7 replies
August 28

FlyerDon

It seems like this category of certification needs to be reevaluated. I think a lot of people, who pay to ride on aircraft certified in this category, assume these aircraft, and the pilots that fly them, meet a higher standard of safety than they are actually required to meet.

August 28

Gipper1

I have a good friend who was flown into hot zones many times to engage in firefights: he’s not interested in flying in a Huey again.

1 reply
August 28

wdpalmer

mike23moore, having just finished reading “Chickenhawk” by Robert Mason, I have a much better understanding of why your friend feels that way.

1 reply
August 28 ▶ Gipper1

gretna.bear

the 412 is powered by the Pratt and Whitney Canada twin-pack power plant with two turboshaft engines.
… records the lowest in-flight shut-down rates of aircraft turboshaft engines. If one engine is shut down, a single engine can produce emergency power for 30 minutes.

August 28

davisnewman

A 50 + year old helicopter is safe if;

  1. Flown by qualified pilot
  2. Properly maintained
  3. Flown according to the flight manual.
    The cost of maintenance and training is what makes it unprofitable.
1 reply
August 28 ▶ davisnewman

Terk

I too flew HUEYs in Viet Nam (Dustoff 11 9/68-9/69) and taught the transition course at Mother Rucker for 14 months after. I also had an un airworthy H model at East Coast Aero Tech A&P school outside Boston. As an instructor I would demonstrate turbine engine runs and helicopter control systems. It is one of the great aircraft of all time. Like anything else, poor maintenance will cause anything to fail.

August 28 ▶ wdpalmer

rpstrong

A great book - and my buddy at the American Legion flew ‘slicks’ along the same routes, a year or two later.

[My cred with him was bumped up a notch or two after I told him I’d read it.]