A UTUMN 2009 / £3.99 LIFE www.helicopterlife.com

Milk Tray Man

HELICOPTER LIFEis theHIGH LIFE Autumn 2009 HELICOPTER

LIFE COVER STORY Show & Tell Guide 4 Pakistan Army Aviation shows and conferences. Rescue 32 Rogier Westerhuis The Editor’s Letter 5 goes out to the Conway Saddle in Aerial Forum 6 & 10 the Karaktoum Mikhail Kazachkov on the state of Russian aviation Range in Pakistan and interviews the Letters to the Editor 7, 11 pilots who rescued the climber Tomaz Flying Crackers 8, 9 Humar from Nanga Parbat (Killer Mountain) World Air Games 12 Brantly B2B Brenda Nicoll 40 reports on Caroline Thomas Skamljic Gough-Cooper and flies a Brantly David Monks B2B and looks at attempt to challenge the history behind the World Air this machine in Games Russian particular and champions Korotaev how it was rebuilt and Burov by its current owner Thomas New Technology 16 Wawrina. Updates on the Sikorsky X-2 and others Airbox Aerospace’s new moving map Flying without Wings 48 Georgina Hunter-Jones Cholmondeley Pageant of Power 18 flies the MT-O3 gyroplane at Chris Jones Georgina Hunter- Gyroplanes at Kirkbride in Cumbria and feels the Jones goes to fun of an open cockpit in the Lake District Cholmondeley to see how the event Mi26 in progressed, the cars Neil Walton 54 flew around the himself a fixed wing track and the heli - pilot and photogra - copters in the mili - pher from tary games dropped flies with the Russian the fender built and owned Mil Mi-26T seeing how it What is the Risk? 22 flies while doing Ralph Arnesen on how to evaluate risk heavy lifting jobs in Afghanistan Paris Le Bourget 24 Helicopter Life (and flyers) Past 62 visits Paris for Le Bourget and sees how Book Reviews 63 Bell Textron Helicopters are getting a new lease of Accident Reports 64 life and are fighting to regain their former place in House & Helicopter 66 the market HELICOPTER LIFE,Autumn 2009 3 SHOW & T ELL HELICOPTER G UIDE 16 September - 17 September 2009 LIFE PAVCON Police Aviation Conference Menzies Prince Regent AUTUMN 2009 Woodford Bridge, Essex UK HON. EDITORIAL BOARD Tel: + 44 (0)20 8144 1914 Captain Eric Brown, CBE, RN www.pavcon.org The Lord Glenarthur, DL Jennifer Murray 22 September - 24 September 2009 Michael J. H. Smith HELITECH 2009 Wing Cdr. Ken Wallis, MBE, RAF Duxford Airfield, Cambridge EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / PILOT England Georgina Hunter-Jones Contact Brandon Ward [email protected] Fax: +44 (0)20 8439 8853 CREATIVE DIRECTORS email: [email protected] [email protected] Website: www.helitech.co.uk COPY EDITORS Evangeline Hunter-Jones, JP John Wilson 29 September – 1 October , 2009 CONTRIBUTING EDITORS THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL Mikhail Kazachkov, Ralph Arnesen, Rogier HELICOPTER SAFETY SYMPOSIUM Westerhuis, Thomas Skamljic, Robin Dabrowa, Neil Walton, Brenda Nicoll, Gill Jenkins, Andy Zorin, Hotel Hilton Montréal Bonaventure, John Martin Montréal, Canada CONTRIBUTED PHOTOGRAPHY 450-971-6500 Ex 2787 Ralph Arnesen, Neil Walton, Rogier Westerhuis, Thomas Skamljic Andrey Zorin Robin Dabrowa, Email David Renzi [email protected] Brenda Nicoll, Milutsky Gennady, Gill Jenkins, http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/Y Andrew Lysser ULBHHF-HEL-20090928/index.html. SPECIAL THANKS TO Dave Smith ATPL(H)IR, Robin Dabrowa 14 October – 16 October , 2009 ADVERTISING THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL BASIC Telephone: +44-(0)20-7430-2384 [email protected] RESEARCH ON ROTORCRAFT TECH SUBSCRIPTIONS Nanjing University of Aeronautics, Go to our website or turn to page 54 Nanjing, China [email protected] Contact: Professor GAO Aheng, NUAA, WEBSITE Tel. 86-25-84892120 www.helicopterlife.com email: [email protected] or COVER PHOTOGRAPH Professor Kenneth Brentner Mil Mi-171 with the TV3-117 VM engine Tel: (814) 865-6433 heavy lifting in Pakistan email: [email protected] by Rogier Westerhuis 21 February - 23 February 2010 HELICOPTER LIFE is published quarterly by FlyFizzi Ltd. HAI HELIExPO 2010 59 Great Ormond Street Houston, Texas London, WC 1N-3 HZ . Contact Helicopter Association International Copyright © FlyFizzi Ltd. 2009. ISSN 1743-1042. 1635 Prince Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 All rights reserved. Opinions expressed herein are not necessari - Phone: (703) 683-4646 Fax: (703) 683-4745 ly those of the pub lishers, the Editor or any of the editorial staff. [email protected] Reproduction in whole or in part, in any form whatever, is strict - ly prohibited without specific written permission of the Editor.

4 HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 T HE EDITOR S LETTER

s the credit crunch tightens, Super Sky Cycle, which is (appar - it seems that people are ently) almost ready to fly. The Alooking for many different Super Sky Cycle is produced in ways to keep flying, while also try - Boyd, Texas, and markets itself as ing to keep the price down. For the way to combine road transport some people this will mean switch - with a gyro. It says it is a flying ing from helicopters to aeroplanes, motorcycle, and it has a recom - for others it will mean changing mended maximum pilot weight of from a turbine helicopter to a piston 280lbs. The website is www.thebut - engine helicopter, for some it will terflyllc.com. mean moving across to try gyro - Then, just before we went to copters, and for others again it will press, a British family set the world involve looking at the increasing record for the longest solar-powered forms of ‘alternative aviation’, flight by a paramotor. including the flying car and the The Cardoza family and friends Flyke, the flying bike. flew from Monte Carlo to Morocco, time for gyros in any form, and so The flying car was at using four paramotors, three of the licences are national, and in the Cholmondeley giving a display. which were powered by bioethanol- UK that means the CAA. This particular model is made by fuelled engines, and one by lithium Coincidentally, I did a helicopter Parajet, has a car chassis, a pusher polymer batteries, which were PPL Skills Test on a pilot who had engine and a parachute-wing for charged in rotation using twelve been flying gyrocopters for twenty lift. It has recently flown from solar panels on top of the team’s years before he came to helicopters. London to Timbuktu in Africa. support vehicle. They wanted not Both he and his instructor said that Although most of the journey in only to show that this type of avia - he had a lot to unlearn: for example, Europe was actually done on the tion is viable, but also that it is quite in gyrocopters you keep your speed ground, once they were in Africa capable of being carbon neutral. up on landing, because allowing the they used the car’s flying capabili - All the also raised money speed to bleed off also kills off the ties more and more. for charity. lift. However, he thought it was eas - Parajet offer their own licences, The imagination and the drive to ier moving to helicopters from gyro - which can be done in Spain, get aviation entirely ‘clean’ as well copters than vice versa. although it is apparently possible to as useful is clearly there, but it still For Russians, used to the large get lessons in the UK. It is recom - needs time and money, both for size Mils and Kamovs, the mended, but not essential, that you research and for trials. Robinson family of helicopters pro - have a microlight licence. Although I didn’t get a chance to vides the smaller alternative, as we The Flyke, the flying bike, fly any of the more esoteric alterna - see from Mikhail Kazachkov’s arti - recently flew the full length of tives to helicopters, Chris Jones cle on the possible future develop - Britain with a schoolteacher, John Gyroplanes at Kirkbride in Cumbria ment of Russian aviation. He looks Carver, at the pedals. He flew from did invite me to fly the MT-O3 at how safe and cost effective the Land’s End to John O’Groats, and gyroplane. Robinson machines are, compares took eleven days to make the 800- It was a brilliant experience. I them with the development of cars, mile (1,300 km) journey. The Flyke really enjoyed flying the MT-O3, and urges the Russian authorities to is made in Germany, and accepted but I was surprised to find how dif - look again at how they might use all over the world, according to the ferent it was from helicopter flying: these machines to their advantage, website. The parachute wing can be in some situations your natural heli - and to that of their people. It is a stored when you are not flying, and copter instincts are actually the really enlightening article. the bike can then be ridden in the wrong thing to do in a gyrocopter, normal manner. The Fresh Breeze as you will see in the article. Flyke has a parachute-wing, but if One surprising thing about gyro - you want something more like an planes is that their licences are not autogyro then there is also the European. Apparently EASA had no HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 5 A ERIAL FORUM New Philosophy of Helicopter Application Mikhail Kazachkov, Chairman of the Helicopter Industry Association of Russia, writes about the future choices for Helicopter flying in Russia

he success or failure of a helicopter project is almost Robinsons had previously (64%) had nothing to do with avi - always directly related to the personality of its cre - ation. It wasn't the love of the sky per se that attracted them Tator. Thus, the appearance of Eurocopter, now one of into this new community, but other reasons that are no less the leaders in helicopters, became possible thanks to the worthy — they like to be free, and to have at their disposal felicitous tandem of Jean-Fracouis Bigay and Siegfried new possibilities for business management. Sobotta, and Kamov's survival is a result of the extraordi - So why didn't they opt for helicopters earlier? That too is nary personality of Sergey Mikheyev. The latest famous not difficult to understand. It cannot be said that there were successes of AgustaWestland are inseparable from no suitable technical solutions before, that there were no Giuseppe Orsi, and the revival of MDHI is the achievement helicopters – starting with the post-war Hiller 360 (the first of Lynn Tilton. Sikorsky's genius was present at the origins club helicopter of the future HAI – Helicopter Association of the entire helicopter industry, and probably Providence International), and then the Bell 47, Hughes 269, and so on. itself was guiding him in his moments of inspiration, and These machines brought thousands of pilots to the sky, but forcing him to pursue his goal unswervingly. none of them were easy to fly and maintain, and they It is at such critical points in time that the importance of the required of the user a deep penetration into the technical leader's role is enhanced multifold. At such moments, the details, not to mention their low comfort level. One of the leader's persistence changes the direction of the industry’s best light piloting helicopters, the Mi-34, which was creat - development, and the ability ‘to see over the horizon’ ed in the USSR, has the same drawbacks. becomes a priority. Without doubt, Frank Robinson is such The point is that one of Robinson’s important technical a visionary. To all intents and purposes, he is the patriarch achievements was to develop, so to say, an ‘automobile’ of a new type of rotary wing . approach to operation. The helicopter is mostly serviced by As of today, we have seen only the first wave generated by one person, ie the owner, who need not have special techni - his company's R-44 model helicopter. To follow is the R-66 cal training. It is sufficient to be a competent user. Such model, which may well devastate even more the old and individual servicing is prescribed in the flight operation obsolete routine of aviation. The light helicopter industry guidelines of the R-44, and the company guarantees a high has evolved into a self-developing system: its extraordinary safety level. In any case, there's no need for the daily success has effectively sparked a boom in demand for the involvement of a technician or engineer. next model, even before it goes into mass production. And We are on the threshold of a transformation in the opera - the fact remains: never before have helicopters been pur - tional part of the helicopter industry. For many years, the chased in such quantities for private use. And, as yet, other servicing difficulties deterred potential individual pilots. helicopter constructing companies have been unable to The mass application of R-44 class helicopters is a result of attain the ‘golden ratio’ of simplicity and reliability. the simplicity of their maintenance. Prior to this, helicopter operators were unable to compete Robinson, however, had an integrated approach to the solu - with the army of private light , with their accessi - tion of this task. Taking into account the high level of bility, safety and simplicity. Yet now, in only a short period responsibility and high safety level requirements, all the of time, the number of light helicopters in the world has units of the helicopter are equipped with devices that oper - grown six times, and that is a vivid illustration of the explo - ationally monitor their technical condition. Therefore, dur - sion in public interest. Such a ‘popular movement’ in those ing the daily pre-flight preparation, a Robinson helicopter countries with democratic traditions does not escape the user is able to receive information on the condition of every attention of the politicians, and it puts many obligations on unit of his machine with 100% certainty. Such simplicity the security structure. While still in office, George Bush Jnr and accessibility make every R-44 flight a desirable and personally visited Robinson's plant in California to testify delightful event. The pilot acquires a sense of pleasure from to the authorities' attention to yet another spontaneous each flight undertaken, and this is the recipe for the popular - source of ‘soft’ American influence. ity of this class of machines. Curiously enough, most people who have straddled the continued on page 10

6 HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn2009 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters continue on page 11

59 Great Ormond Street, London WC1N-3HZ, England. official dealer. However, as you probably Telephone: 020-7430-2384, Email: [email protected]. know, Bell has now announced they will Please include your name, and email or phone. be initiating a service Centre in the Russian Federation, another exciting A Polish Paradox Russian Helishow addition for next year's show. Best wishes, Dear Georgina, Dear Georgina, Andrey Zorin. Here are some photographs At HeliRussia we do not com - from the Aviation Museum in pletely agree with your assess - Bruno Misonne Krakow. ment of our show. Dear Georgina I have a question: You gave the impression I was interested in the piece about How can anything as big as Robinson helicopters had no Brunno Misonne, and, doing research on these Mils really fly? dealers at the show, whereas in the web into flying and music, discovered Do they? Or is it just a big fact there were two: there is a FLYING MUSICIANS ASSO - Russian joke? Aviamarket and Aerosoyuz. Of CIATION, which gives its goals as: "to Best wishes, course this might be the prob - generate the desire and yearning for Robin Dabrowa lem with having signs only in both amongst young people." Student helicopter pilot Russian, something we will be It seems this association, founded by changing. By the next show John Zapp and Aileen Hummel, both avi - next year, you can expect ators and musicians themselves, has its signs in both Russian and first Fly-In Musicfest this Nov. 7, at Fort English. Worth Spinks Airport, does anyone know As for Bell, although the deal - anymore about this. er Jet Transfer does work for Many thanks, other companies, it is Bell's John Martin

Robin Dabrowa at the Krakow Aviation Museum in Poland a w o r b a D n i b o r f o y s e t r u o c s h P a r g o t o h P HELICOPTER LIFE,Autumn 2009 7 FLYING

Lebanese Water jackpot (12 million dollars). He A new fleet of fully-equipped heli - is sharing the win with his fam - copters dedicated to aerial firefight - ily, and his son, who was ing will operate in Lebanon using recently saved from a climbing the Simplex FAST Bucket and accident on Ben Nevis, has accessories making it more effective. promised to give some of the Feu Vert, a non-profit organization money to his rescuers. responsible for the protection of the historic cedar forests throughout the HeliTech ready to Go country, funded the acquisition of The 2009 HeliTech visitors will the aircraft and FAST systems after be able to see the latest offer - a technical committee comprised of ings from companies of all sizes several agencies reviewed equip - and from across the supply ment options and made recommen - chain and around the world. dations. The enthusiastic response from industry indicates a robust and positive approach to meeting Snorkle training the challenges of tough market conditions. As a senior repre - sentative of one of the compa - nies exhibiting at Helitech put Snorkel Training in LA it, “Often the fear of what might Los Angeles Helicopters will be working happen can cause companies to with Erickson Air Crane to train selected back themselves into a corner”. pilots in vertical reference and long-line One of the main attractions of training.Using R44s they have been Helitech for visitors is that the teaching long line since event reflects the latest develop - ments within the rotary wing Dont Throw me sector. The crucial importance Flowers Anymore of safety systems and training When the bridal bouquet was thrown for has been further highlighted by her bridesmaids, it hit the engine of the The Lebanese fleet will be made up recent accidents in the oil & gas the bride and groom were trav - of three S-61 helicopters equipped sector. At the same time the elling in and brought it crashing down. with the FAST Bucket aerial fire economic squeeze is causing The flowers were thrown from an accom - fighting system manufactured by operators in the parapublic and panying smaller aircraft, but clearly not in

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8 HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 FLYING C RACKERS

head for the swimming World Championships where Hannah is aiming to bag a clutch of medals. The 19-year old Olympian is ranked world number one in the 400m medley and third in the 200m medley – thanks in no small part to coaching by her dad.

