R44 90 and 180 degree autos nearly end in "disaster"....

[HeloJunkie]

I thought I would share this everyone who might get a chuckle out of my potential "disaster"....

 

So I was out yesterday working with my instructor on 90 and 180 degree autos in my R44. Everything was going well. We had started the day with a series of hovering autos and progressed to a couple of 90 autos at our local training area, to grass. After a couple of well timed 90s which ended with a light touch down on the skids, my instructor decided to move to a nearby local airport for some more training.

 

I was in the front right seat of 4142G, a new R44 Raven II with about 50 hours on it, my instructor was in the front left, and oh yes, my 10 year old "little brother" Andrew (next door neighbor boy to whom I play big brother) was in the back seat. Now how did I forget about him...? After the first couple of "Hey, those are really cool" comments from the back seat, I had totally forgotten about my passenger.

 

So we moved to Ramona airport and started another series of right and left hand 90 and 180 autos. I was doing pretty well, concentrating on RPM, Airspeed, landing point, flare, not too much flare, pull pitch, heading..and of course LEVEL the HELICOPTER before touch down! With all this great training going on, I had totally forgotten about the poor kid in the back seat!!

 

We asked for a west departure and off we went. About 30 seconds later, Andrew mentioned that he was going to be sick!!! WOW! Nothing gets your attention faster than the thought of someone throwing up in your brand new helicopter!

 

Thankfully we were over a open field and I was able to land immediately. When I realized how close we had been to disaster and how bad he felt, we shut down 42G and spent about 30 minutes walking around and drinking water...he spent a bunch of time laying on the ground looking up at the sky, hoping not to get sick.

 

After about 30 minutes, he decided he was ready to head back home. I decided that it might be best for him to ride up front with my instructor for better air flow and visibility and he seemed very happy with that idea. Within a few minutes, my instructor had him working the radios and flying the helicopter and all thoughts of being sick were gone.

 

When we got back to Palomar Airport, Andrew and I talked about letting me know sooner next time he does not feel well. I learned a very valuable lesson that I thought (after 20+ years of fixed wing flying and over 250 Young Eagle and Boy Scout flights) I had learned - be very aware of your passengers, especially kids. I should have realized that when Andrew stopped talking, he did not feel well, but I was so engaged in my own training, I totally forgot about him and what the autos were doing to him!

 

Since he has flown with me so many times in my airplane and helicopter, I never gave it a second thought - he has never felt sick before. Thankfully we were able to divert this disaster.

 

And that is how I ended up flying home in the back seat of my own helicopter!

 

Edited March 25, 2008 by HeloJunkie

[mechanic]

Cool story Helojunkie,

But, since this is a new heli, do you remember signing the addendum from RHC?? If you use Pathfinder Insurance you could have a problem carrying a passenger during dual instruction flights.

 

Addendum to Purchase Agreement

2, D. No passengers to be carried in the rear seats during dual instruction and left seat controls to be remove if not occupied by a rated heli pilot..

 

Don't know if you remember that or not, or care either, lol??

 

Glad you are having some fun with the 44.

 

Later

[delorean]

I fly EMS and last summer I had to take a new pilot on an local area flight to show him our most used LZs and local hazards. Our helicopter doesn't have a front left seat or duals, so I had to ride in the back. We weren't up five minutes and I was about ready to lose it. Not being able to see out the front is what did it, I think.

 

I get sick in our simulator too. It's a wrap around screen, but doesn't cover the floor. So when you're looking out to your right side about where the skid would be, you'll see the moving terrain abruptly end at the nonmoving carpet.......instant vertigo and nausea. I try not to look that way, but it's hard not to when doing 180 autos.

[HeloJunkie]

Cool story Helojunkie,

But, since this is a new heli, do you remember signing the addendum from RHC?? If you use Pathfinder Insurance you could have a problem carrying a passenger during dual instruction flights.

 

Addendum to Purchase Agreement

2, D. No passengers to be carried in the rear seats during dual instruction and left seat controls to be remove if not occupied by a rated heli pilot..

 

Don't know if you remember that or not, or care either, lol??

 

Glad you are having some fun with the 44.

