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What are Helicopter Blades Made of?

Written by Rick James in General Aviation,Helicopters

The rotor blade on a helicopter has become a seriously complex feat of engineering but it was never like that. In the early days of rotary-wing flight the materials used were as basic as you could get. But not anymore!

Today’s modern helicopter rotor blades are made of a mixture of materials including Titanium, Carbon Fibre, Fibre Glass, and Stainless Steel. Honeycomb cores make up the majority of the blade with other materials incorporated in certain areas for increased strength and stiffness.

The design of a modern helicopter blade is a very, very complex procedure and every helicopter manufacturer designs their own to try and be the best. In recent decades outside companies like Carson Helicopters and Van Horn Aviation have joined the game to create their own blades to give even better performance.

Read on to find out all about what goes into a helicopter rotor blade.

The Early Rotor Blades

Early helicopters like the famous Bell 47 came with main rotor blades made of wood. The inherent characteristic of wood being strong and flexible provided the perfect material for early rotor blade designs.

The Bell 47

There were problems however as wood can easily be damaged by woodpeckers, dust and stones, and even rain causing the blades to swell leading to severe vibrations from an out-of-balance rotor system.

As the realization of the versatility of the helicopter become more popular, the design and evolution of the airframe and the rotor blades began to move forward.

Materials Development

A rotor blade needs to be strong but also very flexible. You have probably seen that when a helicopter is parked the main rotor blades droop down, but in flight centrifugal force keeps them flat. Not only that, but the blades also flex in flight, especially when affected by turbulence and they need to be able to withstand these loads as well as keeping the helicopter in the air.

To understand the kind of flex and stresses a rotor blade must withstand check out this cool video of an S-56:

To be able to withstand these stresses placed on the blades they need to be designed to be strong in certain areas, but yet flexible in others. Although wood is great at doing this they are limited to the weight they can lift and the speed at which the tips can rotate. This is where new materials were needed.

One of the first advances into rotor blade design was the skinning of the blade’s leading edge with corrosion-resistant steel to aid in erosion control, especially towards the tips of the rotor blade where it is moving the fastest.

The Hiller UH -12B was one of these aircraft to adopt such a design on its blades during the 1950’s.

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Metals

As testing and development into metals really began to take stride it became inevitable that rotor blades would find themselves made of them.

As metals solved some of the problems presented in wooden blades, they presented their own. Constant flexing of certain metals over time can cause it to break. Think of what happens to a paperclip when you twist it back and forth. The other problem with metal is that a crack can rapidly spread causing catastrophic failure – Which is not generally welcomed by pilots!

This was one of the first reasons that rotor blades started to have a time limit on their use. Until this point, wooden blades were considered to last indefinitely!

Honeycombs

The addition of honeycomb technology into rotor blades really helped to improve the design and lifespan of a rotor blade. Used in conjunction with other metals, rotor blades can be produced strong, flexible, light, and cheaper than their advanced composite younger brothers.

The Robinson R22 rotor blade is a great example of this:

R22 Main Rotor Blade Cross Section
  • The outer top and bottom skins of the blade are made from an aluminum alloy
  • An aluminum honeycomb makes up the core
  • A hollow Stainless Steel “D’ section leading edge
  • The root of the blade comprises a forged Aluminum Alloy
  • All bonded together with adhesive to create the blade

Composites

Composite blades seem to be the way forward for every new blade design from both the aircraft manufacturers and external manufacturers like Carson Helicopters and Van Horn Aviation mentioned earlier.

According to Wikipedia, by definition, Composites are formed by combining materials together to form an overall structure with properties that differ from that of the individual components.

The R22 blade above forms a basic composite blade but now rotor blades are really becoming technical with the materials in which they are being constructed from.

Carbon Fibre, Fibre Glass, Stainless Steel, Aluminum Alloys, Nomex, and Titanium are just some of the materials being placed into blades to create some remarkable results.

For example, the Carson Helicopters Composite replacement blades for the Sikorsky SK61 offer the following improvements over the original 1960’s Sikorsky rotor blade design:

  • 1,700 lb thrust increase in hover
  • 17 kt. speed increase at 68% torque
  • 40% increase of rate of climb at altitude 
    Source: Carson Helicopters

These are huge performance increases but it just shows what can be done with new materials and modern design techniques!

Source: Gnangarra

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Rotor Blade Design

Honeycombs, materials and composites can only take a rotor blade so far, the rest comes down to blade design.

Some of the parameters designers look at when designing a new blade are:

  • Produce as much lift as possible
  • Reduce drag as much as possible
  • Reduce noise as much as possible
  • Be as stable as possible
  • Be as efficient as possible
  • Last as long as possible
  • Be as cheap as possible

As you can imagine this is just the tip of the iceberg and blade design is way above the knowledge of most of us reading this, myself included and I have an engineering background.

Just like the materials have evolved, the R&D, computer modeling, testing processes, and data analysis behind modern-day design have just exploded in the last few decades creating some unique-looking blades.

If you have been to an airshow you will know exactly what I am talking about:

Agusta BERP Blade
Sikorsky Drooped Tip Blade
Airbus Blue Edge Blade

The funky-looking tips on the rotor blades are designed to help offset the problems caused by the tip of the advancing blade rotating near the speed of sound. The main problem is compressibility which not only produces a lot of noise but also reduces lift on that part of the blade.

