Nick…you do know how to “stir the pot”……….but an excellent subject. I must agree that with a limited purse , one must prioritize what goodies one can buy. So I have no argument with you there.
HOWEVER , on the specific subject of engine failure at the rig , may I direct the issue to a helicopter’s ability to fly a profile that will allow a successful escape after the engine has quit. By successful , I mean survivable.
(Bear in mind that I am currently flying the A model 76 in the tropics.)
Now I am not as concerned with the landing phase. With good technique , even hot and nil wind , an engine failure on approach , holds less angst for me. It is the take off that worries me….and surprise surprise …. it is NOT the single engine performance that I want , it is TWIN performance ! WHY ?
I lost an engine on rotation from a rig many years ago. It was not a Sikorsky but the lesson was indelibly imprinted on my brain. We rotated at about 15 feet. Our event was witnessed by the rig radio operator. The PT6 (well that is a bit of a clue) spat half the turbine out the back , right on rotation. We did fly away but the radio operator verified what really scared the crap out a me... and that was that the tail rotor cleared the deck edge by inches. Now had I hit the deck edge with the T/R then OEI performance , or even Twin performance becomes academic….I am dead meat.
So that is what I mean by wanting TWIN PERFORMANCE. I want to be able to lift high enough so that if I do lose an engine at that critical point on rotation , I can clear the deck edge and either fly away or ditch.
I see that the C+ does have various profiles/performance graphs for drop down , fly away etc from an elevated helipad (ie helideck). I have not flown the C+ in traditional offshore oil operations so am very curious about the profiles that offshore C+ OPERATORS are using and their subsequent WAT limits. Are they equipped with the collective detent system that EAA has ?? etc etc
Finally , I would very much like to have 100% Cat A , but if I can’t ( for whatever reason) then give me twin engine performance AND a profile that allows me to escape that deck edge after an engine quits.
Great subject.
Peter
