Bucketing into Salt Water
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Joined: Jul 2001
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From: the cockpit
Bucketing into Salt Water
I am intrested to hear opinion on bucket ops using salt water as the source. I came across this from 214B on another forum:
Companies I have worked for have opposite opinions. Some say NO WAY to bucketing or belly tanking into salt water, others dont care, and require it if the fire agency asks for it. Due to what I was told about the highly corrosive effects of salt water for airframes, blades, and engines, I was taught to avoid salt water on anything less than a 100 footer, and yet I regularly see belly hookers using salt water in mediums, and have seen belly tankers doing the same.
I was even led to believe that Bell mediums are made from a magnesium alloy which is particularly suscepitable to salt water corrosion, and I am wondering how operators of 204/205/212/412/214 feel about belly hooking into salt? I worked for a 212 operator who has a strict policy of no salt water on a belly hook unless it is life and death (as opposed to property protection). And then I have worked for a 412 operator and a 205 operator to whom it didn't matter at all.
I also believed that the wear of salt water on your blades and engines is can be highly erosive and in the longer term, corrosive . Some of the operators would ensure that the engines have a compressor rinse straight after salt water ops, and that the blades are thoroughly washed and corrosive inhibited, yet I notice belly hookers coming back at the end of a day of salt water ops and not worrying about a rinse - and I have seen this with high rotor wash machines such as B412s, BK117s and B407s. Doesn't seem to worry them.
So what are your thoughts or facts? Is it acceptable to belly hook or belly tank into Salt water? If so, when, how, why, and with what precautions do you think is necessary (if any)?
We are thinking of using a 15 meter (approx. 45 ft) longline for the Bambi bucket instead of using the belly hook. The reason is that we often use seawater and we want to reduce the seaspray.
I was even led to believe that Bell mediums are made from a magnesium alloy which is particularly suscepitable to salt water corrosion, and I am wondering how operators of 204/205/212/412/214 feel about belly hooking into salt? I worked for a 212 operator who has a strict policy of no salt water on a belly hook unless it is life and death (as opposed to property protection). And then I have worked for a 412 operator and a 205 operator to whom it didn't matter at all.
I also believed that the wear of salt water on your blades and engines is can be highly erosive and in the longer term, corrosive . Some of the operators would ensure that the engines have a compressor rinse straight after salt water ops, and that the blades are thoroughly washed and corrosive inhibited, yet I notice belly hookers coming back at the end of a day of salt water ops and not worrying about a rinse - and I have seen this with high rotor wash machines such as B412s, BK117s and B407s. Doesn't seem to worry them.
So what are your thoughts or facts? Is it acceptable to belly hook or belly tank into Salt water? If so, when, how, why, and with what precautions do you think is necessary (if any)?
