Farwest Crash Part Iii

[PerfectTrack]

" A RadAlt is not a landing aid. It just tells/warns you how far above the surface you are."

 

I always wondered why they had guys hanging out the door of military aircraft. I always thought they were there as a "landing aid" telling the pilot how far above the ground he was. Not high on technology, but they got the job done and reliably.

What should we call them now...?

 

Anyway, another thing that has plagued me lately is the use of guages for everything. where will it stop? Eventually you will have so many guages to scan, your eyes will never leave the panel. what will you miss outside after that? Hopefully the collision avoidance guages with the cute cursor matching the oncoming aircraft will also show birds, snow, rain/ice and maybe the occasional thunderhead and attached tornado, and any other objects in the air not mentioned.

Flying a helicopter in it's intended environment requires more than just some fancy guages. Alot of what you need to do requires a good set of eyes and an equally adept brain that can calculate and comprehend everything going on around you. Failure to connect what your eyes see, to a resultant proper action, will end up in a mess really fast.

[hurler]

SAD

 

 

I don't think its nessesary to bring up the name of the company where this very unfortunate yet avoidable accident happened. The operator got hit pretty hard and from what I understand had an indication that there could possibly have been problems with the pilot.

 

Having spent quite some time on floats both in a L and the shorty version , the illusions over water are not for the meek, and the pilot must be well briefed on the illusions that this type of operation can have. I agree that shorline reference " when available" is the best. but if you are landing 10 miles offshore on James bay and the water just so happens to be glassy that can happen once in a while on a calm early morning the only way to safely land is by a steep approach and DFS- with a very controlled rate of decent ( >100) fpm. The down wash is the only way to make referene to the surface, and it will of course be behind the glide path. DFS= (Dead Fu$cking Slow). The general rule is if you cant see your downwash don't land and try a little later on when the wind picks up and ripples on the ater can be seen to define the surface.

 

The use of a radar altimeter will give eronious readings over water depending on the density of the water temp etc. Rad Alt as was mentioned earlier is not to be used a a precision approach aid.

 

There a scarcity of pilots with float time in Canada, and its really the resonsibility of the operator not to take the pilots word for it and actually be sure that crew is properly trained in float operations so that such disaterous accidents that cause the loss of life can be prevented. Come to think of it, there is a scarcity of pilots that can actually read a map !

 

 

 

SAD!

[Murdoch]

... the only way to safely land is by a steep approach and DFS- with a very controlled rate of decent ( >100) fpm. The down wash is the only way to make referene to the surface, and it will of course be behind the glide path. DFS= (Dead Fu$cking Slow).

 

Just checking Hurler, probably just a simple typo but I just wanted to be sure. when you said controlled rate of decent did you mean less than 100 feet per minute? This ( >100) would mean greater than 100 fpm. Just a typo? Again, not a jab at'cha, just checking.

 

Murdoch

[Reddog]

Illigitimus carborundum Sharkbait.

 

Don't worry, your day will come and you too will escape Kabob Land.

 

 

Perfect Track

 

My new machine no longer has guages only CRTs. It's like flying a magic carpet in heaven.

[transientorque2]

I always wondered why they had guys hanging out the door of military aircraft. I always thought they were there as a "landing aid" telling the pilot how far above the ground he was. Not high on technology, but they got the job done and reliably.

What should we call them now...?

 

 

Thats why if you want to take out a Canadian military helicopter all you just have to do is shoot that guy in the back. Then the pilot cannot land anymore until he runs out of fuel and crashes.

[PerfectTrack]

thank god the canadian helicopter industry is chock full of new machines and CRT screens. we'd be in the dinosaur days otherwise....oh wait, thats a sarcastic remark. sorry.

[hurler]

Less than, Murd. thanks for the clairification.

 

It was late. I really shouldn't be typing when tired, or flying for that matter sensory illusion?

 

Cheers

[Reddog]

oh wait, thats a sarcastic remark. sorry.

 

That's OK PT. When you're sitting where I am the sarcasm doesn't hurt at all.

[deuce bigalow]

RedDawg

Excellent! Great analogy! Ya should write a book. :up:

Yer command of the written word leaves me stunned and amazed ( as usual ! )

 

FYI: Deuce fashioned a raft out of unused condoms and escaped. He is going to hide out in YUL. I have arranged a tour guide for him to visit various downtown Bars where something called "Booze" is available for purchase. He will then press on west to the edge of the salt chuck. I am still imprisoned here on "No Fun Atoll"! My Dutch and French conversation is improving rapidly.

 

 

Radalt Schmadalt. Pass me another Martooni and easy on the Vermouth. Free at last free at last................thank Craig Almighty Im free at last.