Comments on: Photo Flights

By: Paul Goldasich Jr

Paul Goldasich Jr — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 02:04:41 +0000

You guys are right. Personally I really like the R-22 not just because it’s the aircraft I learned to fly in, but it is just a great little helicopter, As long as you know what it can and cannot do. There may have been a false sense of security with the CFI on board and the pilot figured the CFI would get him out of trouble if need be. Not the case. After reading the NTSB report I could follow the accident chain right to the ground. The only good was that no one lost their life.

By: Bill Brockhaus

Bill Brockhaus — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 21:11:56 +0000

I couldn’t agree with you more George, I have flown more than 1200 hours of photo flights in 22s with no issues.

By: George McNeil

George McNeil — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 20:43:13 +0000

It’s not the helicopter. It’s the pilot. Anybody can get into trouble in any helicopter unless they are paying attention to Wind, Performance/OGE and Settling with Power. It’s basic aerodynamics.

By: Bill Brockhaus

Bill Brockhaus — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 18:40:12 +0000

Yet another NTSB report that can be used as a example of what not to do. High, Hot, and Heavy combined with inexperience and poor judgement. Sadly that CFI probably continued flying and passed his poor judgement on to other student sponges. I would hope that the Private pilot lost their ticket based on the false logbook entries.

By: Paul Goldasich Jr

Paul Goldasich Jr — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:40:41 +0000

I have flown all three helicopters mentioned in the article, and I do agree with Larry that the Schweizer is more forgiving than the R-22, but I think that just about any other (certified) helicopter is. I have experience flying a R-44 to and from a barge located in the Mississippi River at the base of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. The wind here is something not to be taken lightly as I have seen it blowing in different directions at the same time. (Due to terrain) It blows one way on the barge deck, and as you gain altitude and clear the levee of the Arch grounds it is doing something else. Airspeed is definitely your friend here and getting too slow on either the takeoff or approach can spell trouble. We always stay above translational lift until the bottom of the approach then stabilize in a hover.
I read the NTSB report of this accident. Interesting.

By: Cal Gray

Cal Gray — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:24:57 +0000

I have logged about 300 hours in the R-22 doing photo flights over water chasing boats, sometimes low and slow, sometimes pushing it close to VNE for power boat races, and usually well within the HV diagram, AKA The Death curve. It’s all about paying attention, hyper attention, to every second your on the photo run, and keeping your head on a swivel. Focusing to hard on what the photographer is looking at will give you tunnel vision and potential pilot error. Keep in mind that you can almost always go back around and try again to get the shot.

By: Derek

Derek — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:27:46 +0000

True what Larry said about the Schweizer, yes. But this was just a story of two people making a bad decision after only 7 days of ‘being on the job’. This pilot with 50 hours thinks he can just go fly like Airfwolf all of the sudden? If taught properly, the CFI would know this maneuver as students are taught about this kind of maneuver while learning. Plus if he went to the Robinson course and “does not know about SN-34″, then he was just another hotshot fixed wing pilot that thinks he’s better than everybody else and sleeping through the factory course (I’ve seen this) and this is what happens. Idiots. Though I am sorry for the injuries sustained, this is just an example of stupidity x 2.

By: Larry Schramm

Larry Schramm — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:21:34 +0000

Having flown both helicopters mentioned in the article,I have difficulty comparing a Robinson to a Schweizer.While flying low and slow can be a recipe for disaster, I believe the Schweizer to be much more forgiving than the Robinson.