IanHud:
Quote FH1100 "just bring the oil up to the proper level for your flight and make a note in the maintenance log of the amount added. Have a calm word with the head guy of the outfit and move on."............. I apologise for being insulting, but that has got to be the worst armchair advice I have heard in a long time.
I am not saying this aircraft is unairworthy (I don't know enough of the facts), but by the same token you simply cannot say "The aircraft is very likely not an unairworthy timebomb".
It was 3 quarts below minimum, not recommended, not maximum – surely these circumstances deserve investigation before flying ?
There may well be a simple less worrying explanation but on a balance of probability either it is using oil at an abnormally high rate or there has been a systematic failure to maintain (18 – 24 hours of use without topping up ?). IMHO - either way, filling it up, having a calm word and going off flying is like putting in a request to be an air accident statistic.
Gosh, are you guys babies or pilots? Do you really *not* know how oil systems work? Do you really think that oil in the sump helps "cool" the engine? Do you think that low oil level in the sump will cause the engine to "run hot?" Some of you should spend some time with the engineers/mechanics, because it sounds like there are some bad misconceptions going around out there.
Look, we're not talking about 'round-the-world endurance flights here. It's SFH - short local flights. Does the a/c have a big puddle of oil underneath it all the time? Is there obvious evidence of an oil leak? Talk to other pilots who've flown the bird - do any of them report higher than normal oil consumption?
Fill the thing up to max and go flying! Jeez. Is it making power? Is it running well (e.g. smoothly, mag check good)? Are the T&P's within limits? While flying, there are a couple of little gauges...I'm sure the R-22 has them: Oil Pressure and Oil Temperature. You should probably check on them once or twice per flight. Make a flight, keep it short if you're scared. When you land, check the oil. Check the engine for signs of a huge leak.
If you are so terrified that the engine might quit, perhaps helicopter flying is the wrong endeavor for you. If I were flying an R-22, engine failure would be low on my list of worries.