Helicopter Flight Information
When riding a helicopter (whether as a first-time passenger or not), enjoying the sights from above also entails responsibilities and presence of mind the entire time. Prior to the flight, it is always important to know and be reminded of the basic flight information on how to keep yourself safe when you enter and exit the aircraft and when you're on the flight.
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Ground Preparations
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Pre-flight check and briefing are performed to make sure everything is working before riding the helicopter. Remove any loose accessories that could possibly fly off when in mid-air. These things can get into the rotor blades and cause accidents.
Be physically, mentally and psychologically prepared in every flight. Familiarize yourself with how you can secure yourself to the seat, how to use the doors, where to find the life jacket and other information provided during the pre-flight briefing. Ideally, the trained ground handlers escort you to the helicopter to make sure you don't get into accidents, especially if the aircraft's rotors are still in operation.
Risky Areas and Weather Conditions
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Helicopters don't fly near trees, power lines and other obstacles. Pilots avoid risky areas as much as possible. When flying during windy days, it is always best to fly upwind from the helicopter. The best advice is not to fly when it's windy, rainy or during other risky weather conditions.
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Things to Do
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Before the flight, put all loose items under the seat or wherever specified by the flight personnel. Remove all items from your pockets and keep them in a secured area. Make sure your seatbelt is safely fastened. If you need to remove the seatbelt, just pull up on the latch to release. Wear fitting sunglasses with UV protection. It helps to keep dust away from your eyes.
Always wear a noise-canceling headset to protect your ears. Each earcup has an adjustable volume control. To avoid amplifying the interior noise, the intercom and microphone are only turned on when needed.
Things to Avoid
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Listen to the pilot from the headset for specific instructions. Refrain from moving unnecessarily. When you exit while the pilot is not ready and you suddenly shift too much weight out of the door, it could flip the helicopter on its side.
To avoid accidents, be careful not to raise your hands above your head, especially if you sit near the rotor. Don't open or close the doors with too much force. Slamming the door or forcing it to open can easily lead to breakage or malfunction. Most light aircraft has plastic windows, which weigh less than glass. However, such material scratches very easily; so don't lean on the windows.
Serious accidents on the ground can also happen if you are not aware of the movements of the tail rotor or main rotor of the helicopter. You can accidentally walk into the rear blades or the top blades when entering or exiting the aircraft. The safest way to avoid this is to remain inside or wait at a significant distance before entering or exiting. When you have to approach or get out of an aircraft with the rotors moving, follow the pilot's instructions and duck slightly.
Emergency Situations
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When an emergency landing is necessary or if there is a crash, follow the instructions of the pilot. If there are no instructions provided, equip yourself according to what you learned during the pre-flight briefing. Don't panic and never instantly jump out of the helicopter because you risk getting in contact with the blades. If you need to jump, wait until the rotors have come to a full stop, if possible. A helicopter can still fly despite engine failure. It can glide just like an airplane with the rush of wind from below. This can keep the rotors moving while flying at a normal airspeed of 70 knots. Licensed pilots undergo hours of autorotation training for this kind of situation.
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References
- Photo Credit Helicopter image by DStalvey from Fotolia.com