We will hef Zeppline Training Airship Ventures is now offering full and half-day zep - pline piloting experiences to private-pilot-rated individuals holding a current medical certificate. The company is charging $2950 per student slot. Pilot training sessions Sloane Helicopter’s include a half day of training to cover ground and flight Triple Celebration operations, limitations and performance, and systems, as well as airship history and terminology. A next half-day Three times a Winner flight session offers students (taken aloft six at a time) Sloane Helicopters celebratedtheir 40th anniversary as thirty minutes at the controls including climbs, descents, a helicotper company; the 20th anniversary of the turns and ‘hovering.’ Students also get to try their hand at opening of their headquarters at Sywell Aerodrome; two takeoffs and landings. The pilot training course takes and the recent completion of their new building exten - place in the ZeppelinEureka and, according to Airship sion, incorporating the new Flying School, a new Ventures, ‘is the only one like it in the world.’ flight training simulator and a new stores department, Alternatively, sightseeing flights are $200 - $750. and offices in June 2009. Guests included many mem - bers of the Helicopter Club of Great Britain, forrmer employees, clients, and friends. About twenty helicop - ters flew in to the aerodrome and parked on the lawn outside the hotel, where guests were entertained with 9`kjZ_eXlJk\\cXe[

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HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 9 . continued from page 6 Right from the beginning, the Robinsons focused work by the Helicopter Industry So it was here that changes in both the have stood out and things that had previ - Association (HIA) will be required. ideology and the psychology of helicop - ously been brushed aside are nowadays HIA’s role in this process, as an idea ter usage in daily life started. an everyday reality: the helicopter has accumulation tank, with the active par - Plus, in the early 1940s, the first publica - become an analog of a business class car ticipation of all the key figures in the hel - tions on Igor Sikorsky's helicopters in for everyday use. For the majority of the icopter community, is more important educational publications like Popular population, the helicopter was traditionally than ever, and any member of the Science were illustrated as follows: outside the limits of safe activities: hurri - Association and the helicopter industry daddy takes off for work in his private cane force air streams during takeoff and can contribute to perfecting the aviation helicopter, and wife and son are waving landing, and high noise levels. To land, regulations in this country, by aligning to him from the front lawn of their house. an Mi-8 or Ka-32 must undoubtedly go them with current realities. This naïve fantasy remains only a picture to an airfield, or large specially equipped Indeed, as we see the rise of a large class 70 years later, but the helicopter has site. The R-44 can find a landing site of light helicopter users, we thereby become safe and accessible in terms of among residential buildings, or at a traffic expand the opportunities for the wide servicing and operation by a private owner. intersection , with no danger to the people scale development of medium and heavy Current Russian air law, despite the around. Therefore the regulatory require - helicopter aviation. Such a community trends of the last decade and a half, and ments must not ignore this difference, will become the best base, on which coordination with ICAO requirements, and must not impose the same require - many trained pilots will be prepared for still remain hostage to its creators, who ments on aircraft with such a large differ - all of aviation. It will thus be easier to have no idea of the philosophy of such ence in takeoff mass. To draw an analo - close the pilots’ ‘personnel gap’, which machinery. As to the helicopter aviation gy with shipping, no one would think of has become so very large in recent years. regulation issues, the regulatory frame - imposing the same requirements on a A direct correlation is inevitable here: the work still relies on the postulates of for - motor yacht and a vessel of tanker dis - larger this helicopter population, the mer times, when only medium size and placement tonnage. Such a motorboat is more opportunities generated for the heavy helicopters were going up into the not only fast and comfortable, but it can application of helicopters in all spheres Russian sky, and the industry executives' also be safely kept in a garage, without of the economy and technical areas. tasks were quite different. There simply any concern about its port of registration. I would like to emphasize that open access to couldn't have been any light aircraft at all The Robinson, with its two-blade rotor, airspace is not a whim or something exces - at that time, let alone in the form in fits into an area of only 30 square metres. sive. It will only give this country’s citizens which they exist today. The mindsets of A helicopter with this level of individual the possibility of enjoying the rights and free - flight and air controller personnel are usage provides complete freedom of doms guaranteed by the Constitution. still based on that reality, on the notion of movement. But here we inevitably Individual helicopter aviation simultane - helicopters as aircraft with a takeoff encounter the lag in legislation, which ously embraces several potential growth mass of 3.5 to 12 tons. still requires the owner to indicate the points: technological, personnel, eco - Modern private aviation, which employs airport of registration. Unfortunately, our nomic and legislative; and, without exag - aircraft with completely different charac - legislative acts have plenty of such rem - geration, it facilitates the development of teristics, encounters these stereotypes at nants. After all, registration with a taxi democracy. Technological developments every step, both from the application of company or transportation company is are already in demand by the new com - current legislation, and at the level of not required when registering a motor munity – the demand and supply that communication with the air traffic organ - vehicle. The owner's residence is sufficient. stimulate research and development in izers. The rigid rules associate the flight Thanks to the Robinsons, it is as if we the sphere of avionics and safety devices safety level with such machines as the have returned to the origins of aviation, have formed around these particular Mi-4, flying which required maximum when it was an absolutely private, indi - requirements. The demand for the liberal - effort from the flight commander. But, vidual activity, and the aviation business ization of the legislative base of aviation the level of information load on the R-44 was in many respects similar to a sport - will inevitably also lead to the enhance - helicopter pilot doesn’t differ much from ing hobby. Correspondingly, the initial ment of the status of such subjects of air that of an SUV driver. Today, Robinsons social agreements were also individual, law as the private helicopter pilot. and similar class helicopters have proven i.e. directly between the pilot and soci - The only questions are whether the new statistically that they belong to the safest ety’s representatives. And there was an aviation order will come from abroad, types of transportation. Many flight impressive level of trust between the par - e.g. from the International Civil Aviation functions are now automated. The appli - ties to those agreements. The pilot bore Organization, or from the HIA of Russia, cation of the automatic rpm governor, the the maximum load of responsibility, and and whether the entire helicopter com - advanced level of helicopter balancing yet at the same time he was free. A return munity will be able to take care of its and the latest navigation system make to these origins should become the new future and of the future of the industry, as the pilot’s task much easier, and lower philosophy of small aircraft aviation. a potential locomotive for the growth of the vibration level in the helicopter to an Yes, to fight the obsolete stereotypes steadily, the common welfare? imperceptible level. the efforts of the helicopter community and I think the answer is obvious. 10 HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 M ORE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Bet You've Never Seen This Aircraft...!!

Dear Georgina Is this real? Interesting rudder hinge on the 2nd pic. I read the below about the machine, but is it is true? The K-7 first flew on 11 August 1933. In 1930s the Russian army was obsessed with the idea of cre - ating huge planes. At that time, they tried to have as many pro - pellers as possible to help carry those huge flying fortresses into the air. Jet propulsion had not yet been implemented. Not many pho - tos were saved from that time, because of the high secrecy levels of such projects. The weaponry carried by this behemothis shown in the last pic! Best wishes, H Gill Jenkins

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Please quote reference ASHLQ7 in any correspondence World Air Games 2009 a parallel universe

BY BRENDA N ICOLL PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRENDA N ICOLL AND M ILUTSKY G ENNADY he 3rd World Air Games took letes took part in a parade of nations, Torino Aeritalia Airfield, just outside place in Turin from the 7th to the Games torch was lit by the Mayor Turin City Centre. David and Caroline 14th June, 2009. Sixteen T of Turin, and Red Bull unleashed their were joined by three Russian teams, British Athletes attended, covering parachute team to land in the middle of the current World Champions and seven of the ten disciplines to be it all, under the gaze of the television Ladies World Champions in their fought over in a unique week long cameras. Mi2s, along with a Robinson 44; two event. Five hundred athletes from all Two of these athletes were David Alouette IIIs and a Robinson 22 from over the world poured into Turin to Monks and Caroline-Gough Cooper, Austria; 2 CH-7s, one from France compete in the Games. Ten disci - competing together for the very first and one from the host nation, and two plines, 25 awards, 28 nations, tele - P h

time in the helicopter section of this further R22s containing the German o t vised in 20 countries, 3 venues, 1000 o g

aviation spectacle. This is the first time and the British Teams. Sadly, the r volunteers, 300,000 spectators and a P h

helicopters have been invited to take Swiss team didn’t make it and neither s one week to win your gold medal. b

part in the World Air Games, and to did a second German crew, which had r e

The event brought Turin city centre n D

take their place amongst paragliding, won the test event a year before in a to a halt when the opening ceremony n i glide racing, and ballooning, Turin, so it was sad not to see them at c o

was held in the Piazza San Carlo, the L to mention just a few of the diverse the Games. L famous baroque heart of Turin, which activities spread over the three venues . The competition was both well pub - is known as the “Drawing Room of The helicopter event took place at licised and well attended, and was also Turin”, such is its elegance. The ath - 12 HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 televised! The two helicopter events were to be flown as through the same gates. Apart from the time challenge, the parallel events to try to sex up the whole concept of table for landing the bucket was reduced to a diameter of competitive helicopter flying, especially as it was this thirty centimetres! There was not even any room on it to event’s formal introduction to helicopters. The WAG paint the traditional target and bull’s-eye! 2009 events were the slalom and the fender, and both Understandably, David and Caroline were both nervous, were to be flown according to WAG rules, not the usual but they became calmer as soon as the competition field FAI World Rules. Many penalties had been greatly was ready. We were kept on a tight timetable because so altered, but the most outstanding difference was the many disciplines were sharing the same airfield: micro - reduction in the time allocated to each event. The slalom lights, parachutes and paramotors, to mention only a few. was only ninety seconds and the fender sixty, which left Sharing space meant that events were run back to back, both events mere shadows of their former selves when it with no closing down of aircraft in between disciplines. came to the stop watch! First up was the qualifying round, with only eight heli - The fender drop still requires precise flying within a copters going through. As predicted, the Russians all went competition area of 179 x 110m. As often seen in the safely through, joined by one Austrian crew, the Germans, World and UK national events, the crewman carries a the French, the Italians and the Brits. There was no prac - boat fender as the load along the course, and deposits it tising prior to the event, so Team GB was pleased to have in a container. During the competition, the fender will be got airborne to settle competition nerves. This proved to be of three lengths—4, 6 and 8 metres—and the order of a comfortable ticket into the next round for them, with an these lengths will be given to the crew prior to take off, encouraging performance, and it started to look as if they along with the direction in which they must fly through might actually pull it off, and get a medal place. the gates. Day 2 saw the quarterfinals. David and Caroline flew a In the slalom, the crewman’s load this time is a buck - blinding fender, and finished in third place with Russia in etful of water on a five metre rope increasing to eleven first and second. Not the slightest hint of nerves from the metres, and it must be flown through twelve gates, mov - co-pilot, and very well flown indeed in a thoroughly ing backwards, forwards and sideways. This course dif - respectable time. However, luck can change in an instant, fers from the World Rules as it contains six gates in a and it did in the slalom. When David and Caroline had long narrow course: the competitors fly up and back reached the preparation line they asked the judge if the

The fender drop still requires precise flying within a competi - tion area of 179 x 110 metres P h o t o g r a P h b y m i L u t s k y g e n n a D y

HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 13 gates could be straightened, as the previous competi - Placing the skittle in tor had knocked several of them quite badly. Whilst the doghouse waiting for this to be done, and sorting out the rope, David and Caroline had their heads down for a last minute tactics session prior to giving the thumbs up to start. As Caroline looked up ready to give the thumbs up, and David was getting light on the skids – the Russian ladies in their Mi2 were approaching the third gate!! In the heat of the moment David and Caroline rocketed off the line, and did a great job of catching up on the Russians, but it just wasn’t enough and, sadly, Team GB exited from the Games! It was mortifying that this was not taken into consideration in the judg - ing, despite an admission of error by one of the judges, who had mistaken the gates being OK for them being ready! (The following day during the briefing we were given the gift of a quote from an official of the Games– “Yesterday we could not get the attention of David and Caroline so we just started” – which was of little consolation to D&C!!). The four teams through to the semi-finals were the three Russian crews and the CH7 of the host nation! Finals day loomed, with the semi-finals and finals run back-to-back to avoid any need to close down between the semi-final and the finals. The running order was Mi2 (WHC 2009 Champions, Viktor Korotaev and Nikolai Burov) v Mi2 (WHC 2009 Ladies Champions, Lyudmila Kosenkova and Elena Prokofyeva), and R44 (Russia, Elean Zhuperina and Caroline Gough- Cooper and David Georgy Arbuzov) v CH- 7 (Italy, Pierluigi Barbero Monks and Luigi Marocco). Due to the competition field lay - out, and the time restrictions, the event sequence was semi-final fender then semi-final slalom, followed by final slalom and final fender. There couldn’t have been a doubt in anyone’s mind about who was going to win, but then nerves starting to play their part! Even the cool as cucumber Russians were affected by the nerves of the parallel ‘race’! The fender saw the Russian ladies miss a gate completely. The biggest surprise was the Italian team slotting into third place, to split the Russian pack and put the Ladies World Champions last. Four good slaloms The winners were flown with only time penalties. The Russian

