Originally Posted by
cooperplace
Pardon me if I seem a bit dim, I know nothing about choppers, but couldn't you take off just fine with flat tyres? And only have an issue when landing?
Obviously a takeoff to a hover and landing from a hover would be possible. Any taxiing with a flat tire could further damage the tire, rim and landing gear and could present ground clearance problems, and increases the risk of dynamic roll-over. Any rolling t/o or landing would incur risk. Furthermore, several emergency procedures require run-on landings, so takeoff with a flat tire would not be advisable.