Issue 53 - Heliops

DELIVERING GLOBAL COVERAGE OF THE HELICOPTER INDUSTRY
MAR/APR 2008 I ISSUE 53
contents
M A R c h / A PR i l 2 0 0 8 I I S S U E 5 3
A Kamov Ka226
belonging to Russia’s
State Transport
Company, proudly
carries the Russian
Federation flag
during a flypast in
Moscow.
24
24
cover feature: russia’s patriarch
Sergey Mikheev, a 70 year-old industry veteran is the
long-serving Designer General of Kamov. In an exclusive
interview ALEX MLADENOV reports on the views of this
extraordinary man who continues to be one of the driving
cover photo
Dmitry Kazachkov
forces behind the development within the Soviet/Russian
civil rotorcraft industry.
36
tough day at the office
For the crews of South Africa’s Surf Rescue service it’s
95% boredom and 5% pure adrenalin as they patrol the
popular coastline, ready to save lives in difficult and often
very risky operational conditions. Pilot MIKE REID reports
on one of those 5% adrenalin days.
46
living the high life
“Sorry we can’t fly today” is a rarely called-upon phrase
for the lucky instructors and students at Sloane Helicopters’
70
46
Mallorca base, where some 350 days are flyable.
SARAH BOWEN drops into the small and picturesque
36
Balearic island and discovers some of the most outstanding
yet demanding mountain flying she’s seen.
54
one or two? the great debate
Find any bar where the pilots of different helicopter
types congregate, and there is sure to be heated debate
about the persistent question of the comparative safety
of single vs twin engine helicopters… right till the very
last beer. In a paper he has researched advising
companies on their exposure, MARK OGDEN makes
some interesting observations.
62
THE ANSAT – new kid on the block
For the first time in the history of Russia’s helicopter
industry, an established manufacturing facility has
managed to independently design and certify an all-new
type. ALEX MLADENOV reports on the Ansat from Kazan
regular features
columns
From the Editor
3
eye on east europe
13
Industry update
5
flight dynamics
15
subscription Form
personal profile
6
80
Helicopters – a machine apparently destined for major
flight training
17
Law & order
19
safety
21
flight instruction
23
success in a wide market.
70
Under pressure
No pilot likes to think of his machine becoming
un-controllable during flight, but in recent years there
has been a series of hydraulic system-related accidents
involving the AS350 squirrel. PHIL CROUCHER examines
and explains the system, providing some timely advice
on the issues.
Your
mission.
Our
filter.
Install
before
flight.
no matter where you fly, you need AFs.
AFS leads the industry with high-performance engine Inlet Barrier Filtration systems for commercial
and military propulsion systems. Commercial systems include Bell 205, 206B, 206l‑1/3/4, and
407, mDHi mD 500, and mD 900/902, eurocopter As350, and AgustaWestland A119 helicopters.
Military systems include oH‑58A/c/D Kiowa, UH‑1H Huey, AH/mH‑6J/m little Bird, UH‑60
Black Hawk, AH‑64 Apache, and cH‑47 chinook. Development systems include eurocopter ec‑130,
Bell 429 and 430, and AgustaWestland AW139.
From the deserts of Iraq to the forests of California, AFS systems are protecting engines, enhancing
performance, reducing costs, and helping operators do what they do best.
Insist on an AFS filter. install before flight.
AerospAce FiltrAtion systems, inc.
A Donaldson company 636-300-5200 fax 636-300-5205
www.AFsfilters.com
from the editor
H
By Mark Ogden
CEO
Neville (Ned) Dawson
Duis erit
velestrud
PUBLISHER
Cathy Horton
dolore ercilit
EDITOR
Mark Ogden
It nonsed et delestio od tem
deputy
editorS
quatet, quisis
adionse quatin
Sarah Bowen
utpate dolesto
consendreet
Alexander
Mladenov
nonsed dolobor eetumsa
sub editors
ndipitNeil
prat. Ut
Leigh
Rob Neil
lum do ercin
ut luptatum acincipsum
US
EDITORsnonsenit
vullummy
Greg Davis
iurem Fitzgerald
do odolobor
Aaron
am, sit irit
iusci et
erostrud erosto ea.
legal EDITOR
Robert Van de Vuurst
safety editor
Phil Croucher
I TALIAN CORRESPONDENT
Damiano Gualdoni
scandinavian CORRESPONDENT
Rickard Gilberg
proofreader
Barbara McIntosh
PRINTING
GEON
eli Expo 2008 has come and gone.
Another good show with a lot of
new equipment on show including
Eurocopter’s EC175 (mockup), Bell’s
429, and the one that had a lot of people
intrigued – Sikorsky’s X2. For experienced
show-goers, it is always interesting to see
how the fortunes of the major companies
vary from year-to-year. Sikorsky has been
lately demonstrating a true commitment to
innovation, investing in projects like the X2
– and it has a good feel about it. Eurocopter
always presents with flair and its products
are usually cutting edge; with billions of
dollars in turnover and backorders it can
afford to be! AgustaWestland can seem to
do no wrong with the 109 and 139 ranges
selling like hotcakes and infiltrating the
market at nearly every level.
Bell on the other hand – Well, from the
certainly upbeat approach of just a couple
of years ago, it just doesn’t seem to have
the oomph of a company that is going to
challenge Eurocopter. Certainly its 429
promises to be a good product, and I hope
for Bell’s future in the civil market that it
proves to be. As I said last time, there are
some great people in that great company
but they still have some catching up to do.
At this year’s show, even with the 429 on
display, Bell just didn’t sound, or look, like a
winner. Now that Nick Lappos (ex-Sikorsky
and ex-Gulfstream) has accepted the
position of Senior Vice President at XworX,
there should be some positive movement
again in Bell’s activities. He has a big job
in helping Bell realize its future; figuring out
future customer needs, getting advanced
systems and technology activities running,
and rapid prototyping. It is a huge task and
one at which it is hoped that Nick
will succeed.
The aftermarket sector is certainly alive.
Canadian company Heli Lynx and its FX
version of the AS350, for example, seem
to be taking off all around the world. Using
new as well as tried-and-true technology,
it puts surprising new life into a product
that has a long lineage. Soloy has done
something similar for some time now and
while OEMs can’t produce enough aircraft
for the market, there is a significant need for
these products. Additionally, by developing
alternative engine installations for example,
it gives operators a chance to explore
alternative support packages – something
essential in an industry stretching at the
seams. It is interesting that while fuel is a big
cost factor in helicopter operations, it is the
oil industry that seems to provide much of
the powerhouse for the helicopter industry.
With oil charging towards US$120 a barrel,
without something short of a significant
recession, the demand on the industry is
unlikely to ease a lot. Modifications such
as the Soloy and FX conversions, which
provide greater fuel economy while giving
more power where it’s needed, need to be
looked at closely by both operators and
customers.
What was good to see at the US show
was the Eastern European contingent.
There have been some big culture shocks
for the Russian industry in its attempts to
get its product in widespread western use.
When you read stories about the Russian
builders and see their plans in this issue,
it seems that they have been strangled
for development funds for some time, and
some of the “teaming” arrangements with
western manufacturers have not always
gone well. But now, there is consolidation in
the Russian industry and they are finding the
money to do some significant development.
Although they seem focused on providing
for domestic needs at the moment, it will
be interesting to see how their industry
develops in the near future and whether
they can make a significant impact on the
world market.
The first-ever Heli Russia is being held
in Moscow in early May. HeliOps will be
attending and we will have full coverage of
the highlights of this showpiece of one of the
world’s fast-growing helicopter markets.
We hope you enjoy this issue. Safe flying! n
EDITORIAL ADDRESS
Oceania Group Intl
PO Box 37 978, Parnell
Auckland, New Zealand
PHONE: + 64 21 757 747
FAX: + 64 9 528 3172
EMAIL
[email protected]
WEBSITE
www.heliopsmag.com
3
BEST INVENTIONS EVER
Remote Controls
Integrated Circuits
DART Round-I-Beam Skidtubes
(10 times easier)
(10 times smaller)
(10 times stronger than
conventional skidtubes)
Innovation is what sets DART apart. DART has 1,500 helicopter parts and accessories
designed to make your operation more efficient and effective — with more being
certified all the time.
Our patented Round-I-Beam skidtubes increase resistance to damage and corrosion
– plus they’re quick and easy to install.
Innovation to make flying easier. Just what you’d expect from the helicopter
accessory experts. DART.
darthelicopterservices.com • phone 1.800.556.4166 or 1.613.632.3336
industry update
NEW COMPONENT
REPAIR CATALOG
FOR DALLAS
AIRMOTIVE
BBA Aviation Engine
Repair and Overhaul
company, Dallas Airmotive,
has published its 2008
RR250 Component Repair
Catalog.
Over the past twelve
months the company has
experienced a pickup in
demand from local offshore
helicopter operators as
well as contracts with air
medical service companies,
according to President and
CEO, Hugh McElroy.
Its facilities are equipped
to handle virtually all repair
and overhaul tasks for Rolls
Royce 250 engines including
in-house test cells at both its
Premier Turbines and H+S
Aviation overhaul facilities.
Bell 407 to provide
Air Medical transport
to Amarillo area
As of April, a Bell 407 will be used by
Northwest Texas Healthcare System
(NWTHS) based in Amarillo, Texas to provide
an air medical transport service for the
region.
The service will be operated in a
partnership with Med-Trans Corporation, a
leading provider of air ambulance programs.
Bristow Wins Five-Year
Seven-Helicopter Contract
Bristow has been awarded a five-year
contract for five medium and two small
helicopters by a major customer in Mexico.
Total revenue over the term of the contract is
estimated at $US90m.
Additionally, they have also signed a threeyear contract to lease and operate eight
medium helicopters for the Comision Federal
de Electricidad (CFE), the national power
supplier of Mexico, with a total estimated
revenue of $US70m.
2 0 0 8
F E B / M A R
THE MAGAZINE FOR THE CIVIL HELICOPTER INDUSTRY
I S S U E 52
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
The first word on new products,
new deliveries and happenings in
the global civil helicopter industry.
UNITED ROTORCRAFT SOLUTIONS
SPECIALIZING IN:
CUSTOMIZED COMPLETIONS & MODIFICATION
• AIR MEDICAL
• LAW ENFORCEMENT
• CORPORATE
FULL REFURBISHMENTS
MAINTENANCE
STC’D NVG LIGHTING
PAINT & INTERIOR
FULL MACHINE SHOP
351 Airport Road - Box 10 • Decatur, Texas 76234 • 940-627-0626 • www.unitedrotorcraft.com • FAA REPAIR STATION UX9R241Y
industry update
Attention Helicopter Operators
ACROHELIPRO Global Services renamed to
Vector Aerospace - Helicopter Services North America
Effective February 24th, 2008, ACROHELIPRO Global Services adopted the name of our parent
company and is operating as Vector Aerospace - Helicopter Services North America.
We now conduct business from our Canadian facilities as Vector Aerospace Helicopter Services Inc.
and from our US facilities as Vector Aerospace Helicopter Services USA Inc. To facilitate the public
transition to Vector Aerospace - Helicopter Services North America, we have changed the name and
logos of our operating companies in both Canada and the United States from the existing
ACROHELIPRO entities to Vector Aerospace.
This announcement sets in motion the first phase of a Vector-wide initiative to transition all aerospace
maintenance, repair, and overhaul assets to the Vector brand, including ACROHELIPRO, Atlantic
Turbines, Sigma Aerospace and the newly-acquired Defence Aviation Repair Agency (DARA) Rotary
and Components divisions.
We anticipate that as a result of efficiencies resulting from a consolidation of resources, knowledge
and skills, customers will experience enhanced levels of quality, service and satisfaction.
We also wish to emphasize this change will not affect our ability to provide the industry-leading
services and products operators have come to expect from all Vector companies. Additionally, we
will continue to provide our world class services in all our traditional product lines including Rolls
Royce, Pratt & Whitney, General Electric and Turbomeca engines & associated accessories, Bell,
Sikorsky and Eurocopter dynamic components, avionics and structures.
If you have any questions relating to this notification, please contact any Vector Aerospace Helicopter
Services Sales Manager or Customer Service Representative at your earliest convenience.
Contact information can be found at www.vectoraerospace.com.
We look forward to continuing our work in providing best-in-class helicopter maintenance, repair and
overhaul services to operators across the globe.
Sincerely,
John MacDougall, President
Vector Aerospace-Helicopter Services North America
Vector Aerospace - Helicopter Services
Toll Free: 1.888.729.2276 | Tel. 604.276.7600 | Fax. 604.276.7675
4551 Agar Drive, Richmond, British Columbia Canada V7B 1A4
WWW.VECTORAEROSPACE.COM
7
industry update
Mi-171 Receives Type
Acceptance
Certificate in
Mongolia
Mission record for
DRF team
Air rescue alliance TEAM DRF was alerted to
more missions than ever before during 2007.
The number rose to 39,111 missions – 2,612 or
7.2 % more than the previous year.
The most frequent reasons for missions were
life-threatening illnesses like heart attacks or
strokes. More than 120 dispatch centers in
Germany have so far been equipped with the
flight following-system “Rescue Track” which
makes it possible for the first time to verify a
helicopter’s position and mission status at a
glance at all times.
TEAM DRF partners currently operate 43
HEMS bases with more than 50 helicopters
for emergency rescue and intensive care
transportations between hospitals.
The Mongolian Civil Aviation Department
has awarded an Acceptance Certificate
for the Mi-171 helicopter of Ulan-Ude
Aviation Plant’s (UUAP) production.
The Certificate licenses UUAP to
deliver the Mi-171s to operators in Mongolia.
The Mi-171 is one of the few pieces of Russian aircraft engineering that has received
recognition from aviation authorities from several foreign countries all at once.
First Two “Versace” AgustaWestland
Helicopters Delivered
AgustaWestland’s first two helicopters fitted with Versace-styled interiors have been delivered
to their customers during an official ceremony held at its Vergiate plant. The 109 Grand,
featuring a black-and-white interior and paint scheme and an AW109 Power, with a grey-coloured
Versace-styled interior, was ordered by Ioan Tiriac Air of Romania and Elimarca of Italy.
AgustaWestland and Versace first announced their collaboration in 2007, in order to offer
customers a range of exclusively designed cabin interiors. The team further strengthened
their collaboration in February, adding the AW139 to their range of most luxurious and stylish
helicopter interiors.
Your Bell.
Our Windows.
Perfect Fit.
Aircraft AOG? Need windows?
Tech-Tool Plastics
has long-life, perfect-fit
replacement windows in stock
for most Bell helicopters.
Your helicopter will be back in the air
working for you like it should be.
Tech-Tool Plastics, Inc.
7800 Skyline Park Drive
Fort Worth, TX 76108 USA
1-800-433-2210
1-817-246-4694
Fax: 1-817-246-7402
[email protected]
www.tech-tool.com
9
industry update
Spectrum takes order for new Nova 880
wire marking system
Spectrum Technologies’ first order for their brand new Nova 880 ultra-high
speed wire marking system has been received from Sikorsky.
The UV laser wire mark, measure and cut system is Spectrum’s latest innovation
and joins the existing range of products as the new top of the range system.
Launched last October, the system was officially unveiled on the opening day of the
Productronica show in Munich, Germany, and input from key customers, including Sikorsky, was sought during
the initial design.
Sikorsky specified their unit to include a new high speed automatic wire auto select and load unit, which can accommodate up to 32 different
wires and cables, and a six meter wire stacker to facilitate the introduction of lean manufacturing techniques within their production facility.
RR250 Air/Oil
Separator Modification
LoJack and Becker Avionics
Establish Licensing Agreement
LoJack has entered into a technology licensing
agreement with Becker Avionics Systems to
incorporate stolen vehicle tracking and recovery
software will be into Becker’s SAR radio direction
finder, designed for law enforcement aviation units
in the US and Canada.
This agreement delivers significant benefits to law
enforcement agencies, since the single unit saves
precious weight and panel space in the cockpit.
LoJack’s tracking and recovery software will also
be incorporated into the RT 500M and RT 300
land & sea direction finders. Upgrades to the new
systems are also available to those who have the
existing SAR-DF 517, RT 500M and RT 300s.
Skytrax launches new
slim-line tracking device
Skytrax Division, has launched their latest
new slim-line portable, SkytraxSL flight
tracking device.
The SkytraxSL offers advanced design
features while continuing to incorporate radio
and antenna components in a single compact
unit now weighing less than half a pound.
Standard Aero has begun offering
modification of the Rolls-Royce 250
series III and IV air/oil separator gears.
The modification is in response to
engine modification CEB 72-3271
released by Rolls-Royce last year,
which requires the replacement or
rework of the gears. By applying a
Molybdenum plasma spray to the gear
web the part is converted to the new
configuration, and the company is the
first Rolls Royce approved maintenance
to perform the modification at their
Winnipeg, Manitoba facility.
8-07 ahl
triple play
Honeywell's commercial engines are available today
to power the helicopter industry's continued growth.
We have partnered with Soloy and Heli-Lynx to retrofit the LTS101-700D-2
LTS101-700D-2
Rated at 732 SHP
into the AS350B2 helicopter. The D-2 engine upgrade increases power in
hot-and-high conditions and reduces fuel burn.
The T5317BCV engine is the commercial version of the military T53.
It is a zero-timed engine at half the cost of a new engine, has a 5,000-hour
T5317BCV
Rated at 1,800 SHP
TBO and comes standard with a four-year, 2,000-hour factory warranty.
Honeywell’s newest engine, the HTS900-2, utilizes game-changing dual
centrifugal compressor architecture. It offers high reliability, industry leading
power-to-weight ratio, and low cost of ownership.
HTS900-2
Rated at 1,000 SHP
For power, performance, affordability, and mission-ready capabilities,
look to Honeywell.
For more information, visit www.honeywell.com/helicopters
For an engine evaluation, call Doug Kult at 602-231-1238
©2008 Honeywell International Inc.
EYE ON EAST EUROPE
T
By Alexander Mladenov
Russia was
made for
helicopters
Spread over a territory
larger than that of USA or
Canada, with a population of
146 million, today’s Russia
definitively has an underdeveloped commercial and
public services helicopter
industry. The civil rotorcraft
fleet there comprises
around 2,000 machines
only – mostly in the heavy
and super heavy class. The
situation, however, is going
to change in the nearto-medium future as the
market for light and medium
class rotorcraft is poised to
expand rapidly. It is hoped
that the HeliRussia exhibition
to be held in May will be
turned into an incentive
for this marked drive,
providing a venue where
OEMs and their distributors
can meet their existing and
prospective customer base.
he slowly-resurrecting economy in
Russia and especially its blossoming
oil and gas industry are ramping-up
demands for helicopter services while a
huge number of wealthy individuals and
prospering corporations are planning to
purchase their own helicopters. Owning a
rotary-wing machine is considered a sign of
prestige and social status of what is known
as the New Russians – the new rich business
class in post-Soviet Russia. Currently,
Robinson’s R-22 and R-44 are the most
popular Western-made helicopters for private
use there, but soon a fairly good proportion
of their owners are expected to upgrade
to turbine rotorcraft offering much higher
performance, better safety and comfort.
Russia’s big helicopter operators have
reported an annual growth in operations
of 10-11% in the last few years. In addition
to their traditional domestic customers,
they have a huge number of contracts
being performed outside Russia, mainly in
support of humanitarian and peacekeeping
operations of UN and other organizations. It is
of note that the few big and financially viable
operators have already appreciated the need
of renewing their fleets in order to remain
competitive, support their near-to-medium
term growth plans, and last but not least, to
improve air safety statistics which has been
their traditional weak point.