Ladies and the Italians were both eliminated after P h o

admirable performances. This left the Mi2 against the t o g

R44. This time the slalom was incredible, with the r a P h

reigning world champions missing two gates! The s b Russian contingent could not believe what was hap - y m i L pening! Thankfully, they were able to take each of the u t s k gates again and pass them successfully, but this y g e

incurred a time penalty, so the last fender was flown n n a with everything to play for. To this day no one has any D y 14 HELICOPTER LIFEAutumn 2009 idea how Viktor and Nikolai managed to regain their com - Maxim Sotnikov and posure so quickly after the disaster of the slalom. But they Oleg Puodzhjukas did, and they also flew the only perfect fender of the week-long event, with no time penalties at all, in a breath - taking 56.2 seconds, giving them a perfect 300 score and the WAG gold medal. The silver medal winners also had the added award of their pilot, Elena Zhuperina, being the highest placed female competitor in the Games. The best bit is always the post competition talk in the bar, with the ifs and buts and comments! WAG2009 was no exception. Had David and Caroline flown their fender in the final, they would have been second in the world after the reigning WHC 2008 champions, who have been together for 25 years rather than 2.5 weeks! Had they been allowed to re-fly their slalom then who knows what might as the initial perception was that the UK entry was a have happened? Monks and Gough-Cooper made a high - token gesture, but their subsequent performance spoke ly unlikely and competitive pairing, but they rose to the for itself! challenge and proved they were capable; they performed Was there any British success in Turin? Yes, of excellently and even took the knock of the slalom in their course! The Brits absolutely dominated the pylon rac - stride, which will be unheard of for those amongst you ing (trikes) microlight racing, with Chris Saysell & who know either party. Caroline was heard to say that she Rob Grimwood and Rob Keene & Rees Keene winning loved the whole concept of WAG, the parallel events were the gold and silver medals in their event. Gerald a refreshing change, and she even enjoyed the prospect of Cooper won bronze in powered aerobatics. The most a new challenge from her old seat! unlikely gold went to Michael Stern in aeromodelling Team Captain David Monks spoke of the unquestion - hand-thrown gliders. Within the rules of the sport you able benefit to the team of being able to pair two pilots can get someone else to launch for you, which was just together in competition at short notice, and them being as well, as the gold medal winner Massimiliano Sacchi able to put in a credible performance. Such flexibility in had broken his foot, so Michael launched for him and

the c rews c o uld o nly be of great advantage to the team in Massimiliano GAVE him his medal as a huge thanks. competition, giving them an obvious competitive advan - Michael savoured the moment but is going to post it tage over other teams. This certainly was the case in Italy back! Such was the spirit of the WAG 2009. JETJET A1A1 AAVGASVGAS 100LL100LL

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242-248 High Street, Barnet, Hertfordshire EN5 5TDT Telephone: +44 (0)20 8440 0505: TELEFAX : +44 (0)20 8440 6444 Email:[email protected] www.cymapetroleum.co.uk Sikorskys X2 (and others) take giant steps into thefuture

Sikorsky x2 has fully engaged the back propellor for the first time

he Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation X-2 Demonstrator Stability Augmentation System operated as designed, achieved another milestone with the completion and vibration and noise levels were very low.” Tof two test flights that included full engagement However, Sikorsky is not alone in their pursuit of a of the pusher propeller for the first time. In one hour of faster helicopter. Also looking to get that combination of testing, conducted in two flights, the aircraft flew at speed and hovering ability is Piasecki with their X-49A speeds reaching 52 knots in one test and 42 knots with Speedhawk, which was first demonstrated in 2007. the propeller providing forward thrust in the second Ironically, the Speedhawk is also based on a Sikorsky flight. The X2 is designed to reach speeds of 250 knots design, a Sikorsky Blackhawk, onto which Piasecki approximately twice as fast as helicopters can currently have bolted a ‘Vectored Thrust Ducted Propeller’ - a fly. So far, the X-2 has accumulated more than three shrouded propeller, eight foot in diameter, which sits on hours of successful flight time at Sikorsky’s facility in the tail boom in the place of a tail rotor. Horseheads, N.Y. The aircraft has now relocated to the The design of this propeller dates back to the 1960s, company’s Development Flight Centre in West Palm when Bell, Piasecki and Sikorsky all flirted with ‘fene - Beach, Florida, as it begins the next phases of testing in stron-like’ tails. In 1964, the Piasecki version, the the experimental programme leading up to the 250-knot Pathfinder 11 reached 225 mph, however it did not go speed record. into production. At the moment Piasecki are in Stage 1 “The program is progressing extremely well both tech - of development and Stage 11 depends on whether fund - s

nologically and from a future applicability standpoint,” ing will be forthcoming. e i g o

said Mark Miller, Vice President of Research and Whether either of these helicopters or another one, such L o n

Engineering at Sikorsky. “Certainly we’ve got much as a version of the Tilt Rotor, can reach significantly h c e more to do, but interest continues to grow among both high speeds, may depend on eliminating blade drag. t D e t i

the and commercial sectors in how this technol - With this in mind the US Defense Advanced Research n u

ogy might ... enable new missions that today are simply Projects Agency is funding Boeing and Virginia Tech f o y s

not possible with the current helicopter flight limita - University in their development of a ‘DiscRotor’ in e t r

tions. These are exciting times.” which the main rotor can be tucked away during flight u o c

Kevin Bredenbeck, Chief Test Pilot for Sikorsky, did the into a circular housing. However, that would necessitate h P a

flights with the pusher propeller engaged on June 30. aircraft wings for the cruise phase of flight, which to r g o t

“The aircraft completed a series of accelerations and many people might seem like a return to aeroplanes. o h decelerations from hover to 52 knots,” he said. “The Back to ‘bright light thinking’ perhaps? P

16 HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 N EW T ECHNOLOGY Airbox Aerospace

the new flight map aidc

irbox Aerospace is a new company founded by inside the helicopter. There is both a long and short arm William Moore and Tom Hedges, former distribu - model. Airbox supplies a double attachment suction grip, Ators of Flymap. It was launched this year at as they had noticed in the past that the single suction grips AeroExpo at High Wycombe, and is already doing good could work loose as a result of vibration from the helicop - business. They have used competely new technology. ter. The boxes are slimmer than other models, because William feels that it is a great advantage to have worked on Airbox found that the fatter boxes could interfere with the other systems. He said, “what we hope we have done is helicopter’s controls. take the best features of all our competitors and combine The maps can be run in three different modes: with the them into a box.” movement buttons on the bottom of the page showing, with David Clark, who was the founder of the car GPS company the bottom buttons taken out but keeping the side buttons, Road Angel, is chairman of the company. He is an aviation and with the full map and no buttons. Both map and but - enthusiast, and has an EC120, in which we tested one of tons are touch screen, rather than side buttons on the edge the Foresight seven-inch screen models (see page 54). of the box, in response to requests from previous customers. There are currently two systems, the Foresight, a seven- Airbox intend to keep the boxes as simple as possible, and inch screen, carry-on version, and the Freedom Clarity, for this reason there are no extra features, such as photo which is about half the size. Both systems use the CAA albums or radio channels, to complicate the system. half mill and quarter mill charts, and the heli-routes map. However, they are open to suggestions from any users who They are computer-compatible, so planning can be done on think that the box is missing something vital. William is a full screen at home. Updates are simple and can be down - very proud of his after service care, one of the most dedi - e c loaded from the website. cated in the aviation world. P a s

o They are also introducing a full postcode search, the first At present the maps cover only the UK and Europe, but r e a available to GA pilots. Other systems currently use five they are looking to venture into the Australian, New x o b digit postcode searchers, but this new full postcode system Zealand and North American markets very soon. Their aim r i a will allow the pilot to pinpoint exactly where he is going, is to provide full worldwide data eventually. f o y not just the general area. There is also a commercial system Airbox do include a printed manual, although they say that s e t

r with the full postcode, which is used by the police, but it the system is so easy that it hardly needs one. The cost of u o

c costs much more, and is outside the range of the normal the basic kit, which includes half mill maps, is £1499. The s h

P GA pilot. cost of the Helipack, which also includes the quarter mill a r g All Foresight products come with an external power source map and the heliroute charts, is £1900. o t o and an ordinary plug, so you can work on them away from For anyone wanting to fly in and talk to Airbox, there is a h P the helicopter. They also have standard fittings for use helipad at the office at Grove, for use by arrangement.

HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 17 Cholmondeley Pageant of Power took place on 18th and 19th July 2009

BY G EORGINA H UNTER -JONES

irCovers’ John and Sasha This year, the second, looks to have been Pattinson ran the aviation as successful and spectacular as 2008. Aside of the Cholmondeley On the racing track, the quickest Pageant of Power. As John says, times were posted during Saturday’s “about 74 helicopters registered to less showery conditions, when Justin come in … although because of bad Law set the pace (68.40s around a 1.2- weather, particularly in the south, this mile course) in a Lister Jaguar GT was reduced to about 30 a day. Prototype.

Cars and motorcycles were divided s

Nonetheless it was a brilliant week - e n o j

end, the fireworks were great and the into eight classes. There was a range of - r

The tri -services e aviation displays and the racing well impressive machines from the Opel t n

agility test u worth watching.” Manta 400 (1983) and a BRM-engine h a n i

Cholmondeley was launched in Lotus Elan (1968), to an Audi 80 g r o 2008, as a county show, bike, car, (1989) and a Chevron B17 Formula e g s

water and aviation rally. Last year’s Three racer (1971). h P a r

success convinced the Marquess and The fastest bike was Chris Mayhew g o t

his team that the show would go on. on a Honda Fireblade, who took just o h P

18 HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 Hields were doing pleasure flights. Inset: Bob Hields, who had been cooking sausages for his guys 74.19s to do the 1.2 mile course, while the slowest was James Baxter in a 1910 Singer, the oldest competitive Future pilot? entry. There was also a display of bike aerobatics from the motorcycle grand prix and Isle of Man TT winner Tommy Robb, who at 74 years old was in direct competition with most of the cars! The aviation displays included the Falcons, the RAF parachute team, in his Breitling MXS, a selec - tion of classic aircraft, including the Supermarine Spitfire and the P-51 Mustang, the Forces Agility Test non-compet - itive competition, and the flying car. The flying car is a Parajet Skycar. Parajet took a Rage chassis, fitted a more powerful engine, and attached a large parawing to give it lift. The skycar recently flew from London to Timbuktu, a journey of 7,000 km. The first aer - ial crossing was over the Straits of Gibralter, and most of the European leg of the journey was done as a car, but most of the African leg as a Skycar, because in Africa the weath - er is better and the roads are worse. The journey took five s e

n and a half weeks. o j -

r To operate a Skycar, you are advised to have a micro - e t n light licence, although Parajet offer their own training serv - u h a ice, which offers six- and twelve-day training courses, n i g r including accommodation, if required. They will also train o e g beginners with no aviation experience as well as more s h P

a experienced pilots, and it is possible to learn in either the r g Flying car which Neil o UK or Spain. The Spanish base is at Aeromodo Ordis, t o Laughton flew to Timbuktu h between Barcelona and the French border. P

HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 19 On the water there was a breadth of categories from Juniora to OSY 400 Hydroplanes, which are flat wooden boats with 400 cc engines that originat - ed in Japan and can reach speeds over 70 mph. There were also F4 and F2 Catamarans, which cruised up to 125 mph, as well as Thundercats, including a Thunderkids section for the 10-16 age. John Pattinson said that the feedback from all the helicopter pilots was positive despite the rain and the occasional ‘dodgy departure’, and that most had said that they would come again next year. There were around 30,000 visitors, almost all of WAGs Emma whom seemed to think there was something there Rigby and for them. There were complaints, but most con - Kym Marsh cerned problems in getting across the course, because there was only one way through under the course, and a couple of race-course crossing areas, and these were shut most of the time. Next year things will be improved. As John Pattinson says, “Aircovers agreed to plan and arrange airside for no fee, on the condition that no helicopter would be charged landing fees, and that all helicopter passengers should get access to the event for free!” Planning for 2010 is well underway. The HLZ will be in the same location as in 2008, which will mean no waiting times to cross the track, because people will already be inside the track. It is also 60 helicopters and planned to place the display line closer to the 1 gyrocopter flew Castle. This will mean that anyone wanting to in over the 2 days watch the military and civilian displays will not have to walk far at all. n o t u o m k c i n D n a s m a i L L i w - n o c s a m f o y s e t r u o c D n a s e n o j - r e t n u h a n i g r o e g h

Falcons, the RAF Parachute team, doing P a r

their display. Inset: using the theodolite to g o t o

measure the wind speed and direction h P 20 HELICOPTER LIFE,Autumn 2009 Latest Update on the Presidential Helicopters

he US House Defence to continue flying in an extremely Congressman Hinchey said that Subcommittee has approved old and outdated helicopter. By pro - they have been trying to encourage Tfunding for five helicopters in viding $485.2 million for Increment Lockheed Martin to keep this con - the Presidential fleet. 1, we will put people in Owego back gressional process in mind. Even as layoff notices were going to work building a state of the art “We hope the Senate can act this out to workers at Lockheed Martin’s presidential helicopter fleet that is month or take it up in September.” Owego NY plant, the House badly needed. Providing continued The appropriations process is Appropriations Defense funding for the VH-71 project is the long. Following this subcommittee Subcommittee seemed to change its most fiscally responsible step we can vote, the full House Appropriations mind, and agreed to provide $455.2 take to produce a much-needed heli - committee would have to include the million to help continue the VH-71 copter fleet for the White House.” funding, and there is currently no program. Incidentally, Hinchey represents the companion bill in the senate, The $13 billion dollar program district where the Owego plant is although Senator Charles Schumer had already been written off as located. (D-NY) has said that he would work scrapped, but Congressman Maurice “There are several legislative steps to keep the program alive on that D n a

L Hinchey (D-NY) fought back. “It's that the bill needs to go through side of the Capitol. t s e taken a lot of hard work to get to this before the funding for the helicopter However, even if it passes both houses w a t point, but funding for Lockheed is officially allocated,” his office told of congress, there is no guarantee that s u g Martin’s presidential helicopter is the Elmira, New York, Star Gazette. President Obama will sign the bill. a f o back on track,” said Hinchey, in a The staff also predicted that final The good news is that apparently y s e t statement on his website. “It has approval of the funding would result Adriana Huffington and the r u o

c been clear all along that cancelling in the restoration of most, if not all, Huffington Post are supporting the s h

P the presidential helicopter project of the recently announced job cuts bid to keep helicopters, as the least a r g would be an enormous waste of tax - associated with the development of bad alternative. Or did I hear that o t o

h payer money, and force the president the presidential helicopter. wrong? As ever the debate goes on. P HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 21 What is theRisk?

