View Full Version : Gravel pads?
What are the pro's and con's of gravel pads. At the moment I am taking a 109 into dusty and grassy areas but have the option of gravel at most of the sites.
Droopy
22nd Aug 2006, 15:48
Where I grew up, gravel pads were what the hard lasses used....:uhoh:
But what do you mean by gravel? Compacted hardcore [the road kind not the internet one] is ok when it's been well rain-washed but the fine stuff as per all weather pitches gets trodden all over the cabin and blows as badly as sand.
Bertie Thruster
22nd Aug 2006, 16:22
gravel, as in shingle, makes an excellent pad for skid helos up to medium size.
Needs to be a decent layer (10cm).
SASless
22nd Aug 2006, 16:22
Whats a tail rotor worth?
Get rock that is big enough not to be blown about....
Disguise Delimit
22nd Aug 2006, 22:24
We broke a windscreen and got lots of paint damage by ground-taxying a 76 over gravel - surprising, considering that the collective was on the floor.:eek:
Cyclic Hotline
22nd Aug 2006, 22:26
I recall an operator with a Chinook taking off from a gravel parking lot and having to buy a new paint job for a Mercedes that was (legally and appropriately) parked there.:eek:
Most of our timber factories grounds are extremely dusty, almost like flour thickness, so we use gravel for our helipads. Gravel over here is quite thick ie pebble the size of 2 thumbs. Also we only use R44 and EC120 and have not any problems so far
Cheers
WLM
agusta 109+Gravel=small airgun pellet type dents in the leading edge of the tailrotor:{
If you even suspect SMALL bits of gravel stay in a high hover for a few seconds and try to sweep them away from your set down area.
A MKII tail rotor is just the right distance off the ground for the small stones to be swept back into it.
Fly safe
Lup
Hippolite
23rd Aug 2006, 10:32
SaS is right, small stones will end up everywhere you don't want them.
If you use stones about the size laid between railway sleepers, you won't have a problem. Even loose top dressing on an asphelt surface can result in FOD damage to compressor bleades and tail rotor leading edges.
HH
Bertie Thruster
23rd Aug 2006, 11:48
We were sent by ambulance control to a 2 car head on traffic accident reported by the occupants as being on "Degreville Road", in a small town close by.
No such road in that area on the database!
Orbitted the town and spotted the accident.
It was on a stone track!!
Barndweller
24th Aug 2006, 09:05
Nice one Bertie - Took me a minute though!!!
gulliBell
24th Aug 2006, 11:06
We broke a windscreen and got lots of paint damage by ground-taxying a 76 over gravel - surprising, considering that the collective was on the floor.:eek:
Actually not surprising, S76 is notorius for that, happened to me twice and I know of several others. Those heated windshields are expensive to replace and it only takes one stone chip, get a crack and it's scrapped.
Is S76 with full down collective actually at flat (zero degree) pitch? I reckon there's washout built into the blades resulting in some positive pitch angle there somewhere, but I don't know for sure. All I know is if you land on or taxi over loose gravel you are going to write off a windscreen or 2 before too long (not only that but you're going to put a few dings in the compressors, and that can be big $$ if damaged beyond blending limits).
WA-CEET
25th Aug 2006, 02:02
pigy
You not flying that nice 109 out of fremantle?
ShyTorque
25th Aug 2006, 11:23
We were sent by ambulance control to a 2 car head on traffic accident reported by the occupants as being on "Degreville Road", in a small town close by.
No such road in that area on the database!
Orbitted the town and spotted the accident.
It was on a stone track!!
Hi Bertie,
Nice one - reminds me of the time I got airborne thinking we were looking for someone called "McGann".
After about half an hour I asked what his description was and was told "Blue, on a 'Y' plate".
I then realised JJ meant Megane, as in Renault. :O
Bloomin' Geordies :)
bellfest
25th Aug 2006, 11:36
Bit like the old trick of sending the apprentice to the sheet metal shop to get a "long weight" when you want him out of your hair for a while:E
pigy
You not flying that nice 109 out of fremantle?
No, I'm in Africa (just realized I hadn't updated my profile for a while!)
Thanks for all the replies Guys!