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Piloti hvale H-145 i to u uslovima koriscenja na Papua Novoj Gvineji
Citat:“We’ve looked at a lot of information on different types over the years but nothing until now has had the required performance with genuine hot-and-high capability,” he said. “We were always looking for a Category A certified machine capable of operating at Performance Class 1 in this environment because we knew that was the rising trend but everything that we looked at was either too big for us or it had wheels. Then this (the H145) came along. It’s on skids so is capable in bush operations and it has the true performance.. It was a no-brainer after that.”
Citat:Pacific’s criteria for selecting a new type were stringently demanding, to say the least. “We wanted something, that was versatile enough for the utility role but also good as an IFR platform.” The H145’s ability to operate effectively in a nine-seat configuration has already impressed Smith. “We came out of Moresby with seven passengers, full fuel and at Gross Weight. We couldn’t squeeze another bit of freight into the cargo areas,” he recalled. “As full as we were, it just climbed out and the thing that amazed me about this machine is that we climbed to almost 14,000ft and it was still just cruising so well. I couldn’t believe it was doing about 120kts and still just so smooth.” This example is particularly relevant, as for the majority of PNG operations the terrain tops are around 10,000ft and it is therefore commonplace for flights to climb to 12,000ft or more.
Citat:Demosky listed the requirements that the oil and gas companies have dictated, “They want Cat-A performance, twin engines, two pilots, IFR capability, aircraft under 25 years old, the ability to longline and skid landing-gear. They want it all from one machine and they all told us ‘Fulfill this and we’ll talk.’ Well, now we have it, we’re the first ones to do so and it’s exciting!” Such a serious commitment to the new type means that it will play an ever-increasing role in Pacific’s fleet as time progresses. The Pacific Helicopters fleet currently boasts around 24 helicopters in PNG, but the total fleet numbers almost 50 machines as operations are now spread widely, with machines based with other companies and overseas, as far afield as Israel and China. When asked to summarize his view of the H145, Smith described it as a new-generation helicopter for young, new-generation pilots. “It’s not for old pilots like me who like to have their hands on it all the time. I see that helicopter hanging around for at least ten years before they can find anything to beat it.” In terms of longevity Smith has few concerns. “From what I’ve seen, it’s a well-built and solid product and I have no concerns about that. The rain and humidity in this operating environment will be the biggest challenges I think, so if there is anything I’m concerned about it would be the computers and electronics, but only time will tell,” he explained. “I’m happy with the purchase, I’m happy with the crews, I’m happy with everything.
Citat:One of the first pilots to fly the H145 in PNG is New Zealander Lance Donnelly, an 11,000hr pilot with experience flying Offshore and EMS work on the BK117 and Bell 212 and police work in the NZ Police ‘Eagle’ helicopter,. After about four years as a job-sharing pilot for Pacific he is now full-time and is both impressed with and enthusiastic about the new machine, although all his comments were prefaced with the proviso that the machine has only been in service for barely over a week. “So far it’s performing really well, even beyond our expectations,” he reported. “Because it’s a new model to New Guinea we’ve got a steep learning curve as we establish exactly how it performs in all the various flight phases we require of it. I must say that, so far, it’s proving to be very, very good in this environment. I had initial concerns about the fenestron at altitude –that’s probably only because I’ve never operated a fenestron before this – but this morning we were up at 11,600ft at around ISA+20, so with a density altitude around 14,500ft and it was awesome. We were about 300kgs under the maximum weight we could carry up there and I was pleasantly surprised at how well it performed doing pedal-turns both left and right.” Donnelly has substantial experience in BK117B2 variants and considers the 145 to be far superior.
“The long-lining is another learning curve, just because every new aircraft requires a slightly different set-up to work out of. It’s a very stable machine in the hover, in fact in all phases of flight and it’s a lot more stable than the 117. Because the fuselage is wider than the 117 you do have to lean out a little further, but when you’ve got it set up the way you want it, it’s as comfortable as any other machine to long-line out of. A nice feature that helps is the electric mirror that allows you to see the hook and about the first hundred feet of the long-line. The aircraft certainly has oodles of power.” Donnelly is also highly impressed with the way Airbus Helicopters has set up the engine operation procedure and instrumentation. “There’s a blue OEI line on the FLI and as long as you have that above your lubber line you’ve safeguarded the integrity of the second engine, so if you lose an engine in any phase of flight you don’t have to physically do anything.” He described just how well the aircraft performs with one engine inoperative. “When I was with the German instructor, I asked about run-on OEI landings and he said it wasn’t necessary,” recalled Donnelly. “I questioned that and he proved it to me. At maximum gross weight and around 200 – 300ft he lost one engine and we just flew around a bit and then came back to a hover. I tell you, it’s got power to burn!” Even the fuel-burn has proved to be better than initially expected with reported averages around 230-240kg per hour during twenty hours of fairly hard work. This compares closely with the burn of a BK117-850, despite the 145’s substantial performance gains.
“Most people think we don’t fly IFR in PNG but we actually do quite a lot and the H145 is a fantastic IFR machine. The four-axis autopilot and Helionix system is just state-of-the-art. It’s just one of the reasons that the 145 is such a versatile aircraft. In the morning I can be long-lining at 11,000ft, then in the afternoon I can be flying IFR offshore, all while fully offshore equipped.” Like Smith, Donnelly sees the H145 rapidly supplanting the BK117 and becoming the fleet mainstay type. “I don’t think any helicopter is one-size-fits-all, but this is a great compromise and once a customer has seen what this machine can do, I’ve no doubt they’ll go for the 145 every time.” Although the H145 is a development of the BK117 line, there is now very little similarity between the two aircraft. Donnelly noted that, apart from the transmission and main rotor-head, they were two very different aircraft from a pilot’s point of view. “It’s not 1970s technology like the BK, this is today’s technology.
Citat:Donnelly has yet to find anything major about the H145 that he doesn’t like or that gives him cause for concern. “Anything I’ve found so far has been an issue of me learning the machine and honing my techniques,” he admitted. “Things like slow maneuvering, pedal-turns in the hover out of ground-effect; that’s the whole point of all the training and testing we do when we put a new model into service.” In summary, Donnelly described the H145 as beautifully responsive and admitted that, despite his initial concern, he was very impressed with the fenestron.
http://www.heliopsmag.com/heliops-mag/a-bold-step-in-the-pacific
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