W ORDS AND PICTURES BY RALPH ARNESEN

hen I was gainfully always performed as briefed, and know. You use brainstorming, and employed, one of my we had few if any problems. you try to find out where the haz - Wextra jobs was as a mem - The criteria for conducting a risk ards lie. Hazards are defined as ber of a team that performed preci - analysis was whether the operation actions or things that can cause sion and non-precision sling load was a standard flight that had damage to people, equipment, or operations. We removed and already been approved with a risk your economy. These should be exchanged flare tips on offshore analysis done, or a non-standard noted, and then the extent of any platforms with the BV234LR flight. All non-standard flights possible damage should be estab - (Chinook) and EC332L1 (Super required a risk assessment, and the lished, and the likelihood of it Puma), using docking and vertical approval of a management pilot occurring. reference techniques. Before the who was not involved in the opera - For this, you use a matrix, as below. operation started we had to undergo tion. The severity of the hazard, and a job analysis and a risk analysis, Now let’s say you are going to the likelihood of it occurring, which then became part of the doc - make a change to your increase from the top left corner to umentation for the operation. It was organisation: bring in a different the bottom right corner. Each haz - the team leader’s responsibility to type of aircraft, fly a new route, or ard now has to be evaluated and prepare this, and it was usually perform a mission that you have not given a value, from 1A to 5E. On done with the whole team’s partici - done before. What are you going to another form, the Safe Job P h

pation. Before the actual job, a do to make the transition smooth, Analysis, the Job IDs are noted in o t o g

meeting with all those involved and to ensure that the outcome is one column, and another column r a P

took place and the whole job was not tears? You are first going to records what you intend to do to h s c

briefed. For some jobs we even did plan a course of action. If you are eliminate or reduce the hazard. This o u r t

a dry run, or we hung the new flare smart, you will also look at what will give you a new value when e s y

tip by a crane, to ensure that it can go wrong, and at how you can next plotted in the matrix. There is o f e

would hang correctly. It was eliminate or reduce the problems, then a total number that will fall r i c k

always stated clearly that any per - by doing a job analysis and a risk into one of three risk classes: red, s o n

son who saw anything that might assessment. What you are really yellow, or green. It would be unad - a i r c

cause a problem, or anything doing is testing how much you visable to do a job that puts you in r a n

unsafe, could stop the mission. We know against how much you don’t the red, whereas a yellow means e 22 HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 that you have to monitor closely, and you may have to stop to rethink the operation. Green would be reasonably safe to perform using normal procedures. It may all seem rather complicated, but it is, or can be, a very useful tool, and in many professions it is mandatory. For example, the car club I belong to is required to do one risk matrix every year for our annual show, and my sister- in-law had to undergo one before she took a group of chil - dren on a trip to the Isle of Wight. In a profession such as ours it should also be required, but, and this is more impor - tant, the teamwork involved in the planning will pay large dividends. You may also hear some nice words from your customers, and from your insurance provider, if you can show him that you are taking risk seriously. The CAA will also favour those who take the time to do so. Above all, you might just find that you save time and money by elimi - nating or reducing some of the risks. Exchanging flare tips There are a variety of matrixes, and the one I used for this article is a little too complicated for a one aircraft oper - ation. On the Internet you may find one that suits your When we go out to fly we do a series of risk analysis operation. If you can’t find one then get in touch with me when we check the weather, determine the fuel, and through the magazine, and I might be able to help you, by check the route we are going to fly. Experience helps sending the forms HS Safe, which were developed for our us to bypass the nasty bits, and to get more enjoy - operation. ment out of the flight. I would like to leave you with The authorities are now pushing for risk management. one thought that I picked up along the way: when This stems from a Safety Managements System, which is a faced with a decision between two alternatives, one requirement for commercial operators, but there will be of which produced a bad result the last time it was more of these programs coming. How you view them is an used, some people may then be inclined to try the indicator of the safety culture you subscribe to. remaining alternative without knowing its outcome. Basically, we do risk assessments almost all the time. Beware this trap. Fly safe. n e s e n r a h P L a r f o y s e t r u o c h P a r g o t o h P

HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 23 Paris Texas Helicopter Life sees how Bell Helicopters used the 2009 Paris Le Bourget Airshow to try and regain its position in the helicopter hierarchy

Photographs by Georgina Hunter-Jones

The Bell 429 which should be certified in November. Inset: the new 429 dou - ble-stratus tail-rotor

aris Le Bourget 2009, celebrat - was imminent. The other was a new from the cockpit, which is totally differ - ing 100 years of flight, felt service centre in Russia, where they ent from, for example, the MD 902. Pmore like ‘the recession air plan to try and make inroads into that I flew in the 429. I sat in the left show’ than a real celebration. Lutz attractively lucrative but rather elu - back seat, apparently the worst seat Bertling of Eurocopter even admitted sive market. for vibration, and was favourably that things were not going well with It is no secret that the certification impressed: there was a little shimmy, sales of Eurocopter helicopters, and of the Bell 429 has been a long time which I could feel through my feet, that he expected 2010 to be a worse coming, indeed so long that some but the overall ride was smooth, year for helicopters generally and the wags have suggested that being immi - although there was a little blade slap. company in particular, although he nent was another word for apparent, The windows were large and the view looked forward to a reprieve in 2011 and that the certification might actual - was excellent. I thought the Bell 429 and 2012. Sikorsky apparently felt so ly not occur this year. However, even more comfortable than the Sikorsky down that there were no press confer - though the market has had to wait 76B (the only other helicopter I have ences (although there was a signing), awhile for the machine it does seem experienced from the passenger’s and AgustaWestland’s conference to be worth it. angle). was only part of Finmeccanica’s, According to Neil Marshall, Following the general trend even though they were displaying the Commercial Programme Director of towards more ecological helicopters, AW149 mock-up. There was no sign the Bell 429, “the 429 is being built Bell also announced a life cycle eco - of MD. The one exception to all this for the first time with the traveller, logical study starting with the 429, in gloom, however, was Bell Textron rather than the pilot, in mind.” what they call a ‘cradle to grave’ pro - Helicopters. There, and amazingly, To this end, there has been a strong gramme. This will examine all their considering that they were simultane - emphasis on getting rid of the vibra - working practices, from the materials ously dealing with a union strike, tion and blade slap that most cus - they use to manufacture the helicop - there was a surge of energy, and a tomers take for granted as part of hel - ter, to the final disposal of the product very apparent desire to regain their icopter flight. Bell have created a hel - at the end of the line. former place in the helicopter market. icopter made in three pieces: the body is a single composite cocoon, with the Eurocopter Bell Textron engine bay above, and the electrics Eurocopter might be feeling a little Bell had two major initiatives to bring and fuel below, rolled into place as less buoyant than usual, but they were forward; one was the Bell 429 light completely separate entities. It is not still looking to the future. On their twin helicopter, whose certification possible to enter the head or the base booth they had a mock up of the 26 HELICOPTER LIFE,Autumn 2009 Agusta AW149, side and back views

EC175. In their press conference, with survival suits. which perhaps goes along with the however, they were keen to separate Eurocopter is also, in combination less serious side of this year’s Le themselves from their Chinese partner with EADS, creating a new Bourget: EADS and Eurocopter did a Avicopter, who are building the ‘Bluecopter,’ which is intended to be sort of stand-up duo routine in the Chinese version, the Z15, saying that far more ecological than its forebears. press conference, and one thing is it and the EC175 will be “two differ - The emphasis is on the engine, which sure: the French have a lot to learn from ent aircraft.” will be a low emission, high compres - the English about stand-up comedy! The EC175 should have its first sion piston engine, using diesel fuel flight at the end of next year, at and having “state of the art exhaust AgustaWestland Marignane, in the south of France. gas cleaning systems.” The design Finmeccanica brought the Agusta They are hoping for certification by will include an advanced catalytic AW149 mock-up to the show, and it 2011 and the first deliveries in 2012. converter and a particulate filter. As was on display in their static park on The EC175 will be powered by two Oliver Janis, the director of the proj - the apron, complete with weaponry. Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6C-67E ect said, “The engine will be more The first prototype of the machine engines, although a combination of efficient than a turbine, and it will will be ready in 2010. Pratt and Whitney and Eurocopter are have reduced fuel consumption and a Pier Francesco Guarguaglini, CEO “modifying an existing engine, so that reduction in carbon dioxide ratio.” and Chairman of Finmeccanica, said the –67E will be the first PT6 tur - The research into the project is that this was the “dawn of a new era,” boshaft with a dual-channel fadec,” being done by EADS, who will then and that they “had not expected the said Joseph Saporito, Executive VP pass it to Eurocopter to take out into economic crisis.” However, the com - for Commercial Programmes. the market, to see how it works. What pany did well in 2008, despite the The EC175 is designed for oil plat - you might call a family project! There negative climate. They expanded forms, and it can seat 16 passengers was another entertaining thing here, worldwide and improved in the

Bluecopter details

Eurocopter’s Bluecopter

HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 27 Camcopters, used for filming face, which a large helicopter could never do.” The newest version of the CamCopter, the Flying-Cam 111 E Sarah (Special Aerial Response Autonomous Helicopter) has an option for military use as well as its normal filming roles. This CamCopter uses green electrical propulsion, and is flexi - ble enough to be tailored to the client’s needs. The CamCopter gave an impressive display of its work at Le Bourget, and the results of its camerawork were shown on large screens around the air - field. domestic sphere. Group revenues and his father had a passion for model were 7.8 billion Euros in 2002 and 15 helicopters. This year’s Le Bourget was definite - billion Euros in 2008, of which 17% The current version of CamCopter ly less vibrant than the last, two years came from the helicopter market. is used mainly for filming. It is flown ago. There were fewer aircraft, particu - In the UAE, Finmeccanica were by a pilot, who aids the cameraman. larly business jets, on display, and the starting a partnership with Mubadala, However, the newer version of the feeling was very much one of ‘laissez while in India they had an agreement CamCopter, which has just been faire’ and ‘à demain’. However, as a for a joint venture with the AW119, developed, is so simple that the cam - journalist, I found it an entertaining with the Indian company Tata. eraman will be able to fly it by him - affair, very much thanks to Bell In Russia, they were working on self. The CamCopter was used in the Helicopters’ desire to return to the front two joint ventures, and in Turkey Harry Potter and James Bond films, of the market: Bell had a party, and were they were working with Gokturk and it was flown in combination with doing flights in the Bell 429, which is Satellite Systems with the AW129. larger helicopters that had camera - more usual in American trade shows They also saw future openings in men on board. Sarah Krins, the Chief than European ones. Or perhaps it is just Japan and , Brazil, Operating Officer of Flying-Cam, that I don’t usually get invited, but this Australia and Morocco and else - said that “the CamCopter is particu - year I did! It will be interesting to see where. larly good in close-ups, as it can what happens at next year’s Little was said about the hover just a few metres from your Farnborough. Presidential Helicopter, but they con - tinue to remain optimistic that the programme will be able to continue.

CamCopters The CamCopter is made by the Flying-Cam Company, founded in Belgium in 1988, by Emanuel Prevénaire. Prevénaire is a film enthusiast and director, who directed s e his first film at the age of sixteen. In n o j -

1979, he started the development of r e t the first unmanned free-flying Close n u h

Range Aerial Camera for motion pic - a n i g ture photography, as his student the - r o e sis for the Directors Film School in g s h

Belgium (IAD). He was also an avia - P

Autogyro for a r g

tion enthusiast and passed his fixed Christmas? o t o wing pilot’s licence in 1979. Both he h P 2828 HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 Le Bourget Heliport

French pilot American helicopter

Le Bell of Dark days at Le Bourget Paris air show

Remembering a glorious past s e n o j - r e t n u h a n i g r o e g s h P a r g

o More cheerful tails t o h to come P 29 AeroExpo High Wycombe June 2009

OAeroExpo 2009 took place at High Wycombe airfield in Buckinghamshire in June, there were 10,000 vistiors. s e n o j - r e t n u h a n i g r o e g s h P a r g o t o h P 3030 HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009

Pakistan Army

Tomaz Humar

32 Autumn

Pilots Colonel Rashid Ullah Berg and Lt Colonel Khalid are interviewed by Rogier

n August 2005, the Slovenian pilot in command during this mis - mission. This meant that we could climber Tomaz Humar found sion. As he explains, “In the after - accept an amount of danger and risk Ihimself trapped on the 8,125 noon of 8 August 2005 I received a that we would normally only accept metre high Nanga Parbat, also mission to rescue a climber from a in a military mission. This was a known as ‘Killer Mountain’, and the reported altitude of around 21,325 ft request beyond the normal call of Pakistan Army was asked to rescue (6,500 m). A quick calculation made duty, and it was our respect for the s this world famous climber. It it clear that it was impossible to life of a young man that propelled i u h r became the most daring rescue in hover at this height, and I suggested us to accept, even at the cost of e t s the history of the Pakistan Army. that the mountaineer be brought great danger to our lives.” e W r e

