Winter Ops

[Skidmark]

Can't we all just get along?

This is a good topic and I am sure there are a bunch of pilots out there dealing with winter. For some it may even be their first winter, but from what I've seen alot of the Auzzies are back home surfing. All the points have been very good. We were actually just sitting around discussing the pre-heating of tailrotor gear boxes. I know that I've had days where i feel sorry for my poor little T/R driveshaft on that first start. Often it requires a long ground run to warm up. I may be proved wrong, but you can tell when the T/R gear box is warm enough when your torque is sitting where it normally is. It will be higher than normal on that first start even at idle. I always let it come back down before lifting up.
As said earlier, the most important thing is to go out prepared. In winter expect the unexpected. It will alway happen a half hour before dark.

Skidmark

 

[Helilog56]

<_< It's amazing how a child like Sisyphus can manage to degrade an informative and entertaining thread so quickly. Alas, I guess that is what happens to a juvenile when your a "legend in your own mind". The latest Vortex has a pretty good quiz on cold weather flying.... :blink:

 

[Auto Relight]

Since asking the tail rotor gear box Q, and having no Medium/heavy experience, I was wondering if more attention is payed to those GB's than on the light's? My train of thought on that one is that there is much more wieght there, and the forces would be greatern upon start-up, yadda yadda yadda. I know CHL uses the 212 in the Arctic in winter, any special proceedures there?

AR

 

[skullcap]

Nice topic;

As far as cold wx ops, Canadian used to have a really informative section in their ops manual years ago, put together from years of experience. Mostly common sense but also some additional insights. I always turn the blades backwards 2 or 3 revs to loosen up any frozen seals and to try and get a little oil moving. Break the skids loose prior to EVERY start, anyone who has landed in overflow then later tried to lift off from another location with the now frozen slush stuck to mother earth will attest to this. Many things listed previously were in there. The logs for landing on is a live saver when on ice or frozen road staging areas CAP, excellent. Make sure you do one last walk around to check for forgotten covers or blankets. Astars are bad for getting the little tab bent under swashplate by winter cover and then gouging the heck out of non rotating swashplate. The tailrotor gearbox is something just not really dealt with, although have seen many gearboxes leaking, I personally think it is much harder on aircraft moving in and out of warm hangers with condensation building each time as opposed to leaving outside with proper covers and heaters. Wouldn't hurt to give a bit of heat from the herman nelson on the t/r or as maggis says instal the heat pads(it is Tannis I believe), wouldn't pee on as might slip off the ladder trying to get high enough, the weight of the thing is too much at ground level. I personnally do not use battery blankets as have had them fail and also can warm battery too much if left on in warmer temps(chinook). We use a small "start pac" (90 bucks us)trickle charger to maintain voltage and keep battery warm.

As far as torque going down due to the t/r gearbox, might just think about that maybe it is the oil in the main transmission warming, try using a herman on it and comparing to not, might find the puny thing at back doesn't take much torque even when cold soaked.

At Associated Helicopters we used lighter 2389 oil in winter to help prevent seals from blowing(its not just ice cream). But am sure the newer third generation oils are as good. Don't really like Mobil jet 11 and put extra heat on aircraft equipped as such.

Tannis heaters are exceptional in remote areas as they only draw a little over 500 watts plus whatever you use in the cabin. Compared to 3 "little buddies" at 900 watts each is a great savings especially when competing with camp or battery truck generators. Have arrived to a cold soaked machine more than once due to cb popping on generators. Remember it is better to let aicraft warm up again rather than starting coldsoaked, no matter how much the customer whines-late better than broken... One concern using the tannis heaters is that they only heat gearboxes and oiltanks etc and not things like hydraulic servos, anyone have input to this???


The poor bastards flying 500's in the winter are advised to put a heater behind the particle seperator after each trip when doing multiple short trips as ice can build up in there and when breaks off will cause flame out. Ask Rocky.

And another thing, have always wondered why some pilots cover the machine up at night but in the morning quickly uncover, start her up then shut it off and leave it uncovered till noon, second start being way more damaging then the morning one. Was taught when you land in cold temps to throw covers on as soon as possible each time you shut down, period.

Dress warm and keep your warm clothes on or very close by when flying, may not be able to get out and get your helly hanson out of baggage compartment if upside down in trees.

done now

 

[UAL_TECH]

If available, I prefer my a/c to go out the door of the hangar on bitter cold mornings and STAY OUT until the day is done. I've seen too many radio problems result from pushing a/c in and out of the hangar on bitter cold days. I've pulled King radios out and seen the frost that had developed on the contact points at the back and since that time, if it goes out, it stays out and weird, cold morning radio problems disappeared for me. ONE Master for the radios also helps this problem because little plastic/bakelite knobs and 'thingys' don't like -30 degree temps either. In-cockpit heaters are great also, but usually I'm lucky to have an outlet for the one by the tranny AND one for the FC. Also if I have any kind of APU available, that first start in the day is ALWAYS an APU start and if I can arrange it, I prefer it to be like that year 'round. I've yet to put a heater anywhere near the T/R gearbox and never had any problems. The joke used to be that you could tell what kind of temps a/c operated in during the winter, by the 'weeping' of T/R gearboxes that went on in the warmer days of spring.

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Happy B'Day Cap!!!

B) UT