Flying Frost Protection over Vineyards.

[Helijo]

make sure that there is no moisture on the outside of the bubble and if so dry it off before lift off. the property owners always forget about wires..so make sure you check it out yourself.
mp3 player, 3 bottles of V an a pak of smokes

[movin' on]

Just wanted to bring this one to the top.

[movin' up]

Thinking of giving it a go? Maybe build up a few night hours?

[McGowan]

Is anyone doing frost protection in Aussie these days. Used to be a few and then it got very quiet. The reason for the question is there was an article in the paper a few weeks ago where a biggish Company lost a few million dollars worth of stone fruit to frost over one or two nights.
There a more than a few fruit growing companies that use fixed fans, but I do know that they don't work as well as using a helicopter.

[22clipper]

DialDirect

Still a bit of that going on in NE Victoria Terry. I'm pretty sure one of our customers even has the pilot's number programmed into the frost alarm's dialer.

[John Eacott]

Originally Posted by McGowan

Is anyone doing frost protection in Aussie these days. Used to be a few and then it got very quiet.

Yes, we've been very busy for a month now, with no end in sight. At least our clients still have vines left, most of the competition are cactus with 70+% losses

[seriousconcerns]

A digital thermometer helps compared to an analog to find the right altitude. It was a few years back since I did frost but we had the flashing lights on the vines, white when above zero, red when at zero and flashing red when below zero. They helped to see what was going on.

[Pekka]

Can anyone phost some pictures of frost flying... I am from Norway, so i Haw newer seen it

[sebdiazs]

Vineyards & R44 | Chile

Hello Friends,
My family and I have vineyards and a R44 I'm a pilot and I want to start controling the frost.
Do you think a Jet Ranger 206 do better job because of the hot turbine's exhaust gases ?
regards,

Sebastian Diaz-Santelices
Private Pilot
Santiago, Chile
Baron B58 2001 TH-1971 - Robinson R44II 2004 S/N 10380
www.casablancawines.com/sebastian

[Aesir]

I used to fly frost control in R22 many years ago in Arkansas/Tennesse for peach and tomato orchards.

Not something I would want to do again but certainly challenging work. Power lines and fatigue were the biggest problems. I would actually tape a couple of those big 2.000.000 candlepower flashlights, you get at Sears or Walmart to the skids to get some better visibility. Not exactly something the FAA would approve of!

sebdiazs - I would certainly prefer the 206 for frost control. It´s a heavier machine with more downwash and there is a lot of 600°c warm air going through that turbine every minute so it must make some difference.

However the most important thing is to get the warm air from above the inversion layer lower and a heavier helicopter and accurate digital thermometer will do the trick.

[revs&checks]

Are there vacancies for pilots or are they recruited from within for this type of role?

Does anyone know of any operations/contacts in JAA land who do this kind of thing? or have any advice on how to get into doing it?

I have tried a search and all it brought up was this thread. Thanks in advance

[chopperpilot47]

We did it over Pennsylvania when the spring temperature dropped into the frost range over the new tomatoes. They pre sell them so frost would be a big financial loss. We light smoke pots so the smoke shows the inversion level so we know exactly where to blow the warm air down. It was about 50' the last time. It works, the fields we did with three helicopters were completely clear when all the others were white with frost. That night every helicopter in Pennsylvania was in the air.

[Semi Rigid]

Load your helicopter up with weights. Tractor front-end weights work well. No point in being up there unless you are circulating as much air as possible & preferably in the downwards direction - especially after you have burnt off 2.5 - 3.0hrs fuel.

[bladepitch]

Frost protection operations

Hi all.

was wondering if anyone has general operation procedures for frost protection. ive been tasked to gather info, so im after any and all information to create SOPs for frost control.

i have had not had exposure to this type of operation and would appreciate any help in organising info.

its for a well established company that cares about safety first and foremost.

All tips and hints are welcome.

thanks

BP

[Gordy]

The company I work for has a couple of contracts.

Basically the farms pay us a retainer for on-call availibility during certain months. I am assuming you have all the contracting and money issues sorted.

We have visited the farms and have pictures of the areas we would be operating in. We also gathered the Lat/Longs of landing and refuel sites etc. You NEED to walk or drive around EVERY field in order to check for wires. These are then marked on maps we produce and then laminate for each aircraft.

It is our policy that we need to be contacted with enough lead time to arrive at the farm in daylight, so that the pilot can fly around the fileds and become familiar with it and relate it to the map. This also allows us to re-confirm the presence of wires.

I do not have our procedures, but I do have a copy of one which I saw a while back. This is NOT written by me and I give credit to whom ever wrote it, (not sure who it was). I bear NO responsibilty for any items missed. Obviously you will write your own---but this gives you a good staring point. Good luck...

