Passenger In The Front With Duals Installed

[PIC]

Many mediums have the duals installed for long-line ops. Yet, there come times when passengers want or need to ride in the front seat while the duals are there. Is this a good idea? How often have you seen "weight-challenged" people struggling to climb over the collective and so on in order to sit in the left seat. That's only one example of many ways that things could go wrong when we allow a non-pilot to sit at the controls of a helicopter.

 

What do you think? Is it even legal to have passengers ride in the front with the duals installed?

 

PIC

[bleed air]

PIC, I'm 99.9% positive that your ops manual will give you the answer you are looking for. Check it out.

 

Cheers!

[Rotorwing]

Many mediums have the duals installed for long-line ops. Yet, there come times when passengers want or need to ride in the front seat while the duals are there. Is this a good idea? How often have you seen "weight-challenged" people struggling to climb over the collective and so on in order to sit in the left seat. That's only one example of many ways that things could go wrong when we allow a non-pilot to sit at the controls of a helicopter.

 

What do you think? Is it even legal to have passengers ride in the front with the duals installed?

 

PIC

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[helicopterjim]

What do you think? Is it even legal to have passengers ride in the front with the duals installed?

 

PIC

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

As long as they bring you a coffee I'm sure it is OK!

[Phil Croucher]

As far as I am aware it is frowned upon in Canada ever since somene stuck in a bootful of rudder in a panic. It's not in CARs as far as I can see, but is possibly an internal TC thing, or something they require in an ops manual.

 

Phil

[SMALL MOVEMENTS]

Just check the CARS. Only a licensed flight instructor is allowed to give dual flight instruction for the issue of a license. So if you have a non licensed PX using the duals with a non instructor rated pilot as PIC it automatically becomes illegal and the insurence company will not pay. Try somebody to tell not to touch the controls. You know the will...

[jetbox]

it automatically becomes illegal and the insurence company will not pay.

 

I've heard this said many times "if the a/c isn't up to the type certificate..... if the maintenance wasn't done in accordance with the M.M. ....... if the a/c was being operated outside the approved flight envelope......" but I have yet to see a case where the operator was left with the bill because the insurance didn't cover.

That's what you pay insurance for is to cover your *** if you screw up. If you have an accident because you're negligent, they will still cover you in this case but they will probably stop insuring you after this.

 

There's been many accidents that were caused by the pilot knowingly flying in less than approved weather or over gross or both etc.... and the insurance company always pays. That's partly why the rates are so friggin high!

[Skidz]

As far as I know, there isn't anything in CARs or FARs that specifically states that a non-licensed pax cannot sit in a seat where dual controls are installed. Technically, unlicensed pax aren't allowed to touch the controls unless the PIC is a current CFI. Technically...

 

How many of you have flown in the right seat of a small plane that had the duals in ? It's happened to me a couple times.

 

I recall that one of the points you're supposed to mention in your pre-flight pax briefing is what to touch and what not to touch...

 

Installing and removing duals in most machines only takes a couple minutes. Doing the $%?ing log entry is the longest part...

 

Personally, I feel a whole lot more comfortable when there's nothing in the cockpit a passenger could grab onto in lieu of a chicken bar. The pedals in particular I'd remove or lock out... :shock:

[Ryan]

I recall that one of the points you're supposed to mention in your pre-flight pax briefing is what to touch and what not to touch...

 

Yeah...don't touch a **** thing that isn't the door handle or your own lap. Would be kinda fun though to watch a pax try getting into the front seat with the cyclic in the way. Almost need to invent another briefing just for that. :up:

[BAH]

How about pax in the R/H seat of a medium? I just say on Fear Fighters program on Discovery Channel a blue 204 and from the inside camera shot the fire fighter was in the R/H seat.