PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Nil wind rig operations
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Old 13th Feb 2010, 15:04
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Join Date: Mar 2005
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There is some c**p written here. If you have to dive off a deck to gain air speed something is wrong, you've cocked up or you’re overweight. If, in your nil wind condition you are about to take off knowing you are going to have to dive for air speed, and when on rotation one of your engines stops what is going to stop you going in the water? If you can make a 15 to 25 foot climb at the recommended rate of climb the amount of dive is slight. Lose an engine now most will recover and fly away with about 10 ft to spare based on a 100ft helideck.

If you are at the correct weight you will take off and fly away without undue diving, even in 76A+. The answer is always in the weight. I have worked with all operators on the British and Dutch North Sea and all had limitations regarding light winds. The 155 was particularly bad and had multiple wind limits. The oil companies were quick to respond to passenger complaints that passengers had been scared by particular crew’s actions.

I have never had a comeback following passenger offloading because of wind and weather conditions.

My rant is regarding leaving the deck from a low hover, and I have been there in my distant past in the Middle East flying a B205, but then all operations were bush and nothing was weighed. Times are different now!
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