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High,low,fast,slow


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I agree ####, they do look better on high gear. I feel more at ease knowing that the tail rotor is nice and high aswell the forestry crews seem to like hover exits better off the machine with high gear. I was landing as high as 10,200ft and didn't have any problems with high gear but some guys swear buy it. Thanks for your imput muchly appreciated :up: :up:

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My machine is currently on low gear. Only one left in the fleet unfortunately. I'm vertically challenged so it's nice to be able to reach some stuff without the afore mentioned ladder. The machine does have a lower CoG so it's more forgiving on sloped landings but that argument is a crock. Any competent pilot can land a high gear machine on the same slope as a low gear machine without problem or incident.

 

Low gear does provide better ground cushion when hot and high, but if that 16 or so inches is the difference between hovering and not then you shouldn't be in that situation.

 

Pad landings on side hill ops is a pain on low gear. All the fallers are supported by high gear machines and build the pads accordingly. Along comes a low machine and there's reduced forward clearance so you can't land far enough forward on the pad. Fallers have trouble getting to the boot and give you static when they get in. It's a vicious circle.

 

Forestry engineers are pain also. Always landing in unprepared swampy or stumpy areas. High gear is better to get the tail rotor, belly and chin bubbles away from all the stuff just waiting to get you.

 

JM2C

 

Regards,

 

RH

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"In the good old days" of the 206A, when power in the hills was really at a premium, high gear was pooh-poohed and we even wore 'pants' on the crosstubes to minimize the drag on the gear. Since then, I haven't heard anything approaching a reasonable argument in favor of low gear. The benefits of getting anything touchy as far from probing obstructions as possible can't really be denied (except by the naysayers that cry "that'll just tempt them to land where they shouldn't"). And, yes, it does make a ship look a lot more ballsey than a toad squatting to pee. B)

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Two items:

 

1) low skid gear will take more of an "off-level" slope than high gear by at least 2-3 degrees minimum. Physics, experience and a guy called Bud Tillotson have told me so.

 

2) I'll take high skid gear thank you much. I can go places with high skid gear on a medium that many other a/c can only dream about. All blades are up high and I don't have to be worried all the time about stumps, etc. causing arguments between me and the DOM (Even though some DOM's detest the high skid gear).

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Downwash ----that's why I fly with "older" pilots beside me (and Christ they are getting scarce these days) or younger engineers with better eyesight and who scare easier :lol::lol:. Speaking of engineers, tell your large/tall maintenance man from Spring Valley, SK to "get stuffed" for me. :P

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Downwash ......didn't know that. Tell him to expect phone call from THE "older" pilot soon. He'll be doing lots of "DI's" and "100hr" inspections from now on and pulling some "late nighters" for his new "DOM". If I remember corectly, the apprenticeship time is about 1 week or something like that. :lol:

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