Question About POTUS's Helicopter
 

I have just seen a news story about Trump, it showed a helicopter and the tyres looked flat, we would pump up the wife's bike tyres if they looked like that.
Do helicopter tyres normally like that?
Sorry if this is the wrong place to post but this is the only place I normally post.

Do you have a photo or a link?

A bit of Googling says that Trump was forced to switch helicopters on April 3rd reportedly because of a flat tyre and the backup then became Marine One. Could it be that event?

3 APR VH-92 had a flat at Miami International, POTUS transferred to VH-60 white top and flew to Doral

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....4da12093b6.jpg

I'd guess they are split rim tires with 100-200 psi in them. Can't be filled with a hand pump.

inflated 120-130 psi.

Pardon me if I seem a bit dim, I know nothing about choppers, but couldn't you take off just fine with flat tyres? And only have an issue when landing?

That is entirely true but, as a general rule of thumb, every time you take off you have to land again.........

Obviously a takeoff to a hover and landing from a hover would be possible. Any taxiing with a flat tire could further damage the tire, rim and landing gear and could present ground clearance problems, and increases the risk of dynamic roll-over. Any rolling t/o or landing would incur risk. Furthermore, several emergency procedures require run-on landings, so takeoff with a flat tire would not be advisable.

Not forgetting that low tyre pressures on a wheeled helicopter can also result in ground resonance.