been undertaken

at their home base. From now on, however, all maintenance on every type of helicopter will be done under one roof. This will give the techni - cians the opportunity to learn about other types of helicopter without having to move to yet another air base. The umbrella unit of helicopter squadrons, the THGKLu (Tactische Helicopter Groep Koninklijke Luchtmacht – Tactical Helicopter Group Royal (Netherlands) Air Force), no longer exists. The situation, as of 4 July 2008, is as follows:

Leeuwarden Air Base This air base is situated in the north of the Netherlands, and three flying squadrons are based here: 303 SAR Squadron, flying the AB- 412SP helicopters, and two squadrons that both fly the F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcons, 322 and 323 TACTESS Squadron.

Gilze-Rijen Air Base Gilze-Rijen is one of three air bases in the province of Brabant, and it has been the home

48 base of the AH-64D Apache fleet. Following the closure of several air bases in the Netherlands, some people prefer to nickname the air force the ‘Brabant Air Force’, rather than the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The staff of the DHC can be found here, along with sev - eral squadrons. The re-activated 299 Squadron is responsible for the education and training of air - crew. Since the arrival of the AH- 64D Apache fleet, 301 Squadron has been based here. 930 Squadron is a maintenance unit, and 931 Squadron carries out a large variety of duties to enable the helicopters to operate safely, including, for example, security on and around the air base, air traffic control, and fire brigade and meteo services.

Soesterberg Air Base Two squadrons, 298 and 299 Squadron, which fly three helicop - ter types, are to be based here until the closure of the base in late 2008. Both will then move to Gilze-Rijen, as will the logistics squadron at Soesterberg, 932 Squadron. 933 Squadron (security, air traffic control and such) will be disbanded after the closure of Soesterberg.

Vliegkamp de Kooy (Naval Air Station de Kooy) After the withdrawal, in 2006, of the P-3C Orion fleet, which was sold to Germany and Portugal, and the closure of Marinevliegkamp Valkenburg, De Kooy became the only remaining airfield of the Royal Netherlands Navy. It is the home base of the Lynx fleet, which is operated by two squadrons, VSQ 7 and VSQ 860. Both squadrons were renamed, as 7 Squadron and 860 Squadron, as a result of the new

49 Cougar carrying guarded by Apaches

command structure. When a Lynx which is operational with 298 support helicopter unit for the army. helicopter is based on board a naval Squadron. The Chinooks officially 300 Squadron operates a fleet of vessel, it is operated by 860 Squadron. arrived at their new home base on seventeen Cougars, five of which 6th October. Six CH-47F Chinooks have already left Soesterberg. The Deelen are on order, and delivery is expect - last four Cougars of 300 Squadron Deelen is a former active air base in ed in 2010. These six additional arrived at Gilze-Rijen on 10 the east of the Netherlands. It Chinooks were ordered to compen - September. Five Cougars are at the remains military terrain, but it is no sate for losses, and to expand moment deployed in Afghanistan, longer active as an operational air - capacity. and are scheduled to arrive at field. Both the army and the air Gilze-Rijen in May 2009. Three force often use this area to train 300 Squadron other Cougars are undergoing together for missions executed 300 Squadron operates the Cougar inspection at Woensdrecht Air Base. around the globe. fleet and the Alouette III. The There has been no time to rest: 300 Alouette flight has been assigned to Squadron became operational on Air base Volkel is omitted from this this squadron since 18 June 1998, Monday 22 September, and the first overview because no military heli - when nine Alouette IIIs arrived at exercise, ‘Wildcat Challenge’, start - copters are based there, only F-16s. Soesterberg. About ten years later, ed that same day. In the past, plans The same goes for Air base on August 27 2008, all four remain - were made to replace the Cougar Eindhoven, which houses various ing Alouette IIIs left Soesterberg fleet by NH90s, but these are now types of fixed-wing transports. after a small ceremony, which was off the table, and the Royal followed by a fly-past, and headed Netherlands Air Force will continue The squadrons currently operating towards their new home base of to operate the Cougar fleet. helicopters Gilze-Rijen. The Alouettes are a bit 298 Squadron of an odd man out in this squadron. 303 (SAR) Squadron The largest type of helicopter in the Their primary role is VIP transport, 303 (SAR) Squadron is based at inventory is the CH-47D Chinook, whereas 300 squadron is a tactical Leeuwarden air base, and it oper -

