Author Topic: The helicopter Flight Engineer's brain (Read 5115 times)

Flyin6 · « **on:** November 06, 2015, 09:27:47 AM »

The Flight Engineer or "F.E." as we call him/her in the Armee is the person who is actually signed for the aircraft. They own everything back of the pilots seat, they run the back, fix things, help load cargo and people, shoot at things from time to time and are generally angry with something...kinda like a wife! OOps, did I say that???

The New England Medical Journal after an exhaustive study just mapped the FE's brain. (Btw, make some substitutions and this is how Nate, HC, Bobby, Matt, and Bob's brain works as well!)

Nate · « **Reply #1 on:** November 06, 2015, 01:47:01 PM »

just spilt my popcorn

Atkinsmatt · « **Reply #2 on:** November 08, 2015, 10:13:06 PM »

Those researcher types nailed that one.

Flyin6 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 09, 2015, 08:10:37 AM »

Bunch of coffee drinkin' NCO's is my guess!

Atkinsmatt · « **Reply #4 on:** November 09, 2015, 08:51:33 AM »

This also goes to show that hydraulic fluid really isn't that important. I mean, if the flight engineer isn't worried about it.....

Spacecase544 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 09, 2015, 11:07:32 PM »

Its true...hydraulic fluid is optional...and when the fuel gauge says EMPTY you can still go a little bit further...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

Flyin6 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 10, 2015, 08:47:54 AM »

Quote from: Spacecase544 on November 09, 2015, 11:07:32 PM

Its true...hydraulic fluid is optional...and when the fuel gauge says EMPTY you can still go a little bit further...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

Yea...No!

Sick feeling: Not knowing if you have enough fuel to make it to the destination...When over ingin country. So you can't just set it down and call a fuel truck.

Landed in Kandahar once with 3 gallons of fuel in the tank! It burns about 100 gallons an hour. That's exactly 5 minutes of fuel remaining!

TexasRedNeck · « **Reply #7 on:** November 10, 2015, 09:28:39 AM »

How accurate are the gauges and can the pickup tube get all the fuel?

I'm sure its better than the ones in our trucks..

Flyin6 · « **Reply #8 on:** November 10, 2015, 01:00:53 PM »

Quote from: TexasRedNeck on November 10, 2015, 09:28:39 AM

How accurate are the gauges and can the pickup tube get all the fuel?

I'm sure its better than the ones in our trucks..

Fuel gages are calibrated.

You have fuel probes which send information to a computer which locks up and displays either:
1. No information
2. Inaccurate information

TexasRedNeck · « **Reply #9 on:** November 10, 2015, 08:13:30 PM »

So you fly until it sputters and then auto rotate to a soft landing?

cudakidd53 · « **Reply #10 on:** November 10, 2015, 08:50:04 PM »

Quote from: TexasRedNeck on November 10, 2015, 08:13:30 PM

So you fly until it sputters and then auto rotate to a soft landing?

I envision that being as successful as a 12 year old jumping off the roof, holding two pinwheels in his hands........ :o

rasimmo · « **Reply #11 on:** November 10, 2015, 09:36:30 PM »

Y'all ain't making me feel real good. I fly in one of these things every Thursday, either to or from work. It is usually Sikorsky S-76, so it's really lame compared to what don is use to. We do have some extreme safety guidelines in place. And thank God nobody is shooting at us.

TexasRedNeck · « **Reply #12 on:** November 10, 2015, 09:46:33 PM »

ERA Helicopter service?

JR · « **Reply #13 on:** November 10, 2015, 11:48:06 PM »

Auto rotations are basic heli training, right?

rasimmo · « **Reply #14 on:** November 11, 2015, 01:28:37 AM »

Quote from: TexasRedNeck on November 10, 2015, 09:46:33 PM

ERA Helicopter service?

We use PHI. We had our own up until this year. They were all needing to be replaced, so we contracted it out instead. The prices for the flights are crazy.

JR · « **Reply #15 on:** November 11, 2015, 12:50:22 PM »

Oh, whats 10 mil for a new heli anyway,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Flyin6 · « **Reply #16 on:** November 11, 2015, 07:28:17 PM »

Quote from: JR on November 10, 2015, 11:48:06 PM

Auto rotations are basic heli training, right?

Yes, we do quite a few of those
And they usually work out
Except when there is no where to land!

TexasRedNeck · « **Reply #17 on:** November 11, 2015, 07:40:27 PM »

Think of it as fractional ownership. No need to employ mechanics/pilots/administrators, eat depreciation, pay for insurance.

Those companies like PHI and ERA are well run machines and it really does work out to be cheaper in the long run.

rasimmo · « **Reply #18 on:** November 11, 2015, 07:52:58 PM »

Quote from: TexasRedNeck on November 11, 2015, 07:40:27 PM

Think of it as fractional ownership. No need to employ mechanics/pilots/administrators, eat depreciation, pay for insurance.

Those companies like PHI and ERA are well run machines and it really does work out to be cheaper in the long run.

I understand that completely. It makes a lot more sense and we contract the majority of our services and labor now. I guess when you consider that these are about the least efficient (cost/mile) mode of transportation that I know of it aint too bad. Going from turning wrenches to pushing paper and paying bills has really opened my eyes a lot. There is a whole lot of money flying around, literally and figuratively, in this oil patch.

TexasRedNeck · « **Reply #19 on:** November 11, 2015, 08:03:59 PM »

Yeah, its amazing if you go to a rig offshore how many different companies are a part of it and logistics and operations to make it all happen. 100s of millions of $$

Flyin6 · « **Reply #20 on:** November 11, 2015, 08:19:57 PM »

Quote from: TexasRedNeck on November 11, 2015, 08:03:59 PM

Yeah, its amazing if you go to a rig offshore how many different companies are a part of it and logistics and operations to make it all happen. 100s of millions of $$

That's a fact!

Used to be that the helo pilots were making as little as $28K yearly.

But these days a heavy IFR Captain (S-92, AW-139) is well over 100K working maybe 2 weeks a month

JR · « **Reply #21 on:** November 11, 2015, 10:45:48 PM »

Quote from: Flyin6 on November 11, 2015, 07:28:17 PM

Quote from: JR on November 10, 2015, 11:48:06 PM
Auto rotations are basic heli training, right?
Yes, we do quite a few of those
And they usually work out
Except when there is no where to land!

Better not have a place to land that just falling to a nice grass field.

Spacecase544 · « **Reply #22 on:** November 17, 2015, 11:24:46 PM »

I guess these guys missed "don't hit the s*it on the ground" day. I thought that was day 1.

http://www.kfoxtv.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.tx/2d5f5584-www.kfoxtv.com.shtml#.Vkk9kBDn_qA

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk