Powerline Patrol/Spraying
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Powerline Patrol/Spraying
Any experienced patrol/spray pilots have some "I learned from that" stories, advice, tips, and/or techniques to share with a rookie?
Thanks.
"Learn from the mistakes others have made because you won't live long enough to make them all yourself."
Thanks.
"Learn from the mistakes others have made because you won't live long enough to make them all yourself."
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From a fellow PPRUNE'r
Here is some excellent adivce I received from an industry pro:
"Best advice I can give is to carry on with what you are doing, ask the guys who are currently working with you and learn as much as possible out of the cockpit."
"I used to fly for a utility company and most of our work was slinging personnel onto the lines for maintenance and then supporting them, but patrol was also a large part of the job."
"From that point of view:
1. Always be aware of the wind, it will bite you.
I presume you are flying to the right of the line so that you can see it on your left and that you have a linesman/inspector behind you. In that case, if you have a quartering tailwind from the right you will be most critical and if its strong enough, dont hesitate to say so and cancel the patrol. Other option is to fly farther along the line and fly back on the other side so that you now have a headwind. I have had nightmare experiences in those conditions when slowing down to just above transition and being blown towards the line and running out of pedal at the same time. It snowballs and just gets worse if you dont catch it quickly. We did different types of patrol, from high speed at 70 to 90 knots, medium at 40 to 60, slow at 30 to 40 and audit from the hover to 20 knots. Audit obviously the most demanding and wind critical, especially when crossing the line and turning over the tower trying to keep the tower in a constant position for the linesman. Be very aware of the amount of pedal you have left.
2. If you are tired, stop for a rest. If necessary, have a nap for ten minutes. Your boss and your crew would rather you do that than fly into the lines with damage to the machine, or worse. We used to be limited to 8 hours a day of inspection for a good reason, its very demanding and if you do it for a few consecutive days you get very fatigued. A friend of mine fell asleep at the controls, next to the line and while flying between two towers. It was only for a second or two but gave him a huge fright and he stopped flying for the day. Point is, dont let it get that far.
3. Plan your fuel carefully. I dont know what system you use and in what areas you operate but I used to work in very remote areas and we had to have a fuel truck with us. Had to plan how far ahead to tell him to wait and that could result in a lot of stress if you underestimate the amount of fuel you need. Have a personal contingency amount that you add to the official reserve. As you get more experience you can reduce that amount to what you are comfortable with.
DO NOT take off if you are uncomfortable about anything, it distracts you and reduces your effectiveness.
4. Listen to your instincts too. Be careful of listening to advice from the linesman flying with you, they have an enormous amount of good advice but they are not pilots and may not be aware of the same considerations that you are. You are ultimately responsible for everything, don't forget that. It may call for some diplomacy from your part. If they do give you good advice, thank them. If you are still unsure, ask the more senior guys when you get back to confirm your opinions.
5. In all aspects of the job, keep the machine as light as possible to have a reasonable power margin and to give you the best chance in the event of an engine failure. Keep the blades clean for the same reason."
Excellent advice for all.
"Best advice I can give is to carry on with what you are doing, ask the guys who are currently working with you and learn as much as possible out of the cockpit."
"I used to fly for a utility company and most of our work was slinging personnel onto the lines for maintenance and then supporting them, but patrol was also a large part of the job."
"From that point of view:
1. Always be aware of the wind, it will bite you.
I presume you are flying to the right of the line so that you can see it on your left and that you have a linesman/inspector behind you. In that case, if you have a quartering tailwind from the right you will be most critical and if its strong enough, dont hesitate to say so and cancel the patrol. Other option is to fly farther along the line and fly back on the other side so that you now have a headwind. I have had nightmare experiences in those conditions when slowing down to just above transition and being blown towards the line and running out of pedal at the same time. It snowballs and just gets worse if you dont catch it quickly. We did different types of patrol, from high speed at 70 to 90 knots, medium at 40 to 60, slow at 30 to 40 and audit from the hover to 20 knots. Audit obviously the most demanding and wind critical, especially when crossing the line and turning over the tower trying to keep the tower in a constant position for the linesman. Be very aware of the amount of pedal you have left.
2. If you are tired, stop for a rest. If necessary, have a nap for ten minutes. Your boss and your crew would rather you do that than fly into the lines with damage to the machine, or worse. We used to be limited to 8 hours a day of inspection for a good reason, its very demanding and if you do it for a few consecutive days you get very fatigued. A friend of mine fell asleep at the controls, next to the line and while flying between two towers. It was only for a second or two but gave him a huge fright and he stopped flying for the day. Point is, dont let it get that far.
3. Plan your fuel carefully. I dont know what system you use and in what areas you operate but I used to work in very remote areas and we had to have a fuel truck with us. Had to plan how far ahead to tell him to wait and that could result in a lot of stress if you underestimate the amount of fuel you need. Have a personal contingency amount that you add to the official reserve. As you get more experience you can reduce that amount to what you are comfortable with.