50 Apache flying through the smoke

ates a fleet of three AB-412SP heli - without another major overhaul. If mainland in 2011, the AB-412SP copters, used primarily for Search they do so, the Alouettes will then Search and Rescue helicopters from and Rescue tasks, although a large have been in use for half a century! 303 Squadron will be decommis - number of medical flights are also There is still a demand for light sioned. 303 Squadron will then made. (This unit has an impressive utility helicopters and the Alouette move from its home base at history, but more about that in an is very suitable for these tasks, Leeuwarden to Marinevliegkamp de upcoming issue of Helicopter Life.) because it lacks complex systems Kooy, and will be integrated with and is relatively cheap to operate. A 860 Squadron, which is currently a 2013 replacement for this helicopter is Royal Netherlands Navy squadron. By 2013, there will be three loca - not planned. However, time will The Lynx fleet will be phased out tions left to operate, from air base tell. In total, 20 NH-90 are on after the NH-90s are qualified for Gilze-Rijen, Martiem Vliegkamp order, but the delivery of these heli - on board operations. (Maritime Air Station) De Kooy, copters has been plagued by delays. Although extensive changes are and Militair Luchtvaart Terrein The first NH-90s are now expected being made, the work is not yet (Military Aviation Terrain) Deelen. to be delivered in late 2009. Twelve complete, and the Defence A detachment of 12 NH-90s will be of them are the NFH (Naval Frigate Helicopter Command has yet to based at Vliegkamp de Kooy to Helicopter) version, and the other prove itself. Major events are cover SAR operations. eight are the TNFH (Tactical Naval scheduled for the future, with the Frigate Helicopter) version. The arrival of the NH-90s and the Material NH-90s will replace the SH-14D decommissioning of the Lynx, the The Alouette IIIs are scheduled for Lynx fleet that is stationed on board AB-212SP fleet, and probably the withdrawal in 2012, but following Royal Netherlands Navy ships, and Alouette III. There is a lot of work major overhauls in 2004 and 2005, they will also operate with it in the to do! Even before we consider the at RUAG in Switzerland, the SAR-role, from Marinevliegkamp international operations in which a remaining four SA.316B Aloutte de Kooy. After being qualified for little country like the Netherlands is IIIs will be able to fly until 2016 SAR operations and missions above involved .

51 British Aristocracy

Rainer Herzberg examines the Bristol 171 Sycamore at Altenheim on Lake Constance translated by Robert Edmonds ATPL

hould you aspire to fly a vin - military's last Sycamore, formerly mentation. As mentioned already, tage aircraft you will need registered SC+206 in the deep pockets are required. Senthusiasm, time and an under - Marineflieger, the naval air arm, and After the German authorities had, standing wife. Should the machine he exhibited her at the aircraft muse - as usual, dismissed the idea of a civil be a helicopter you will also need um at Altenrhein on Lake Constance. registration as a fantasy, he still deep pockets, for this is not a cheap However, as she was still airwor - somehow managed the business of hobby. Nowadays there are few so thy, Peter Schmid could not bring authorization. The Swiss, not usually blessed. himself merely to leave her in the light-footed in such matters, allowed In Berneck in Switzerland lives hangar. He completed his rating and, themselves to be convinced, and the owner of a Bristol 171 Sycamore. being Swiss and unable to settle for issued a special "historic aircraft" This man has a large stock of exqui - half measures, he added four more permit to fly. Equipped with licences site wines in his cellar, for he is a airframes, fifteen replacement and parts, Peter Schmid has been winegrower and deals in this intoxi - engines, twenty sets of rotor blades, operating his Sycamore for years cating drink professionally. In 1988 ten gearboxes, thirteen carburettors, now, and it is no exaggeration to say Peter Schmid was so enraptured by all the required tools, a store of spare she is as good as new. Arriving for almost anything that flies with rotor parts worth about 15 million Swiss my pre-arranged visit at Altenrhein's blades that he bought the German Francs and all the technical docu - aircraft museum, I wait outside

52 HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 whilst Peter Schmid opens the hangar doors from again. Ready to fly? inside. With the doors half open, a tank appears! "Mine, "No, flying is not on the cards. The check flight for still roadworthy", he smiles. After further effort, the licence renewal is due." doors are wide open and, to crown it all, standing next OK, but even just the sound of the 525 horsepower, to the picture-perfect Sycamore is an Allouette. "Yours nine-cylinder, Alvis Leonides radial is inspiring. And too?" "Yes, she's mine too," Schmid answers quietly, simply to sit in the cockpit on the almost-new leather and in all modesty. Well, that is British understatement seats and look around at all the dials to be reminded in and quite appropriate when dealing with a Bristol. some respects of a Super Constellation, although it is Actually, the Sycamore is not quite so thoroughly not quite so sumptuously equipped. In the 'sixties, we British, for she was designed by Raoul Hafner, Chief learnt to fly with this sort of instrumentation: those Designer of Bristol Helicopters in the 'forties. The were fine days and now here they seem to have maiden flight of the B.171 took place at Filton in July returned. Thick knobs and switches, purposeful mecha - 1947, in VL-958. Initially the helicopter was powered nisms, trim indicators on the centre console like a by a Pratt and Whitney Wasp Junior radial engine of 'fifties bomber and, a small design highpoint, wind - 450 horsepower. Production ran to 178 examples of this screen wipers that can also be operated by hand in an highly successful and versatile type. Of these, the one emergency. The mechanism is cunning, reminiscent of a at Altenrhein is the last still flying. The tyres are almost 2CV from 1960. But this Mk52 VIP Sycamore from flat, not just on the Sycamore, but also on the tug 1957, works number 13475, has a few more tricks up its intended for towing out this two-and-a-half tonne sleeve. For example, the carburettor is warmed by oil, machine, registered HB-XRB. Without fuss, Peter so there is no need for a carburettor heat control. A safe - Schmid fetches his old Nissan Patrol, connects the ty coupling on the main rotor shaft decouples as soon as compressor and inflates the tyres. It almost pains me to the main rotor meets a hindrance, thus avoiding damage to see how much work he is giving himself, but it seems the engine. Shock loading is a thing of the past. not to bother him and, anyway, now she looks right Installed in the tail-boom is a thirty-litre tank for

