UK AAIB(H) July 2008

[Hilico]

Report into the SA365 rig tailstrike - here. (http://www.aaib.dft.gov.uk/publications/bulletins/july_2008/aerospatiale_sa365n_dauphin__g_bkxd.cfm)

R22 contacts soft ground during flare recovery off PFL - here. (http://www.aaib.dft.gov.uk/publications/bulletins/july_2008/robinson_r22_beta__g_ohsl.cfm)

R22 student hover goes wrong, instructor can't catch it - here. (http://www.aaib.dft.gov.uk/publications/bulletins/july_2008/robinson_r22_beta__g_riat.cfm)

Steve

[The Nr Fairy]

I saw the school involved in the third one has stopped hover practice/instruction on trial flights. Anyone else not do this ?

From my own (albeit limited) point if view, if I have time at the end of a TIF then I'll try to fit it in - but it depends on the student and the timings. If it does happen I give a very limited amount of rope before intervening, but that may be a reflection on my experience.

[jeepys]

There is not much room for error on the R22 when giving instruction which is why I will not fly one anymore. The 300 is a far superior trainer and allows a lot more flexibility.

Plenty of experienced R22 instructors have bent them while demonstrating manoeuvres.

[The Nr Fairy]

I've got limited R22 instruction time - moved to a 300 when it became overly apparent that a 16st instructor plus student leaves about 5 minutes fuel :)

[Camp Freddie]

I have in the past done hundreds of trial lessons in the R22, and always gave them 5 minutes at the end to do hovering and always gave them a go with the cyclic in the hover unless it was apparent there was no point.

as long as you are careful and the student is properly briefed I think it is perfectly safe and reasonable to do so, and to ban hovering on air experience flights seems an over reaction to me.

regards

CF

[zalt]

CHC 365 rig tailstrike discussed at length here:
http://www.pprune.org/forums/rotorheads/317751-heli-collides-gas-rig-11-mar-08-a.html

[KrisRamJ]

I enjoyed doing trial flights in the 300, I'd give them just cyclic first, then just pedals, then cyclic and pedals then maybe 50% of the time I'd feel happy about giving them all of the controls. Maybe 10-20% of my 100 or so demo flights could hover straight away. It seems a bit crazy to not let people experience a hover in a demo flight, that's the main point of helicopters surely? It's up to the CFI to keep it safe (i.e one hand close to the collective!)

[tegwin]

I did my XC nav ex in G-OHSL....(second report).....Such a shame...was a good machine:suspect:

[4ftHover]

From a personal point of view - i could experience the hover and the agility of the Helicopter just by sitting next to the pilot.

He gave me a great insight into how the contols work and what the helicopter can do without me handling the controls.

I did take control of the cyclic in straight and level flight.

Personally it was fine for me and i went straight back the next week to start my PPL

[choppertop]

I was spectacularly rubbish during my trial lesson. I was given the three controls separately in a hover and death was at our elbow. But I got the buzz clear enough. And today I'm 45-thousand quid poorer.

[4ftHover]

hooloovoo

I guess its down to expectation then.

I was more than happy with my experience and it spurned me to get my PPL.

I guess its up to the indiviual school to ensure customer satisfaction and more importantly their safety.