 

Later

 

Hi Mechanic -

 

I don't use Pathfinder and I did not sign any paperwork from RHC. I purchased the ship from a Florida dealer and only signed a bill of sale and nothing else, so I have not ever seen anything that says I cannot take dual instruction with someone in the back!! I assume that means that RHC cannot tell me who I can carry or when :-)

[Marc D]

I thought I would share this everyone who might get a chuckle out of my potential "disaster"....

 

So I was out yesterday working with my instructor on 90 and 180 degree autos in my R44. Everything was going well. We had started the day with a series of hovering autos and progressed to a couple of 90 autos at our local training area, to grass. After a couple of well timed 90s which ended with a light touch down on the skids, my instructor decided to move to a nearby local airport for some more training.

 

I was in the front right seat of 4142G, a new R44 Raven II with about 50 hours on it, my instructor was in the front left, and oh yes, my 10 year old "little brother" Andrew (next door neighbor boy to whom I play big brother) was in the back seat. Now how did I forget about him...? After the first couple of "Hey, those are really cool" comments from the back seat, I had totally forgotten about my passenger.

 

So we moved to Ramona airport and started another series of right and left hand 90 and 180 autos. I was doing pretty well, concentrating on RPM, Airspeed, landing point, flare, not too much flare, pull pitch, heading..and of course LEVEL the HELICOPTER before touch down! With all this great training going on, I had totally forgotten about the poor kid in the back seat!!

 

We asked for a west departure and off we went. About 30 seconds later, Andrew mentioned that he was going to be sick!!! WOW! Nothing gets your attention faster than the thought of someone throwing up in your brand new helicopter!

 

Thankfully we were over a open field and I was able to land immediately. When I realized how close we had been to disaster and how bad he felt, we shut down 42G and spent about 30 minutes walking around and drinking water...he spent a bunch of time laying on the ground looking up at the sky, hoping not to get sick.

 

After about 30 minutes, he decided he was ready to head back home. I decided that it might be best for him to ride up front with my instructor for better air flow and visibility and he seemed very happy with that idea. Within a few minutes, my instructor had him working the radios and flying the helicopter and all thoughts of being sick were gone.

 

When we got back to Palomar Airport, Andrew and I talked about letting me know sooner next time he does not feel well. I learned a very valuable lesson that I thought (after 20+ years of fixed wing flying and over 250 Young Eagle and Boy Scout flights) I had learned - be very aware of your passengers, especially kids. I should have realized that when Andrew stopped talking, he did not feel well, but I was so engaged in my own training, I totally forgot about him and what the autos were doing to him!

 

Since he has flown with me so many times in my airplane and helicopter, I never gave it a second thought - he has never felt sick before. Thankfully we were able to divert this disaster.

 

And that is how I ended up flying home in the back seat of my own helicopter!

 

 

That's hilarious! Not for poor little Bro of course.

 

I had a guy request to get out and sit on the ground to watch after 2 180 autos he experienced from the back seat.

 

Marc D.

[mechanic]

Hi Mechanic -

 

I don't use Pathfinder and I did not sign any paperwork from RHC. I purchased the ship from a Florida dealer and only signed a bill of sale and nothing else, so I have not ever seen anything that says I cannot take dual instruction with someone in the back!! I assume that means that RHC cannot tell me who I can carry or when :-)

 

Thats good. I know RHC seems to be very fond of CYA, lol.....

 

Wish I could afford a Raven II........

[ironranger]

It would probably be a good idea to invest in some of those sic bags. I think I'm going to do just that.

 

ironranger

[HeloJunkie]

It would probably be a good idea to invest in some of those sic bags. I think I'm going to do just that.

 

ironranger

 

 

Ha....

 

Its funny that you say that...I had already purchase three of those SIC sacks and a traveljohn as well. I had not put them into the ship as of yet!

[Copterpilot213]

There's definitely something to learn from that, you never know when your passengers might get sick and you need to do all you can to keep open communication with them.

 

Now that being said, I know it isn't my place to question you... However don't you think it's not the safest thing to do autorotations with a 10 year old passenger in the back? Statistically that's when a lot of accidents happen during training. Sorry, I just had to say it and I'm sure you thought of it.

