Skids or Wheels
Here is a question from a fixed wing pilot.
This question relates to the AW109 in Air Ambulence operations in the UK.
Why do they have retractable wheels and not skids, as they prequently land on soft areas such as parks, fields, beaches, snow and playing fields. There are two reasons for asking this, is that landing three tonnes of helicopter on what are small wheels, it strikes me that on soft ground the helicopter could sink far enough to deform the wheel bay doors and cuase all sorts of havoc with the landing gear. My second point os landing on wheels as opposed to skids on unknown areas it could be all too easy to place an whel on an old well, drain, etc.. My thinking is that wheels are more convenient for pulling the helicopter out of the hangar, yet ploice EC335 helicopters managa ground handlers on skids.
This leads me onto another question, in the event of a double engine failure, during a forced landing would you land wheels up or down on a AW109. I have seen from the left hand seat an EC335 do a simulated double engine failure and landing, it was quite impressedm but I am less confident as what would happen in a AW109m whells up or otherwise.
Finally from an anti collision perspective, on the AW109, do the landing lights retract with the gear?