An "Expert" speaks!

[Cyclic Hotline]

The fine words of this anonymous "expert", brought to you via Rotorhub and the FT.. .. .Copters flown by single pilot are dangerous, say experts . .The Times of India; Mar 8, 2002. .. .MUMBAI: Aviation experts here said that in an emergency a helicopter flown by a single pilot can cause safety problems.. .. .Speaking to TNN here on Sunday evening, the experts said that the ill-fated Bell-206 Jetranger helicopter in which Lok Sabha speaker G.M.C.Balayogi was travelling on Sunday was under the sole command of G.V.Menon. The mishap occurred near Kovvadalanka village in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. The speaker was flying from Bhimavaram to Hyderabad.. .. .Said an expert: "Had there been two crew members for which there is a provision, then one of them could have assisted the commander and helped in averting the mishap. I have always opposed the idea of helicopters being flown by a single pilot,'' he stated while requesting anonymity.. .. .He said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had certified the helicopter which belonged to the Bangalore-based Deccan Aviation for single pilot operations. "The DGCA's decision will certainly raise vital safety questions now,'' he added.. .. .A preliminary assessment suggests that the accident was caused by a combination of foul weather and a technical snag in the helicopter. Civil aviation minister Shahnawaz Hussain announced in Ahmedabad that an inquiry has been ordered into the crash.. .. .The experts pointed out that single engine helicopters like the one which crashed cannot operate if the weather suddenly became foul. For this they have to be equipped with standby instruments and matching ground aids."This has to be balanced against the number of times the equipment will be used. Keeping this in view operating a single-engine helicopter in bad weather is neither practical or economically viable,'' the expert stated.. .. .The Bell Jetranger helicopters were initially produced when the US army said it was buying light observation helicopters. In the competition Bell lost to Hughes. But, US army officials were unhappy with the performance of the Hughes helicopters and decided to revamp its fleet. In the second phase of the competition, Bell's Jetranger helicopters bagged the prestigious deal. One of its earlier variants first flew on January 10,1966 and received the certification of the US Federal Aviation Adminstration on October 20, 1966.. .. .A large number of these helicopters have been built since 1966. They can accommodate four passengers and are generally used for corporate travel and tourist promotion. They have two seats in the cockpit, but have been certified for single-pilot operations.

[Lu Zuckerman]

The expert said: “The Bell Jet Ranger helicopters were initially produced when the US army said it was buying light observation helicopters. In the competition Bell lost to Hughes. But, US army officials were unhappy with the performance of the Hughes helicopters and decided to revamp its fleet. In the second phase of the competition, Bell's Jet Ranger helicopters bagged the prestigious deal. One of its earlier variants first flew on January 10,1966 and received the certification of the US Federal Aviation Administration on October 20, 1966.. .. .This so-called expert has his head up-and-locked. The helicopter that Bell proposed in the competition against Hughes was not the Jet Ranger. When Hughes got the contract Bell turned their pug ugly helicopter over to Raymond Loewey Associates who were industrial designers. They completely revamped the design and the Jet Ranger emerged.. .. .Hughes delivered 1400 OH-6s and the Army reopened the contract for a second run of 1400 helicopters and Hughes who has lost their butts on the first run upped the price. The only thing Hughes supplied the Army under the contract was the fuselage and dynamic systems. The Army furnished the engine, the electronics and the instruments. Hughes integrated these materials and then delivered the helicopter to the Army. . .. .The Army was upset that Hughes had increased the unit price and gave the contract to Bell. Bell started delivering OH-58s and they never performed well in the LOACH application. In most case from what I was told most OH-58s were used as personnel transport in Vietnam. The expert got it backwards, as the OH-6 performed better than the OH-58 and from pilots’ perspective it was a lot safer to be in an OH-6 if you had to make a hard landing or if you crashed.. .. .So much for the expert.