Helicopter Life talked to the two down to, say, 18,050 ft (5,500 The climber in trouble was the i g o

pilots who risked their lives in what meters). Later that evening I Slovenian Tomaz Humar, who is r h P

seemed to be an impossible mission received a call from the Corps famous for his daring climbs, which a r g to complete. Commander asking me to undertake always explore new and different o t o Col. Rashid Ullah Beg was the the mission as if it was a military routes on some of the world’s most h P Pictures by Rogier Westerhuis and courtesy of No 5 33 challenging mountains. Tomaz was stuck on a vertical wall. There was some confusion over his actual height, but an official survey has since confirmed that Tomaz was trapped at 22,300 ft (6,800 m). There was no foothold to put down even a single skid of the helicopter, and there was a sheer fall on one side and deep ravines on the other. Avalanches were a constant threat. The weather picture showed that the first two days might offer a chance of rescue, but after that the weather would close in again. Tomaz would not survive the wait until the next opportunity. Col. Rashid continues: “A quick appraisal of the situation made it clear that a classical hoist operation was impossible, given the weight, centre of gravity and power limita - tions of the helicopter. Prevailing tempera - Maj Farrukh Saleem taking oxygen while tures indicated that the density altitude would flying a Mi-171 over Concordia, 16,400 ft. Oxygen is normally taken at heights over be over 23,000 ft (7,000 m), where hovering 10,000 ft to reduce the effects of hypoxia One of the highest military posts in the world is Conway Saddle in the Karakorum Range around 21,200 ft and inhospitable. Troops walk for 21 days to reach it. 21 support posts have been set up like this one on Baltoro Glacier at 15,000 ft. 5 Army Aviation Squadron’s main task is area support. The Mi-171 is powered by the TV3-117VM engine, an engine developed for operations in hot and high environments so suitable for the mountains and deserts of Pakistan. The first Mi-17’s entered Pakistani service in the 1990s.

would be almost impossible, let m). The Lamas left Rawalpindi early When we saw the pictures our wor - alone picking up a man weighing 70 in the morning of 9 August, but their ries magnified a thousandfold. Tomaz kg. Using a long sling was our only arrival was delayed by poor weather was clinging on for dear life on a few option, and we would have to reduce en route. feet of space, with a mushroom of the weight of the helicopter to per - Col. Rashid: “At around 15:00 snow right above him. A fresh snow missible levels to hover out of hours we finally reached Base fall could turn into an avalanche on ground effect at that altitude. Camp, where we were met by the the slightest triggering action (such Calculations showed that this was expedition members, who quickly as a helicopter’s rotor wash or echo impossible.” showed us pictures taken by an noise.) The downdraft created by an Another thing that concerned those Askari helicopter the day before. avalanche could send the helicopter who were to execute the mission was the physical state of the climber, who No.5 Army Aviation Karakorum Squadron’s would have been battling against base Skardu is the starting point for many extreme conditions. Would he be able climbing expeditions which rely on No.5 to hook himself up at such high alti - Squadron for medical assistance tude, with strong rotor wash, hardly any oxygen in the air and extreme temperatures? Would he survive the 60-70 kph winds while descending under the helicopter, when the chill factor would reduce temperatures to - 30°C or -40°C? However, Tomaz s i

was an extremely experienced u h r

climber, and fit and well equipped, e t s factors that would greatly improve e w r e

his chances of survival. The helicop - i g o

ter to be used for the rescue would be r s h

the Lama, and the idea was to fly P a r

two Lamas and a Mi-17 to Nanga g o t o

Parbat Base Camp (11,155 ft / 3,400 h P 36 HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 Some army posts out of Skardu are 60 minutes flying away. To allow the helicopters to operate in those areas refuelling posts have been set up with 200 litre fuel drums flown in by Mi-171.

plummeting into uncontrollable flight. The almost vertical Lt Col.) and his co-pilot Lt Col. Khalid Amir slope might not allow enough rotor clearance to place the Rana (Major at the time of the rescue) spent some sling. We needed to have enough power to hover at this time practicing a few high altitude manoeuvres height out of ground effect, and also sufficient spare power to and checking the various weight/balance equa - lift 70 kg from the mountain and, at the same time, be heavy tions, to ensure that the helicopter was performing enough to descend the 10,000 ft (3,050 m) to Base Camp as it should be. The results were promising. within 10 minutes. These were all very serious concerns, and As Col. Rashid explains, “We decided to start a small error or problem meant certain death.” as early as possible. Although the cold air early in The helicopters were stripped to the bare minimum, and at the morning is comparatively denser and so 16:30 the two Lamas took-off for a rescue attempt, but had to increases the helicopters’ performance, it also cre - return because of clouds and almost white-out conditions. For ates katabatic winds that flow down the mountain Tomaz it meant one more night in the freezing cold. On their slope. This could offset the advantage of the low way down Col. Rashid (who at the time of the rescue was a temperature and pose a strong disadvantage alto - The crew of mission Karakorum 55 gether. When the sun shines on to a slope the relaxing between flights along the opposite happens, and the wind starts blowing up Baltoro Glacier in the heart of the the slope. However with a rising temperature the Karakorum Range. density decreases, affecting the performance of the helicopter and creating an increased risk of avalanches. So we aimed at being there when the sun had been shining below Tomaz’s position for almost half an hour, to give us an hour of relative - ly good circumstances. With every passing minute our chances would reduce, and it was unlikely s i that Tomaz would survive another night.” u h r

e They left Gilgit, where they had spent the t s e night, early, and arrived at Base Camp at 05:45 w r

e hours. After shedding all necessary weight, they i g o prepared for the mission. A layer of cloud was r s h still hiding Tomaz, but the sun was shining below P a r

g him, so the decision to take off was made, in the o t o hope that the rising winds would lift the clouds. h P 37 HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 a n r A d e

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PhotograPh rogier westerhuis As Col. Rashid explains, “We had by then hovered for yet, as Mr Tomaz was swinging wildly under the heli - over ten minutes and the fuel warning light had started to copter, and it took some time to stabilize him.” flicker. The mushroom of snow and ice just above Mr The second Lama, which was orbiting at a safe dis - Tomaz might break and turn into an avalanche at any tance, closed in once Lt Col. Khalid had established the moment now, and although lifting 70 kg should corre - required rate of descent. To everyone’s joy, Tomaz was spond to only .02 to .03 collective pitch rise, we were waving at the second Lama to indicate that he was OK. actually experiencing around .06, twice as much. The heli - Minutes later he would be down safe at Base Camp. It copter was at the maximum of its limits and still not going was a mission that had demanded the most from heli - up. Then suddenly the helicopter started to sink, and I copter and crew. It is a prime example of the courage though it had come into a vortex ring, which is similar to and skills of some of Pakistan’s best and most experi - the stall of a fixed wing aircraft. The procedure then is to enced helicopter pilots, who are ready to risk their own jettison the load, but we had agreed before the mission lives to save that of a foreign mountaineer. The night that we would not operate the emergency release switch, before the rescue, Tomaz had changed his normal and we had taken out the fuse. In the sling mirror I saw anchor line for one that was less strong. He was aware the sling rope in full tension. That was when I realized in that he might not be able to cut it, or might forget to do horror that Mr Tomaz had not managed to cut his anchor so under the influence of hypoxia and the extreme con - line, and that he was still secured to the mountain! This ditions. This saved his and the crews’ lives. Tomaz suf - was a desperate situation, and at the next little sink I fered no serious injuries and he has since continued immediately took the controls and moved the helicopter to climbing. Following this spectacular rescue, Col. the side to avoid collision with the slope. At exactly the Rashid and Lt Col. Khalid were invited by the same time I felt a pronounced jerk and the helicopter felt Slovenian Government to visit the Republic of light. Lt Col. Khalid shouted, ‘Sir, I think he has Slovenia, to receive the ‘Golden Order for Services’, dropped!’ because Mr Tomaz was not visible from his the highest Slovenian award ever conferred upon a for - side. A cold wave ran down my spine, and sudden disap - eign national. In November 2007 Rotor & Wing maga - pointment engulfed both of us. But just at that moment I zine awarded them the ‘Rotor & Wing Helicopter saw Mr Tomaz catapulted to the right, still tied to the Heroism Award’, in recognition of this heroic rescue. rope. I immediately moved the helicopter so that he would not slam into the rocks. However, the danger was not over Acknowledgement: The author wishes to express his gratitude to the following persons for their help in The Mi-171 does normally not land at heights preparing this article: Col. Baseer Haider, Col. Rashid over 13,000 ft and has a ceiling of around Ullah Beg, Lt Col. Khalid Amir Rana, Major Aamer 19,685 ft . Transportation of goods between Masood, and everyone else who contributed to the suc - these heights is done by sling load cess of this project.

Lama flown by Lt Col. Khalid Amir Rana who res - cued the Slovenian climber Tomaz Humar from Nanga Parbat 22,300 ft Welcome to the Machine Tracking to and from Grove with the EC120 Voyager using the new Airbox Foresight

He is a keen admirer of the EC120, which he calls “so ave Clark, the Chairman of Airbox, owns one of quiet and so frugal”. “It really does not use much fuel,” the only two EC120s with a full autopilot. These he says, “a bit more with the floats on, but it goes 120 Dversions, which come from Regourd Aviation, are knots comfortably.” called the Voyager. David collected his from Pontoise. He has never had any loss of tail rotor authority, As he says, “I wanted one with an autopilot, because although he is aware that this is often mentioned in rela - I did lots of training on a Squirrel with an autopilot. I tion to the EC120. was a typical low-time pilot who needs support from an We wanted to give the Foresight Airbox map a test, so autopilot. My RT was rubbish, and I found it difficult to we flew from Grove, where Airbox is based, to Rob do that and fly and navigate. Now I’m a much better Lamplugh’s ‘Aviation Museum of Parts’. pilot, thanks to the autopilot.” On the way I flew, and although the wind was some - Dave was the founder of Road Angel, the car acces - times as much as 30 knots, the machine behaved sories company, which he sold a few years ago. He has extremely well. The controls were smooth and it felt fun always loved cars and helicopters, but he started with a to fly. We did a couple of autorotations to local fields, and microlight and moved through aircraft, before finally the rate of descent was less than the H269, probably fulfilling his dream of owning a helicopter, in his case around 1200 fpm. the EC120. Using the Airbox, and comparing it to my car Binatone 40 HELICOPTER LIFE,Autumnr 2009 GPS, I found the helicopter model considerably more reli - able: for a start we did reach our destination, something that can be variable with the car’s GPS! I found the buttons easy to use, and to my surprise their position on the screen did not actually interfere much with my vision of the map. However, I did notice that the vibra - tion in the helicopter sometimes led me to press the wrong button, or in the wrong place - this may also be what hap - pens with the Binatone in my car! I was told that having the Airbox on the left hand side of the cockpit actually exposes it to more vibration than on the pilot’s side. Dave said that he had not found vibration a problem when the Airbox was set up on his side of the cockpit. One very important thing about the Airbox is that it is a ‘carry on’ device. This gives it a very different legal status from an ‘installed device’, which is considered a minor modification. Dave says he has found the machine very low on power consumption, and it works well with the nor - William Moore, the Technical Director, mentions mal pack battery. that, so far, every person who has looked at the demo Dave’s previous work with Road Angel also helped on their premises has bought the machine, and so far enormously when setting up the Airbox. For example, none have been returned. Of course, this may be when Road Angel first starting making software for because if you decide to fly in to an airfield to buy a Australia they forgot to allow for it being in the Southern GPS you are a serious buyer. Or it may be, says Hemisphere, with all the changes that entails. As Airbox is William, “because they know we give 100% back up. planning to expand worldwide, these kinds of insights will For us it is not about the sale but keeping the ongoing save them a lot of money in the future. relationship.”

41 Bubbles on the cockpit allow extra room for the head. Inset: the blade is dou - ble-jointed, which means they hang low

Thomas Wawrina owner and builder of the Brantly B2B

42 HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 The Building and Flying of a Brantly B2B

words and pictures byThomas Skamljic (pictured above)

ome time ago I read a very interesting biography At present the company Brantly International, in Vernon, about Bill Lear, the father of the Lear Jet. In one Texas, produces the B-2B helicopter (according to their Schapter I found something about an acquisition of website, although my email requests to learn more about a company named Brantly Helicopters. I had never heard the company were never answered). All in all, my of that company, but the distinct ice cream cone shape of chances of flying such a rare bird seemed pretty slim. the helicopter engaged my interest, so I started a short To my astonishment, I soon discovered that there is a Internet research to find out more about that helicopter. Brantly B-2B in flightworthy condition only 70 km from Mr. Newby O. Brantly started in 1943 with the develop - Vienna. Of course I immediately contacted Thomas ment of the B-1 helicopter, which was a coaxial design, Wawrina, the proud owner of the helicopter, who, when and he first flew it successfully in 1946. In 1953, the B-2 not enjoying life in his helicopter, is the Captain of a (equipped with a more traditional tail rotor) took off for Boeing 737. Just for info, as he has flown the MD-80, the first time. Developing the B-2 took four years, and the A-330 and the A-340, his logbook boasts an impres - two years later, in 1959 the FAA granted the certificate. sive 11,000 flight hours. Further design improvements led in 1963 to the B-2B And so it happens that I am standing in a very nice helicopter. The good performance figures of the B-2B garden in front of a small garden house, where I can see insured a decent production run, and by 1964 the market a Brantly B-2B. With a little effort we manage to pull the share of Brantly Helicopters was slightly above 50%. helicopter out into the open, and remove all the protec - c i j

