Helicopter max climb altitude
In a turbine, you'll always be Ng limited so depending on helicopter type P2 bleed / heating not allowed if you're landing or taking off with max power etc.
G'day R....depends on the countries regs? Usually above 10,000' You've gotta be sucking on O2 if there for over 30mins. Other countries same deal but starts at 14,000'. But also depends on Your Health, smoker, etc....seen many a Pilots get problems above 15,000' even on O2? Also depends on how acclimatioed You are.....when I was flying to 20,000'+ 2, 3 times a day, sleeping at 10,000' every night then landing at 18,000 'for fuel staging without O2 was easy with nil effects, even when I camped there (@18,000' due weather), drunk a half bottle of Ruksi that night & still no effect the next morning
If not acclimatised to high altitudes...I'd be donned O2 continuously operating above 10,000', if You're an asthmatic or a smoker then start sucking above 8,000'
Seriously.....P2 bleed dingle bits do NOT need to be off for take-off, nor landings, use is 'as required' with a caution that performance is degraded (singles that I fly)
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,573
Received 412 Likes
on
217 Posts
Agreed, Sometimes it's better to keep the airbleeds on, such as when flying in cold/humid conditions. The chance of the canopy misting up near the ground can be far more serious than losing a little power. I know of one fatal takeoff accident where canopy misting was the cause and another where it was a likely cause.
Join Date: May 2010
Location: PNW
Posts: 76
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It was a beautiful clear day, flying over to the volcano with the door removed on my side. To get a good angle on the volcano, the pilot kept climbing higher as we slowly circled it. The mountain is 17,802 ft. high. I wasn't paying attention to the gauges but I know we didn't get high enough to see into the caldera, so I'd estimate we reached maybe 14,000-15,000 feet. I remember at one point the pilot said we had set a local altitude record for helicopters. That surprised me; I didn't think we were up that high. The ground looks abstract and difficult to judge height once you get high enough. I do remember how cold it got. I hadn't thought ahead about what it would be like with the door off at that altitude, and wasn't dressed for it. Lesson learned for later air-photo flights in mountainous areas.
I don't remember any ill effects from the altitude. We weren't up there for more than a few minutes, and I had been staying for a couple of weeks in a hotel in Mexico City at 7,000 ft. I guess I was partially acclimated, and so was the pilot working out of that airport.
Max Altitude
Fascinating reading!
"...... Because of the ice and clouds, the test pilot had no outside visibility. Attitude instruments had been removed to lighten the helicopter. Boulet looked up through the canopy at the light spot in the clouds created by the sun, and used that for his only visual reference until he broke out of the clouds......"
https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/21-june-1972/
"...... Because of the ice and clouds, the test pilot had no outside visibility. Attitude instruments had been removed to lighten the helicopter. Boulet looked up through the canopy at the light spot in the clouds created by the sun, and used that for his only visual reference until he broke out of the clouds......"
https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/21-june-1972/
The highest I’ve been to in a helicopter (Bell407) was up to FL110 for a photo mission. Didn’t like it
Join Date: May 2016
Location: USA
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've been up at 15,000' in a S-92 and a Blackhawk for flight testing. I can tell you the S-92 does not like to do an engine restart at 15,000'. We ended up descending to 13,000' where it did restart.
Avoid imitations
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,573
Received 412 Likes
on
217 Posts
Join Date: Apr 1998
Location: Mesopotamos
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Been to the very top of the Matterhorn (14,692 feet) in an AS350 (Air Zermatt). Brilliant blue skies and the machine handled it easily.
Unfortunately staying in the village for several days did my head in (migraines).
Unfortunately staying in the village for several days did my head in (migraines).
Unless you are gong to look at something that is 10,000ft. plus there seem little point of going that high
Namaste VF
I keep looking at the threads for your contribution, glad to hear you are well, can you give us a clue as to your whereabouts and what you are up to?
Missing the sleek trim photographs of.........helicopters, hope Mrs VF is well.
Regards,
T18
I keep looking at the threads for your contribution, glad to hear you are well, can you give us a clue as to your whereabouts and what you are up to?
Missing the sleek trim photographs of.........helicopters, hope Mrs VF is well.
Regards,
T18
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: australia
Age: 60
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Interesting is one way of putting it. Another way might be hard to actually believe. Reckons he was in the air for an hour and a half after leaving with 25% fuel? I’d need to see better evidence than that piece of writing.
Doubting Thomas Club
It does seem a bit contradictory unless there is a dramatic reduction in fuel burn with altitude to compensate. Looks like about 180 l/hr is average cruise consumption, so to stretch 132 litres to 1:35 (albeit with about 10+ min in autorotation), looks like a tall order. That said, I flew one type where with full fuel you had about 3 hours endurance at sea level in the cruise, but climbing to 10,000 ft the endurance was now 3:25 even after the climb fuel consumption (fuel burn dropped from 320 kg/hr to 275 kg/hr), so I'm not sure how much lower the consumption would have continued to reduce if we'd climbed higher.
given 540litres usable petrol tank @ 25% = 135litres (not 132, every drop counts at extreme alt.) so way more than 2hrs of noise time at those scary heights is very achievable 
in a B2 fuel burn even less...so what part is hard to believe again?? 
rehash; wonder why airlines soar up to 35,000' surely not just for the view
Keeping it real....do it into wind whenever possible (except pea)
Last edited by Vertical Freedom; 4th Nov 2019 at 12:08.
