Kneeboard - or not

[Catwoman]

Glad you enjoyed your London HeliRoutes trip. Was that the first time you flew down the London HeliRoutes??? Magnificent, don't you think!!! Just had a look at the slideshow of your photos - great!!! Isn't is a wonderful trip!!!


So, how about doing the Paris heliroutes sometime. We went a couple of years ago!!! Just as good as the London heliroutes!!!

TTFN
CW

XX

[DBChopper]

Yes, I forgot you can see my chart spread all over me in the photos! That trip was a couple of years ago and I've played around H4 and H7 a number of times since then, but today was only the second time I have negotiated a Heathrow crossing.

The Paris heli-routes? Now that sounds tempting...

DBChopper

_________________
DBChopper

CPL(H) finally!
R22 R44
Redhill

[Focha]

Just to give my opinion.

When I was learning CPL (H), flying school gave us a Jeppesen Trifold VFR Kneeboard. In an R22... Horrible. I only used it once because I keep fighting with it instead of flying the helicopter.

After a while I bought a Mini Profi A6 format kneeboard which I used in my left leg and adjusted it so it wouldn't interfere with cyclic movements or collective inputs. It worked just fine. But as it is A6 it cannot old charts, I just used it with a pilot log I've done with Excel. For holding the charts/maps, at least on the R22 I used to put it in my seat, left hand, below my butt. It was my solution as it was out of the way and I had readily access to it.

For the R44 I used the Jeppesen Trifold VFR but only the metal part without the folders.

When I started to fly AS365 I used the Trifold VFR as I got much more room.

For the AS350 usually I use Mini Profi A6 for short/work flights and the Jeppesen for long ferry flights.

So I guess you have to adjust it to the helicopter you are flying, one thing I usually don't understand in helicopters is that it doesn't have a lot of chart/map/documents holders.

Also I already got my scary times with paper management in cockpit, one of those times was when making a VFR navigation in R22 alone, I put my map in the left seat, with the turbulence the map fell to the left side pedals and I couldn't reach it there.

Another time, I got the map to get into the pedals as well as a pen. After that incident I took all the measures to be sure all was secured, even the smallest paper.

I think that we should only have the strictly material necessary for the type of flight we will do. Also using clamps or rubber bands to secure material is good and simple.