For more information on rotor blade compressibility check out this article from
Ray Prouty in Rotor&Wing Magazine.

De-Icing Rotor Blades

In recent decades the requirement for helicopters to face their nemesis of ice has been pushed heavily by the military and IFR consumer market. For helicopters operating in the IFR offshore sector in particular, the requirement to fly in all weather has pushed the development in Anti-Icing and De-Icing rotor system technology.

Sikorsky, Airbus, and Agusta have been at the forefront of this technological development and have working systems on their larger aircraft.

The Anti-Icing and De-Icing rotor systems are complex, heavy, and very costly and it requires the entire helicopter to be equipped with additional equipment like engine intake heating systems, heated windshields, ice accretion sensors and a whole plethora of computer systems to control the blade heating systems.

For Example:

The Agusta A139 Anti-Ice system contains blades with electric heating pads in zones in each blade of both the main rotor and tail rotor systems. The electronic systems monitor the icing conditions and pulse the heaters in specific zones at specific intervals to allow the rotor system to shed any built-up ice safely and in a way not to unbalance the rotor head.

It operates at a much more complex level than that but we would be here for hours if I got out my training manuals! But you get the idea.

AW139 Undergoing Ice Accretion Testing

Even with all this blade and computer technology, the trusty human Mk1 eyeball is still the best ice accretion sensor. Here on the A139 is a simple ball used to collect ice which you can see when flying.

Yellow = Start thinking about leaving the ice-laden weather.
Red = Why have you not turned around already!?

Learn More…
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* Helicopters: Loops, Rolls & Upside Down – Can They All Do It?

How Much Do Rotor Blades Cost?

As you can imagine rotor blades are not cheap, especially for the De-Icing blades, and with a limited service life, the operator can be facing a hefty bill when all blades time out at the same time!

Some rotor blades allow one blade to be changed, have their rotor systems track and balanced and you are good to go. Other blades though may require all the rotor blades to be changed which could lead to a very hefty bill if only one of them develops a fault or gets dinged in the hanger and cannot be repaired!

Rough Prices For Example:

Robinson R22 Main Rotor Blade$37,000ea
Bell 407 Main Rotor Blade$42,000ea
Bell 206 Van Horn Composite Blades$80,000/pair
A139 Heated Main Rotor Blade$180,000ea
SK61 Carson Helicopters Main Rotor Blade$200,000ea
Bell 214B Main Rotor Blade$600,000/pair

To Finish

The manufacture of the helicopter rotor blade has come a long way in the last 70 years, not only in the materials but the design and construction techniques.

Increasing the performance, reducing noise, fuel burn, purchase price, and lifespan is a very tough balancing act for the blade designers. But looking back, the lowly wood blades on the Bell 47, some of which are still flying today, what will the next 70 years of design evolution bring us? I’m excited to watch!

Can Anyone Join a Flying Club?

Written by Rick James in Airplanes,Financial,General Aviation,Training

Renting an aircraft for pleasure or training can soon become expensive, but what if there is a way to get some savings? This is where a flying club in your area could really provide that and many other benefits!

Joining a Flying Club can offer many great benefits such as reduced flying costs, large aircraft selection, greater aircraft availability, mentoring & training, social belonging, and flexibility for not only the pilot, but their whole family to enjoy.

Not only does cost play a major draw to joining a flying club but it can also make you a better pilot and enhance your skills at no extra cost. See why joining a club can really benefit you in so many ways…

What is a Flying Club?

A flying club is usually a group of pilots & aviation enthusiasts that run an aircraft or a number of aircraft as a non-profit, members-only club.
By pooling membership fees, the club is able to reduce the cost of each flight hour and reduce or remove the responsibility of owning an aircraft.

Most towns will have a local flying club and at the time of writing this AOPA (Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association) lists 1425 registered flying clubs across the US, so finding one near you should be a breeze.

There Are Plenty Of Flying Clubs!!

Flying clubs can be as varied as your sock draw – From small clubs with 1 aircraft and half a dozen members, all the way up to the Plus One Flying Club in California with over 60 aircraft at 4 locations and close to one thousand members!

In the past, flying clubs have been given a bad stigma, and while it may be true about some clubs, the majority of them can be a very pleasurable and worthwhile experience.

Many of these stigma’s and rumors have been dreamt up by competing flight schools and FBO’s to keep your business. Aviation is a tough business at times and ruthless tactics can be employed. Many of the rumors can be along the lines of ” Flying clubs can be troublesome, rumors of old airplanes, casual maintenance practices, scheduling problems, and bad management” always seemed to accompany discussions about flying clubs.

Like anything in life, what fits for you may not fit for another person so a trip around your local clubs will instantly tell you which club may be the right fit for you.

Reduced Hourly Costs

The main benefit to most pilots is the reduced hourly costs to rent an aircraft. But how is a flying club able to do this?

Step 1:
By running as a non-profit organization all the funds are returned back into the pot to reduce the costs.

Step 2:
Most clubs charge an initial joining fee and sometimes a deposit to be returned upon termination of your membership. This joining fee goes into the fund to help pay for the annual maintenance costs of the aircraft.

