DELIVERING GLOBAL COVERAGE OF THE HELICOPTER INDUSTRY

JAN/FEB 2008 I ISSUE 52

 CONTENTS I issue 52 I jan/feb 2008

ENVIRONMENTALLY
RESPONSIBLE
LOGGING –
cover feature: heli-logging – Eco-style
Mark Ogden reports from Sarawak on the extraordinary
24
the extraordinary work of the Erickson Air Crane and its crew in the Malaysian
Erickson Air Crane
hard at work
jungle, and ponders questions over their future.
in the heart of
the Malaysian

Photo: Ned Daw son

jungle. 24 big lift! BIG COUNTRY!
When Redfern Resources needed to commence construction
36
work at a challenging remote site they turned to the heavy
lifting Chinook of Columbia helicopters to get the job done.

a quarter C of high flyin’

As Malaysian Helicopter Services celebrates 25 years of
46
operation, it is embarking on an ambitious program of
expansion, at the same time facing all the challenges of
satisfying customer demand whilst maintaining safety and
profitability.

34
russia’s prodigal prototype
This year, Russia’s most important civil helicopter
54
project, the Mi-38, enters a very important development
44 phase. Alex Mladenov provides an insight into the
helicopter’s protracted development set against Russia’s
struggling economy.

LONG LINE BOOT CAMP

So you think you can hover a helicopter? Sure! But take
64
away the horizon and visual cues, hang out the door looking
directly behind you and suddenly the feeling is anything
but familiar. Sarah Bowen checks out long line training for
herself at Los Angeles Helicopters.

can your helicopter have too much power?

Nick Lappos examines the helicopter designer’s dilemma of
74
54 how a helicopter can sometimes have too much power.

r e g u l a r f e a t u r es co l u m ns

from the editor 3 EYE ON EAST EUROPE:

new products and services 7
personal profile: Rafael Perez,
Offshore Pilot – Eket, Nigeria 79
the last word: The Rotorcraft Market –
Bear or Bull? 80
All Balls in One Basket – Russian-style 13
flight dynamics: Retreating Blade Stall 15
law & order: Emergency Action Plans –
They’re not Just for Operators 17
flight training: Instructing Basics – Part 1 19
safety: The Single Pilot 21
CFI: Teaching – The Greatest Lesson 23
 Your
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Military systems include OH‑58A/C/D Kiowa, UH‑1H Huey, AH/MH‑6J/M Little Bird,
UH‑60 Black Hawk, AH‑64 Apache APU, and CH‑47 Chinook APU. Development systems
include Eurocopter EC‑130, Bell 417/429/430 and AgustaWestland AW139.
From the deserts of Iraq to the forests of California, AFS systems are protecting engines, enhancing
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Insist on an AFS filter. Install before flight.

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 from the editor

W elcome to Issue 52, our biggest and brightest yet. In this, our Heli-Expo 2008
issue, you will notice some major changes including a new design, heavier paper
and many more pages. We decided to unveil our new look at Heli-Expo since this is the
place where “all” new products and services for the helicopter industry are revealed each
year. I am sure our new look will appeal to most, and in addition, we have also enhanced
By Mark Ogden our worldwide coverage with new correspondents providing valuable insights from the
Middle East, Eastern Europe and Africa.
With all these new contributors coming onboard we thought it was also a great
opportunity to introduce you to a few of the HeliOps crew, and reflect on the knowledge
and expertise they bring to our magazine.

Alex Mladenov
In this issue we introduce Alex as our Eastern European
columnist, and we are pleased to announce that he has
been appointed deputy editor alongside Sarah Bowen.
Alex will be bringing us regular updates from Eastern
Europe including Russia.
Alex grew up near Sofia, Bulgaria and since 1991 has been
working as an aerospace journalist and photographer,
specializing in east European and Russian military and civil aviation topics. He
has been a regular contributor to HeliTac since early 2007 and his first article for
HeliOps appeared in our last issue.

Nick Lappos
Nick brings an almost incomparable wealth of experience
to our pages as editor of what is arguably one of the
best Flight Dynamics columns you’ll find in any industry
magazine. Nick is the VP Government Programs at
Gulfstream Aerospace, and trying to single out just a
couple of Nick’s achievements is challenging. As well
as being a US Army Vietnam veteran flying Cobras in
over 900 combat missions for which he was awarded the Bronze Star and the
Republic of Vietnam’s Cross of Gallantry, Nick’s engineering honors include
a mention on the Dean’s List, a listing in the Who’s Who in American Colleges
and Universities, Tau Beta Pi, and Sigma Gamma Tau. He is a Fellow of the
American Helicopter Society and received the Frederick Feinberg Award as Most
Outstanding Pilot and also the Society of Experimental Test Pilots Tenhoff Award
in 1988.
He holds 16 US patents and three FAI world-speed records and has authored
numerous technical papers for the American Helicopter Society, the Royal
Aeronautical Society and the SAE. Nick was a test pilot for Sikorsky for over
27 years, flying over 70 different helicopter types and was their Chief R&D Test
Pilot for over 12 years. He was the program manager for the S-92 during its
development, certification and introduction into production, and in 2002,
the National Aeronautic Association awarded the S-92 Industry Team the
Robert J Collier Trophy.
Nick’s columns and articles in HeliOps have led to the rewriting of some
instructional texts and given readers a better understanding of many facets of
helicopter flying and development.

Phil Croucher
Our UK-based Safety Editor, Phil Croucher, holds JAA,
UK, UAE and Canadian professional licenses for
aeroplanes and helicopters and has over 8,500 hours’
experience on 37 types. At various times, he has been a
chief pilot, ops manager, training captain and type rating
examiner for several companies, and he is also a JAA

3
 lC
4 47, Hal
h2
at Boot
vis i t u
2
s
0 08
Com
e
i - E x po
He l
The Name To Know In Helicopters

SEASPRITE

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with creativity, innovation and
leadership. It has been this way
since we were founded in 1945
and it still holds true.
Kaman continues to innovate and
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From innovating new concepts
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a rotorcraft industry in need.
Kaman is the name to know.

KAMAN AEROSPACE | CONNECTICUT USA | 1-860-243-7431 |

Terry.Fogarty@kaman.com
from the editor (Continued)
certified CRM ground instructor. His flight experience includes VIP/corporate, CEO
airline/scheduled, police, EMS/ambulance, high/low-level photography, long Neville (Ned) Dawson
lining, mountain flying, seeding, power line & gas pipeline survey, and offshore
work. PUBLISHER
Cathy Horton
Phil has also been successfully publishing his own computer books for over 20
years, and, after discovering the poor quality of ground study material available
EDITOR
to pilots in Canada when converting his UK licenses, he decided to transfer his Mark Ogden
skills and form his own training and consultancy company to produce aviation
books and publications for the worldwide market. deputy editorS
Sarah Bowen
Alexander Mladenov
Rob Van de Vuurst
Rob shares his vast legal knowledge in our Law & Order sub editors
column every issue. He is a shareholder in the Johnson Callum McPherson
City/Tri-Cities office of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Leigh Neil
Rob Neil
Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, and is a recognized expert in
aviation law, with an emphasis on corporate, regulatory
US EDITORs
and general transactional issues. Rob has been named Greg Davis
one of the outstanding 150 attorneys in the State of Aaron Fitzgerald
Tennessee for two years running and was the Vice Chairman for the 2007
Heli-Expo Human Resources Committee. Rob’s legal columns have provided an legal EDITOR
insight into the considerations and issues many of us need to be aware of in the Robert Van de Vuurst
helicopter industry.
technology editor
Nick Lappos
Well these are just a few of HeliOps’ big team that we’ll introduce you to over the next
few issues. But talking of “big”, this year’s Heli-Expo is bigger than ever – reflecting the safety editor
Phil Croucher
general health of the industry. Some manufacturers, like Eurocopter and Sikorsky have
firmly established themselves as leaders in the industry’s future and their products on show I TALIAN CORRESPONDENT
reflect their dynamic approaches. Then there are the companies that have taken the old Damiano Gualdoni
and made them new again – companies like Carson and Heli Lynx. Yet one company looks
quite different. I may well be wrong, but I am starting to wonder if Bell has lost its way. Under scandinavian CORRESPONDENT
Rickard Gilberg
Redenbaugh, Bell looked like a company that was going to resurrect itself and once again
become a power in the civilian industry with the 429 being the first of a long line of new
proofreader
products. Yes, he was a great showman but since his departure, we have heard little positive Barbara McIntosh
news about Bell’s future products. The 429 is developing and has great potential, but the
609 is years late, and then what else is happening? I sincerely hope that after it decided to PRINTING
end manufacture of the 206B, 427, 430 and 210, Bell will soon announce some firm plans for Print World
visionary civilian products based on its MAPL concept. There are some great people in a great
EDITORIAL ADDRESS
company but they have some catching up to do – again. Oceania Group Intl
As I travel the world, it is evident that the industry PO Box 37 978, Parnell
I have often commented
is facing severe shortages in experienced pilots and Auckland, New Zealand
engineers globally. I have often commented on the need for on the need for operators to PHONE: + 64 21 909 699

FAX: + 64 9 528 3172

operators to institute schemes to encourage inexperienced institute schemes to encourage
newcomers into the industry in a controlled and well- inexperienced newcomers into EMAIL
supervised manner. The trouble is that there is such a the industry in a controlled and info@heliopsmag.com
lead-time; what worries me is that rather than paying the
well-supervised manner.
right amount to hold and encourage people, the industry as WEBSITE
www.heliopsmag.com
a whole will lower its standards. I hope that doesn’t happen,
but with offshore, EMS and law enforcement sectors expanding all around the world, growth
and development needs to be carefully controlled to avoid the “accident” headlines.
With all the frenzied work around mainly associated with the oil market, it is interesting
to hear how some operators are taking a “step back”. In trying to meet their customers’
is published by Oceania
overnight demands for increased services, some operators have been “pushing” a little too
Group Intl. Contents are copyright and may
hard with limited resources and experience. Some have tripped and have been forced into a
not be reproduced without the written
little navel gazing. Yet what really needs to happen is for customers such as oil companies to
consent of the publisher. Most articles are
become partners and understand that operations can’t be ramped up overnight (especially
commisioned but quality contributions will
with the shortages in pilots, engineers and equipment) and that more progressive and
be considered. Whilst ever y care is taken
planned expansion is needed. Oceania Group Intl accept no responsibility
I hope you enjoy the new look HeliOps. As always we welcome your feedback and for submitted material. All views expressed
comment – either good or otherwise. Please let me know at editor@heliopsmag.com. in HeliOps are not necessarily those of

Safe flying and see you at Heli-Expo. n Oceania Group Intl.

5
Bigger. Better. More.

Pick up your copy at

Heli-Expo, booth 2263.

darthelicopterservices.com
 NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Bristow Announces 8 New DART Announces EASA Approval of R44 Floats

Aircraft Purchases
Bristow has exercised
options to acquire two S92
and three S-76C++s as well as
three EC225s. The combined
value of these purchases is
approximately US$143 million.
The S92 and EC225 will serve
oil and gas facilities in the
most remote offshore locations
and the S76C++ will provide
versatility in terms of distance,
passenger capacity and markets
in which they can operate.
Bristow expects to take delivery
of all eight aircraft by the end of
2009 and deploy them in various
domestic and international
markets.
Shell Contracts AW139
from Helicopters NZ
Helicopters NZ’s new AW139
has been contracted to Shell
for five years with an option to
extend for another five years.
The aircraft is being operated
by Australian Worldwide
Exploration and Shell Todd Oil
Services.
DART’s Apical Pop-Out/Emergency Float Systems for R44 and R44 II have been
approved by EASA. The floats are already TC and FAA approved.
The Apical Float System provides a lightweight and easy-to-install solution for
R44 operators who routinely or even occasionally fly over water, and want the added
security of having floats installed. The system is also suitable for Clipper helicopters.
The kits are composed
of two forward floats
and two aft, engineered
for mounting on float or
standard skid tubes, and a
single composite wrapped
inflation reservoir. The
floats do not have an age
limit and are replaced on
condition.
FAA Certification for P132 Avionics Switch Console
Geneva Aviation has received FAA certification of an advanced version of its popular
P132 Avionics Switch Console. The console significantly expands the space in AS350
for installation of electronic components widely used by airborne law enforcement and
electronic newsgathering helicopters. The new console provides wiring compatibility
with recent electrical system changes and also enables improved compatibility with
previous modifications of the AS350B3.
The console provides space for a 10-inch stack of avionic components conveniently
in reach of the pilot and crew. It can be delivered in a standard configuration or
customized for specific mission requirements
NVG compatibility is available as an option and the unit has an independent dimmer
for maximum crew comfort during night operations.

China Reinforces Fleet with Two EC225s

Eurocopter has delivered the first two EC225s to China for

the Ministry of Communications in Zhuhai. The helicopters
will be operated by the China Rescue and Salvage Bureau
for SAR missions.
The new additions will strengthen the MOC’s existing
fleet of 10 helicopters and one fixed wing, and will no doubt
further contribute to its track record of 518 successful
missions and 548 lives saved during the operations.

8-07 ahl
 NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Finmari Takes Delivery of AgustaWestland Grand

Delivery of a Grand to Finmari took place in January at a ceremony attended by the participants of the first AgustaWestland
Italian Corporate Pilot Conference.
The two day conference held at AgustaWestland’s Cascina Costa facility provided an excellent forum for both the company
and pilots to deepen mutual relationships and exchange views on a number of subjects including operations, safety,
performance, training, technology and innovation.

us
New Start Pac Power e visit 37
Ple as
B o oth 43
Supply Announced po
li-Ex
The latest addition to the at He
Start Pac family, the Start
Pac Model 53300 Power
Supply has been announced.
The 53300 is a 28.5
Volt continuous DC power A BELL 212.
supply when plugged into
a 220 Volt single-phase
AC power source and will
deliver a full 300 amps
DC output to power up
avionics, GPS systems, on
board air-conditioning and
various DC motor-driven
devices. However it is not
recommended for engine
starting.

New Fleet for It’s a Bell 212 with FastFin

Lufttransport, Norway
The FastFin™ technology from BLR Aerospace
Tromsoe-based independent is an exciting breakthrough that will transform
airline Lufttransport AS
the performance of your Bell 212 helicopter.
has signed contracts
for the purchase of four To learn more, we invite you to visit us at
new AugustaWestland Heli-Expo (Exhibit 4337), where we’ll be taking
helicopters. pre-certification orders.
The expansion is due
to new contracts with
the Norwegian State Air
Ambulance and the Coastal
Piloting Service, and the
helicopters will be put into
service in mid 2008.

800.257.4847 US + Canada 425.353.6591 International

www.BLRaerospace.com davemarone@BLRaerospace.com
8
 NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

New 902 for UK Air Ambulance Tulsa Announces

Helicopter Deliveries
The Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air
Ambulances have taken delivery Tulsa Turbine Engines and
of their new MD902, fitted with the Aircraft have recently delivered
latest medical and electronic mapping a number of aircraft including an
equipment. The helicopter is based AS350B2 to Prism Helicopters
at Dunsfold on the Surrey/Sussex in Canada, an AS365N to
borders. Norderflug, EHF in Iceland,
Together with its sister helicopter and 407, 206-L1 and 206-L4 to
based at Marden in Kent it will provide EMS to the people of Kent, Surrey and Sussex. operators in the US.
The new aircraft replaces their Bolkow, and according to the Operations Manager, Manager Craig Frank says
the higher payload, more cabin space and of course its speed will make it a more they have a long list of clients
efficient aircraft for Air Ambulance work. ready to buy, but are just having
a hard time finding good new and
used machines.
GPS Capability Added to the Bambi Bucket

SEI announces the release of the GPS Drop Controller, a bucket add-on device
allowing pilots a new level of control and accuracy in firefighting for the Bambi,
Aqualanche and Torrentula buckets.
The GPS Drop Controller marks a milestone in aerial firefighting by
pairing GPS technology with advanced water drop management allowing
for dramatically improved detail for post-mission analysis, as well as
unprecedented precision in aerial bucketing operations.
The device offers location data for each water drop and pickup, creates
downloadable mission reports including drop times, locations, and quantities,
maximizes fuel cycles by electronically managing water loads, and offers
coverage control and preset drop patterns.
 NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
TC Approval for
Gimbal Mount
DART has obtained TC
approval of the GPS Gimbal
Mount for the 204, 205, 212,
214 and 412.
Weighing in at 1.4 lbs, the
mount installs easily and
can be used with the Garmin
100/150 XL units.
The Gimbal Mount receiver
rotates so that the receiver
can be custom-positioned,
and is available bottom or top
mounted.
10
Manchester Police Take Delivery of
New MD Explorer
A new MD902 has been delivered to the Greater
Manchester Police. Their first MD902, “India 99”
was purchased in 2001, and since its delivery,
the aircraft has flown over 7,000 hours in
continuous service.
Watching over Greater Manchester and
supporting officers on the ground, India 99 has
used high-tech equipment including thermal
image cameras, a microwave downlink that
can broadcast live pictures to ground patrols,
a high-powered searchlight and loud speaker
system and a tracking facility for locating stolen
vehicles.
US Helicopter adds Eos Airlines as
Partner
US Helicopter has signed a partnership
agreement with Eos Airlines to provide
helicopter service between Manhattan and JFK
for Eos guests travelling to or from London.
Up to 135 eight-minute flights will take
place per week, after which guests will be
greeted by an Eos Guide and escorted to the
lounge or directly to their onward flight.
LA Helicopters Awarded
Robinson Dealership
L os Angeles Helicopters has
been awarded the newest
dealership for Robinson in the
LA area. The company has been
an appointed Robinson service
and overhaul center since 2000,
but the new dealership will
make them the closest dealer
to the factory; just a ten-minute
flight, ensuring convenience
and easy accessibility.
Located at Long Beach
Airport, and composed of highly
experienced career pilots,
LA Helicopters is dedicated to
providing professional flight
training, tour services, and
specialized flight operations, as
well as maintenance, sales and
service.
 NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Next Generation Track and Balance System

Ultra Electronics have developed Helitrack, a “fit & forget”, on-condition monitoring system capable of identifying the onset
of rotor problems.
Helitrack detects rotor blades using a passive optical sensor. The sensor couples to the Data Recorder via a fiber optic
cable and is electronically and magnetically inert, allowing a wide choice of mounting options with no interference to flight
navigation or comms systems.
Combined with data from a One-Per-Rev sensor on the main rotor, Helitrack measures blade tip track, lead/lag, pitch and
RRPM. A 3-axis vibration sensor mounted on the gearbox housing allows rotor balance monitoring and correction.

