206b noise
Looking for some help from all you 206 experts out there....
I manage and fly a 'newer' 206B3 out of the local airport. It is always well maintained to 135 standards and has under 4000TT. If it matters, it has Van Horn T/R blades and a Lord Elastomeric bearing which are a few years old.
I've now had two airplane mechanics (mostly unfamiliar with rotorcraft workings) from different airports randomly walk up and tell me they've heard my helicopter come and go hundreds of times over the past few years, but recently there is a high pitched whine coming from back which they hadn't heard before. They both said you can't hear it until the helicopter has passed by them, so they are facing the back of the aircraft. Nothing has changed that I can think of which would account for the new noise. My first thought was possibly a hangar bearing going bad, but they were all checked out during my recent annual inspection. Any chance it's the T/R gearbox trying to warn me before it fails? The chip detector is clean....
I didn't pay much attention to the first guy, but now two?! I'm not overly concerned but am starting to get curious. Thank you in advance for your thoughts.