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Helo Question

HH-60H

Manager
pilot
Contributor
Stearmann4 said:
Yet another perspective that's been promulgated (at least in the military) is that since the hoist is on the right side, the pilot sits in the right seat to maintain visibility of hoisting operations/survivors.

Or did they put the hoist on the right side because the pilot was on the right side?
 

HH-60H

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pilot
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gatordev said:
I know your question requires people to think outside of the box, but personally, I would not want an NFO next to me. I know similiar things can happen in fixed wing land, but a helo is just so dynamic that if you need the second person to take the controls, I would prefer that to be a pilot who can get me back to the boat and on deck at night.

In addition, many of the capabilities that we advertise and train to are based on a 2 pilot system. One extra person is always there to grab the controls, or put in a last minute correction. If we went to a pilot/nfo arrangement we would need to rethink our capabilities and possibly reduce them.
 

BigIron

Remotely piloted
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
In the MH53E world, the right seat is the pilot seat, and the left seat is the copilot seat. Most of the time in the Navy 53, the HAC sits left and copilot sits right. When I went through HMT-302 (with the USMC CH bubbas), it was the opposite, so I guess in the long run it doesn't matter. Some switches and whatnot (APU) on the right side only.

It is a good questions why 2 pilots are required. There are some mission doing vertrep (which we don't do in 53s) where a pilot swap is necessary, but most of the time the other pilot just functions as a copilot (swithcing radios, yadda yadda yadda). Gatordev and HH-60H have good points about why.
 

skidkid

CAS Czar
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
squeeze said:
I had a cobra guy in primary tell me that ya'll rarely take your hands off the controls in flight w/ retreating blade stall issues and whatnot. He said something along the lines of 'it will try to flip over on you in a heartbeat.' Now, is there much truth to that or was it a case of wow the young T-34 student?


The flying pilot rarely rakes his hands off but prior to an airframes change you had to switch the selector for radio one and two. In an attack you had to reach down for the master arm, cycle the transponderwhen ATC gives you a different squack etc. I go out and do FCFs with a LCpl in the front seat, some can tune radios some cant I can switch between ground and tower in a 5ft hover/air taxi and the bird doesnt flip over. Either I am a much better pilot than that guy or he is blowing some smoke up your @ss. I would be curious as to how long he was in a fleet squadron and what qualls he had.

Per NATOPS and OPNAV we are a singel piloted aircraft. No CO will allow you to go fly SOLO probably but NATOPS does.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
I found squeeze's comment hard to believe, as well, but far be it from me to say how a Cobra works. :)

Skid, is the LCpl for ATABS (or VATS)? The AW would always run it in the back for us, except when we needed the camera. Not sure if you use a camera since your blades aren't fully articulated.
 

skidkid

CAS Czar
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
Yes they run the Vibe anal/Vibe Ex gear from the front but I take them out for full cards too, it is a good deal for the testers and if it doesnt work right they can start thinking through the maintenance. I let them fly a little from time to time.
If it is a really questionable bird or there is a histopry of control issues I take a pilot just so they can feel the front seat controls to make sure they are ok.

Do 60s require two pilots to test like the 46s and 53s do?
 
After cruising with HS-2 this summer I think I remember asking this question...one of the answers i got was because of the way they come into the carrier...port side...so the pilot on the right has the best view...

I'm just a silly Mid though...for now... :D

jai5w4 :icon_smil
 

Fly Navy

...Great Job!
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
jai5w4 said:
I'm just a silly Mid though...for now... :D

Then you'll be a silly Ensign. :icon_smil

Crap, I have 2 years in and I still don't know crap.
 

East

东部
Contributor
Rnln

In the Royal Netherlands Navy, the concept is 1 pilot (right seat) and 1 NFO (left seat) on the SH-14 Lynx Helicopter. Only on a SAR mission (shore-based)the co-pilot will replace the NFO and a Doctor is added to the Flightcrew. Till the end of the '90s it was possible to occupy pilot positions in the RNLN as an enlisted person. Strange situations while the rest of the crew were officers except the HAC...they're all officers now.

In the Royal Army (UK) the Lynx pilots are still enlisted guys (Flight sergeants). If you make through Flight training, there's no need to boost your rank to Officer must be the thought out there. If you're qualed, take the job but don't expect any priveliges!
 

BigIron

Remotely piloted
pilot
Super Moderator
Contributor
jai5w4 said:
After cruising with HS-2 this summer I think I remember asking this question...one of the answers i got was because of the way they come into the carrier...port side...so the pilot on the right has the best view...

The right seat does have a better view, but you can request a left landing depending what spot you are charlie'd to. The LSE will just move further port so the left seat guy has a better view of him/her. You put the position lights on flashing to let the LSE know it is a left seat landing.
 

HH-60H

Manager
pilot
Contributor
jai5w4 said:
After cruising with HS-2 this summer I think I remember asking this question...one of the answers i got was because of the way they come into the carrier...port side...so the pilot on the right has the best view...

Or do you suppose the reason we come up the port side is because the pilot is in the right seat?
It would be perfectly possible for SOP to be landing on spots 1 and 2 from the stbd side because the pilot was in the left seat.
I think the answer to this question is "that's just the way it is" and the real reason is based on some unique circumstance hidden the history of the helicopter. I think many of the reasons that people have suggested, are actually the effect not the cause.
 

phrogdriver

More humble than you would understand
pilot
Super Moderator
Fly Navy said:
Why do you helo guys sit on the right? I don't get it. What's the logic?

Supposedly, when ol' Igor Sikorsky was putting together the first helo, he only had one collective control for two seats. It was in the middle, so the PIC sat in the right, so that he had the preferred control configuration--pwr in left, cyclic in right.
 
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