The purpose of using a helicopter in Frost Fighting is to raise the air temperature in the area being treated by;

1)Dragging down warmer air from the inversion layer above and;
2) Stopping cold air from ‘Ponding” i.e. keeping the air moving.

This is achieved by;

1) finding the ‘cold spots’ in the area and establishing the natural air flow to and from those cold spots and;
2) using the aircraft outside temperature gauge to locate the inversion layer level and then establishing a suitable hover height to drag down the warmer air.

Hazards.

A number of hazards exist in this type of operation and only trained and experienced pilots will be approved to carry out this work.
All frost fighting work must be carried out with visual reference to the ground, if a risk of losing this visual reference to the ground exists then the operation must stop immediately.
Frost fighting is only approved if the pilot has thoroughly inspected the area to be treated in ‘daylight conditions’ prior to commencing operations. This requires that the aircraft be positioned to the scene of operations in time to carry out the necessary inspections in daylight.
Any obstacles observed in the inspection that could create a risk must be adequately illuminated prior to the operation commencing.
The pilot must be aware of optical illusions associated with night flying operations some of which can be exasperated when working over a crop with bird covers in place.
Fatigue can also be a problem as frost operations are often programmed after the pilot has completed a normal day’s work. A period of at least 6 hours of rest must precede any frost operations and preferably 8 hours.
Flight operations should be carried out with landing, navigation and strobe lights on. All instrument lights should be operational. Hook mirror must be removed before starting operations and a flashlight must be carried in the cockpit. The pilot should also check for anything that may reflect light into the cockpit and ground staff and others must be warned of the danger of shining lights that may affect the pilot’s night vision.
A comprehensive briefing of all personnel involved in the operation must be carried out prior to the start of flying, clearly outlining the responsibilities of those involved and their roll in the safe and efficient completion of the job.

Callout Procedures

1) The client must be advised of the latest time that a Frost Fighting callout will be accepted. That time is calculated by adding the time needed to get the aircraft and crew prepared, the ferry flight time required and the site inspection time. This total time then needs to be deducted from Evening Civil Twilight to establish the final callout time.
2) Prepare the aircraft by
(i) removing the hook mirror.
(ii) Checking that the Frost Fighting ‘Minimum Equipment is on the aircraft.
(iii) Carry out thorough preflight inspection including instrument, navigation and landing lights.
(iv) Refuel the aircraft as required.
3) Ensure that sufficient fuel will be available to carry out the operation.
4) File a flight plan with Base or ATC and also with the client making sure that both you and the client know were you will be landing the aircraft. (This needs to be as close to the scene of operations as possible to allow the aircraft to hover taxi to the area)
5) Ensure that you have overnight kit and that a suitable bed is available to provide adequate rest prior to commencing night frost operations.
6) Once the aircraft is located at the scene, thoroughly inspect the area for any obstructions paying particular attention to any wires or cables that may infringe onto the area and also those in adjacent areas and in the track that you will need to use to hover taxi from the aircraft park. These will need to be marked prior to commencing frost operations.
7) Cover the bubble with the appropriate cover. (If no cover is available the aircraft must not be lifted off until all condensation has been dried of the outside and the inside of the bubble using the aircraft heater)

Operational Procedures

1) Once the client advises you that temperatures are close to minimum and operations need to be started, safety lights need to be placed were necessary to provide warning of obstructions and to delineate block boundaries.
2) Preflight the aircraft and establish the maximum flight time available for the fuel that is on board (allow for minimum fuel of 15 US gallons) and note the time that you will need to refuel.
3) Remove the covers and start the aircraft.
4) check that the ‘outside air temp gauge’ is operational and visible.
5) Check communications with client/ground crew is operational.
6) Ensure that all condensation on the outside and the inside of the bubble has dried off.
7) Lift off and hover taxi to operational area making sure not to lose sight of the ground and your bearings relative to the operational area.
8) Once on site check the outside air temperature and establish how high the inversion layer is. This operation can be extremely dangerous and you MUST remain in sight of the ground at all times. If it is not possible to establish at what altitude the inversion layer is, you will have to use the procedure to keep the air moving i.e. establish the low point of the area were the cold air will ‘pond’ and, with the assistance of ambient air flow, keep the air moving through this zone.
Operations will need to be continued until the air temperature in the block is raised sufficiently or the client advises you to stop.
9) Once the operation has been completed, all equipment must be collected (refueling gear, hazard lights etc)
If this occurs before daylight, the aircraft should be tied down and covers refitted and daylight awaited before ferry flight home is attempted.

