Question re. capability in bad weather
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 480
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From: Retford, UK
Question re. capability in bad weather
Just a fixed wing visitor to these pages
A question re. something I saw last night; I live in Sheffield and as in most of the country a cold front came through yesterday evening accompanied by very strong gusts, hail followed by heavy snow for a short period of time. About five minutes *before* this event I could see a helicopter over the city (can only assume it was the police helicopter). Lost sight there after as visibility went to ~250m.
I was amazed it was safe to be up in that - is it normal and something that most helicopters could deal with?
For reference this was the Manchester EGCC metar when the same front passed through there:-
EGCC 082020Z 25027G37KT 8000 R23L/1500 SHRA FEW008 SCT013 03/02 Q0997 TEMPO 2000 +RA BKN012CB
A question re. something I saw last night; I live in Sheffield and as in most of the country a cold front came through yesterday evening accompanied by very strong gusts, hail followed by heavy snow for a short period of time. About five minutes *before* this event I could see a helicopter over the city (can only assume it was the police helicopter). Lost sight there after as visibility went to ~250m.I was amazed it was safe to be up in that - is it normal and something that most helicopters could deal with?
For reference this was the Manchester EGCC metar when the same front passed through there:-
EGCC 082020Z 25027G37KT 8000 R23L/1500 SHRA FEW008 SCT013 03/02 Q0997 TEMPO 2000 +RA BKN012CB
Tightgit
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: The artist formerly known as john du'pruyting
Remember it was the visibility where you were that went to 250 m.
For interest, over a congested area, with a 'police' pilot experienced in flying over that area in a police helicopter, the weather you noted down (ignoring the fact that it was the weather in Manchester), would not have precluded flight!
For interest, over a congested area, with a 'police' pilot experienced in flying over that area in a police helicopter, the weather you noted down (ignoring the fact that it was the weather in Manchester), would not have precluded flight!
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 480
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From: Retford, UK
Only posted the METAR as the observed weather was pretty similar as the front moved over Sheffield.
I am impressed with the capability shown though - assuming those sort of conditions would a landing have been possible or would it have been a case of keep flying until an improvement?
I am impressed with the capability shown though - assuming those sort of conditions would a landing have been possible or would it have been a case of keep flying until an improvement?
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Shrewsbury
One of the benefits of a helicopter is that landing is always an option! As long as he stays visual with the ground, the conditions can become very bad while still being safe (might not get back to base, though!).
Hovering AND talking
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Propping up bars in the Lands of D H Lawrence and Bishop Bonner
I don't think the OP is placing any blame or even being derogatory in anyway; it could even be taken as a compliment to police pilots!
Cheers
Whirls
Cheers
Whirls
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 480
Likes: 3
From: Retford, UK
I don't think the OP is placing any blame or even being derogatory in anyway; it could even be taken as a compliment to police pilots!
I assumed it was the police helicopter because it was hovering over the city as it often does, rather than transiting.BTW would they have weather radar to spot embedded CB cells?
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: UK
Agree with handysnaks the metar is just that, an airfield report and very rarely will the weather be the same, even all over the same airfield let alone one that is tens of miles away. Thank you though, for thinking of the VFR rotary community when you fixed wing chaps are either in or above the foul weather, with the AP safely engaged when we are occasionally scrabbling around under it!
MS
MS
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 549
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From: The South
Michael,
I don't believe any of the Police EC135s, MD902 or AS355s have weather radar (Not sure on the Bond machines?). I believe the Met EC145s, Devon and Cornwall's BK117 and Dyfed Powys 109 all have it.
That front last night was quite exciting. I went into the IOM just before it and generally the cloud base and visibility was good out of the showers. There were lots of CBs around but they were easy to avoid on the weather radar. Another aircraft followed me in as the front was on us and they reported the same. They also had 74kts of wind on finals.
The only problem with helicopters in wind is starting and stopping the rotors, most medium helicopters have a limit of 50kts. This can be reduced if you shutdown in the lee of a hangar.
FNW
I don't believe any of the Police EC135s, MD902 or AS355s have weather radar (Not sure on the Bond machines?). I believe the Met EC145s, Devon and Cornwall's BK117 and Dyfed Powys 109 all have it.
That front last night was quite exciting. I went into the IOM just before it and generally the cloud base and visibility was good out of the showers. There were lots of CBs around but they were easy to avoid on the weather radar. Another aircraft followed me in as the front was on us and they reported the same. They also had 74kts of wind on finals.
The only problem with helicopters in wind is starting and stopping the rotors, most medium helicopters have a limit of 50kts. This can be reduced if you shutdown in the lee of a hangar.
FNW
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2
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From: Oxfordshire
Actually the main worry in that METAR is the temperature. For an ICAO standard day that would put the freezing level at 1500'. C*** weather is not such a problem as icing the beastie up and then looking for a way out of it.
We use it a lot offshore.
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: UK
Tempo on a metar
Mr Wellington said...
"First time I've seen a tempo on a metar..."
That's because this is a landing forecast, where the Trend (covering a 2hr period) is appended to Metars at certain selected airfields. The most common seems to be NOSIG which I'm sure you've seen many times.
Brom
"First time I've seen a tempo on a metar..."
That's because this is a landing forecast, where the Trend (covering a 2hr period) is appended to Metars at certain selected airfields. The most common seems to be NOSIG which I'm sure you've seen many times.
Brom