HELICOPTER LIFE,Winter 2008 5353

HL Autumn 2008 Cover 26/8/08 16:28 Page 1 H

E HELICOPTER L I C O P T E R L I F E A

u LIFE t u AUTUMN 2008 / £3.99 m n

2 www.helicopterlife.com 0 0 8 trimming, pumping around to be operated from the cock - Ring of pit when required. The oil cooler has a slatted arrange - Fire Fire ment on the left of the fuselage, adjustable according to outside air and engine temperatures. The single collective lever is installed centrally between the two pilot’s seats. www.dubaihelicoptershow.com For a captain this is in the normal position as he sits on the right, but for a flying instructor or check pilot it requires some familiarity, for he must now steer with his left hand and control the collective with his right. It takes HELICOPTER LIFE is the HIGH LIFE some practice to be good at this. The two tanks, with a total of 400 litres of Avgas, give www.helicopterlife.com an endurance of over three hours, burning about 120 litres per hour. Start up requires nimble fingers and some HELICOPTER patience, but even after not running for a long time the Leonides fires up as if it were only yesterday. The sound is heavenly, the noise level somewhere between that of an LIFE Antonov 2 and a Boeing Stearman. At an airshow this SSAVINGS CC ERTIFICATE machine would be sure to raise the adrenaline levels of vintage aircraft fans. It is not merely the sound that YES P LEASE ! Send me two full years - enchants. The whole state of the Sycamore, in its original 8 exciting issues - of Royal Air Force paint scheme, raises it to a certain level HELICOPTER LIFE of nobility. It would be hard to find another helicopter from 1957 in such good condition, and behind the panels 2 Years (8 issues) only £22.00 (30% savings) is just as remarkable. No corrosion, no wear and tear, no damage, nothing patched or mended. Owner Peter Schmid I prefer 1 Year (4 issues) only £14.00 (15% savings) and engineer Dieter Hasebrink, the last type-rated inspec - Please add £8 for each foreign order and prepay in UK funds. tor, have performed admirable work. To keep such a rarity airworthy and in such an enviable condition requires more than the usual surface appearance YOUR NAME: YOUR NAME: of maintenance and care. Name (PLEASE PRINT) However, and now fans of such flying rarities should Address pay attention, the Sycamore is up for sale. Those interest - City Postcode ed should contact Peter Schmid: Tel. 0041-79 600 6129 or GIFT FOR: e-mail [email protected] Name (PLEASE PRINT) Address Double clutch City Postcode

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HELICOPTER LIFEis theHIGH LIFE

54 HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 XG 544 outside the museum at Altenrhein on Lake Constance Insets top: the tail rotor Bottom: the Alvis Leonides engine P h o t o g r a P h s c o u r t e s y o f r a i n e r h e r z b e r g a n d P e t e Sycamore in flight r s c Inset: wooden blades h m i d

HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 55 Poor Mans Heaven

Georgina Hunter-Jones visits the Dubai HeliShow and sees how helicopter aviation is faring in the region

ubai, a town surrounded by desert on a real-snow ski slope inside the Emirates Mall, the edge of the Persian Gulf; a town with icy temperatures and windows from which Dwhere East meets West; where the pop - to watch the tee-shirted people in the mall. A ulation is around 6 million, of whom 5 million town where building, and traffic, never stops. A are foreigners; where women in Arabic dress town where you walk through a Thai restaurant talk on mobile phones, and men in dishdasha to get to an Irish pub, between a Polish barbe - (traditional male Arab dress) fly helicopters. A cue and a French bistro, but you cannot buy town where it rains only a few days a year, and alcohol in shops or supermarkets. Such a town when it comes it falls in torrents; where there is cannot fail to intrigue.

