Puma SA330J MMEL

[Heli17]

Is there any one out there that might have access to a PDF copy of a Puma SA330J MMEL? Ta muchly.

[CopterDoctor]

Sorry no , try the guys in Gisborne EP Aviation i believe

[ShyTorque]

Good luck. This will be difficult. I needed 330J documentation in the mid 1980s and it was almost unobtainable back then.

[Fareastdriver]

These people might be able to help you.

https://www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/29171503/1981-eurocopter-sa-330j

[RVDT]

There is one on the FAA Flight Standards Information Management System - SA-330G and SA-330J, Rev. 3 Date -- 06/19/1989 (https://fsims.faa.gov/PICDetail.aspx?docId=M%20SA-330G%20R3) and push the "PDF" button. Et voila!!

Let me see - it is first of type in NZ? Are you using FAA TC or EASA TC? It may affect the validity of the document as the Master that you have to derive your own from for each aircraft.

Are you going to use the machine or put it in a museum? The issue may be the "knowledge" with legs required to operate one which is also getting pretty old!!

[Fareastdriver]

I've got 3,000 hrs on SA 330s. You can fly me out to NZ to advise you any time you want.

[RVDT]

FED,

You may find there are quite a few old NZ drivers with some time on them as well ex Pacific in PNG when they had 330's on an initial JV with Bristow until the Russian machinery turned up.

Bit of a story here. (http://www.helitavia.com/Skyweaver/bases_papuanewguinea.htm)

I think operating a 330 these days would be a bit like playing Lotto!!

[Gordy]

From the FAA website:

[RVDT]

Thanks Gordy! Can never be too sure!

[Self loading bear]

Looks they are going to be used in forestry.
Gisborne Herald (http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/frontpage-featured/20200528/pumas-on-the-prowl/)

[Fareastdriver]

N814AR is an old one. Serial No 1450 is older than any of the 330Js that Bristow had in the late seventies. Most of them were around the 1500 mark.

[Self loading bear]

The other one is N815AR serial 1478

[Cyclic Hotline]

1478 was formerly G-BFEU, Bristow's third Puma.

[SuperF]

logging... well thats going to end in tears.

[Gordy]

logging... well thats going to end in tears.
Forestry.....not logging I suspect:

See here (https://helitak.com.au/helitak-ft4250-super-puma-firecat/)

[Saint Jack]

I believe this helicopter came out of the middle east and was originally intended to go on a fire-fighting contract in Indonesia. However the Indonesian government department that was handling the fire fighting did not want to pay a deposit on the contract and so a stalemate ensued. Without a deposit the operator was, quite rightly, unwilling to offload and prepare the Puma (in Singapore, I believe) without a guarantee of payment. As has been expressed here, I also understand the technical manuals were woefully out-of-date.

[Fareastdriver]

As long as they remember to put at least 150 lbs. of fuel in the sponson tanks as less than that will not feed. Above 150 lbs. they will carry on until empty.

[Fareastdriver]

GBFEU was one of the Teeside aircraft which I flew in 1978/79. My last flight in EU was 9th July 1981 which was an air test probably just before it went to Australia. That's where I remember the problem with testing the sponsons from. As I was then on the S76A line so I had not flown a 330 for ten months.

My last 330J flight was in GBERH on 31st July 1984 when I flew it from Redhill to Southampton to be loaded on a ship to Hong Kong and then China. It then went to Australia.

[Robbo Jock]

As long as they remember to put at least 150 lbs. of fuel in the sponson tanks as less than that will not feed. Above 150 lbs. they will carry on until empty.
Guessing that >150lbs fills appropriate fuel lines and ongoing siphon effect then allows the remainder to be sucked out but <150lbs doesn't get those lines filled and the fuel remains as ballast? Would be interested to know what the actual mechanism is.

[Pablo332]

Guessing that >150lbs fills appropriate fuel lines and ongoing siphon effect then allows the remainder to be sucked out but <150lbs doesn't get those lines filled and the fuel remains as ballast? Would be interested to know what the actual mechanism is.If memory serves me correctly it’s an old std 330/332 problem/feature. Fuel transfer to the longitudinal tanks is via gravity and you have to be doing 100kts to get the fuselage level for it all to happen as expected. I’m reasonably sure it’s mentioned in the flight manual.

[SuperF]

Forestry.....not logging I suspect:

See here (https://helitak.com.au/helitak-ft4250-super-puma-firecat/)


Yeah, nah. its not those guys, although that looks pretty cool.

Having been involved in most of the biggest fires that we have had in NZ over the last couple of decades, i would think you probably wouldn't have flown a Puma enough to even pay the pilots. We just don't get big fires in NZ like they do in Oz, USA, Canada, our biggest in area went out to about 3000ha, or about 6600 acres burnt....

Just heard that they will be logging.

[Fareastdriver]

it’s an old std 330/332 problem/feature.

I once spent a couple of weeks in Darwin, on daily contract pay, touring around the Northern Territory in a company car with a Shell carnet. I was waiting for a UK registered 332 to be transported by Antonov from Aberdeen, reassembled and airtested by me with a British licence. They had fitted sponson tanks to it and the delay was because they could not get them to work.

Then there was no Antonov any more so I got totally bored and departed for more refreshing places.

[Robbo Jock]

Thanks Pablo!

[Pablo332]

Thanks Pablo!You’re welcome.

When SA/AS/AH do sponsons and fuel systems they definitely give the job to the Gotcha department.

They reached their pinnacle with the EC225. Leave the pressure refueling panel in the refueling position and there is no transfer of fuel in flight. There are a couple of embarrassed pedestrians that can tell this story.