OT Should I take a Helicopter Tour on the Big Island of Hawaii?

[Metal Mike]

Mike: Your take on this is obviously better informed than anyone else’s here, so I have a couple of questions:

1. I believe an earlier post in this thread indicated that the area where this chopper went down (Na Pali coast of Kauai) is subject to strong updrafts and downdrafts. Doesn’t that significantly raise the difficulty and risk for helicopter flights in that area?

2. Video footage I have seen of the Na Pali coast suggests that it is largely comprised of volcanic cliffs, meaning few beaches and shallows. So if a chopper has to set down in the ocean, even relatively close to shore, it is likely gonna sink to a considerable depth. Isn’t this also a bit problematic?

Glad to answer your questions. First a chopper is a motorcycle (East Coast Choppers) and a copter is a helicopter.
1. Strong winds are a problem on all the islands. Whenever a wind crosses a ridge you get very volatile air with updrafts and downdrafts - turbulence. This is where the pilot judgement comes to play. The pilot has to b willing to say NO. We can not go there today because of the wind (updrafts and downdrafts). I had to cancel because of turbulence several times. Many times the winds are blowing but not real strong. So in this case it was possible to go but at with a increased altitude to give you time to react. So the pilot has to say we can not go there or suggest an alternate route. For example turbulence is worst on the lee side of ridge but less so on the windward side so there are usually alternative routes available. By the way turbulence affects fixed wing aircraft as well as rotary wing aircraft.
2. If a copter has to set down while flying close to shore a few points. While you are correct there is not much beach there is some and helicopters do not need a lot of ground to set one down. In a engine failure a helicopter will autorotate. The ground run is minor. I had a engine failure in Texas and autorated to a pea patch. We measured the ground run and it was only 12 feet. So you may be able to find a patch of beach. If you have to set it down in the water you are correct that it will probably sink to considerable depth. Hawaii has no continental shelf. So the water goes from shallow to very deep very quickly. The sinking of the helicopter is not the problem. If one is lucky it is possible to set down near the shore where the water is not deep enough to cover the helicopter. Think of landing on a coral reef. In this case you can walk out of the aircraft. If the water is over 10 feet deep or so the problem becomes getting out before the helicopter sinks. The water may be only 20 feet deep or 2000 feet but you need to get out before you get trapped. Some civilian helicopters have inflatable floats. Normally mounted along the skids. If you have to set down in the water the floats will inflate and allow the helicopter to float long enough to get the folks out.

Hope that answers your questions.

 

[dailybuck777]

Hawaii has seen 18 civilian helicopter crashes since 2015 according to NTSB records. I'm not sure how often you get to travel to Hawaii. Will you live with regret if you don't do it?

Have an open invitation from my brother to visit Hawaii anytime. Have been to Oahu, 3 out of the last 4 years. Can do this anytime.

 

[dailybuck777]

Glad to answer your questions. First a chopper is a motorcycle (East Coast Choppers) and a copter is a helicopter.
1. Strong winds are a problem on all the islands. Whenever a wind crosses a ridge you get very volatile air with updrafts and downdrafts - turbulence. This is where the pilot judgement comes to play. The pilot has to b willing to say NO. We can not go there today because of the wind (updrafts and downdrafts). I had to cancel because of turbulence several times. Many times the winds are blowing but not real strong. So in this case it was possible to go but at with a increased altitude to give you time to react. So the pilot has to say we can not go there or suggest an alternate route. For example turbulence is worst on the lee side of ridge but less so on the windward side so there are usually alternative routes available. By the way turbulence affects fixed wing aircraft as well as rotary wing aircraft.
2. If a copter has to set down while flying close to shore a few points. While you are correct there is not much beach there is some and helicopters do not need a lot of ground to set one down. In a engine failure a helicopter will autorotate. The ground run is minor. I had a engine failure in Texas and autorated to a pea patch. We measured the ground run and it was only 12 feet. So you may be able to find a patch of beach. If you have to set it down in the water you are correct that it will probably sink to considerable depth. Hawaii has no continental shelf. So the water goes from shallow to very deep very quickly. The sinking of the helicopter is not the problem. If one is lucky it is possible to set down near the shore where the water is not deep enough to cover the helicopter. Think of landing on a coral reef. In this case you can walk out of the aircraft. If the water is over 10 feet deep or so the problem becomes getting out before the helicopter sinks. The water may be only 20 feet deep or 2000 feet but you need to get out before you get trapped. Some civilian helicopters have inflatable floats. Normally mounted along the skids. If you have to set down in the water the floats will inflate and allow the helicopter to float long enough to get the folks out.

Hope that answers your questions.

Thanks for your very detailed response to LB. The ability to autorotate and the possibility of having floats gives me a lot more confidence. Mechanical failure is always a possbility when dealing with internal combustion engines. Will say though that I passed a helicopter pad when landing at Kona today and the helicopters looked little flimsy mosquitos.