Utair has been the first helicopter operator
in Russia to embark upon an ambitious fleetwide renewal program. In this re-equipment
drive, the Tyumen-based company is set to
augment its 150-plus fleet of Mi-8T/MTs with
an initial batch of 20 newly-built Mi-171s.
Ordered in 2007 from the Ulan-Ude Aviation
Plant through UTair’s leasing arm in a deal
amounting to some US $100 million, these
will be delivered in 2008. The new helicopter
type which is in fact a vastly improved Mi-8
derivative with increased payload and range
performance, will be used to support UTair’s
operations on behalf of UN around the globe,
as well providing support for the activities of
the oil companies working in Eastern Siberia.
An option for 20 more Mi-171s is going to be
converted into a firm order already during this
year and deliveries are expected to take place
in 2009-2010. The new addition to the UTair
fleet will be used in an effort for the company
to capture some 25% of Russia’s helicopter
transportation services and aerial works
market. In addition to the 40 Mi-171s, UTair
used to order as many as 15 Eurocopter EC
175 plus 15 options and is going to purchase
20 more AS 350B3s which will be used in a
bid to expand the scope of its activities on
the domestic transportation market through
capturing new and still under-developed
niche business.
The other Russian big helicopter operator
which announced bold plans for fleet renewal
and expansion is Gazpromavia, a fully-owned
air transportation subsidiary of Russia’s gas
monopolist Gazprom. A contract covering
the delivery of as many as 46 Mi-171s is
expected to sign in the foreseeable future. In
the same time, there is something of intrigue
in Gazpromavia’s shopping drive as the
company has announced plans to purchase
as many as four Eurocopter EC 225 Super
Pumas for transporting workers and supplies
to offshore platforms operated by its parent
company.
Russian helicopter industry observers
immediately noted that Gazpromavia’s
Super Pumas purchase is unlikely to set a
pattern and impede the significant number
of sales of the Mi-171 and Mi-8MTV-1s
to local operations. They emphasize the
fact that the Mil-designed helicopters are
much more suitable for flying in the severe
climatic conditions of Russia’s far north
to support the oil and gas industry and
other businesses, than their western-made
counterparts. Moreover, Russia’s government
has placed effective barriers in front of the
western manufacturers in the form of 40%
import taxes.
Despite these taxes, however, the rapidly
developing Russian economy has made
possible a significant number of light piston
and turbine-powered helicopters to find
their home in Russia. Lack of commerciallyattractive and proven local designs in the one
to seven-tonne classes is promising a bright
future for all big Western manufacturers who
are present in this emerging market and who
have already certified (or are planning to
certify) their rotorcraft in Russia. Eurocopter
has been the most active among these, with
more than 50 helicopters already in operation
in Russia. Company CEO Lutz Bertling is
expecting in the near-to-medium future,
15% of its total sales to be made in Eastern
Europe. It would be easy to predict that the
majority of the Eurocopter-sold rotorcraft
will be destined for operators and owners in
Russia.
Bell Helicopter is also staying very well
on the Russian market. Last year it won 19
orders in 2007 and has high hopes for the
future, planning to sell 60-70 helicopters
annually there.
AgustaWestland’s newly-appointed
distributor for Russia is also foreseeing a
pretty good business, with expectations to
report as many as 100 sales in a couple of
years. MD Helicopters has also found that
Russia is not a bad market and the same
applies for Robinson Helicopters.
Undoubtedly, a significant proportion of
the future sales of Western-made helicopters
in Russia are going to be made to wealthy
individuals or prospering corporations.
It is also expected that start-up air taxi
companies will also join the club of operators
of western-made rotorcraft.
All the above-mentioned signs are
indicating that a boom in the purchases of
light and medium-class western helicopters
in Russia will happen. It is expected to
follow a process similar to that which has
caused a hike in the sales of businessjets in
the recent years. n
13
ready to serve
around the world
Offering superior customer service and MRO support for
Bell, Eurocopter and Sikorsky Engines / Dynamic
Components / Structures and Avionics; including the
Sagem Avionics Integrated Cockpit Display (ICDS) System
M A I N T E N A N C E
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
•
R E P A I R
•
O V E R H A U L
1.888.729.2276 OR WWW.VECTORAEROSPACE.COM
flight dynamics
T
Retreating
Blade Stall
The dynamics of helicopter
flight are frequently more
complex than even many
experienced pilots realize.
The basic aerodynamic
principle of retreating blade
stall is easily understood
by any pilot, but in this
issue we looks at the less
readily- comprehended,
but potentially disastrous
mechanical-stress aspects
of the phenomenon.
he least obvious aspect of rotor stall
is the stress that it places on rotating
components, even when control is not
at all at issue. As an airplane wing stalls, it’s
pitching moment shifts aft, and the wing
“breaks” nose downward. Airplane pilots
learn to feel the stall as a control trim shift
aft, and also with the sharp break. A rotor
blade behaves the same, and starts to drop
nose-down with increased stall. This nose
down motion is opposed by the blade spar,
pitch horn, pitch change link, swash plate
and ultimately the control servos. As the stall
fights to press the blade’s nose down, and
the controls push back to resist the motion,
the stresses on all these components rise
dramatically.
I tell pilots that they can envisage the
stresses on the rotor system from blades
to servos, by conducting this thought
experiment. Imagine taking the helo into
a hangar, and bricking the blades into the
hangar wall, trapping them and preventing
any angle change with strong masonry
and cement. Then fire up the hydraulics
and start to pull and push on the controls.
As the servos press on the swashplate,
pitch control rods, blade horn and blades,
they stress and twist these components
mercilessly. This abuse is precisely what
happens as the blades stall and pitch
downward as the controls fight that motion!
The effect is even more pronounced in flight,
because the blade experiences these stall
stresses on its downwind trip, but on
the upwind side it has full flight speed, and
in fact, can be near maximum tip Mach
speed. Several times a second the blade
sees a stalled high control stress event
followed by a near transonic speed event.
That classic film clip of a rotor blade’s
twists and convolutions as it travels around
the rotor head is an eye-opener for any
helicopter pilot.
I found two hits on youtube.com when I
searched for rotor blade. That clip is from
a camera mounted on the rotorhead on
a Sikorsky S-56 flown right over the main
plant in Stratford Connecticut back in the
early 1960s. Pilots should not console
themselves that things are different today,
because the motion of composite blades
is certainly no less, and probably more at
today’s higher speeds.
The stall effect can be reduced and cruise
speed can be increased by any means that
reduces the rotor’s share of the lift (like
wings) and forward thrust (like a pusher
prop), but these changes sharply reduce
the hover payload. The maximum speed
a pure helicopter has ever demonstrated
was done with a modified Lynx with BERP
blades at about 217 kts. They used great
engineering, weight reduction and judicious
shaping of the engine exhausts to harness
excess engine power to provide jet thrust
(at the max allowable to still qualify as
a pure helicopter). The counter-rotating
Sikorsky XH-59 ABC (Advancing Blade
Concept) allowed stall to develop on the
retreating side, because the other rotor
had an advancing blade on that same
side to provide excellent control. The ABC
demonstrated 2–Gs in maneuvers at 25,000
ft to show its immunity to stall. I had the thrill
once of flying it at over 225 kts as the ABC’s
jet thrusters pushed it along while the main
rotor was in autorotation. The Sikorsky X2
is a modern attempt to harness the speed
potential of the counter rotating pusher ABC
configuration.
These high dash speeds are heady indeed
for helicopters, but old hat to tilt-rotors,
which cruise at 250 kts and can dash at up
to 300 kts! Because a tilt-rotor offloads the
rotors and uses the wing to do its lifting in
cruise, its speeds are quite a bit higher, and
it also has good cruise fuel efficiency with
about half the fuel consumed per mile as
compared to a helicopter. Like high-speed
helicopters, the tilt-rotor has some payload
penalty due to the weight of the aircraft and
the hover vertical drag of its wings. The
price for avoiding blade stall at high speed
is not a small one, but a squadron of V-22
Ospreys in Iraq attests to the customer’s
willingness to pay that price to reap the
operational benefits.
Next installment, loss of tail-rotor
effectiveness and other control mysteries. n
15
We Fly
We Maintain
The Powerful Difference
Columbia Helicopters is the only commercial operator of the Model
234 Chinook and Vertol 107-II, the civilian models of the CH-47
Chinook and H-46 Sea Knight. The company’s aircraft operate globally
in extreme weather conditions, and are supported by one of the most
exceptional maintenance facilities anywhere in the industry.
Columbia’s fully functional maintenance facility is a one-stop shop,
able to meet all depot level maintenance requirements for internal and
external customers.
www.colheli.com
503-678-1222
flight training
Demonstrate, Direct
and Monitor
By Mark Ogden
Instructing
Basics – Part 2
Getting the most out of
instruction takes some basic
skills for both the instructor
and the student. In this
second part, MARK OGDEN
continues with some tips he
picked up over his time in
the intructor’s seat.
In flight training these days, the theory
leans towards the DDM technique –
Demonstrate, Direct, and Monitor. The
idea is that the instructor demonstrates the
exercise, then directs the student using key
words (avoiding verbose explanations to a
student who may not exactly be in receive
mode during high stress maneuvres). After
this, the student should have a go at the
exercise with the instructor monitoring and
not commenting, unless really needed.
Complex exercises should be broken down
into small blocks to ensure the student
can develop the correct technique in small
chunks then be given the opportunity to
connect the blocks.
DDM is good as a basic instructional
technique although I have found it to
be rather unnecessarily onerous when
covering exercises with qualified pilots.
Unless it is something completely new,
then using the Direct and Monitor is usually
more than sufficient. And as instructors
gain experience they tend to develop
their own techniques and nuances and
this is fine provided what is appropriate
for the student is kept in mind. Different
student personalities will require different
instructional techniques. So in the end,
it is a matter of taking the fundamentals
and melding them with the instructor’s
personality.
always be ready to take control in time.
There is no doubt that there is a fine line
between letting the student discover
and practice the correct techniques, and
ensuring the helicopter is never placed in an
unnecessarily hazardous situation.
Consider the Risk
Just how far to take an exercise is
something that needs to be carefully
considered by the instructor. I remember,
in an attempt to get students to properly fly
OEI approaches into a pad, reducing the
power on the good engine by retarding the
power control lever then reducing the “bad”
engine to idle, then having the students
fly a single engine no hover approach on
the limits into a dusty pad – How dumb
was that? It was unnecessarily risky, and
luckily for me the students had the skill to
pull it off and the aircraft was very forgiving
(Mr Sikorsky, you make good machines!).
Anyway, the point is, carefully consider the
hazards of what you’re proposing to do;
make sure the gain is worth the risk and
look for other means of getting the message
across. In this case, simulation or flying
the approach with both engines up but
“notionally” limiting the power would have
been just as effective and far less risky. In
other words, think hard before coming up
with a bright idea!
The De-brief
Another aspect that is sometimes glossed
over in basic training is the de-brief. Do you
de-brief in the aircraft or on the ground?
Simple stuff, but the instructor should
I think it depends on how the flight went
avoid talking over radio traffic. The student
and the student’s personality. If the flight
needs to be given a reasonable chance of
went well and the student has a good
hearing what the instructor has to say! If
positive attitude, I’ll de-brief in the aircraft
there is a mute function on the intercom,
on taxi back. If however, you’re
then its judicial use can
dealing with something that
be handy (although I
There is no doubt that
requires explanation without
have seen pilots press
there is a fine line between
distraction, or dealing with basic
the mute button even
students, then de-briefing in the
before they have heard
letting the student discover
classroom or office is definitley
the start of a radio
and practice the correct
preferable.
call) – not a good idea
In any case, after the flight,
with the radio being
techniques, and ensuring
the student should receive a
such an important
the helicopter is never
thorough de-brief which
aid to maintaining
placed in an unnecessarily
should start out with the positive
situational awareness
points. Starting with the rough
and avoiding collisions
hazardous situation.
issues can have the student
with other traffic!
“turning off” and not taking in
There is almost
the points the instructor wants to raise. At
nothing worse than instructors who shadow
least starting with the positive, the student
the controls too closely. I have talked to
should be listening! De-briefs should not
students who never actually “flew” an
be overly long; instructors should pick the
autorotation because the instructor was
salient and important points to de-brief,and
shadowing so closely; the students could
leave the small stuff to the bar de-brief;
remove their hands and the controls moved
where the student is likely to be more
magically all on their own! The counter to
receptive! n
this though is that the instructor should
The Right Environment
17
law & order
F
FAA REGISTRY
ACTIONS
The FAA has taken a
couple of arguably
significant steps lately which
may affect your plans as
you buy and hold aircraft.
Let’s take a look at them.
irst, the FAA released four instructive
memos on February 28, 2008. One
memo of note advised in words that
cats and dogs could understand, that we
need to make sure that we have our act
together when it comes to completing
aircraft registration applications. Most of us
have been there at one time or another – we
cut a deal to buy an aircraft that we intend
to operate the day after closing. Everyone
agrees on an escrow agent in Oklahoma
City, and the documents start heading
that way from all over the place. The Seller
sends in a Bill of Sale and maybe a lien
release. The Buyer sends in the all-important
registration application.
Unfortunately, however, somebody was
in a hurry and transposed a couple of digits
in the serial number or, as more frequently
happens with those of us that take title in
a limited liability company, the title of the
applicant’s signatory is different from that
which was designated on the LLC affidavit
that’s on file with the FAA. Until February
27, it was no problem, right? The escrow
agent would get permission from everyone,
out came the bottle of white-out, and they’d
change the application so that the closing
would go through. That’s not the case any
longer. The new policy as set forth in the
FAA’s memo is as follows:
“…..all [registration] applications must
be complete and essentially “perfect” in
original appearance to be acceptable.
This means no white-out, strike-throughs,
or other alterations to original text will be
accepted… An example of an exception
to this policy would be that the only
deficiency in the application is the need
for the typed or printed name in the
signature block. The typed or printed
name could be added and the original
application returned.”
At first blush, this may not seem like a
big deal, but imagine having to go to your
boss and explain why you have to pay a
couple more days’ per diem interest on a
helicopter loan because the closing got
pushed back while the Buyer overnights
another registration application to the
escrow agent. Or why the aircraft that he
just paid several million dollars for can’t go
out on the contract tomorrow because the
registration application is bad. That’s not a
good situation to be in, so from now on give
your applications an extra once-over.
Of potentially more significance is a
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that the FAA
also published on February 28 and therein
proposed changes in aircraft registration
requirements. According to the FAA, there
are serious safety deficiencies in the current
system, starting with the fact that “almost
one-third of the aircraft on the register [have
a] questionable registration status.” In the
same NPRM, they say they have records on
340,000 aircraft, so that’s a lot of questions,
right? The FAA also cites the following:
l 17,000 aircraft have been reported as
sold without the Buyers having submitted
registration applications;
l 4,700 aircraft purchasers have started the
registration process without completing
the requirements, with about 2,100 of
those being in the “registration-pending”
category for more than 12 months;
l Approximately 30,000 aircraft are known
to have bad addresses on file; and
l Close to 14,700 aircraft have had their
certificates of registration revoked due
to bad addresses, yet remain in the
system to prevent reassignment of their
US registration number. Up to 41,000
additional unidentified aircraft are
estimated to be inactive or possibly no
longer eligible for registration.
The potential problems are somewhat
obvious. The FAA, as well as aircraft OEMs,
depend on accurate registration information
so things like airworthiness directives can
get where they need to be, which is with the
aircraft owners. Law enforcement agencies,
especially the DEA and Department of
Homeland Security, need accurate records
for various reasons as well.
To address these problems, the proposal
is for all aircraft certificates to have an
expiration date which for new certificates
would be three years from the last day of the
month in which it is issued. Aircraft owners
can renew a certificate for successive
three-year terms by submitting a renewal
request form and paying the applicable
fee (which, depending on who you believe,
could be anywhere from $45-$130). For
currently registered aircraft, they’ll have to
be re-registered within a three-year phase-in
period, and each aircraft would have three
months to accomplish the re-registration.
Failure to re-register would result in the
expiration of the certificate and, after 30
days, the administrative cancellation of the
N-number. There would also be deadlines
for an aircraft registration to remain in either
the “sale reported” or “registration pending”
categories, which would be six months for
sale reported, and 12 months for registration
pending. Once again, if the time limits are
exceeded, the FAA could cancel assignment
of N-numbers. Lastly, you would have a
maximum of 12 months to use the pink copy
of the application for registration, including
any subsequently issued extensions, as
temporary authority to operate the aircraft
after ownership has transferred.
In talking with some folks the most
common reaction seems to be “I have
to register my car every year, so what’s
the big deal?” If you want to comment,
though, the deadline is May 28, 2008 and
must be identified by Docket Number
FAA-2008-0188. n
19
A M E R I C A’ S L E A D I N G P R O D U C E R O F H I G H - P E R F O R M A N C E H E AT E R S A N D A I R C O N D I T I O N E R S F O R T U R B I N E H E L I C O P T E R S.
Fly your AS 350 in comfort
this summer.
Air Comm’s AS 350
Cabin Air Conditioner is the
most advanced, effective
system you can buy:
> Lightweight
> Discreet and Attractive Installation
> Leak-proof Torq-Lok Refrigerant Fittings
> One-of-a-kind Adjustable Compressor
Mount for Easy Belt Alignment
> Supported with Global Service and Training
Air Comm is America’s leading producer of
high-performance heaters and air conditioners
for turbine helicopters.
3300 Airport Road, Boulder CO 80301
Tel: (303) 440-4075 Fax: (303) 440-6355
[email protected] www.aircommcorp.com
safety
T
By Phil Croucher
Checklists –
love them or
hate them!
Documentation,
particularly
checklists, shares a
quality with drains,
in that they are vital,
his is partly through ignorance, as
not everybody is expected to be a
technical writer, but a good part of it
is simply not caring. How many helicopters
are there that cost several million dollars,
yet have a flight manual that is badly
produced, organized and printed? Relative
to the cost of the machinery, the production
of documentation can be miniscule – in
quantity, a 500-paged coloured book can
cost as little as $100 to print!
However, this column is about checklists,
which often have to be consulted in an
emergency, and at first glance need to give
you the necessary information which may
assist in preventing loss of life. The ones we
generally find in flight manuals are poorly laid
out, and impossible to read under pressure
or at a glance, so I would like to pass on a
few tips to those people who end up having
to produce them for the manuals.
It should be noted that locally-produced
checklists have to reflect what’s in the flight
manual as closely as possible!
Take, for instance, the sample below:
yet often ignored.
text, your eyes will catch on all the sharp
edges and slow you down considerably.
l The trick is to make the headings and their
relative superiorities immediately obvious,
with the use of indenting and different text
sizes, as shown above.
l Each checklist item should be numbered
for ease of reference
l Use some method of drawing the eye
towards the response, either by simply
alternating the colour of each line (just
create a table and autoformat it in Word).
Alternatively you could use what is called
a lead-in, which is a series of full stops
between the item and the response.
This is just one example of how a little
more effort from the support staff in any
organization can make the life of a pilot or an
engineer just that little bit easier (or longer!).
