On the east coast off Newfoundland, we have a new procedure here wich calls for loading all passengers from front to back filling all forward seats due to weight distribution issues. Anyone else loading this way? Can someone explain why after all these years of flying in the S92 all of a sudden we have to crowd all passengers up in front of the Chopper? This leaves the primary evacuation exits (windows) unavaible to a lot of passengers.
Must be a GofG issue. I've been told that the aux fuel tank is emptied within the first 20 minutes of flight. I also heard of PAX getting wet at the back of the cabin when there is a lot of tail-end weight. Don't know where the H20 is coming from, perhaps the A/C unit? Who knows, we've certainly not been told what the source is yet.
I recall in the old Tigers and Pumas back in the 90s we were always loaded in the middle, then the front, and lastly the back. If you were 100kg+ PAX they generally didn't seat you in the back. Same weight distribution issue with the 76s. Only the 61s didn't seem to mind, but they're real helos and not flimsy "heavy-duty" POS that we have now.
There was also an incident recently over here with a low tail rotor/steep flare noted on approach by PAX, perhaps that's why the GofG has been looked at more closely now...
Safe Flying
Max