Step 3:
Each member will be charged a monthly membership fee which also goes towards the costs of running the facilities and aircraft.

Step 4:
Each member will pay for the hourly use of the aircraft. Most clubs base this rental time on the ‘Tach Time’ which counts the running time based on engine RPM. The slower the RPM, the slower the clock ticks, Vs ‘Hobbs Time’ which runs at a set rate as soon as the engine starts.

This Tach Time can be a huge saving to the renter especially at large airports when a lot of taxiing is required or waiting in line to depart is common.

Source: Max Libertine

Costs To Join:

Many clubs have varying fee structures depending on the number of its members and amount of aircraft they run:

One Time Joining Fee – Can be anywhere from $1000 to several thousand dollars.

Deposit – Can be anywhere from $100 to several thousand dollars.

Monthly Fee – Usually under $100 at most clubs.

Hourly Aircraft Rental – This all depends on the type of aircraft and the number of hours it flies. Can be anywhere from $50/hour to several hundred dollars per hour.

Fuel Costs – Some clubs include fuel as part of the hourly rental fee and some do not. This is something to enquire about when researching a club.

Generally, the larger the club, the lower the rental costs as the more an aircraft flies the lower it’s cost/hour will become. Some quick searches using the AOPA Club Finder will give you access to each flying club’s website which usually always gives their fee breakdown.

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Aircraft Selection

Many flying clubs, especially the larger ones can offer the benefit of having several different aircraft within its fleet. With a simple checkout from one of the club’s instructors on each aircraft, you can easily increase your skills, knowledge, and experience by being able to fly the different club aircraft.

If you wanted to practice some touch-and-go’s, you could rent out a cheap 2-seat Cessna 152, but if you wanted to take the family for a burger you could rent a 4-seat Cessna 172. The flexibility can be great to your wallet and your requirements.

Aircraft Availablity

This can be one of the biggest benefits to a flying club compared to a flight school or an FBO. Busy flight schools can make it impossible for you to rent an aircraft once you have passed your check ride.
They are in the business of making money and you renting it decreases their profits.

I know of many students who were promised rental time after they completed their training with a school only to be shown the door once their training was over. This is where joining a flying club comes in.

Many flying clubs now use online-based scheduling programs so it makes it easy to book your desired aircraft on a first-come-first-served basis. The other benefit to flying clubs is that most will allow you to book an aircraft for multiple days, if not weeks to allow for some incredible trips to take place.

Good luck trying to rent an aircraft for this long from a flight school!

A Typical Online Aircraft Scheduling Tool

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Flexibility

Renting an aircraft from your flying club gives you the flexibility of the different aircraft in the fleet, the ease, and comfort of scheduling from your armchair but also the time you wish to book.

Many flight schools may have only limited timeslots available to renting and if this does not match your schedule then getting to fly could be an issue.

Being able to find the right timeslot for your desired aircraft is much more likely in a flying club, but beware that time slots in the good weather months for a single aircraft club could fill up fast. Something to look at when selecting a club.

Sharing Responsibilities

Owning an aircraft can be out of the reach of many pilots. Not only is the financial side a limiting factor but also the knowledge of how to keep it maintained, insured, and compliant.

With a flying club, all of these aspects are taken care of by appointed members of the club. Those with the know-how or the aircraft owners themselves will look after all the ‘Paperwork’ side of things leaving you to just ‘Book & Fly’.

Some flying clubs may also offer ‘Aircraft Buy-In’ shares to their members to be able to either make a small dividend from its rental, a reduced hourly rental cost, or free hours depending on how the contracts are set up. This could be an option for those of you who have a little more spare cash or want to take a more active role within the club.

Mentoring & Training

To me, one of the best benefits of becoming a member of a flying club is the learning, training, and mentorship from the more experienced pilots and ‘Old Salts’.

Some flying clubs may have their own instructors and examiners within their membership allowing you to fulfill all your training requirements in one location and on an aircraft of your choice.

Being able to sit down on poor weather days with a pot of coffee and bounce ideas, get second opinions and have discussions on incidents and emergencies is a great way to increase a pilot’s awareness and experience.

Another great benefit of training at a flying club vs a flight school is you could hand select your instructor (if the club is big enough) that you bond with on a personal level that will take you from zero to pilot in one go.

Flight schools can be notorious for bouncing you around between instructors. Some leave, some get sick, and depending on the quality of the school you could get a different instructor for every flight you do!

Training consistency is key to rapid progression and cost-effectiveness. However, the quality of the instructor at a small flying club may not be up to a standard that suits your liking. Something to look into.

Social Belonging

The word ‘Club’ brings together the social aspect of this type of flying. There is alot more to aviation than being up in the air and being surrounded by individuals who share your passion where you can talk and ‘Nerd Out’ can really enhance your enjoyment.

Many flying clubs organize ‘Fly-In’s’ where other clubs fly in for BBQ’s, Pot Lucks, and other fun times. At the same time, you get to fly with your club member to other fly-in’s and events.

From personal experience, flying with your friends to events is not only great fun but also a great way to build confidence, especially among the junior members of the club!