Common Sense
At first sight, it looks OK, but on closer
inspection, there is considerable scope for
improvement. Firstly, the same bold font is
used throughout, and underlining is used
for the headings – a much better approach
would be indenting. A little tweaking can
produce this:
Much better, isn’t it?
l
For headings, use a
sans-serif font – in this
case Helvetica, and for
body copy use a serif
font such as Times New
Roman. (Serifs are the
little feet on every letter).
The point about serifs
is that they smooth and
round the edges of a
character, so that when
you are reading a lot
of text, your eye glides
easily along. If you use a
san-serif font for body
Just as rules are for the guidance of
wise men, remember that using airmanship
(common sense) is often a preferable
alternative. The checklists in the flight
manuals are often cobbled together by test
pilots who have to make guesses about
what situations might be encountered, and
they are certainly written for legal rather than
practical purposes, in that they are there
to cover somebody’s backside and very
often enter the Logic Free Zone. I am not
advocating that you ignore them completely,
but they cannot be written for every possible
event. Your situation at the time may be
different. With all due respect to the lawyers
and the subsequent Board Of Inquiry, I would
certainly alter the checklist on the fly if it meant
the difference between living and dying!
The “Land Immediately” option has been
removed from many flight manuals because
people were landing immediately in some
really stupid places. Here’s what the other
options mean:
l Land as Soon as Possible. Land without
delay at the nearest location at which a
safe approach and landing is reasonably
assured. That is, do not land in or on
somebody’s barbecue when there is an
empty field next door!
l Land as Soon as Practicable. Extended
flight beyond the nearest approved
landing area is not recommended. In
other words, land at the nearest airfield
where technical support is available
(a maintenance facility). If there is
non reasonably close, land where the
engineers can get to you later.
And operations manuals? Well, maybe
we’ll talk about those next time! n
21
The Name To Know In Helicopters
SEASPRITE
The Kaman name is synonymous
with creativity, innovation and
leadership. It has been this way
since we were founded in 1945
and it still holds true.
Kaman continues to innovate and
respond to the needs of a changing
market with new products, new
technologies and an exciting new
area of focus.
From innovating new concepts
and vertical flight solutions to
delivering design, integration and
manufacturing services to meet
a rotorcraft industry in need.
Kaman is the name to know.
KAMAN AEROSPACE
|
|
CONNECTICUT USA
1-860-243-7431
[email protected]
|
Flight instruction
W
By Chris Esposito
License
to Learn
They say that the pilot’s
license is a license
to learn, and after a
few months as a flight
instructor, I could not
agree more.
hen I wrote my last column, I had
given about 50 hours of instruction,
and considered myself relatively
inexperienced in the art of instructing. While
my experience is certainly not on par with
those who have been instructing for years,
I believe I have learned more in the last
100 hours of instructing than I did for a few
of my ratings.
To date I have logged over 175 hours as
a flight instructor, and in those hours I have
noticed quite a bit about both helicopter
flight and people in general. I have definitely
become a better pilot, and I am much more
comfortable with the machine than when
I started teaching. Hover autos no longer
cause a tingle up the spine, and I actually
enjoy settling with power. I have noticed
myself smiling while “working”. Suddenly
that huge investment of time and money
makes so much sense.
I finally experienced the feeling of having
my first student pass a checkride. It truly
is satisfying to know you helped someone
reach their goal, and a formidable one
at that. I took over his instruction when
his previous instructor left for the Gulf of
Mexico. He had been signed off for his
private checkride, but did not pass the
oral. This was partly due to confidence in
the answers, and I worked through many
ground sessions with him, giving mock
oral tests and trying to trick him the way
an examiner might. I may have acted a bit
like a drill instructor, but he got the point,
and got through the oral with no problems.
I was never worried about his flying, and
he passed his checkride with flying colors.
The student is only
18, and now he
is working on his
commercial license.
I’m sure after having
many students pass
their checkrides,
it will become the
norm. Nevertheless,
my first successful
signoff felt great.
Our school will
work with students
to organize night
flights since we
typically close at
five. Occasionally
we will have a
group of students
who need night flight at the same time – a
situation we had a few weeks ago. Two
commercial students needed a long night
cross-country, and another student needed
to work toward the required three hours of
night-time for their private rating. I was flying
with one of the commercial students – a
pilot with several hundred hours of airplane
time, and one who is also planning on being
a controller. I didn’t have to worry about
much, as he had planned everything out,
frequencies were written down, and he
brought his GPS. We decided to operate
as a flight of three helicopters, with one
of the other instructors acting as the lead
helicopter. We lifted a little after sunset, and
began our trek to Jacksonville, Florida.
Paranoid as I am, I asked my student
to slow a bit so that the lead helicopter
could get a good distance ahead of us.
Immediately I noticed that “formation” flight
is much harder at night, as lights can get
larger quickly. After talking on our own
frequency, we decided to hold about 65 kts
for the flight up the coast. A little practice
and we were holding our distance from the
lead helicopter pretty well. Then I made the
decision to look behind me to see how close
the other helicopter was following. I cringed
when I saw how close they were, made a
call for them to back off a bit, and relaxed.
Occasionally I would look behind our
helicopter at the other traffic, gasp, and yell
on the radio. Eventually they started to get
the point… this was the student’s first night
flight, and I was doing my best to keep him
from speeding up and flying into our tail
rotor. It seemed that all was fine, until we
landed as a flight of three in Jacksonville. I
was in the middle of course, and out of the
corner of my eye I spot the helicopter that
was supposed to be behind me. At that
point we were on with Jacksonville tower
and I wasn’t about
to say anything, so I
directed my student
to slow down and
we decided it was
probably best for us
to stay third in line.
I learn something
new on every flight,
and try to apply it to
the next one. Group
night flights are now
flown with much
greater distances
between helicopters.
I look behind the
helicopter a lot more
than I used to. I have
been volunteering
myself for a lot of night flights lately – I find
them a lot more peaceful, though all of these
flights have been with the engine running,
and I assume when it stops the flight will not
be as peaceful. n
23
Independent, innovative and courageous, Sergey Mikheev is the longserving Designer-General of Kamov. A born engineer and manager,
his distinguishing personality has been appreciated in both Soviet
and post-Soviet times. ALEX MLADENOV reports from Moscow on the
views of a man who continues to be the driving force of development
within the Soviet/Russian civil rotorcraft industry.
24
c ov er feature
The Ka-32 continues to be highly prized as a flying crane
25
supporting the oil industry in Russia’s Western Siberia.
The 3.4-tonne Ka-226 was
designed with the aim of becoming
a deserving successor to the
Ka-26, a dependable workhorse
for a multitude of utility tasks, with
affordable operating costs, high
reliability, easy to fly and maintain.
26
S
ergey Mikheev is a charismatic
industry veteran, recipient
of the prestigious Hero of
Russia golden star award
and the longest-lasting DesignerGeneral in modern Russia’s aviation
industry. During the turmoil of the
early/mid 1990s when state support
suddenly disappeared, he was
required to learn, in a very short time,
everything possible about western-style
commercial helicopter operations. His
newly acquired knowledge and skills
enabled Mikheev to ensure the survival
of Kamov, taking the company from the
verge of failure and allowing the design
bureau to not only stay afloat, but to
continue development of new types
and modifications of both civil and
military helicopters.
Understandably, 70-year-old
Mikheev, after being at the helm of
Kamov Design Bureau for 34 years,
enjoys a pretty high media-profile
and possesses very journalist-friendly
behavior. A talented manager and
engineer, when he took over the
management of Kamov Design Bureau
in 1974, Mikheev was the youngest
Designer-General in the history of the
then Soviet aircraft industry.
Because of the Soviet-era approach
of separating aircraft design and
production activities, Moscow-based
Kamov (popularly known as Kamov
Design Bureau) has been engaged in
helicopter design and development
activities as well as prototypemaking and flight testing, while mass
production of its certified designs was
carried out by a chain of purpose-built
serial production plants.
Traditionally, Kamov was involved
principally in military helicopter
Ale x ander Ml adenov
design, later developing derivatives for
civil use. In the 1960s, however, Kamov
became the first design bureau in the
former Soviet Union to develop a purely
civil helicopter design. The Ka-26 was
an extremely popular piston-engined,
co-axial rotor design with detachable
cabins for various payloads, used
mainly for agricultural and patrolling
work. It did rather well at the time, with
over 800 examples produced. Mikheev
believes that the Ka-26’s successor, the
twin-turbine Ka-226, is well-situated to
continue the success story.
Mikheev considers that developing
civil helicopters can be much more
difficult than developing their military
counterparts. “As a rule, it takes much
more effort and time for us to satisfy
both the strict civil certification
requirements and the increasingly
demanding commercial customers at
home and abroad. Interestingly, when
we commenced the Ka-32’s certification
in Canada, our basic design was already
certified by the Russian military. We
discovered, however, that the nature
of the logging work was causing much
higher loads on the helicopter than
anything we had seen or anticipated;
and as a result this led to a serious
re-assessment of the structural loads
and service-life issues of the Ka-32
during its civil certification process,”
Mikheev said.
“Secondly, as a rule, civil helicopters
feature a much higher utilization than
their military counterparts, providing
us with a whole new world of reliability
statistics regarding the helicopter’s
systems. There are some flight
regimes where the civil helicopters are
experiencing much higher structural
loadings than the military ones; in
addition, the reliability requirements
for them are considerably higher.”
Mikheev believes that the operating
cost of civil helicopters will be the main
factor limiting tomorrow’s demand for
helicopter services and their scope.
He points out that helicopters are
an integral part of the technological
process in many industries and
therefore operating costs have a great
impact on these areas. He also thinks
that the man-hours required for
servicing and maintenance should be
reduced in order to keep labor costs
under control.
“I believe that this applies to the
Mikheev believes that
the operating cost of
Charismatic Sergey Mikheev,
a 70 year-old industry veteran,
owns the distinction of being
the longest-lasting Designer
General in today’s Russian
aviation industry.
civil helicopters will be
the main factor limiting
tomorrow’s demand for
helicopter services and
their scope.
27
The company has
now in excess of 80
Ka-32s operating
in markets once
considered as nontraditional for Russia,
including Canada,
Switzerland, Spain,
Portugal, Japan and
INAER Group
South Korea.
military helicopter world too and
that both worlds can benefit from
the technological advances made by
the industry. As an example, I can
point to a military requirement dating
from the mid-1980s that called for
eliminating the points in the helicopter
design requiring lubrication at regular
intervals; at a later stage this design
feature was also introduced into our
civil designs.”
Mikheev illustrated this by
pointing out that when the Ka-32
was first introduced to service with
a Western operator (Heliswiss), the
hourly operating costs were around
$US2,000. “Thanks to our maintenance
rationalization efforts this figure is
now reduced to $US800. By doing this
in close cooperation with the operators,
28
we have extended, for example, the
gearbox time between overhauls (TBO)
from 500 hours, as it was set for the
military derivatives and the Russiaoperated Ka-32T/As, to 2,000 hours.
We are planning a further increase to
3,000 hours.”
An important symbolic marker for
today’s Kamov is that the company has
now in excess of 80 Ka-32s operating
in markets once considered as nontraditional for Russia, including Canada,
Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Japan
and South Korea. It can be viewed as a
positive reflection on Kamov’s business
globalization and the operating
efficiency of the Ka-32. Developed
in the 1980s from the Ka-27 naval
workhorse, it boasts some unique flight
features that are a result of the coaxial
counter-rotating design, such as an
extremely high degree of stability when
in hover (particularly useful for logging
and construction works) and simplified
controls.
The Ka-32 has now proved to be a
successful niche player in the West for
over a decade, and Mikheev comments
that it has been a valuable training
exercise, enabling Kamov to embrace
the free-market realities and globalize
its commercial operations. “It was like
studying a brand-new science as we
tried to rapidly understand the physical
and psychological aspects of the market
processes in the West; as well, we had
to understand the psychological drives
of the Canadian customers who were
the first to buy Russian helicopters for
commercial applications.”
Dmitry K azachkov
The process began with the Ka-32’s
experimental operations in Switzerland
and Canada. It was the Ka-32T version
initially, which saw a fairly high daily
utilization of 10-12 hours transporting
external sling loads, utilization
previously unseen in the Soviet Union
and Russia,. Lack of a type certificate
recognized in these client countries
however, proved to be a serious
obstacle for Ka-32 sales in the West.
This motivated the design bureau to
undertake a wide-ranging program of
adopting the new AP-29 airworthiness
rules in Russia, which are equivalent
to US FAR-29. The Ka-32 obtained its
Russian type certificate in July 1993
and in that same year the certification
process in Canada and Switzerland
commenced.
Mikheev points out that it took
Kamov and the operators five years
and a significant effort to convince the
aviation authorities that the Ka-32 is
a safe design. In May 1998, Transport
Canada issued a type certificate for
the Ka-32A11BC version, three of
which are operated by VIH Logging on
logging, aerial construction work and
firefighting. The aviation authorities
in Switzerland certified the Ka-32A12
version, operated by Heliswiss.
The VIH Logging Ka-32s, as Mikheev
boasts, have seen extremely high
utilization, each logging over 2,200
hours per year. Both launch operators
for Westernized Ka-32s (each with three
examples) use their helicopters not only
in their own countries; but also under
contract in neighboring and remote
states. Heliswiss Ka-32s for example,
have been busy flying throughout
Europe performing construction work.
A great achievement of Kamov’s
cooperation with VIH Logging was,
Mikheev declared, his company’s
solutions that were custom missionoriented as well as meeting the
Western operating and airworthiness
requirements. VIH Logging enjoys
the distinction of having the leading
Ka-32 operation in the world, flying
the highest-time machines, with over
14,500 hours under their belts each.
These are mainly engaged in logging,
which is considered one of the most
demanding types of operation for a
helicopter. Says Mikheev, “In order to
make the Ka-32’s logging work costeffective and to compete with the
Erickson Air Crane which has a higher
payload than that of the Ka-32 (9
tonnes vs 5 tonnes), we were required
to do something innovative, so we
invented a time-saving mission profile
that the competitor cannot match.
ABOVE left: The Ka-226 is the
only Russian-made light category
helicopter certified to fly over
urban environments and it is also
meeting the stringent US and
European noise requirements.
opposite page: Spain is the
largest European customer for the
Ka-32A11BC, with the type used
for firefighting. Ka-32’s principal
operator in Spain, Helisureste, is
the diving force behind the EASA
certification effort.
29
INAER Group
Making it possible is the high rotor disc
loading of the Ka-32, which could be
seen as an unfavorable feature of the
helicopter. We, however, turned it to
our advantage, shortening the time of
the logging process because the high
disc loading enabled the fully-loaded
helicopter to safely maintain a very
high rate of descent – up to
14 m/s (2,755 fpm). This is what we
call “motor autorotation mode”,
enabling us to reduce considerably
the logging cycle and increase the
helicopter’s overall productivity. The
use of the “motor autorotation mode”
can be seen as a bright example of how
we have managed to turn a potential
disadvantage into a decisive operating
advantage of the Ka-32 when facing
free-market realities.”
“We initially subsidized the
launch customer in Canada because
we accepted the hard conditions put
upon us. We did it just because we
eagerly wanted to enter this niche
but prestigious market. We have
guaranteed 3,000 flight hours to the
operator and subsequently succeeded
in overcoming all obstacles during the
certification process. As a result, we
30
now have a commercially attractive
helicopter with a 16,000 hours design
life and 8,000 hours TBO, which is
capable of logging up to 250 flying
hours per month. We are continuing
to work with VIH Logging in an effort
to further rationalize the maintenance
schedule and therefore further reduce
the helicopter’s operating costs.”
International Markets
Spain and Portugal are further
Kamov success stories from the early/
mid 2000s. Ka-32 firefighting operations
in Spain brought a wealth of experience
in Bambi-Bucket use, and flying in
ambient air temperatures exceeding 45°
C. The Ka-32A11BC has been operated
by Helisureste in Spain since 2004 and
currently there are 11 helicopters in
the fleets of two operators. In 2006, six
more Ka-32A11BCs featuring improved
cockpit avionics were acquired by
Portugal’s government, with one in the
fleet of local operator Heliportugal to be
used for training.
Further expanding the Ka-32’s
European market success however,
necessitated the helicopter being
granted EASA type-certification. It
proved to be a long process as the
European airworthiness requirements
differ from those in USA, Canada
and Russia, particularly regarding
the power-plant and auxiliary power
unit. Considering the duration of the
process and the possible delays, EASA
granted permission for Ka-32A11BC
operations in Europe to be extended
until September 2009. The EASA
type-certification program, which is
being funded mainly by Helisureste,
comprises paperwork and flight testing
with the latter being carried out in
February 2007 using a Helisuresteowned helicopter in Spain. Based upon
the flight tests and documentation
reviews, the EASA certification
team required the introduction of
some design improvements, mainly
concerning the cockpit ergonomics as
well as improving the aircraft’s flight
manual. Currently Kamov is working
with engine design authority Klimov
on completion of the power-plant/
APU certification process and Mikheev
expects that the Ka-32A11BC will
obtain its much sought-after EASA
type certificate by the end of 2008.
Helisureste was the first operator
INAER Group
to realize the sound commercial
potential of the Ka-32 in the Southern
Hemisphere during the low season
in Spain, with two of its helicopters
firefighting in Chile. China, Chile and
Mexico are now also countries where
Kamov has achieved Ka-32A11BC
certification by the local civil aviation
authorities, opening the door to further
sales opportunities.
South Korea is yet another recent
conquest market for Kamov, with
57 Ka-32As operated by government
organizations and commercial
operators there. They are used mainly
for firefighting, forest patrol and SAR,
with a 3,000-liter Simplex fire attack
system introduced into that market.
It is the largest fleet of Ka-32s in the
world, supported by the local company
LG International. Then, in Japan, the
first Ka-32A11BC was delivered in late
2007 to Akagi Helicopter; who also
provided support for obtaining a type
certificate from the local airworthiness
authority.
Upgrade Program
Mikheev has a real interest in
moving the Ka-32’s upgrade program
forward, enlarging the cabin in an
effort to make the helicopter
commercially-attractive for internal
cargo and passenger transportation.
The new variant will retain the proven
power-plant and rotor system and
will have the same payload as the
Ka-32A11BC. The cabin of this new
derivative known as the Ka-32-10 will
be stretched and fitted with a rear
cargo ramp, while the cockpit will
also be of an all-new design. Mikheev
also views a potential market for the
Ka-32-10 in SAR operations over sea and
difficult terrain, as well as the servicing
of offshore platforms and support
ships. The new helicopter will be
capable of full Cat-A operations
and Mikheev says that the baseline
Ka-32 has already been tested for
safe operations in OEI conditions at a
maximum take-off weight. These tests
have demonstrated that the helicopter
is fully capable of safe operation in such
circumstances, even if equipped with
the existing engines and gearbox. The
Ka-32-10 is still in the design project
stage and it is yet to be decided how
the development work will be funded;
Mikheev was also not prepared to
above left: Mikheev has a real
interest in moving the Ka-32’s
upgrade forward, enlarging the
cabin in an effort to make the
helicopter commercially-attractive
for internal cargo and passenger
transportation in addition to
retaining the unique flying crane
features.
above right: Mikheev says that
the Ka-32 has already been tested
with the increased-power VK-2500
engine; it can be used on the serial
production examples even now
should a customer raise such a
requirement.
opposite page: The Ka-32
obtained its Russian type certificate
in July 1993 and the same year the
certification process in Canada and
Switzerland commenced.
