Comments on: The R22 Power Check: It Sure Sounds Like a Great Idea http://wikirfm.cyclicandcollective.net/2009/11/the-r22-power-check-it-sure-sounds-like-a-great-idea/ Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:37:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: TandemRotors http://wikirfm.cyclicandcollective.net/2009/11/the-r22-power-check-it-sure-sounds-like-a-great-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-228 TandemRotors Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:28:21 +0000 http://wikirfm.cyclicandcollective.net/?p=1067#comment-228 "proper preparation prevents piss-poor performance" “proper preparation prevents piss-poor performance”

]]> By: Maria http://wikirfm.cyclicandcollective.net/2009/11/the-r22-power-check-it-sure-sounds-like-a-great-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-216 Maria Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:20:21 +0000 http://wikirfm.cyclicandcollective.net/?p=1067#comment-216 I never learned a power check technique when I learned to fly. It just wasn't covered. We used the same technique as you -- look up the scenario's numbers in the IGE and OGE hover chart and pad the results by 1,000 feet. Pilot skill definitely comes into play here. If you land hot -- in other words, come in too fast -- and you're in a high density altitude situation, you could easily have a hard landing or at least get the low rotor horn. But if you're gentle enough, you should be able to do what the chart says. I don't like to play around with this, though. If I know I have an off-airport landing at a high density altitude situation, I keep the aircraft as light as possible. And I know I'd never take Bubba Jr's 230 lbs of body and equipment to any mountaintop in an R22. On a related note...I once had to fly a friend home from Grand Canyon airport (6300 msl) on a summer afternoon (maybe 90°F). He said his bag only weight 5 lbs, but it must have weighed at least 30. I was in my R22 Beta II at the time and I had a hell of a time getting off the ground. Low rotor horn for a running takeoff until I got through ETL. The airport where we were landing was about the same altitude 30 minutes away. I was supposed to land on the ramp near his house (long story), but figured I'd set up for a running landing just in case I couldn't bring it into a hover. Fortunately, it worked out okay and a running landing wasn't necessary. But it really turned me off to heavy loads in that R22. I never learned a power check technique when I learned to fly. It just wasn’t covered. We used the same technique as you — look up the scenario’s numbers in the IGE and OGE hover chart and pad the results by 1,000 feet.

Pilot skill definitely comes into play here. If you land hot — in other words, come in too fast — and you’re in a high density altitude situation, you could easily have a hard landing or at least get the low rotor horn. But if you’re gentle enough, you should be able to do what the chart says.

I don’t like to play around with this, though. If I know I have an off-airport landing at a high density altitude situation, I keep the aircraft as light as possible.

And I know I’d never take Bubba Jr’s 230 lbs of body and equipment to any mountaintop in an R22.

On a related note…I once had to fly a friend home from Grand Canyon airport (6300 msl) on a summer afternoon (maybe 90°F). He said his bag only weight 5 lbs, but it must have weighed at least 30. I was in my R22 Beta II at the time and I had a hell of a time getting off the ground. Low rotor horn for a running takeoff until I got through ETL. The airport where we were landing was about the same altitude 30 minutes away. I was supposed to land on the ramp near his house (long story), but figured I’d set up for a running landing just in case I couldn’t bring it into a hover. Fortunately, it worked out okay and a running landing wasn’t necessary. But it really turned me off to heavy loads in that R22.

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