Do helicopters really..

[AlphaOneSix]

Here is what the FAA says about traffic patters for helicopters at non-towered airports. Of course, at a towered airport, the tower controllers will determine who should fly where, etc., so there is no guesswork.

 

 

9. OTHER TRAFFIC PATTERNS.

 

Airport operators routinely establish local procedures for the operation of gliders, parachutists, lighter than air aircraft, helicopters, and ultralight vehicles. Appendices 2 and 3 illustrate these operations as they relate to recommended standard traffic patterns.

 

a. Rotorcraft.

 

(1) In the case of a helicopter approaching to land, the pilot must avoid the flow of fixed wing aircraft and land on a marked helipad or suitable clear area. Pilots should be aware that at some airports, the only suitable landing area is the runway.

 

(2) All pilots should be aware that rotorcraft may fly slower and approach at steeper angles than airplanes. Air taxi is the preferred method for helicopter ground movements which enables the pilot to proceed at an optimum airspeed, minimize downwash effect, and conserve fuel. However, flight over aircraft, vehicles, and personnel should be avoided.

 

(3) In the case of a gyrocopter approaching to land, the pilot should avoid the flow of fixed wing aircraft until turning final for the active runway.

 

(4) A helicopter operating in the traffic pattern may fly a pattern similar to the airplane pattern at a lower altitude (500 AGL) and closer to the airport. This pattern may be on the opposite side of the runway with turns in the opposite direction if local policy permits.

 

(5) Both classes of rotorcraft can be expected to practice power off landing (autorotation) which will involve a very steep angle of approach and high rate of descent (1,500 - 2,000 feet/minute).

Edited April 28, 2013 by AlphaOneSix

[Kaktus29]

a little different question,don't wanna open a new thread for this.. but if anybody knows:

 

Do helicopters form the spearhead in attacking enemy ground units especially in CAS roles or are they used only to mop-up whatever is left after CAS planes do their things? ..

 

I mean, to me helis are much more destructive and more precise than CAS planes, they have drawbacks such as time to deployment zone is bigger, .. apart from that are CAS planes preferred? I see CAS planes as more of a resource to be used to over-turn a loosing battle into a winning one or at least prevent total annihilation of the friendly platoon .. So planes can reach that critical place much faster on the account they are faster.. but simple destruction of enemy ground units on the move or waiting in supply areas i think helis are better suited for the role..

what do you guys think? .. i ask this to know how to make a mission.. and what is more realistic..

 

lets say you have 400 enemy ground units .. with a normal layer of units (MBT,APC,IFV,AD,etc) .. what would be the work load of your assets to destroy such a force? (10 A-10c/Su-25?, 40 Ka-50,Apache's?).. or in percentage terms would the planes be 60% and helis 40%? .. or vice versa..

[mkiii]

I don't know the answer to that, but like most things, I would assume that available resources would be a big factor. jets can certainly get in and out much faster.

 

As for the vtol/taxi question, when I was working on RAF helicopters many years ago (Wessex, Puma & Chinook), the 2 smaller types would usually take off directly from the pan in front of the hangars. The part of the base I first worked on was a single hangar with 4 small frying pan shaped pads in front of the hangar, and the aircraft would go directly to & from those after being towed or pushed there.

 

Chinooks being much bigger and heavier used a new bigger pan, and would sometimes taxi to the runway, but often landed on the edge of the pan (apron) and taxied into their slots. Chinooks make MUCH more downdraught and could make it pretty difficult to stand if they decided to land or takeoff too close, especially if they have a heavy load. Generally ground equipment and refuelling trucks are not left lying around on the pan for helicopters to hit, so that isn't a problem. If they are, then the helicoper is taxied into it's slot to avoid collisions.

 

Quite often we would operate off base, and there usually being no runway, the things just went where we waved them to.

 

In the Falklands, each one just had a bit of a field that it operated from. No runway there.

 

As for skids, on a visit to a luftwaffe base, (Alhorn I believe) we visited 64 Staffel, then operating Hueys and they were hover taxying all over the place. Quite a sight - and noise.

Edited April 30, 2013 by mkiii

[wickedpenguin]

I'm an ATC and work a lot of helos on a daily basis. Our Class C airport has a dedicated parking ramp for helicopters to keep them away from noise-sensitive areas. This ramp is north of and adjacent to our east-west runway 08/26, separated from it by a wide parallel taxiway, Bravo.

 

All of the smaller helos--Bell 206s, EC-135s, UH-72s, UH-1s, HH-65s, Robinsons, etc.--are capable of departing from the ramp directly. Even so, they rarely do max performance takeoffs straight up. They'll generally request a south takeoff, crossing over Bravo and 08/26 to build translational lift. About half will request to taxi out to Bravo for an east or west takeoff. Some will do a running start to the north from the south end of the ramp and do a quick climb to top the fence separating the ramp from the terminal parking lot. It all depends on the wind, weather, ramp congestion, and their company/training requirements.

 

Anything larger than a UH-1 is not allowed to depart from the ramp due to rotorwash, unless the ramp is absolutely empty. You can imagine something like a CH-53 generates hurricane force winds. I've seen even the small helos blow engine covers and such off other parked helos, creating FOD hazards.

 

The big helos--UH-60s, H-3s, H-53s, H-46s, H-47s--are asked if they prefer either taxiway Bravo or a runway for takeoff/landing. When they arrive, they'll generally hover- or air-taxi along Bravo to the ramp entrance, and then wheel-taxi in and out of the ramp.

 

We don't give V-22 Ospreys that option. They're always taken to a runway. We give them a wide berth, because they take time to get up and get down, in my experience. They of course wheel taxi in and out.

 

Helicopters are pretty fun to work. We have a lot more flexibility with them over fixed wing planes. For example, say I have a helicopter shooting a VOR approach to runway 08, on a mile final and requesting a low approach, and an airliner ready to depart our intersecting runway 17. If the helo was a fixed-wing instead, I'd have to wait for him to roll through the runway intersection before I could clear the airliner. With the helo? "Runway 8, on the numbers, cleared to land. Traffic will be a Boeing 737 departing runway 17. I'll call your go." He'll set down on the runway numbers, I'll launch the air carrier, and I'll clear the helo for takeoff once the Boeing is clear.

 

Now, I know that helo did want a low approach, not a landing. Often times, I'll use that landing clearance only as a "paper stop": i.e. I don't really intend for him to land, but I'm legally required to protect the airliner's departure. If the helicopter's still airborne or on final by the time the air carrier is rolling through the intersection, I'll reclear him for his requested low approach.

Edited May 2, 2013 by wickedpenguin

[Thor77]

Another ATC here.

 

LJLJ international airport. Civil helicopters are required to land/take-off from runway and use taxiways as they would be fixed wing aircraft. There is a small helipad for use by Police and military helicopters but they too are required to airtaxi to that position before takeoff. The only exception are medevac and SAR flights where helos are cleared for takeoff from the ramp at their own discretion if the traffic situatuin permits it.

 

LJCE military airfield. Helicopters never take off from the ramp and are required to taxi/air-taxi to the two designated take-off landing positions.

 

at both airfields, helicopters use the shorter traffic pattern than fixed wing planes.