Tips & Tricks

[redliner]

As for fueling out of drums when no high tech water detectors are available.

 

Take both bungs off. Look (very carefully to avoid fuel in the eye) into the small bung hole. There will be enough light coming in the big bung hole for you to see the entire bottom of the barrel.

 

Any water? If there is you will see it clearly.

I have always used a bright flashlight to look in drums of fuel. There are now some super bright led lights on the market that work great. If there is any water or other contaminates in the fuel you will see it.----One note however, once I opened a drum with a lot of water in the bottom. So much that it created an even inch film on the bottom of the drum. It was sort of wavering there and if the drum was sitting for a long time would have looked like the bottom of the barrel if you didn't look carefully. Sort of weird.

[Rotorhead]

piece of a zip tie? I always had a few short chunks in my helmet bag.

 

 

Be careful using a piece of zip tie. A great short term fix but the GPI shear pin is designed to do just that, shear when something jams it. Kind of like Archie Bunker putting a penny into a fuse box. The shear pin allows the pump to break free and not jam the electric motor which could cause any number of problems, one of which you would not want happening on top of a fuel drum next to a multimillion dollar helicopter.

 

If you have to use the piece of zip tie, let the AME know as soon as you get back so that it can get fixed properly.

 

I spent a few months overhauling GPI pumps and similar drip torches for Highland in the Spring of 1991. Lots of pilots have never seen the inside of the pump, I would suggest looking at one in the hangar before you end up needing to in the bush. Four bolts on the side plate is all you need to remove.

[Rotorhead]

As for fueling out of drums when no high tech water detectors are available.

 

Take both bungs off. Look (very carefully to avoid fuel in the eye) into the small bung hole. There will be enough light coming in the big bung hole for you to see the entire bottom of the barrel.

 

Any water? If there is you will see it clearly.

 

Excellent Deuce,

 

Another thing folks don't think of is tightening the bungs. I have often followed pilots on a job where they overtighten to the point of destroying the rubber seal. All four drums had a few litres of water in them.

 

The oil companies suggest finger tight, then a quarter turn to compress the seal. That'll keep it water tight, especially if the drum is set in such a way so that the bung is not submersed.

[RTR]

Turn your strobe light on and leave it on. We all tend to look back at the helicopter as we are walking away from it, and seeing the strobe light flashing is a sure sign that the battery was left on.

 

RTR

[R22Captain]

 

 

If you have to use the piece of zip tie, let the AME know as soon as you get back so that it can get fixed properly.

 

 

That is usually followed by a scowling glare from the AME that translates to "do it your eeeffing self"

 

but yes good point on the temp fix

[Rotorhead]

That is usually followed by a scowling glare from the AME that translates to "do it your eeeffing self"

 

but yes good point on the temp fix

 

Tell him that it saved his sorry arse from trekking into the bush to fix it. I've never had a scowling glare for saving them from blackfly bites.

[Rotorhead]

Another thing to keep you in the good books with the engineer. Loosen the friction on the flight controls, be it a 206 or a 61, the physics is the same. If friction is applied, don't force the controls.

[Over-Talk]

While we are talking about frictions......they are just that....frictions!! NOT control locks!

Be careful with how hard you crank them on, and what you expect they will do for you.

[Phil Croucher]

Oil cans - open them s l o w l y to stop bits of metal coming off. My preference is those triangular can openers but a screwdriver works as well

 

Low tech water detector - food colouring

 

Phil

[RatDog]

Wow. great thread. This is what this forum is for.

 

My two cents.

 

Always walk the long way around the machine and have a look. Every takeoff. No exceptions.

 

Hatches and Latches. Every time. No exceptions.

 

The best 60 seconds you will spend on any trip.

 

As well, take a couple seconds to check inside your cargo compartments to make sure additional weight hasn't been added without anyone telling you. Could be a surprise with your c of g.