Air Methods Delivers

EC145 to Mayo
Mayo Medical Transport
received their new 145 in
a roll-out ceremony held
at Air Methods Corporate
Headquarters. The aircraft
is the first of two 145s on
order from Mayo and is the
first aircraft of its type to be
completed for a customer
outside of Air Methods.
The helicopter is outfitted
with Air Methods’ state-of-
the-art air medical interior,
capable of transporting
one or two critical care
patients and up to three
medical attendants. The
medical interior features a
Ferno 93 litter system, the
first commercial litter Air
Methods has certified for the
EC145.

11
 forecast: clear

Things change. Like the weather.

Unexpected changes can reduce situational awareness and threaten
safe operations of emergency medical helicopters. Honeywell is coming
to the rescue with integrated solutions that provide three-dimensional,
360-degree awareness of traffic, terrain, weather, and obstacles.
Working with Integrated Primary Flight Display technology, Honeywell’s
Synthetic Vision System (SVS) synthesizes and delivers information in an
easy and intuitive way, literally helping pilots anticipate and see what’s
ahead. Fused with Honeywell’s Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System database and advanced
HUD symbology, SVS is a highly effective, leading-edge solution designed to anticipate change —
and increase safety.

For more information, visit www.honeywell.com/helicopters

For a fleet evaluation, call Doug Kult at 602-231-1238

A prompt re-nationalization of Russia’s
helicopter industry was launched in
May 2005 and now, some two years later,
tight government control has been achieved.
This means that all important helicopter
design houses and manufacturing plants
were consolidated into a holding company
named Vertolety Rossii (Russian Helicopters),
which is in turn 100% owned by another
state-owned holding company dubbed
United Industrial Enterprise Oboronprom (OPK
By Alexander Mladenov Oboronprom). Rostvertol, the manufacturer
of the Mi-24/35, Mi-28N and Mi-26 series
of helicopters is the only major helicopter
manufacturer into which Vertoletiy Rossiy still
lacks a controlling stake, but it will be achieved
All balls in within the next two years.
Vertolety Rosii controls both Mil MHP
one basket – and Kamov design houses as well as four
Russian-style final assembly plants and other component
manufacturers. It has its principal activities
directed into consolidating the scattered
In this issue, we welcome
legacy of the Soviet era, optimizing
Alexander Mladenov who distribution of R&D funds and revitalizing
will be covering Eastern the supply chain as well as enhancing the
effectiveness and efficiency of Russia’s ailing
Europe for us. Alex has a helicopter industry as a whole. Its ultimate
mechanical engineering goal is to create a world-class helicopter
development and manufacturing company,
MS degree from Sofia comparable, for instance, with Italy’s
Technical University and AgustaWestland and France’s, Germany’s and
Spain’s Eurocopter.
is also a Reserve Officer The company though is currently
(Air Defence Branch) in struggling to introduce a common marketing
policy in an effort to boost export prospects
the Bulgarian Army. He
which are vital for the revitalization of Russia’s
is also a co-founder and helicopter industry. Both Mil MHP and Kamov
will continue with their current development
Managing Partner of an
and testing efforts as independent design
aerospace and defence houses operating under Vertolety Rossii
consulting company umbrella. Kamov, for example, has been
encouraged to continue developing its
based in Bulgaria traditional “niche” products, namely the
ship-based coaxial helicopters as well as their
derivatives for logging work and firefighting
purposes and unmanned vehicles.
Russia’s ambition in the next 10 years to
grab 10% of the world’s helicopter market
(currently its share by value is less than 5%)
could be regarded as an achievable one should
its industry be able to restructure itself, launch
the full-scale production of its promising new
designs such as the Mi-38, Ansat, Mi-28N,
Ka-50/52 and Ka-226, and last but not least,
establish successful cooperation with Western
partners for both upgrades of existing designs
as well as development of new helicopters.
In 2006, helicopter export sales accounted
for some 95% of the revenue, and the
remaining 5% was derived from domestic
military and civil customers. In 2007 it changed
to around 80% vs 20%. By 2015, it is expected
the ratio to be 60% export sales vs 40% for the
domestic market.
Russia’s principal markets are located in
South-Eastern Asia, Africa and South America.
EYE ON EAST EUROPE
In the same time, there were occasional sales
of the Ka-32 to European customers, in Spain
and Portugal for use in the firefighting role, as
well as Mi-171s in hardware-for-debt deals in
the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Croatia.
There will be no significant market
potential for selling helicopters for cash in
Europe and North America in the foreseeable
future due to the extremely strong
competition there; in addition the Russian
helicopters as a rule lack the required EASA,
FAA and TC certificates of airworthiness. It is
now considered in Russia that it would not
be economically justifiable to spend huge
amounts of money for such an activity for the
existing models, except for the Kamov Ka-32
which is about to be granted its EASA type
certificate after years of efforts and design
improvements that eventually resulted in the
Ka-32A-11BC version. As many as nine Ka-32s
were delivered in 2006 and another eleven are
reported to have followed suit in 2007.
The new Mi-38, a twin-engine helicopter
in the 15-16 tonne class powered by Pratt &
Whitney Canada engines has some chances to
sell in these areas, using the “spot marketing”
strategy as currently mastered for the Ka-32
sales in Europe and Canada. The compelling
reason for the inevitable cooperation with
Western partners is that there are simply no
local capabilities in today’s Russia for the
production of engines and avionics for some
new types of helicopters, not only for the
Mi-38, but also for the 3.3-tonne Ansat. This
twin is offered by Kazan Helicopters, which has
already reported some export successes and
expects a bright future.
It is noteworthy that cooperation with
Western and Israeli companies in order to
enhance the export potential of the Russian-
made existing helicopter models, both civilian
and military, offered to some potentially
lucrative but otherwise demanding markets
failed, despite decade-long efforts. This
conclusion is being supported by the fact that
examples of commercially successful upgrade
and retrofit programs conducted jointly with
Western/Israeli partners are still rare, and all
of these have so far resulted in small-volume
deliveries. As a consequence, the Russian
manufacturers and design houses still continue
to focus on long-standing export customers
such as China, India, Iran and recently
Venezuela, as well as a plethora of African
states. These countries tend to purchase
improved civil and military versions of the
Russian-made “legacy” models such as the
Mi-17/Mi-171/Mi-172s (in 2007 alone, as many
as 80 examples assembled at two production
plants, were delivered), outfitted mostly with
affordable Russian avionics and equipment
rather than with expensive Western hardware.
This category of Russian “classic” rotorcraft
has been sold in large numbers, thanks to
their proven performance and reasonably low
acquisition/operational costs. n
13
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T he rotor has natural limits as it
approaches its highest thrust. This
usually occurs in high speed flight because
there the thrust produced by the rotor must
supply both lift and the forward thrust
that overcomes the high speed drag of
the aircraft. The nose down attitude of the
helicopter and the forward tilt of the disk
are indications that some of the lift from
the rotor is pulling the aircraft forward, and
so the total rotor thrust produced is much
By Nick Lappos
greater than the lift alone. The behavior of
the cyclic as the pilot moves it to level the
aircraft commands the highest blade angle
of attack as the blades sweep downwind
Retreating (retreat). This is because they are losing flight
speed at the retreating side, so that they
Blade Stall must be increased in angle to maintain lift.
The high speed performance of the rotor
Nick continues his trip is quite predictable, and the data to prevent
stall is always provided in the flight manual,
around the helicopter,
although it might be labeled differently.
and in this and the Many military aircraft have a specific blade
next part, comes to stall chart, but all helicopters have a Velocity
Not to Exceed (Vne) chart, usually influenced
places where special
by altitude, temperature and gross weight,
understanding, flight and sometimes by rotor RPM. If the pilot
planning and control obeys the Vne chart, and does not maneuver
too rashly, stall can always be avoided.
techniques are needed
to guard against snappy cues
The strongest cue to the onset of
control surprises.
retreating blade stall is the motion and
behavior of the cyclic. The pilot must move
the cyclic progressively away from the
retreating side of the disk as stall moves
outward from the root end of the blade
(as the reverse velocity region of the blade
moves out the blade span). The cyclic that he
uses tells the story as the retreating angle of
attack is being increased to keep the aircraft
laterally
balanced
as the rotor
disk is pushed
toward its limiting
retreating thrust.
Usually, the stall
cues are strong. The aircraft
is cruising at high speed, high
altitude and at or just below Vne.
With each small banking maneuver
or upward gust of air the pilot feels a
little increase in load factor, which stresses
the rotor closer to stall limits. The cyclic feels
mushy and each small gust makes the pilot
need to move the stick forward and to the
right (in a US helo) to keep the aircraft level.
Sometimes an increase in vibration can be
noted, but not always. The vibe increase is
more probable in an older helo with classic
airfoils, symmetrical ones like the NACA
0012. Modern droop-nosed
flight dynamics
asymmetrical airfoils, usually proprietary
ones designed with modern computer
tools, can be especially smooth even into
stall. The H-60 high lift drooped nose airfoil
was placed on the blades during aircraft
development to meet the US Army high
density altitude maneuver that wisely set a
new standard for rotor stall margin back in
the 1970’s.
Only the inattentive pilot pushes the
aircraft deep enough into stall to cause a
control upset, and mostly with steep turns or
nose up pulls while under high stall loading
situations. As stall takes over, the nose
pitches up and the aircraft rolls markedly
to the retreating side (left for US helos). The
cyclic feels particularly ineffective, as if it
were not fully connected. The “natural feel”
that the pilot has always had where the
cyclic response has crisp command is nearly
gone, as the aircraft obeys sluggishly, if at
all. The cure is simple and immediate; lower
the collective pitch. The collective instantly
commands reduction in the angle of attack,
so that each centimeter of reduction is a
measurable reduction in the stall effect.
Another effective tool is increasing the
rotor RPM, which increases the speed of the
blades on the retreating side. This reduces
the need for angle of attack, so the cyclic can
be moved to the left as RPM increases. One
way for the astute pilot to judge the stall
propensity is to gently reduce or increase
the rotor RPM in steady flight while holding
the collective constant, and mark the effect
on the lateral cyclic position. The more
pronounced the lateral cyclic movement as
the rpm is changed (cyclic to the advancing
side with RPM decrease, to the retreating
side with RPM increase) the closer the helo
is to stall and the more caution that must
be used in maneuvering. The best long
term cure to control retreating blade stall
is to slow down. Each 10 kts of speed has a
marked effect on the stall margin.
Reducing the collective is the sure
cure, but if you are in a mountain
meadow mustering cattle and 20
ft above the grass, lowering the
collective could be a career-
limiting maneuver, for sure.
Good knowledge of your
helo, gentle maneuvering
and careful attention to
the weights, altitudes,
and speeds are all
keys to success. n

A s you’ll remember from previous
columns, I occasionally digress into topics
that are not completely aviation-centric, and
this month is one of them, although it does
flow somewhat nicely from an earlier column.
More specifically, I wrote a column not too
long ago about Risk Management. Therein I
noted that for most of us it is good practice,
whether because our insurance companies
demand it, or just because we’re thinking
ahead, to have a written Emergency Action
By Robert Van de Vuurst
Plan on the shelf in case an accident happens.
The reasons, of course, are simple and well
known – if tragedy strikes it’ll be completely
unforeseen, and your organization and its
EMERGENCY people are going to be emotionally strung out.
A good EAP and its step-by-step directions
ACTION PLANS – will help keep your wits about you when a
lot of other folks will be losing theirs. Makes
They’re not complete sense, right? – and I’ll bet that most
just for operators of you have them on your company’s shelf
right now.
The helicopter industry But how many of us have our own
personal EAPs on our personal shelves at
has its fair share of home?
accidents and we all I’m not talking about a will. Wills are great,
and most of us need one. But a will typically
expect the operators to
won’t help your loved ones much if they don’t
have a plan in the case know where all the “stuff” is that’s covered by
of an emergency. But the will in the first place, right? A will usually
won’t tell anyone what you owe, to whom, how
what happens when the bills get paid, and, to sum it all up, where
emergencies happen to your “stuff” is. What if you’re married and, God
forbid, both of you go in some cataclysm? Are
families and individuals?
your kids going to know where everything
is? We all know the answer to that one. A few
years ago the husband of a good client passed
away suddenly, and I’ll never forget what she
told me:
I knew that we owed money
on the house, and I knew who held
the mortgage. OK, that’s fine. Now,
where’s the money???!!!! I had
no clue, because over 40 years of
marriage we had accounts all over the
place. And it wasn’t because anything
was intentionally hidden from me –
rather, it was hidden in plain sight, it
took forever to locate everything, and
that was at a time when that was the
last thing that I felt like doing.
Now, imagine the same thing happening
to you. Lets face it, a lot of us work in some
arguably dangerous jobs. The unexpected can
and does happen. Imagine how much trouble
it’ll save everyone if they can pull your own
law & order
EAP off the shelf and know, just from reading
a few pages, the “what, when, who, why, and
how.” Your own personal EAP should have the
following information in it at a minimum:
l A list of all savings and checking accounts,
as well as safety deposit boxes (and don’t
forget to note where the keys are)
l Where your estate planning documents
are – Wills, Health Care Powers of Attorney,
etc.
l A list of your debts, including all credit
cards and whether there’s typically a
balance, as well as mortgages and any
other debt. If any of the payments are
made by direct draft, including your utility
bills, note the dates that they’re typically
drafted and the accounts that they’re
drafted out of.
l A list of all real estate that you own and
where the deeds are.
l A list and description of your vehicles, as
well as a summary of any liens on them
with the balances, payment dates, and
amounts.
l A list of your life insurance policies, the
death benefit amounts/beneficiaries,
carriers, and when the last premiums were
paid.
l A list of any other significant assets, like
stocks, jewelry, investment/college funds,
and where they’re located.
l Any information on prepaid funeral
expenses, burial plots, or cemeteries that
you’ve already picked out.
l Anything else that might be important,
and if you think it’s important, it probably
will be. For instance, one client of mine
puts all of his divorce information in it,
as well as the location of all his cancelled
alimony and child support checks, just in
case his ex ever decides to make trouble.
If in doubt, err on the side of including
information rather than leaving it out.
Look at this list – imagine how much
time it’ll take somebody to find all of this
information by scrounging through your
desk drawers and trying to put it all together,
especially when they don’t have a clue where
to begin and are upside-down emotionally
over your passing to start with? Once you have
all this together, do what you do with your
company’s EAP plan – don’t let it sit on the
shelf and gather dust for years. Get it down, at
least once a year, review it, and update it with
all the current information. Make sure that your
spouse knows where it is, and give copies to
family members or friends that you trust. One
of these days some people may be very, very
grateful that you did. n
17
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 flight training

S ome schools seem to focus on getting
students through as fast as possible
at minimal cost. The student arrives, the
instructor greets and then directs the student
to the aircraft, and with minimal briefing or
preparation off they go on the lesson. The
problem is that the student is often not fully
up-to-speed and is behind the aircraft before
the engine starts! Below are some ideas I have
about training basic helicopter pilot students.
Ever heard of training through
By Mark Ogden
visualization? Essentially, someone visualizes
within their mind the actions required to
complete a task. By repeating it over and over,
it almost becomes a motor skill. I think aviation
success of teaching and it is a match of the
personalities of the instructor and the student
that is important. As much as psychologists
have attempted to provide guides to
describing and matching personalities, their
success in application is quite variable. If
an instructor finds that there is a conflict
developing or the student is “shutting down”,
then the instructor should either change his
or her approach or consider asking for another
instructor to takeover. There is no point
wasting time, effort and money in maintaining
an instructor/student combination where a
personality conflict is preventing the learning
process from happening.

Instructing has been using this technique for a long

time without understanding the dynamics or
Basics – Part 1 even the psychology; it just seemed to work.
When I was training in the military, and in the
Getting the most out of days before simulators (yeah that long ago),
we were given photographs of the cockpit
instruction takes some
to use for rote learning our checks. It was a
basic skills for both form of training through visualization as you
the instructor and the imagined moving your hands around the
cockpit working the switches and imagining
student. Here are some the dials. Of course, on the first engine start,
ideas I picked up over it all seemed to fly out the window but it did
come back!
my time as an instructor.
The point I’m making here is that there
is nothing more important to the success
of a flight than preparation. For students, to
achieve results they need to study and prepare.
They need to review and review again. They
need to understand and if they don’t, speak up
and ask (preferably someone who knows what
they’re talking about). But it also is important
that the students are given comprehensive
face-to-face instruction. Yes, there is a role for
computer-based lessons, but after 26 years of
instructing I don’t believe anything replaces
face-to-face teaching for the imparting of
knowledge – computer-based is good for
backing up that instruction. Before flight Also, be careful of the student who
though, the instructor should be providing attempts to “play” one instructor against
a thorough brief to review the student’s another – “Well, Instructor A said to do it
knowledge and to provide an outline of the this way.” Schools should ensure that there
flight ahead. If the instructor doesn’t do this, are regular training meetings where the
then I really don’t think the student is getting a progression of students is reviewed and
fair go and not getting his/her money’s worth. where any potential conflicts can be resolved.
These comments are really aimed at basic These meetings also help to resolve any
training. Sure as you get more experience, standardization problems that may arise
then the training regime can be relaxed a bit among instructors. Being rigid though is not
as higher time pilots should know what they the answer when it comes to standardization.
need to know and where to find it. At the same The helicopter by its very nature is a machine
time though, I’m not a fan of spoon-feeding that allows pilots to develop techniques that
basic students. Guide them to where the may be at variance with the accepted norm.
information is but let them do the finding and These variances should be openly discussed
extracting of the information. Some students and either accepted by the school as “a way”
also respond well to mnemonics to help them of doing something or the variance stopped
remember procedures or checklist actions but because of safety or other considerations.
their usefulness is very dependent on It doesn’t hurt the student to see different
the individual. techniques to achieve a similar objective
Personality plays a large part in the provided those techniques are safe. n

