R-22 doors off flying

[tegwin]

When I first started flying a few years ago (Out in Florida) we very rarley flew with the drivers door inplace, its an awsome feeling and a nice cool flight flying with no door..

It was common practice to wheel out the aircraft in the morning, pop out the door locking pin, lift the door off and stick it in the hangar for the day....


Now im back in the UK... (With a PPL if it makes any differance) and renting aircraft on a SFH basis...

What are the rules with regards to, first of all, flying with no door, and secondly, me as a pilot removing the door?

Its nice flying with no door...you have that much more space for your flailing arms!

[FLY 7]

...first make sure your harness is done up

Actually, H/S300s seem to routinely fly with the doors off.

[tegwin]

Have you seen the doors on a 22?....If you push on them too hard they simply fall off....so not having them there poses no aditional risk per-se

[nervouspassenger]

There's also the story about the guy in a southern state of the USA who, being religious, always flew with a bible in the cockpit. Flying one day with both doors off the bible flew out and took off the tail rotor.

[Bladecrack]

There's also the story about the guy in a southern state of the USA who, being religious, always flew with a bible in the cockpit. Flying one day with both doors off the bible flew out and took off the tail rotor.

Devine intervention....?

[tegwin]

LOL...that list of robinson SBs is interesting!

My first ever lesson in a heli was done with the drivers door removed...reaaally scary, but you soon get used to it!....I felt it almost makes learning to hover easier because you can see more ground reference through your peripheral vision...


Will have a chat with the school and see what their policy is....not a serious issue so not worth loosing sleep over, but would be nice all the same!

[IntheTin]

Little hard to fly photo flights with the doors on. I always leave on the right door so not to have to much breeze through the cockpit, however it is rather hot down here in Florida with them on.
If they are on we always have the pins in also.

[imabell]

what's a door.....................

[Heli Teli]

I'm the same. Only ever done it (fly with both doors off before anybody comes back at me) in Upstate NY and I loved it. Cant say I have really needed to do it in the UK but would be nice to do it again.

[Backward Blade]

Your POH states you can as long as seat belts are done up on the unoccupied seat and all loose articles are secured. Providing you indicate the W+B change in the logbook prior to flight and the school/rental agency has no policy in place you should be legal. Word of warning though when carrying a pax...Brief them thoroughly. ie don't let them stack a whole bunch of ****e on the floor between their legs like ribbon, paperwork or empty camera cases

Or try this, I once took out a long time customer in a 44, took the doors out for him to take photo's, and while cruising along he get's all excited and points out the door towards a moose only to bash his arm and shoulder the rear L/H door frame due to the wind resistance, followed by some pretty severe bruising and whatnot. He's lucky he didn't dislocate his shoulder and/or tear something and I'm lucky he had nothing in his hand when he did that.

[helicfii]

If Robinson really did not want pilots flying with the left door removed, they would have designed them so that they could not be removed- sometimes Frank Robinson goes into overkill. Hey, was that a pun?

[kookabat]

The company I worked for used to run doors off flights (in an R44) all the time. We used to not allow the pax to take ANYTHING loose with them, save a camera with strap firmly around the wrist.

Putting arms outside was known as the intelligence test, ie if you're intelligent you won't do it again!

[rotorspin]

easier to jump out of when the thing burps...