Helicopter superstitions and "old wives" tales?

[Simon Robbins]

A few weeks ago on my last flight I kept having to put the collective lock
on and scratch my nose on the circuit approach. Could be nerves, but my
instructor noticed and commented "we'll have to get the tail rotor looked at
during the next service." When I queried that odd announcement, I was told
that an itchy nose is often a sign that the tail rotor is out of balance!
(Harmonic resonance I guess.)

Anyone else heard of that before, and are there any other similar odd things
in the heli biz? (Ok, I know the one about it being bad luck to jump whilst
underneath a spinning rotor!!)

Si

[boB]

Simon Robbins wrote:

> A few weeks ago on my last flight I kept having to put the collective lock
> on and scratch my nose on the circuit approach. Could be nerves, but my
> instructor noticed and commented "we'll have to get the tail rotor looked at
> during the next service." When I queried that odd announcement, I was told
> that an itchy nose is often a sign that the tail rotor is out of balance!
> (Harmonic resonance I guess.)
>


Hi Si. I'm glad you are doing so good. A tail rotor out of balance
causes a high frequency vibration which you can feel as a buzzing. In
the aircraft I've flown you sometimes can feel it in the pedals and you
may feel like your feet are going to sleep. Other times you may feel it
in the door frame when you touch it with your hand. I don't know what
an R22 feels like though.


> Anyone else heard of that before, and are there any other similar odd things
> in the heli biz? (Ok, I know the one about it being bad luck to jump whilst
> underneath a spinning rotor!!)
>
> Si
>
>

1. Always take a pee break on the side opposite of the tail rotor.
Also, always verify the air flow direction prior to letting loose.

2. Never ever walk backwards on a flight line full of running helicopters.

3. Never grasp the tail rotor drive shaft to slow the main rotor blades
on shutdown.

I don't know of any more old wives tales. The above were actual events
taken from personal experience/observations

--

boB,
SAG 70

U.S. Army Aviation (retired)
Central Texas - 5NM West of Gray Army Airfield (KGRK)

[boB]

The OTHER Kevin in San Diego wrote:
>
>
> Never had the urge to scratch my nose while flying. Must have good
> tailrotors on the ships I fly. Now I have had the urge to scratch my
> "boys" while flying - I wonder what that might indicate. :)
>
>

lol ------ Must be time to come out of the field.. :)
--

boB,
SAG 70

U.S. Army Aviation (retired)
Central Texas - 5NM West of Gray Army Airfield (KGRK)

[boB]

John‰]
wrote:

> I was going to mention the same thing.
>
> If your feet are numb or asleep in flight it means that you need to
> check the tail rotor, oil cooler fan or something else that operates at
> high speed. Sometimes you can't feel the vibration itself but your
> feet don't lie.
>
> The other one is funny--In a previous life I was a UH-1 IP. I would
> constantly tell my students "Trim...trim...trim...." One of them asked
> me one day how I could tell we were out of trim when I was looking out
> the window. I told him that when the wind starts blowing down the neck
> of my flight suit, we're out of trim.<g>
>
> John
>
>

I had a previous life like that. I often miss the traffic patterns, the
freezing cold cockpit in the winter, the endless nights flying NVG, the
....... well you know. Then I come to my senses. :)

--

boB,
SAG 70

U.S. Army Aviation (retired)
Central Texas - 5NM West of Gray Army Airfield (KGRK)

[Simon Robbins]

"boB" > wrote in message
...
> Hi Si. I'm glad you are doing so good. A tail rotor out of balance
> causes a high frequency vibration which you can feel as a buzzing. In
> the aircraft I've flown you sometimes can feel it in the pedals and you
> may feel like your feet are going to sleep.

Actually, flying that ship for the previous couple of hour lessons I had
commented that I was getting pins & needles in my feet. I thought a lot of
that is just due to my student legs, but it was a rattly old bird so you
could be right.

Si

[Stuart & Kathryn Fields]

OK Bob you got me on one. Whats with never grabbing the tail rotor shaft to
slow down the main rotor on shut down? I don't have a rotor brake and have
used the hands on (no gloves) approach to speed up the slow down on the MR.