19

By Phil Croucher
The single
pilot
At long last, many
authorities are getting
around to looking at the
CRM/PDM requirements
for pilots operating on
their own. The irony has
been that such people,
who need the most
support and attention,
have traditionally
been more or less
forgotten, particularly
in the helicopter world
where there are fewer
opportunities for pilots to
meet and talk about their
flights to each other.
T his feedback is one of the most
significant items missing in single pilot
operations, and there is no real replacement,
aside from reviewing your own flights and
discussing them when you can. Single pilot
operations actually demand much higher
standards, because they typically take place in
unstabilized machines with the least accurate
instruments in the worst weather, and often
with low time pilots. This means that the
workload is high and there are significant
chances of missing something.
The suggestions below have been culled
from a variety of sources, including the
Authorities of New Zealand, Canada and
UK, plus pilots who have been in the game a
long time!
To achieve the higher standards of
competency and discipline that single pilot
operations demand, you must:
l Maintain a positive attitude. This is very
hard after a long tiring day, but a negative
point of view can set you up for problems,
because behavior breeds behavior. In
addition, it tends to tone up your nervous
system, which helps you cope with stress
better;
l Maintain your medical fitness, if only
because you are the only one in the
cockpit! This means paying attention to
your diet, taking exercise, etc. – all the
usual stuff associated with this topic;
l Be less willing to accept unserviceabilities;
l Spend more time on planning and
preparation, so you at least have a
yardstick by which your flight can be
compared when you do an after-flight
review. This also helps you be prepared for
eventualities before they happen;
l Maintain situational awareness. This is a
core component of any flight. There are
very few times when you can really sit
back and enjoy the view. If you are not
mentally on the go from the start of the
flight to the end, there’s something wrong;
l Maintain a stricter observance of legal
requirements, which ultimately means
resisting commercial pressure, so you
might want to work on creating a better
self-image that will help you do this;
l Be more willing to ask for help, especially
with clearances or directions to a reporting
point. For example, in busy controlled
airspace, as it’s getting dark, you are
asked to go to a reporting point that you
are aware of, but not exactly sure of its
safety
location. Instead of complicating the issue
and trying to look at a map in failing light,
why not ask ATC for directions?
l Make more use of checklists and SOPs, if
time and the situation allow it. If you have
to design them as well, make them easier
to read (in fact, this comment should apply
to all company documentation);
l Workload Management, especially at
critical moments. Make sure you have the
right equipment in the first place, you
know its capabilities, and that you use it
properly;
l Manage your time - use relatively slack
periods in the cruise to prepare for
busy ones during the arrival. Prioritize!
l Manage the cockpit - get the maps
in the right order! Make sure they
are folded properly! Ensure you have
a map holder, writing instrument,
stopwatch, etc. Don’t throw the
departure plates away too soon, in
case you have to return to the field
after takeoff.
l Use the autopilot in busy airspace, as
part of a monitoring role rather than a
controlling one (however, do not use it
until established in flight and certainly
not below 400 ft). The autopilot is a
useful “crewmember” when things are
happening thick and fast.
Make more effective use of the GPS.
l
Instead of just putting in waypoints,
and therefore pushing more buttons
in flight as you pass over them,
combine them all into a route so that
the screen changes automatically.
l Tune and use normal navaids as well
as the GPS, and
l Before you operate a switch or press a
button, make sure it is the right one.
l Cross check any instrument readings
for logic! Don’t be afraid to query
them if ATC give you headings
that don’t seem right. Those guys
are working hard as well, and can
still make mistakes. Be especially
suspicious if the FMS (if you have one)
or the GPS give you weird headings –
someone in the office may have put
the details in wrong.
and lastly but not the least,
l Be critical of your performance so you can
improve the next flight. n
21
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right attitude/right approach/right alongside

 CFI column

I n my first few weeks as a flight instructor,

I have learned a great deal. I’ve flown with
very wrong with the tail rotor. Or so I thought.
No matter how hard I pushed on the left
a 100+ hour pilot still struggling to hover, a pedal, I only experienced a very slight left
student who flies great but has yet to crack turn, and it was almost to the point that I was
a book (and actually tried to find gyroscopic not able to turn left at all, despite what I felt
precession on a preflight), and a retired was full deflection. I shut down, mentioned
gentleman who was able to hover in the first to the student that I would have another
five minutes of trying it. instructor check it out, and we jumped out.
My logbook has been growing Unfortunately the student was in a bit of a
substantially. Each flight is a little story. I rush and had to leave while I was running up
By Chris Esposito take notes on who I’ve flown with, all the the helicopter with another instructor. The
maneuvers we have accomplished, and “veteran” instructor picked up the helicopter
anything else of interest. It is certainly a lot into a hover, did a left pedal turn, and smiled.
easier for me to check my logbook for the And that’s when it hit me.
student’s name so that I know the maneuvers There was nothing wrong with the tail
teaching – we flew last time. If I fly along the beach at 300 rotor, or the tail rotor control rod, or the cables
ft, I make note of it, as I am sure many years and linkages of the tail rotor system. My
THE GREATEST from now I will look through the lime-colored student had heavy ft on the pedals, and while
lesson logbook pages and smile as I sit in my rocking he had agreed that I had control on pick-up,
chair. That being said, I can see myself tiring he didn’t know he was effectively blocking the
I thought my private of long logbook entries, partly because by the pedal movement. I felt that I
fourth flight of the day I can barely remember had full pedal movement but not enough tail
pilot certificate was my
who I flew with, and partly because it takes rotor authority. I was wrong, and my student
license to learn and I time to be so detailed. ended up missing his flight for the day. It
I can’t help but find humor in flying. seems that was one of those mistakes you only
believed I was a pretty
I have found myself wondering if I was make once.
competent pilot by the night-current as the sun settled below the So far I have experienced one photo flight.
time I had my CFI rating. horizon on a cross-country flight that went To accomplish the flight, I had to pretend I had
a little long. Next time I fly to that particular never heard of a height-velocity diagram. Let’s
In reality, I gained more airport I will be sure to ask approach control just say I now know the meaning of “pucker
knowledge in my first to avoid vectoring me out 16 miles for an factor.” The busy airspace did not bother me,
instrument approach in a nor did the substantial
30 hours of instructing helicopter that barely winds of the day. It was
than I did in most of my does 70 kts. I have If I fly along the beach at the 500 ft slow flight
attempted starting the that had me pretending
training. 300 ft, I make note of it, as
Schweizer 300 several I was a much better
times without the mags I am sure many years from pilot than reality might
on. Obviously, I was not now I will look through suggest. I assume I will
too effective at getting get used to such flying
the engine going. I was so the lime-colored logbook shortly, though at this
nervous on my first day pages and smile as I sit in point in my career I
that my student had to have no idea how the
my rocking chair.
point out I had forgotten to long-line guys sit way
spin up the rotors as I was That being said, I can out of the HV diagram
getting ready to increase with a load waiting to
see myself tiring of long
the throttle for our mag crush unsuspecting
check (thankfully I had not logbook entries, partly people below.
spun up above the rotors- I may have only
because by the fourth flight
disengaged red line). I have been a flight instructor
been exposed many times of the day I can barely for a short period of
to the Chief Mechanic’s remember who I flew with, time, but I feel that it is
Pilot Discipline Tool, for a relatively good sign
such things as forgetting and partly because it takes that I have not wrecked
the oil cooler cover on a time to be so detailed. a machine yet. Knowing
cold morning or leaving what I do after only 50
the fuel valve pushed in. hours of dual given, I
This Tool is a gun that shoots plastic BBs. am anxious to meet the new surprises waiting
And they sting. for me as I fly with more and more students.
During my first week as a fully-fledged It’s a great feeling when I wake up and can’t
flight instructor, I picked up into a hover with wait to go to work. It’s a feeling insurance just
a new student to find that something was couldn’t touch! n

23
c ove r fe at u r e

As the world looks to be more eco-friendly,

the Erickson Air Crane has been helping the
Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah to
minimize the impact of logging on their lush
mountain jungles. Mark Ogden reports from
Sarawak on the extraordinary work of both
crew and craft in their jungle hideaway, and
ponders questions over their future.

story by MARK OGDEN I Photos by NED DAWSON

25
1I

2I 3I

26
1 I The Air Crane has proved itself
adept at working in the jungles of
Sarawak.
2 I Using a 325ft long line, the pilots
move upwards of 20 to 30 logs an hour
for up to 10 hours a day.
3 I Flying and never shutting down
by day unless absolutely necessary
means maintenance is done whenever
possible in the open and the cool
of the night.
T
oiling away for up to ten hours a day and using a
pilot-operated grapple attached to the end of a
325ft steel long line, the Erickson Air Crane collects
and arranges the cut logs from the forest, making no more
environmental impact than the ever-varying noise of its
two big Pratts. The roads in the forests already existed to
transport the cutters and to take the collected logs away
for export to overseas markets such as India and Japan.
The three colors of Meranti hardwood gathered here are
primarily used for housing, construction, furniture and
plywood, with current markets paying between about
US$180 and $260 a cubic meter for the jungle hardwood
logs. At around 60cm in diameter and 8m in length,
these logs can weigh over 20,000lbs each and along
with palm oil from the burgeoning palm oil plantations,
represent the more significant exports and employment
opportunities in this part of the world.
A Better Way
Traditional logging techniques invariably leave
open scars on the ground, resulting in erosion and
long term damage to the environment. Heli-logging,
however, allows the loggers in Sarawak and Sabah to
selectively cut their trees from the steep slopes of inland
mountainous areas and have them transported without
the damage so often seen as the result of ground-based
collecting. There are only a few main species the timber
companies seek, including three heavy hardwoods, and
by using the helicopter to selectively gather the logs,
other tree species are left alone. These forested mountain
slopes can exceed 25 degrees making them unsuitable
for tractors. Additionally, the logging companies can
be more discriminating, ensuring they only cut the
approved and needed species, leaving younger trees
for regeneration, minimizing the ground turn over and
leaving the undergrowth to hold the soil together.
Usually, only four or five trees per hectare are selected
and removed. Indeed, the forestry departments of these
states are now requiring certain areas to be logged only
by helicopter because of their minimal environmental
impact.
Starting something
About 15 years ago, New Zealander Alan Shannon
started the heli-logging business in Borneo. Erickson,
seeing the potential of developing the capability with its
Air Crane, bought out Alan and established its fully-owned
subsidiary, Erickson Air Crane Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. Erickson
brought the technology and techniques used in its North
American logging and fire fighting businesses, although
the skills needed for this long lining job are different -– if
anything, the skills needed are more demanding and
more precise. After all, these guys fly the long line up to
150 hours every 18 days, doing 200 to 300 lifts each day!
They log over 1,000 hours each and every year, flying
logs and supporting other Erickson operations around
the world when needed. The three co-pilots are ex-Royal
Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), with
the local Department of Civil
Aviation encouraging Erickson
There are no open
to employ local pilots and scars on the ground
provide them with their ratings.
New Zealanders Lyall when heli-logging –
Mudford and Peter Avery are the something so often
back-to-back captains, working
18 days on and 18 days off. The seen after traditional
roster used to be 21 days but logging techniques
with the pilots flying at the near
maximum of 10 hours a day, which often result
they would hit the maximum
in erosion and long-
monthly allowance of 150 hours
with days left, so shortening the term damage to the
roster to 18 days was logical.
environment.
The engineers are a mix of
Kiwis, Australian and Malaysians
working a 21-day cycle. Pete and Lyall are long-time
Erickson pilots with more than 31,000 hours between
them. Pete has more than 20,000, mostly in the Crane
and mostly in Borneo, while Lyall has worked all around
the world from New Zealand to Papua New Guinea,
Africa and Borneo. Although the working conditions are
fairly rudimentary and the work hard, these guys like the
independence of making the day-to-day decisions on
27
4I 5I

6I

7I 8I

28
4 I There’s no time to waste as the 7 I Each time the aircraft lands
crews and aircraft work to keep every for fuel, the engineers clamber
flying hour productive. over the aircraft making sure it
is in top condition. The Air Crane
5 I Pilots spend up to 10 hours a
doesn’t shutdown by day unless
day peering out of this large bubble
absolutely necessary.
window to work that very long line.
8 I The humidity of the jungle
6 I Camps are basic but then the
is well demonstrated by the
crews and aircraft don’t spend much
condensation trails created by
time in each as they move around the
the rotor disk.
jungle plucking the selected cut trees.

The skills needed for this long lining job are demanding and more precise. After all,
these guys fly the long-line 140 hours every 18 days, doing 200 to 300 lifts each day!

what is done and how, using honed skills that few pilots
have a chance to develop, satisfaction in trying to meet
customers’ expectations as well as being in one of the
better paid sectors of the helicopter industry.
Paul Farrer, also a Kiwi, lives in Miri and is the General
Manager of Erickson Malaysia. He has been working the
contracts there for 14 years and explained that the annual
2,000 flight-hours available are divided among the four
clients the company presently has – very much based
on the number of camps each has. The Crane spends a
minimum of 40 flying hours at each camp, but usually
about 70 to 80 hours, with the companies cutting at
about the same time in each area, and then through
the year, rotating through each camp. He said that the
Crane achieves an average of about 140 cubic feet per
hour in Sabah and around 120 in Sarawak, with the
difference being mainly due to the size of the logs and
the yarding distance (distance between the log location
and the “landing” where the logs are delivered) involved.
He commented that all logging in Sarawak and Sabah is
now tightly controlled by the respective forestry
departments.
Camp 72
The infrastructure supporting heli-logging here is
essentially a system of camps, logging areas and landings
where the logs are delivered for on-carriage by truck.
While the camps are provided by the logging companies,
with part of the deal being that they are fully-equipped
with air conditioners, stoves etc., Erickson supplies all
aspects of support for the helicopter. It is vital that every
hour that the Crane flies it is productive, so the distances
between the camps, logging areas and landings are kept
as short as possible, usually within 2kms. It also requires
close liaison between the logging company and Erickson
personnel to ensure the helicopter is operated efficiently.
The Crane moves continuously from camp-to-camp
throughout the logging concessions in Sarawak and
Sabah – operating every day including Christmas and
New Year – weather permitting. Which concessions
are serviced, where and when, is determined through
coordination between Erickson and the various timber
companies with which it works. Interestingly, while
Erickson has been doing this for some years in Borneo,
the contracts are not long-term and are renewed on an
annual basis. Until November 2007, there was enough
work for two Cranes, but with the softening in the
export timber market one Crane has been deployed
on firefighting contracts in Australia. Depending on the
market demand, the second Crane may yet return to
Borneo.
Scheduled servicing and daily maintenance are
conducted at night. Five engineers follow the E-model
Crane, with two working the day shift and three at night.
The aim is to operate the Crane 10 hours a day to fulfill
the programmed 2,000 hours annually. The aircraft lives
in the open and with the short logs-to-landings distances
involved, the lift cycles would stress any lesser aircraft;
this is a true testament to Sikorsky’s design and Erickson’s
engineering support. At some difficult sites the camp-
to-forestry block distance can be as much as 20kms, but
Paul stressed that they do encourage the companies to
keep the distances to 2kms if possible. The higher gross
“F” model crane, which can lift 25% more was used until
recently, but Erickson found the lighter all-up-weight “E”
model was more suited to the high-cycle environment of
this logging. “We found the F models could turn around a
bit faster than the E models but the Fs got a bit knocked
around carrying that extra weight,” explained Paul. “The
F airframe suffered a little bit; we had sheetmetal workers
employed looking after them.” The Crane uses about
2,000 liters of fuel an hour so keeping fuel up to the
machine is important in maintaining the efficiency of the
operation. Clients provide fuel trucks (between 16,000
and 26,000 liters) which are constantly employed keeping
between five and ten 20,000 or 45,000-liter sled fuel tanks
at each camp topped up, as well as supplying the fuel
needed at service pads that may be set up near landings
to keep any transit times to an absolute minimum.
The helicopter can also lift its “maintenance pod”
from camp-to-camp. The pod is a container in which
an electric generator, support equipment, pad lights,

29
9I
aircraft parts and tools are stowed and it provides pad
accommodation for the ground crew.
Ned (Neville Dawson, publisher of HeliOps) and I
had the unique opportunity to visit Erickson’s logging
operations in Borneo, spending our time at Camp 72
in the foothills of the Hose Mountain Range. The ever-
smiling camp manager Lisutt Lia, a local Malaysian who
has worked with Paul since the operation started, greeted
us and provided hospitality second to none. The camp
manager is in charge of the operation; in charge of the
camp itself, arranging fuel, liaising with the clients and
overseeing day-to-day operations. Although the facilities
are basic, the camp is self contained with power and
running water. It has satellite internet and telephone.
The aircraft is equipped with a Blue Sky Iridium-based
tracking system which is monitored by head office in
Miri on the west coast of the state of Sarawak. The cabins
are air conditioned, the food good and the people very
friendly; as are the enormous bugs, moths and beetles
that inevitably inhabit the jungle and Camp 72.
We were flown to the camp by Sudhir Kumaren (an
ex-RMAF pilot now working for Erickson Malaysia) in the
company’s Bell 206. He showed us the areas that had
been worked by the Crane, and other than roads there
was no visible damage to the forests. He also showed us
areas that had been logged using traditional means, and
although the jungle was reclaiming the area, the activity
was plainly visible.
The hardwood logs here are generally destined for
the Indian, Chinese and Japanese markets and the prices
earned depend greatly on the quality of wood exported.
Once felled, the logs need to be lifted out within 40 days
to prevent damage from any of the numerous species
of wood-boring beetles, which lay their eggs under the
bark with the hatched larvae feeding off the wood.
This makes it unsuitable for export and useable only
for plywood. The logging companies need the export
market to make the extraction by helicopter economically
viable. Plywood manufacture can only accept about
30% of the wood in any case. As well as minimizing
environmental damage, heli-logging also provides the
30
potential to significantly reduce wastage of valuable
wood.
Selected trees are individually felled by timber
company cutters who place their individual marks on
each log. Local loadmasters from Erickson are provided to
the clients to help ensure the efficiency and safety of the
operation by ensuring the logs are properly cut through,
that they won’t exceed the lift capability of the ‘E’ model
Crane, and they help to assemble loads to ensure the
Crane’s load-carrying capability is fully utilized. The
cutters move on and the logs are left for the Crane to
pick up when it is next in the area. It is a fine line between
maximizing the load weight (to reduce the number of
“turns” the Crane needs to clear the logs) and having
to come back to cut the logs smaller. When lifting, the
Crane measures the load and if it looks like exceeding the
maximum (reference to the “load cell” that provides the
weight on lift, or the engine/transmission instrument),
the pilot places the log back down to be either picked
up later (with less fuel) or for the cutters to come back
and trim. Obviously the number of these “weight aborts”
need to be kept to a minimum to ensure the efficiency
of every hour flown, although Paul notes that one every
couple of flight-hours is acceptable. The cost of the Crane
represents up to a third of the price received for the wood
in the current market so the number of lifts per hour has
to be maximized.
A typical day at the camp starts at about 4:30am
when it is still dark, with day-shift engineers readying
the aircraft, pilots having breakfast, a wash and then
pre-flighting the aircraft. Provided there is no fog, cloud
or heavy rain that may dangerously restrict visibility, the
pilots aim to be airborne at first light which is around 6 to
6:30am, and the aircraft will keep turning until nightfall,
or until weather precludes safe operations. During the
pressure hot refuels, the pilots have the opportunity to
eat, drink and take a quick walk. The engineers crawl
around the aircraft to make sure nothing has broken or
developed an unacceptable leak.
As the sun rises, fog can roll in at Camp 72 but it often
burns off quickly. When it rains, especially in the monsoon
 10 I

12 I

11 I

13 I
Once felled, the logs need to be lifted
out within 40 days to prevent any of 14 I

the numerous species of wood-boring

beetles from damaging the wood.

