Too light for helos?

[Reconjoe]

I just got off the phone with the Anthro office down at API on NASP. My question to them was to clear up a misunderstanding that I may have been too light for ejection seat aircraft (ah the jokes will follow I'm sure), with the number being thrown out as 136 pounds min. I however am not that far off, thus my anthro sheet actually notes no pipeline restrictions, however it has a separate section that notes "Applicant shall be advised of increased risk of ejection due to body weight" and proceeds to list every jet. So I call anthro up to verify because I distinctly remember the old Anthro officer telling me there were zero exceptions for training commands and I would not select jets under 136 even if my anthro sheet says i'm good.

The conversation I had on the phone today however was more confusing. I am now hearing that above 103 you are good to select Jets (T-45), BUT below 131 you shall not select TH-57 thus by proxy you will not get Helos. I can find no documents online that say anything one way or the other (sans some heavily outdated gouge and now cancelled orders). Does anyone out there have any real time insight into this? I doubt this off the bat just because I've seen some helo pilots walking around the HT's of the female type who don't appear that heavy. Then again I have a thing for "healthy" girls so maybe I'm just using that as an excuse to look the other way....

 

[fattestfoot]

Try and delay their decision and put some weight on in the meantime? Not sure how tall you are, or how much you weigh, but it can't be that hard to get above 136.

I say this as someone who went into the Army at around 130 (and got out around that too). It probably took me 3 months to get up to 150 (and another several months to get to 165), but I bet I could've done it much quicker.

 

[scoolbubba]

Stop running. Eat meat. Drink beer. Repeat as necessary.

 

[squorch2]

The min combined weight for both pilots up front in the TH-57 is 180 lbs. That is VERY difficult to get under. We actually just went a round with NAVAIR regarding an alleged max weight of pilots that ended up being stripped. Not sure where this min weight stuff is coming from, but it should be waiverable nonetheless.

Fun related fact to the NAVAIR thing: The seats in the TH-57 are rated at 8Gs.

 

[HueyCobra8151]

OPNAVINST 3710 8.3.2.18 Anthropometric Requirements:
TH-57C - Pilot/Cabin: 136-214.

NATOPS only requires 180 lbs crew forward (which if you figure 30lbs of gear x2 means that two crewmembers of 60lbs each would work), but I would wager the 136 number is coming from the fact that the seats aren't stroking. Don't know why that would matter, but another aircraft in that same table has non-stroking seats requiring 136 as well, and the newer model with stroking seats requiring only 103 lbs.

We definitely have pilots who are over 214 lbs though, and I have seen some small people that could probably be under 136.

 

[squorch2]

From NAVAIRINST 3710.9D, min weight for the TH-57C is 103. (page 11 in the PDF)

 

[squorch2]

Even more amplifying stuff - there are no more weight restrictions on helos. Semi-hot off the wire.

 

[sbeaTm08]

I wish all I had to do was put on some pounds. I had to lose a few centimeters in my spine to make the sitting height for -57's. All null and void now as you can see but you haven't lived, until you've had to put your wife/significant other on your shoulders and jump up and down, run with a pack and sleep in a chair all night..3 times. Good times.

 

[jollygreen07]

I wish all I had to do was put on some pounds. I had to lose a few centimeters in my spine to make the sitting height for -57's. All null and void now as you can see but you haven't lived, until you've had to put your wife/significant other on your shoulders and jump up and down, run with a pack and sleep in a chair all night..3 times. Good times.

Did you want to fly helos that bad? I always figured you for a Prowler guy. I can't imagine you'd make the sitting height for 45s though.

 

[CumminsPilot]

I have seen some small people that could probably be under 136.

My wife is well under 136. Probably only 150 in full gear with wet-vest. She never had an issue with anthro going through helos. There are also a number of females in advanced jets that would appear to be well under 136, although, as already mentioned, our seat is good for 100 lbs now.

 

[SynixMan]

You'll be loved come CCX time when your lightweight ass equals more fuel.

 

[sbeaTm08]

Did you want to fly helos that bad? I always figured you for a Prowler guy. I can't imagine you'd make the sitting height for 45s though.

Nope didn't want helos per say just wanted to fly man. At the time I had to qualify for 2 pipelines and being that my sitting height was too tall for the -57 I had to get a waiver to make it for helos and ospreys. It all worked out in the end and got what I wanted. Now I have leg and head room. Yes, I did want to fly that big beautiful beast but alas the T-45 is a tiny little box car, only big enough for umpa loompas so Anthro crushed that dream.

 

[MasterBates]

I have never understood why they made the trainer the anthro bottleneck.

Seems to me, that if you fit in a Baby Hornet, you should be "eligible" for jets.

 

[helolumpy]

I have never understood why they made the trainer the anthro bottleneck.

Seems to me, that if you fit in a Baby Hornet, you should be "eligible" for jets.

\

This is what happens when you buy COTS vice designing the system you want from the ground up.
Yes, it may be financially prudent, but you may be eliminating some quality folks from a certain aircraft because you elected to go with the "cost benefits" of an existing airframe vice a dedicated trainer.

 

[MasterBates]

Or how about just REMEASURING THE DAMN COCKPIT after the C conversion.

C models are roomier.