PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Video released for Aust Army BlackHawk crash
Old 18th Jun 2007, 15:09
  #12 (permalink)  
Flying Bull
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Germany
Posts: 919
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Hi Gotagivitago,

even so I used the IE, the video didnīt start.

Back to your question.

Itīs a long time since I did my last deck landing and I have never flown a black hawk - still, I have done some decklandings - at more adverse conditions - like high sea state - night - pouring rain and darkend landing area.

When approaching a ships deck you should always have some amount of forward wind. Any helicopter gets more or less unstable, when you have a tailwind component. Add to this a moving and wobbeling landing area due to the seastate and youīll increase the risks of a deck landings by a factor, which isnīt necessary.
With any amount of wind on the nose you need less power and get a more stable helicopter (as long as you avoid flying through the turbulences of the superstructure).


The picture from the video does only show the area, where the ship was before, but where would have been the problem to go onto flying course, delivering some forward airflow?
The problem is mostly in the minds of the shipcrew because they cant understand the effects of tailwind on a helicopter - or the effects of a sharp turn with the helicopter turning on the deck....
So its up to the pilot to refuse to land - and itīs a good habit to take the responsible ships officers to a joyride - and then show them the problems, which can occur on a flight deck.
There have been instances, where only the chains keept the helicopter on the deck, because the bride did a sharp turn - vanisching the hole helicopter under water - when it reappeared, the engines where running down, the main rotor as well - while the tail rotor was already stopped.....

Flight operations to and from ship decks have many additional risks you donīt have influence on - so never add risks, you can influence.

Greetings Flying Bull
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