Hot new helicopter/rotorcraft news

[Griz882]

In other news an Aussie SpecWar pilot took off a few inches of rotor blade but managed to get it back to solid ground safely. Good work!

Black Hawk helicopter collides with cruise ship during training drill

Two Black Hawk helicopters were forced to make emergency landings after one of the aircraft collided with the mast of a defence leased cruise ship on Sydney harbour, to the surprise of passerby's.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Watch: Australian Black hawk loses rotor blade during special operations exercise

An Australian SA70 Black Hawk helicopter clipped a rotor blade during a counterterrorism exercise in the harbor of Sydney and had to perform an emergency

www.sandboxx.us

 

[HAL Pilot]

View attachment 29905

Do the firemen ever wonder how far they can swat the helo across the ground???

 

[ChuckMK23]

There better be an epic alcohol rich event and hot newscasters for the TH-57 fini-flight. Just sayin'. And I am not talking @Jim123 streaking per Super Bowl either!

End of an era: Fort Rucker retires training helicopter model used for 30 years

FORT RUCKER, Ala. (WDHN) — It was a semisweet day for aviators of Fort Rucker as they said goodbye to the TH-67 helicopter, which has been training pilots for almost 30 years. The aircraft was flow…

www.dothanfirst.com

 

[Griz882]

Many of you likely know this...but...

Defense contractor Vertex gets $71.3 million for NAS Whiting Field helicopter services

Vertex Aerospace, a Mississippi-based company, has been awarded a contract to maintain helicopters at NAS Whiting Field that could bring in $471 million.

www.nwfdailynews.com

 

[Notanaviator]

spam

I didn’t bother to use the search function on the forum, so I’m going to go ahead and ask you to do the work for me, Brandy. What percentage of folks using your service get A’s?

 

[Griz882]

The Navy is talking about “the next big thing,” but it kind of sounds like the “current thing.” What am I missing?

Admiral: Next Navy Helos Will Be Mix of Manned, Unmanned - USNI News

The Navy is pursuing both manned and unmanned platforms for the aircraft that will replace its rotary-wing fleet, according to a service official. Rear Adm. Gregory Harris, who leads the chief of naval operation’s air warfare directorate (OPNAV N98), said during a Navy League breakfast this week...

news.usni.org

 

[Max the Mad Russian]

Gents,

Found out that Kaman SeaSprites of Royal New Zeland Navy are flown from the right seat by plane commander while portside one is occupied by Observer who is simultaneously co-pilot. Does it really matter what seat the helicopter commander drives his bird from?

 

[Griz882]

Gents,

Found out that Kaman SeaSprites of Royal New Zeland Navy are flown from the right seat by plane commander while portside one is occupied by Observer who is simultaneously co-pilot. Does it really matter what seat the helicopter commander drives his bird from?

Technically, no. Both sides work the same. Most American helicopters have the command pilot in the right seat.

 

[IKE]

Technically, no. Both sides work the same. Most American helicopters have the command pilot in the right seat.

In some mil helos, like legacy American H-60s, the missions equipment was primarily on or controlled by the left, and the right seat would do most of the flying. In my current helo of choice (60R), everything can be done from either seat.

 

[Pags]

Gents,

Found out that Kaman SeaSprites of Royal New Zeland Navy are flown from the right seat by plane commander while portside one is occupied by Observer who is simultaneously co-pilot. Does it really matter what seat the helicopter commander drives his bird from?

I don't know about the Kiwis but the Aussies fly their RAN H-60s single piloted as opposed to the USN who flies dual piloted. As Ike pointed out in modern US helos there's no difference between what can be accomplished from either seat (with the exception of the 60S HCU for helos I'm familiar with).

Where you sat wasnt as much of a thing as folks make it out to be. I probably flew as much on the left as the right as PIC. Sometimes you need the 2P to be on the right for things like certain shipboard landings when they're learning (DDG Flt I/II, LHD/A).

 

[Max the Mad Russian]

Thanks Gents. On Mi-8/17 the plane commander was in the left seat AFAIR. Though there's no observer/NFO on those helos. All Kamov birds were single-piloted.

 

[ChuckMK23]

@Max the Mad Russian most US civil helos <12,500 pounds are single piloted and the pilot normally sits right seat. Exceptions of course exist, notably external load and sight seeing operations sometimes to accommodate collective on outboard side of aircraft to prevent passenger interference or aid in "long line" flying.

 

[Max the Mad Russian]

Thanks. Here it is permanent exception - this Helix-D, SAR bird, has just one set of controls to the left, while NAV sits aright Its pilots themself wonder why so... Maybe just from envy to A-6 from the Intruders movie

 

[Griz882]

Thanks. Here it is permanent exception - this Helix-D, SAR bird, has just one set of controls to the left, while NAV sits arightView attachment 30513 Its pilots themself wonder why so... Maybe just from envy to A-6 from the Intruders movie

Was it Stalin or Lenin that owned the puke-green paint factory?

 

[Gatordev]

A big reason why one sits on the right is because, on average, a pilot will be right handed, so being able to keep your dominate hand on the cyclic while reaching for radios with the left hand is easier than trying to swap hands and then fly with your left hand. Obviously things like force trim made that easier through the years, but not all helos have that.

I can't prove it, but I've got to believe the Russians fly on the left has something to do with how their rotor blades turn. Or maybe just because they're weirdos.