[B Sousa]

Consider the source. India, the wonderful place that gives us news so often on how to load Ferry Boats until they turn over. Also driven by one person. Somebody is smoking Curry Powder

[Cyclic Hotline]

Boy, these experts work fast! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="smile.gif" /> . .. .Another expert speaks! - courtesy of Rotorhub, again.. .. .See if you can see any familiar traits here. In my opinion one of them was discussed here on PPRuNe at great length! It might appear that the Indian authorities have perfected the art of creating a bureaucratic masterpiece, to the envy of all other authorities? . .. .New safety rules for small aircraft, helicopters soon. .. .BHAVNA VIJ. .. .NEW DELHI, MARCH 11: THE Government may finally have a clear policy on small aircraft and helicopters. Shaken by the two VIP crashes in quick succession — that of Congress leader Madhav Rao Scindia and Lok Sabha speaker G.M.C. Balayogi, the government is considering a proposal to have a separate wing in the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to ensure safety in helicopter and small aircraft operations.. .. .Questions were being raised about the safety of single-engine aircraft and helicopters, and also regarding the pressure of flying VIPs on the pilots. Civil Aviation Minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussain today said that the court of inquiry probing the single-engine Bell helicopter crash that killed Balayogi will come out with its report soon. He also said that all single and double engine aircraft and helicopter operators will be called by the government for their opinions and thereafter some decisions will be taken.. .. .Referring to the helicopter mishap last year that killed Madhavrao Scindia, Hussain said bad weather conditions were to blame for the accident.. .. .Incidentally, five years ago a committee headed by Air Marshal J.K. Seth, had recommended that the investigations of accidents should be segregated from the DGCA and entrusted to an independent body of expert pilots, engineers and air traffic controllers having practical experience.. .. .More recently, a committee headed by Sunil Arora, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, had suggested setting up of a separate cell for overseeing helicopter operations and maintenance. Arora Committee on Small Aircraft was set up in October last, following the crash of King Air aircraft killing Scindia.. .. .Set up in September 1996 following the Charkhi-Dadri mid-air collision, the earlier Air Marshal Seth committee had also gone into the role of DGCA closely. In the report submitted in October 1997, the committee had found DGCA to be an ‘‘archaic and inefficient entity’’ and so ‘‘entangled in bureaucratic red tape’’ that it could no longer perform its role as a technical regulatory body.. .. .‘‘The DGCA is perhaps the only organisation in the country which makes the rules, implements them and then decides the punishment for itself in case of a violation. And it’s not surprising that so many smaller aircraft and helicopters are crashing despite having a valid airworthiness certificate and the pilots possessing a proper commercial license with respectable number of flying hours to their credit,’’ said a Civil Aviation Ministry official.. .. .The DGCA, according to experts, had too much on its plate, which may be difficult for any organisation to handle. It issued guidelines on safety, operation and maintenance of aircraft under Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR). . .. .Their enforcement was also ensured by the DGCA. The Certificate of Airworthiness was both issued and renewed by it. The DGCA officials inspected the aircraft to ensure compliance with the DGCA requirements. It was the DGCA that decided on disciplinary action and also conducted inquiries into all accidents involving civil aircraft in the country.. .. .If that was not enough, DGCA is also responsible for renewing licenses of commercial pilots after testing and ensuring their mental and psychological fitness. Air Marshal Seth Committee had stressed on the role of pilots and said that focus of accident investigation should be shifted from punishment to re-training and education, except in cases of gross indiscipline or recklessness.. .. .‘‘Nowhere in the world is the same body responsible for making policies and also liable for their implementation in addition to performing regulatory functions. In the US, the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) makes policies while the Federation of Aviation Authorities (FAA) implements them. Unless the bodies act independent of each other, there is bound to be confusion,’’ the official added.. .. .Director General Civil Aviation H.S. Khosla said that all was well with the body he headed and that it’s performance was regularly audited by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). ‘‘The last audit was in 2001 and the DGCA got a good report. Basically the civil aviation policies are made by ICAO and the DGCA has to adopt them and make national regulations,’’ he informed.

[George Semel]

The only problem that the 206 has and if its a problem is that they can be flown by just about anybody that is breathing. Like all flying machines, you are limited by preformance,weight and weather. Hell some were in the world somebody wrecks one just about every day. Its a good Helicopter, yea they maybe a little dated but they still do the job. You fly in bad enough weather and you will bust your back side every single time.

[Rob_L]

Always remember an ex is a "has been" and a spurt is a drip under pressure.!!!!!!!!

[C4]

If there was a co-pilot with, there would just have been one more dead in the accident!!!!