31
by October this year. The helicopter is
already in small-scale production and
operating with several government and
commercial customers, while Russia’s
oil and gas market is expected to be
the main driver behind the commercial
success of the Ka-226. Gazpromavia,
the air transportation subsidiary of the
gas monopolist Gazprom, is the most
important commercial customer and
is acquiring the Ka-226AG version
for gas pipeline patrol and passenger
transport. Mikheev believes that
the Ka-226 will have a bright future
in the Para public role as the type is
already being operated by Russia’s
Federal Security Service, as well as
Moscow’s Police Service. Another
prospective government customer is
the Emergency Situations Ministry, but
it is yet to make a firm commitment to
the new design.
INAER Group
The KA32 is used
heavily by Spanish
operator Helisureste and
an example is seen here
working to construct
high voltage power lines.
comment about any specific potential
customer(s).
Regarding the possibility of
powering the current and future Ka-32
versions with the increased-power
VK-2500 turboshafts which will provide
more power margin in OEI operations
compared to today’s TV3-117VMA,
Mikheev says that the Ka-32 has already
been tested with this engine and it
can be used on the serial production
examples even now should a customer
raise such a requirement. The existing
VR-252 gearbox is said to be well
capable of handling the increased
power rating of the VK-2500.
A topical issue for Kamov is
the introduction of on-condition
maintenance, replacing the bulky
32
preventive maintenance system dating
from the Soviet times. While Kamov
has already introduced a partial
on-condition maintenance system on
the Ka-32A11BC, an all-encompassing
on-condition maintenance system is to
be developed in the near-to-medium
future by Russia’s helicopter industry
holding company, Vertolety-Rossii
(Russian Helicopters), which in March
2008 took over management of Kamov
as the 100% owner of company shares.
The Ka-226 is a new 3.4-tonne
twin-engine helicopter designed to
replace the faithful Ka-26, and is the
first helicopter designed in accordance
with the new AP-29 airworthiness
rules. Mikheev said that development
of the basic version will be completed
“The Ka-226 is the only Russianmade light category helicopter certified
to fly over urban environments and
it is also meeting the stringent US
and European noise requirements.
Designing it, we deliberately did not
want to make it a luxury machine; we
would like instead to see the Ka-226
becoming a deserving successor of
the Ka-26, a dependable workhorse
for a multitude of utility tasks, with
affordable operating costs, high
reliability, easy to fly and maintain,”
Mikheev commented.
The Ka-226’s better hot-and-high
performance was the result of replacing
the Rolls Royce 250 engines (2 x 450shp)
with Turbomeca Arrius II units (2 x
550shp). The new engine choice allows
the Ka-226 to operate under Cat-A in
hot and high conditions up to 2,500 m
[8,200ft] and 50°C; the Rolls Royce
250-engined Ka-226 is capable of Cat-A
operations in standard conditions only.
Mikheev said the Arrius II-powered
version (known as the Ka-226T) will be
proposed for the resumed joint Indian
Army and Air Force light helicopter
competition. The competition is to
select a design suitable for operating
in hot-and high-conditions over the
difficult terrain of the harsh Himalayan
environment, with as many as 317
examples expected to be procured by
both services. What is certain is that
Kamov has a competitive product for
participation in that tender and the
experience to deal with such a complex
Mikheev believes the Ka-226 will
enjoy a bright future for use in
the parapublic role as the type is
already being operated by Russia’s
Federal Security Service as well as
Moscow Police Service.
Andrey Zinchuk / K amov
operating environment, as the Ka-226T
can be safely flown at an altitude of
up to 6,000 m (19,680 ft). The Ka-226T
is expected to obtain its Russian
type certificate in 2009. Mikheev also
said that he is pretty happy with the
results of the newly-designed main
rotor system that demonstrated higher
than expected efficiency, enabling a
maximum take-off weight increase
to 3,800 kg (8,360 lb) from the current
figure of 3,400 kg (7,480 lb).
The invaluable experience
gained during the certification and
modification work performed on the
Ka-32A11BC in the 1990s and early/
mid 2000s is currently being used in
the Ka-226’s improvement process and
Mikheev points out that it will continue
to be considered during the design and
certification activities related to other
new Kamov designs, such as the Ka-62.
The Ka-62 is a conventional
helicopter design in the 6.5-tonne class
with a fan-in-fin tail. It was designed,
together with its military derivative
known as Ka-60, in an effort to meet
the severe operating requirements
of prospective Russian customers.
Mikheev explained that among the
most rigorous requirements considered
by the design team, and outside the
reach of Western designs, is that the
Ka-62 shall be operated in Russia’s Far
North, in outside air temperatures as
low as -55°C. If everything goes well,
the Ka-62 is expected to be certified in
Russia in 2011.
The Ka-62, he believes, will be a
worthy successor to the long-retired
Mil Mi-4, an unsung workhorse
that literally created the Soviet
civil helicopter transport industry
in the 1950s and 1960s. There will
be a maximum possible degree of
commonality between the Ka-60 and
Ka-62 designs, but Mikheev expects
some significant design variation to
appear due to the differences between
the military and civil certification
rules. The unification, he says, can
be achieved mainly in the systems,
although these will be two different
helicopter types.
Kamov’s first attempts to design
a 6.5-tonne helicopter for civil use
date from the mid-1990s. At that time
Kamov worked closely with Italy’s
Agusta on what is now known as the
AW 139 design, but the companies
subsequently ceased their cooperation.
Interestingly, talks are currently
underway between Vertolety-Rossii and
Agusta-Westland for organizing the AW
139’s production under license in Russia
for local customers. Mikheev, however,
considers that this move would not
threaten the Ka-60/62 development
efforts.
In the mid-term, Mikheev sees
potential for an all-new design of a
large, high-speed helicopter. Known as
Ka-92, it will cruise at 450km/h (243kts),
transporting up to 30 passengers
over a maximum range of 1,500km
(810nm). This design, he believes,
could become an integral part of a new
air transportation system for serving
Russia’s remote locations lacking any
usable airfield infrastructure. The Ka-92
will use the Kamov’s coaxial rotor and
the increased speed can be achieved
thanks to a dramatically increased
lift-to-drag ratio of the co-axial rotor
scheme. Some preliminary engineering
work on the new design has already
been done, and based on this Mikheev
sees the development of such a class of
rotorcraft as achievable.
Mikheev says that the further
development and promotion of Kamov’s
designs in foreign markets is necessary
for far more important reasons than
merely securing additional sales.
“We consider this export drive as a
useful process for Russia’s helicopter
industry as a whole, in an effort to
ease the recognition of its products on
the international markets. In fact, the
harmonization between the Russian
and foreign airworthiness rules in the
process of selling the Ka-32 abroad has
enabled our company to start solving
a challenge of national significance;
that of drawing closer to each other the
Russian and Western aviation systems.
This is in the best interest of the entire
Russian industry; without solving this
complex issue we cannot have any
chance of ensuring the competitiveness
of Russian-made products on the
international market.”
The company, Mikheev believes,
will continue to perform the tasks
set by its new owner Oboronprom/
Vertolety-Rossii holding company, but
this will require an increased number
of personnel, expansion of its design
and test base and renewal of the design
bureau’s equipment and machinery
inventory.
Mikheev noted that Kamov has
endured the last 15 years working
with a cruel deficit of research and
development money. Nonetheless,
he says, the company achieved
33
The Ka-62 is a conventional scheme helicopter
design in the 6.5-tonne class. It was designed,
together with its military derivative, known as Ka-60
(seen here), in an effort to meet severe operating
requirements raised by prospective Russian
customers and first flight is expected in 2009, while
certification in Russia is scheduled for 2011.
good results. “In these unfavorable
circumstances we have managed,
for example, to develop, certify and
launch in production the Ka-226, an
all-new design, without any state
funding support. In addition, we have
independently succeeded certifying
the Ka-32A11BC in Canada and spent
seven long years participating in
Turkey’s attack helicopter competition,
funding this undertaking from our
internal resources. We have also
managed to find alternative revenue
sources through establishing our own
commercial operation with the Ka-32,
selling several machines of this type
abroad and providing engineering and
logistic support to the foreign Ka-32
operators. At the same time, we have
continued working on defense contracts
such as the Ka-31 aerial early warning
helicopter sold to the Indian Navy.
“We have managed to do all this
only by constantly hunting for ways
for the company to survive in the
difficult market-economy conditions in
the post-Soviet era. Notwithstanding
the reduction in manpower, we have
managed to retain Kamov’s vital
power,” Mikheev concluded. While he
does not say it, it is undeniable that he
himself has been the crucial driving
force behind this remarkable string of
achievements. n
Tough
Day
At The
Office
Hanging out at the beach and flying helicopters – what
more could a pilot want? But for the crews of South
Africa’s Surf Rescue service it’s 95% boredom and 5%
pure adrenalin as they patrol the popular coastline,
ready to save lives in difficult and often very risky
operational conditions. Pilot MIKE REID reports on
one of those 5% adrenalin days.
Photos by Mike Reid, Kim Barley, and Netcare 911
36
37
I
t’s New Years day and I have the “A-Team”
with me. We are “Rescue 4”, based in
Port Elizabeth, and one of five surf
rescue helicopters operating along the
South African coastline. We are casually seated
around a wooden table littered with milkshake
glasses and coffee mugs at one of our carefully
selected Surf Rescue Standby Points” – our
favourite beachfront cafe chosen by the crew for
its proximity to the best value-for-money meals,
great coffee, and its spunky waitresses.
One of the rescue crew comments on how
long we have been waiting around for something
to happen. “OK, let’s get out of here and go look
at Well’s Estate. I feel like something’s going
down there today. Busiest day of the year and
the alcohol has been flowing non-stop since last
night,” suggests Elgin, the ALS (Advanced Life
Support) paramedic. “I think I’m even going to
put my wetsuit on!” he comments. Elgin’s role of
treating patients once they have been extracted
from the surf means that he isn’t required to
wear a wetsuit, so the crew laughs and Elgin puts
the wetsuit on anyway.
38
Mark (SAL – Surf Lifesaver), Elgin (Netcare 911
– ALS Paramedic) and Kevin (NSRI – Sea Rescue)
are also the regional service coordinators.
They’re all big guys around the 100 kg-plus
range and I’m around 80 kg. We are using
the Eurocopter EC120, an amazingly versatile
helicopter with an unfair reputation for
being underpowered. Often compared with the
Bell 206B Jet Ranger, the difference between the
two aircraft is probably more about the way
pilots fly them. I am no great authority on the
EC120, with just under 600 hours flying it in
various roles, but I have learned to love it and fly
it with respect. Today I put more fuel in
than I usually would – 210 kg instead of the
usual 145 kg. With a heavy crew, floatation gear,
cargo hook and all the medical/rescue equipment
there isn’t much weight to play with, even at
sea level. The wind is gusting 30 knts at the
airport, which helped the decision to carry a
little extra fuel. I know I will burn some of it off
on the patrol.
We lift off easily and set out heading for
Well’s Estate, a large beach recreation center east
Waves are breaking under us, sea spray
clawing at the aircraft, clouding my vision. Damn!
Ditch or pull power... I’m not ditching mate!
The Vodacom Netcare 911 Surf Rescue EC120 hovers out
of the way while the lifesaver secures the patient and the
second rescue swimmer manages the strop from the door
and guides the pilot. The helicopter moves backward and
out of the way while keeping the patient visual. Managing
rotor downwash impact is a vital part of the pilot’s
responsibility during rescue operations.
along the coastline. As with every New Years
day, the beaches are packed and as we approach
we can see a mass of people in the ocean,
looking somewhat like a bizarre oil-slick on the
surface of the waves, stretching for more than a
kilometer along the beach.
“It’s going to be rough out there. The poor
lifesavers – they’ve got their work cut out for
them today,” I mention to no one in particular,
as I reduce collective and slow down to patrol the
back line.
We crab slowly up and down behind the line
of bathers at about 150 ft, buffeted by the stiff
on-shore breeze. As I turn at the end of each run,
the helicopter rushes away as the wind grabs it
and then appears to stop dead as I get the nose
back into wind. The swaying line of bathers in the
surf wave as we pass each time. Not for nothing
is the service often described as “95% boredom,
5% sheer adrenalin”. This was the 95% boredom!
Ahead of us one of the bathers is a bit
further out than the others. He waves his arms
lazily as we have seen many do during the
morning. “What’s going on with that guy?” I
ask casually. “Looks OK,” answers Mark. “Just
messing around. We’ll have a closer look as we
go past.”
I descend gradually and we’re at about 50 ft
off the water, coming up to him, when I see his
arms go limp above his head and he disappears
under the water. Then Kevin, sitting behind me
shouts, “He’s in trouble. Bather looks in trouble.
Turn around Mike, let’s have another look.” Kevin
has his nose against the plexiglass, trying to get
a proper look. I immediately lower the collective,
get the nose up and pull around into a sweeping
turn towards him, helping the aircraft around
with the pedals to place the bather on the rescue
swimmer’s side.
“He’s under! He’s going down. Bather is in
trouble! Turn Mike, let’s get to him.” Mark is
shouting over the wind now. “Rescue swimmer
getting ready. I’m going off comms. I can see
him now. He’s in trouble, not coming up. I’ve got
him visual!”
There is no room for me to turn and stop.
“I’m going around, I’m going around. We don’t
have room to stop. Get the swimmer ready.” I
39
I raise the collective
a little more peering
ahead through the
sea spray and willing
myself away from
the water. Funny how
everything slows down!
I’m vaguely aware
of the foam-washed
turquoise-green swell
moving below me,
sucking me in.
40
ease up the collective and bank into a tight left
turn over the top of the bather in distress. It feels
like I am skidding above the ocean, trying to get
some height in the downwind turn as the waves
crash below me. We are too heavy for this, as I’ve
not yet burned off enough fuel patrolling. Why
did the rescue have to come up now? Sea spray
blurs the plexiglass as I search for the patient
in the waves to my left. I catch a glimpse of the
body in the surging swell and bank hard left in a
climbing turn.
There is not much room coming out of the
turn but this is no time for a dramatic quickstop
with a heavy aircraft, the sea just below the tail
rotor and the wind not yet fully on the nose. I
slow as much as I can, trying to keep some power
in hand while I shout over the wind to the crew.
“Get Mark out. He’s going on the fly! Go when
ready. Go when ready!”
“Swimmer on the skid. Patient visual!”
Kevin is on top of the situation, shouting quick
concise commands, keeping me informed. I
have problems of my own though. The aircraft is
descending and I have to ease in more and more
collective. Glancing at the FLI, I see the needle in
the top of the yellow, going into the red. Damn!
Everything goes into apparent slow motion. I
level out of the turn as into-wind as possible. The
needle is in the red now. Red line under the Ng
but no horn yet! I lower the collective a touch to
avoid the horn and immediately pull it back to
check the unwanted descent. Waves are breaking
under us, sea spray clawing at the aircraft,
clouding my vision. Damn! Ditch or pull power.
I’m not ditching mate! I raise the collective a
little more, peering ahead through the sea spray
and willing myself away from the water. Funny
how everything slows down! I’m vaguely aware
of the foam-washed turquoise-green swell
moving below me, sucking me in.
“Bip!” the horn beeps loudly in my headset
and I instinctively lower the collective
fractionally and hold it. The horn goes off as
quickly as it “Bipped”.
“Swimmer’s leaving the skid. Swimmer
gone!” I heard Kevin’s voice somewhere far away
amidst the noise and spray. As soon as Mark is
off the skid the aircraft lurches upwards. We
are flying again! I hold the shallow climb, then
lower the collective and get the nose up, turning
quickly to see how Mark was doing with the
patient in the water. My pulse is racing and my
heart feels like it has jumped into my throat,
making it difficult to breathe.
“Swimmer has the patient. We won’t need the
strop. He’s swimming the patient in. Swimmer
and patient look OK. Let’s go clear the beach
and land,” says Kevin. Below us Mark is already
on the beach with his patient, surrounded by a
ring of onlookers. I land on the wet edge of the
shore-line, drop Elgin and Kevin off with their
medic kit, and take off quickly before the crowds
can rush in and surround us. Circling lazily
over the beach I compose myself and settle into
flying again. It seemed to take a while. 5% sheer
adrenalin!
ABOVE left: This surfer
suffered a heart attack while
surfing out in the backline.
During an aerial patrol the
pilot saw people running on
the beach and pointing, then
the person being swum in
and turned immediately to
land on the beach. Although
initially having no vital signs
after being under the water
for almost five minutes,
the drowned surfer was
successfully resuscitated on
the beach and is still alive
and well today.
opposite page: The
patient and lifesaver are
carried from the surf zone to
the shore. The pilot is guided
to the shore by the second
rescue swimmer from the
door of the helicopter.
They will be let down at the
nearest clear landing area
where the paramedic will
be dropped off to attend to
the patient while the rescue
swimmers assist or secure
the area and attend to crowd
control.
41
The rescue swimmer
stands in the ready
position in the door. In
operational conditions
he would be wearing a
wetsuit, rescue knife, full
body harness, life jacket,
mask, fins, and helmet.
The paramedic sits in the
front seat next to the pilot,
and the second rescue
swimmer will control
operations from the back
seat, providing guidance
to the pilot and overseeing
safety of the rescue
operation.
42
Only a few hours later Elgin’s instincts prove
correct. Three bathers get caught unawares in a
rip current and need assistance. As I am in the
hover dropping the rescue swimmer onto the first
one, I see a second bather go under on my right. I
tell Kevin who quickly gets out on the skid, while
further down the rip I see a third bather going
under. Elgin, sitting next to me in the co-pilot seat
is the only person left in the helicopter.
“Here we go! Told you so!” He is already
climbing over the seat to jump out the back door.
“Glad I’ve got my wet suit on! Just don’t jump in
yourself if there’s a fourth one Mike!” he shouts,
grinning as he leaps out the open door.
We pull four drowning bathers out the
surf within a few hours, three of whom were
successfully resuscitated. Without the surf
rescue helicopter service they would all have
been lost to the ocean.
The use of helicopters in coastal search
and rescue operations along the South African
coastline dates back to the 1960s when South
African Air Force Alouette III helicopters airlifted
passengers from the ill-fated coastal vessel
“Seafarer”, which ran aground in a severe winter
storm just off Mouille Point, Cape Town. 63 crew
and 12 passengers with no other hope of survival
in the heavy seas were successfully airlifted and
landed safely on the front lawns of the Mouille
Point Lighthouse. The ship broke up and sank
soon afterwards. Pilots involved in the rescue –
among them the legendary “Monster” Wilkins
who was also a pioneer of South African civilian
surf rescue, were decorated for bravery.
Fortunately such dramatic rescues are
rare. However, less spectacular tragedies like
coastal drownings and small boats in distress
were becoming more common at busy beach
destinations. A helicopter service was needed
and John Rolfe became the first sponsor of a
dedicated helicopter surf rescue service run
by South African Lifesaving (SAL), with active
involvement of the National Sea Rescue Institute
(NSRI) and METRO paramedic services coming
in towards the end of the initial sponsorship
period. The John Rolfe Bell 206B Jet-Ranger’s were
soon seen regularly patrolling and performing
surf rescue operations along the busy South
African coastline. Hunters Gold took over the
sponsorship, basing themselves in Cape Town,
and over the years the surf rescue service has
continued to operate under various sponsors.
In 2005, cell phone giants Nokia and
Vodacom joined forces with the Netcare 911
group of hospitals and paramedic services, the
National Sea Rescue Institute, and South African
Lifesaving to form a nationally coordinated
Helicopter Surf Rescue Program. Helimax, who
The narrow line
between life and death
often lies in the
“5% sheer adrenalin”
zone. Safety is always
the priority.