9 I Other than an access road and a basic camp,

logging by helicopter causes minimal damage
to the jungle unlike traditional methods.

10 I The Air Crane is a truly adaptable helicopter,

as much at home in the jungle as it is
in the urban-interface, fighting fires.

11 I The crew share their night accommodation

with some “interesting” jungle visitors.

12 I And then there are some not-so-welcome visitors!

13 I The hydraulically powered grapple is an extension

of the pilot’s hand allowing him to pluck the logs from
amongst the foliage below the jungle canopy.

14 I Ideally, landings such as this are located within

a couple of kilometers of where the logs are being
gathered so the turnaround time is minimized and
creates a better return for the customer.

31
15 I

32
 15 I The Air Crane’s load system
allows the pilots to gather the logs
with extraordinary efficiency while
reducing the impact of the high
cycles on the airframe.
16 I The grapple allows pilots to
pluck the logs from nigh-impossible
locations and then deliver
them with pinpoint accuracy.
17 I Thunderstorms, cloud and
fog provide constant
challenges to the Air Crane.
season from about November to February, it can pour
for days. Even so, provided the pilots can maintain safe
visible conditions, they will fly. Thunderstorms can also
be a danger in this season and the pilots keep a close
weather eye to avoid them. “The guys get pretty nervous
when there’s a storm around,” Paul explained, “especially
with a 325ft long line trailing below them.”
Only the left seat pilot (captain) flies. The copilot is
there mainly to back up the captain, watch the gauges,
do the paperwork (logging of timber lifted and flight
time on “turn-sheets”), and learn the job. Once the aircraft
is started, systems checked and everyone is happy with
the location of the logs and the landings, the aircraft is
immediately put to work.
Most of the logs are sighted from the air and the pilot
chooses which ones they are going to lift depending on
access, anticipated weight and distance to the landing
and/or service pad. With the load sighted, the pilot
maneuvers the Crane and its long line into position. The
length of the long line has been established through
experience, allowing the grapple to grab the logs
regardless of the tree height around them. There are
about 2,100lbs in the 325ft line and Erickson designed and
manufactured hydraulically-operated grapple. Erickson
began with a 250ft line but found that, especially in
Sabah which has a lot of volcanic soil, the trees grow
pretty tall. “The longer line also gives some extra time to
sort things out if something goes wrong,” commented
Paul. “It can also get a fairly big whip going through
the cable.”
To work the long line and placing the grapple in
position in the minimum time, the pilot handles the
Crane as though it was a light helicopter. Again, the
ability of this helicopter to move so responsively and
allow placing the grapple so precisely, demonstrates
the enormous control and engine power of the Crane.
Pete Avery likes to go for the “head shot” where he sees
an opening in the trees, lobs the grapple in and straight
onto the log.”
And so it goes, as the day wears on the Crane
moves back and forth, zig-zagging its way across the
area, picking up logs and placing them on the landings.
Operating up to about 5,000ft with a temperature
between 20 and 30 degrees C, the pilots have to be
cognizant of the changing limits as the day’s conditions
vary. Paul highlighted that at sea level they work on lifting
about 8-tons but at altitude it may be down to 6.6 tons.
Approximately once every hour the pilot lands the
aircraft at the camp pad to refuel and relax. Depending
upon the logs and terrain, those cycles may fall to 45
or even 30 minutes. The ground-crew examines the
machine, crawling up its mantis-like legs to check the
transmission system and the engines without the rotors
ever stopping. The load lifting equipment is checked
and once the refuel is finished, the helicopter is quickly
dispatched to resume its work.
A Bell 205 works as a “truck” supporting the
operations; conducting searches for logs or transporting
spares. It will soon be replaced by an AS-350FX2 being
put together in New Zealand. Paul explained that, as the
Huey is a restricted category aircraft, it can’t be used to
transport personnel but does just about everything else.
It can lift just about every spare component for the Crane
16 I 17 I
except the main rotor gearbox and head. These larger
components need to be trucked in if required. “We can
even sling the 33ft main rotor blades in their aluminum
coffins,” he said. “We’ve a special rigging technique and
fly with the heavy end down.”
As the end of the day approaches, the crew continue
operating until either failing light makes flying unsafe
or, as is more likely, they reach their daily ten-flying
hour limit. While the pilots complete the paperwork,
with the copilot handing over the “turn sheets” to
the camp manager, the night shift engineers take the
aircraft and begin the after-flight inspections, scheduled
servicing or any rectification work that may be needed
– although as Paul commented, the E model has been
33
 extraordinarily reliable. “The aircraft
“The longer line gives some extra time to sort
lives outside being rained and dusted
things out if something goes wrong,” on but because it’s always working,
it doesn’t seem to get affected by
the conditions.”

An Uncertain Future
“Unfortunately, there aren’t many

Drop Off
helicopter companies doing logging
these days,” commented Paul. “It’s an

Your Aircraft.
industry that I can see slowly tapering
off as the gas and oil industry picks
up and there’s a better return in

We’ll Do The Rest.

things like firefighting.”
“I don’t know how much longer
helicopter logging will be around,”
he mused. Unfortunately this means
that the environmental gain that
helicopters provide could be lost, and
once again the jungle will be scarred
by the more damaging ground-based
methods where the logs are dragged
up mountain sides or through the
undergrowth by winches.
Experience in Sarawak and
Sabah, as well as in North America,
have shown that the Air Crane is a
From component
great workhorse and a good tool for
overhauls and repairs environmentally responsible logging.
to reconstruction and The Kiwi pilots who cut their teeth
completions, now on long lining in New Zealand have
Heli‑Mart has a total, honed their skills on the Air Crane to
single‑source solution ensure that the operation is efficient
to fully meet the support and effective. In an era when we
are more and more aware of the
needs of MD Helicopter
fragility of our natural eco-systems,
operators worldwide. it would be an undeniable tragedy if
simple economics brought about the
demise of this “green” operation. n
800-826-6899
www.helimart.com
Please visit us at Heli-Expo
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34
ready to serve
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 When a mining company needed to commence construction work at a
remote site in British Columbia, it faced a huge challenge. With the rivers
frozen in winter and no roads to the site, Redfern Resources turned to
the heavy lifting Chinook of Columbia helicopters to get the job done.

story by mark ogden I Photos by dan sweet and Andre Hutchings

36
37
1I
R
edfern’s remote “Tulsequah Chief” mine is located at
the confluence of the Taku and Tulsequah rivers, in
north-western British Columbia, about 31nm outside
of Juneau in Alaska and some 8nm into Canadian territory.
These two rivers are adjacent to glaciers bearing the
same names, and with neither roads nor infrastructure,
access to the mine site could be described as, at best,
challenging. In the early development stage of the mine,
personnel and their gear had always been flown in, but
as the company entered the construction phase early in
the northern 2007 summer, Redfern faced the challenge
of how to transport people, equipment and supplies in
much greater quantities.
Over the course of the summer they were able to
use the Taku River to barge in a good portion of the
earthmoving equipment, fuel and ancillary supplies –
however not all material made it in. The Taku River
was shallow at times and when winter set in early in
the northern communities, barging the remainder of
the supplies in became impossible after September, as
the river levels fell and some parts froze over. Redfern,
however, still needed to move modular camp units,
culverts and bridges and also needed to find a way to
transport other heavy loads. To keep their construction
schedule, their only option was to start an air-highway.
38
Time was of the essence and, according to Redfern;
they sought out companies that had experience flying
in the area, with a good record of transporting and
delivering large loads. Two companies were selected
for this operation, Columbia Helicopters though their
partner, Helifor Canada, and Ascent Helicopters. “Columbia
because their Chinook was able to accommodate our
capacity requirements,” explained Redfern’s Salina
Landstad. “The fact that the Chinook could lift about
24,000lbs coupled with Columbia’s experience in working
in the area and familiarity with the weather conditions
made them a natural choice.”
“We also engaged Ascent to assist with transporting
some of the lighter loads, and based on past working
relationships with Ascent, we were confident that
both companies would be able to assist with our
requirements.”
Helifor was notified in late October, after the river
froze, that the contract was theirs and after planning was
completed the aircraft arrived onsite in late November.
The equipment flown by the Chinook varied considerably.
“Everything from trucks, loaders, graders, camp buildings,
conveyors, containers, tanks, culverts, powder magazines;
you name it! Anything to do with the construction of an
airstrip, mine, and the roads, any essential items required

for the construction process as well as building the camp
from scratch – we lifted it,” explained Andre Hutchings,
one of Columbia’s pilots who flew the project.
The Chinook was based out of Coastal Helicopters at
Juneau and used Sunnycove as the barge site and fueling
stop. “Sunnycove was the name of the fuel site but we
didn’t see the sun come out once while we were there,”
said Andre. The two barges used were loaded in Prince
Rupert, towed to Juneau and then anchored about a
quarter mile offshore from the Sunnycove fuel site, about
400ft lower in elevation than the mine-site. They were
packed to the hilt with everything that the Chinook had
to lift and were parked at Sunnycove as the area was
reasonably protected and the Chinook could generally
operate clear of the severe winds (around 45 knots) that
blew down from the Taku Glacier, along the Taku River
and into the Taku Inlet.
Andre explained that the crew would fly the Chinook
from Juneau airport with the synthetic long line stowed
internally and then land at the Sunnycove fuel site,
unload the crew and line etc, hook it up to the helicopter,
add more fuel if needed and then fly out to the barge for
the first load.
Arctic Camp was the name given to the barge
landing. Further up the Taku River, there was “The Chief”
1 I The weather was the biggest
challenge with snow having to be
removed from the Chinook as well
as the loads before either could fly.
“We had extraordinary winds, fog, blinding
snow storms and plenty of rain. The weather
in Juneau could VMC, the Barge IMC and the
mine site all changing by the minute.”
camp and the “Town-site”, which had a small airfield.
Even further upriver, where the Tulsequah River ran off
the Tulsequah Glacier was the “Shaza” site, where a larger
airstrip handled the fixed wing operations. The distance
between the barge site and the mine was about 35nm
as the crow flies, but the helicopter often had to follow
rivers, increasing the flight distance. Additionally, weather
would build in holds, so the round trip from the barge to
the delivery site and back to the barge would frequently
take an hour.
The ground crews had a small warming shack that
Redfern supplied, two small fuel trucks and a small
excavator to dig the trucks out if needed, and were
continuously on snow removal detail. They were fully
equipped with survival gear and prepared to camp out
in case the Chinook couldn’t get back to pick them up if
the weather turned bad. An A-Star stood close by on the
beach to get them out if that circumstance arose. “We
had two ground crews, morning and afternoon. They had
survival suits, balaclavas, thermals and as much Carhartt
gear they could put on. They’re a pretty tough bunch and
are quite used to operating under harsh conditions.”
Weather was the biggest challenge facing both the
air and ground crews. “The conditions at times were
extremely harsh and were the biggest reason for delays
on the job,” Andre said. He commented that the weather
went from one extreme to another. “We had strong
winds, fog, blinding snow-storms and plenty of rain. The
weather in Juneau could be VMC, the Barge IMC and the
Mine-site both changing by the minute!”
Making the lift even more challenging, the two
barges were tied together with the two tugs that handled
them tied off to their sides. “They were extremely tightly
packed in order to maximize their carrying capacity –
they were equipped with an 80ft crane, the decks were
incredibly slippery with the combination of snow, rain,
and ice,” commented Andre, “and to make life even
harder for the load controllers, the wind chill factor was
also pretty nasty.” On several occasions, the barges had to
be relocated around the bend and moored on the other
side of Bishop Point due to high winds and waves. “It was
39
2I

About two hours of heating was needed to bring

the aircraft to a reasonable temperature. The
blades and rotor heads were “bagged” each night
and if the forecast was for really bad weather
then they would “bag” the whole engine.

40
 2 I Sometimes the snow was right
up under the aircraft’s belly, and
the crew had to crawl under the
ship to hook up the line.

3 I With no road access and rivers

frozen over, the mighty Chinook
formed the air highway that allowed
the mine to be built regardless of
the weather and terrain.

4 I The conditions were harsh but

the Columbia Ground Crew are a
pretty tough bunch.

5 I Everything from containers and

buildings to mine equipment and
bulldozers were lifted.

actually nice moored around the corner as it was tied up

to the bank and was quite solid,” said Andre. “Sunnycove
had a tendency to move the barge around and was more
susceptible to the winds than Bishop Point.” 3I

“Our remote fuel site wasn’t any warmer. We were

able to use a small beach to land the ship on for fuelling. 4I

Three of our mechanics would fly out with us daily and

we would have our longline in the back and our four-
part rigging and detangler etc on the beach,” Andre
explained. “We would land, take on fuel if required, the
boys would unload the line, crawl through the snow,
which at times was rubbing on the aircraft’s belly, crawl
under the ship to hook up the line, hook up the rigging
and then we’d takeoff.”
Before flying each day, the Chinook crews would
contact the mine-site personnel and the Tug Boat
Captains. “Every morning the A-Star would fly our crew
out to the barge and before off-loading the guys they 5I
would cruise further up stream to where they could
have a good look up river and supply us with a real-time
weather check. Between those three weather checks we
made our decision to go or not,” said Andre.
“One of the things up there is that the weather can
change so quickly and when the round trip for a single
load was about an hour, there was a good chance that
at some point you were going to get caught out with a
significant weather change.” With the weather being so
changeable, there was no real way around it and all the
planning in the world couldn’t eliminate the problems.
“All you can do is take as many precautions as you can”,
Andre said. “The weather at the mine site was very cold
and although it could turn sour very quickly we managed
to dodge most of the heavy stuff.” He said that there
were times though when they had to slow everything
down and then coast back to the fuel site. Even though
the snow storms were frequent and visibility reduced
very quickly, there were only two or three loads where
the weather necessitated actually turning around across
the river and looking for another route up to the mine,
or back to the barge. If the weather turned bad and the
aircraft was at the fuel site, the crew would just sit tight

41

6 I The Columbia crews were
ever-vigilant for water in the
fuel system due to the amount of
snow encountered.
7 I Columbia used 100 and 150ft
steel long lines for the task.
8 I Lifting from the barges
proved to be a challenge, again
due to the weather.
9 I Due to the length of the long
line, often the pilot had little of
the barge to see to establish his
hover while lifting.
and keep the Chinook running. The A-Star would be
sitting there with the Chinook and if the lift crew thought
there was any chance they could operate, it would pop
up and check the weather, at least able to tell them the
height of the ceiling etc.
Because the 234 is not approved for known icing
conditions the crews were always on the alert and would
continuously check the aircraft in flight and during
fueling for any indications of icing. “Most of what we
encountered was fairly damp and tended not to stick to
the airframe – more like wet snow than ice,” said Andre.
In a trip, the aircraft would experience temperatures of
about -17°C at the mine site and -8°C at the fuel site so
the temperature changes meant that any ice that did
form soon shed and was never a major issue or lasted
long. The 234 is approved for operations down to -46°C.
Adding to the crew’s challenges, the Glaciers also
created their own weather. “It can be completely clear on
the way up and then snowing with a low ceiling on the
way back. We ran into this a couple of times and really
had no choice but to just slow things down and follow
the river and our route back. We were fortunate not to
have to take anything back,” said Andre.
Prior to the beginning of the job the crews mapped
out some alternate landing sites between the Barge and
the mine, to use in the event that the weather turned
IMC. “We did face some pretty low ceilings at times,
but did not have to use the alternate sites.” One of the
Alternates was the Taku Lodge, located across the river
from the Taku Glacier which was an amazing sight. The
lodge was closed but there was just enough room for the
Chinook to land if necessary to shelter from the weather.
Weather also played a large part in the aircraft and
crew preparations each day. The maintenance crew
would arrive an hour before everyone else to start the
world’s largest “Herman Nelson” heater and try to thaw
the helicopter from its overnight icing by pointing the
heater hoses at the aft transmission and straight into
the back of the aircraft. About two hours of heating was
needed to bring the aircraft to a reasonable temperature.
The blades and rotor heads were “bagged” each night
42
6I
and the engine covers installed. If the forecast was for
really bad weather (heavy rain followed by snow and
freezing conditions), then the maintenance crew would
“bag” the whole engine.
The maintenance crew also did the pre-flight before
the flight crew came in to check the weather and carry
out their own checks. De-ice fluid was used each day to
make sure the blades and airframe were free of ice. Anti-
ice additives were used in the fuel but the main issue
the crews encountered was the accumulation of water
in the fuel due to the snow and rain during the refuels.
To counter this, they checked the fuel sumps every few
hours if it was raining or snowing.
At daybreak, one of the Coastal helicopters would fly
the Columbia load coordinators and Redfern personnel
out to the barges and would then park at Sunnycove for
the rest of the day, before reversing the process when
the shift ended.
Adding to the challenge provided by the weather,
lifting the loads off the barges that were more offshore
proved to be a difficult and tricky task. Andre pointed out
that with no major visual references apart from the barge
itself, it was difficult for the pilot to keep his attention on
one point. “The waves and water were moving around
the barge and it was real easy to fixate on that motion
and start to move in the direction of the current,” he said.
“Throw in some blowing snow hitting the bubble and we
had our hands full.” They used 100 and 150ft long lines
with a 60-ft four-part rigging. The 100-ft line gave the
crews more room to move in case of low cloud. Andre
said that it was also handy on the barge when it was
blowing, or there were waves, as the pilot would have
more of the barge in his peripheral vision.
To make the whole project work, Columbia needed to
maintain constant communications with US and Canadian
Customs. “We were required to present daily to a customs
officer details of what loads we would be flying, as well
as recording the time we hit the Canadian Border and
the time we traveled back across it on the return leg,”
explained Andre. “On the majority of the trips we were
in Canada for an average of only 11 minutes, depending
 7I