Fuel Stop Enroute To a Fly-In in WA – Source: Rick James

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Regular Flying

The availability of aircraft and the cheaper rental costs all allow you to fly more often. This not only increases your skills but also allows them to stay refined which makes you a safer pilot.

Another great aspect of being able to fly more often is that you may be able to persuade one of the more experienced pilots to come for a ride with you giving you the chance to soak up all the advice they have to offer.

Flying with others is a great way to make you a safer pilot but will also help to build your confidence as a lower time pilot, or as a pilot with little experience in that type of aircraft, weather, terrain or environment.

Company & Military Clubs

Another option you may not realize is that a lot of larger corporations may have their own flying clubs. Subsidized and ran on behalf of their employees can give you access to further reduced flying costs if you are lucky enough to be employed by one of these organizations.

There are also a large number of veteran-only flying clubs dotted across the country. What better way to fly than with your brothers & sister in arms. Not only sharing your love for aviation but also your service too.

Many of these clubs do not require you to have served in the Airforce or have any previous flying experience, but having served is usually the only requirement. A search of your local area may bring up a club close by.

Downsides

Like everything in this world, there is always a downside to everything. Flying clubs can be no different. The most common downside I hear often is always the clash of personalities. People can be fickle and add to that the ego’s that some pilots can have can make for an unpleasant experience.

Selecting your flying club can take some time and speak with as many of those individual members is a must. Going along to a club’s Fly-In or event is a great way to meet the majority of their members.

Lumped in with the personality clashes are the inevitable club politics that will always become apparent once you have been around long enough. There is just no getting away from it sometimes!

If you can ignore it then great, if not you may have to speak to other members and see if something can be done about the issues. Failing that, you can always move to another club, but you will have to pay another joining fee.

Another downside I often hear, especially from the smaller clubs is aircraft availability, especially from those who want to book ad aircraft, its already taken, but then not used on that day – Sure it is frustrating and hopefully, it does not happen too often, but it might be a question to ask around the members during your club selection.

Resources

To help you find some even more great information about flying clubs near your please check out these following links:

65-page AOPA report from a national member survey in 2012 about the state of flying clubs within the United States.

AOPA Flying Club Finder Tool

AOPA Guide To Starting Your Own Flying Club

To Finish

The benefits a flying club may have to offer you can be one of the best decisions you can make in your aviation journey.

Whether you are just about to start flight training or you are looking for a way to continue flying then a search of your local area would be well worth the time and effort if you can find a club that can satisfy your requirements.

Not every club is perfect, but if you have a flying club nearby, it will be worth checking out!

Post Header Image:
Flying Club Aircraft Lineup – Source: Les Chatfield

How Do Helicopters Turn? A Pilot Explains

Written by Rick James in General Aviation,Helicopters,Training

Helicopters are one of the wonders of the modern industrial world but making them work took some serious brain pain from the early helicopter pioneers! Something as simple as turning seems simple but to accomplish it takes some brilliant engineering.

To turn a helicopter while in a hover the pilot uses the pedals to control the tail rotor by adjusting the amount of sideways thrust it creates. To turn while in forward flight the pilot tilts the main rotor disk in the direction they wish to turn by using the cyclic control and the fuselage follows.

This statement is about as basic as I can word it to give you a quick answer. To find out the more in-depth answers to how a helicopter turns and banks be sure to read on…

Types of Turn

With a helicopter there are two types of turn:

  1. Turning while in a Hover – Known as YAW. This is similar to being sat in a spinny office chair and someone rotates you round and round.
    This type of turn is accomplished by the Tail Rotor.
  2. Turning while in Flight – Known as ROLL. This is similar to leaning on a bicycle when entering a fast turn. This type of turn is accomplished by the Main Rotor.

Let’s look at each one of these types of turn individually…

For this article, we will keep it simple and talk about a helicopter with skids and not wheels and built in North America so the main rotor rotates anti-clockwise when viewed from the above. (For reference: helicopters built in Europe tend to have the main rotor turn clockwise when viewed from above).

For European machines like the Eurocopter/Airbus helicopters, the explanations will follow the same fundamentals but in the opposite direction.

Turning While In A Hover

Turning a helicopter while in the hover (for helicopters without wheels) or for turning while taxiing (for helicopters with wheels) is done by the Tail Rotor.

A Bell 407 With Skid Landing Gear

Some quick, simple Fundamentals of Flight theory to set the scene:

In a hover, the forces acting on a helicopter are all equal, thus it should not move.
When the engine turns the main rotor in one direction, the fuselage will want to turn in the opposite direction due to Newton’s Third Law – For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

To keep the helicopter from spinning around, the thrust produced by the tail rotor matches the force of the fuselage wanting to turn (Known as Torque). Therefore when everything is in equilibrium, the helicopter keeps pointing forward.