DO NOT take off if you are uncomfortable about anything, it distracts you and reduces your effectiveness.
4. Listen to your instincts too. Be careful of listening to advice from the linesman flying with you, they have an enormous amount of good advice but they are not pilots and may not be aware of the same considerations that you are. You are ultimately responsible for everything, don't forget that. It may call for some diplomacy from your part. If they do give you good advice, thank them. If you are still unsure, ask the more senior guys when you get back to confirm your opinions.
5. In all aspects of the job, keep the machine as light as possible to have a reasonable power margin and to give you the best chance in the event of an engine failure. Keep the blades clean for the same reason."
Excellent advice for all.
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Eldon,
The ammount of power line flying I have done can be counted in single digits, in minutes.
The way I see it, power line companies need to start looking at using aircraft that are possibly more suitable for the job. Instead of using a 206, with its limited power margins, they should be insisting on something with a definate power margin even with a full load of fuel, a fat Pilot, and a couple of fat linesmen/observers. I don't mean use a B412 or something like that, but a B407 or AS350. At least in these you can be a litlle happier that you aren't going to end up on the stops if you have to hover or turn around.
Take very good notice of the advice you got from your "industry pro", it all sounds like good common sence to me. Especially the bit about not taking off if you are not happy/comfortable with the situation.
You are the Pilot in Command and as he said you are responsible for EVERYTHING!!! This responsibility also gives you the ability to say "NO, it isn't safe".........
The ammount of power line flying I have done can be counted in single digits, in minutes.
The way I see it, power line companies need to start looking at using aircraft that are possibly more suitable for the job. Instead of using a 206, with its limited power margins, they should be insisting on something with a definate power margin even with a full load of fuel, a fat Pilot, and a couple of fat linesmen/observers. I don't mean use a B412 or something like that, but a B407 or AS350. At least in these you can be a litlle happier that you aren't going to end up on the stops if you have to hover or turn around.
Take very good notice of the advice you got from your "industry pro", it all sounds like good common sence to me. Especially the bit about not taking off if you are not happy/comfortable with the situation.
You are the Pilot in Command and as he said you are responsible for EVERYTHING!!! This responsibility also gives you the ability to say "NO, it isn't safe".........
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The bottom line...
I agree with you...and if somehow the industry ever changes from 'bottom line driven' to 'what makes sense driven' you will see B407 and AS350 spray ships. As it is, taking the MD500 or B206 example, an operator can purchase essentially two for the price of one...which means...at least in the patrol business twice as much line covered.
It applies to the tour business too...the AS350 is delightful to fly even with 1200 lbs of 'meat' (aka tourists) crammed in there...but just think how many more bodies (aka $$$) we could stuff on there with a 412 or a S92 (how fun would that be parking one of those monsters on the Mendenhall Glacier)
The sky is the limit but at some point the line is drawn.
In the mean time you and I will continue to fly ships near the edges of the envelope so until we can reform the system let's operate there as safely as possible.
A lot of flying is "good common sense", however think back on some of the lessons you've learned over the years...as they say "hindsight is 20/20"...common sense isn't always so common. I posted the reply from my friend in the industry because I found it to be chock-full of common sense and a higher degree of awarness that someone with less experience may not have.
At the end of the day, not to sound too patriotic, we're all in this together and as we operate in the 'real world'...sometimes closer to the edge of the performance envelope than we'd like to be...why not listen to those who have been there before us...and as always...being the PIC means it's your choice to take it or leave it.
I hope this stimulates more conversation in this thread...I look forward to reading your posts.
It applies to the tour business too...the AS350 is delightful to fly even with 1200 lbs of 'meat' (aka tourists) crammed in there...but just think how many more bodies (aka $$$) we could stuff on there with a 412 or a S92 (how fun would that be parking one of those monsters on the Mendenhall Glacier)
The sky is the limit but at some point the line is drawn.In the mean time you and I will continue to fly ships near the edges of the envelope so until we can reform the system let's operate there as safely as possible.
A lot of flying is "good common sense", however think back on some of the lessons you've learned over the years...as they say "hindsight is 20/20"...common sense isn't always so common. I posted the reply from my friend in the industry because I found it to be chock-full of common sense and a higher degree of awarness that someone with less experience may not have.
At the end of the day, not to sound too patriotic, we're all in this together and as we operate in the 'real world'...sometimes closer to the edge of the performance envelope than we'd like to be...why not listen to those who have been there before us...and as always...being the PIC means it's your choice to take it or leave it.
I hope this stimulates more conversation in this thread...I look forward to reading your posts.
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I have a feeling that things will change for the better at some stage, the sad thing is our industry won't force the change, insurance companies and the courts will do it.