And just as Dubai itself is full of contradictions, so too was the third Dubai HeliShow, held in November at Airport Expo, on the edge of the larger world. The show was not well attended. There is no way to avoid saying that: there were so few visitors that exhibitors went home knowing the details of their fellows’ families, something seldom discussed in heli - copter circles. However, those visi - tors who were at the show were seri - ous buyers, albeit ones looking for a discount! There were also quite a few no-shows amongst the exhibitors, including one of the major helicopter magazines, which caused much com - ment (mainly amongst the magazines AW139 part that were there). And yet there was a of the static good atmosphere, and most display exhibitors understood that the prob - lem lay much deeper, in the markets, founded the company, was speaking Bayards, the Dutch aluminium in the recession, and they did not at the conference that accompanied construction company, were also at blame the show organizers at all. the show, and was also looking for the show, consolidating on their Many said they would be back in two potential students. He said, “If com - work in the Gulf region, where they years time. mon sense was common, we would do mostly offshore work, building Amongst the exhibitors was not need training schools.” helipads on the oil rigs. They have Bristow Academy, which is in the Explaining that his philosophy also designed a floating heli-deck process of buying Severn Air in was different from other schools, for The World, the new island com - Gloucestershire. Christian said that he was too aware plex off Dubai. Patrick Corr, the original founder of the dangers of flying recklessly to The company started in 1963, in of the company, and now its let students into the world without the aluminium and steel market. President, said: “We had originally full training. The school’s motto is Twenty-five years ago they built intended to expand … but our busi - “Real World Training for Real their first helipad, for Shell. Tristan ness model (which included purchas - World Missions.” This means that Mackintosh, the Project Manager, ing two AS355s, simulators and until he feels students are ready he explained that aluminium is a much multi-engine training) was identical will not let them go for a flight test, better material for offshore helipads to what Severn had put up for sale. even if that means they have done than steel because it does not spark, So it seemed like a logical step to talk twice as many hours as the mini - is very lightweight and needs little to them, either for acquisition or for mum. He explains this to the stu - or no maintenance. Once there were contracting.” dents before they start the course, many steel heli-pads offshore, but Samantha Willenbacher, Director, and some do not stay, but the major - now there are very few and those are added, “Gloucester is a better airfield for ity are happy to be safe, rather than mostly in the USA, where the regu - IR training than Norfolk, which is proba - spend as little as possible. The lations are different. bly why Bond and PAS are both there. courses in the school include moun - Bayards are currently involved in Our facilities there are very good.” tain flying, NVGs, hoist rescue, 25 different helipads worldwide, Bristow Academy was in Dubai to technical rescue, vertical reference, from Korea to Brazil, and including look for new civilian and military CRM, human factors and flight the Royal London Hospital, where students. physiology, as well as PPL, CPL, they are building a new helipad for Also in the training field were SRT flight instructor courses and add- the HEMS. Helicopters from Bakersfield in ons. Their instructors include para - Breeze Eastern, the hoist maker, California. Christian Gadbois, who medics, firemen and pilots. were making inroads into the local

58 HELICOPTER LIFE,Winter 2008 Meet the press

market, along with their major competitor Goodrich. the poor showing. Nonetheless, both the organizers Gary Olson, from Breeze, explained that Breeze Eastern and many of the exhibitors were upbeat about the made the very first hoist for the Sikorsky R4 helicopter in future, and they plan a bigger show in two years time. 1945. By 1948 they were making hoists for the Navy, and The next show in the helicopter calender is HAI by the time of Vietnam they were making internal mounted HeliExpo at Anaheim in California, and attendance hoists for the army. This was the first internally mounted there will be an even greater indicator of how the hel - hoist to be made, and it was used on the Bell helicopters, icopter market’s fortunes are progressing. A new year the only exception being the Sikorsky Blackhawk, on and a new start, perhaps. which the hoist was transferred by the army when they bought the helicopter. The original hoists were very simple, but they have become more and more complex as necessity has dictated all forms of unexpected problems, for example acceleration and deceleration limits, which put additional strains on the cables. The minimum braking strength for the cables is now 3,000 lbs. It was an enjoyable show, but one which was showing evidence of the global recession. Another possible reason for the lack of visitors was that the HeliShow was to be fol - lowed immediately by MEBA, the Middle East Business jet show, which had also attracted a lot of helicopter com - panies. Hence both local and global issues were related to

MD had one of the larger booths

HELICOPTER LIFE,Winter 2008 59 The Health and Usage Monitoring System by Ralph Arnesen

he success of HUMS results HARP (Helicopter Advisory Review the vibration of critical rotating com - from the ability of maintenance Panel) provided the major trigger for ponents. A steady increase indicates Tpersonnel to monitor critical the development of HUMS. In addition normal wear. Limits can be pro - rotating components, and to change a HHMAG (Helicopter Health Monitor grammed in to set off exceedences out these components before they fail. Advisory Group) was established, and trigger alarms at set values. The com - “The importance of this challenge was by 1985 it had over 70 members inter - ponent can then be checked visually or demonstrated as the UK Air Accident nationally, including the military, civil, changed out, as required. The HUMS Investigation Board was able to identi - regulators, researchers, sensor suppli - consists of sensors, a data acquisition fy six UK accidents, in the seven-year ers, HUMS suppliers, and helicopter unit (DAU), and a ground station.3 period before the service introduction constructors.2 In 1991, the trials fund - Initially the pilots had to load the of HUMS, that HUMS could have pre - ed by the UK CAA ended and HUMS memory card with the flight number vented.” Another paragraph in the went into routine service. HUMS has and crew information, and then install same paper states that “as early as gradually become one of the most the card in the DAU. At the end of the 1997 studies by the CAA show that important safety oversight tools in the flight, the crew withdrew the card and HUMS were able to provide warning helicopter industry. It was recognised downloaded it in the ground station. for 69% of the failure types, and that as a tool that could identify compo - Today the pilots, who now fly second they warned successfully in 60% of all nents that were about to fail, and also and third generation HUMS, have little potentially catastrophic failure cases.” enabled the cause to be investigated. to do with the HUMS, as technical A second reason for its success was The results were discussed in safety staff load and download it. The data is that it now had the focus of the opera - meetings, such as Maintenance Review stored and analysed, exceedences are P tors, manufacturers, and regulating Boards and operator forums, and the signalled, and the past data are used h o t agencies working to improve safety manufacturers were informed. In this for trend analysis. o g r a

standards on the North Sea. It was way, corrective action could be taken With the passage of time, operators, P h

through this cooperation that the and the results monitored. Regulating HUMS manufacturers, and helicopter c o u

process began. The tool was being agencies also maintained a log of manufacturers have gained more expe - r t e developed, and slowly the safety cul - exceedences to enable them too to fol - rience and found other possible appli - s y o ture began to change. low the process. cations. The regulatory agencies have f e u