To Turn Left:

While in the hover, if the pilot pushes on the left foot pedal:

  • The pitch of the tail rotor will increase on both/all its blades via a mechanical and/or hydraulic linkage
  • As the blade pitch increases, the thrust produced will be greater than the fuselage torque
  • This will push the tail of the helicopter to the right
  • The cockpit of the helicopter will then rotate to the left around the mast of the main rotor until the pedals are centered

To Turn Right:

While in the hover, if the pilot pushes on the right foot pedal:

  • The pitch of the tail rotor will decrease on both/all its blades
  • This thrust produced will be less than the fuselage torque
  • The torque will pull the tail of the helicopter to the left
  • The cockpit of the helicopter will then rotate to the right around the mast of the main rotor until the pedals are centered

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Turning While In Forward Flight

This is where it gets a little more complex so I hope I can explain this clearly. I’m not going to go into deep fundamentals like the Pendulum Effect, Dissymertry of Lift, Gyroscopic Precession, and things like that as the mantra of this site is in the tagline “Everything Aviation – Simply Explained”

When a helicopter is in forward flight at a constant speed and constant height the following forces are acting upon the aircraft:

To begin a turn, the pilot moves the cyclic control either left or right.

What happens next is where all the wizardry comes in! The cyclic is connected to the stationary half of the swashplate that is mounted on the main rotor mast via linkages and hydraulic actuators in most helicopters.

The swashplate is a device that has a stationary half that the cyclic and collective controls are linked to, then the rotating half is connected to each rotor blade by a pitch link.

Most helicopters have 3 Cyclic/Collective linkages connected to the swashplate. The swashplate is used to increase or decrease the pitch of each rotor blade.

If the Collective is raised or lowered (Flight control in the pilot’s left hand), all the linkages/actuators raise or drop the entire swashplate together. This increases/decreases the pitch on all the blades ‘Collectively’ so the helicopter climbs/descends.

If the Cyclic is moved Fwd, Aft, Left, or Right each actuator moves independently to effectively tilt the stationary part of the swashplate in the direction the cyclic was moved. This changes the pitch on each rotor blade individually.

To turn or bank the aircraft, the Cyclic is moved left/right to tilt the stationary part of the swashplate and because the stationary half tilts, the rotating half mirrors the tilt. This then begins to change the pitch of each rotor blade at varying degrees throughout each blades full rotation.

Think of putting your hand flat out of the car window when you were a kid. You tilt your hand up and you can feel the wind pushing it up. This is the same as a rotor blade, but instead of the car moving and giving your hand lift, the spinning rotor blade is creating the lift.

To bank the aircraft RIGHT, the entire rotor disc raises on the left side of the aircraft and drops on the right side of the aircraft. To accomplish this, when each blade is at the 9 o’clock position it is at its maximum pitch causing it (your hand) to rise.

As each blade moves around to the 3 o’clock position it is at its flattest pitch.

At 12 & 6 each blade is either increasing or decreasing its pitch as it rotates.

This will continue until the cyclic is moved back to the center. The opposite happens to turn left, and also forwards and backward. The blade’s pitch is lowest in the direction you want the aircraft to move.

This video shows how a blade changes pitch during each rotation:

https://youtu.be/Pu48f7s5Ru8

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As the rotor disk begins to tilt in the direction of the turn the aerodynamics change and the lift vectors move from being vertical towards horizontal and this begins the turn.

Because some of the lift has moved from being vertical the lift/weight ratio will be reduced and the aircraft will begin to descend. The more the pilot banks the helicopter, the more the lift vector tilts away from vertical, and the more the helicopter will descend.

To counteract this, the pilot must raise the collective to increase engine power, increase the pitch of blades collectively and increase the lift. Once Lift and Weight are matched again, the aircraft will turn without climbing or descending. This is a level turn.

When rolling out from the turn, the pilot must remember to reduce power or the helicopter will have too much lift being produced and the helicopter will begin to climb once flying straight and level in forward flight.

Flying all the controls in balance, at the right time, and by the right amounts is what takes time to learn, hence the reason why students pilots look like they are all over the place in their early stages of helicopter lessons!

To Finish

Turning in a helicopter seems simple but the aerodynamics and mechanical engineering to complete that task are complex. There is a lot more flight physics involved than what I have shown here in this synopsis that’s what makes learning to fly a helicopter an incredible challenge, not only controlling one but learning the theory behind it!

So next time you watch a helicopter turning in a hover or as it flies over you just have a think of the forces and mechanics involved for just doing something as simple as turning!

Can a Helicopter Land Anywhere? It Depends!

Written by Rick James in General Aviation,Helicopters,Rules & Regs

You want to rent a helicopter to take your daughter and her friends to their prom, but can the pilot land in your front yard to do so? This is a pretty common question but the answer can vary quite a bit!

In general, helicopters can land anywhere they can safely fit. However, local & regional aviation regulations can prevent a helicopter from landing at a pilot’s desired location, especially in urban areas. In an emergency, a helicopter is allowed to land anywhere to ensure the safety of its occupants.

Police & EMS helicopters will have much greater tolerance on where they can land but now we know that helicopters can generally land anywhere, let’s look at what this really means for Joe Public and what things are likely to prevent the girls from going to prom from your front yard.

Where Can A Helicopter Legally Land?

If a pilot is experiencing an emergency then they are allowed to land a helicopter anywhere. The main focus is the safety of the occupants on board but at the same time, the pilot also has to ensure the safety of people outside of the aircraft too.

When it comes to a helicopter landing anywhere when there is no emergency then we have to look at two parts of the flight:

  1. The Airborne Phase
  2. The Landed Phase

The Airborne Phase of the Flight

Federal Regulations

When a pilot is in flight he or she is bound by the aviation regulations within that particular country. For the US, the governing body is the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration).

