Originally Posted by
cottam approach
Greetings
Air taxiing helicopters on taxiways closer than 760m to the runway- does your unit apply any wake versus departures? How about a heli holding in the hover at an intermediate holding point next to the runway with a higher wake aircraft departure? (That rotates before said holding point?) all thoughts welcomed!
Guidance is scant in this regard; and unless authorised otherwise in unit MATs Part2 I would say, and we adopt, the only clear guidance which is the parallel runway 760m rule. Thus heavy landing all rotatories on the ground by 4 no later than 2 nm from touchdown and 2 mins for a dep. Caveat a departure crossing at a point before the nose wheel leaves the ground (no vortex) would be an acceptable alternate means of compliance.
Anecdotally I'm told that when a CH47 does a low approach and go-around and Gloucester the aerodrome effectively grinds to a halt for 3 mins.
With 2 relatively recent events of helicopters blowing over light GA aircraft it's a brave controller that doesn't treat wake turbulence TO helicopters and FROM helicopters with due regard.
Fred