Leaving helicopter with engine/rotors running - merged threads
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Until my current job I've never left the helo without someone at the controls, then again when I flew for the Marines we always had two pilots so someone was always at the controls when the engines were on.
Now that I'm flying civilian I leave the helo at flight idle and exit the aircraft almost every flight because my job requires me to get out to collect samples. It does have friction locks on the cyclic and a lock on the collective. Most of the time I'm only out of the helo for a couple of minutes and usually within 100 ft of it.
Now that I'm flying civilian I leave the helo at flight idle and exit the aircraft almost every flight because my job requires me to get out to collect samples. It does have friction locks on the cyclic and a lock on the collective. Most of the time I'm only out of the helo for a couple of minutes and usually within 100 ft of it.
Cleared Hot said:
OK, terminology, Bloggs: By flight idle, do you mean 100% RRPM but lever on the floor, or idle RRPM? Because if you mean 100% you got rocks in your hot head.
Now that I'm flying civilian I leave the helo at flight idle and exit the aircraft
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Ok terminology guys, by flight idle I meant throttle all the way back, closed, at the minimum, ground idle, etc. Not every helo has the same terminology as another. The last helo I flew for the Marines had a twist grip and the following terms were used. Full open meant you rotate the twist grip all the way until you have 100% Nr and the governor would take over. Flight idle meant you twist the other way until it won't let you twist anymore and you are the minimum Nr you can while the engine is running. Closed meant you push the idle release button and twist a little further than flight idle and the engine would shut off.
I never would leave the helo with Nr at 100%, no kidding that's dumb vertical freedom and I never said I did that. I still use a lot of the terminology I used in the Marines, but you might want to ask me what I meant before assuming I do something dumber than dog shiiit.
I never would leave the helo with Nr at 100%, no kidding that's dumb vertical freedom and I never said I did that. I still use a lot of the terminology I used in the Marines, but you might want to ask me what I meant before assuming I do something dumber than dog shiiit.
Hey ClearedHot28......You got me on terminology; certainly all the ships I've flown (22 types) That flight, means (for) flight, ground means, no can fly due lack of Nr 
Glad that's cleared up that You wouldn't exit at 100%Nr (flight on the throttle) 
They sure use some confusing & contradictory terms 
Assumption....the Mother of All
Glad that's cleared up that You wouldn't exit at 100%Nr (flight on the throttle) They sure use some confusing & contradictory terms Assumption....the Mother of All
I'm with VR on this one.
Ground idle vs flight idle seem pretty logical to me and I have never heard any military people calling it "ground idle" while at 100% RRPM.
Ground idle vs flight idle seem pretty logical to me and I have never heard any military people calling it "ground idle" while at 100% RRPM.
The initial Jetbanger detent was described as "flight idle".
Last edited by Bell_ringer; 17th Oct 2016 at 19:52. Reason: correcting stutter..
Not exactly USFS Standards....but example of leaving an aircraft running.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_a0...&feature=share
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_a0...&feature=share
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Pete died from a wire strike, nothing to do with getting out of the helicopter.
It was 2 years and 1 day ago. A picture of the wreck of his helicopter is used in the Aviation New Zealand wire awareness program that is trying to educate the public about the danger that wires pose to aircraft pilots.
Pete would have been in and out of his helicopter, with it at idle, thousands of times in his career, and never had a problem with it, along with 99% of commercial pilots in New Zealand that do it safely on a daily basis.
The 1% that don't would be HNZ pilots, due to customer requirements (OGP ops), and probably a few of the guys that fly the VIP type missions.
And if you watch a bit of the vid, you will see that he did most of the important things correctly, the weather was good, the aircraft was on solid ground, it wasn't leaning backwards so it didn't fall on its arse when he got out, the tail was away from people, or over an edge, he wound the engine back to ground idle, then he got out. In a couple of the clips you can hear him winding the engine back up to flight once he has got in.
It was 2 years and 1 day ago. A picture of the wreck of his helicopter is used in the Aviation New Zealand wire awareness program that is trying to educate the public about the danger that wires pose to aircraft pilots.
Pete would have been in and out of his helicopter, with it at idle, thousands of times in his career, and never had a problem with it, along with 99% of commercial pilots in New Zealand that do it safely on a daily basis.
The 1% that don't would be HNZ pilots, due to customer requirements (OGP ops), and probably a few of the guys that fly the VIP type missions.
And if you watch a bit of the vid, you will see that he did most of the important things correctly, the weather was good, the aircraft was on solid ground, it wasn't leaning backwards so it didn't fall on its arse when he got out, the tail was away from people, or over an edge, he wound the engine back to ground idle, then he got out. In a couple of the clips you can hear him winding the engine back up to flight once he has got in.
Purveyor of Egg Liqueur to Lucifer
And if you watch a bit of the vid, you will see that he did most of the important things correctly,
Remember, it's the southern hemisphere.
Purveyor of Egg Liqueur to Lucifer
Cool thanks wkid, I guess that would also explain why he is sitting in the wrong seat 
Exactly. If you check around the 1min mark you can also see that the MR is turning clockwise. Everything is a bit messy on the bottom side of the earth because the southern hemisphere turns the other way than the northern hemisphere. But since it affects everything, the effects cancel each other out. It's fascinating but simple physics, really. 
I'm not so good with numbers but I think AnFi can prove this mathematically.
I'm not so good with numbers but I think AnFi can prove this mathematically.
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Hughesy, what makes you think that I hadn't? 
That and possibly some of the other 'things' SuperF alludes to, glad to see you're beginning to take notice though, well done
That and possibly some of the other 'things' SuperF alludes to, glad to see you're beginning to take notice though, well done
Surprised you hadn't noticed he was wearing a helmet with chin strap undone