8I

6I 9I

43

which camp we were flying to.” Two load coordinators
worked on the barges and two worked at the mine site
receiving the loads. The coordinators on the barges had
the task of arranging the cargo into flyable loads that
maximized the Chinook’s load carrying capability, while
keeping in mind the fuel load, weather and distance.
Most of the loads were built to an average of 21,000 to
22,000lbs, with some loads starting out a little heavier due
to the accumulation of snow. “By the end of the job, our
load coordinators were quite adept at snow shoveling,”
remarked Andre. After being grounded for a couple of
days waiting for a break in the weather, the loads would
accumulate up to two or three thousand pounds of
snow. “We lifted these 20ft x 10ft thick steel shacks called
“powder mags” that weighed about 22,000 lbs. But when
we lifted one that was covered in snow, it came off the
ground at 24,500 lbs and so we set it back down and had
the guys clean it off.” Andre pointed out that when lifting
from the barge, they didn’t want to leave the “safety” of
the deck just to find the aircraft settling when the load
was only 15ft from the water.
Basic rigging was used – steel pallets for much of
the support equipment, wheel nets for the trucks, and
normal chains, straps and basic rigging gear. There
were several two-part loads, buildings and containers
flown, and different techniques were used to stop them
from spinning, including “strategically” suspending tires
and individual caterpillar tracks from the loads. The
Caterpillars were about 20,000lbs and each track about
44
5,000lbs. “We had a couple of steel beams that were not
behaving when we flew them. They were twisting and
flying all over the place, so we hung a set of tracks off the
beam and it seemed to fly just fine then.”
Helping keep the crew orientated was the ubiquitous
GPS. Andre commented that the GPS was used on the
ferry-flight to and from the job primarily because when
encountering low visibility conditions, they found it very
comforting knowing that they had the GPS to fall back on.
“The map is always our primary navigational tool and the
GPS is the back up. A straight line from a GPS isn’t a major
help when you are flying the Alaskan coastline in low
visibility conditions and you don’t want to get out over
the water, so you have to follow the coastline.” During
actual transport operations the GPS was used mainly for
determining distance from the lay-down area. “The route
was relatively easy to follow once we had flown it a few
times,” Andre said. “It was straight up the river, and then
take a left at the fork! Although at times due to snow
showers etc we would occasionally have to revert back
to the map and GPS.” The crews, however, relied primarily
on certain land marks along the way to ensure they were
on course. “A certain bend in the river, some cabins or
houses, rock face etc. The majority of the trips were fine
and visibility was acceptable and workable. There were
only a few occasions where we were down to low-vis’
conditions and had to really work at it.” Making it slightly
easier for the crews was the fact that the USA/Canadian
border is a distinct line in the bush, where an actual line
has been cut through the trees, making identifying the
border relatively simple.
With the weather and loads being such a challenge,
the experience of Columbia’s pilots came to the fore. There
were four pilots on the job, two of whom were very senior
with over 20,000 hours each and the two “junior” pilots
with over 13,000 and 11,000 hours respectively. Although
all the Columbia pilots were instrument-rated and that
particular Chinook fully IFR-equipped, the aircraft was not
cleared to operate IMC and, in any case, all longlining is
conducted VFR. The crews therefore spent a great deal of
time avoiding weather and maintaining VMC.
By the end of the operation the Chinook had flown
some 70 hours including the ferry to and from Juneau,
while lifting over a million pounds in 53 loads. The only
maintenance required, despite the harsh conditions, was
scheduled work and the daily inspections.
Although the air-lift operation represented less than
one percent of the Redfern total budget, it allowed
for continued construction despite the harsh weather,
proving yet again the invaluable benefits helicopters
can bring to operations in remote areas. “We were very
pleased with the service and assistance we received from
both Columbia and Ascent,” commented Salina. “Without
their assistance we would not have been able to keep to
our construction schedule and would have been delayed
by several months. Air lifts were our only option.” n
As Malaysian Helicopter Services turns 25, it’s
undergoing significant change and facing challenges
like any other helicopter service provider in today’s
environment; how to ramp up services demanded by
customers while maintaining safety and profitability.
story by mark ogden I photos by mark ogden and ned dawson
47
1I

48
1 I The AS332L2 Super Puma
has proved to be a solid
performer with MHS and there
are two EC225s on order.
A
MHS Aviation Berhad (MHS) started out as
Malaysian Helicopter Services Bhd (now Naluri
Bhd). The company was incorporated in 1981 and
began operations in January 1983. It now earns some
RM300 million (US$92 million) a year, of which 90% comes
from the provision of offshore transportation services to
the local market. It is also a major aircraft charter operator
and provides search and rescue and emergency medical
services, as well as providing training, engineering and
technical services to the Malaysian police and navy.
From a fleet of just six S-61s and two bases (Miri and
Kuala Terengganu) in 2003, MHS now operates a fleet of 29
aircraft from five bases (Kerteh, Miri, Labuan, Kota Bharu,
and Subang) on the Malaysian Peninsula and the island of
Borneo. Twenty-seven of the aircraft are helicopters: six
AS332L1s and L2s, 16 S76s (of various models), two S-92s
and three AS355F1s. The company recently received three
S76C++s, and will receive two EC225 aircraft in 2009.
MHS has been focusing its efforts upon the local oil
support market – primarily Malaysia’s Petronas Carigali
Sdn Bhd, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production
Malaysia Inc, and Sarawak Shell Bhd. In offshore air
transportation work, customers demand good aircraft
and high operating standards. According to Capt Rahmat
Hussain, the MHS’s new Chief Operating Officer, that is
why the company is constantly replacing its aircraft.
MHS’s fleet flies more than 20,000 hours a year and has
a high aircraft utilization rate. In fact, it has withdrawn two
of its S76s that have each reached 23,400 flying hours and
another is within 400 hours of this time. Captain Hussain
explains that once the aircraft reach this time they require
some major airframe work, “which costs nearly as much
as a new aircraft in effort, time and money,” he says. “It
just isn’t economical. With the manufacturer struggling
to provide spares in a timely manner, these aircraft will
provide us with spares for the rest of the S76 fleet.”
Spares support has become something of an issue for the
company which once expected AOG spares within two
days, but now frequently waits as long as a week for vital
parts. “This is a problem for a company such as ours that
has a high utilization rate on all its aircraft,” Hussain says,
and adds that he believes the difficulty arises because
manufacturers are focusing on new aircraft production at
the expense of producing and providing adequate spares.
Kertih
Kertih, in Terengganu State on the Malayan Peninsula’s
east coast, is the biggest base in the MHS network. A
major Petronas oil refinery and terminal is located near
the port on the coast just east of the airfield, which was
built to support the offshore industry. From here, six
S76s and three L2 Super Pumas fly to over 50 platforms
(automated and manned), satellite rigs, jack-ups, seismic
boats, exploration vessels and various other rigs located
between 75 and 150 nm offshore.
Of the company’s total of 134 pilots and 90 engineers,
around 75 pilots and 50 engineers live and work at Kertih
operating and maintaining these aircraft, each of which
flies an average of 150 hours a month. Throughout the
year, these aircraft conduct about 36 daily movements
carrying 300 people a day, seven days a week. However,
in the monsoon season, the flying rate increases because
the seas are too rough for companies to use boats
to transfer people. According to Captain Rahmat, the
utilization – which is normal for MHS – is quite high for
the oil industry and he says he could do with another two
Super Puma-sized helicopters based in Miri.
“In offshore air transportation, our
clients require high aircraft and operating
standards. That is why we need to constantly
replace our aircraft.”
Each base has its own Chief Pilot, while in head office
in Kuala Lumpur, there is a Chief Pilot Standards and a Chief
Pilot Flight Safety. The company receives engineering
manpower support from three sources through service
agreements with CHC, Bristow and Aerotecnica.
Kertih lies within the doldrums – an equatorial region
of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans that gives rise to
weather extremes such as intense thunderstorms, squalls
and hurricanes, as well as contrasting lengthy periods of
extreme calm.
The monsoon season, which runs from November to
February, produces extraordinarily heavy rain in squall
lines that reduces visibility to just a few feet. As Capt
Ahmad Mustar Md Yunus, the Senior Training Captain for
MHS in Kertih notes, “We shoot automated instrument
approaches to the rigs using a generic approach utilizing
radar, GPS and NDB. The direction of approach can
change depending on the weather and the wind, which
can swing quite a bit in a squall. Minima are 300 ft and 1.5
nm. If we don’t have that at the bottom of the approach,
49
2I
we then conduct an overshoot and try again. The
weather is quite localized and it is likely that the squall
line will have passed by the next approach.”
However, this weather, with the northeast trade
winds usually blowing at a steady 25 kt is preferable to
the period from March to August when the wind stops
altogether. “At least the wind helps the helicopter’s
performance,” Captain Yunus says. “At other times, it can
be 34°C without a breath of wind over the deck. The
high humidity and temperature, coupled with no wind,
really make the aircraft and the pilots work hard.” He also
describes the waterspouts that regularly appear in the
area. While they seldom last more than a few minutes,
the aircraft’s radars rarely “see” these phenomena. Thus,
if aircraft are flying at night, the waterspouts can be
something of a surprise (helicopter crew changes are not
made at night and only operate at night in emergencies,
so the pilots practice night operations to a platform every
90 days).
Another problem in calm doldrums conditions is that
the sea becomes perfectly calm and haze makes the
horizon indiscernible. Distance and depth perception
become difficult so good instrument flying is essential.
Significant and very active thunderstorms also prevail in
the area so all in all, the pilots need a good weather eye
to work here.
The pilots at Kertih are primarily Malaysian and many
come from the military, BOMBA (firefighting agency),
and police, but the company also has “expat” pilots
50
3I
from such places as Indonesia, Myanmar and the UK.
Entry requirements include a CPL, instrument rating
and five hundred hours’ helicopter experience. Captain
Mustar explains that all of the pilots start out as copilots.
Those without previous offshore experience will typically
spend about two years as copilots, although this varies,
depending on their overall previous experience. A pilot
who does have previous offshore experience may only
spend a short time as a copilot until he or she becomes
acquainted with the local conditions and the company’s
operating procedures.
MHS sources simulator training from various providers
around the world including HeliSim, Flight Safety
International and CAE. Capt Abdul Gaffar Abdul Rahman,
the Base Manager at MHS in Kertih, says that because
the flying at Kertih can be pretty routine, pilots often
get the opportunity to fly at other bases or on short
contracts. “Usually we have a few people who want
to spend some time elsewhere and there are others
who prefer to stay because of their families. However,
sometimes we have to direct people to relieve at other
bases or help carry out other contracts when there is a
shortage of volunteers.”
Changing Culture
Unfortunately, MHS suffered three accidents involving
AS332 Super Pumas in one two-year period. These
had a big impact on the company, and as a result
it has reviewed the way it operates. “Some of the
 6I
problems we have experienced have been the result of
pushing things a bit too hard to try and meet changing
customer requirements,” explains Capt Mohd Adzmi
Ariffin, MHS’s Health and Safety, and Quality Manager.
“But we have decided to be as open as possible and let
other companies know what happened so that we can all
learn from the accidents.”
In attempting to learn from the past, one difficulty
MHS has is that the reports on the official investigations
conducted by the Malaysian authorities have not yet
been released. Nevertheless, the company is making
changes. For example, MHS discovered that training
varied among the seven independent providers of
helicopter underwater escape training (HUET) that it
uses. Not only did training standards differ, but also the
escape systems fitted to the underwater trainers were
configured differently from MHS’s aircraft – even the seat
belts were different! So now, the company is working
with the providers to standardize and improve the quality
of HUET training.
Capt Adzmi says that the company also recognized
the potential clash between the Asian culture of not
questioning elders or superiors, and the essential cockpit
culture of questioning teamwork. “Our CRM training has
been expanded to include subjects not required by the
regulations, such as threat and error management,” he
says. “We have also worked on our reporting system
and to make sure that the company works within the
‘just’ culture that modern thinking advocates.” He says
2 I New S76s are entering the
fleet as MHS lays up models
with over 23,000 flying hours.
3 I MHS says it could do with
more “Super Puma sized”
helicopters at Kertih to handle
the growth in activity.
“At least with the wind, it helps the
helicopter’s performance, but at
other times it can be 34°C over the
deck and not a breath of wind”
that MHS is looking at the “big picture” to see where the
system may be failing its people, rather than focusing on
individual failures. The company uses its own incident
and accident reports as resources in its training. “Our
people were affected by the accidents as they knew the
crews and often knew the passengers or their families. So
rather than using case studies involving airliners – which
have little relevance to them – we are using our own and
other offshore examples to drive home the messages,
and I think they are listening.”
After one of its accidents, the company developed
an initiative to ensure that all levels of the company
management are fully aware of what’s happening within
the company. Capt Rahmat explains how they developed
a “traffic light system” to monitor the situation at each
base on a daily basis. Email reports are sent to all levels
within the company from the CEO down to the hangar
floor level, in order to ensure that everyone knows what
is happening – and even representatives of the
company’s clients get a copy. If the “traffic light” for a
particular area is amber or red, it triggers immediate
action to ensure the everyone concerned – right up
to the CEO – works to get the light back to “green”. “We’ve
had it for more than a year and it seems to be working
well,” says Capt Rahmat.
Expansion
MHS is planning to expand its business further but
this will require careful management to ensure the
51
4I
5I
7I
4 I Flying from Kertih on the Malayan Peninsula’s East Coast,
the company’s fleet of L2s and S76s service over
50 platforms of various types and sizes.
5 I Passengers are handled through the Kertih airport and terminal.
Ground Crew guides the passengers and load/unload baggage.
6 I The S76 fleet is extremely well utilized and has
been the foundation of the operation at Kertih.
7 I Flying in The Doldrums can be challenging with the conditions
ranging from monsoonal downpours with zero visibility to calm,
power sucking heat and haze that shrouds the horizon.
52
6I
resources are in place to achieve the company’s aims. Like
nearly all helicopter operators supporting the offshore
market, MHS needs pilots, engineers and aircraft at a time
when all three are in short supply. Indeed, the company
has lease arrangements with CHC International and
Bristow for S76 helicopters and with Bristow for some
engineering support.
Targeting operations in southeast Asia, south Asia,
the Middle East and Africa, Captain Rahmat says he plans
to have maiden overseas operations kick off in April this
year, starting in Vietnam and gradually expanding to
other countries such as Iran, Sudan and Myanmar. He
believes that with the continuing strong demand for
offshore air transportation services, this is a good time for
MHS to expand its business overseas.
Indeed, there is little sign that the current level
of activity is likely to wane as high fuel prices and an
insatiable market drive more and more oil companies to
explore new areas. Captain Rahmat believes that within
five years, its overseas operations will be earning 40% of
the company’s total revenue. n
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54
This year, Russia’s most important civil helicopter
project, the Mi-38, enters a very important development
phase. Alex Mladenov provides an insight into
the helicopter’s protracted development set against
Russia’s struggling economy.

story by Alex Ml adenov I Photos by K a z an Helicopters and Oboronprom

55
1I
R
ussia’s Mi-38 is about to receive a much-needed
funding boost from the state that will accelerate
the aircraft’s test and certification effort. The
second test vehicle, which is configured as a production
aircraft, is expected to join the flight test schedule by the
middle of the year.
The preliminary flight-testing phase of the Mi-38,
comprising handling trials and envelope expansion was
completed in December 2007. Over the course of 90
hours of test flying, the Mi-38 reportedly met its test
objectives in 100 out of 150 test flights. The third test
vehicle is scheduled to take the air around the end of
2008. The type certification program is expected to take
some 700 flights to complete.
So far, the first prototype (RA-38011), known as
aircraft PT-1, is reported to have demonstrated promising
performance during its flight tests and achieved
a maximum speed of 320 km/h (172 knt) without
experiencing any excessive vibration, and reached an
altitude of 26,800 ft (8,170 m) at a take-off weight of 11,100
kg (24,260 lb). The hovering ceiling OGE demonstrated
by PT-1 exceeded 9,840 ft (3,000 m) at a take-off weight
of 14,200 kg (31,290 lb). The helicopter’s rotor system
has also demonstrated better than expected efficiency,
generating some 500 kg (1,102 lb) more lift than was
originally predicted.
56
A Healthy Market
Andrey Shibitov, the Director General of the Mil
Moscow Helicopter Plant (Mil MHP), which is the design
authority for the Mi-38, believes that there is a market for
between 170 to 200 Mi-38s between 2010 and 2020. He
describes this as a conservative estimate and says most
of these helicopters are likely to be sold to customers
in Russia. However, more optimistic market estimates
suggest sales of at least 300 Mi-38s, whose program
“break-even” point is around 90 helicopters.
The Mi-38 was originally conceived to supplement
and eventually replace the omnipresent Mi-8/17 utility
and passenger workhorse, with the -38 offering much
better range/payload performance and lower direct
operating costs than those of its predecessor. In the
mid to late 1990s, the Russian State Research Institute
and Eurocopter each conducted independent market
research studies that both indicated a market for some
200 Mi-38-class helicopters in Russia with an additional
100 export orders expected.
A 15 to 16-tonne class new generation helicopter,
designed to handle a wide range of missions, the Mi-38
was originally developed as a joint venture by the
Euromil consortium comprising Eurocopter, Mil Moscow
Helicopter Plant (as the once famous Mil Design Bureau is
now known), Kazan Helicopter and Klimov as risk-sharing
 1 I In December 2007, OP completed the so-
called preliminary flight test phase; it took as
many as 150 flights totalling 90 hours, and in
100 of these flights the test objectives were
reported to have been met.