HUMS was developed in the UK, pri - The system is user friendly at ground also been interested in advancing r o c marily for installation on helicopters level. HUMS uses computerised pat - HUMS, both as a safety tool and for o P t e

operating in the North Sea. In 1984, a tern recognition techniques to analyse use in accident investigation. HUMS r 60 HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 has proven so effective that it is now Flight Data Recorder) to be installed dures for their own offshore opera - part of the certification process of new on all helicopters over 2730kg, and tions. Today, the oil companies are helicopters in several countries in HUMS must be incorporated in the also interested in helicopter safety, and Europe, and in the USA. CVFDR. The UK CAA has also HUMS is a basic requirement for The greatest gain has been in the required HUMS to be installed on acceptance as a contractor. maintenance department, which is the older type helicopters carrying 9 pas - The services have been involved with prime user. Maintenance can now be sengers or more.6 The makers of HUMS in much the same way as the scheduled in a way that both increases HUMS systems are looking at smaller civilian side. There have been projects, reliability and lowers costs. A more units that could be installed in lighter funded by various organisations, to complete list, compiled by one produc - helicopters, which will be a major assess HUMS, because the availability er of a HUMS product, is listed below: improvement in that sector of the heli - and reliability of their aircraft is one of copter industry. Specialist companies the ways in which the services meas - The maintenance benefits are: can analyse and interpret this data for ure the effectiveness of a particular air - Avoids unnecessary inspections, the smaller operator, on a contract basis. craft or organisation within their com - removals, and overhauls As noted in the first paragraph, the mand. Conferences have been held to Offers longer part utilisation with AAIB identified six accidents that discuss HUMS with the maintenance fewer manual inspections could have been prevented. The AAIB side of the services at the highest level, Decreases scheduled and unsched - can also use HUMS in accident inves - to make decision makers aware of the uled maintenance tigations to determine the cause. If benefits. To date, HUMS systems have Detects transmission problems earli - such data is available, it makes the been installed in most NATO aircraft er, reducing time and cost for trouble investigator’s job a lot easier, by con - to monitor the engines and rotating repair firming which components were rotat - components, and similar systems are Reduces the “power by the hour” ing at the time, and whether they were now being tested or installed in warships, cost of engine and transmission for at normal speed. Some data recorded tanks, and other essential equipment. both activities by the HUMS is not found in the There have been improvements in Supports “Reliability Centered CVFDR. The database can also be these HUMS products. One of the Maintenance” concepts that help the searched for any trends that may have most noticeable may be the amount of OEM to fully utilize the design life led up to the event. data that can now be stored and of many mechanical components The Norwegian AAIB was critical of retrieved, due to advances in storage Tracks the rotor system without an operator that, in 1997, allowed and transmission methods. For this we requiring dedicated flights HUMS to be inoperative for an can thank the mobile phone, iPod and Enhanced smoothness decreases the extended period of time. At that time MP3 players. A few years ago 4 to 16 vibratory loads on the flight control there was no clear policy on the status MB was considered large, but today components, cockpit displays, and of HUMS. The aircraft crashed, killing some systems can store over 164 MB. electronic systems, thus maximizing 12 persons, due to a splined shaft This means that more parameters can usable mechanical and electronic shearing. In addition, the overspeed be monitored, and more frequently. components. protection system had earlier been dis - Improvement has also occurred in the abled by the power turbine rubbing way in which data is transmitted, both Supporting Interactive Electronic against it. Had the HUMS been fully internally and externally. The wireless Technical Manuals operative, the wear on the shaft would networking brought about by the The manufacturers, using feedback have been detected and this accident Internet has made it possible to devel - from the operators, can now improve could have been avoided.7 If the sys - op a system in which each component their components because they have a tem is to work properly, regulatory transmits its data to the DAU without greater understanding of their wearing policies must be an integral part of it. the use of wires. Here again, the data process. HUMS has also been used to The UK CAA has recognised this, and can be transmitted externally to a predict component loading accurately, it is now a part of their Acceptable ground station either by mobile phone and this can be used to adjust compo - Means of Compliance in CAP 693, connections or by satellite. nent life. Data from the existing com - which gives guidelines for these poli - This article is based on coursework ponents can also be used in the design cies in section 6.1. (Safety by Design) for City University stage of new aircraft. In the 1970s and the early 1980s, heli - in 2006. I am sure that, in the last two The CAA and other regulatory bodies copter operators on the North Sea were years, there have been further now see HUMS as such an important mostly self-regulating, as the UK and advances in this type of technology. It part of the aircraft that they have Norwegian CAA had little experience would be of great benefit to smaller included HUMS in the certification of helicopters operating to offshore operators to find out whether their process. The UK CAA has recently platforms. The operators in Norway maintenance programs could benefit required a CVFDR (Cockpit Voice wrote the regulations and the proce - from it. HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 61 Helicopter Futures