L In 1963, the development of the 5-seater B-305 began. tive coverings. While preflighting the helicopter, Thomas m a k Developing a helicopter has never been a cheap under - explains all the details of the Brantly, and also how he s s a taking, and as a result Brantly Helicopters was integrated obtained this helicopter. m o h into Lear Jet Industries in 1966. Unfortunately financial In fact it should have been an EXEC 162 kit, but a t s h success never materialized, and in 1968 Lear Jet close friend of Thomas (Peter Jakadofsky) had recently P a r

g Industries sold off the helicopter division. Brantly imported exactly this helicopter from Phoenix Arizona o t o Helicopters then went through about six different hands. (this was 1996), and it did not take long to get on board h P HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 43 for the restoration work. Over the next two years, basical - ly every minute of spare time was dedicated to the restoration of the Brantly, “and not always to the delight of my family,” explained Thomas. “Fortunately for us, Peter found a maintenance hand - book and a parts catalogue, and the addresses of some Brantly owners and that of a former employee of Brantly Helicopters, and with this combined knowledge and tech - nical expertise we disassembled the B-2B quickly, and without causing any additional damage. “During the restoration process we also made sure that we would be fully compliant with all the AD that had been put forward in the meantime.” Inspecting the structure of the helicopter for rust was one of the first and most important tasks. Despite the favourable climate in Arizona (where the helicopter was in the open for about 17 years), there was severe to very severe aluminium corrosion on many parts. Fortunately They spent two years, this job was completed without any hiccups. working every spare “As it turned out, the tail rotor shaft (the long one) minute, rebuilding the machine proved to be a major problem. It had been damaged beyond repair when the helicopter was transported to The main rotor was a serious challenge. “There are so Austria, and finding a used one was impossible. So we many small parts that need to be put together precisely. set out to find a similar shaft (but of better quality, of You have one flapping hinge at the rotor head, plus you course), and a company to do the necessary work. As you have another flapping hinge at 40% of span, and there can imagine, all that took time, but a company in you also have a drag hinge and a damper. And now mul - Germany did the job with the required quality. Needless tiply this by three,” explains Thomas. “So we measured to say, this company also produces structures and parts the weight and the centre of gravity of all these bits and for Eurocopter. pieces, and put everything together in different combina - “Next on the agenda were all the small bits like bear - tions. We fully assembled and disassembled the main ings and screws. All the load carrying parts, the rotor rotor three times, and by then we had found the optimal head and the tail rotor blades were checked for cracks by set up. AUA-technicians (AUA is Austrian Airlines). An X-ray “With the main rotor complete, it was time for the and an ultrasonic inspection later, we had to find a new first engine start. Guess what? It immediately sprang to rotor head, because our 36-year-old one featured a promi - life; and one minor modification later we had succeeded nent incision. in having no leaks, something that is pretty rare on these “It took quite some time, but we found a new rotor engines. head and three almost new rotor blades, which had at that “When we started to ‘break in’ the tail rotor, it made time 1,000 to 1,100 hours remaining, so one more prob - strange noises, which of course was not good news. lem was solved. After some experimentation, we were able to cure that “The engine was a major headache, as was the main by adjusting (many, many times) the blade pitch of the gearbox. The crankshaft, the connecting rods and the rod tail rotor. Then it was time to get the main rotor blades bearings had to be replaced completely. We discovered to fly in line. As suggested, we started with tracking hairline cracks in three of the four cylinder heads, the tape, but the results were disappointing and the whole intake ports and exhaust ports needed work, and so on; procedure was not quite safe. lots of work, I can tell you. But again we were lucky. “The search was on for a better solution. Several c i j

Peter found a crankshaft somewhere in Canada, along L

brainstorming sessions later, and equipped with three m a with some old ‘new’ valves, and we successfully rebuilt k LEDs (fitted on the bladetips), we completed the blade s s the engine. All under the supervision of a qualified tech - a

tracking, with excellent results. By flying after sunset, m o nician, of course. With the necessary paint jobs complete, h we were able to check the paths of the blades precisely, t s we were ready to check whether we could assemble our h P

and it was easy to make the necessary adjustments. a r

helicopter from all the bits and pieces that we had been g

“We completed our restoration work in 1998, and o t working on for so long.” o exactly at that time Brantly Helicopters went back into h P HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 44 Thomas Wawrina parks his Brantly at home in the garden

Thomas Wawrina got his licence in Florida in march 1999 on the R22 business again. Sure enough there were no more prob - and put the helo in my own hangar (garden house). lems getting parts for our helo, but by then the only thing “In 2002, I started on the necessary paperwork for the we had to do was the necessary official inspections, permit, and it worked. It was not easy and it took some which we passed with flying colours. Just to be on the time, and of course there are some restrictions, but all in safe side, Peter flew to Dallas TX to compare our heli - all it works fine for me. Apart from the convenience of copter and a factory new one. His test flight convinced being able to operate your helo from your own backyard, him that we had done an excellent job. Our helo flew a you also save some money, as you need not pay hangar lot more smoothly, and the ride quality was a lot better,” fees. And speaking of fixed costs, the Brantly will explains Thomas. remain on the American register, since it’s a lot cheaper “It was during the restoration work that Peter offered that way, and somehow also more appropriate for that me a shared ownership of the helo. Many discussions kind of aircraft,” smiles Thomas. with my family and the bank later, I took a 50% share. In “Restoring a helicopter is one thing. Flying it is quite the next two years, both of us flew the helicopter regular - another. So, having almost completed the restoration ly, but then Peter found a reasonably priced Alouette II, work, it was about time to get the helicopter licence. and he needed the money from the Brantly to start the Since the B-2B was to remain on the American register, I Alouette project. So in 2001 I became the sole owner of had to get an American licence, and so, in October 1998, the B-2B,” explains Thomas. I started my helicopter training in Florida. In the meantime, we have completed the pre-flight “To convince my family, I promised them a fantastic inspection, which was easy and quick. All the relevant vacation time in Florida. It all started well, but in the fluid levels are easily accessible for checking, and for a second week my kids suffered from an ear infection more detailed inspection, access to the main gearbox, (they spent a lot of time in the pool), and in the third engine and main rotor hub is good. The main and tail week a hurricane ended my helicopter training (R-22 of rotors are mounted rather low, which allows for a very course). But in March 1999 I got my licence.” easy inspection, but you have to keep a watchful eye on On the main differences between the R-22 and the passengers and onlookers when you start up… Brantly, Thomas tells me that autorotations with a So I asked Thomas how he had managed to get per - Brantly are very comfortable. “In the case of an engine mission to operate the helo from his backyard. (This is failure, you need not dump the collective in a hurry, not usually allowed in Austria). because there is enough energy left in the rotor for about “My Brantly’s home was the hangar of Diamond four seconds before the rotor speed decays into the dan - Aircraft, but since they needed a lot of money (yet ger zone. And then there is no danger of mast bumping, c i j L

m again), they decided to increase the fees substantially. To the problem with ground resonance is reduced by the a k s give you an idea, for a helo they charged three times as hinges in the rotor blades, and by the layout of the land - s a m much as for a fixed wing of the same weight. I asked ing gear. And, finally, the ride quality in the Brantly is o h t them why, and they answered that if you can afford a also very good.” s h P

a helicopter, then you can afford the hangar fees as well. The main reason for the very comfortable ride is the r g

o Enough is enough, I said. I cancelled all the contracts, rotor blades, which have been upgraded (i.e., three lbs of t o h took my Brantly, flew back home, landed in my garden weights were put into the blade tips, and the main spar P HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 45 was strengthened). However, with these changes the maxi - power and it is also weightless. The main disadvantage mum rotor rpm now is 472 rpm (instead of 472-500 rpm), is that, when you are in a prolonged hover, you need to and if you should exceed the upper limit, you will have to keep an eye on the cylinder head temperature, as the exchange the hinges in the rotor blades. indicator will crawl up to the red line (depending on “Pilotwise, the Brantly is certainly less demanding than OAT) fairly quickly. the R-22,” explains Thomas. I like the controls very much. Cyclic pressures are Getting into the cockpit is easier than you might think, small, and the collective needs a little more effort. and you quickly find a comfortable seating position. The Every stick or collective input translates very well into cockpit is roomier than the R-22’s, and cyclic and collec - movements of the helicopter, and it is very easy to fly tive fall easily to hand. Speaking of the stick, it is a real the helicopter precisely. stick (yes, I know that a T-Cyclic does have its followers, The left hand of the pilot is the governor/correlator, but I have experienced the disadvantages of the T-Cyclic so I play with the throttle a little, to get a feel for the first hand, so personally I prefer the real stick). All the reactions of the engine and the system. Engine response instruments are on a central pedestal and are clearly visi - was quite good and I did not have much trouble keep - ble. The speed indicator has a red line at 100 mph. The ing all the needles in the green when working the col - rotor rpm limits are 400 and 472, engine rpm limits are lective. All was quite pleasant and under control during 2700-2900. Oil pressure, oil temperature and cylinder this manoeuvring, but, as I was to discover during my head temperature, and the altitude indicator are all mounted first auto with power recovery, it took rather more on the central dashboard. All-round visibility is excellent. power to get the rotor up to speed, and as I was already Engine start: priming is achieved by rolling the throttle rather low you can imagine that the recovery was a bit two times fully on and off, then closing the throttle again. unsmooth. However, my unsmooth recovery did not jolt Ignition on, and slowly rev up the engine to 1400 rpm: the Thomas into action, so he must have great confidence clutch bites and the rotor spins up. in the helicopter (or maybe in my ability to get out of Two minutes later the engine oil temperature is fine, trouble). I discovered that the Brantly is really very for - and we can rev up to take off RPM, the necessary checks giving, and since the speed limits for the rotor were not are complete, and we are ready for take off. exceeded Thomas did not have to change the hinges in Thomas is at the controls for the first take off, and I the rotor blades. The next autos were a lot nicer and the watch carefully. We lift off and leave the garden via the RoD was quite comfortable. approved route, heading towards Spitzerberg airport, for We climb up to 3,000 ft to continue the trip to the some helicopter-specific exercises there. airport. Still at 3,000 ft, I reduced the forward speed As we clear the trees, Thomas hands me the controls. I try from 90 mph to 30 mph, and back to 90 mph, to check some gentle manoeuvring, to get a feel for the helicopter. the workload necessary to keep the altitude constant. I also detect that we are flying with an impressive nose- No above average skills were necessary. I did not try down attitude, but Thomas tells me that this is because on the OGE hover because, during deceleration to 30 mph, the ground the tail sits a bit low, so the impression of a the cylinder head temperature and manifold quickly nose-down attitude in flight is a bit exaggerated. As prom - moved towards the red line. ised, the Brantly flies very nicely, and the vibration level is pretty low. However, if you straighten up and move your shoulders a little backwards, enough to touch the firewall, you will receive a very good massage. The rea - son for that is the very interesting engine cooling system. The engine compartment is essentially closed, and the only openings in that system are the air intakes behind the cockpit and the exhaust pipes. So in flight there is slightly higher air pressure in the engine compartment, and the air going into the engine compartment is forced to leave the engine compartment via the cooling exhausts. Into this cooling exhaust go the engine exhausts as well, so the exhaust gases serve as a “jet pump” that ensures a contin - uous airflow over the engine. If everything is stabilized, the air in the engine compartment will pulse with the 2,900 rpm rhythm of the four-cylinder engine. The big Brantly B2B fully advantage of the system is that it does not cost any engine articulated rotorhead

46 As already mentioned, all-round visibility is excellent. has two separate exhaust pipes (one on each side of However, without any line of reference in the cockpit, I the fuselage) and no collector, so you hear single det - found it difficult to hold the altitude precisely when flying onations; and as the fuselage shields the detonations turns with some more enthusiastic bank angles. Thomas of coming from the other side, you might have the course detected my problem, and suggested I use the com - impression that the engine is running very rough. pass (hanging from the cockpit roof) as a cue, and it Thomas invites the neighbour to join him on the next worked. Next I checked the dihedral stability: I pushed the flight, but the neighbour remains sceptical, and not too left pedal very gently, and the helo rolled and yawed to the enthusiastic about the invitation (at least for the left, just as it should (same thing to the right). moment…) In the meantime, we had arrived at Spitzerberg airport, I now have time to reflect on my day and the and we approached runway 15. Finding the correct flight. I was fortunate to fly a very rare helicopter. I approach speed of 55 mph, and a reasonable RoD, is not a was particularly impressed with the restoration work. problem (although the dashboard does not sport a VSI). The attention to detail is apparent everywhere. The With minimal corrections, I came to a neat hover before performance of the Brantly is good, it is easy to fly, landing on the intended spot. Keeping the Brantly in a and so, being able to operate the helicopter from his hover to check whether we were inside the limits was also backyard and having nice neighbours, what more can easy. We end the following two traffic circuits with steep Thomas ask for? approaches and no problem, as visibility is excellent, and in Brantly B2B the meantime I have learned how to work the throttle. cockpit Next on my checklist are the usual items, such as side - ways and backward flight, pirouettes, spot turns and the gipsy roll. Of course when flying such a rare bird I tried to be very smooth with the controls, and I made no attempt to push the envelope, but throughout these exercises the Brantly did not complain, or feel strange in any way. Backward flight was easy too. The flight manual limit for safe cross-wind or tail-into-the-wind operations is 20 mph. Spot turns were easy and pirouettes did not require any special skills. And although we spent quite some time in the low speed regime, the engine temperature remained firmly in the green. One thing was interesting, however. I could not really detect the typical shudder when accelerating through translational lift We complete our exercises, park the helicopter and head for the tower to pay the fees. Immediately the helo is sur - Thomas Wawrina´s Brantly B-2B N4992C was rounded by interested onlookers, who are seeing a Brantly built in 1960 and has the serial number 27. for the first time. They ask many questions, and finally I can show off, using my Internet knowledge. Crew: 1 The fact that a Brantly had participated in the James Pax: 1 Bond movie Goldfinger was mildly interesting. That Mr. Engine: Lycoming IVO-360-A1A Newby O. Brantly also designed bras (to be precise the Power: 134 kW 180 hp Brantly/Cameo bras) created huge interest. (I wonder what Vne: 161 km/h 100 mph they will google tonight…). Max. Alt.: 3.292 m 10.800 ft We have paid the fees and we are on the way home. Range: 402 km 217 nm Flying the correct approach into Thomas´ garden was no Empty weight: 481 kg 1.060 lbs problem at all, and I land the helo right on the intended c

i MTOW: 757 kg 1.669 lbs j

L spot. Thomas completes the post landing checklist and m

a Main rotor dia: 7,24 m 23,8 ft k switches off the engine. Just as the rotor blades come to a s Tail rotor dia: 1,29 m 4,2 ft s a standstill, a policeman and some other people show up. As m

o Rotorarea: 41,2 m_ 445 ft_ h you can imagine, I expect major discussions but it turns out t

s Length (fuselage): 6,43 m 21,1 ft h that the neighbours just came by to say hello, and to see the P a Length overall: 8,53 m 28,0 ft r

g Brantly. One asked if the machine was okay, as he had o

t Height: 2,11 m 6,9 ft o heard some strange noises. Thomas explains that the engine h P 47 The North Lakes Gyroplane Club fly north from Kirkbride, pictures by Andrew Lysser