More optimistic market estimates say that Mi-38

sales could account to not less than 300 examples,
while the breakeven point should be reached after
selling around 90 helicopters.

partners, each holding a 25% stake. According to the
agreement signed between EADS and Rosaviakosmos
(the Russian Aviation and Space Agency) in 2001, Mil MHP
was tasked with the design and flight test program and
Eurocopter was to be responsible for the avionics, cabin
equipment and international certification, while Kazan
Helicopters would manufacture the new helicopter. In
1996, engine design house Klimov, which was to have
developed the engine, left the project and thus the
remaining partners’ stakes increased to 33% each.
Eurocopter Walks Away
According to the original program plan announced
by Euromil in 1994, the Mi-38 was to have flown in 1999.
However, the program had already suffered a significant
delay by the time the Mi-38 made its maiden flight on
22 December 2003. The flight test effort then proceeded
slowly and the ambitious development and certification
program – estimated to have cost no less than US$800
million – suffered a serious blow in early 2005, when
Eurocopter decided to withdraw from the joint venture.
Eurocopter claimed that it took this abrupt
step because of changes in Russian legislation that
eventually restricted foreign participation in local aircraft
manufacturing companies to 25%. As a result, Eurocopter
sold its entire stake and walked away from the Mi-38
development effort in January 2005. Two years later,
Eurocopter officials publicly identified two other reasons
behind the move: the first being the notably protracted
development effort and second being the lack of clear
market prospects for the Mi-38. It is worth noting that the
Mi-38 is a direct competitor to Eurocopter’s EC225 on the
international market.
However, before its withdrawal, Eurocopter reportedly
fulfilled its obligations as a risk-sharing partner by
supplying cockpit avionics and other equipment for
PT-1. In order to save money, reduce risk and simplify
development effort, Eurocopter supplied off-the-shelf
hardware including analogue cockpit instruments
borrowed from its “legacy” helicopter types.
Despite Eurocopter’s withdrawal from Euromil, Mil
MHP and Kazan Helicopters continued with the program
as risk-sharing partners, investing significant amounts
of their own money as well as using a small amount of
government funding support. Pratt & Whitney Canada
remained as the only foreign supplier at the time,
supplying two PW127T/S engines for the sole flying
prototype.
In May 2006, it was announced that another significant
Western partner might join the program. Thales of France,
together with the Russian company Transas, were to have
developed the Mi-38’s automatic flight control system and

57
2I 3I
provided navigation and electrical equipment. However,
in June 2007, Mil MHP sources unofficially hinted that
negotiations with Thales had proved fruitless and it
was unlikely that the French company would enter the
Mi-38’s development program. This left Transas with two
alternatives – either seek another Western risk-sharing
partner to co-develop and produce the Mi-38’s avionics
suite or develop it independently. It is now understood
that Transas has pursued the second option and is
currently working on the new avionics for the Mi-38. It is
unfortunate that significant delays in the Mi-38’s avionics
development caused by Eurocopter’s departure from the
program have resulted in a slip in the flight test schedule
of at least three years.
A Big Improvement
The Mi-38 is a conventional pod and boom design
with a six-blade main rotor and four-blade tail rotor; both
rotors have composite blades with electrical de-icing.
The rotor head is made of titanium and features spherical
electrometric bearings and hydraulic drag dampers.
The cabin has the same cross-section as the Mi-8/17
but is slightly longer and has clamshell rear-loading
doors and a cargo ramp. The aircraft’s primary structure
is predominantly of aluminum alloys with composites
used only in secondary, non load-bearing structures and
fairings. The improved aerodynamic layout of the Mi-38’s
fuselage generates significantly less drag than that of
the Mi-8/17 making it possible for the new machine to
achieve higher cruise speeds; 148-154 kt (275-285 km/h)
for the Mi-38 against 113-124 kt (210-230 km/h) for the
Mi-8/17. Maximum range for the Mi-38 with internal fuel
58
is 477 nm (885 km), while with auxiliary fuel tanks it can
travel 701 nm (1,300 km).
The Mi-38 was predicted to require only half as much
maintenance as the Mi-8/17, produce a noise signature
four times smaller and have vibration levels six times
lower than the Mi-8/17, while its main systems were
intended to last significantly longer between overhauls
(TBO) than the older aircraft.
Its cabin, which is 1.85 m (6ft 1 in) high by 2.36 m (7ft
9 in) wide, has a volume of 29.5 m3 (compared to the
Mi-8/17’s 22.5 m3). The stand-up cabin can accommodate
26-30 passengers in the utility transport role, or up to 12
passengers in a VIP configuration. There are eight push-
out widows provided for emergency egress.
In the cargo role, the cabin can house up to 5,000
kg (11,020 lb) of freight. As an air crane, the Mi-38 can
be equipped with a 7,000 kg (15,430 lb) capacity belly
hook. Future versions are expected to boast a 6,000 kg
(13,230 lb) internal cargo capacity and up to 8,000 kg
(17,630 lb) externally.
Engine Story
Originally, the Mi-38 was to have had two Klimov
VKA-3000 (TV-3500) turboshafts rated at 2,500 shp
(1,838kW) continuous power and 3,750 shp (2,757kW)
emergency (OEI) power. The poor financial situation
prevailing at Klimov at the time, led to an eventual
decision in 1997, that the first prototype and the civilian
versions of the helicopter would be powered by a pair
of Pratt & Whitney PW127T/S engines rated at 3,300
shp (2,461kW) for take-off and 3,600 shp (2,684kW) OEI
2 I The Mi-38 made its first
hovering flight on 22 December
2003 at Kazan Helicopters’ factory
airfield and the first level flight
followed on 24 August 2004.

3 I Thanks to the better

aerodynamic layout, the fuselage
is advertised to generate two
times less drag than that of the
Mi-8/17 making it possible to
achieving higher cruise speeds;
275-285km/h (148-154) vs
210-230km/h (113-124kt).
The chief reasons
cited for the lack of
firm orders include
the helicopter still
emergency rating. The PW127 is the first member of cheaper and therefore being unproven and
the popular PW100 turboshaft family tailored for use on more attractive for Russian
helicopters. commercial, military and more importantly,
The Mi-38 features an all-new VR-38 four-stage parapublic customers. it carries a
planetary main gearbox that has a reduction ratio In 2007, Kazan Helicopters
of 80.5:1. invested some US$1.6 million considerable price
In 2003-2004, another new generation Russian engine of its own funds in the final
tag compared to the
was proposed for the Mi-38 – this time it was the assembly of the second flying
Klimov VK-3000 (previously known as the TV7-117V) – a vehicle and production of current Russian-
turboshaft derivative of the TV7-117 turboprop used to parts and assemblies for the
made helicopter
power the Il-114 regional airliner. Weighing 360-380 kg third one. Transas, which is the
(793-838 lb), it is OEI-rated at between 2,800 and 3,750 new risk-sharing partner in the types.
shp (2,059-2,757 kW), while take-off rating is 2,500-2,800 program and responsible for
shp (1,838-2,059kW) and cruise rating is 1,800-2,000 shp the avionics, has reportedly
(1,324-1,470 kW). It is not yet clear when this engine, already invested some US$6
which is still at an early stage of development, might million in developing, producing and testing the avionics
enter the flight-testing phase, or when it might possibly for the second and third flying vehicles that will be
be ready for installation in the Mi-38. involved in the type’s certification program.
The Mi-38’s production phase was expected
A Slow-moving Program to commence at Kazan Helicopters in 2010, with first
The Mi-38 made its first hovering flight on 22 customer deliveries tentatively scheduled for 2011.
December 2003 at Kazan Helicopters’ factory airfield Considering the frequent delays in the program thus far,
and the first level flight was on 24 August 2004. It and the lack of any firm orders by early 2008, customer
was an important milestone in the first stage of the delivery dates will probably slip further to 2012-2013.
Mi-38 program, which formally commenced in 1999. The
second stage will involve two production-representative Price
examples in the type’s certification program, with final It can reasonably be assumed that in the absence of
certification tentatively scheduled for some time between sufficient state subsidies to cover the type’s development,
2008 and 2010. the helicopter’s price will continue to escalate as a result
The Mi-38’s development, flight-testing and of increased labor prices, increases in parts and systems
certification efforts are still progressing slowly and as prices and the inflation expected to be experienced
yet, there have been no firm commitments for the new in Russia in the foreseeable future. It is now widely
helicopter from either civilian or military customers. Chief considered as “impossible” to design from scratch and
reasons cited for the dearth of firm orders include the produce an “affordable” heavy-class helicopter in the
fact that the helicopter is, as yet, unproven and more present Russian economic conditions. However, Mil MHP
importantly, it carries a considerable price tag compared has announced a more realistic target, which is to keep
to current Russian-made helicopter types. Unit list price the Mi-38’s price some 20-25% lower than that of a
in 2008-2009 is expected to be at least US$20 million civilian-configured AgustaWestland AW101. It is worth
compared to $7-8 million for a factory-new baseline noting that while the rather expensive three-engined
Mi-17V-5 or Mi-171 (in 2007 dollars). Use of indigenous AW101 has sold well to military customers worldwide, it
engines and avionics will undoubtedly make the Mi-38 has thus far achieved only a single civil sale.

59
 SUPPORT
HEPAC
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2 0 0 8
F E B / M A R

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE CIVIL HELICOPTER INDUSTRY I N T E R N A T I O N A L

I S S U E 52
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new deliveries and happenings in the GOM

The
DAWN
New Erofaa
the global civil helicopter industry. in Zambia
 Eurocopter’s EC225 and the Sikorsky’s S-92 are
considered to be the strongest competitors to the Mi-38.
By late 2007, these two modern types were reported to
have achieved 40 and more than 100 sales respectively.
The current baseline price for each type (in the utility
configuration) is more than US $20 million.
There is much impetus for increases in the state
subsidies for the Mi-38, the development costs of which
are to be partially covered by a state-backed program
named “Development of Civil Aircraft in Russia Between
2002 and 2010 and then to 2015”. It was originally
envisaged that state funding support would provide
between 15 and 25% of the total cost of development
and certification. However, in mid-2007, Vadim Ligay,
Kazan Helicopters’ newly-appointed Director General,
insisted that state aid should be increased to cover up to
50% of the program’s total costs.
By September 2007, the Mi-38’s design and
development efforts were reported to have consumed
some US $350-400 million – reportedly nearly half of the
program’s expected budget (although this cannot be
confirmed independently). Around 20% of this amount
has already been granted by the state budget, while the
rest has come from Kazan Helicopters, Mil MHP, Transas,
Eurocopter and Pratt & Whitney Canada. According to Mil
MHP sources, state support amounted to around US$12
million in 2007.
Market Prospects Not Clear Yet
The Mi-38 was designed from the outset to comply
with Russia’s AP-29 airworthiness rules – broadly
equivalent to US FAR-29 and Europe’s EASA Part 29
and the helicopter’s performance and design features
are in line with American and European equivalents.
However, after Eurocopter’s withdrawal, FAR 29 and
EASA Part 29 certifications are likely to be prolonged
and rather problematic, which may delay Western Mi-38
sales considerably. Nevertheless, Denis Manturov, former
head of Oboronprom – a state-owned Russian holding
company which now controls both Mil MHP and Kazan
Helicopters – maintains that the “spot marketing” strategy,
currently adopted for Kamov Ka-32 sales in Canada and
Western Europe, may still produce some sales to Western
customers.
Remaining conservative in his sales forecasts,
Manturov predicts a market for between five and ten
Mi-38s a year between 2010 and 2020 (both domestic
and international sales). At the same time, he expects
the Mi-8/17’s new derivatives to continue selling well for
the next 15 years – a factor likely to reduce near-term
demand for new Mi-38s. The Mi-38 variants that will
be offered to the Russian Air Force and other military
and government organizations, will undoubtedly feature
more Russian content in the form of engines, avionics and
mission equipment.
Once the helicopter enters service with such
customers, it will become eligible for export to military
and paramilitary customers through Russia’s monopolist
defense export agency, Rosoboronexport. However, at
this stage, no military or government customers have
identified any formal requirements or specifications for
engines, avionics or mission equipment.
The market niche for the Mi-38 is rather narrow – at
least for the foreseeable future. In addition to being more
expensive than the latest members of the Mi-8/17 family,
it does not offer any significant performance increases
and despite early predictions to the contrary, initial
production examples have been achieving lower airframe
and systems TBOs than those of its predecessor.
When the Mi-38 was first conceived in the 1980s,
internal competition with Mi-8/17 derivatives was
not considered as a significant factor. However, new
Mi-8/17 derivatives appeared in the 1990s as a result of
development initiatives by Kazan Helicopters and Ulan
Ude Aviation Plant in response to market demand for
the effective workhorses. As a result, in the 1990s and
early 2000s, the affordable Mi-8/17 family was greatly
improved with the addition of uprated powerplants and
new avionics and mission systems. Today’s Mi-17V-5,
Mi-171 and Mi-172 derivatives offer almost identical
payload capacity both internally and externally as the
Mi-38. Furthermore, passenger versions of the Mi-17 offer
61
 Helipod
utility seating for 24-28 passengers compared to 26-30
for the Mi-38.
TM
Against this less-than-favorable internal competition,
Mil MHP is trying to promote the Mi-38 as a much-
needed gap-filler solution in Russia, nesting between
New SLIM-LINE series II Helipods available. the Mi-8/17 and the much larger and more expensive-
to-operate Mi-26. The Mi-38 is advertised as being well
STC approved. suited to replace the now obsolete Mi-6 and Mi-10
Heli-Expo 2008
Seconds to install. workhorses with their maximum payloads of 10,000-
Lightweight. 12,000 kg (22,400-26,500 lb) that were previously
Compatible with ground handling wheels. widely used to support the oil and construction
New style clamp-on skid brackets. industries.
Weatherproof. Of the potential customers in Russia who have
Space for 2 sets of golf bags (inc Drivers).
expressed interest in the Mi-38 – and who could afford to
TOP-LOADERS with Gas strut door stay.
buy it – a handful of state-controlled oil and gas companies
would use it for passenger and cargo transport. As well,
there has been some interest expressed for as many as
80 VIP variants to meet the needs of a small VIP market
in Russia and its client states. However, the only publicly
stated intention to procure Mi-38s (although it has not
committed to firm orders) has been by UT Air, Russia’s
largest helicopter operator, for five examples.
The reason for the lack of orders for the Mi-38 is
simple. Potential customers who are currently operating
the Mi-8/17 are reluctant to announce firm commitments
www.helipod-international.com for the Mi-38 until it completes its development and
certification successfully. n

62
So you think you can hover
a helicopter? Sure, for an
experienced pilot it’s hard to
remember not being able to. But
take away the horizon and visual
cues, hang out the door looking
directly behind you and suddenly
the feeling is anything but
familiar. SARAH BOWEN rises
to the challenge and checks out
long line training for herself at
Los Angeles Helicopters.
story & photos by sar ah bowen

1 I Early morning out in Perris
Valley, where students practice
hook shots and landing on logs.
A
s long as helicopters have been lifting loads, there
has been a need for good quality, competent long
line pilots; the kind who can bring a load right
to your hand with virtually no oscillations, and who are
right outside the cockpit both physically and mentally.
These exceptional pilots are few and far between, and
the industry has been crying out for a course that
could build the foundations of a professional long line
pilot. In response to this need and in partnership with
Columbia Helicopters Inc. (CHI), Long Beach-based Los
Angeles Helicopters (LAH) developed a Part 133 approved
Professional Long Line Course that does just that.
The course delivers one-of-a-kind long line training,
beginning with the introduction of Direct Visual
Operational Control (DVOC), better known as “Vertical
Reference” – the ability to fly without reference to the
horizon, a technique developed by CHI’s pioneer Wes
Lematta and the first step in learning to fly a line. The
next stage is landing on “Alaskan-style” heliports, and
then flying a 200ft steel line. Upon successful completion,
the company can issue graduates a Part 133 Rotorcraft
External Load Operation Statement of Competency,
which, let’s face it, is a pretty useful thing to have on your
résumé. Mastering this unbelievably challenging skill,
however, is not as easy as the professionals make it look.
Andre Hutchings, Director of Operations at LAH, CFI
and Command Pilot for CHI climbs aboard the R44 Clipper
II and demonstrates the most stable hover and landing
you ever saw – the bizarre thing is that he’s hanging right
out the door, looking back at the aft skid cross-tube the
whole time. That’s weird enough, but he makes it look
like a piece of cake. We watch in astonishment as several
thousand-odd-hour instructors jump in to try their hand,
thinking “This should be okay, I’ve lifted to a hover a
million times before – how hard can it be?” only to find
themselves completely humbled as the ship goes crazy
and starts dancing about like a demented rodeo-bull.
There really is no preparing yourself for the intimidation
you endure as it sinks in that you can’t even hover that
darned helicopter, let alone place the skids precisely onto
two logs. You desperately want to look up at that horizon,
66
1I
but instead you force yourself to look behind you. It’s like
déjà vu, where all of a sudden you’re back to square one
feeling like a newbie student pilot learning to hover all
over again. Oh yes, this is what vertical reference is all
about, and the challenge makes it all the more addictive
– just like the early days when you’d fly over and over until
you could finally master those controls. The only thing
stopping you this time is discomfort; fly in that position
for 10 minutes and you’re soon thinking, “I can’t take any
more of this!”
How long liners manage it for 10 hours a day, every day
really is incredible. Long lining is a seriously demanding
job, but these guys are out there flying for hours on end
in the avoid curve, with a heavy load hanging hundreds
of feet below in an OGE hover. Thorough training is
paramount, not only for the safety of the pilot and crew,
but for the precision needed to get the cargo to its
destination without damage, or punching it off too far
from the target. Some of these makeshift heliports are
only just big enough for the helicopter, and often the
landing site is made of a couple of logs amongst tall trees
and obstacles. You think you know what a confined area
is until you see the site picture and ask yourself, “Okay,
so where is the heliport?” Often there’s only one way in
and one way out. You need to be able to look out at your
tail rotor to confirm both blades and cargo are clear of
becoming snagged.
Andre is a seasoned pilot who has logged well
over 11,000 helicopter hours across an impressive array
of missions. He flies a multitude of singles, twins and

heavy-lift machines, including the BV107 and Chinook.
In the 1990s, Andre helped numerous law-enforcement
agencies build awareness on the importance of air-to-
ground support, and for a few years flew as a police pilot
himself. Andre’s devotion to a higher standard of flight
operations has earned LAH a lot of respect in the industry
and he has worked hard to incorporate his “real-world”
flight experience into their courses.
“Our long line course is a true utility course based on
the training CHI give their H500 pilots as well as those
headed for the Vertol,” he remarks. “We designed and
implemented the course with the help of Kerry Allen,
Assistant Chief Pilot at CHI. He came down to Long Beach,
sat with us and discussed exactly what CHI looks for in
a vertical reference / long line pilot and we went from
there.” According to Allen, the Professional Long Line
Course is exactly what the name implies. “This course
contains the same methods of instruction and content
that have been used to train our support ship pilots. The
skills taught are what we require at CHI in order to be
considered for upgrade as a Command Pilot in one of
our BV107s.”
The first important thing about vertical reference
is getting comfortable in that seat. Most long line is
flown left seat, since you’re leaning so far out the door
you need to have the collective within easy reach. This
would be too impractical from the right, and probably
impossible when you’re doing it in the big machines like
the Vertol. Andre describes the position as getting right
up onto your left butt cheek so you can square your
You desperately
want to look up at
that horizon, but
instead you force
yourself to look
behind you. It’s like
déjà vu, where all
of a sudden you’re
back to square
one feeling like a
torso up to the door frame,
newbie student pilot
which puts less strain on learning to hover all
your neck. This position alone
feels completely screwed up over again.
and half the battle is forcing
yourself to stay there. After
ten minutes in the seat that cheek’s already taken a
beating, and if you’re not relaxed enough your neck and
other muscles get all tensed up. Andre reassures the class
that everybody will be more relaxed and will have buns
of steel by the end of the course!
Due to the physical demands the course is run with
several students in a class, enabling pilots to swap over
when they get tired. This also gives them a chance to
watch and learn from each other. The R44 works hard,
doors off and blades turning all day long; only shutting
down for refuels and a quick lunch break. The course is
broken down into stages, so before you go anywhere
near a line, you’ve got to get your head around the
vertical reference; there’s just no point trying to “fly the
line” without it. After an hour of ground school, students
Sy, Sofia, Joel, Claire and Troy move out to “helipad four”
to give it a shot. After assuming the “position”, looking
back as far as possible, it’s time to get light on the skids.
“Break ground real slow,” Andre says. And at that point all
hell breaks loose! Where’s the horizon? Need to see the
horizon to level the ship. But Andre insists we can’t cheat,
and so we persevere, uttering all manner of profanities
and trying desperately to hold a steady hover. “Now show
me an inside easy.”
67
 Service.

