Slayt 1

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Preparing for Confined Area Operations
Mental Preparation Phase

• At every phase of the confined area
  operations,you must consider your emergency
  procedures,you should have plans.You have no
  warranty that you are not going to experince an
  engine flame-out!
• Before you take off,you should calculate your
  choppers performance precisely,ie
  MTOGW,Max.Usable Tq., EGTs or TGTs yellow arc,
  IGE and OGE capability.
• I ensure you,these numbers are so crucial for
  your decisions,thus for lives of your crew.
• We are paid to make best decisions.
• A pilot is a decision-maker who flies a
  contraption which requires so much talent and
  nerves like steel.

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Preparing for Confined Area Landings
Reconnaisance Phase

• I assume,you are unfamiliar with the terrain you
  are planning to land.
• Wellwe should begin with High
  Recce(Reconnaisance) to evaluate landing
  zone,WIND,LANDING,GO AROUND direction
• ? It is a circle-like pattern above landing
  zone.Altitude,diameter,speed are up to pilot,but
  they must be at minimums which provide enough
  field of vision(450 line of sight recommended)
  for pilot to asses the landing zone.
• CAUTION Your landing zone is not only your
  touchdown point,the whole area under your Recce
  pattern should be taken as landing zone.

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Preparing for Confined Area Landings

• CHECKLIST FOR THE HIGH RECCE
• Ask yourself questions,compare checklist with
  terrain during High Recce
• LANDING ZONE
• OBSTACLES
• FORCED LANDING AREAS
• WIND
• DIRECTION OF SUN AND SUN GLARE EFFECT
• LANDING AND TAKE-OFF DIRECTIONS
• GO-AROUND DIRECTION AND PATTERN
• DOWNWIND-BASE LEG INTERSECTION POINT

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Preparing for Confined Area Landings
Depiction of High Recce
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Preparing for Confined Area Landings
Approach Phase

• After having finished High Recce,turn your
  helicopter to downwind base leg intersection
  point,execute pre-landing checks.
• On base legcheck your landing zone and craft
  again.
• NOTE If you are familiar with the area,you may
  skip High Recce,but let me remind you something
  you know very well,wind is a good friend when you
  are into it,otherwise it is a real
  menace.So,before approach, designate wind
  direction precisely.Right-cross wind condition is
  not desired.

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Preparing for Confined Area Landings
Approach Phase

• Now,you are on final
• Follow your touchdown point-angle relation to
  initiate the approach.
• When commencing approach,at the same time,lets
  perform low recce.
• ?Carry out low recce untill you land.
• CHECKLIST FOR THE LOW RECCE
• Obstacles(Again ?)
• Surface Condition
• Touchdown Point
• To-hover or To-ground Decision

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Preparing for Confined Area Landings
Approach Phase

• Choose your touchdown point at the last 1/3
  section of the confined area.
• Your descend angle should provide 10 clearance
  over the highest obstacle between your touchdown
  point and your helicopter.
• Always keep in your mind to lose transitional
  lift just before being over obstacles,or at LAST
  over obstacles.If there is someone at the back of
  helicopter,remind him to let you know that your
  tail rotor passes the obstacles.This would be
  very beneficial.
• CAUTION IF YOU DECIDE TO GO AROUND,DO IT BEFORE
  LOSING YOUR TRANSITIONAL LIFT. IT IS BETTER TO
  TRY AGAIN THAN ENDANGERING ANY LIVES.

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Preparing for Confined Area Landings
Depiction of The Aprooach Profile
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Preparing for Confined Area Landings
Approach Phase

• Land where you aim to land.
• Keep your direction after entering the confined
  area.
• Wait untill you are in the ground effect if you
  have difficulties with your pedals.(Do not panic
  or rush to pull collective,this will only worsen
  the situation)
• It is essential to finish your approach with
  ZERO KT. and on the ground,if the surface
  condition is O.K.
• Well,we havent finished yet
• Once on the ground,dont feel relaxed.To be sure
  that your skids are standing solid to avoid
  dynamic rollover ,make smooth cyclic movements
  before lowering your collective fully down.

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Preparing for Confined Area Take-Offs
Take-Off Phase

• After having landed and known you are secure in
  the confined area, Ground Recce must be made for
  take-off planning.
• CHECKLIST FOR THE GROUND RECCE
• Surface Wind
• Obstacles (Both on the climb path and in the
  confined area)
• Planning take-off and climb(This includes
  performance planning)
• Deciding take-off point
• Hovering to take-off point

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Preparing for Confined Area Take-Offs
Take-Off Phase

• If the confined area is not wide enough to
  maneuver in,you have to take off where you have
  landed(of course,you trust your powerplant(s),
  you have enough power)
• Choose a take-off direction which enables you
  the lowest height of obstacles,this will reduce
  your required Tq.
• When taking off,check your instruments,at the
  same time glance at blade tips and obstacles.
  BLADE TIPS MUST BE OVER OBSTACLES ALWAYS
  (BTOO),this will help you to understand your
  profile allows you enough clearance over
  obstacles.
• CAUTION On take-off,never let any directional
  deviation because you have a tail rotor.This is
  likely to happen under windy weather conditions
  especially you are at the same level with or over
  obstacles.

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Preparing for Confined Area Take-Offs
Take-Off Phase

• Do not rush to use your collective,be
  patient,remember(BTOO),it is just like what we
  do during landing,plan to gain your transitional
  lift over obstacles.
• ?If the confined area is wide enough to maneuver
  in,then hover to take-off point.
• ?Turns in the confined areas may be perilous,when
  maneuvering in, use extreme caution and open
  your all receptors,always observe outside and
  always BE OUT.
• ?After reaching your take-off point,execute your
  take-off under the light of principles mentioned
  above.

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Preparing for Confined Area Take-Offs
Depiction of The Take-Off Profile
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Common Mistakes

• Mistakes are not mistakes if we learn from
  them
• ?Approaching without Recces(In spite of having
  enough time)
• Designating wind direction wrongly
• Approaching with inappropiate descend angle(too
  high or low)
• Not maintaining steady descend angle
• Not planning to land last 1/3 section of the
  confined area
• Not losing and gaining transitional lift in
  proper area
• Being unable to maintain descend profile after
  passing obstacles and letting sink rate increase
  more than desired.
• Using collective excessively and quickly,thus
  causing RPM loss
• Using more than neccessary power,thus flying well
  over obstacles

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I HAVE A REQUEST
Dear Friends I really believe in SYNERGY. So,i
want you to let me know my mistakes about this
Confined Area Presentation. As all pilots,i need
FEEDBACK,CONSIDERATION and EXPERIENCE. Thanks for
your sincere interest and spending time with
me. You may use this Confined Area
Presentation,Id be honored. With My
Respect koryurek in Just Helicopters Mert
ATILGAN Koryurek_at_lycos.com
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