What is this guy doing?

[Tarman]

This is my first attempt at trying to link to another site, so forgive me if it fails.
Anyone any idea what this guy is doing ?

[What Limits]

From the body language, I would guess that he is an AME looking to resolve a technical issue. Climbing up and down aircraft with things rotating is commonplace in the industry (but may not be best practice!).

The PIC could well be flying from the left hand seat if the aircraft is on slingload/bucketing/longline operations. Why? because you can look out of the bubble window in the co-pilots door, see the load and still reach the collective (almost impossible in the right hand seat).

[Tarman]

That all makes sense. Cheers

[bigsquirrel]

Have you seen the engineers on Erickson Aircranes check the rotors on startup, that looks like a job not for the feint hearted.

Cheers

BS

[Matari]

Probably a leak check. No big deal.

[SASless]

Could be looking for his torque wrench.....they are worth a lot of money you know!

[technoprat]

I would say he is leak checking the forward end of the Main Drive Shaft,
or the oil seal on the Transmission Input Coupling.

I don't see a close call myself.

[Trans Lift]

I was watching the engineer for a Skycrane doing the checks as they started up. It was interesting to see him walk under the tail rotor. Plenty of room to spare but still gives a hint of the pucker factor!!!

[Eng AW139]

Should have been around when we flag tracked the main rotor and poked checked the tail rotor. Set the tail rotor drive shaft bearing on the 206 was always my fav job as well. NOT Thank you mister strobe ex.

[Matari]

Should have been around when we flag tracked the main rotor and poked checked the tail rotor

Ah yes! Poke checked the old B212 tail rotor many a time. Procedure: tape a wax pencil on the end of a broomstick. Crank up the machine, 100% rpm.

Head to the back and first heat up the wax pencil by sticking it in the PT6 exhaust flow for just a sec or two.

Then, down to the tail rotor. Hold the broom stick ever so carefully against the fin's trailing edge, and guide it in until the wax pencil just hits the rotating T/R blades.

Shutdown, check markings, adjust, repeat. Beats working in the hell hole anyday.

[Oldlae]

We poked the 205/212 T/R with a paintbrush coated with that red grease (Mobil?) taped to a broom handle.
I think he was checking the short shaft.

[bolkow]

In Ireland engineers are very skillful, have even seen them change main rotor linkages during hot refuelling stops! LMAO

[Reefdog]

heard the following story years ago.....somewhere in Oz

helicopter going 100% RRPM, pilot in RH seat engineer on top (leak checking probably) Clients of operation watching with Ops manager explaining whats going on...

Operations radio pilot to move helicopter to different location..pilot: roger that..
forgets about engineer on top
pulls pitch,,,hover taxi..next thing engineer trying to bash pilot through window... lands helicopter..engineer pulls pilot from cabin and fisty cuffs is on the apron...in front of bemused CLIENTS

when told could not stop laughing
anyone heard the same story or similiar

obvoiusly another engineer with no sense of humor..(only jokin guys)

[ShyTorque]

In 1985 I was at a deployed field location in Germany, a Chinook site. A similar thing happened there.

The engineer was checking something on the servicing platform on the rear pylon when the pilot lifted off and moved 100 metres across the field.

We all know the sort; they promoted the pilot..... and they all breathed a sigh of relief

[What Limits]

Probably Chief of the Air Staff by now!

[jessie13]

When I worked on Sea Kings, we used to have to climb up onto the LH Transmission platform to do a torque transmitter bleed when the rotors were turning. There was no room for error!

[Saint Jack]

Speaking of helicopters getting airborne with engineers (UK)/mechanics(US) hanging on reminds me of an experieance I had about a hundred years ago when I as in the Royal Air Force. A colleague and I were doing something at the back end of a Belvedere (look it up) while the rotors were turning for which we had to lean across the rear undercarriage struts. Suddenly we were at a 5-foot hover and both of us simply let go of everything and dropped to the ground, luckily the helicopter didn't come down on top of us. It transpired that the loadmaster had not in formed the pilot, who just happened to be the squadron commander, that we were still draped over the undercarraige. After the flight the CO apologised profusely but we were not privy to the discussion between him and the loadmaster.

[Tractor_Driver]

It happens on the North Sea too

Super Puma, rotors running. Avionics engineer has some business in the tail boom. Pilot, returning from pee break, closes boot and off they go.

Engineer, now in dark, manages to crawl backwards, pull baggage from top shelf and locate fire fighting hatch on the bulkhead.

Passenger, who was convinced that he was on rear seat, is very surprised to find a hand tapping him on the shouder!

TD

[spinwing]

Mmmmm ...

.... Bristol BELVEDERE ..... Cripes Saint Jack .... how old are you ????


(You wouldn't know Alan Styles would you?).

[SASless]

A young fellow named Jack Trigg used to keep me spell bound telling his stories of flying Belvedere's.....he was an amazing story teller and a true gentleman! It is said he is the one of two people who ever went to the D-Day invasion in a Tiger Moth. His Student being the other.