Practising their formation

Is Scotland ready for this? Flying without Wings

by Georgina Hunter-Jones

Photographs by Georgina Hunter-Jones and Andrew Lysser 49 Chris Jones landing the MT-O3 on Kirkbride’s main runway

t is fifteen years since I last flew I flew with Chris Jones from MTO3 is a tandem machine and the a gyrocopter, and in that period Kirkbride Airfield in Cumbria, in his instructor sits behind. This has some Ithe design and flying characteris - two-seat MTO3. He calls his disadvantages, the major one being tics have changed enorrmously. You machine a gyroplane rather than a that, if the student is very tall, the no longer have to learn on single gyrocopter, partly so that potential instructor cannot see most of the seaters. Two-seat gyrocopters are pilots do not assume they are flying instruments, as to do so he must use now easily available, and gyroplanes a small helicopter. the front panel, having very few are now far more stable and After an extensive pre-flight instruments in his part of the cockpit. amenable than they used to be. check, which includes peering However he does have his own throt - In the past gyrocopters had small behind the back of the instructor’s tle and brakes, and an altimeter. The fuel tanks, and their range was usual - seat at the front of the engine, we rest he viewed over my shoulders. ly only within the small area around prepared to start. In the gyrocopter, While taxiing the rotor brake is the airfield, but now they have up to unlike a helicopter, you need to dress kept on, and the stick kept forward, four hours endurance and fly regular - for flight: warm suits, gloves, and to stop the teetering head blades ly on long trips, just like an aero - electric helmets to ensure that you from flapping down and striking the plane. However, there are still intrin - can hear each other. tail plane. sic differences from either planes or Engine and blades are started sep - When we were ready for take-off helicopters, and in many ways I am arately. Chris started the engine, the blade tie was removed and a surprised that they are often still which is electric and has a double switch on the console was changed viewed as small sporty helicopters. ignition for safety. The MTO3 has a from brake to flight mode. It is worth There are, in fact, not only important rotax four-stroke engine, which is noting that one instructor did manage differences from helicopters, but also part water-cooled and part air- to complete a full flight with the occasions on which your inbuilt heli - cooled. switch in the brake mode, although copter reactions are actually the We taxied out with the blades still he said that the controls were very wrong thing to do. These differences tied to the front of the gyroplane, stiff, and the rpm slightly lower than are particularly obvious on landing, using propeller power from the push - normal. Clearly this is neither good and at the top of the climb. er engine behind the cabin. The practice nor good for the machine,

50 HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 Checking the rotor - head before flight

Chris Jones demon - strating how low the blades can flap but it is possible in an emergency. MT-O3 front Once the gyroplane is in flight mode, the pre-rotator (pilot’s) cockpit button on the stick is held down until rotor rpm reaches 250 rpm. Then the wheel brakes are released and the gyro - copter motors forward, with the stick now held back, until around 300 rpm, when the nose wheel lifts slightly from the ground. At 350 rpm the gyro lifts into the air, and climbs out at 60 mph (all speeds are in miles, not knots). Rpm varies slightly depending on varying wind conditions. It is important to keep the speed up in the turn, as the increased drag may lead to a loss of height, as one student found to his cost, when, turning at about 200 feet, he lost so much height that the gyroplane landed back on the ground and had to be fetched on the trolley. He and the machine were unhurt, but embarrassed. We headed out towards the Lake District to do some turns. The gyro can turn very steeply at slow speed with the stick held right back, which is rather different from planes, as there are no wings to stall, but in this case too height is easily lost. One way in which the gyro differs from many modern planes is in the need for a rudder. There is a little flap in front of the cockpit which works like a piece of string (i.e., in the opposite way to a balance ball) to indicate balance, and this shows that there are fairly large rudder changes. Moreover, when flying out of balance there is a rush of wind into the open cockpit. ‘Autorotations’ were fantastic in the gyro. With no power on, the gyro happily turns and spirals at 30 mph, and is very manoeuvrable. However, as we got nearer the ground Chris emphasized that it was important to keep the speed up, to avoid sinking on to the ground. This is one major difference between a helicopter and a Chris Jones comparing the gyroplane: you do need speed, and speed keeps you in the length of the instructor’s air. The avoid curve on a helicopter shows places at which extended stick with the high speed at low height is a disadvantage, but this is not normal ‘joy stick’

HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 51 Checking behind the instructor’s seat

Lift-off begins the case in a gyroplane. with the nose To land a gyro, you ‘dive’ at the ground at 60 mph wheel until the gyro is at about 20 feet, then you flare gently to bleed off speed, holding the nose level for landing, until just before touch-down, when you ease the stick Rotax 4- back to keep the nose wheel off the ground, while let - stroke engine ting the main wheels touch. A perfect landing – at least in Chris’s case, although not necessarily in mine! To do a touch and go, you need to keep the stick hard back for the landing run, then bring it forward to counteract the nose, which rises with the momentum. The gyroplane uses a speed of 60 mph for climb out. At the top of the climb there is another big differ - ence between helicopters and gyroplanes. In a plane or a helicopter we do APT—attitude, power, trim. In a gyroplane this will lead to problems, so you bring the power back first, allowing the nose to settle down, and then trim. (There is a cocked-hat trim on the stick just Rotor head, like in a MD 500, but the forces are not nearly so inset showing the great). If you get these the wrong way round in a heli - rotor brake and copter, there is no great problem and you can waffle pre-rotator cables along on the back of the drag curve. In the gyro, how - ever, if you change the attitude without first reducing power you could get into pitch oscillations and bunting, which might lead to serious problems, so it is well worth taking this PAT seriously. In the past there were quite a few accidents with gyroplanes, not least because, at one time, if you had a plane or helicopter licence, you could fly a gyroplane without further instruction. This has now changed.

There is now a 40-hour (CAA, not EASA, licence) r e s s

with dispensations for other aviation experience: heli - y

The office at Kirkbride L copter pilots must do a twenty-hour minimum, and w e r D

aeroplane pilots a thirty-hour minimum. You also need n a D

to do a test and forty hours of ground school, all of n a s

which has helped reduce the accident rate. e n o j

I loved flying the gyroplane, it was a really good - r e experience and, as Chris pointed out, at around £100 an t n u hour considerably cheaper than a helicopter. We had a h a n i brilliant time doing passes across the fields and around g r o the control tower (their office), and it felt like basic e g h seat of the pants flying, which gave me a buzz. As long P a r g

as you remember it is not a helicopter you too should o t o feel the fun of flying a gyro. h P 52 HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009

Mil Mi-26

54 9 in Afghanistan

by Neil Walton

55 Kandahar City with Above: Mi-26T crew smoke from cooking and Below: watching the dam earl y morning mist

t 0630, the sun is just rising from the East, and Andre Els. This vast crew flies supplies for the Dutch, a bitter cold wind is blowing down off the British, Canadians, Americans and any other nations that AHindu Kush Mountains from Pakistan. Winter may require a heavy lift helicopter: this brings new mean - in Afghanistan can be brutal, but some of the crew on ing to the term “International.” the Mi26T have been here before. On this cold, clear, windy morning, the Mi26T crew is Nikolay Palamarchuc, ex-Russian Mi25 Hind loading two British Defender Jeeps from KAF (Kandahar Gunship Pilot and Chief Captain today, was here for Airfield), destined for the British Marine Commandos several years in the 1980s, fighting the Mujahedin. based in Camp Bastion in Southern Helmand Province, Now he is here as a Contractor flying the Mi26T for Afghanistan. Once there, they will unload the jeeps and Vertical-T, a Russian Company based in Tver, Russia. then reload a different jeep into the cargo bay, along with The Mi26T is used in Theater (Theater of War), Christmas mail and some unspecified military cargo, to mainly as a heavy lift helicopter for Military Supplies. deliver to the Kajaki Dam. Then off to the Kajaki Dam, Most nations here require their troop transports to be located in the Northern Helmand Province, to deliver the “protected” to some extent with a Missile Warning new cargo, and then they have to set up a sling to lift out a System or MWS, but there is no such thing on this Jackal Armored Vehicle that was heavily damaged by an Mi26T. Designed for both Military and Civilian use, IED (Improvised Explosive Device). Thankfully, no one the Mi26T is unmatched in its carrying capacity, and it was hurt in this attack. In such circumstances, the sling is is capable of carrying 20 tons internally or externally: used if the vehicle is in such disrepair that it cannot be there is not much that it cannot carry. driven into the cargo bay. Complicated as it is, the Mi26T is owned by The sun has barely risen as we depart KAF and head Vertical-T, a Russian company, contracted to DynCorp SW into the desert, towards Camp Bastion. On this morn - Australia, and then sub-contracted to the ing, because of the rain, the air is free of the baby powder Ministry of Defense. This leads us to the multi-nation - dust that plagues the country most of the time. This gives al crew members: the Russian flight crew consists of me an unobstructed view through the small portholes that Chief Captain Nikolay Palamarchuc, Co-Pilot Pavel open up in the fuselage of the Mi26T. I am happily snap - Omelchenco, Navigator Victor Redkin, Flight ping many of the 500 photos that I will have to sort later P h

Engineer Alexander Korotov, Loadmaster Oleg this evening, and oblivious to the temperature at this point. o t o

Kotchetov, Second Loadmaster Konstantin Iotov, My liaison, the Mi26T Manager, Andre Els, is making g r a P

Chief Ground Engineer Victor Brovko, Ground instant coffee for us, and also trying to keep warm in the h s

Engineer Avionics Alexander Boykov, Ground dark and unheated cargo bay. r o m i

Engineer Vladzimir Pushkarou, Ground Engineer Andre, a DynCorp Australia employee, is the Crew and n a

Asset Protection Manager here in KAF for Vertical-T. c

Alexander Afanasyev, Ground Engineer Aliaksandr i u f f

Datsenka and South African Asset Protection Manager Andre was previously with the South African Police a 56 HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 Mil Mi-26T being unloaded in the ‘Loading Zone’ Inset: Captain Nikolay

Force, as a Captain in the Organized Crime Section in the cargo bay of the Mi26T. It smells a bit like a garage, cof - coastal town of East London, South Africa. He has oper - fee shop and dirty socks all rolled into one. Young ated on PSDs (Personal Security Details) for DynCorp in Loadmaster Konstantin Izotov is busy scurrying around both Iraq and Afghanistan. He currently owns and oper - to ensure that everything is tied down, and that the cargo ates a security firm in East London, SA. Andre has exten - bay is neat and tidy. This is his office, and it is obvious sive training, and he speaks four languages, and can get that he takes great pride in his work. by in several others. He has packed us a runaway kit in The entire crew is very professional and makes me the event that today we need to put down somewhere out - feel at ease during the whole flight. Ironically there is side the wire. Let’s hope I don’t need to find out what its only one English-speaking crew member, the Navigator contents are! Victor Redkin, so most of my communication with the At our first stop there is an unfortunate mishap, and crew is done with hand gestures. one of the main tires on the Mi26T blows. You would not Our trip takes us up the Valley, known as the think this is a problem for a helicopter, but remember that Green Zone, en route to FOB Kajaki, and this is one of this one weighs in at a staggering 56000 kg, and with tires the most dangerous areas in Afghanistan. Here the nearly four feet tall and weighing several hundred kg, it British have lost 137 of their bravest young men. It is takes special equipment to accomplish the change. After where we would want to have to put down. It is a spec - the flight engineer has assessed the damage and made a tacular area full of lush greenery and a swollen river, few phone calls, it is decided to go back to KAF and lined on both sides by 1200 m high hills. replace the tire. We can now continue with the rest of the day. Approaching the dam, in like a great prehis - An hour and a half later we have a new tire, and we are toric dragonfly, we enter over Kajaki Lake and on to a on our way from KAF to Camp Bastion, to FOB small LZ (Landing Zone) on the very edge of the Kajaki (Forward Operating Base) Kajaki with our cargo. It is Dam. We put down amongst a dozen or so young British starting to warm up now, and daylight is seeping into the Marine Commandos, all in their early 20s. This is where

HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 The Hindu Kush Mountains that run the length of Afghanistan

the main supply of hydro electricity for Southern that the lift goes smoothly, without problems. Minutes Afghanistan comes from, and the would love to later we have defied gravity again and are at cruising alti - destroy this dam. tude, on our way back to Camp Bastion. This is proof that Standing on the edge of the dam, one of the British anything will fly, if you put enough power into it. Commandos tells me that for 3 km around the Dam is Sitting in the back cargo bay, and looking down verti - safe, but beyond that the Taliban are gathering and wait - cally from 3200 m, through a hole in the floor the size of ing. He tells me it is safe to wander to higher ground and a half sheet of plywood, provides an awesome view. the gate that overlooks the landing site to take photos, but I should stay alert. I couldn’t help but feel that there were eyes watching me from a distance, and waiting for me to make a mistake or a wrong move. At the top of the hill I come across a group of Afghan men in their 20s. They wave for me to come up and visit. They offer sweet tea, Afghan style. I apologetically thank them for the offer, but we are not staying long enough for that. They have been hired by the Americans to help secure this area, and they are very proud to show me their radios and their American-supplied jackets, and to pose for me. Money buys you everything here, and they will remain loyal as long as they are paid more than the Taliban can offer. Most of the time they are alone up here, and they Changing a tyre on the spend their time fishing, drinking tea and watching for Mi-26T is not an easy business insurgents. The load is secured to the hook under the Mi26T, and the process of lifting a 10-ton load begins. This is my first time in a helicopter carrying an external load, so I have no idea what I am in for. The Commandos outside are hunkered down amongst the offloaded cargo, and are being severely battered by the incredible wind and sand generated by the Mi26T. They are watching to make sure

58 HELICOPTER LIFE,Autumn 2009 However, seeing and feeling the swing of a 10-ton load on before. Meanwhile Pavel has now pushed himself a 50-ton helicopter is something that I, as a fixed wing back in his seat, and is rubbing the sweat off his palms pilot, would never be able to get used to. The constant and trying to get the blood flowing back into his fin - feeling of the helicopter rolling over on its back is very gers after the death grip he had while trying to control uncomfortable. Right now I would do anything to be back this beast. Captain Nikolay expertly guides the Mi26T in my room and curled up with a good book. and sling load on to the ramp at Bastion just as the sun I move to the cockpit to see if that will make me feel sets in the desert, bringing us closer to the end of a any better. As I enter the cockpit the first thing I see is a very long day. small TV screen on the dash, with the Jackal in plain view, We take on fuel and Capt. Nikolay brings the beast and Co-Captain Pavel Omelchenco with beads of sweat on back to life. He is a man of few words, but what he his brow, and his eyes fixated on the TV screen, as he says and how he carries himself make you feel that works the controls to keep the load where it should be. there is nothing he cannot do with this monster Captain Nikolay signals me to sit in the jump seat between machine. On the descent back to KAF, Capt. Nikolay the two of them, points at the screen, and then looks across leans back towards me, smiles, and says “Long Day, at Pavel. With a roll of his eyes and a sigh, Captain Neil. I smile back and say, “Yes Nikolay, 12 hours is Nikolay then takes control of the Mi26T using only his enough for one day.” A smile and a wink is all I get for fingertips, as if he is sitting in his living room with the TV my time with him and his crew, but it is a time that I remote in one hand and a cocktail in the other. He is will not soon forget. relaxed and casual, as if he has done this a million times All in a day’s work.