Mark Ackerman from South African Surf
Lifesaving on the left and Kevin Warren, a
senior member of NSRI with the EC120B used
for Surf Rescue operations along the Port
Elizabeth coastline. Mark and Kevin are regional
coordinators of the service and were crewmen
involved in the rescues described in the article.
specialize in Helicopter EMS services, was chosen
to oversee helicopter operations and operational
bases were identified at five key coastal centers
– Durban, Margate, Port Elizabeth, George,
and Cape Town. Operational requirements are
structured around peak activity periods at each
center and the helicopter surf rescue service is
now firmly entrenched as a national beach safety
resource. Although sponsorship and branding are
key factors, the driving force of the service is to
save lives. The service’s foundational principle is
to make helicopters and specialist rescue crews
available to render assistance without cost or
obligation to anyone in serious distress within
the coastal surf zone, in nearby rivers and dams,
or under exceptional circumstances, up to five
nautical miles offshore.
The narrow line between life and death often
lies in the “5% sheer adrenalin” zone. Safety is
always the priority. However in the interest of
saving lives, crews invariably find themselves
operating in the blurred zone between safety
and risk, where advanced skills and experience
determine success or failure. Although there is a
lot of standby time, when things do happen the
action is dynamic, fast-paced and crews must be
able to function well as a unit under pressure.
Because of this crew members are carefully
selected and trained.
The pilot is in overall command of the
operation, responsible for decision-making,
aviation and overall safety. The first rescue
swimmer is responsible for the water-bound
safety of the operation and the rescue of the
patient, while the second rescue swimmer is
responsible for communications, directing the
rescue operation from the air, all operations in
the back of the aircraft and visual guidance for
the pilot. The paramedic is responsible for care of
the patient, all medical equipment and clearing
and safety of helicopter landing zones.
The program is currently a daylight VFR landbased operation and is operated in accordance
with Part 91 and Part 127 of the SACAA CARs.
Surf extractions are conducted using a 12 m
(40 ft), 18mm (0.75 inch) static strop on an
under-slung quick-release cargo hook along with
appropriate lifesaving equipment, including
mandatory two-man quick entry and exit
closed cell foam floatation padding, HA heli-belt
with quick release and adjustable buckles, and
inflatable life jackets for all crew. All aircraft are
fully equipped with standard pop-up floatation.
Aircraft currently being used include Eurocopter
EC120, AS350 B2 & AS250 B3s, Bell 206B Jet
Rangers and a MBB BO105.
The call-out procedure is managed by a
national heli-dispatch center that responds to
emergency calls from around the country and
contacts the helicopter pilot and crew with all
necessary details to initiate the call out.
Because the helicopter surf rescue service is
not a Part 138 EMS service, patients in distress
may only be airlifted to the safety of the nearest
beach or safe landing area. No injured patients,
regardless of their condition, may be airlifted to
a medical facility. This sometimes places crew
under extreme emotional pressure, especially
where the patient’s life depends on rapid access
to specialist medical help. However these service
conditions may not be breached under any
circumstances.
43
OUR MISSION
We are passionate about our
mission because we represent
you, a huge collective of likeminded industry professionals.
“HEPAC’s goal is to encourage
the professionalism and integrity
of the ever-changing Canadian
helicopter industry by rising
to meet the needs and
challenges of our members.
As a collective group of
professionals, we aim to improve
the Canadian helicopter industry
through strategic planning,
targeted lobbying, government
and corporate relations, the
promotion of safety research
and advancements and
the improvement in pilot,
engineering, employer, customer
and regulatory relations.
Our core values support
professionalism, integrity,
safety, success, prosperity
and the future of our membership and our industry.”
-HEPAC Board of Directors
Etue molobor ilisl ut la facincin
utat. Duisl ercilit adiam, con
utatism odolore raessed
dolutat amconsent volesed tat,
consectet et.
Get in the pilot’s seat and help HEPAC fly!
A strong voice for engineers and pilots™
Our mission is to promote
the professionalism and
integrity of the Canadian
helicopter industry by acting as
a voice for engineers and pilots.
HEPAC
SUPPORT
HEPAC
As harsh as this may sometimes seem,
getting the patient to professional help within
the first hour – the “golden hour’, reduces
mortality by up to 50%, and for every 30 minutes
saved in getting a severely injured patient
to hospital, the mortality potential will fall
approximately three times. The surf rescue
HEPAC
95 percent boredom! The
rescue helicopter will fly an
average of 3 hours per day on
coastal patrols, although the
crews are on active standby for
10 hours per day. Much of the
time is spent at various landing
zones along the coastline.
service therefore plays a vital role in reducing
mortalities among coastal emergency patients by
reducing time during the initial extraction from
the water, and then providing effective first aid
on site. Often an air or road ambulance can be
called to the site during the surf extraction to be
ready for the patient transfer to a medical facility
as soon as first aid has been rendered. This
undeniably saves lives.
The VODACOM NETCARE 911 Helicopter
Surf Rescue Service also plays a vital role in
bringing together community protection groups,
police services, ambulance services, private and
government hospitals and national and local
emergency services around a common purpose.
The helicopter rescue service is thus seen as
an integral binding force among community
emergency services.
For the crews, the beach-front lifestyle
and great flying are certainly bonuses, but the
most rewarding facet of the duty must be the
satisfaction that, when they complete a sortie
having fulfilled their purpose, someone is alive
who would otherwise be dead. You just can’t get
a more meaningful day’s work than that! n
1044 County Road 44
Oxford Station, ON K0G 1T0
613-258-0252
[email protected]
www.hepac.net
ce 193
in
38
S
D
EN
8
70
ep
u is 1 9
ANCING
customer support through continued investments
Our goal is to help you focus on your core business: flying
With our continued investments to expand global service and production capabilities, our standard-setting
design and engineering, and our 24-7 after-sales service, Turbomeca is committed to helping you take your
business to new heights. As your trusted partner, we focus on understanding your business, allowing us to tailor our products, services and
policies to ensure we meet your needs every day.
In the industry since 1938, Turbomeca is the world’s leading manufacturer of helicopter engines.
more at turbomeca.com
45
Living
the
High
Life
46
There’s more to Mallorca than tourists, beaches
and beer (although it has to be said that the
beer is pretty good!) The small and picturesque
Balearic island boasts its very own mountain
ranges, making for some outstanding yet
demanding flying, as SARAH BOWEN discovers
when she drops in on Sloane Helicopters.
Photos by mark Bowen
47
ABOVE: Two R44 Clipper II’s
flying in formation over the
ocean as the sun sets on a
calm evening in the beautiful
island of Mallorca.
right: The challenging
approach to land on the
grounds of the luxury hotel
Son Net in Puigpunyent,
which is surrounded by the
Tramuntana mountain range.
T
here’s little that’s worse than
bad weather to put a dampener
on a day’s flying. UK pilots
will be only too familiar with
that depressing scenario; if it’s not the
lowering cloud base, it’s the gusting
winds, the torrential downpours or the
poor visibility. Last year’s pitiful excuse
for a summer was no exception, with
depression after depression costing
the UK helicopter industry big time.
Luckily for the instructors and students
at Sloane Helicopters’ Mallorca base,
however, some 350 days of the year are
flyable, and “sorry, we can’t fly today”
is a rarely called-upon phrase.
Mallorca has a stunning natural
beauty and there’s no better way to see
48
it than from the air. It has everything
from towering mountain ranges to lush
green plains, sweeping bays, gorgeous
beaches, rugged cliffs and sleepy
Spanish settlements. The island itself
is only about 40 by 30 miles in size
and the annual average temperature
is 15.8°C, with an incredible 2,900-odd
hours of sunshine each year!
Weather aside, the island’s most
attractive feature for helicopter pilots
has got to be the incredible mountain
flying opportunities. The Serra de
Tramuntana mountain range is the
idea area to experience the thrills of
mountain flying, whilst learning about
the hazards introduced by the terrain
and unpredictable weather systems
that come with it. Stretching from the
south-west of Mallorca right across
to the north, it is over 45nm long
and full of confined areas, pinnacles,
high altitude landing sites, ridges and
valleys – making it perfect for teaching
mountain flying techniques.
“One of the most important things
to consider in mountain flying is the
wind. Reading the signs is a key part
of the training,” says Jonny Greenall,
Sloane Mallorca’s Chief Pilot. “Air is
a fluid, just like water. Think of the
mountains as the bottom of the stream,
and now think of the wind as the water
running through the “stream”. You’ll be
able to visualize the areas where the
fluid (air) is spinning and accelerating
in the current and rotors. Try it next
time you fly,” Jonny continues, “it will
make recognizing areas of turbulence,
down-draught and up-draught much
easier.”
Greenall is one of three commercial
pilots and flight instructors employed
at the company’s Mallorca base, and
the structured mountain flying course
they provide consists of a number of
exercises, which are each groundbriefed then flown up in the mountains.
Fellow instructors Paul Cakebread, also
from the UK, and Hallvar Frey from
Norway, both fell in love with the place
and now live here, flying full-time for
the company. The outfit also has a
resident CAA Flight Examiner, Alastair
Sutherland, enabling them to run
entire PPL and type-conversion courses
without sending students back to the
UK to do their tests. Greenall is also the
qualified Ground Examiner and a CAA
Radiotelephony Examiner.
Puig Major is the highest mountain
on Mallorca with a summit of
1,445 m (4,741 ft). It is an area used
by the military, and although it is
not accessible by road, it’s not flight
restricted so flying over it is not a
problem. The second highest mountain
is Puig de Massanella, with a peak
of 1,364 m (4,475 ft), and this can
be accessed on foot (although who
would want to do that when you
have a helicopter?). These mountains
are ideal for learning about limited
power, orographic uplift, turbulence
and for developing the quick thinking
that’s required when confronted with
the specific hazards associated with
mountain-flying.
At altitude, not only do you need
more pitch on the blades to maintain
power due to the reduced density, but
you also start to lose engine power
(less dense air into the engine means
less power out). The R22 and R44 have
After an interesting transit
across Palma International,
a quick detour across
the edge of the capital,
Palma de Mallorca makes
for some fantastic aerial
sightseeing.
Luckily for the
instructors and
students at Sloane
Helicopters’ Mallorca
base, some 350 days
of the year are flyable,
and “sorry, we can’t
fly today” is a rarely
called-upon phrase.
49
above left: Landing on a cliff
edge is an excellent way to learn
how to deal with the effects of
turbulence and windshear, as
well as finding the ideal spot for
a secluded picnic!
above right: Some 3,000
feet up a mountain we land
the Clipper II in a confined
area whilst Greenall briefs our
departure route.
left: The many stone circles
and confined spaces that are
dotted around the mountains
make it an ideal place for
practicing approach techniques
and blade and tail clearance.
de-rated engines, which assist in giving
more power higher up, but during the
height of summer you could easily have
an outside air temperature in excess
of 30°C, which adds to the problem.
“When you’re at 4,000 ft your density
altitude is going to be somewhere
around 7,500 ft. Over-pitching becomes
a serious danger and running out of
power is not something you want to be
doing on the approach to a tight and
50
tricky site,” Greenall explains.
Pinnacle Landings are more about
reading the signs of wind and power,
but one of the other problems is losing
the normal day-to-day references
you rely on. You always need to leave
yourself an escape route – if you don’t,
you’ll regret it. There is so much to
learn and practice that the mountain
courses don’t run for a fixed number
of hours – it all depends on how much
experience the pilot already has. Five
hours is normally a good start but when
you get into it you realize you’re only
just scratching the surface, and as with
all helicopter flying, it becomes totally
addictive.
My flight with Greenall starts with
a quick but tasty “bocadillo de jamón
y queso” (ham and cheese sandwich)
and a detailed ground briefing, and we
then head out to the apron to pre-flight
the R44 before setting off to experience
the mountains first-hand. Many of the
mountain-tops are in cloud and it is
quite astonishing to see how quickly
the weather systems could change. The
TAFs and METARs for Palma don’t really
cover the unpredictable mountain
weather; one minute a valley can be
completely clear and then, almost
before you know it, the weather is
closing in. It certainly highlights the
importance of good decision-making
and early planning.
The first approach we make is to a
cliff-top at Soller, where I can really feel
the windshear off the cliffs. Operating
in the vicinity of the ocean gives
lots of clues to help determine wind
direction and indicate where the worst
turbulence is likely to be, such as calm
or rough patches on the water. Around
the Torrente de Parais area there are
quite a few stone-circles that can make
really good practice landing sites, and
since the instructors know many of the
land-owners, there are many confined
areas of varying difficulty to choose
from. With the many landmarks around
Palma, navigation isn’t too difficult,
except perhaps in the middle of the
mountains where all the valleys seem
to look very similar to a newcomer. For
Greenall though, who knows the
area like the back of his hand, it isn’t
a problem and he sits there reeling
off Spanish place names and pointing
at various famous sights including
the Michael Douglas and Catherine
Zeta-Jones residence (sadly there was
nobody home!).
Several stone-circle landings later
we are ready to retire for the night,
and practice our final confined area
landing of the day at the luxury Son Net
in Puigpunyent, on the eastern slopes
of the Tramuntana Mountains. The
area is a natural enclave of exceptional
splendor, surrounded by pine forests
and hundred-year-old oak trees. With
high ground all around, this approach
requires care and concentration –
feeling the approach speed rather than
focusing too much on the instruments.
Fortunately the wind is coming from a
favorable direction, and after a quick
power-margin check we descend into
the site.
The hotel owners are good friends
with Greenall (is there anyone he
doesn’t know?), and since they always
fly in a “neighborly” fashion, the locals
are only too happy to see a helicopter
now and again. In fact there are over 15
hotels on the island that are helicopterfriendly, so while there are not really
any airfields to visit there’s never a
shortage of places to drop in to for a
cup of tea.
So, why did UK-based Sloane
Helicopters choose Mallorca? David
George, Chairman of Sloane’s, had
been a regular visitor to Mallorca
for many years and in the early 90s
decided to set up a satellite base at
Son Bonet, Mallorca’s GA Aerodrome.
The company started in 1994 with just
one R22 Mariner, but has grown and
grown, until today the fleet consists
of one R22 and seven R44s, including
one Clipper and four Clipper IIs. The
company has another R44 on the way
before summer, with two more on order
for 2008, and an A109 earmarked for
Mallorca in the next 18 months. It is
a thoroughly professional operation
with an impressive fleet and some
exceptionally knowledgeable (not
to mention tremendously friendly)
pilots. The company also plans to
operate inter-island and mainland
charter operations, as well as offering
Commercial Training and Flight
Instructor courses in conjunction with
their Sywell base. They have found
the R44 to be a more popular training
machine than the R22, since it costs
little more than learning in the R22 and
then converting. “The R44 is easier to
fly, more stable, and allows the student
to get it “wrong” a lot more before we
[the instructors] intervene,” Greenall
remarks. “For the private owner, the
cost is not significantly different to
upgrade to the R44, and since we are
only training for a market it makes
sense to go with what the student
wants.”
Although based in Mallorca, the
company actually operates as a UK CAA
TRTO for the purposes of delivering JAA
PPL(H) and Conversion Courses on the
R22 and R44, so the whole operation
runs as if it were an extension of the
UK, but with much better weather! They
also hold an Air Operator’s Certificate
(AOC) for sightseeing tours and aerial
photography, and their aircraft fly
around 2,000 hours per year in total,
with the majority of those hours being
training flights. Basic servicing and
With miles and miles of
scenic coastline to follow
there is never a dull moment,
and we make our way across
the island to find some more
landing sites.
Pinnacle Landings are
more about reading
the signs of wind and
power, but one of
the other problems
is losing the normal
day-to-day references
you rely on. You
always need to leave
yourself an escape
route – if you don’t,
you’ll regret it.
51
The ocean comes in handy for working out
where the smooth air is, using the tell-tale
signs of rough and smooth patches on the
water and avoiding the turbulence.
maintenance up to and including
50-hour checks are carried out by an
on-site engineer. Anything bigger,
like 100-hour or annual checks, are
performed at Sabadell, in Barcelona;
getting the aircraft there is never a
problem as there is no shortage of
Self-Fly hirers queuing up to do the
positioning flights!
Of course, students training in
Mallorca naturally gain experience in
the mountains as they are within such
easy reach of Son Bonet, and they are
lucky to get that kind of know-how so
early in their training. Greenall had
already lived in Mallorca for some time
when he started flying helicopters
back in 1999, with Sutherland as his
instructor, so he has been a mountain
flyer from the outset. After passing
his PPL he decided it was time for a
change and gave up his various bars
and restaurants in Alcudia to pursue
his new career. After flying for a while
in the UK, Greenall returned to Mallorca
to work for Sloane and in 2007 took over
from Sutherland as Chief Pilot.
Aeródromo de Son Bonet was the
first civil airfield on Mallorca, originally
built in the 1920s. In 1946 it became
a customs airport and opened to
52
domestic and international traffic, but it
could not accommodate larger aircraft
as the volume of tourists increased,
so these services were transferred to
Palma International, which is now the
island’s main airport. Transiting Palma
International’s two parallel runways
was also an exhilarating experience,
as you have to fit in around all the
commercial traffic (which in the
summer months can be busier than
London Gatwick!). With the budget
airlines fighting for business, getting
to Mallorca from the UK is not only
straightforward but cheap; in fact a
return flight can end up costing less
than 15 minutes in an R22, and it only
takes a couple of hours to get there. It
certainly beats sitting, frustrated, in the
crew room waiting for the weather to
improve! There isn’t really an ideal time
of year to fly in Mallorca as the weather
is good all year round, but winter is
great because it’s not too hot and, even
when it’s cloudy, flying conditions are
really good.
Craig Parsons, a former student at
Sloane’s Sywell operation got a bit fed
up with the British weather during his
PPL course and decided to head out to
Mallorca for a while. “The experience
I gained there was invaluable; for
a pilot more familiar with the UK’s
climate it provided an ideal insight into
the effects of “hot and high” without
veering to the extremes. The weather,
aircraft availability and quality of
instruction were second to none.”
Parsons came back to the UK to sit his
final handling test, but feels privileged
to have experienced the mountain
flying and the important techniques he
was taught.
Flying in Mallorca under the UK
CAA means there are two sets of rules
to abide by. As well as sticking to the
UK rules of the air, the company also
has the Spanish law to deal with,
and it’s a case of following whichever
one is stricter. All the aircraft in the
company’s fleet are “G” registered and
privately owned, and when a student
takes a skills test in Mallorca, the
paperwork goes directly to the UK,
which makes it less complicated to get
licences and ratings issued.
One of the major differences
between flying in Mallorca and flying
in many other countries is that it is
compulsory to file a flight plan for
every single flight, even if you’re just
going out to do some hover practice or
circuits. At first this seems a little over-the-top, but in
reality it’s just like booking out at any large airport, and is
simply a case of typing the details into an internet-based
form, then opening the flight plan on the radio. “Just don’t
forget to close it again,” Greenall remarks, “or you’ll be sitting
in the bar that evening wondering why the Super Pumas are
out flying!”
It’s reassuring, though, to know that someone is out
there keeping an eye on you, especially if you do happen
to have an emergency out in the mountains – miles from
civilization. There is also a strict rule about flying at night;
basically you don’t! VFR finishes at sunset (you don’t even
get the 30 minutes of civil twilight), and the only people who
are allowed to fly after that are the military.