- Gregg Rochna, Owner

Maverick Helicopter

Gregg Rochna, owner of Maverick Helicopter, did not become the world’s largest EC130

tour operator overnight. His attention to details such as engine reliability and customer

service is the essential key to his success. His engine of choice – the Arriel. www.turbomeca.com
 You have to be kidding. Land it? And with the aft
skid cross-tube within 3 three inches of that white line?
The whole point of this precision landing technique is
that only the strongest parts of the skids touch down
on the made-to-measure heliports; on the R44 this is
just forward of the point the skid meets the cross-tube.
Landing too far fore or aft could damage the weaker parts
of the skid, or cause the rotor disc to clip something. The
inside easy (someone was having a laugh when they
thought that one up – believe me there’s nothing easy
2I
about it), is so called because it requires you to land on
the corner helipad markings, giving you two references
2 I Joel and Andre climb slowly up to
for lining up the skid tube. 200ft above the pad at Long Beach,
At first there’s a tendency to move the cyclic as your simulating a pickup.
head moves between the fore and aft parts of the skid,
which throws it off completely, and for some reason nicely soaked, with the instructor side strangely enough
your feet don’t work so well either. Every time you get remaining dry!), it’s time to move out to Perris Valley, a
within inches of that line the hover just seems to go small field about 30 minutes east of Long Beach, where
to pieces. It’s as if someone has sprayed the thing with the guys have built some real log heliports.
helicopter repellent, and Troy describes it as the most Heliport operations require great care and precision.
intimidating 12 inches he’s ever come across! Everyone Some heliports will be nothing more than a couple of
experiences exactly the same problem, regardless of tree stumps, or a makeshift pad on a massive slope. As
hours, experience, or whether commercial pilots or the maneuvering area is extremely tight, or non-existent,
instructors. It’s just a whole new skill set that has to be holding position over the pad is vital. You never really
developed, which is of course why it’s so much fun trying know how those logs are going to hold out with the
to nail it. After a couple of days it all begins to come weight of the helicopter suspended upon them, so you
together; holding a three-inch hover feels great, and that don’t ever take the power all the way out. If loggers are
left skid is going down right on the money.
The next stage is simulating a pickup over the
31
helipad. Andre is covering the controls and watching the nd1
o sta
gauges as you lift the ship up to a 200ft hover right over
li-Exp
the pad. Looking down at pad four from 200ft is a weird He
sensation, particularly as the only things between you
and the ground are fresh air and Frank’s seatbelt! Fixating
on the pad is a big no-no, and a sure-fire way to bring on
the nasty effects of vertigo, which unfortunately I soon
discovered. During a real pickup, you’d be consistently
crosschecking the load with the target, with the wind,
with your height, with the hooker’s hand signals so there
shouldn’t be a time you’re just staring at the same thing.
The key to it all is slow and smooth, particularly when
going back down, keeping your ROD under control
to avoid entering vortex ring state, which is always a
possibility with long line flying. - Monitor your aircraft’s movements worldwide, with one small box
By this stage that left cheek has got quite used to - No install necessary - Velcro on dash and provide power
supporting your weight and it’s bearable to fly longer - View tracks from any computer connected to the internet
sessions. Back at a sensible height Andre demonstrates a - Configure all reporting parameters on the internet
series of mini patterns and approaches to the pad, setting
- Affordable satellite tracking for
it down from overhead the pad at 8 to 10ft. In the real
your aircraft
world this could be your only “safe” area to let down. One
of the hardest things on your neck is doing a turn about
the tail, using the tail rotor as your visual reference for
height and position; those feet need to work really hard
and you’re all twisted out, which makes it quite awkward.
After four days of intense hovering through all kinds of
weather (including one particular downpour that had us

+64 6 329 4794 | contact@spidertracks.co.nz | www.spidertracks.co.nz

 chucking tools, gear and perhaps even themselves into
the aircraft, the weight is constantly changing and the
helipad could even collapse.
LAH have simulated two helipads, one consisting of
two logs on the ground, and the other, an elevated rig.
Having something thin to land on seems to focus the
attention and most students actually found this easier
than the “inside easy”, although perhaps it was due to
increased proficiency following days of practice! Joel, an
investment banker, who attended the first course LAH ran
back in October last year, enjoyed it so much he came
back to do it all again. “From a skill-building standpoint,

Train with the best: 300CBi ™

At that point all
hell breaks loose!
“Where’s the
horizon? Need to
see the horizon to
level the ship.” But
Andre insists we
can’t cheat, and
so we persevere,
uttering all manner
Lowest cost of ownership. of profanities and
trying desperately
Preferred by instructors and pilots.
to hold a steady
Designed for the flight training mission. hover.

Simply stated, it’s the best training helicopter.

3 I A quick refuel break and

helicopter and students are all
set to go again.

4 I Slow is the word as you pick

up the line, making sure it’s clear
of getting snagged at all times.

5 I The 230lb cement bucket sits

on the target, ready to be hooked
up again.

www.s acus a.com

Schw P2 ad HO.indd 9 10/19/07 4:30:30 PM
you can’t beat it,” he remarks. “I’m sure there are hundreds
of pilots out there, just like me, who would simply love to
have a go at this for the sheer challenge, even if they don’t
intend to make a career of it. It’s entirely addictive!”
With almost a week of brutal flying out of the way,
we return to Perris Valley for the duration. This place is
beginning to feel like “boot camp”! Andre demonstrates
a 200ft pickup of the line, gently standing up the cone
and remote hook, and lifting it gracefully into the air to fly
a circuit. Again, he makes it look like child’s play, but the
skill involved in keeping that line from swinging about
requires even more refining. The line is made of steel and
attaches underneath the helicopter using a belly hook
with an electronic and manual release. “Our students only
fly a steel line as opposed to synthetics; steel is way less
forgiving and much harder to fly,” Andre says. “We also go
straight in with a 200ft line, which is really unheard of in
training, but that’s what they use at Columbia and if the
students can master that, the shorter ones will be easy.”
Picking it up is one thing, flying it around is another.
Any sudden changes in pitch, altitude and speed can
throw the line into a wild oscillation, and regaining
control can be hard work. The only way to get it back is
to fly in the direction of the swing, skids level, to try and
catch it. Sofia says it was the most incredible training
she’s ever had. “Having a top-notch CHI instructor talking
you through the maneuvers is fantastic. He displays
incredible patience in allowing you to make mistakes and
3I
The golden rule for a nice “hook shot” is flying slowly enough with no sudden cyclic
inputs at all, and just walking the hook or load to the target with it sitting completely
straight underneath you.
then figure out how to recover from them. The extreme
precision required to get the job done was certainly an
eye-opening experience,” she says. Judging the hook’s
distance from the ground is also incredibly tough; looking
at the shadow helps, but you’re not always lucky enough
to have one. More often than not you’re higher than you
think, but 200ft is a long way down and it can be difficult
to tell whether you’re going to clear the trees, power lines
and other obstacles on the ground. Sy described this as
the most challenging flying ever, besides maybe getting
in for that very first lesson. “I have a lot of respect for the
guys who do this day in, day out,” he says.
The golden rule for a nice “hook shot” is flying slowly
enough with no sudden cyclic inputs at all, and just
walking the hook or load to the target with it sitting
completely straight underneath you. The ground crew
can give hand signals to tell you when you’re level, or
if you need to come down or go up, or they can talk
you down on the radio, calling out the load’s height
to guide you into the target zone. Wind direction is an
important consideration as this can seriously affect both
the helicopter and the load. We practice flying various
loads around, from a 230lb bucket full of cement, to a
bunch of logging chokers, even a medical litter, all of
which have different flight characteristics and require
additional skills.
One success story is Forrest Garton, a graduate of the
very first LAH long line course, who has just completed
4I 5I
71
 his first 40 hours in the Vertol with CHI. “Before I did the
course I had zero long line experience, but Andre was
super to fly with and very inspiring. Once I found that
helicopter’s sweet spot and started lining up the hook
shots, it all came together and it felt so much better.”
Forest started training with CHI right after he finished at
LAH, and having previously been a logger, he’s finding it
great to be at the other end of the line. “CHI have a motto
– it’s not how fast you go, it’s how much time you don’t
waste,” he says. In other words, if you come in too fast
you’re just going to make it harder on yourself and spend
longer trying to stop it swinging about. Forrest was told
that it takes a long line pilot around 2,000 hours to reach
80% of their potential, but the 15 hours he spent on the
course taught him all the basic principles; the rest can
only come with experience.
The defining quality of this course has to be the
experienced team of professional long line pilots teaching
it. It is targeted, though not exclusively, at existing
commercial pilots wishing to add the final touch to
their résumé and provides a way of breaking into the
industry. LAH run the course approximately once a
month, and it lasts for ten days with a combination of
ground school and up to 20 hours flying. They also run
shorter introductory courses for those who just want to
have a go, and see if they can face up to the challenge
and the fun of learning vertical reference and long line.
CHI’s Chief Pilot, Jim Coates, commended LAH on
their unique program. “I chose to send our new pilots to
LAH because they had developed a curriculum focused
on bush and utility work. While EMS, the Gulf, tour and
news helicopters grab the headlines, a large part of the
helicopter industry quietly goes about its business. That
business is out in the bush, and utility work is where the
helicopter is the workhorse,” he remarks. “Differing skill
sets are needed – mainly precise aircraft control and
vertical reference external-load long line skills. If one was
to acquire the skill set and be good at it they would never
be without work.”
According to Coates, most companies do not have
the time, money or structure to provide basic vertical
reference flight training, and for those operating large
helicopters the cost to train a person without basic long
line skills can be huge. “Having someone like LAH offering
this type of training is cost-effective for us and helps to
provide skilled pilots to the industry as a whole. Certainly
anyone who completes this course would have a major
advantage in obtaining a job with companies whose
bread-and-butter is long line external load work”. Vertical
reference and long line are incredibly fulfilling skills to
muster and any pilot looking for a way to expand their
flying ability, or perhaps steer their career in the direction
of long line work should definitely check out LAH’s highly
regarded course. n

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503-678-1222
 o pter D esign
on H e l i c
w e r Ma rgin Revealing what might be an
nce o f P o
e
The Influ anathema to most helicopter pilots, Nick Lappos,
an ex-Sikorsky test pilot, examines the helicopter designer’s dilemma
of dealing with the various components of a helicopter system and
as a result, how a helicopter can sometimes have too much power.

M
ae West was probably speaking for all pilots
about power margin when she said, “Too much
is not enough!” In every coffee talk, pilots
almost always ask for enough reserve power in a twin-
engine helicopter, sufficient emergency power to hover
on one engine, and greater power margins to allow safer
maneuvering in a hover. The extra power they request is
margin – power that is not used during a normal mission
but held in reserve, just in case. It is extra power to be
available should the pilot need it to get out of a jam.
Flying close to the margin is uncomfortable, and the skill
and nerve needed to keep things right is palpable.
In questioning pilots about the shortcomings of their
machines (the best way to help understand what to get
right next time) I have discovered that the question is
almost never “How much of any attribute does one want,”
but rather, “What will you give up in exchange for that
attribute?”
The training for helicopter pilots does not include an
appreciation of the balance of a successful design and
the inexorable rule that adding “extra” of anything always
takes something else away. Compare an aircraft’s delicate
design balance to the panels on a football (a soccer ball
to our American cousins), where each pentagonal panel
represents a particular attribute, such as payload, range,
purchase price, operating cost, power margin or OGE
hover ceiling. By asking for a change in one attribute, by
measurably increasing the size of one panel to effect that
change, the design becomes skewed, and consequently
the several other panels will have to be reduced in
order to retain the design’s overall “design volume.” The
panels must be reduced, and the amount by which they
are reduced, measure the cost of the attribute that is
increased. There is no way to change a design without
trading off on something else, no matter what one
might wish. So when we ask a pilot, “Do you want more
power margin?” we have misunderstood the designer’s
dilemma. The question must be, “Mr Pilot, what are you
willing to give up in return for more power margin?” Let’s
look at the costs, using some simple design rules.
Additional Empty Weight – Let’s look at a
hypothetical family of three helicopters in which we
change the engine power, but leave everything else
unchanged. For simplicity we will use a venerable
helicopter as the baseline, something close to the S-76A,
whose performance and weight are well known. As
we change the engines, we will leave the rotors and
fuselage unchanged. Therefore, the hover power and
single engine power required remain unchanged, so that

74
 TABLE 1
Low Performance High Performance Ultra Performance
Twin Twin Twin  
the extra engine power available can be used Max Gross Weight 10500 10500 10500 Baseline, we take the same helo
as margin to improve the performance when and just increase engine size
HOGE Power Needed,
needed. However, the extra engine weight Sea Level 1200 1200 1200  
and fuel required must be subtracted from the Engines 2 engines @650HP 2 engines @1000HP 2engines @1250 HP  
available payload. Total Engine Power 1300 2000 2500  
Table 1 outlines the three helicopters we Hover Power Margin 1.08 1.67 2.08 The Ultra hovers on one engine
have built with different engines, and tested Engine Weight 520 800 1000 HP X 0.4 lb per Horse Power
their payload and range. For this analysis, we Weight Growth Factor baseline 1.50 1.50 Engine and airframe increased weight
use “rubber” engines, where all share the same Empty Weight Increase baseline 420.00 720.00  
level of technology, and have the same weight Equipped Empty Weight 7500 7920 8220  
Useful Load and max payload 3000 2580 2280  
per horsepower and the same thermodynamic
125 knot Cruise Power 962 962 962 Power for 125 knots. 145 Kts = 118HP,
efficiency. In effect, we just “stretch” the engine 155kts = 1300 HP
design to change its power and weight. A quick 125Kt % Power 0.74 0.48 0.38  
glance at the weight of the engines compared 125 Kt Cruise SFC 0.53 0.64 0.72 Look up on SFC chart
to the power they produce, shows that most 125Kt Cruise Fuel Flow 510 616 688 Fuel flow Lb/Hr at 125kts,
SFC times Horse Power
engines weigh about 0.36 to 0.49 lbs for each
Fuel per NM @125Kts 4.08 4.93 5.50  
horsepower they produce. We have assumed a
Pounds of Fuel to go 100 NM 408 493 550
weight of 0.4 lbs per horsepower – comparable
to the entire family of gas turbines between
600-1,500 hp. We will also discuss the thermodynamic We assume the weight of each set of engines based
efficiency of the engines, and show some data to describe on the total power. We will not skew the analysis by
why we want to operate at high power if we can. comparing a low technology, older small engine with a
Each of the three helicopters has the same maximum high technology, modern large engine. For this study,
gross weight and requires the same cruise power and all the engines have the same level of technology and
hover power because we have assumed that they are net thermal efficiency. Also note, we increase the total
all aerodynamically identical. This simplification slightly aircraft empty weight by adding a half pound of airframe
favors the higher-powered helicopters, because we for each additional one pound of engine weight. This
ignore the fact that larger engines have a bigger cross- extra weight accounts for things like the bigger main
section and therefore more drag, which requires more transmission necessary to handle the power, bigger
power, in flight. We ignore that increased drag and engine bays, more fire zone shielding, larger fuel pipes
additional power requirement, not only for the sake of and pumps, larger cowlings, and more oil tankage. It is
simplicity, but also to be sure that we are not loading the probably a low number, but again, we don’t want to skew
case against high power. the analysis against power.
n The Low Performance Twin has two 650 hp engines for
1,300hp in total – just enough power to stay aloft with Turbine Engine Efficiency – A turbine engine’s fuel
one engine shut down at low altitude. Note that the consumption is directly related to the percentage of power
80-knt power is almost all that one engine can produce. it is producing. Chart 1 plots a typical high performance
It has a hover ceiling that is only a few thousand feet turbine engine’s fuel consumption per horsepower. It is
above sea level, by having an excess power ratio of only actual data, based on the tables in several flight manuals.
108%. With a baseline equipped empty weight of 7,500 Note that the specific fuel consumption (pounds of fuel
lbs, it has a maximum payload of 3,000 lbs. per hour per horsepower) is much better at high power
n The High Performance Twin has two engines with than at low power. This is because at high power, the
1,000 hp each, for 2,000 hp in total. It has excellent OEI engine runs hotter and exhausts its work more efficiently
(One Engine Inoperative) performance, as well as high – a property known as thermodynamic efficiency. A
altitude twin engine hover capability, perhaps HOGE power source is much more efficient when the power
at 5-7,000 ft above sea level. It has an empty weight is produced at a very high temperature, so that the heat
of 7,920 lbs and maximum payload of 2,580 lbs. and work flow easily to the colder outside environment.
n The Ultra Performance Twin two engines are each Engineers know that the greater the “delta temperature”
about as powerful as the combined engine power between the hot section and the outside air, the greater
of the Low Performance helicopter, so that the Ultra, the thermodynamic efficiency.
with one engine shut down, behaves a bit like the Low A second big reason why a turbine engine is less
Performance helicopter with both engines operating! efficient at partial power is because the compressor
Its HOGE performance is outstanding – over 10,000 blades are designed for one best angle of attack, where
ft – and so is its OEI performance. It effectively has no they operate at maximum efficiency. This best power
OEI dead man’s curve at low altitude. It has an empty point is often set by the engine designer near takeoff
weight of 8,220 lbs and max payload of 2,280 lbs. power, since an aircraft can carry more payload – and