Before beginning the ‘Approach to Land’ part of the flight the main regulation that governs the pilot is:

14 CFR Sec. 91.119 of the FAR (Federal Aviation Regulations)

In a nutshell, what this rule stipulates is that Except for Landing and Taking Off In a Helicopter you must not:

  • Fly anywhere upon which you cannot safely land in an emergency without causing damage to people or property.
  • If overflying congested areas, the pilot must maintain 1000ft above the highest obstacle within a 2000ft radius.
  • If overflying a non-congested area, the pilot must maintain 500ft above the ground.
  • If overflying sparsely populated areas, the pilot must maintain at least 500ft to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.

But, a caveat to these rules is that if you are in a helicopter it may be operated at less than those minimums, provided the pilot operating the helicopter complies with any routes or altitudes specifically prescribed for helicopters by the FAA.

Not Many Locations For An Emergency Landing!

As you can see, if you live in a rural area and wish to have a helicopter land on your property then it will be far easier than if you live in the middle of a busy suburb.

Local Regulations

Not only must a pilot follow the federal aviation regulations but they must also adhere to any regulations set forth by any local authorities, state authority, or even city by-laws.

Breaking a black-and-white regulation is the surefire way to end with a fine at best. Your local by-laws may have regulations in place to prevent low-flying aircraft, associated noise, and nuisance complaints, you name it.

Even though you may think your property may be the perfect landing spot you could find local laws prohibit the landing of a helicopter. The perception of what you or the pilot consider safe may be completely different to that of the by-law officer!

For example in California, outside of an emergency situation, any aircraft is prohibited from landing within 1,000 feet of a school without a permit, no matter if you have the landowner’s permission.

Safety

The main factors that both the regulations and the pilot need to focus on is the safety of everyone onboard and on the ground in the case of an emergency developing during the approach to and departure from the landing zone.

Common sense and planning is a must when looking at the plan for the flight.

Learn More…
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* How Low Can Aircraft Legally Fly? How The Neighbors Get Annoyed!

The Landed Phase of the Flight

Once the aircraft can overfly, approach, and depart safely without causing a danger to people or property then the next phase becomes important: Landing

Land Owners Permission

For any aircraft to legally land (Not counting an emergency situation) the pilot needs to have gained permission from the landowner BEFORE touching down in an aircraft. Without this prior permission, the pilot could be liable to trespassing charges.

The landing location is also applicable to open spaces or water owned by a corporation, farmer, local/national state park, or any other body. Just about anywhere you wish to land could be owned and you need to identify that owner and get permission.

This can be also true for airstrips and helipads. Just because they are there, does not mean you can drop in anytime you wish!

Source: Photowiki1

The best way to get this permission is by email or telephone then have them send you permission by email so you have a written copy if there is ever any dispute. This can be true even if it is your neighbor!

Also, be sure you have permission for the EXACT date you intend to have the aircraft land. Just because you had permission once, does not mean you can land anytime you wish, unless it is mentioned in the written permission.

Figuring If A Helicopter Can Land Anywhere?

Sensible decision-making by the pilot is required to ensure the safety of everyone in and outside of the aircraft.

Let’s have a look at a few example scenarios of where a helicopter could land for you:

You live on a large rural farm with vast open areas for approach and departure. You own the land.
Yes, the helicopter can land without overflying and causing distress to any person or animal on the ground.

You live in a residential neighborhood and you want to be picked up in the cul-de-sac.
No, the helicopter cannot land. The city owns the land and the pilot will most likely not be able to maintain safe emergency landing areas on approach & departure.

You live in a residential neighborhood and you want to be picked up in the park next to you.
No, the helicopter cannot land. The city owns the park and the pilot will most likely not be able to maintain safe emergency landing areas on approach & departure. Also, the possibility of people using the park at the time of landing will be high.

You live in a residential neighborhood and you want to be picked up in your large yard.
No, the helicopter cannot land. The pilot will most likely not be able to maintain safe emergency landing areas on approach & departure.

This Would be Tricky – Talking To The Local FAA FSDO Office Would Be Best

You live on the very edge of a residential neighborhood and you want to be picked up in your large yard.
Possibly, the helicopter may be able to land only if they can maintain safe landing areas on approach & departure and any neighbor’s property is greater than 500ft from the landing spot?

You are flying and want to land in a parking lot to get food at a Fast-Food restaurant.
No, the helicopter cannot land. The restaurant chain owns the land and the pilot will most likely not be able to maintain safe emergency landing areas on approach & departure. Also, the chance of causing damage or harm to nearby spectators or vehicles from flying debris will be very high.

You are looking to build your own hangar on your property.
Yes, providing you have sufficient approach and departure routes and are able to gain local planning permission. Zoning, the local city, and neighbors’ noise complaints could be the biggest factor in being denied.

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Other Things To Consider Before Having A Helicopter Land

You have permission for the helicopter to land on your property, there is lots of room for a safe approach and departure but what else is there to consider? Here are a few other pointers:

Overflying…

Advise the pilot of the possible routes into and out of the property to avoid overflying any neighbors, livestock, dusty, or wildlife-sensitive areas. Being courteous to your surroundings is very important for good neighborly relationships.

