Operating R44 in Nepal
Nepali life
Namaste
Nepal is a wonderful relaxed place to live; uncomplicated, friendly, safe, clean water, clean air (outside of KTM). Crime is almost zero, cost of living is very low. Life in KTM is great, weather is warm in summer 32oC, freezing in winter 5oC. power cuts due to load shedding is up to 19hours per day. It is an exciting place to live with lots of things to do, see, explore, party, adventure treks, history, she has loads to offer. Traffic is a nightmare. Dust & high pollution due to being surrounded by 8-10,000' mountains forming a bowl that helps lock in all the crap due to an almost year round inversion lid. ATC are helpful, no nonsense for Rotory, But the flying is the most adventurous, most extreme & most serious & most dangerous that I have ever experienced in 22 years of flying in 9 countries. High winds changing direction in every valley, every gully, every ravine & at differing heights the direction can change, turbulance, extreme haze & monsoons requires often very low level flying down in the rivers at 50'agl with slant vis 100m & vertical & horizontal vis below500m. DA is common to be over ISA +35oC with landings up to 23,000' in the B3+ 21,000' in the B2, 16,000' for the B & 206BIII. We do cargo, charter, sling, rescue, film - You name it we do it, usually with HIGE only, HOGE is a luxury we use for rescue sling & film, we even do HCL - a rescue crewman hanging on a fixed line attached to the swing hook to rescue someone where we can't land. Thank God for the B3+ = the most agile, most capable & most powerful Helicopter in the world at high altitude & DA, nothing else comes even close to this babies get up & go
Jai Shiv Shankar 
Nepal is a wonderful relaxed place to live; uncomplicated, friendly, safe, clean water, clean air (outside of KTM). Crime is almost zero, cost of living is very low. Life in KTM is great, weather is warm in summer 32oC, freezing in winter 5oC. power cuts due to load shedding is up to 19hours per day. It is an exciting place to live with lots of things to do, see, explore, party, adventure treks, history, she has loads to offer. Traffic is a nightmare. Dust & high pollution due to being surrounded by 8-10,000' mountains forming a bowl that helps lock in all the crap due to an almost year round inversion lid. ATC are helpful, no nonsense for Rotory, But the flying is the most adventurous, most extreme & most serious & most dangerous that I have ever experienced in 22 years of flying in 9 countries. High winds changing direction in every valley, every gully, every ravine & at differing heights the direction can change, turbulance, extreme haze & monsoons requires often very low level flying down in the rivers at 50'agl with slant vis 100m & vertical & horizontal vis below500m. DA is common to be over ISA +35oC with landings up to 23,000' in the B3+ 21,000' in the B2, 16,000' for the B & 206BIII. We do cargo, charter, sling, rescue, film - You name it we do it, usually with HIGE only, HOGE is a luxury we use for rescue sling & film, we even do HCL - a rescue crewman hanging on a fixed line attached to the swing hook to rescue someone where we can't land. Thank God for the B3+ = the most agile, most capable & most powerful Helicopter in the world at high altitude & DA, nothing else comes even close to this babies get up & go
Jai Shiv Shankar
Last edited by Vertical Freedom; 22nd Dec 2011 at 10:06.
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And look at the accident rate...
Great post VF, but I suspect that only 1 in 10 'aviator types' will be able to look at life in South Asia and see it as you (and I) have seen it!
For all the reasons that VF has mentioned (and more) in Nepal they have an accident record in all forms of aviation that is cause for concern in many circles.
An R-44 is a fine helicopter that has its place in the rotary world. IMHO that 'place' does not include Nepal.
To all who fly in that fantastic country 'take it easy out there'!
A Bell 206L3, on the ground at about 13,000 feet with Everest in the background, many years ago.
For all the reasons that VF has mentioned (and more) in Nepal they have an accident record in all forms of aviation that is cause for concern in many circles.
An R-44 is a fine helicopter that has its place in the rotary world. IMHO that 'place' does not include Nepal.
To all who fly in that fantastic country 'take it easy out there'!
A Bell 206L3, on the ground at about 13,000 feet with Everest in the background, many years ago.
Namaste
Heliops from my pix & posts I assumed all PPruners knew that I live & work in Nepal, so yes I live & work here at the 'Top of the World'.
Shortshaft yes You are right due to our extremes in weather & ultra high DA; accidents are high. However please note that it is predominantly the Fixed-wing boys involved in the high number of accidents!! From my experience & observations here; Nepali Helicopter Pilots are amongst the best in the world based on their working environment & low accident rates
Cheers & Happy landings
VF
Heliops from my pix & posts I assumed all PPruners knew that I live & work in Nepal, so yes I live & work here at the 'Top of the World'.
Shortshaft yes You are right due to our extremes in weather & ultra high DA; accidents are high. However please note that it is predominantly the Fixed-wing boys involved in the high number of accidents!! From my experience & observations here; Nepali Helicopter Pilots are amongst the best in the world based on their working environment & low accident rates
Cheers & Happy landings
VF