[TCHone]

I brought back a new R22 from RHC last week. Somewhere over New Mexico I heard a voice on the radio calling a FBO. He sounded in a panic and said "WE NEED TO LAND NOW! A COUPLE OF KIDS JUST PUKED ALL OVER THE PLACE! OH MY GOD!" I couldn't help but laugh. I did feel sorry for the poor guy. He wasn't in a helicopter and I forget what type of plane it was. I have had a student get sick on me once doing instument training. I also got sick when i was doing my instrument. It was very bumpy and I was trying to read the small print on the Garmin 530. It hit me instantly but I was able to hold lunch down.

[jswift1999]

I can't believe that your focus is on what papers you signed or didn't sign and not on the fact that you endangered that poor kid's life by performing EPs.

[BOATFIXERGUY]

I'm not going to get into the discussion about the safety with a 10 year old in the bird...

 

I do have a funny story about puking in a bird...happened to me. I was ferrying a 280 from NH to Colorado a few years ago and somewhere over Kansas I started to get a migrane. It got so bad, I told my co-pilot to fly and navigate for a while while I closed my eyes and tried to get rid of it. Now anyone that's ever had a migrane knows how bad they can get. I took a bunch of Tylenol and closed my eyes. About 40 minutes later I felt much better. I told my co-pilot, "Ok, I'm better I have the aircraft." The flight was very bumpy as we were dodging thunderstorms in Kansas...go figure. Seconds later, and all of a sudden I felt it coming! That rush of heat to my head, throat swelling, stomach turning! Oh my god! I'm gonna puke! I quickly yelled to a now terrified co-pilot, "Take it! Take It!!" He had just got comfortable and struggled to get on the controls! I was frantically dumping a bottle of water out the door....tooo late..... As the power puke into the windscreen occured, the open door creating a nice tornado inside the cabin, puke went everywhere....yes, even on my copilot. After I puked, I felt much better. I looked over at my copilot that was still flying and whom didn't say a word, even as puke was dripping off his face. Now that's concentration...and a good friend. Luckily I had a roll of papertowels. Cleaned myself up, then took the bird so he could clean up. We landed as soon as "practable" and cleaned the bird after a trip in the crew car to Walmart for cleaning products.

[HELI D]

Hi Mechanic -

 

I don't use Pathfinder and I did not sign any paperwork from RHC. I purchased the ship from a Florida dealer and only signed a bill of sale and nothing else, so I have not ever seen anything that says I cannot take dual instruction with someone in the back!! I assume that means that RHC cannot tell me who I can carry or when :-)

 

 

Very smart not to use Pathfinder. I dont thing alot of CFIs understand the are other insurance companies out there and Robinson cant say "no training with passangers" thats just an insurance requirement.

 

Hope you didnt scare the poor kid.

 

Keep em in the GREEN.

[Crusty Old Dude]

I'm not going to get into the discussion about the safety with a 10 year old in the bird...

 

I do have a funny story about puking in a bird...happened to me. I was ferrying a 280 from NH to Colorado a few years ago and somewhere over Kansas I started to get a migrane. It got so bad, I told my co-pilot to fly and navigate for a while while I closed my eyes and tried to get rid of it. Now anyone that's ever had a migrane knows how bad they can get. I took a bunch of Tylenol and closed my eyes. About 40 minutes later I felt much better. I told my co-pilot, "Ok, I'm better I have the aircraft." The flight was very bumpy as we were dodging thunderstorms in Kansas...go figure. Seconds later, and all of a sudden I felt it coming! That rush of heat to my head, throat swelling, stomach turning! Oh my god! I'm gonna puke! I quickly yelled to a now terrified co-pilot, "Take it! Take It!!" He had just got comfortable and struggled to get on the controls! I was frantically dumping a bottle of water out the door....tooo late..... As the power puke into the windscreen occured, the open door creating a nice tornado inside the cabin, puke went everywhere....yes, even on my copilot. After I puked, I felt much better. I looked over at my copilot that was still flying and whom didn't say a word, even as puke was dripping off his face. Now that's concentration...and a good friend. Luckily I had a roll of papertowels. Cleaned myself up, then took the bird so he could clean up. We landed as soon as "practable" and cleaned the bird after a trip in the crew car to Walmart for cleaning products.

PRICELESS.

You had me saying "Oh, S*%@" out loud in the office reading that one.