Originally Posted by
malabo
If you are experienced and current on black-hole helipad departures it is a purely mechanical exercise, more so with a 139 that will transition easily to forward flight without loss of altitude. From the hover all references are on your panel with sequential power and attitude changes. Has been done safely for years even in helicopters with no AFCS at all. We’d practise engine failures before and after rotation from a night helideck at the 139 sim every year.
With the impact damage seen, flotation isn’t especially relevant. Except as a disparaging comment on aircraft management if it wasn’t there. Pretty sure the previous owner had floats and Phase4 - noooby? Under Part 91 I don’t know what is required in addition to life jackets on board for all occupants. I’d insist on floats and rafts for a 150nm overwater trip with passengers, but that’s just me.
We don’t know where the aircraft was hiding out prior to landing to pick up passengers at 2am. Entry and exit from the Bahamas has to be from an AOE, closest would be Nassau. Was it headed for KFLL (24 hr customs) direct or via MYNN? If I’m departing from a remote location in the US or Canada I ask for an “assumed departure” when I file a flight plan - that way my flight plan opens automatically, even if I were to crash on takeoff.
Yeah, I don't recall if this was 4.8 or 5.6. Definitely had floats. Hard cover floats. First picture on this thread with it in N-reg shows floats. But the photos just above do not. The hard covers over the floats are very fragile and quite obvious. And I don't see them yet. Wouldn't make much of a difference probably but still something that the FAA may not be happy about.