FIRST VH-71 PRESIDENTIAL HELICOPTER PRODUCTION AIRCRAFT TAKES FLIGHT

he VH-71 presidential helicopter program achieved a major mile - Tstone when the first operational pilot production helicopter (PP-1) completed its maiden flight at AgustaWestland’s facility in Yeovil, UK. “We’re seeing real progress and exe - cution on this program,” said U.S. Navy VH-71 program manager Capt. Donald Gaddis. “With agreement on the way forward and a more realistic schedule, we can build on the momen - tum we have generated as we deliver the increment one helicopters to the Marine Corps and White House and move into the increment two phase.” A U.S. Air Force crew will transport the helicopter aboard a C-17 cargo air - tial phase, or increment one, of the pliers in forty-one states support craft to U.S. Naval Air Station presidential helicopter replacement pro - the VH-71 program. Patuxent River, MD, in early October. gram, designed to meet an urgent need Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Stephen C. Moss, CEO of Agusta for new helicopters. Lockheed Martin is a global Westland North America, said, “It is a Increment two will provide 23 opera - security company that employs great honor to design and build the tional helicopters with increased range about 140,000 people worldwide next presi dential helicopter and I look and upgraded navigation and communi - and is principally engaged in the forward to adding it to the U.S. cations systems that fulfill White House research, design, development, Department of Defense inventory.” requirements to maintain continuity of manufacture, integration and “Every aircraft that flies brings us a government and allow the president to sustainment of advanced tech - step closer to fielding helicopters that carry out the duties of the office. Some nology systems, products and

of the current presidential helicopters services. The corporation report - P will serve the office of the president,” h o t

have been flying since the 1970s, and ed 2007 sales of $41.9 billion. o

said Jeff Bantle, Lockheed Martin vice g r

are scheduled to begin phasing out of AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica a president and general manager of the P h operational service at a rate of three per company, is the global leader in s VH-71 program. “We’ve got systems c o

year beginning in 2017. designing, manufacturing and u integration laboratories online, heli - r t e

Lockheed Martin Systems Integration- supporting the world’s most s copters in flight test and more in pro - y o

Owego is the prime contractor and sys - technologically advanced heli - f

duction for final command and control a g

tems integrator for the VH-71 program copters. With more than 100 u systems integration. It’s crucial now s t with overall responsibility for the pro - years of experience in the aero - a for us to leverage what we've accom - W e

gram and aircraft system. space industry, AgustaWestland s t

plished in the last few years and l a

AgustaWestland, has responsibility for provides a full range of rotor - n charge ahead to complete this phase d h

the basic air vehicle design, production craft for every commercial, gov - e

and continue into the next phase.” l i c

build, and basic air vehicle support ernment and military applica - o PP-1 is the first of five VH-71 produc - P t e

functions. More than two hundredsup - tion, and an unrivalled capability r

tion aircraft that will complete the ini - s 6262 HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 BOOK R EVIEW

Polar First

by Jennifer Murray P3 UK £30 www.ppp.com.hk

his is a story of coming S67.42.0W68.57.2 and having back when you are defeat - yet another cup of coffee is prob - Ted, of refusing to let life, ably not an option. an accident or any of the gain - Some of the entries are very sayers around you turn you away funny, such as when Jennifer from your ultimate goal: it is a teases Colin for being a pes - success story. It is the story of simist. Some entries underline Jennifer Murray and Colin the strain of the trip: Bodill’s achievement in reaching “I slept 18 hours and woke both the North and the South feeling much more positive.” Pole in the same helicopter and Other times there are useful in the same trip, even after hav - aviation stories: ing crashed and nearly died “Through the valley Colin while previously attempting the (said)..look at that ‘mountain same feat. It is also a triumph of wave’ cloud...(and) we found age; both Colin and Jennifer are ourselves climbing at 1,800 feet well past their half century. a minute, with a fully lowered Jennifer has already written tion to the take-off on 5th December 2006, collective lever, using practically about their first and failed from Fort Worth in Texas. no power (3.5 torque) and at a attempt to reach both poles in From there, the book covers every changing ground speed of 165 knots!” her book Broken Journey . While place until the return to Fort Worth “Full There are also interesting odd this is the follow-up it is also a Circle” on 23rd May 2007, 170 days later. facts, she writes: coffee table book with the There are moments when you think, “how “...the Russians arrived. Only emphasis on the photographs and did they get those photographs?” How did three helicopters had ever been to her diary, so you get the feeling they get photographs of the helicopter in flight the South Pole - one of which that this is a book of (perhaps from a distance? Where did that Arctic Fox was us last time, when we were

P relieved) celebration, not only of cub suddenly arrive from? Where on earth is the first ever civilian helicopter - h o t their trip but of the beauties of Vernadsky? (The book tells you.) And other and now, suddenly, four helicop - o g r

a the world. moments when you realise they are actually ters arrived, all on the same day.” P h s The book starts in December having fun; it isn’t just a challenge and a The foreword is written by Dr b y