Operating a helicopter in the mountains is a remarkable
experience, but as with any new skill set, thorough training,
practice and an understanding of what to expect is essential
to overcome the challenges and possible psychological
effects. The common pitfalls, such as inadvertent variations
in height and speed due to changes in terrain, apprehension,
tension, and relying on false visual clues, will often
disappear with experience, so regular and recurrent training
is definitely a good idea.
So if you’re a helicopter pilot, or would like to be, and
think that Mallorca is just another tourist attraction in the
Mediterranean – think again – there’s more to it than meets
the eye. And if you still need convincing, take a trip to Son
Bonet and see for yourself, from behind the controls of a
helicopter high in the magnificent Mallorcan mountains! n
- Monitor your aircraft’s movements worldwide, with one small box
- No install necessary - Velcro on dash and provide power
- View tracks from any computer connected to the internet
- Configure all reporting parameters on the internet
- Affordable satellite tracking for
your aircraft
+64 6 329 4794 | [email protected] | www.spidertracks.co.nz
BREEZE-EASTERN
HS-20200
HS-29700
HS-10300
HS-29900
AGUSTA BELL 212/412
AGUSTA A109K2
AGUSTAWESTLAND EH-101
SIKORSKY UH-60Q
AGUSTA BELL AB139
EUROCOPTER AS-350B3
EUROCOPTER AS365(HH65)
AGUSTAWESTLAND EH101
HELICOPTER RESCUE HOISTS
MDHI MD902
700 Liberty Avenue, Union NJ 07083, USA
Telephone: (908)686-4000 Fax: (908)686-9292 Web Site: www.breeze-eastern.com
53
Find any bar where
the pilots of different
helicopter types congregate,
and there is sure to be heated
debate about the persistent
question of the comparative safety
of single vs twin engine helicopters…
right till the very last beer. In a paper
he has researched advising companies
on their exposure, MARK OGDEN has
Dominique Romet
considered the Australian experience to arrive
at some interesting observations.
54
R
isk can be defined as the possibility of
something happening that will impact
upon objectives. It is measured by
combining the magnitude of potential
consequence and the likelihood of those
consequences. There are many variables in
determining how to make a helicopter operation
“safer” or rather, “less risky”, and yes, working
on the human factor issues is probably the most
significant safety enhancement that the industry
as a whole can make, but that perennial question
arises. Does having a second engine make flying
a helicopter less risky?
Multi-engine Helicopters
Early helicopters were limited in power
and one method by which manufacturers
overcame this limitation was to install a second
engine, which increased the power margin and
permitted them to lift a greater payload.
Later, in an effort to improve the chances
of a helicopter recovering from an engine
losing power (OEI – or one engine inoperative),
especially in passenger-carrying operations,
this power margin was utilized for carrying a
lesser load, but providing an ability to “fly” on
one engine.
To take advantage of the safety margin that
the second engine introduced, what became
known as the Category “A” performance
standard was introduced. This performance
criteria allowed manufacturers to specify a
weight under certain conditions that, if a Cat-A
“profile” was flown and an engine failure was to
occur, enabled the helicopter to be either flown
away or landed safely on the remaining engine.
It is a basis for certification and well reflects
the possible performance requirements when
operating to an established airfield, helipad or
offshore pad.
Cat-A weights and profiles were designed
for departure and arrival. Older helicopters
often could not meet Cat-A, or if they did their
all-up-weight was severely restricted. More
modern helicopters, which are designed to
carry passengers, have incorporated modern
technology designs which will allow fly-away
at significantly greater weights, although
the weights are usually significantly less than
the maximum all-up weights these helicopters
can achieve.
Although Cat-A provides a safety factor, it
does not account for human factor issues or other
possible malfunctions including transmission
(such as tail rotor) or airframe failure.
Often the decision
on the use of a
multi- or singleengine helicopter
depends on the role,
environment and
operator’s assessment
of acceptable risk.
ICAO ANNEX 6
ICAO Annex 6 is essentially a set of
standards and recommendations relating to
the operation of aircraft, that the national
regulator should implement. Part 3 to the
Annex pertains to the operation of helicopters
in international civil aviation, general aviation
and commercial air transport operations. The
Annex does provide guidance to helicopters
engaged in aerial work, and it provides an
additional source of information about expected
performance criteria for multi-engine helicopters
55
ned dawson
ned dawson
and a basis for considering performance
requirements.
The Annex categorizes helicopter
performance into three classes, Performance
Class 1, 2 or 3. These classes are not to be
confused with the A and B performance
categories which predate this standard. The ICAO
Performance Classes also specify requirements
for when a helicopter’s engines are operating
normally.
Essentially, Class 1 performance provides
the greatest level of safety by requiring a multiengine helicopter to be able to land or fly-away
safely, cruise or land safely. It also requires the
highest level of performance.
Class 3, however, only requires that the
helicopter operate in an environment where it
can perform a safe landing should an engine
fail regardless of what phase of flight it is
conducting. This allows for an inability to “stay
up” during the en-route phase.
Performance Class 2 recognizes that forced
landing may be required during the take-off or
approach phase of flight, however it requires the
helicopter to fly at or above the minimum flight
altitude and continue to a suitable destination
for landing.
The important consideration here is that
these classes recognize helicopters departing the
hover, transiting in forward flight and arriving to
the hover. They do not account for helicopters in
the hover however, Performance Class 1 allows
for a safe arrival onto the ground from the hover
56
IF the ground is suitable. Also, the exposure time
for winching is significantly longer than the few
seconds involved in departure or arrival.
In Europe, there are moves away from
requiring single-engine accountability and more
towards managing exposure time. The JAA
approach (JAR-OPS 3.480) is to consider exposure
time, which is the actual period during which
the performance of the helicopter with an engine
failure does not guarantee a safe landing or safe
continuation of the flight.
Maximum permitted exposure time is the
period during which engine failure risk equals
overall system safety.
Acceptable risk for the event is 5 x 10-8.
Power loss risk analysis (JAR-OPS 3.517(a))
Time (seconds) = 18 x K / n x Pr x F
Where n = number of engines
Pr = failure rate per 100,000 flt hours
K and F are constants normally approximately equal to 1.0
Analysis of this equation reveals the
interesting point that increasing the number of
engines does not reduce exposure time.
For example, the CT7 (as equipped in the
214ST) has a demonstrated reliability over
30+ million hours. Its engine-caused in-flight
shutdown rate, is demonstrated as one
occurrence in 500,000 flight hours
The permitted exposure time for 5 x 10-8
Max Time = 18/(no. of engines x failure rate)
= 18/(2 x 0.2) = 45 seconds
It is arguable that the second
(or third) engine on a helicopter
makes it more reliable because
there is, in probability terms,
a greater chance of having an
engine fail.
left: Statistics related to the relative
safety of multi vs single engine can be
contentious.
ned dawson
opposite page left: Engine
monitoring systems on such as those
found on the later Eurocopter models
provide information that should lower the
chance of engine failure.
opposite page right: ICAO Annex
6 provides guidance on helicopters being
used in Aerial Work.
Reliability
The reason for introducing Cat-A was to take
advantage of the perceived improvement in
safety that multi- vs single-engine brings. The
premise behind this stems from the early days
of turbine engine helicopters, where the engines
were not as reliable as the modern units and
monitoring systems did not exist.
It is arguable that the second (or third) engine
on a helicopter makes it more reliable because
there is, in probability terms, a greater chance
of having an engine fail. Statistics however,
indicate that twin-engine turbine helicopters
have a lower accident rate than single-engine
turbine helicopters, although the statistics
related to the relative safety of multi vs single
can be contentious because the accident rates,
particularly in the USA do not always account
for the types of flights or operations, or even the
cause of the accidents.
US offshore data supports the notion that
the safety of flight is improved with the use
of a twin-engine helicopter but it should also
be noted that the primary cause of helicopter
accidents in this sector was not engine failure
but flight into terrain or an obstacle, which is
a predominantly human error event; however
engine-related factors were causal in nearly 20%
of the accidents.
The Australian Experience
The Australian information was examined
because it is a fairly “middle of the road” aviation
environment when it comes to activity, aircraft
types, training, weather etc. In determining the
risk associated with operating single or multiengine helicopters, it is important to understand
the likelihood of an engine failure. Although it
may be expected that transmission problems
would be higher in twin-engine helicopters due
to increased complexity, there is no evidence
suggesting that the twin-engine helicopter
suffers any higher transmission-related accident
rate than singles. What is less apparent is what
the consequence will likely be, as this depends
on such things as the environment, ambient
conditions, power margins and pilot decisionmaking and flying skill. In Australia, the average
chronological age of the single-engine turbine
fleet is increasing. The average age of singleengine turboshaft helicopters has increased
from 16 to 23 years over the 10 years from 1995
to 2005. Along with the increase in average age,
there has been a substantial increase in the size
of the fleet (190%). The average age of multiengine helicopters in Australia increased from
12 to 15 years.
There was no attempt to break the
information down by aircraft or engine type
in order to keep the information spread over
as many types and types of operations as
possible. Additionally, in the 15-year window
examined, the profile of the industry changed
significantly with Eurocopter and Agusta types
becoming more prevalent and more twinengine helicopters being used. Nearly all of
57
It seems a properly maintained and
operated twin-engine helicopter with
Class 2 performance represents a
lower risk than a single-engine helicopter
ned dawson
during takeoff, transit and landing.
the occurrences however, involved helicopters
that were performing passenger charter or
conservative aerial work operations.
In the 15 years to 2006, ATSB reported
that there were 32 engine failure occurrences
in single engine turbine helicopters. These
occurrences excluded pilot-induced failures
but included mechanical and maintenance
failure; failures over which the pilot had little
control. Of these, 15 did not result in an accident
(minor or nil damage). During the period, the
Australian single-engine turbine fleet flew about
1,170,460 hours. The engine failure rate therefore
represented one every 36,576 hours whereas the
accident rate (as a result of an engine failure)
represented one per 68,850 hours. Of the 15
occurrences that did not result in an accident, 11
occurrences were successful auto-rotations (pilot
skill and suitable terrain being the reasons for
the successful landings) and four occurred in the
hover or on late approach.
The twin turbine fleet flew 569,867 hours and
there were no accidents attributable to engine
malfunctions or failures. However, there were
14 engine failures representing a failure rate
of one in 40,705 hours or about 11% less often
than the single-engine turbine rate. Overall,
there had been 55 engine shutdowns, 41 were
58
“precautionary” due to such considerations as a
malfunction, loss of power or chip indication.
Improving
The rates improve if the data for the last
five years is considered. Single-engine failure
occurrence rate represents a failure rate of one
in 44,071 hours (20% improvement) and
an accident rate of one in 80,797 flying hours
(17% improvement). The twin turbine engine
failure rate also improved by 28%, to one in
51,959 flying hours.
Based on the Australian data, it appears
that the chances of having a turbine engine
failure is around one in 40,000 flying hours
whether the helicopter is equipped with one or
two engines. Smaller engines would be expected
to have a mechanical reliability of around one
in 100,000 flying hours and the larger engines
should have a rate of around one in 400,000
flying hours. The reduced “reliability” actually
being observed may be associated
with inappropriate maintenance or handling
practices.
The consequences, however of the engine
failing have been shown to be significantly
less in the twin turbines with no accidents
in 15 years, where the single-engine turbine
ned dawson
accident rate is one in nearly 70,000 hours. That
single-engine accident rate could have been
significantly higher had the helicopter been
over unsuitable terrain or if the pilot skill had
not been high enough to affect the engine off
landing.
The occurrence information also revealed
that the majority of engine failures in singleengine turbine helicopters occurred in the cruise.
Of the 32 occurrences, 19 (59%) were in the
cruise, eight were while maneuvring, five (16%)
in the descent or approach, and none occurred
during climb-out/takeoff.
Interestingly, the twin-engine figures reveal
statistically similar trends. Of the 14 engine
failures, 7 (50%) occurred in the cruise, 4 were on
climb-out or takeoff and 2 (14%) in the descent
or approach. When the precautionary shutdowns
are included however, the vast majority of
shutdowns occurred in the cruise portion of the
flight. Forty-three (78%) were in the cruise, eight
on the climb-out (15%) and four (7%) on descent/
approach.
It should be noted that to reduce the chances
of a multi-engine helicopter having both
engines fail, then ideally, maintenance on the
engines should be “staggered”, i.e. maintenance
should not be conducted at the same time on
both engines. Also, the engine lives should
be staggered to preclude an hours-in-service
problem arising on both engines at similar times.
So, what does it all mean?
Multi-engine helicopters
have a lower accident
rate than their single
engine brethren for a
variety of reasons.
The Australian experience appears to indicate
that although engine failure rates are similar
between single and twin-engine helicopters, the
accident rates (as a result of engine failure) are
significantly higher in singles. The greater level
of safety of the twin-engine helicopter is afforded
during forward flight when the remaining engine
provides sufficient performance to maintain
flight. Consequently, it seems a properly
maintained and operated twin-engine helicopter
with Class 2 performance represents a lower risk
than a single-engine helicopter during takeoff,
transit and landing.
Most twin-engine helicopters carrying a
useful payload will not maintain an out of
ground effect hover with an engine not operating.
If the hover is high enough, the conditions
suitable, and the pilot well trained, a twin-engine
helicopter may be able to achieve fly-away from
the hover with one engine inoperative.
It may also provide a softer arrival on the
ground if a fly-away is not possible depending
on the ground conditions and surrounding
59
Rob Neil
Whether one or two
engines often depends
on if operating over
‘hostile’ terrain.
60
obstacles. Alternatively, like the single-engine
helicopter even though the twin-engine
helicopter may not be able to “fly away” with
an engine inoperative, depending on the power
margin, it may have a “controllable” landing.
A single-engine helicopter provides no
alternatives to arriving on the ground. The
greater the margin between power required
and power available, the more energy will be
available in the rotor to cushion the landing.
When considering risk, although the
likelihood of an engine failure in single or twin
engine helicopters is similar, the consequence of
the engine failure can be significantly different
depending on the environment, helicopter power
margin, and pilot training and skill at the time of
the occurrence.
It should also be noted that there are many
other considerations when determining risk
or examining ways to lower risk exposure.
In helicopters, the engine is but one critical
component. Transmission systems and the
pilot are also critical to the safe operation of a
helicopter.
Any risk assessment depends largely on the
context of the operation and the acceptable levels
of risk an organization is prepared to accept. For
example, some oil companies will only use twinengine helicopters for transporting its personnel
in a hostile environment because their risk
assessment assesses the twin-engine helicopter
as providing less risk. However, those companies
also demand high standards of operational
compliance, safety management systems and
standards of maintenance. Yet the most recent
revision of ICAO Annex 6 Part 3 also strongly
supports the idea of Class 1 or 2 performance
when operating in a hostile environment. Oil and
Gas Platform Operators’ standards are similar.
Despite this, other operators are prepared to
accept the risk associated with the engine failing
in single-engine helicopter in a cost vs risk
analysis.
This discussion has focused on the single
vs twin-engine argument only because the
discussion is about how “safe” a single-engine
rotorcraft really is. The question, then, is really,
“how safe compared to what?” ...compared to a
twin? Regardless of whether a single or twinengine helicopter is being operated, the relative
safety or levels of risk are more highly influenced
by other factors including training, operating and
maintenance standards. This is one reason why
the introduction of Safety Management Systems
is being mandated by ICAO.
All the foregoing, of course, will fail to
preclude endless hours of fruitless debate
between proponents of each side, for which
many bar-owners will undoubtedly be eternally
grateful. What all the best pilots realize is a
fact that has never varied. Which is the safest?
Whichever it is that gets you onto the ground
in one piece. More often than not, the machine
matters far less than how you operate it. n
I nventory
S upported
M aintenance
R epair &
O verhaul
● Exclusive Provider of ISMRO™
● More Than 50,000 Line Items In
stock For Sale Or Exchange
● 21 Sales Professionals
Handling Day-To-Day Operations
● More Than 50,000 Square Feet
in Two Locations — Atlanta &
Vancouver
● MRO Capability On Over 8,000
Different Items
● 1,000+ Linear Feet Of Benches
W/ Over 650 Pieces Of Test
Equipment
● Distributor For 16 Different
Manufacturers
● Aircraft Supported Include
Agusta, Bell, Eurocopter, MD &
Sikorsky
Atlanta (404) 768-9090 Fax: (404) 768-9006
Vancouver (604) 542-8820 Fax: (604) 542-8829
“Others sell parts, WE SELL SUPPORT”
www.heliparts.com
● www.heliparts.ca
www.heliparts.com
● www.heliparts.ca
New Kid
on the
Block
The development of a totally new “clean-sheetof-paper” helicopter design is a relative rarity
anywhere in the world. For the first time in
the history of Russia’s helicopter industry, an
established manufacturing facility has managed
to independently design and certify an all-new
type. ALEX MLADENOV reports on the Ansat
from Kazan Helicopters – a machine apparently
destined for major success in a wide market.
Photos by Kazan Helicopters via Alexander Mladenov
62
63
Mirosl av Gyurosi via Ale x ander Ml adenov
The basic version of the
Ansat has accommodation
for two pilots and nine
passengers. In EMS
configuration, the cabin can
house two stretchers and
two medical attendants.
64
T
he twin-engined Ansat was
designed to be a sufficiently
advanced, yet simple and
reliable helicopter; a costeffective compromise between
innovative and well-proven design
solutions in order to achieve good
performance at an attractive price. The
baseline Ansat made its maiden flight
in hover on 17 August 1999, the first
forward flight followed on 6 October
that year and it was granted its Russian
type certificate on 29 December 2004.
Designed and built from scratch at
Kazan Helicopters of Kazan, the most
successful helicopter manufacturer
in Russia, the Ansat is now in
service with several Para public and
government customers, and has a
designed 20,000-hour airframe service
life.. Weighing in at 3.3- onnes, the
rotorcraft is aimed at the projected
huge government market (military and
police), Para public (EMS and SAR) and
commercial (gas pipeline, aerial patrol,
air offshore oil platform re-supply)
sector in Russia, most of the CIS states
and Russia’s loyal client countries in
the Third World.
Korea’s Department of Forest
Management was the launch customer
for the type, receiving its first two
Ansats in baseline configuration in
December 2004, to be used in the
surveillance and firefighting roles.
Currently, the Ansat order book
amounts to around 20, with orders
received from both domestic and
foreign customers such as government
organizations in South Korea,
Venezuela and Laos. By 2010, Kazan
Helicopters aims to achieve Ansatrelated annual sales amounting to $US
30-40 million.
The initial design work on a light
twin-engine helicopter to succeed
the Mi-2 began at Kazan Helicopters
in 1993. The company’s marketing
studies identified a need for an
advanced multifunctional helicopter
with a payload capability of between
2,202 and 2,863 lb (1,000-1,300 kg). The
Ansat program was seen as a good
chance for the Kazan-based company,
then producing only the Mi-8MT/
Mi-17 13-tonne helicopters, to diversify
its production portfolio and carve
a profitable niche in a new market
segment.
Initially, Kazan Helicopters’
management attempted to convince
Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant – then
Mirosl av Gyurosi via Ale x ander Ml adenov
the premier helicopter design house
in Russia – to join forces in the
development and certification of
a utility rotorcraft in the 3-tonne
class. These efforts, however, proved
fruitless as the Moscow-based design
authority was reluctant to enter into
such a partnership in the turbulent
post-Soviet times. Ultimately, Kazan
Helicopters adopted the bold decision
to go-it-alone with the development
effort, investing its own funds as
well as obtaining funding support
from the government of the state of
Tatarstan, an autonomous state located
in the southern part of Russia. It is
noteworthy that Kazan Helicopters
has enjoyed a healthy order book for
its Mi-17 family of helicopters over
the last two decades and therefore
had the needed funding for the Ansat
development.