General characteristics of the Russian Mil Mi-26 Disc area: 789 m2 (8,495 ft) Crew: Six Empty weight: 28,200 kg (62,170 lb) 2 pilots, 1 navigator, 1 flight engineer, 1 loadmaster, 1 Loaded weight: 49500 kg (108,900 lb) radio/electronic systems operator Max takeoff weight: 56,000 kg (123,500 lb) Powerplant: 2- Lotarev D-136 turbo shafts, Capacity: 8,380 kW (11,240 shp) each Up to 150 troops, 90 recommended 20,000 kg cargo (44,000 lbs) Performance Length: 40.025 m (131 ft 4 in) (rotors turning) Maximum speed: 295 km/h, 183 mph (160 kt) Rotor diameter: 32.00 m (104 ft 11.8 in) Range: 1,952 km, 1,240 miles (1,080 nms) Height: 8.145 m (26 ft 9 in) Service ceiling 4,600 m (15,100 ft) P h o t o o g r a P h n e i L w Thanks to the Mi26T crew for their gracious a L t

o invitation and hospitality. n

HELICOPTER LIFE,Autumn 2009 59

HL Summer 2009 Cover 4/6/09 12:31 Page 1 H

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

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HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 61 Ghosts of Helicopters (and flyers) Past

RUGGS HARRISON : T HE FLYING BOUVIER DE FLANDES

renowned, particularly to those who dared to close the uggs Harrison, affectionately known as Ruggsie door in front of him, for knocking people completely off Bear, was not only the close friend of Guy their feet to get to the helicopter. He displayed a huge RHarrison, a 41 year old businessman from West sense of ownership over the Scout and was less than Sussex, but also his favourite accommodating to his fellow flying companion. Born on the passengers in the back seats! 1st August 1996 Ruggs, a 9- Exhibiting entertainingly stone Bouvier de Flandes, accu - human traits, Ruggs would mulated over 375 hours in his casually gaze out of the Scout 14 long and contented years, window down at the English

and flew in 2 different types of Countryside below, as if he P h o

aircraft. His flying career recognised the local terrain. In t o g

began in an Enstrom 280, which r doing so he would often cause a P h

he made very clear to both pilot great excitement to people s c o

and passengers that he was below who witnessed any land - u r t e

rather disparaging of. Then he ing with Ruggs inside. Ruggs s y o

upgraded to a Westland Scout in was also seen competing in the f g

which he developed a serious u

Helicopter Championships of y h

taste for flying. Ruggs detested Great Britain in 2004 (as head a r r i being left behind and was s

of Security & Chief Navigator). o n

6262 HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 BOOK R EVIEW

Due South Through Tropics and Polar Extremes

by Joanna Vestey and Steve Brooks with Rebecca Stephens

Joanna had worked all over the world as he original idea was gloriously a photographer. This is the story of how Rebecca Stephens, the first British simple, at least in concept – to together they flew the length of the woman to climb Everest, it is both fly a helicopter from the very T Americas, and the story of Brooks’ fur - an epic adventure story and a top of the world to the very bottom – ther ambition to top and tail the adven - striking testament to the power of a feat never before attempted. The ture with flights to the polar extremes. positive thinking. journey would take in some of the Brooks’ first attempt to cross the infa - Joanna Vestey is an award-win - planet’s most extreme wildernesses, mous Drake Passage en route to the ning photographer whose work from the polar ice sheets to mountain has been published widely both P South Pole was to end in near fatal dis - h o ranges and canyons, rainforests and

t nationally and internationally. o aster when the helicopter suffered engine g r deserts, river and oceans, glaciers Steve Brooks is an avid adventur - a failure and he ended up in the icy P h and sand dunes, with visits to indige - s waters, lucky to escape with his life. er, record-breaking helicopter pilot c nous tribal groups along the way. o and joint founder of one of u Two years later he returned and success - r t Pilots Steve Brooks and Joanna Europe’s largest property invest - e

s fully crossed the Drake, flying on to the y Vestey were no strangers to adven -

o ment companies. Rebecca

f South Pole. This book is the story of a

V ture. Steve had already found his Stephens was the first British e young couple’s phenomenal journey and s t e way into the record books as the first woman to climb Everest and the y their enduring will to succeed. b person to drive from America to r seven summits, and is the author o Documented by Joanna Vestey’s stun - o k Russia across the Bering Strait, while of several books. s ning images and told in the words of HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 63 A CCIDENT R EPORTS

Brantly B2B, G-BPIJ student was not going to reach the aiming point the The pilot was doing a training flight for the revalidation instructor advised on corrective action. Later he realized of the pilot’s type rating. The pilot under instruction was he had not reinstated the SSLs and advanced them to in a low hover with the wind 20 degrees to the left, the flight idle. He took control and landed on the grass next instructor asked him to turn right to point downwind. to the runway. The touchdown seemed normal, but after a Whilst carrying out the manoeuvre, the helicopter unex - precautionary check it was discovered that the retractable pectedly started to yaw right and climb. Having climbed nose gear did not appear to be fully extended and close to about 20 feet and yawed through 180 to 270 degrees inspection revealed that the extension strut had collapsed with the throttle fully open and the left pedal fully and that the nose leg was resting against the underside of applied, the instructor took control. The instructor low - the fuselage. ered the collective to attempt to recover the rotor speed The commander was 38 years old and had 3,220 hours of which had drooped, while maintaining full left pedal. By which 1,384 were on type. this time the helicopter was some 30 to 40 feet above the ground and had drifted downwind. It continued yawing Robinson R-44 N-7189W right as the height was reduced, until it made a gentle On July 23, 2009, 2226 Eastern Time, a R44 helicopter touchdown. After touchdown the helicopter continued was substantially damaged during a cruise flight when it yawing and the left skid collapsed, causing the helicopter struck a guy-wire and impacted the ground in Boonsboro, to roll left and the main rotor blades to strike the ground. Maryland. The flight originated from Hagerstown The tail rotor authority under the prevailing conditions Regional Airport, Maryland, and the helicopter was en of high torque in the hover was likely to be marginal. If route to Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK), Frederick, tail rotor authority is lost, the resulting uncontrolled yaw Maryland, when the accident occurred. sets in very rapidly, and is inherently difficult to control. On the day of the accident, the helicopter flew from FDK This is particularly so if the height is insufficient to per - to HGR, to transport a Director of the Advanced mit an immediately lowering of the collective to reduce Helicopter Youth Foundation and another passenger to a the torque reaction, without risk of the helicopter con - business association meeting. In addition, the pilot was tacting the ground prematurely with an unacceptably scheduled to give rides in the helicopter, in conjunction high rate of yaw. The commander was 68 years old and with that meeting. The pilot and the third passenger were had 9,444 hours of which 93 were on type. employees of AHC. The helicopter arrived at HGR at approximately 1812. The pilot then gave rides in the heli - Robinson R-44 Raven 11, N515DG copter until about 2000. The rides consisted of a flight On June 25, 2009, at 1500 Pacific time, a Robinson R44 around the pattern, and each flight lasted about 5 minutes. II landed hard during a forced landing approximately 7 After the business meeting and the rides, at approximate - miles west-northwest of Lakeport, Ca. The CFI reported ly 2100, the pilot called an employee of AHC about the that they were conducting a 180-degree autorotation with weather conditions for the return flight to FDK. The a power recovery. They put the helicopter into a glide employee informed the pilot that the weather conditions and, as they made the turn, the CFI noticed that the oil were “miserable,” with severe thunderstorms in the area. and auxiliary fuel pump lights were on. The CFI then He offered to drive in his car to HGR to take the occu - looked at the tachometer and attempted to increase the pants back to FDK. However, the pilot said they would throttle. The power did not return so the CFI committed “wait out” the weather. The pilot called back “sometime to a landing. During landing, the main rotor blades between 2200 and 2215,” to ask again about the weather. impacted the tail boom. The instructor and private pilot The employee told the pilot that the rain had stopped. undergoing instruction were not injured. However, it was still foggy and windy, with lightning in the area. He again offered to drive to Hagerstown, and Agusta A109A2, N745HA the pilot said that he would wait for the weather to A student and instructor were doing autorotations as part improve. He also mentioned that the wife of one of the of a type rating course. The instructor initiated the passengers owned a minivan, and could pick them up if autorotation with the words: “Double engine failure, needed. It was estimated that the helicopter departed GO” and retarded both Speed Select Levers (SSL) from HGR about 2215. The HGR air traffic control tower the flight idle position. The aircraft was established in closed at 2200, and there were no known communica - autorotation at 75 knots. When it became obvious the tions with the helicopter.

64 HELICOPTER LIFE,Autumn 2009 A CCIDENT R EPORTS

A witness, driving east on Interstate 70 (I-70), stated that he observed the helicopter pass him over his right side. It Schweizer 269C-1, N94421K was a “dark night,” and there was fog about 50 feet The flight from APF originated about 2 minutes earlier. above the roadway surface. The helicopter appeared to The pilot stated that he planned on performing a solo fly into “low clouds,” turned around, and was heading cross-country flight. Prior to departure, he performed a back toward the west, when it contacted power lines just preflight inspection with no discrepancies. He also per - as his car passed under them. The helicopter impacted formed a check of the magnetos, and both were within the ground and burst into flames. the 125-rpm maximum drop. He did not recall or report Another witness, driving on I-70, reported that the heli - anything unusual about the rest of the pre-departure copter was flying parallel with the interstate, and process. He received clearance to depart to the south - “seemed to be getting lower.” It then disappeared from east, and initiated a hover of approximately 5 to 7 feet view, which was followed by “sparks in the sky.” The wit - above ground level. He then began the takeoff, acceler - ness observed the helicopter descend toward the roadway. ating to 55 and 60 knots indicated airspeed with almost The helicopter struck and broke an unmarked steel guy- 29 inches of manifold pressure. At the same time the wire, which extended perpendicularly over I-70, and was engine rpm was near the bottom of the green arc. He about 70 feet high. The accident site was at an elevation lowered the collective down slightly to correct the high of about 1,130 feet mean sea level, near the top of South manifold pressure reading and also to increase engine Mountain. A ground scar was noted on the center median rpm, and although the manifold pressure decreased, the approximately 30 feet west of the power lines, and the engine rpm did not increase. He increased the throttle helicopter came to rest on its left side. A post-crash fire but there was very little response. About this time he consumed the cabin, most of the main rotor gearbox began hearing an intermittent beeping from the low- housing, and all drive belts. Initial examinations did not rotor-rpm warning horn, and also reported that the reveal evidence of pre-impact mechanical malfunctions. sound from the engine was not typical, and that it felt Initial review of maintenance records revealed that the sluggish. He notified the tower of his intention to helicopter had been operated for about 60 hours since its return and turned to the left, while keeping the collec - most recent annual inspection. The pilot had 630 hours tive in the previously placed position. As he came out of total flight experience. He and the three passengers of the turn in a direction that he thought was towards were killed. the airport he applied nearly full throttle but, at the end of the turn, he heard the low-rotor-rpm warning horn Robinson R44, N22HP change to a steady tone. The helicopter began descend - The private pilot reported that he was flying the helicop - ing at a rapid rate and he immediately started looking ter about 500 feet above the ground and decided to for a neutral landing spot. He aimed for an unoccupied descend to follow a riverbed. While descending to the pool and closed the throttle and lowered the collective. river, one of the passengers alerted him to the presence He then recognized that he would be unable to land in of power line wires that obstructed their flight path. The the pool and, just prior to contact with a wood trellis pilot applied full aft cyclic and collective in an attempt to and small building near the pool, he pulled the collec - avoid colliding with the wires; however, the tail boom tive. Injury precluded him from evacuating the wreck - and tail rotor contacted the wires. The impact resulted in age; he was rescued by a local fire rescue. the separation of the tail rotor blades and the bottom sec - Preliminary inspection of the helicopter revealed that tion of the vertical stabilizer from the helicopter. the fuel tank was nearly full, with no fuel contaminants Following the collision, the pilot initiated an autorota - noted. The engine was removed and inspected. This tion. Upon touchdown, the helicopter bounced, and when revealed that the right magneto was against the counter it touched down again, it was moving sideways to the clockwise stop and that the flange adjacent to the lower left and rolled over. The helicopter came to rest on the clamp was fractured. The as-found position of the mag - bank of the river on its left side. Examination of the heli - neto was timed approximately 50 degrees before top copter revealed substantial damage to the main rotor dead center (specification is 25 degrees before top dead assembly, the tail rotor assembly, vertical stabilizer, tail center). The magneto was repositioned and properly boom, and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no timed to the engine. The engine was then started and mechanical anomalies with the helicopter prior to the operated normally. The right magneto was retained for accident. further examination. The pilot had 1250 hours, 105 on the Robinson R44.

HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009 65 H OUSE & H ELICOPTER

Sangin, Green Zone Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Photographs by Neil Walton angin is a city in Helmand Province where many of the more than 1,000 international troops. The troops used heli - International units are based, including the British, the copters, ground fire and ground attack, as well as airpower. SCanadians and the Danes. It is situated in the Green On April 5th, the town was secured and the Taliban were Zone, a fertile agricultural area of Helmand, which is also driven out. A new local governor was appointed and there is used for production. now a permanent military base in Sangin. The Siege of Sangin took place between July The Mil Mi-26T is used as a heavy 2006 and April 2007. It started with a massacre lift machine in war areas and else - of civilians by the Taliban. A Company was where. Its NATO name is Halo, and called in to secure the area, but this operation it is capable of carrying 20 tonnes failed, and there was a general stand-off until a (40,000 lbs). The prototype first flew failed raid by the Special Forces, in which two in 1977, and it went into production in soldiers were killed. A unit of 1981. The Mil Mi-26 was first used by was called in, and they built a helipad with a the in 1983. It was

double rampart of HESCO barriers. A the first helicopter to operate with an P h o

Chinook, supported by Apaches, was then able eight-blade rotor. t o g

to access the area and bring in 200 extra troops. The one shown here on Whisky r a P

This helped to weaken the Taliban and some Ramp KAF (Kandahar Airfield) is h s b

were driven out, but they maintained their hold owned by Vertical-T, a Russian y n e

on the city. company, and it is contracted to i L w

Sangin was finally relieved in April 2007, by DynCorp Australia, which leases it a L t , which deployed a force of to the Netherlands MOD. o n

66 HELICOPTER LIFE, Autumn 2009