P 2003, with the crash. Many of dream, but a lot of exciting, entertaining fly - Rita Gardner, Director of the o l a ing. There can’t be many people looking at Royal Geographical Society, she

r us, who have been supporters of f i r Jennifer and Colin from the those photographs who don’t get a sudden says: “There is only one way to s t a beginning, will remember hear - spurt of envy and wish they too were out approach life in my view- n d c ing about that on the news. I there, conquering the world! thoughtfully head on. Jennifer o u r even remember that my first One of my favourite entries is on 1st and Colin do just that, and in t e s y reaction was denial: “Oh, it January, 2007 when Jennifer’s diary reads: doing so challenge us all to o f “This morning the weather looked slightly achieve our dreams, whatever P couldn’t be them,” as though 3

P there were lots of helicopters fly - better...” Which pilot in the world has not had they may be.” u b l i ing around the south pole! It that thought, said those words? But in their So, if you are dreaming of a s h e r then goes through the prepara - case they are in Carvajal, Antarctica white Christmas, this is your book! s 63 HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 A CCIDENT R EPORTS

Schweizer 269C, G-WARK Robinson R44 Raven 11, G-LAVH Following an uneventful flight from Bagby, the pilot The pilot had been carrying out solo hovering exercis - landed the helicopter on the landing site at his house es in a newly acquired helicopter. After landing to near Selby. He was reducing engine power, prior to change the frequency on the helicopter’s radio, he lift - shutting down, when an empty cement bag blew up ed the helicopter back into the hover but realised the into the main rotor. The bag was of the woven fabric cyclic was now very heavy. The helicopter began to variety, capable of holding approximately one cubic oscillate from left to right, so he descended back onto metre, or one tonne of material, and thus represented a the ground from a height of 6 to 8 feet, possibly touch - substantial object in terms of bulk. Damaged was sus - ing down on the front of the skids in a nose down atti - tained by a rotor blade, causing it to fly out of track and tude. During this manoeuvre it is possible that the the associated imbalance resulted in extensive damage rotors made contact with the ground and the resultant to the airframe, including the cabin and tail boom. The vibration caused the windscreen to detach. The helicop - pilot, who was 45 years old and had 350 hours, of ter was subsequently destroyed by fire but the pilot which 330 were on type, was unhurt. Building work escaped with minor bruising. The pilot was 40 years was being carried out at the premise and the bag was old, had 100 hours of which 16 were on type. associated with this work. Brantly, B-2 N276SA Schweizer 269D (Schweizer 333,) G-TAMA The pilot and examiner were carrying out a practice After landing on a post-maintenance flight, the heli - engine failure as part of a Licence Proficiency Check, copter suffered a seizure of the main rotor gearbox pin - when the engine stopped. The examiner took control ion outer bearing due to oil starvation. The main rotor and made an engine-off landing during which the skids gearbox had been replaced during the recent mainte - dug into the soft ground, causing the helicopter to roll nance. It was determined that maintenance personnel over. The cause of the engine failure has not been iden - had inadvertently caused metallic debris to enter the tified, but was probably due to mishandling of the throt - bearing oil supply gallery, during their attempts to tle. A mechanical failure cannot be ruled out as the remove a blanking plug from the gearbox low oil pres - operator did not provide maintenance records for the sure switch port, which had been over tightened. In aircraft to the AAIB. The commander of the helicopter response to this incident, the manufacturer has stated was 66 years old and had 9,330 hours, of which 85 were that they are in the process of revising their gearbox on type. There were only minor injuries. build documents to reflect a maximum torque to be applied to the blanking plug prior to shipping. Hughes 269A, G-SHPP Eurocopter EC135 T2, G-IWRC The pilot intended to carry out a low-level reconnaissance The pilot and passenger were returning to the UK from of a possible landing site before returning to Redhill Europe, having just heard that a close friend had been Airfield. He made two orbits of the site to assess the safest killed in a helicopter accident. The weather conditions approach. Having considered the wind directions and were fine, with a light wind. While passing through the obstructions, he approached the field from the north-west Stansted Control zone, the helicopter’s autotrim in the and entered an into-wind hover at 100 feet agl. He con - Automatic Flight System disengaged, and the helicop - ducted a pedal turn, intending to depart along the same ter pitched nose down. The pilot, believing he had had ground track as his arrival. Aware that he was departing a double engine failure, entered autorotation. During downwind, the pilot attempted a slow transition to forward the landing flare, the tail of the helicopter struck the flight from the hover. G-SHPP developed a gentle sink, ground first, severing the fenestron drive. The helicop - which the pilot counteracted by raising the lever. G-SHPP ter rolled on to its side and was substantially damaged. yawed right and the pilot stated that there was not enough The occupants escaped without injury. The pilot was left pedal to counter the yaw. He noticed the rpm was 55 years old and had 2,500 hours of which 450 were on reducing. G-SHPP touched down on a small slope where type. The AAIB investigation could not identify the the aircraft clipped a hedge and rolled over to the left. The reason why the autotrim disengaged or the cause of a AAIB concluded the pilot had overpitched the helicopter. dull thud heard by the pilot and his wife at the start of Neither occupant were injured. The pilot was 47 and had 92 the accident sequence. hours, 91 on type.