The first step in the process was
setting up its own design house (until
the mid-1990s, Kazan Helicopters
lacked any sophisticated design
capabilities) and its final approval as
a design organization was granted in
1997. Definition of the design concept
for the new helicopter was completed
in 1995 and a fuselage mockup was
exhibited for the first time at the
1995 Paris air show. By that time,
the program was presented as a
co-operative venture between Kazan
Helicopters, Aviacon Scientific and
Production Center (responsible for the
rotor) and Aeromekhanica (responsible
for the transmission). From the outset,
the Ansat was designed in compliance
with the new Russian AP-29 Cat-A
airworthiness requirements, said to be
equal to US FAR 29.
The name Ansat, which in Tatar
language (the city of Kazan is the
capital of Tatarstan) translates as
light, simple or comfortable, suitably
describes the basic design concept.
A typical example of this pragmatic
and perhaps somewhat conservative
design approach is the airframe design
assembly; it has a classic all-metal
structure, similar to that adopted
for the well-known Mi-8/17 family;
composites were used only for some
non-load bearing elements. Access to
the nine-seat cabin is provided through
four doors and the aft fuselage is
fitted with a hatch to load baggage or
stretchers.
The basic version accommodates
two pilots and eight passengers, or
one pilot and up to nine passengers. In
the EMS configuration, the cabin can
house two stretchers and two medical
attendants. In cargo configuration
the Ansat can lift 2,912 lb (1,300 kg)
externally or 2,240 lb (1,000 kg) in
the cabin. For VIPs, the cabin has
two increased-comfort seats and two
more are provided for the attendants,
while the SAR version, developed for a
customer from South Korea, is equipped
with a hoist, featuring a lifting capacity
of up to 660 lb (300 kg).
The rotor system is a state-of-theart design for today’s Russian helicopter
industry. It can be viewed, however,
as well-established technology for
Western helicopter manufacturers,
The Ansat-LL is a flying test
bed ordered by the Russian
Navy. Delivered in mid2005, it is currently used by
the Radar-MMS company
in St Petersburg for testing
of radar- and IR-based
seekers for ship-launched
cruise missiles.
The name Ansat,
which in Tatar
language (the city of
Kazan is the capital of
Tatarstan) translates
as light, simple or
comfortable, suitably
describes the basic
design concept.
65
incorporating a four-blade main rotor
with glass-fiber blades, a glass-fiber
torsion bar and a two-blade tail rotor.
The lack of a suitable Russian or
Ukrainian-made engine at the time
of development led to the adoption of
the proven Pratt & Whitney PW207K
with FADEC, rated at 470 kW (630 shp)
for take-off, 410 kW (550 shp) max
continuous power, 529 kW (710 shp) for
30-seconds and 491 kW (659 shp) for
two-minute OEI operations. The first
two Ansats, however, were powered by
the less-powerful PW206C.
Undoubtedly, the aircraft’s most
striking feature is its fly-by-wire
(FBW) control system, a first for a light
helicopter; so far only Eurocopter is
known to have tested such a system
for a light helicopter, but this EC 135
Drop Off
Your Aircraft.
We’ll Do The Rest.
From component
overhauls and repairs
to reconstruction and
completions, now
Heli‑Mart has a total,
single‑source solution
to fully meet the support
needs of MD Helicopter
operators worldwide.
800-826-6899
www.helimart.com
Please visit us at Heli-Expo
Heli‑Mart 1413
California Aero Components 1515
Phoenix Heliparts 1517
any part. any service. any place. any time.
HM P2 HO.indd 1
1/29/08 2:42:29 PM
is considered a pure research vehicle.
The FBW is also a first for the Russian
helicopter industry.
The main advantages of the FBW
system are the ease with which it
can be adapted to suit a wide range
of missions, and the benefits of lower
weight and greater reliability thus
enhancing flight safety. Lower pilot
workload is said to be another positive
feature of the FBW system. The Ansat’s
KSU-A FBW system, developed by the
Avionica Company in Moscow, features
quadruple back-up from digital and
analogue computers.
The flight deck is said to be a very
modern one although once again it
should be noted that this is relative to
Russia’s current ergonomics standards,
as the solutions can be viewed as less
advanced than those adopted for the
modern US and European light twin
helicopters. The instrument panel
features a pair of multi-function color
displays in front of the pilot, who
occupies the left seat.
The Ansat has been initially
marketed to military, Para public and
government organizations in Russia,
most of the CIS republics and some of
Kazan Helicopters’ traditional foreign
customers such as China, Egypt,
Libya, Venezuela and Algeria. The
manufacturer claims that Ansat’s main
advantage, when competing against
well-established rivals offered by the
Western world manufacturers, is its
good performance offered at a lower
price. Despite its high-tech nature, the
Ansat is promoted as a considerably
cheaper solution than its rivals, thanks
to Russia’s much lower labor cost
(apparently three-four times lower than
that in North America and Western
Europe). However, the technical
difficulties experienced during the
design stage and protracted flight test
and certification program, combined
with the expensive (by Russian
standards) power plant, eventually led
to a substantial increase in the base
price – initially set at $US1.5 million
a unit, currently it is estimated to be
above $US3 million. The company’s
former director general, Alexander
Lavrentiev, cites “commercial
confidentiality” as the reason for
Kazan’s failure to publicly quote a price
for the Ansat.
The first Ansat prototype was
K azan Helicopters via Ale x ander Ml adenov
The third Ansat referred to as the
preproduction prototype took to
the air on 27 December 2001.
It saw active participation in the
type’s certification program which
encompassed around 600 flights
assembled in 1997 and was intended
for static ground testing. By mid-2003
it was reported to have amassed
over 800 hours of various tests. The
second prototype (airframe 02 and
later re-serialled as 902) was used for
flight testing and making the maiden
hovering and horizontal flights. In 2005
it was modified into the Ansat-2RTs
armed scout with stepped tandem
cockpits.
The third Ansat (airframe 903),
referred to as the preproduction
prototype, took to the air on 27
December 2001. It was used in
the type’s certification program
encompassing some 600 flights.
Originally, the certification program
was scheduled for completion in
late 2003, but was finally reported
as completed in December 2004. The
Ansat is certified in its baseline singlepilot version for Category-A passenger
transport.
Alongside the certification program,
Kazan Helicopters continued trials
as most of the airframe components
were initially approved for 500-700
hours time between overhauls (TBO),
while the rotor drive train components
had a 300 hour TBO. The aim was for
the TBO to be extended to 1,000 hours
for the production examples; in 2007
it was stated that critical components’
TBO is scheduled for extending to
1,500-2,000 hours.
In 2007 and early 2008, the
main development efforts were
aimed at achieving supplemental
type certifications for a number of
Ansat configurations, amongst them
the executive transport, training,
firefighting, SAR, and with the
emergency flotation system.
After the South Korean
procurement of five Ansats for
the Korean Department of Forest
Management and one more for the
Korean Police, deliveries commenced
to local customers. Firstly, an Ansat
configured as a flying test-bed
(dubbed Ansat-LL) was procured by
the Russian Navy on behalf of Radar
MMS Company in St Petersburg. Radar
MMS utilize their Ansat for airborne
trials of various types of radar and IR
seekers under development for shiplaunched missiles. Four VIP-configured
helicopters were ordered by Rossia
State Transport Company, with the first
pair slated for delivery in early 2008 (it
was originally planned for delivery in
late 2007 but there are no reports t
hat this has taken place) and was
publicly revealed at Heli-Russia Show in
May 2008.
In April 2007, Kazakhstan became
the first defense export customer, with
an order for an undisclosed number of
helicopters to be used for the training of
military pilots at the Aktubinsk-based
flying school. The Ministry of Health
of Tatarstan is the launch customer for
the EMS version of the Ansat. Other
export customers announced in 2007
include Laos and Venezuela (with an
initial order of four helicopters). In
December 2007 it was announced by
Kazan Helicopters’ representatives
that an agreement to sell the Ansat to
an undisclosed Iranian oil company
had been reached. The Iranian order
numbered six helicopters and there
were options held for six more, with
deliveries slated to commence in the
second half of 2009.
Even China has expressed interest
– not only for procuring Ansats but
also for establishing a local assembly
line, but to date no details have been
disclosed. Kazakhstan is also reported
to have expressed a willingness to
establish a joint venture company with
Kazan Helicopters for Ansat’s local
assembly for Kazakhstani customers.
The Ansat-U is the military
training derivative, developed for the
Russian Air Force as its new-generation
training and liaison platform. Kazan’s
light twin was announced as the
winner of the MoD tender process as
early as in 2001. There, it competed
67
K azan Helicopters via Ale x ander Ml adenov
The Ansat is
captured by the
camera in flight
during tests of the
emergency-float
installation.
against the single-engine, pistonpowered Mi-34 (proposed by a team
made by Mil Light Helicopters and
Progress company) and the twinturbine, coaxial-rotor Ka-226 proposed
by Kamov.
The contract for the Ansat-U
development and testing was signed
between Kazan Helicopters and
MoD in 2002. The brand-new 3.3-tonne
class helicopter is earmarked to replace
both the Mi-2 and Mi-8, currently used
in the initial and basic pilot-training
role at the Russian Air Force’s Sizran
Aviation Institute but considered as
obsolete.
The Ansat-U features a nine-seat
cabin, and when used in the cargo
role, it reportedly can transport up to
2,900 lb (1,300 kg) on external sling or
2,230 lb (1,000 kg) in the cabin. It has a
maximum take-off weight of 7,360 lb
(3,300 kg), a maximum speed of 151 kts
(280 km/h), a cruising speed of 116 kts
(215 km/h) and an economic speed of
63 kts (115 km/h). The practical ceiling
is 18,700 ft (5,700 m) and the “brochure”
range is claimed to be 343 nm (635 km)
with flight duration of up to 3.3 hours.
68
Pratt & Whitney’s PW207K is also
used to power the initial military
derivatives of the Ansats, and the
FADEC has yet another major advantage
in the training role, enabling the
simulation of one engine inoperative
(OEI) conditions without the need to
shut down one engine.
The Klimov VK-800 turbo shaft,
a further scaled-down derivative of
the VK-2500 is proposed as an
alternative engine for the followon batches of the Ansat-Us ordered
by the Russian Air Force and also
for those export customers who are
reluctant to use the PW207K due to
political or other considerations. The
VK-800 is rated at between 900 and
1,000 shp depending on the version
in OEI conditions, 800 shp for take-off
and 450-600 shp for cruise flight. The
engine is scheduled for certification in
2009, which means that it could be used
to power production-standard Ansats
from 2010 at the earliest. The VK-800
price announced by Klimov in 2007
is 210,000 Euro (around US $302,000
at the exchange rate used in late
December 2007).
The reprogrammable FBW control
system is advertized as being very
useful for the Ansat-U’s training role,
as it makes possible the simulation
of the handling characteristics of
larger helicopters such as the Mi-8/17
and Mi-24. Lower pilot workload and
improved control and stability, reducing
its susceptibility to gusts, are other
welcome benefits of the FBW system.
The Ansat-U prototype was made
by “militarizing” the fifth prototype
of the baseline Ansat, adding an
additional instrument panel in front
of the instructor. The Ansat-U’s first
prototype is equipped with skids, but
all following machines will feature a
wheeled undercarriage with steerable
nose unit; this scheme is said to be
much more useful for training student
pilots who will then convert to the
Mi-8, Mi-24 and Mi-28. It was originally
expected that the first prototype be
flight-tested at the end of 2004 but the
program suffered from delay due to the
lack of development funds. The first
Ansat-U is expected to be handed over
to the Russian Air Forces for testing and
qualification in early or mid-2008.
So far, funding has been provided
for the manufacture of only two
helicopters, priced at US $1.4 million
each. A rotor-blade anti-icing system
is also in development for the military
derivatives of the Ansat; it will be also
offered at a later stage for all versions.
The Russian Air Force is expected
to acquire a total of 100 Ansat-Us by
2015, but this plan has still to secure
full funding for testing and production.
As many as 12 are planned to be
delivered as an initial batch in 2009.
Kazan Helicopters believes that entry
into Russian Air Forces’ service will be
a huge boost for the type’s military and
Para public various export prospects
with the company’s established
customers.
Not only has Kazan Helicopters
succeeded in a brave venture that
strengthens their position at the forefront
of Russian rotorcraft manufacture, but
also their sound and commercially
attractive design has generated strong
export interest and sales, and civil and
military success in the home market
looks almost certain. Ansat may mean
“light” but this project is no lightweight; it
seems that Kazan’s new kid on the block
has hit a home run! n
Some
like it
HOT....
...we don’t!
Our systems can be found in operation throughout the world. From the United
States to Canada, Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy and
Russia. Working hand in hand with the customer, we will help you to get the
best built product, save you money and help take care of the environment!
Make the right choice. Choose Isolair Helicopter Systems today!
www.isolairinc.com - [email protected]
Isolair
Helicopter
Systems • 1620 N.W. Perimeter Way • Troutdale,
Phone: 503-492-2105 • Fax: 503-492-2756
Oregon
97060
under
Pressure!
No pilot likes to think of
his machine becoming
un-controllable during
flight, but in recent years
there has been a series of
hydraulic system-related
accidents involving the
AS350 squirrel. PHIL
CROUCHER examines
and explains the system,
providing some timely
Dominique Romet
advice on the issues.
70
71
1. An AS 350 BA operated by Heli USA
crashed near Peach Springs, Arizona on 11
September 2002, after the pilot reported
that the controls were not responding. The
NTSB found that the hydraulic pump had
failed from lack of lubricant, and that while
the pump had become severely worn and
rusty, the pilot had also failed to follow the
correct hydraulic failure procedures.
damiano gualdoni
2. A n AS 350 B3 operated by Native
American Air Ambulance crashed near
Scottsdale, AZ on 2 November 2003,
after the pilot inadvertently hit an
hydraulic switch and was unable
to stop the resulting spin.
3.Hydraulic failure was also listed as a
cause in a crash involving an AS 350 B2
operated by Texair Helicopters on
24 May 2000 in Patterson, LA. It flipped
on its side on landing after the pilot had
inadvertently turned off the hydraulics
after a tail-rotor failure.
A
lthough there are some
problems with the AS350’s
hydraulics, as discussed
below they can be mitigated
somewhat with better training. This
article aims to explain both the system
and the recommended procedures as
simply as possible, in the hope that
this will minimize the consequences of
future system failures.
The hydraulic system reduces
pilot workload by making the controls
lighter in normal flight, as the control
forces involved (which increase with
speed) would be severe without its
assistance. The system is designed to
give sufficient time, in the event of
a hydraulic failure, to get the speed
back below 65 kts, where the forces are
controllable.
72
On AS350 models without a second
hydraulic system, this is possible
through the use of accumulators,
which are sturdy containers attached
to each hydraulic jack (servo) in which
a diaphragm separates hydraulic fluid
under normal system pressure from
pressurized nitrogen, which is charged
up on the ground.
When hydraulic pressure drops, this
pressurized nitrogen expands against
the bladder to force out the fluid on
the other side, keeping the system
pressurized for a short while.
Depending on how much and how
harshly the controls are used, the
accumulators will usually bleed off
their stored pressure in about 20-30
seconds, which is time enough to bring
the speed back and reduce the control
damiano gualdoni
forces, but you can expect the loads to
increase again when you slow down for
short finals. For this reason, you should
always run-on with about 10 kts over
the disc – do not try to hover.
Accumulators do not discharge
at the same rate (which is why the
hydraulic cut-off switch on the
collective should be turned off, to
positively discharge them) and they
only work if there is fluid in the system.
You have no way of knowing what
you have until you land and that’s the
reason for a run-on landing on any
machine. It is not a good practice to
try and land on accumulator pressure
alone. You might easily find yourself in
the hover with only fore and aft control.
Once the accumulators have
discharged, you are in “manual mode”,
at which point you must operate
the hydraulic cut-off switch (on the
collective) to activate solenoids that
will ensure that the accumulators are
completely discharged simultaneously,
so you don’t get an asymmetric
condition.
System components
The system comprises:
l Hydraulic reservoir (1) mounted on
the rear of the main gearbox. This
holds 2.1 liters of hydraulic fluid
and feeds the pump by gravity (total
system volume is 3 liters).
l
l
Belt-driven gear-type pump (2) on
the right-hand side of the main
gearbox compartment, just behind
the transmission. The belt is
driven by the engine-main gearbox
shaft. There are two types of belt
(which are not interchangeable),
either green Filon or the longerlasting black V Polychloroprene
Polybutadiene.
This pump can produce a flow rate
of 6 liters per minute, even down
to 170 NR, although it can always
produce something whenever the
main rotors are turning. However,
in cold weather (under -25°C) the
hydraulic fluid’s viscosity increases
and the belt can start to slip as it
tries to cope. Friction eventually
causes the belt to deform and stop
turning the pump. It may even slip
off the drive wheel.
Hydraulic distribution block (3), on
the right side of the main gearbox.
This receives pressurized fluid
from the pump through the filter.
The distribution block houses the
filter clogging indicator, pressure
relief valve (12), hydraulic pressure
switch (10) and the hydraulic
test solenoid (11). The filter has
above left: Accumulators
are sturdy containers attached
to each hydraulic jack (servo) in
which a diaphragm separates
hydraulic fluid under normal
system pressure from an inert
gas which is also under pressure.
The hydraulic system
reduces pilot workload
by making the controls
lighter in normal
flight, as the control
forces involved (which
increase with speed)
would be severe
without its assistance.
73
above: There are three
main servos: a forward one
for pitch control, and left and
right ones for roll. A fourth is
used on the tail rotor.
right: AS350 Hydraulic
System Schematic.
no bypass capability, so if it gets
clogged, the fluid will not reach
the servos. An indicator button
will extend from the bottom of the
filter housing when there is a 2.7
bar pressure differential across the
filter, indicating potential clogging.
The pressure relief valve (12) opens
at around 40 bar to allow fluid to
get back to the reservoir if system
pressure gets too high. The lowpressure switch (10) activates
when the pressure drops below
approximately 32 bar, illuminating
the red HYD warning light on the
warning panel and producing a
continuous tone from the horn.
l
Four servos* (4). There are three
main servos: the forward unit for
pitch control, left and right servos
controlling roll and a fourth (in the
forward end of the tail boom just
under the tail rotor drive shaft)
for the tail rotor. The AS350-B1
& -B2 models have a yaw load
compensator which assists with
pedal inputs after a hydraulic
failure, as the pedals would be very
hard to manage otherwise.
Each main rotor servo includes a
servo control manifold (5), which
contains a non-return valve (6), an
accumulator (7) and an isolation
solenoid valve (8) that allows
pressurized fluid to bypass the
servo and return to the reservoir
once the switch on the collective
is operated. The non-return (or
*
74
There are two servo manufacturers – Dunlop and SAMM. Although their products are
functionally identical, Dunlops allow better control fore and aft if the hydraulics fail, and
leak a lot less. Also, Dunlops only have a locking pin on the pitch servo. Each machine will
have all servos identical.
one-way check) valve (6) traps any
pressure created by the accumulator
in the lines after a pressure failure.