75
chart 1 chart 1 – plot pOints
% pwr Fuel Flow HP Specific % pwr %
Specific Fuel Consumption Vs % Takeoff Power Fuel Consuption Thermodinamic
T700-701C Engine Spec lb/HP/Hr efficiency
0.8 10.00 240.00 141.40 1.70 10.00 8.57
0.75 20.00 295.00 282.80 1.04 20.00 13.94
30.00 342.00 424.20 0.81 30.00 18.04
0.7
40.00 394.00 565.60 0.70 40.00 20.88
0.65 50.00 442.00 707.00 0.63 50.00 23.26
0.6 60.00 493.00 848.40 0.58 60.00 25.03
70.00 542.00 989.80 0.55 70.00 26.56
0.55
80.00 595.00 1131.20 0.53 80.00 27.65
0.5 90.00 646.00 1272.60 0.51 90.00 28.65
0.45 100.00 702.00 1414.00 0.50 100.00 29.29
110.00 756.50 1555.40 0.49 110.00 29.90
0.4
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 120.00 811.00 1696.80 0.48 120.00 30.43
130.00 900.00 1838.20 0.49 130.00 29.70

make more money – if the engine has more takeoff power.
The peak efficiency for a turbine blade is near its peak
angle of attack, just like a wing or a rotor. When the engine
is at low power, the blades are off peak efficiency, they
require more power to squeeze the air, and this eats extra
fuel. Similarly, note that at more than about 110% power,
Chart 1 shows that there is an increase in fuel needed to
produce the power (the curve turns upward). At this point,
the engine loses efficiency as the fuel burn increases with
the higher temperature. This probably shows that the
engine is tuned to 110% power so the compressor is at
an ideal angle of attack there, and any increase in power
“chokes” the engine at the expense of efficiency.
Plotted on the right on this chart is the actual
thermodynamic efficiency of the engine, based on the
heat value of the fuel it is consuming in the fuel it burns
(for the budding engineer, turbine fuel contains 17,500
BTUs per pound, and one horsepower is 550 foot-pounds
per second. At 778 foot-pounds per BTU, one horsepower
is about 2,545 BTUs per hour.) At highest power, the engine
is about 30% efficient, so that 30% of the heat energy of
the fuel is converted to power. A very well-trimmed
electric generating power plant can reach 40% using
fancy regeneration and other heavy expensive features.
At 30% for a light, robust helicopter engine, we are not
doing too badly! Most reciprocating engines have less
efficiency, perhaps 25% for a multi-valve racing engine,
but a piston engine maintains similar efficiency at almost
any power setting, because it does not vary its power
by changing the temperature of combustion, but by
operating at either lower RPM or lower manifold pressure,
with the result that each combustion cycle is as hot, and
nearly as efficient as the others. Pistons are very good at
partial power, compared to turbines. But piston engines
weigh almost twice as much as turbines and have many
more parts constantly jostling each other and wearing
out at a very high rate. The smooth rotational motion of
a turbine induces almost no wear on its components, so
we live with its one most serious drawback – poor partial-
power efficiency.

Payload Effects of Power Margin

Chart 3 tells the final story, and shows the cost of the
extra performance margin on payload at range. Note that
at 200 nm, the “high” performance helicopter has lost
550 lbs of payload – more than three passengers – while
the “ultra” performer has lost more than five passengers.
The lesson here is actually intuitive. You might ask, “Why
is there less payload with more power?” Don’t forget, you
asked for more power margin – more in reserve, not to be
used, but waiting in the wings. If we used the power to
carry more weight, we’d be in the same low-margin case
and no better off. We would just be building a bigger
helicopter and carry more payload but with the same
performance margins. Some observations:
1) Unless you use the extra power with an appropriate
increase in rotor and airframe, it can only harm the
payload, since bigger engines weigh more, cost more
and burn more fuel. Anyone who has ever flown a
chart 2
Extra Power Burns More Fuel
2500 HP Per NM
6 Med Perf twin
2000 HP
5
1300 HP
4 1000
Better Fuel
Economy
3
More payload
120 130 140 150
at range
Cruise Speed - Knots
Wessex knows this by heart, since the Wessex flies
quite well with one engine shut down, and goes
further as well.
2) Larger engines weigh more, so the helicopter grows
in empty weight. In effect, when you compare a
helicopter with a small engine package to one with
big engines where its power is held in reserve, you
may have a bigger helicopter, but can only use some
of its capability while the rest is held as a safety
margin. Think of it as having a 15,000-lb helicopter
power train, but restricting it to a maximum weight of
10,500 lbs, with the concurrent reduction in payload
and productivity.
3) The range suffers because the bigger engines weigh
more and burn more fuel, so that the highest-
powered helicopter in our study gives up over 800
lbs of payload at 100 nm range – enough to have
carried more than four more passengers. This is a 33%
difference in payload between the two helicopters,
so that it would take four of the higher-powered
helicopters to do the work of three of the lower
powered ones.
4) None of these designs are bad. The higher-powered
helicopters are fine machines, and have advantages
that some customers might desire. The lesson here is
that there is a price to be paid for those performance
advantages, just as the more efficient helicopter pays a
performance price for its extra payload capability.
Safety Implications
Not only does excess power come at a steep
productivity cost, but beyond a certain threshold, extra
OEI power does not contribute to safety. Once a helicopter
has good single engine cruise performance (traditional
Cat A) it gains no more statistical safety from more engine
power – mostly because the places where traditional Cat
A falls short (a few seconds on takeoff and landing) are
so rare that they don’t contribute to the safety statistics.
For that reason, the ability to hover on one engine does
not show up as a safety improvement on any accident
data available. This is why civil authorities have allowed
statistical data on engine reliability to permit offshore rig
operations, and will continue to do so at least for the next
few years.
Detailed data is available from the International
chart 3
Payload and Range
Low Perf Twin
3000
Low Perf twin High Perf Twin
2500
High Perf twin 28% better Ultra Perf Twin
fuel economy
Payload 2000
Lbs
1500
15% better
fuel economy 500
0
160 Max 100NM 200NM 300NM 400NM
Range
Association of Oil and Gas Producers aviation
subcommittee. Readers can search the web for OGP
Aviation Safety Subcommittee and read their excellent
reports. This data shows the safety statistics for the
accidents in the oil industry over millions of flight
hours and, interestingly, shows that engine-caused
fatal accidents are very rare, and that in multi-engined
helicopters, engine failure is no longer a serious safety
concern. This tends to support current JAR OPS rules
that control safety by demanding twin engine en route
capability during the many hours of cruise flight, should
also control the probability of an engine failure during
the critical portions of a flight where an engine failure
might result in an unplanned landing. In this way, safety is
maintained at extremely high levels by employing lower
performance twins whose engine failure probability is
accounted for and fully understood. The alternative –
full engine failure tolerance with extremely high excess
power margins (the Ultra Helicopter) and the ensuing loss
of 30% of the passenger load (or looked at another way,
the 30% increase in transport costs) is avoided.
Cost to Operate
The bigger-engined turbine bird costs more to buy
– perhaps 10% more for the “ultra”, since we pay by the
horsepower – costs more to insure (higher replacement
cost), incurs higher direct operating costs (fuel and
parts costs are driven by horsepower), and costs more
to overhaul (those bigger engines and transmissions.)
Remember that the “ultra” carries 30% less payload, so it
produces less revenue for its owner, as well.
Too much power?
Considering the cost of this engine power margin, it
could be argued that excess power robs safety, because
the power may come at the cost of expensive but
worthwhile safety gear that the helicopter’s maker might
otherwise have fitted, but left off in order to help the
helicopter compete. If safety truly is a serious goal, then
safety dollars should go where they will do the most
good. For example, measures to reduce the incidences
of CFIT (Controlled Flight Into Terrain – or water), which
account for 30-40% of our accidents, would be a very
worthwhile safety improvement, according to those OGP
accident statistics. n
77
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78

Rafael Perez
Offshore Pilot
Eket , Nigeria
As a young and newly
qualified commercial pilot
from Spain, finding that
first career break was a
tough challenge, but once
the opportunities started
rolling in there was no
stopping him.
WHAT SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN
HELICOPTERS?
I really don’t remember when I started to
become interested in flying - I actually think I
was born with it! I have been fascinated by all
kinds of aircraft since I was a child. One day I
started to build model kits, a few years later
I started to fly remote control models, and
finally I ended up becoming a real helicopter
pilot!
SO WHAT ROUTE DID YOU GO TO GET
QUALIFIED?
When I finished High School I went to Aero
Madrid where I followed an integrated CPL(H)
and IFR course with ATPL(H) theory and I flew
101 hours on R22, and 39 hours on Hughes
500. I completed my studies in late 1998.
AS A NEWLY-QUALIFIED COMMERCIAL
PILOT, HOW DID YOU GET YOUR FIRST
CAREER BREAK?
I found it was very difficult to find a job in
Spain – even more so with only the minimum
number of hours you get when you finish
your commercial course. One day, after more
than one year of persistent job-seeking, my
telephone started ringing and I received an
offer from FAASA Aviación to fly as a radio
operator on a firefighting Bell UH-1H. I was
really excited; I had found my first job! The
contract was for only ten days and I flew with
Captain Mitxel Zubizarreta, who nowadays
is one of my best friends in the helicopter
world. A few months after that I received
an offer from another company to continue
the firefighting season with a Bell 412 and
Kamov32.
SO WHAT HAPPENED AFTER YOUR FIRST
BREAK?
I didn’t get a job as a real type-rated co-pilot
until I joined Helicsa Helicopteros for an HEMS
operation in Galicia, in Spain, where I flew a
Dauphin SA 365 C2 for almost three years. After
that I joined Helibravo for another firefighting
season, but this time with a brand new PZL
Sokol W3A2 flying with test pilots from the
Polish factory. I later found my most enjoyable
job – working for Helisureste flying public
transport operations in a Bell 412 between the
islands of Malta and Gozo, where I met a lot of
nice colleagues.
WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU FACED
ALONG THE WAY?
I found the bigger helicopters easier to fly;
more stable, more power, better-equipped,
safer, but the greatest challenge was to
learn all about the new operations (HEMS,
Firefighting, etc), and learn all the procedures
to perform efficient and safe work.
SO HOW DID YOU END UP IN NIGERIA?
The Bell 412 experience I built up with
Helisureste in Malta blazed the way for my
present work with Bristow Helicopters. An
opportunity came along, and in August 2006 I
started working in Eket, Nigeria, flying offshore
support for the oil industry. The helicopter
base is inside the Qua Iboe Terminal (QIT),
which is a big ExxonMobil oil facility near the
coast. There are six helipads, a 1,620ft (494m)
grass strip and a big hangar. Bristow has six
Bell 412 EPs fully-equipped with GPWS, TCAS,
and Blue Sky Network, and my role is to carry
passengers and cargo between the QIT, the
platforms and the airport at Port Harcourt.
Bristow is the best company I’ve ever worked
for. They have excellent safety standards and
in my experience they have always been very
focused on ensuring all pilots comply with the
company procedures. All the other pilots and
engineers I have worked alongside are very
professional and I am very happy to be a part
of the team - it makes the job a real pleasure. I
have already learnt a lot from their knowledge
and experience.
HOW MANY HOURS DO YOU HAVE?
I’m getting on for 2,500 hours now.
personal profile
WHAT KIND OF DUTY AND FLYING HOURS
DO YOU WORK?
We fly for five or six hours a day, but no more
than 100 hours in every 28 days. We work on a
six-weeks-on, six-weeks-off basis.
DID YOU HAVE TO DO ANY SPECIAL
TRAINING IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE?
When I joined the company I had to pass an
OPC. They also train us to follow all company
procedures, and take-off and landing profiles
both onshore and offshore. We do two flying
checks every year, and for one of them we
travel to the UK to use a Bell 412 simulator. To
remain current with our night flying we also
have to conduct at least three take-offs and
landings to offshore installations at night every
three months.
WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE ADJUSTING TO
LIVING AND WORKING IN NIGERIA?
Nigeria is a very underdeveloped country and
is not easy to live in. The main threats here are
Malaria and kidnappings. More than 150 oil
industry expatriates were violently kidnapped
during 2007. Almost all of them were safely
released, but four were killed during the
attacks. Pilots and engineers live in hotels or
compounds and are not allowed to go out,
so it is completely different to a normal life
in Europe.
HAVE YOU HAD ANY BIG LEARNING
EXPERIENCES AS A PILOT?
A long time ago we were flying near cloudy
high land in Spain. It was time to return to our
base and in order to get through we decided
to go into cloud without any previous real IFR
experience. We started to climb through the
clouds and after a few minutes we completely
lost our speed, the helicopter fell, descending
over 3,000 ft without control. Miraculously we
recovered visual conditions in a valley with big
mountains at each side covered by clouds. This
was my greatest learning experience. Aviation
is serious work, and I learnt that the price
you pay for not respecting the rules, ignoring
common sense or going further than you
should, could be your life.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE HELICOPTER
INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA?
The helicopter industry in Nigeria is so big
because of the oil. There are an immense
number of helicopters in the Niger Delta,
most of them operated by CHC and Bristow
who comply with international aviation
safety standards. Bristow operates around 50
helicopters in Nigeria.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER TO
PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GET INTO FLYING
HELICOPTERS?
Find what you most like and go for it. I think
that any objective can be reached. n
79

With Heli-Expo coming up and putting
helicopters on the worldwide stage, where
exactly is our industry at?
M ilitary Programs – Reports are that
most new military programs are not
doing well, with delays in most countries
and shortfalls in performance. The VH-71
Presidential helicopter is reported to have
survived cancellation by a hair, and will be
about US$1 billion dollars over its $6+ billion
cost (for fewer than 30 helicopters!) The US
Army UH-72 LUH seems to be recovering, and
the AH-71 ARH is also righting itself, although
the US Army has reported that it will cut a
number of deliveries from the contract to
balance the budget. The NH-90 delivery to
the Danes and Fins is very late, and penalties
are reported. Credible rumors say that the
CH-148 Cyclone to the Canadian military (the
S-92’s naval variant) will be late, but no official
confirmation has been issued.
Late programs might tell a dual story –
one of industrial over-reach but also of lack
of teamwork. Not all manufacturers can be
so simultaneously inept, and they surely do
not plan on cancellation or penalties to buy
time. A strong factor might be the inability
of industry development teams to make the
lowest level military approver happy that the
item he is watching is finally ready. The sum
of refusals on several key components or tests
can doom a schedule while the contractor
watches helplessly, unable to tell the folks
with the purse strings that the folks with
the approval power are delaying the game.
Since the Military are both the customer and
the approving authority (as opposed to the
predictable and independent EASA or FAA
for civil machines), then roping an approval
for each step could be a strong contributor
to the delays; thus the thought that lack of
teamwork is also a culprit. We saw a hint of
this when the LUH and ARH programs (both
80
“off the shelf” procurements) were found to
shortfall in puzzling ways. How can an aircraft
that was measured and tested before it was
bought suddenly become too short just prior
to delivery? Is this “shrinkage” likely to continue,
will the 200th aircraft get shorter yet? We
doubt it, but perhaps the next Lieutenant to
test the aircraft will stumble upon another new
problem, and help trigger another delay.
An example of success might be the V-22
Osprey, which deployed to Iraq in the Fall, and
has had no losses, and a string of self-reported
successes, as well as a 68% availability rate –
not at all shabby for a first deployment and an
Iraqi environment. Of course, the press release
pointed out that the V-22 was used for all
missions, including scouting! Some scout!
Several Indian and Chinese indigenous
military models were delivered, showing that
the inexorable spread of technology is finally
hitting home across the globe. The technology
flow comes in spite of security rules, it seems,
since the latest Chinese helicopter gunship
sports top-of-the-line Pratt and Whitney
engines that were shipped to a Chinese civil
helicopter, but were somehow lost in the post
and turned up (pun intended) in a first-line
attack machine.
Civil Programs – Sales are booming in every
weight class across the industry from Frank
Robinson’s record breaking deliveries of his
R-44 to the big guys at the top end, where it is
said over 70 S-92s have been delivered, as well
Not all manufacturers
can be so simultaneously
inept, and they surely do
not plan on cancellation or
penalties to buy time.
the last word
as a sizable number of EC-225s. Both of these
big guys are said to be sold out for the next
few years. AgustaWestland is doing land-office
business, with their AW-139 having over 300
orders booked, giving the S76C+ and B412
strong competition in the medium market.
The Bell line was recently “rationalized”
by cutting some older models with large
overlap, thus concentrating the marketing
and manufacturing chores of the Bell team.
We will especially mourn the loss of the 206,
that venerable classic that saw us through our
entire career, but we will not miss LTE, and we
welcome the bright future that the 429 seems to
hold. Bell sales are so strong that their sales folks
are selling line slots three years down the road.
This whole paragraph could be made
bigger and in colour… don’t repeat it. Just use
it once BIG!
Eurocopter has had an all-time record sales
year, reporting that it had “once again secured
its position as the world’s No. 1 manufacturer
of civil and parapublic helicopters with a
total of 488 helicopter deliveries.” The math is
interesting, since Robinson Helicopter reported
(in dueling press releases) that there were 803
R-44 and R22s delivered in 2007! Perhaps there
is a different number system on the Eastern
shore of the Atlantic?
MD seems to be making a comeback, with
new emphasis on parts and support, energy
derived from their new management team
and their dynamic Chairman Lynn Tilton, who
has shaken up the management team several
times, by our count. Executive bonuses might
be measured by the Richter Scale at MD. An
independent aircraft publication reported that
their customers rated MD just below Bell in
overall customer service – a major leap for MD,
which has struggled in the recent past, mostly
due to the disruption of its supply base when it
was broken off from its parent several years back.
The use of helicopters world-wide is at an
all time high, with flight hours and revenues
moving upward in all segments. The successes
are surely due to the string of excellent quality
machines, good operational equipment and
a growing recognition that safety is the single
most important deliverable.
This observer notes that the seat-of-the-
pants operators of the past are moving into
the high tech world with great speed – driven
by competition with newcomers who buy and
use top-of-the-line products and technologies.
In a world where a radar altimeter was once
considered a luxury, now fully-coupled IFR
machines with GPS navigation and moving
maps are being placed – a welcomed sight! n