Tieing Down Blades

[Heli-Ops]

What are individuals thoughts on tieing down the blades at night or even when the aircraft is not in use. I have visited a lot of places and it seems there is no hard and fast rule about what is right and what is wrong. Comments anyone.

 

Heli Ops

[as350vtr]

It all depends on the helicopter. I tie down a H-500 if I know it is done flying for the day. An AS350 and a Bell 212 gets tied down almost immediatley (no flight within about 1 hour).

It is a question of what you are trying to protect. A starflex supposedly likes to crack flapping in the breeze and other helicopter types like to flap dangerously close to the tailboom warrantying immediate tie down.

[jimbo2181]

Out at the airport in Des Moines we have had numerous helis come in and I was surprised to find that none of them tied down the blades.  Blackhawks, oh-58 (jetranger), 350s, R-44, etc.  None of them.  You think if it was a big issue the military would make it mandatory but who knows, they spend 50 dollars on a hammer.

[Guest shorthome]

Whe tie down the blades of the Ah-64 with winds above 25 Knt. And when we leave the helo for the day.

[cecil]

It is good airmanship to tie down the blades.    This reduces unnecessary stresses and strains, and wear and tear on the rotor head assembly.  Even the slightest breeze gets the blades flapping.  

[Jesse James]

The Lama is the  only helicopter that I have flown where I did not tie the blades when done for the day. We run four Lama's and I don't think the company even had tie-downs for them. Jesse

[Hoist]

My opinion is, "do you really want to explain why you didn't tie the blades down?" What possible excuse could you have (besides an EMS quick response) for NOT tying things down. It saves wear and tear on the blades and head and you did what you could to protect the companies aircraft.

Mind you I'm not talking about every time you land but if you are going to be parked, especially over night, why not?

[Jesse James]

I guess if the company had wanted us to tie the blades they would have given us tie-downs to do it with. The company averages 1,000 hrs a year per Lama and have been flying Lama's for at least 15 years that I can account for and have never had a damaged rotor head, so Hoist maybe you can explain what part of the Lama rotor head you are concerned about and I will relay it to the the company and their mechs,as a mechanic stays with the helicopter all the time and the helicopter is not fired-up unless it has been dailyed by the mech. Jesse

[Randy Greenhalgh]

When not flying for awhile the rotor gets tied down.  All the a/c I've flown got tied down, unless they were being put into the hangar.  (never flown the Llama, and know squat about it)  Even when on initial attack the rotor gets tied down, it takes what 20 seconds to untie it ??  On our 205's the tail rotor gets tied down at night (in case of a storm/strong gust), as well as the m/r.  If a cb is moving overhead all covers, and tie downs go on.  

 

Cheers

[Wally]

There is a flip side to tie downs-the possibility of forgetting them-You WILL try to start with the blades secured, it's a question of how soon you'll notice- and  some equipment is dangerous. The set I'm provided now has lots of metal snaps, hooks, etc., on the strap- throwing the end over the blades must be done with caution. I still routinely tie it down in breezes/winds sufficient to flap the blade noticeably.

[Skybolt]

I think some blades are better off left untied (unless there are high winds forecast). On the BK 117 and BO 105 there are no hinges so any tiedown force is applied directly to the blades. In the 222 the flapping bearings are elastomeric so if you tie them down you are actually adding stress to those bearings. It will stay level nicely if left to its own.

 

On the other hand, anything with a semi-rigid system should be tied down to prevent the flap stops from banging the mast.

 

Just my opinion.