The insurance companies determine what experience you need to do a lot of jobs now, (don't forget I'm talking about Australia) I can't imagine they will stop at that. Next they will start saying that a particular machine is not suitable to do the work. It will only require the accident rate to continue in some parts of the industry and we will see it....... That or they will drive up the cost of insurance for some aircraft on some jobs to make it too expensive to use, say the B206/H500 on power line work, and make it way cheaper to insure your B407/AS350 for the same work.
The other thing I can see happening is what we have started to see here, and that is the term "duty of care". Companies have a "duty of care" not to put their employees at risk. Therefore power line companies will need to use aircraft that have been deemed "suitable" (who gets to do this is anyones guess) for the job. If the B206/H500 is having accidents due to running out of tail rotor authority, can't hover OGE or performance problems, they need to use something that doesn't suffer these problems, something with bigger or definate power margins, the B407/AS350. If they continue to use under powered helicopters, they are in the sh*t and in court because they ignored their "duty of care" not to put their employees at risk!!!!
And just out of interest I have managed to get a job flying a machine (Bell 407) that has plenty of power and the fact that 95% of my flying is with at most 2 passengers, it has truck loads of power, even with full fuel (950lbs).
Great fun, nice machine, good sensible boss who understands the word "no".
The insurance companies determine what experience you need to do a lot of jobs now, (don't forget I'm talking about Australia) I can't imagine they will stop at that. Next they will start saying that a particular machine is not suitable to do the work. It will only require the accident rate to continue in some parts of the industry and we will see it....... That or they will drive up the cost of insurance for some aircraft on some jobs to make it too expensive to use, say the B206/H500 on power line work, and make it way cheaper to insure your B407/AS350 for the same work.
The other thing I can see happening is what we have started to see here, and that is the term "duty of care". Companies have a "duty of care" not to put their employees at risk. Therefore power line companies will need to use aircraft that have been deemed "suitable" (who gets to do this is anyones guess) for the job. If the B206/H500 is having accidents due to running out of tail rotor authority, can't hover OGE or performance problems, they need to use something that doesn't suffer these problems, something with bigger or definate power margins, the B407/AS350. If they continue to use under powered helicopters, they are in the sh*t and in court because they ignored their "duty of care" not to put their employees at risk!!!!
And just out of interest I have managed to get a job flying a machine (Bell 407) that has plenty of power and the fact that 95% of my flying is with at most 2 passengers, it has truck loads of power, even with full fuel (950lbs).
Great fun, nice machine, good sensible boss who understands the word "no".
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Here's to that...
Well said. The concept of 'duty of care' should be implemented across the board...it keeps everyone's best interest at heart. Like you say though...part of the underlying problem is still who makes the decisions about 'what a suitable margin of power/safety' actually is.
Hopefully it doesn't take an increasing number of accidents for them to figure it out.
Until then I still stand behind my original concept for this thread and hope more people will contribute tricks, techniques, tips, stories, whatever about flying in the low, slow, wire environment. (hint hint)
Thanks again.
PS - Congrats on flying the B407...it is a fine aircraft indeed and you will find that even loaded up it will still perform. Haha...and not to strike up a big debate here but I found it to be quite comprable to the AS350 (I know I know...playing with fire saying things like that...but I've flown both and 'love them like brotha's from different motha's') 
Hopefully it doesn't take an increasing number of accidents for them to figure it out.
Until then I still stand behind my original concept for this thread and hope more people will contribute tricks, techniques, tips, stories, whatever about flying in the low, slow, wire environment. (hint hint)
Thanks again.
PS - Congrats on flying the B407...it is a fine aircraft indeed and you will find that even loaded up it will still perform. Haha...and not to strike up a big debate here but I found it to be quite comprable to the AS350
(I know I know...playing with fire saying things like that...but I've flown both and 'love them like brotha's from different motha's')
I thought the powerline helicopter companies were using the 500D due to it's stability and power margin?
See:
http://www.aeropower.com.au/flash.php
From there site..."The MD500 helicopter was chosen by Aeropower for its compact size and small diameter multi bladed main rotor system which allows for safer, more precise access to power lines and is a more efficient rotor system than the two bladed systems found on other comparative helicopters.
This lighter, more maneuverable, stable helicopter is powered by the most widely used and proven Rolls Royce Allison C20 Series Turbine engine which enables Aeropower to perform power line maintenance tasks more safely and efficiently carrying more useable pay load than larger, heavier helicopters."
Also:
http://www.teamhaverfield.com/insulator.html
See:
http://www.aeropower.com.au/flash.php
From there site..."The MD500 helicopter was chosen by Aeropower for its compact size and small diameter multi bladed main rotor system which allows for safer, more precise access to power lines and is a more efficient rotor system than the two bladed systems found on other comparative helicopters.
This lighter, more maneuverable, stable helicopter is powered by the most widely used and proven Rolls Royce Allison C20 Series Turbine engine which enables Aeropower to perform power line maintenance tasks more safely and efficiently carrying more useable pay load than larger, heavier helicopters."
Also:
http://www.teamhaverfield.com/insulator.html