Landing Spot…

Ensure the landing spot is large enough for the aircraft. Usually, at a very minimum of 2x the rotor diameter for the aircraft landing is the starting point.

Robinson R22 Requires a Minimum of 50ft Diameter Clearance – Source: Rick James

Learn More…
Try These Articles:
* Why Can’t Helicopters Land on Mount Everest – Yet?
* How Does a Helicopter Land? With and Without Engine Power

For Example:

A Robinson R22 has a rotor diameter of 25ft – Min Area 50ft Diameter
A Robinson R44 has a rotor diameter of 33ft – Min Area 66ft Diameter
A Bell Jetranger has a rotor diameter of 33ft – Min Area 66ft Diameter
An Agusta A109 has a rotor diameter of 36ft – Min Area 72ft Diameter

Ensure the surrounding area is free from debris or objects which can become airborne when hit by the rotor wash. Even a small 2-seat Robinson R22 can blow objects around with ease.

In the AW139 Air Ambulance, I have blown kayaks, patio furniture, and people over when landing. It can be funny at times but it can also be very serious!

Rotorwash & Loose Objects Can Be Disastrous

Spectators…

Helicopters always draw a crowd. ALWAYS ensure any spectators, small children and pets cannot run towards a helicopter. Rotating blades, especially a tail rotor is an instant way to spoil the day!

Either have people on the ground or a second person leave the aircraft to control the area while the rotors are turning.

No Showboating…

There have been and will continue to be accidents from the ‘Watch This‘ mentality of a pilot. Reckless flying or showing off is an instant way to bend metal, and if you or your pilot injure people in the process the pilot could be looking at jail time to go along with the conscience of someone’s death.

Boring flying is the safest flying! The spectators will still think it’s cool!

Keep Watch…

People love helicopters and they always draw attention. Be sure to keep an eye on small kids especially when walking around a parked helicopter. Aerials, antennas, rotor blades, and sticky-out bits can easily prevent the aircraft from taking off again if they are accidentally broken. Always inform the pilot if you notice something wrong with the aircraft.

Comply…

There may be times when you thought you did everything right and got all the permissions, but if confronted by an individual or law enforcement officer be sure to listen and comply with any requests.

Being confrontational, even in the defense of your pilot could escalate a situation further even if you know you are in the right.

Landing In The Wilderness Can Be Breathtaking! – Source: Rick James

To Finish

Having a helicopter land at your property or even flying one to a remote landing spot yourself can be a very momentous occasion, but it can be a very gray area as to what is considered an acceptable landing site.

By planning the landing location, ensuring you have the permissions, not endangering people or livestock, or breaking any local by-laws you can ensure your daughter’s trip to prom will be remembered for the rest of your lives.

If you are ever unsure about having a helicopter come to your property then consultation with a local helicopter operator or the local FAA FSDO (Flight Standards District Office) would be your best option. Failing that, having the helicopter pick up the girls from a nearby airport will be a certainty!

PS: Many pilots have made the news by landing in areas that maybe they should not have and while they may have not been prosecuted, you may not be so lucky. It only takes a small incident to become a big problem!

Post Header Image:
LA County Sheriff’s Eurocopter AS332 L1 Super Puma – Source: Shane Smith

How Low Can Aircraft Legally Fly?

Written by Rick James in Airplanes,General Aviation,Helicopters,Rules & Regs

Low-flying aircraft can be an awesome sight or a terrifying sight depending on which side of the fence you sit. To the majority of people, a low-flying aircraft can be a nuisance and if it happens regularly it can become very stressful.

An aircraft can legally fly as low as 500ft above the ground & if in sparsely populated areas or over water there is no minimum height limit but must remain at least 500 feet from any vessel, structure, or person. Aircraft can also fly lower than 500ft when landing and taking off.

Depending on where you are when you see a low-flying aircraft will dictate which of the rules the pilot ‘should’ be following. Let’s take a look at those rules and give you an idea of what is legal and what is a nuisance!

To keep this simple there are several parts to one of the FAA regulations that govern low-flying rules in the US.

The main regulation is 14 CFR Sec. 91.119 – Minimum safe altitudes: General of the FAR (Federal Aviation Regulations).

In a nutshell, what this rule stipulates is that Except for Landing and Taking Off a pilot:

  • Must not fly anywhere upon which they cannot safely land in an emergency without causing damage to people or property.
  • If overflying congested areas, the pilot must maintain 1000ft above the highest obstacle within a 2000ft radius.
  • If overflying a non-congested area, the pilot must maintain 500ft above the ground.
  • If overflying sparsely populated areas, the pilot must maintain at least 500ft to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure. Note no altitude restriction!

But, a caveat to these rules is that if it is a helicopter it may be operated at less than those minimums, provided the pilot operating the helicopter complies with any routes or altitudes specifically prescribed for helicopters by the FAA.

This could mean a low-flight corridor for helicopters through a busy airspace. A great example of this is the Thames River Low-Level Routes through London, UK to help keep helicopters out of the way of the heavy iron flying into Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton & Stanstead airports.