--
Stuart Fields
Experimental Helo magazine
P. O. Box 1585
Inyokern, CA 93527
(760) 377-4478
(760) 408-9747 general and layout cell
(760) 608-1299 technical and advertising cell

www.vkss.com
www.experimentalhelo.com


"boB" > wrote in message
...
> Simon Robbins wrote:
>
> > A few weeks ago on my last flight I kept having to put the collective
lock
> > on and scratch my nose on the circuit approach. Could be nerves, but my
> > instructor noticed and commented "we'll have to get the tail rotor
looked at
> > during the next service." When I queried that odd announcement, I was
told
> > that an itchy nose is often a sign that the tail rotor is out of
balance!
> > (Harmonic resonance I guess.)
> >
>
>
> Hi Si. I'm glad you are doing so good. A tail rotor out of balance
> causes a high frequency vibration which you can feel as a buzzing. In
> the aircraft I've flown you sometimes can feel it in the pedals and you
> may feel like your feet are going to sleep. Other times you may feel it
> in the door frame when you touch it with your hand. I don't know what
> an R22 feels like though.
>
>
> > Anyone else heard of that before, and are there any other similar odd
things
> > in the heli biz? (Ok, I know the one about it being bad luck to jump
whilst
> > underneath a spinning rotor!!)
> >
> > Si
> >
> >
>
> 1. Always take a pee break on the side opposite of the tail rotor.
> Also, always verify the air flow direction prior to letting loose.
>
> 2. Never ever walk backwards on a flight line full of running
helicopters.
>
> 3. Never grasp the tail rotor drive shaft to slow the main rotor blades
> on shutdown.
>
> I don't know of any more old wives tales. The above were actual events
> taken from personal experience/observations
>
> --
>
> boB,
> SAG 70
>
> U.S. Army Aviation (retired)
> Central Texas - 5NM West of Gray Army Airfield (KGRK)

[boB]

Stuart & Kathryn Fields wrote:
> OK Bob you got me on one. Whats with never grabbing the tail rotor shaft to
> slow down the main rotor on shut down? I don't have a rotor brake and have
> used the hands on (no gloves) approach to speed up the slow down on the MR.
>

I should have said "with gloves". Sorry. The flight gloves have a bit
of leather which after a flight has a good grip. Grabbing the t/r drive
shaft with those on could ruin a persons day. We never had a rotor
brake and had to sit and wait for the blades to stop turning. On a
windy day it could take several minutes so I understand having to wait.

--

boB,
SAG 70

U.S. Army Aviation (retired)
Central Texas - 5NM West of Gray Army Airfield (KGRK)

[Sla#s]

"Simon Robbins" > wrote in message
...

<SNIP>... I was told
> that an itchy nose is often a sign that the tail rotor is out of balance!
> (Harmonic resonance I guess.)

Not necessarily the T/R but it is a well known sign of a high frequency
vibration somewhere.
There are lots of things in helicopters that can give a HF vibration other
than the T/R. Drive shafts, fans, etc.
I flew in a Bo105 the other day that gave me an itchy nose due to M/R
needing balance.

Slatts

[Simon Robbins]

"The OTHER Kevin in San Diego" <skiddz "AT" adelphia "DOT" net> wrote in
message ...
> Me too. That's how I stop the mains when I fly the C300... Learned
> from my CFII when i asked "Does this thing have a rotor brake?" He
> said, "Follow me." then hopped out and grabbed the shaft.. "This is
> it right here.."

Yeah, but you must only ever do that from the starboard side of the
helicopter, as the shaft turns away from you. Do it the other way and it
could easily break your wrist.

Si

[Jim]

Right "boy" needs scrathing, in trim, left "boy" out of trim flight
condition. If both itch try eliminating starch or pressing. Use
"tumbled dry cycle". If all else fails, wax instead of shaving.



"The OTHER Kevin in San Diego" <skiddz "AT" adelphia "DOT" net> wrote in
message ...
> On Sat, 26 Nov 2005 22:07:46 GMT, boB >
> wrote:
>
>
>>Hi Si. I'm glad you are doing so good. A tail rotor out of balance
>>causes a high frequency vibration which you can feel as a buzzing. In
>>the aircraft I've flown you sometimes can feel it in the pedals and
>>you
>>may feel like your feet are going to sleep. Other times you may feel
>>it
>>in the door frame when you touch it with your hand. I don't know what
>>an R22 feels like though.
>
> Never had the urge to scratch my nose while flying. Must have good
> tailrotors on the ships I fly. Now I have had the urge to scratch my
> "boys" while flying - I wonder what that might indicate. :)
>
>
>

[Ol Shy & Bashful]

Stu
I've done the same thing if the tailrotor drive shaft was slick. The
last TomCat I flew had some kind of compound they called "Bear Grease"
slathered on the drive shaft as a corrosion preventive. It has a lack
of "slick" to it and did not lend itself well to slowing the rpms with
your hands! In fact, the stuff has the same consistency as the Rhino
coatings in truck beds...

[Ol Shy & Bashful]

Slats
While many focus on the blades for freq problems, the damned engine is
turning faster than any other components and can create confusing
vibrations for the unwary. Of course if you are flying a turbine, we
have a different set of conditions to deal with.
I daresay, helicopters pilots have the most finely tuned sense of
vibrations of most trades, except perhaps musicians? And its amazing to
me how many pilots are musicians!
Cheers

[Sla#s]

"Ol Shy & Bashful" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Slats
> While many focus on the blades for freq problems, the damned engine is
> turning faster than any other components and can create confusing
> vibrations for the unwary. Of course if you are flying a turbine, we
> have a different set of conditions to deal with.
> I daresay, helicopters pilots have the most finely tuned sense of
> vibrations of most trades, except perhaps musicians? And its amazing to
> me how many pilots are musicians!

