Taking a leak...
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 1999
Posts: 223
Likes: 0
From: Somewhere
Taking a leak...
In twenty years of flying helos, I have never flown an aircraft that didn't have water dripping, and often flowing, all over myself, the paperwork and the electronics, everytime it rained.
Is this the norm or have I just been unlucky?
Is this the norm or have I just been unlucky?
)Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,119
Likes: 0
From: N20,W99
IHL,
Pressurized Aircraft DO leak, and actually quite often, its just not a problem since the leak is usually outwards due to the pressurized cabin.
One of the Beechjets I used to fly, had this constant whistle like sound which we figured out came from the door seal which wasnīt inflating properly, another Beechjet, rain provided started leaking from the overhead panel once the pressure diferential matched on descent at around 8,000 FTAMSL. These were almost new aircraft.
Donīt think the tiltrotor will be much different.
Pressurized Aircraft DO leak, and actually quite often, its just not a problem since the leak is usually outwards due to the pressurized cabin.
One of the Beechjets I used to fly, had this constant whistle like sound which we figured out came from the door seal which wasnīt inflating properly, another Beechjet, rain provided started leaking from the overhead panel once the pressure diferential matched on descent at around 8,000 FTAMSL. These were almost new aircraft.
Donīt think the tiltrotor will be much different.
Guest
Posts: n/a
i used to fly a 206 that leaked worse than a sieve, amongst other things water dripped off all the circuit breakers and filled up the pockets in the doors.
and the stunning mod that the engineers came up with was to drill a hole in the bottom of the pockets so it could drain out !
only in aviation, most people wouldnt put up with any of this stuff if it was in their mini metro !
and the stunning mod that the engineers came up with was to drill a hole in the bottom of the pockets so it could drain out !
only in aviation, most people wouldnt put up with any of this stuff if it was in their mini metro !
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 267
Likes: 0
From: Queensland Australia
I spent a few wet season EMS retrievals rigging up a rain shelter INSIDE our B412 to keep the patient from getting drenched while we rescued them from one nice dry hospital bed and transported them to another dry hospital bed. 
I've asked around and it seems no-one has a story of dry helicopter.
I've asked around and it seems no-one has a story of dry helicopter.
Joined: Aug 1999
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 4,411
Likes: 83
From: Gold Coast, Australia
To their credit, Kawasaki may have managed it with the BK117 
Our's is quite watertight, although the stories of leaky aircraft of other types, are legion.
We caused a bit of a flap with VicPol radio development some years ago, when we requested motorcycle control heads for the panel on the 365C Dauphin. They thought we were joking when we explained that at least the motorbike unit was waterproof
Our's is quite watertight, although the stories of leaky aircraft of other types, are legion.We caused a bit of a flap with VicPol radio development some years ago, when we requested motorcycle control heads for the panel on the 365C Dauphin. They thought we were joking when we explained that at least the motorbike unit was waterproof
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 93
Likes: 0
From: South East England
We've got one of the new R44 Raven 2's, New in January 2003 and "Yep" it leaks !
Considering you can buy at least three very nice cars for the price, with helo's - we have to put up with it.
On the B206 side of things. We had a survey done on a second hand ship. The engineer asked the owner for a hose pipe and let rip with water over the cabin. Inspected the inside and it was drenched. (Still bought it though)
Considering you can buy at least three very nice cars for the price, with helo's - we have to put up with it.
On the B206 side of things. We had a survey done on a second hand ship. The engineer asked the owner for a hose pipe and let rip with water over the cabin. Inspected the inside and it was drenched. (Still bought it though)
Avoid imitations
Joined: Nov 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 15,110
Likes: 1,083
From: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
In my experience most helis leak.
The RAF Puma had a lovely trick of dumping about a pint of water down your right leg as you lifted to the hover.
I watched a bunch of VIP suits walk away from our S-76 aircraft, all sporting black bums from the wet seats. The S-76 moulded cockpit window sills catch water too. When you slam the door shut (you have to slam it ), the water showers all over you and fills the map pockets in the door.
The RAF Puma had a lovely trick of dumping about a pint of water down your right leg as you lifted to the hover.
I watched a bunch of VIP suits walk away from our S-76 aircraft, all sporting black bums from the wet seats. The S-76 moulded cockpit window sills catch water too. When you slam the door shut (you have to slam it
), the water showers all over you and fills the map pockets in the door.
OffshoreIgor Joined: Sep 1998
Posts: 154
Likes: 0
From: at the edge
Flew a brand spanking new EC 155 the other day. Rain water everywhere, all over the centre console, all over the pilots, all over the corporate leather and suede and all over those neat little screens that tell you how fast you are going while you sip a G&T in the back with your umbrella up.
LE
LE
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 593
Likes: 0
From: UK
Delighted to read that all the expensive machines leak. If the R22's I fly don't leak, I take them back.
One I took up in the US with no doors - it had leaked so much over the years that the carpet had been secretly rotting. Got across the wind and suddenly the cockpit was full of flying fibres and tiny balls of rubber. Couldn't see a bloomin' thing.
The deep joy of the 22 is that it leaks both sides - so a plentiful supply of inflight thirst-quenching for both seats on long days.
One I took up in the US with no doors - it had leaked so much over the years that the carpet had been secretly rotting. Got across the wind and suddenly the cockpit was full of flying fibres and tiny balls of rubber. Couldn't see a bloomin' thing.
The deep joy of the 22 is that it leaks both sides - so a plentiful supply of inflight thirst-quenching for both seats on long days.
Joined: Apr 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 10,959
Likes: 1,814
From: EGDC
And there was me thinking it was just Wastelands who made helicopters with the in-cockpit swimming pool optional extra - I didn't realise it was an industry standard they were adhering to!
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 1999
Posts: 223
Likes: 0
From: Somewhere
I'm glad we're wearing poopy suits in the 61. We've had passengers write up "Unsafe" reports after watching us jam rags into various "faucets" with pencils. The 76 with the eyebrow vents were horrendous, but what was really fun was watching the 222 caution panel start lighting up everytime we flew in the wet. At 2 in the morning with 100 miles of trees in all directions, should you take that MGB CHIP light seriously?????? (sarcasm that, of course you do!)