Another example is the heli routes around Boston, MA. Most large cities will have low-flight routes for helicopters to help with separation from the bigger aircraft.

But why do helicopters seem to be able to not follow the 500ft and 1000ft minimum height rules that planes do? It all comes down to the space required for a helicopter to land in the event of an emergency.

A good, well-trained helicopter pilot should be able to land a helicopter with no engine power in an open space the size of a tennis court. Because of this, helicopters are allowed to fly lower, providing they are able to reach a suitable area if that emergency ever occurs.

Helicopters with 2 engines generally do not have to worry so much about this because if one engine fails they still have another donkey still kicking to allow them to carry on flying or take them to a suitable landing location.

Another caveat to this regulation is what is classed as ‘A Congested Area’? The FAA has purposely kept this a gray area to analyze each infraction on a case-by-case basis to balance the pilot’s actions vs the public’s safety.

So would a gathering of half a dozen or a dozen people in a farmer’s field be considered congested? Your guess is as good as mine! If a pilot is conducting a landing they are fine, but a low pass at less than 1000ft high and within 2000ft of the spectators will technically put the pilot into infraction territory!

Learn More…
Try These Articles:
* Helicopter or Airplane: Which is Easier To Fly?
* Can You Land a Helicopter Anywhere? What Will Get You Busted!

Police & Air Ambulance Helicopters

This may be the most common low-flying aircraft you will see depending on where you live. Generally, most pilots flying these machines will try to maintain the limits set out in the regulations above just for noise abatement.

Being courteous to the neighbors in your city is just good airmanship. I know when I would leave the hospital helipad in the middle of the night and overfly my house and woke my small kids, my wife would kill me! It is no different for any household!

If you are unlucky enough to live by a hospital or police helipad, then that’s just a noise you will have to live with I’m afraid.

Police helicopters and News helicopters could be over a scene for a prolonged period of time covering the incident and should depart once the action is all over. Air ambulances will tend to circle to assess the landing zone then be in and out causing minimal disruption.

Military Aircraft

Military aircraft can and will do whatever they want! They are generally not governed by the FAA rules and regulations that civilian aircraft are bound to but they will follow the same rules when flying within the national airspace system.

Military aircraft can be on urban training exercises, remote low-level tactical training, or even operations concerning national security. If they need to buzz through your neighborhood at 200 ft then that is what they will do.

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However, they will, if they can try to abide by noise abatement procedures, especially if they are operating in the same areas regularly. This can include the route/s to and from the areas of operation. If you live in one of the many military training areas then there is not a lot you can do for low-flying aircraft!

If low-flying military aircraft is something you love to see then one of the best places in the world is the ‘Mach-Loop’ in North Wales, UK.
Check out the video below:

For those of you in the US, then a trip to Rainbow Canyon in Death Valley National Park, California – also referred to as ‘Star Wars Canyon’, will give you up-close encounters with fast military jets!
Check out the video below:

Utility Helicopters

Many small aircraft or helicopters may be seen working low-level at times doing things like powerline and pipeline patrols. A lot of these machines when operating in urban environments will probably use two engines, especially since the 2008 single-engine helicopter crash in Cranbrook, BC, Canada that while on a low-level powerline patrol through the town crashed killing the 3 occupants of the helicopter and a member of the public walking on the sidewalk.

Low flight needed to survey infrastructure, waterways, traffic, and other services is a common occurrence but may only be in your area for a short period of time.

In Canada, we have to apply for Aerial Work Permits from Transport Canada if we are going to be working around people and property at low altitudes. This is basically a plan and risk assessment that helps to identify hazards, minimize risks, and can also help to inform the public of intentions so dozens of homeowners do not flood the 911 dispatch with calls!

The US FAA can issue waivers to companies to be able to legally break the low-flight regulations for things like aviation events or specific work tasks to enable the flights with some pre-planning & risk analysis.

Most of the time working aircraft are not the ones that cause a lot of stress, this group falls into my next category.

Learn More…
Try These Articles:
* Police Helicopters: All Your Questions Answered!
* How Do Pilots See At Night? Everything You Want To Know!

Nuisance Pilots

We have all seen them, we have all heard about them, and for sure we have all seen the videos surfacing on the internet of their antics.

I Say No More…

Unnecessary low-flying and showboating is one of the biggest downsides to this great activity, as usual, it is only a select few that create all the problems.

Low flying over property, livestock, people are just a small incident away from being a major catastrophe. Flying at low altitudes leaves very little time for emergency assessments, drastically reduces your emergency landing locations, and can be the difference of a rescued aircraft vs a demolished one let alone the carnage that can be caused to innocent bystanders!

For those pilots that intentionally break the laws and make people’s lives a living hell then they deserve everything they get to help report these pilots you can use this excellent guide on what evidence to collect and then who to contact in your area:

FAA Low Flying Complaints Guidelines

To Finish

Low flying has its place whether it be for airshows, training, aerial survey, or as part of an air traffic control system. Low flying just for the sake of showing off and annoying people is unacceptable.

As time goes on I hope more pilots learn that respect of those on the ground is just as important as the respect that you show to others in the air and the troublemakers will gradually be weeded out. Unfortunately, I don’t think we will ever achieve it as there will always be that one jerk!