64 HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 A CCIDENT R EPORTS

Enstrom 280FX Shark, G-BYSW and site of the accident show that the helicopter The pilot was intending to conduct a late morning struck tree tops, estimated to have been 80 foot high, flight from Plymouth to Dunkeswell, and had with relatively low forward and downward speed obtained a weather forecast from Plymouth ATC. He components, whilst on a south-easterly track. After also contacted Dunkeswell for their actual weather that it had descended to the ground, striking a number conditions. Based on this information, and the fact of trees in the process, before coming to land semi- that the top of Dartmoor was clearly visible from inverted some 50 metres from the initial tree impact. Plymouth, the pilot departed with the opinion that the AAIB Analysis: weather conditions were suitable for his flight. Detailed examination of the wreckage, stored GPS However, as he progressed he was forced to make data and performance calculations, revealed no evi - several diversions to keep clear of patches of stratus dence of a technical failure that may have been causal cloud. At approximately 11.20 hours the pilot in the accident. The helicopter had sufficient fuel on attempted to make a precautionary landing due to a board and was within the correct weight and balance lowering cloud base and reduced visibility. The land - limits. There was nothing in the helicopter’s opera - ing site appeared to be shallow heather, but was in tion to suggest a rapid onset of pilot incapacitation, fact deep gorse bushes. The helicopter sank into the such as an epileptic fit, although it cannot be entirely gorse and rolled left, damaging the rotor blades and dismissed that the pilot could have suffered a more left door. The pilot was uninjured and vacated through the subtle incapacitation. right door. He was 78 years and had 267 hours on type. The helicopter was seen shortly before the accident, AS355F2 Twin Squirrel, G-BYPA being flown apparently under control, but its height, speed and location at this time were not consistent The helicopter had been flown several times on the with a planned landing at Thornhaugh, about 2 nm day of the accident. The flight before the accident away. It is known that the helicopter had flown over flight was up to Liverpool, where they were due to an area of low cloud after it had passed East Midlands watch a football match in the evening. The helicopter airport, and meteorological evidence indicates that was due to leave Liverpool at 21.30 hours, but as the low cloud cover extended over the location of the match went into extra time the passengers returned to accident site and intended landing site.In the absence the helicopter later than planned. The pilot booked out of any technical defect or failure being found in the for a special VFR departure and, at 2219 hrs, they wreckage the AAIB concluded that the pilot became departed for the return flight to Thornhaugh. The hel - disorientated by the weather conditions and flew into trees. icopter climbed to a cruising altitude of 2,000 feet towards East Midlands airport. The pilot talked to Eurocopter AS332L2 Super Puma, G- East Midlands ATC, and left their frequency at 23.14. REDM There is no evidence of any other radio communica - The aircraft was flying through a line of showers tion. Between 2300 and 2320, two men working in a whilst on route from an offshore oil rig in the North haulage yard, about 2 miles west of the Thornhaugh Sea to Aberdeen, when it was struck by lightning. landing site, saw a helicopter flying slowly, at a height There were no loss of systems nor any other adverse of about 100 feet, around the area of the floodlit yard. effects on aircraft behaviour and it continued to They described seeing its navigation lights and sil - Aberdeen, where it landed safely. Subsequent exami - houette for a few minutes. They stated that the engine nation revealed damage to the main rotor blades, sounded normal and that the helicopter appeared to be which included arcing damage to the leading edge lost or looking for something, before it finally flew off anti-erosion strips, broken bonding leads and dam - in the direction of Thornhaugh. One of the men aged trim tabs. High energy tracking was also visible recalled hearing a sound like ‘crashing steel tubes’ on two main rotor pitch link ball joints and one main shortly after it disappeared from view. rotor servo upper ball joint. The main rotor head and The wreckage of the helicopter was discovered the other components were removed and returned to the following morning, having crashed in Bedford manufacturer for detailed investigation. Of the four Purlieus Wood, about 1 nm from the haulage yard. All main blades one, was damaged beyond repair limits, four occupants received fatal injuries. whilst the remaining three were repairable. AAIB report sites that examination of the helicopter

HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008 65 H OUSE & H ELICOPTER

Ecureuil F-HELL at the castle of Fre by Antoine Grondeau

he castle of Fère en Tardenois is located near the French revolution and decided to partially destroy its Epernay in French Champagne. It was built in own palace. Alongside the ruins, a wing of the royal cas - Tthe XIIIth century by tle was restored and nowa - Robert de Dreux, grandson of days hosts a fancy restaurant the King of France Louis VI. It and a high-class hotel. belonged to the royal family Gerard Pires is a well-known until Louise of Savoy, mother French advertisement and of the French renaissance king movie director. He is an François Premier (Francis experienced airplane and

first), gave it to the most pow - helicopter pilot, and he flies P h o t

erful family in France next to an AS350 B3 registered as o g r

the king : the Dukes of F-HELL wearing a nice a P h

Montmorency. The castle was b

paint scheme which he him - y a

finally inherited in XVIIIth self designed. As a gas - n t o i century by Philippe Egalité, n

tronome, he is a regular visi - e g

father of future king Louis- tor of the best restaurants – r o n

Philippe. Philippe Egalité was an active supporter of d

especially those where helicopters are welcome ! e a u

66 HELICOPTER LIFE, Winter 2008