Particularly as most are half deaf!

Slatts

[JohnO]

Jim wrote:
> Right "boy" needs scrathing, in trim, left "boy" out of trim flight
> condition. If both itch try eliminating starch or pressing. Use
> "tumbled dry cycle". If all else fails, wax instead of shaving.
>

<SPLUTTER> !

Oh great. NOW how I am I supposed to get the coffee out of this
keyboard? <g>

[Cameron Carter]

>
>>OK Bob you got me on one. Whats with never grabbing the tail rotor shaft to
>>slow down the main rotor on shut down? I don't have a rotor brake and have
>>used the hands on (no gloves) approach to speed up the slow down on the MR.
>
> Me too. That's how I stop the mains when I fly the C300... Learned
> from my CFII when i asked "Does this thing have a rotor brake?" He
> said, "Follow me." then hopped out and grabbed the shaft.. "This is
> it right here.."
>
>

So,,,,, throwing a wet towel at the TR hub, is not a good idea then? <g>

Cam.

[Sla#s]

"The OTHER Kevin in San Diego" <skiddz "AT" adelphia "DOT" net> wrote in
message ...
> On Mon, 28 Nov 2005 08:37:45 -0800, "Stuart & Kathryn Fields"
> > wrote:
>
>>OK Bob you got me on one. Whats with never grabbing the tail rotor shaft
>>to
>>slow down the main rotor on shut down? I don't have a rotor brake and
>>have
>>used the hands on (no gloves) approach to speed up the slow down on the
>>MR.
>
> Me too. That's how I stop the mains when I fly the C300... Learned
> from my CFII when i asked "Does this thing have a rotor brake?" He
> said, "Follow me." then hopped out and grabbed the shaft.. "This is
> it right here.."
>

That's how our boss lost his middle finger :-(

Slatts

[D Peter Maus]

The OTHER Kevin in San Diego wrote:
> On Sat, 26 Nov 2005 22:07:46 GMT, boB >
> wrote:
>
>
>> Hi Si. I'm glad you are doing so good. A tail rotor out of balance
>> causes a high frequency vibration which you can feel as a buzzing. In
>> the aircraft I've flown you sometimes can feel it in the pedals and you
>> may feel like your feet are going to sleep. Other times you may feel it
>> in the door frame when you touch it with your hand. I don't know what
>> an R22 feels like though.
>
> Never had the urge to scratch my nose while flying. Must have good
> tailrotors on the ships I fly. Now I have had the urge to scratch my
> "boys" while flying - I wonder what that might indicate. :)
>
>



My nose itches like an SOB when I'm flying. Rarely on the ground at
flight idle, but with skids up...all the time, though somewhat less at
straight and level than at max power.

I thought it was just nerves. It only happens in the R-22.

[Ol Shy & Bashful]

Slatts
....."particularly since most are half deaf"
Musicians or pilots? I suppose the rockers are both? I know my high
freq hearing has deterioratred over the years of flying piston and
turbine equipment but I'm still able to tune my cello. bass, and
guitars OK. I have a hard time hearing my wife sometimes
though......<ggg>

[Sla#s]

"D Peter Maus" > wrote in message
...

<SNIP>
> My nose itches like an SOB when I'm flying. Rarely on the ground at
> flight idle, but with skids up...all the time, though somewhat less at
> straight and level than at max power.
>
> I thought it was just nerves. It only happens in the R-22.

In which case the machine has a problem - Get a Vibration analysis done
before something fails!

Slatts

[D Peter Maus]

The OTHER Kevin in San Diego wrote:
> On Wed, 14 Dec 2005 20:01:26 GMT, D Peter Maus
> > wrote:
>
>
>> My nose itches like an SOB when I'm flying. Rarely on the ground at
>> flight idle, but with skids up...all the time, though somewhat less at
>> straight and level than at max power.
>>
>> I thought it was just nerves. It only happens in the R-22.
>
> That's wierd.. I've never experienced an itchy nose in the R22.. My
> ass goes numb on long (2+ hours) flights but I think that's more the
> thin seat cushion than anything else.
>
>


I've never had anything go numb in an R-22, but my nose itches in all
of them that I've flown: Standard, Beta and Beta II.

Standing 6'1", though, I do have trouble stretching to my full height
after 2hrs+ in right seat.

Even so, a bad day in R-22 is better than a good day doing most
anything else.

[D Peter Maus]

The OTHER Kevin in San Diego wrote:
>
> I don't know if I'd agree with that. A bad day in an R22 could be a
> REALLY bad day...
>
>
>

But short. Followed by long days of quiet.