Comments on: Copter ILS

By: Brendan Fitzpatrick

Brendan Fitzpatrick — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 04:30:41 +0000

Good stuff – thinking about getting my IFR rotorcraft – already IFR fixed wing. Either this or commercial. Keep up the technical stuff.

By: William S. Lyons MD

William S. Lyons MD — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:19:17 +0000

In NTSB reports of medical helicopter ambulance accidents in the past 20 or 30 years it is not clear that pilot instrument qualification was either current or approved for helicopters. The crash fatal to 5 persons including the patient, earlier this year at Andrews AFB, at night, in low cloud conditions is illustrative of the problem.

By: Bob Dingley

Bob Dingley — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:52:50 +0000

The lower helo minimums also come into play with selecting alternates. I used to fly the S76 along the Gulf Coast. Many times, after returning onshore after a two hour offshore flight, unforcasted fog rolled in. It is common(helo minimums) to do a Cat 1 ILS with obscured zero, 1/4 mile vis. The heat from the approach lights always burned the fog away and I could always see the lights from miles out. If you are denied the ILS, your options narrow rapidly. And fuel. The S76C+ has 2.8 hrs topped off.

I otherwise find little difference in a copter ILS and one in a Mooney. Exept the helo has better dual autopilots.

By: Craig Clapper

Craig Clapper — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:45:42 +0000

I flew many Copter ILS approaches in the S76 to Cat 1 runways in the NY, NJ and CT area and was intimately involved in unsuccessfully trying to save them through the HAI Flight Ops Committee. They were very useful in the overall scheme of things when operating IFR helicopters to the NY City area, especially in the sense of dispatch reliability. With a few Copter ILS in place one could count more on being able to get down to a runway than with just Cat 1 ILS. Their presence led to more flight completions.

However, what the FAA cited concerning protecting the localizer signals from multipathing at the Cat 1 DA down to the Copter ILS DA of 100′ HAT, the lateral limits allowed pilots on Cat 1 runways using CAT 1 PTS standards (i.e. using 1/2 scale lateral deflection vice 1/4 scale) and possible conflict with aircraft at Cat 1 ILS takeoff hold lines, and Cat 1 approach lighting standards were very real subjects that just could not be overcome.

Their introduction was well intended albeit not based on anything regulatrory, only the TERPS handbook. Although they were considered successful and very useful, they did not meet the standards set forth for public approaches thus got rescinded. At that time the FAA did not rescind those Copter ILS that were overlaid to Cat II runways.

By: Bob Thorson

Bob Thorson — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:21:54 +0000

The “PINS” approaches in NYC are alive and well. In August 2009 the operational approval period was extended. For a Part 91 operator the use is approved by Letter of Authorization (LOA) from the operator’s FSDO. This guarantees that the operator has the required training, procedures and equipment in place.

By: Avi Weiss

Avi Weiss — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:22:43 +0000

Hey Tim;

whatever became of the “Point in Space” approaches that the FAA was working on?

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/afs/afs400/afs420/policies_guidance/memorandums/media/Special%20IFR%20Hel%20GPS%20PINs%20Approaches%20atch%202.pdf

The inception of these started in the mid 90′s, and certainly with access to more accurate GPS signals and WAAS-capable receivers, these types of approaches should now be possible, and enable more pragmatic use of the aircraft for the purpose they were designed for.

By: Ehud Gavron

Ehud Gavron — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:07:58 +0000

It’s interesting that with no reason the FAA NOTAM’d the Copter ILS away. Do you think the crews that were using them were already highly trained specialists (HEMS, SAR, etc.) or was it starting to get used by “hobbyists” and becoming more dangerous?

E
(hobbyist … working on instrument rating… enjoying ILS approaches except for having to climb way up just to come down