Responsibilities

1) Flight Operations Manager must ensure;
i. Clients are aware of their responsibility for the safety of the operation including giving the company sufficient waning of requirement, advising of hazardous obstacles, providing pilot and crew with appropriate rest facilities etc.
ii. That only properly trained and approved pilots are dispatched on frost control operations
iii. That all the necessary resources are available for the operation including hazard lights, outside air temperature indicators, and fuel supplies.
iv. That appropriate documentation is completed pre and post operation including flight plans and flight following.
v. That the pilot and crew are properly briefed on all aspects of the operation.

2) Pilot in Command must ensure;
i. That all the required equipment is on board the aircraft prior to departure from base (see Frost Fighting Equipment List)
ii. That his/her training is current and that he/she holds the appropriate authority to carry out the operation.
iii. That he/she is fully aware of the requirements of these procedures particularly in relation to ferry flight after Evening Civil Twilight and before Morning Civil Twilight
iv. That he/she understands fully, all aspects of the operation and is aware of the exact location that the operation is to be carried.
v. That he/she has completed all the documentation required for the operation including filing a flight plan with ATC or base and completes post operation documentation.
vi. That he/she is fit to carry out the operation both physically and mentally and is aware of the potential fatigue aspects and the flight and duty limits placed on the pilot ie. at least 6 hours of rest prior to commencing frost control ops.
vii. That he/she has briefed the client and the ground crew fully on the safety requirements of the operation and has inspected the area of operations from the ground in daylight prior to commencement of any frost ops.
viii. That he/she has formulated a fuel plan and established refueling times and quantities required and co-ordinated these with the ground crew.
ix. That he/she has established safety hazard lights in those areas, identified in daylight, that pose a risk or potential risk to the safety of the operation.
x. That he/she carries out a full preflight inspection including instrument, navigation and landing lights and that the aircraft windscreen is clear and the mirror has been removed prior to take off on frost ops.
xi. That he/she fully understands the dangers of losing visual reference with the ground during ops and establishes practices that do not allow this to happen.


3)Ground crew must ensure;
i. That they have been fully briefed on all aspects of the operation including the area that the operation is to be carried out in.
ii. That they carry sufficient fuel to carry out the operation and the return flight.
iii. That they carry the necessary equipment for the operation (see Frost Fighting Equipment List)
iv. That were possible they carry out, along with the pilot, although inspection of the block in daylight prior to commencing operations.
v. That, during operations, they maintain a continuous radio watch on the appropriate radio frequency and advise the pilot of any potential threat to the safety of the operation.

4) Client must ensure;
i. That he/she gives the company sufficient notification of pending frost operations to allow them to prepare and dispatch a helicopter to arrive at the scene of operations in time to properly inspect the area to be treated in daylight.
ii. That they provide an area to park the helicopter adjacent to the block to be treated such that the helicopter is able to hover taxi in ground effect from that parking area to the block.
iii. That all hazards or potential hazards are pointed out to the pilot and a method of illuminating them during the operation is established.
iv. That he/she provides suitable facilities for rest for the pilot and is aware of the requirement of at least 6 hours complete rest required before the commencement of frost operations.
v. Were possible, continuous support for the pilot and ground crew during the operation

Frost Fighting Equipment List


1) Hazard Lights (in frost kit)
2) Outside Air Temperature Gauge (in frost kit)
3) Helicopter Covers (bubble)
4) Fuel (sufficient for the operation and return flight)
5) Cockpit Flashlight
6) Overnight Kit including sleeping bag
7) Front and rear main rotor blade tie downs
8) Bubble cleaning kit
9) Thermos flask and food (optional)

Minimum Equipment will include Landing lights, Navigation lights and Instrument lights
*Ground temperature control lights are available. They change color as the temperature of the air changes giving the pilot a clear indication as to where the priority is required on the crop/orchard for warm air.

[rick1128]

At many small companies, management will assign projects like this to someone on the operations side, instead of bringing in an outsider. It has it good and bad points. BP at least has enough sense to try to find someone who knows about this type of operation and ask questions.

[moosp]

And Gordy has risen to the occasion and shared an ops procedure with a neophyte that looks pretty sensible. So pprune works yet again.

You've probably saved a life with that post Gordy. Good on ya.

[Gordy]

And Gordy has risen to the occasion and shared an ops procedure

Giving credit where it is due---now this thread has been moved, I notice it was semi-rigid who first posted this....

[bladepitch]

thanks to the rest of you who helped. much appreciated !

[tgarrelts]

Wind speed under neath the rotors

Would anybody have an idea of what the wind speed underneath the tips of the rotor blades on an Enstrom 280fx is? Was asked to do some corn breakage test for Monsanto Seed Company.