Helipad material

[902twin]

Hello,

I´d really appreciate if somebody could tell me, what kind of material is used for helipad´s on yachts.
I searched the web and surprisingly came up with nil.
We´re not discussing about Fregattes or akind, I need information for glassfiber or aluminium hull yacht helipad´s on 90´to 160´s .
I´m especially concerned regarding the ESD (electro static discharge).
How is this handled?
Please, if somebody knows something useful, I´d really appreciate it.
Many thanks.

[Eric Sponberg]

Helipads are usually aluminum or steel. I don't think I have ever heard of a fiberglass one, although they could be so built. I don't think I have ever heard of anyone consider electrostatic discharge specifically. Whatever might be encountered on a yacht is also encountered on an aircraft carrier, and I don't thing there is anything special on an aircraft carrier to deal with that. Vessels, particularly of metal, are well grounded to the water by merely floating in the sea, and aircraft are insulated by virtue of their landing gear, specifically the tires.

Fueling an aircraft on a yacht would be handled the same way as on the ground with a grounding cable from the fueling pump unit attached to the plane prior to fueling.

Eric

[jehardiman]

Originally Posted by 902twin

Hello,

We´re not discussing about Fregattes or akind, I need information for glassfiber or aluminium hull yacht helipad´s on 90´to 160´s .
I´m especially concerned regarding the ESD (electro static discharge).
How is this handled?
Please, if somebody knows something useful, I´d really appreciate it.
Many thanks.

As Eric said, I believe most decks are steel or aluminium. This is an load, impact and fire reason. I know that there is an agency review for OSV's fitted with them. Check with your certifing authority for their requirements.

As for ESD, unless you want to do do VertRep, the skid whisker should take care of that problem.

[902twin]

Hello Eric,
hello Jehardiman,

yes, I know that the steel hull would be best, but unfortunately it is a glassfiber hull and the helideck is actually TEAK wood...

I´ve seen a net across a helideck twice: once in a video where a Enstrom had a tail rotor loss but he han dled to stay on the deck and the other time in a picture of a 165´ superyacht with a EC130B4 in the back
(http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/de...on-triton.html) In the third-last pic down there is the net below the EC.
Have anybody heard of this net? What is it made of?
Thank you for info.

[Eric Sponberg]

902twin,

I did not say anything about a steel hull being best. Certainly you should be able to put a steel or preferrably an aluminum helipad on a fiberglass yacht, provided the yacht has stability enough to take the weight up high. The pad would have to be bolted in place and the hull suitably reinforced to take the additional weight of the pad plus the fully loaded helicopter.

I don't know what the netting is made of--if I had to guess, I would say Nylon webbing (seat belt material). If you "google" "helicopter nets", you will be directed to a number of company sites that sell them. They are similar to cargo nets.

Eric

[Frosty]

The aircraft is straped after landing and before finall positioning, rotors removed and the aircraft is grounded to the ships grounding system.

The rotors can be removed by a non licensed mechanic but not re installed.

Exhausts etc are covered and sealed, basically made good for the sea envionment.

On arrival at a forign port communicate with the local airport whereas permission should be given to fly from the vessel to the airport and customs procedures taken care of and any ongoing flight plans presented.

[kc135delta]

The rotors can be removed by a non licensed mechanic but not re installed.

Unless you have an A&P on board it isn't a smart idea to remove the blades, infact if you can help I wouldn't remove the blades throughout the entire voyage. You never know when you might need to use it in a hurry and constant blade change cycles wreaks havoc on the cyclic.