Hydraulic fluid enters the servo
through the one-way check
valve. The fluid is routed to the
accumulator, then to the inlet
pressure port of the servo housing
through a banjo screw, which is
hollow, to allow the servo control
manifold to be attached to the servo
while allowing hydraulic fluid to
flow.
The slide valve routes the fluid to
the relevant chamber, according to
the desired direction of movement,
while allowing any fluid from
the other chamber to be expelled
through the banjo screw.
Unlike the main servos, the tailrotor system is designed to provide
an almost unlimited supply of
reserve pressure. If the pressure
within it exceeds 55 bar, the check
damiano gualdoni
valve opens the pressure line to
allow a partial hydraulic flow as the
servo piston returns to the extended
position. This prevents hydraulic
locking and causes the stored
pressure to be reduced.
l Various: Lights, Buttons, Switches
and Horns in the Cockpit
The hydraulic oil lines run through
the inside of the main gearbox, keeping
the fluid warm. However, if you are not
moving the controls (meaning that no
oil is circulating) when sitting on the
ground for a while, the oil in the servos
may cool enough to cause any water
contamination to freeze.
If the hydraulic system fails, the
collective CUT-OFF switch is used
to simultaneously depressurize the
accumulators, allowing hydraulic fluid
back to the reservoir and a smooth
transition to manual control.
A toggle switch labeled HYD TEST
(previously ACCU TEST, on the switch
panel) tests the main- and tail-rotor
servo accumulators by opening test
and tail-rotor servo solenoid valves,
causing hydraulic pressure to drop
and the warning light and horn to
come on. This simulates a failure of
the hydraulic pump and is a method
of testing for the asymmetric problem;
it is actually the accumulator test.
Move the cyclic until the accumulators
deplete and make sure the assistance
stops symmetrically. When there is no
hydraulic pressure and you push this
button, you will purge the accumulator
in the yaw compensator which is
standard procedure after shutdown.
Note:You should never have both
switches off at the same time. NEVER
touch the console HYD button in
flight when a real hydraulic failure is
suspected, as it will render the tailrotor unusable and you will be outside
certification limits. You will certainly
need heavy pedal pressure and the yaw
to the left may well be uncontrollable
when you reduce airspeed (not to
mention a heavy cyclic). The B3 has
bigger tabs on the tail-rotor blade
than the B2, so this condition will be
exacerbated.
If you have a hydraulic pump
failure (in a machine with the yaw
compensator) and engage the HYD
TEST button, you will not get the
compensator back as you have
depressurized it. With no working
pump, it cannot be re-pressurized!
The only time you should touch
HYD TEST in flight is when you suspect
a tail-rotor control problem and you
need to have them somewhere near
neutral (your pedals might be stuck).
You might not get control back, but you
do at least have a chance to run it on.
Test procedure for examiners
Activate the warning light button
(and the horn) and call out the
emergency. The student should slow
down to 65 kts and switch off the
HYD switch on the collective, then
slow down a bit more to about 55-60.
If correctly tested at startup, the
accumulators should provide enough
pressure and time to slow to 60 kts, so
this should be transparent, whether or
not the HYD-TEST button is pressed. As
well, this avoids possible confusion in a
real emergency. Thus, if the hydraulics
have a problem while you are practicing
failures, the tail-rotor stays controllable
and a non-hydraulic landing should be
no problem. If you had the HYD-TEST
switch pressed or locked, you would
add a tail-rotor control failure to the
emergency!
Note:Some amendments to various
flight manuals correctly state that you
should operate the collective switch,
but not that you should reset it!
If you have a hydraulic
pump failure (in a
machine with the yaw
compensator) and
engage the HYD TEST
button, you will not
get the compensator
back as you have
depressurized it. With no
working pump, it cannot
be re-pressurized!
75
damiano gualdoni
roll servos. If you feel any control
feedback, the accumulators need
checking, as they are not doing
their job.
Hydraulic System Checks
The flight manual requires the
following two hydraulic system tests
before each flight.
l
Accumulator Test
This allows you to check that the
accumulators would actually provide
assistance if the system fails, plus the
HYD warning light and horn. The check
l
also tests that the solenoid valve on the
yaw load compensator body operates
correctly.
The check is done at flight idle.
l
Check that the collective is securely
locked down by the locking strip.
Adjust the cyclic friction to the level
used in flight.
l
Cut off the hydraulic pressure with
HYD TEST. The solenoid valves on
the distribution block and yaw load
compensator should open.
l
The pressurized fluids will return
to the reservoir, and the flow of
hydraulic fluid to the main and
tail-rotor servos will cease. The
decreasing pressure will cause the
pressure switch to activate the HYD
light and the horn, which you can
deactivate to make things quiet
again.
l
76
Move the cyclic fore and aft two
to three for about four inches, to
check the pitch servo. Then move it
left and right the same way for the
l
Move the tail-rotor pedals left and
right to check that the solenoid
valve on the compensator body has
dumped the pressure – the pedals
should become stiff.
Disengage the HYD TEST push
button and re-engage the HORN
button.
Confirm that the HYD light has
gone out.
Hydraulic Isolation Check
This check tests the proper
operation of the isolation solenoid
valves on the main rotor servos, plus
the one on the yaw load compensator.
l Check that the collective is securely
locked down by the locking strip.
l Place the switch on the collective in
the cut-off position. This will open
the isolation solenoid valves and
connect the inlets and outlets of
the servo control manifolds. Now,
pressure cannot be built up.
l The pressure switch on the
distribution block senses this
and illuminates the HYD light. As
activating the isolation switch or
push button disables the horn relay,
the horn does not sound.
l The cyclic will almost immediately
get stiff. It should be slightly
displaced fore and aft and left and
right to ensure proper responses.
l
l
l
With the loss of pressure, the
tail-rotor servo will no longer be
receiving pressurized fluid. The
pedals should then be displaced left
and right to check that the yaw load
compensator (if there is one) has
held its charge by confirming that
the pedals are partially boosted.
Return the isolation switch to
its normal position to close the
solenoids. Pressure will build
up again, especially in the
accumulators.
The horn will sound until the
system is charged to above 38
±2 bars over about two to three
seconds. If it sounds for less than
two seconds, the bladders in the
accumulators may be overcharged,
meaning that less hydraulic fluid
can fit in. Since the accumulators
will now fill to capacity faster, the
system will achieve 38 ±2 bars
faster. If the horn sounds for longer
than 3 seconds, the bladders may
be undercharged, so more hydraulic
fluid can get in. As this takes more
time, the system will be slower to
achieve 38 ±2 bars.
Problems and requisite action
Loss of Pressure
Loss of pressure can result from:
n Hydraulic pump or belt failure
Clogged filter
Hydraulic line break
Once pressure is lost, the pressure
switch (12) on the distribution block
will activate the HYD light and the
horn. The accumulators should provide
enough fluid under pressure to allow
the controls to be normally boosted
for 20-30 seconds, depending on how
much and how harshly the controls
are moved. Smooth and limited control
inputs should allow you to land from
an IGE hover or to otherwise bring the
speed back to 40-60 kts.
The yaw pedals on the B and BA
models will become stiff, while those
on the B1 and B2 models will feel
partially boosted.
The actions in flight are:
n Calmly reduce collective and adjust
airspeed to between 40-60 kts in
level flight. The rotor blades have
a positive pitch setting, so the
collective will sit in more or less
this position anyway. The cyclic,
however, will want to move aft and
to the right!
n
n
Cut off hydraulic pressure with the
collective switch, which will turn
the horn off and dump the pressure
in the accumulators at the same
time, to prevent an asymmetric
condition. Control loads will be felt
when collective pitch is increased,
and on forward and left-hand cyclic
movement. You may increase speed
at this point, but control feedback
will also increase.
n The flight manuals recommend
that you land as soon as possible,
so extended flight is not
recommended, but you should still
make a shallow approach over a
clear landing area (runway? field?)
and land with slight forward speed.
Be ready for the cyclic wanting to
travel aft and to the right, and the
additional right pedal as collective
pitch is increased, otherwise the
machine will pitch up and rotate to
the left.
n After landing, lower the collective
and lock it down while guarding
the cyclic, which will have become
stiff after you operate the CUT-OFF
switch on the collective. Shut down
the engine.
If you are in ground effect, you
should naturally control any tendency
for the helicopter to spin – without a
yaw load compensator, this might be
quite hard! If out of ground effect, you
will need to get to the 40-60 kt speed
range, but otherwise the operations are
the same.
Slide Valve Seizure
The servo input lever is moved in
the relevant direction by the flying
controls, which moves the servo control
manifold slide-valve, routing the
hydraulic fluid to the relevant side of
the hydraulic piston and moving it in
the desired direction.
If the slide valve seizes in any
position besides hydraulic zero, fluid
will continue to flow and the cyclic
(or pedals, if the tail-rotor servo is
Train with the best: 300CBi
™
n
Lowest cost of ownership.
Preferred by instructors and pilots.
Designed for the flight training mission.
Simply stated, it’s the best training helicopter.
w w w. s a c u s a . co m
damiano gualdoni
affected) will move without pilot
input. If the fluid pressure is not shut
off, the helicopter may get into an
unrecoverable attitude. If the cyclic
moves without your input, you should
engage the isolation solenoid switch on
the collective. The red HYD light will
illuminate and the flight controls will
immediately get stiff. If in the hover,
you should land without delay.
Adjust the speed as quickly as
possible and as best you can to the
proper range.
The emergency procedure is:
Actuate the (hydraulic) CUT-OFF
switch on the collective. Load
feedback will be felt immediately,
which may be heavy at high speed:
n Collective: 20 kg pitch increase load
n Cyclic: 7-4 kg left-hand cyclic load
n Cyclic: 2-4 kg forward cyclic load
n Pedals: Hardly any
Reduce speed to 60 kts and proceed
as for illumination of the HYD light.
n
Note:There have been reports of
un-commanded cyclic movement
when the hydraulics are already
off – one to this author’s knowledge
during the preflight hydraulic check,
after the accumulators were depleted.
During this check and after the
accumulators were depleted, the cyclic
control moved un-commanded to an
extreme left position. Considerable
force was required to try to move it
back. The un-commanded movement
was repeatable, and is possible when
one lateral accumulator is depleted
and the other charged. However,
un-commanded input is supposed
to be prevented in flight when you
slow down promptly to the specified
speed and activate the hydraulic cutoff, where any unbalanced force from
asymmetrical residual accumulator
pressure is avoided. Without the
78
hydraulic cut-off activated, sustained
asymmetrical pressure may occur if the
accumulators deplete at a different rate,
until the residual pressure is eventually
depleted through normal movement of
the flight controls.
To check for this, (usually to the
left), do a full hydraulics on check, then
run the accumulators dry with the test
switch, making sure that all is normal
(for hydraulics off). Hit the switch again
to recharge the accumulators, do a
movement check, use the dump switch
on the collective and recheck the
movement. Do not dump the hydraulics
with the collective switch after running
the accumulators dry before recharging
them – the collective switch may not
be working and you won’t even know.
Obviously, land as soon as possible if
you get a problem, and do the above
check before every flight.
Servo Transparency (Jack-stall)
This is a condition where the servos
may stall under certain operating
conditions and leave you with stiff
or frozen cyclic and collective –
essentially, the loads on the main rotor
head become too much for the system
to cope with - the smaller blades on
the AS 350B are particularly prone to
it. The conditions under which servo
transparency occurs are supposed to be
extreme, but have also been relatively
benign, as when gently flying round a
fire at 4,000 ft ASL on a warm day in a
B model weighing 4,000 lb. In another
example, the machine was descending
from a mountain top at 110 kts with the
collective fully down and well below
gross weight. Windshear took the speed
up to 155 kts and it snapped 90° to the
right when the cyclic froze solid and
both arms could not bring it back.
The hydraulics operate at relatively
low pressure, and when the forces
down from the rotors equal the force
the servos can send up, you will feel
cyclic feedback, meaning that you
have reached the G-limit, although
the controls should still work with
a little effort. This condition can be
demonstrated by initiating a steep turn
then slowly tightening up (at a prudent
altitude, and not in turbulence). The
worst case scenario would be heavy,
with high power and a high turn rate,
and is probably best avoided by never
getting into a situation where a hard
turn or climb is required for safety (i.e.
avoiding a bird), as that’s when it might
happen. The Twinstar has a LIMIT light
on the caution panel to indicate this
condition (the first ones didn’t have
one, and the swash-plate used to get
deformed).
In other words, the jacks stall
because the blades are stalling and
add more and more force to the swashplate, due to the pitching moment of the
aerofoil shifting with the stall. When
the swash-plate gets heavily loaded, it
pushes the servos backwards, despite
the hydraulic pressure in them. If this
were to do with hydraulic pressure, the
light would come on first.
Recover by reducing power and
rolling level, recovering from any dive.
Although it is a nimble machine, the AS
350 should be flown more as a medium,
that is, gently.
An AS350 pilot needs a thorough
understanding of the aircraft’s
hydraulic system, the nature and
causes of the various failures, the
consequences of each type of failure
and complete familiarity with the
correct emergency procedures. If
all those criteria are fulfilled it is
highly likely that he or she will avoid
the unfortunate circumstance of a
hydraulic failure related accident. n
Real World Training For
Real World Missions. ™
Special Operations Training
Incident Management
www.SRThelo.com · Bakersfield, California
Office 661-393-4567 · Fax 661-393-4203 ·
[email protected]
Law Enforcement
Recurrent
Operational &Pilot
TrainingTraining
Technical Rescue
Because our training staff is comprised of working
professionals who regularly respond to real-world
missions, SRT’s training methods and curriculum are
current, relevant, and designed to address real-life
operational scenarios.
79
personal profile
Franz Levitskiy
Senior Instructor Pilot,
Utair, Surgut , Russia
63 year-old Franz Ivanovich
Levitskiy has enjoyed a 43year accident-free career as a
helicopter pilot with Russia’s
UTair, logging some 28,000
hours. His exceptionally rich
flying experience, proven
leadership and airmanship
are among the number of
personal qualities that earned
him the profound respect and
admiration of his crewmen,
subordinates and the entire
Russian industry. He could be
regarded as one of the world’s
most experienced active
helicopter pilots flying heavy
rotorcraft. Franz Levitskiy is a
recipient of HAI’s 2008 Pilot of
the Year Award.
How did you get into flying?
In 1962, I entered the Kremenchug Aviation
Scholl in Ukraine, then a Soviet Union republic,
to be trained as a helicopter pilot for civil
aviation. My theoretical and flying training there
took three years to complete and I graduated
from the school in 1965 with around 70 flying
hours on the Yakovlev Yak-18 fixed-wing trainer
and 45 hours on the Mil Mi-4 piston-engined
helicopter under my belt.
I started my flying career as a Mi-4 co-pilot with
the Tyumen Department of Civil Aviation. Now,
some 43 years later, I am still working for the
same organization, which is currently known
as UTair, Russia’s largest helicopter operator
and one of the biggest players in the world’s
helicopter industry.
Which types of helicopters have you
flown since you began your career
with UTair’s predecessor in 1965?
In the beginning I flew the Mi-4, two years as a
80
co-pilot and four years as a captain. In 1971,
I converted to the turbine-powered Mi-8 and
eight years later to the Mi-6. In 1979 I became
a qualified flying instructor as well. In 1986, I
converted to the Mi-26T, the world’s biggest
helicopter. The Tyumen-based Aeroflot division
was the first in the former Soviet Union to
receive the Mi-26’s civilian derivative which
was mainly used for servicing the oil and gas
exploration activities in Siberia.
What kind of flying have you done
since you began your career in
helicopters?
I have mastered all kinds of aerial works and
activities that can be performed by medium
and heavy helicopters. Since 1992, our
company has been heavily involved in providing
rotorcraft support to various UN-sponsored
humanitarian and peacekeeping operations
around the world, such as those held in the
republics of former Yugoslavia, Somalia, Sierra
Leone, Liberia, Congo, Easter Timor, etc.
How many hours do you have now
and on which types?
I am getting on for 28,000 hours now. 5,000
of these have been logged on the Mi-4, while
the Mi-6 has accounted for about 2,000.
The balance of 21,000 hours has been
accumulated on the Mi-8 (including the newest
Mi-171) and Mi-26T.
Are there any particularly
remarkable moments that stand out
in your flying career?
It would have to be the flight endurance
record-breaking mission I flew to the North Pole
and back in 1999, with a load of scientists,
geologists, crew and TV journalists onboard.
The route stretched from Hatanga to a point
nearby the North Pole and back, with refuelings
at Komsomol Island and Sredni Island. Mission
endurance was nearly 24 hours.
Other particularly remarkable events were the
Mi-26 ferry flights I have performed bringing
helicopters back to Russia from Somalia and
Sierra-Leone. These were typically flown in legs
close to the maximal range of the helicopter
(between 862 and 970 nm each), often in bad
weather over difficult terrain.
What was the most challenging
thing you’ve ever had to do?
In Sierra Leone I had an extremely challenging
mission of transporting on external sling an
Indian Army main battle tank to-and-from
an area where it was used as an emergency
tow vehicle in an effort to recover a number
of damaged armored personnel carriers. The
18-tonne tank was successfully carried in
and out despite the extreme flight conditions.
The Mi-26 helicopter used for this delicate
operation was flown near its maximum take-off
weight, in high air temperature and high air
humidity conditions which made the mission a
very difficult one for the aircrew, with no margin
for error.
Among the other challenging operations I’ve
flown in Russia, I can recall a particular flight to
remove some equipment from the top of a 660
ft (200 m) tall chimney stack.
Aerial cable-laying work is another very difficult
and particularly demanding type of flying I have
done, as the helicopter is required to move
forward at a very slow speed, some 8 kts while
precisely laying a 1.7nm long stretch of cable
between poles.
What is your view on the
development of the helicopter
industry in Russia today?
There are plenty of positive developments
happening. The Mi-26 for instance, is now
in considerably higher demand than before,
both in Russia and abroad. The Mi-8MTV and
Mi-171 derivatives are also in high demand,
for both aerial works and logistic support of
UN-sponsored missions. Our company, in
particular, has about 80 of these workhorses
currently employed in support of UN operations
worldwide.
In order to support its growth, UTair has begun
ordering new helicopters, mainly Mi-171s
manufactured at the Ulan-Ude plant. The
company has been also procuring in small
numbers the Mi-26 built at Rostvertol.
How does your company satisfy its
need for new pilots in order to
support the growth in operations
worldwide?
We are constantly hiring new pilots, mainly
graduates of the Omsk-based Aviation School.
Currently, the young pilot group represents a
significant proportion of UTair’s flight personnel.
In addition, we have been hiring relatively large
numbers of ex-military pilots. Our own training
center located in Tyumen is responsible for
providing the initial and recurrent training of
all our pilots for the three types of helicopters
currently present in our fleet – Mi-8, Mi-171
and Mi-26. In addition, we are paying a lot of
attention to the flight safety issues, and this
is being reflected in the training and check
programs. Every UTair helicopter pilot, for
instance, is required to undergo four check
landing approaches in OEI conditions on the
real helicopter while simulator check rides are
being performed once every three months.
What are your plans for your
career in the future?
I have been around in Russia’s helicopter
industry for 43 years and look to continue flying
as long as medics consider me fit for flying. I
do a lot of fitness in order to preserve my good
physical condition. In the summer, for instance,
I do jogging and gymnastics, while in the winter
I use a step machine and stationary bike. n