Coast Guard Helicopters Landing Gear

Strong Light Bulb

Hi All,

Quick question! Not too sure if I'm in the exact right place.

I have noticed on the vast majority of photographs I have seen of the new coast guard helicopters that their landing gear is down. I understand that the gear will be down for take off and landing, I'm talking about during flight. The gear seems to always be down, even whilst over water winching from a boat when they obviously are not going to be landing soon. From what I see commercial airliners begin raising their gear as soon as they take off so I am wondering if it is a policy that they have chosen to adopt (not raising the landing gear) or is it just the pilot preference?

Thanks in advance!!

If I'm in the wrong place sorry lads!!

sjb25

Strong Light Bulb wrote: »

Hi All,

Quick question! Not too sure if I'm in the exact right place.

I have noticed on the vast majority of photographs I have seen of the new coast guard helicopters that their landing gear is down. I understand that the gear will be down for take off and landing, I'm talking about during flight. The gear seems to always be down, even whilst over water winching from a boat when they obviously are not going to be landing soon. From what I see commercial airliners begin raising their gear as soon as they take off so I am wondering if it is a policy that they have chosen to adopt (not raising the landing gear) or is it just the pilot preference?

Thanks in advance!!

If I'm in the wrong place sorry lads!!

Gear up when flying the put the gear down when going into a hover over a scene would be part of the pilots SOPs I'd say incase something goes wrong most photos are of them doing this but they put the weels up when in flight
Not a pilot just from what iv seen them do

sjb25

Gear up in flight photo

Strong Light Bulb

Ahh I see I see!!

Thank you very much for that!!

:-)

sjb25

Strong Light Bulb wrote: »

Ahh I see I see!!

Thank you very much for that!!

:-)

Also could be to do with height they are at if they go below that hight they put the gear down just incase I think airplanes would do the same somebody much more knowledgable and can explain it technically for you

tricky D

It's SOP for SARs to have gear down below 1000ft and there's an alarm/red light for it. It came up in one or two recent threads.

Strong Light Bulb

Great!! Thanks guys!! You know when something just bugs you!!

I had a quick look back and I couldn't see any other threads about it!

:-)

Klunk001

Landing gear is normally brought up above 200 ft and 80 kts, however there is crew discretion with this one. Landing gear will be down below approx 150 ft and for winching due visual and audio warnings in the cockpit associated with flying low and gear up.
In my opinion the heli is much prettier with the gear up...when in the air that is. There is no reduction in airspeed with the gear down, there is a slight increase in fuel burn though.

tricky D

Strong Light Bulb wrote: »

Great!! Thanks guys!! You know when something just bugs you!!

I had a quick look back and I couldn't see any other threads about it!

:-)

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=95045540&postcount=34

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=94278446&postcount=2593