parking

[cholmondeley]

I fly an R22 (plase no rude comments). I am often concerned as to what is a reasonable safe parking distance from a light fixed wing. I normally try to leave a radius of about 25 metres but is this enough? Quite often on returning after the statutory bacon sandwich a fixed wing has parked within that radius. Do I call the tower and ask him to move or start gently and wait to see if it moves on its own!? Advice please.

[Impress to inflate]

Flying an R22 you should be parking at the far perimeter of the airfield out of sight.

[before landing check list]

LOL impress...seriously though, it will depend in the wind direction (are you up wind from the airplane?) is the FW tied down, doors secured? parking surface etc. 25 meters may be a bit distant, safe yes but distant. A little closer should not hurt.

[wallism]

Park your 22 in front of the clubhouse and be proud!
I was shown to pull in a bit of pitch and if the plank starts rocking a bit then that's OK. If the control surfaces start moving then put the lever back where it came from and shut down, £25 poorer for your trouble. Sometimes I have had them park under my disc at the pumps!

[ThomasTheTankEngine]

Hi

If you think someone has parked to close to you then ask them to move there aircraft. Even an R22 produces a substantial down wash so best to play it safe. It's also worth mentioning if ATC etc ask you to park on a spot to close to another aircraft don't be afraid to ask for another spot. I once had a microlight taxi in behind me just after I landed an R44 blew it clean over

[Flyin'ematlast]

At least you are showing a considerate attitude by asking (and they are showing their ignorance or arrogance by parking so close).

25 metres seems a bit much space to leave but it will depend on the type of fixed wing as well. Some very light or very low wing loading types could easily be damaged by R22 downwash at some distance.

What do others think is a reasonable distance to park and R22 from other R22's?

Ian.

[scooter boy]

Last time I landed at Denham a truly enraged miserable old fart stormed up to me and suggested I had flown excessively close to his rusty old plank in my '44 whilst heading for the fuel pumps.

I had actually given him a pretty wide berth and his control surfaces had not flapped about at all, but being in a hurry I apologised and left. I think his problem was more likely to do with being old, having no money and an ugly wife.

I have had planks parking right under my rotor disc and once had a car drive under it while the rotors were turning - it nearly became a convertible.

SB

[helicopter-redeye]

..being old, having no money and an ugly wife...

Sock it to them SB!

I once fuelled at a southern airfield (SE to be precise, something to do with crops) where once I had returned from paying for the fuel, a Yak (aircraft, rather than mammal) had parked quite close and the Yak driver gone orf.

I recce'd the area on foot, planned a suitable escape route and moved away with caution and in safety to a parking area.

An off duty "CAA inspector" (are they ever off duty??) - or at least that's how he introduced himself - then approached me as I was shutting down in gusty conditions and walked under the disc to tell me he thought I was too close to the Yak.

Perhaps a "gust from God" could have resulted in him becoming a convertable too??

h-r

[21lefthand]

Scooter Boy

I've met your old chap in a different part of the country. He couldn't possibly have flown that far so I assume he must have a caravan as well.

21

[ShyTorque]

You can never be far enough away!

I was once reported by name to the CAA, by someone who wasn't there, of landing and taking off too close to a helicopter refuel point (?) when I was off shift and at home 60 nms away.

[Hilico]

While bullying the crowd back down the lawns at Weston Super Mare Helidays in 1994 so the aircraft could depart (well, it's a change from the daily grind as a traffic warden), the Italian Airforce 109 told me their recommended distance was 25m.

[CYHeli]

I know that you asked about parking near fixed wings, but here is a link to parking near fling wings...

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...75#post3476075

I onced worked (flying R44) at an airport where they did tiger moth scenic flights.
We were asked not to fly or park too close to the tiger.

[nathan_m]

we had to fly dead mans curve the other day in a 22 just to avoid pushing over the planks lined up near the taxi way