How much clearance do you need to land a helicopter?

The ideal landing zone is a level, 100-by-100-foot or larger area of grass or hard surface. Most civilian medevac helicopters in use today have a main rotor diameter of 35-50 feet and a fuselage length with main rotor blades turning of 40-50 feet. U.S. military helicopters are much larger.

Can you walk in front of a helicopter?

Always approach the helicopter from the front so the pilot can see you. The safest places from which to approach a helicopter are the front left and front right sides. It is acceptable to walk straight up toward a helicopter from the front, but the pilot will be able to see you better if you approach at an angle.

Why should you not walk in front of a helicopter?

THE ROTOR SYSTEM OF THE HELICOPTER Many helicopter rotor systems can dip well below 6 feet from the ground level, which can potentially contact a person or object on the ground. Never carry anything above your head such as an umbrella while walking under the rotor system.

What is the RPM of helicopter blades?

Helicopters also make air move over airfoils to generate lift, but instead of having their airfoils in a single fixed wing, they have them built into their rotor blades, which spin around at high speed (typically about 400–500 RPM on a small helicopter or about 225 RPM on a huge Chinook, with the speed depending on the …

Why do people duck getting into a helicopter?

The wind from a running helicopter is pretty significant even with the engines at idle. When the rotor is brought up to flight rpm before takeoff it is much greater. Ducking and clutching tight your hat or apparel helps deal with this when entering or exiting the helicopter.

Do helicopters have seatbelts?

Actually seat belts in helicopters and airplanes aren’t really to keep you in the plane, rather, they are to keep you from losing control if turbulence happens to throw you against the ceiling and/or knock you out.

Can a helicopter take off and land at the same time?

Authorize helicopters to conduct simultaneous landings or takeoffs if the distance between the landing or takeoff points is at least 200 feet and the courses to be flown do not conflict. Refer to surface markings to determine the 200 foot minimum, or instruct a helicopter to remain at least 200 feet from another helicopter.

How far should you be from a helicopter landing zone?

Keep all fire and EMS apparatus and personnel at least 100 feet from the landing zone. Except for the firefighter securing the rear of the helicopter, all personnel should be in full view of the pilot. Do NOT enter the landing zone. The flight crew will come to you.

What clearances do you need to avoid when operating a helicopter?

Avoid clearances which require small aircraft or helicopters to taxi in close proximity to taxiing or hover‐taxi helicopters. AC 90-23, Aircraft Wake Turbulence, Para 10 and Para 11. Issue takeoff clearances from movement areas other than active runways or in diverse directions from active runways, with additional instructions as necessary.

When to request a helicopter to proceed expeditiously from one place to another?

When requested or necessary for a helicopter to proceed expeditiously from one point to another, normally below 100 feet AGL and at airspeeds above 20 knots, use the following phraseology, supplemented as appropriate with the phraseology in paragraph 3-7-2, Taxi and Ground Movement Operations.