R22 cattle mustering in Australia

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TheGreenGoblin
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R22 cattle mustering in Australia

#1 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Sun Jun 20, 2021 3:31 pm

Helicopter aerobatic displays are ugly by nature IMO
I noted C16's comment about helicopter aerobatics on this thread viewtopic.php?p=295647#p295647 with much interest, not least, because when a seasoned professional who made it to the end of a long successful career safely, covering many industry sectors and types of work, makes a comment like that, it is worth digesting and I think I get where he is coming from, in a profession where smooth, coordinated, accurate flying, conserving component and structure life (and one's own I guess) is de rigueur on the commercial side anyway.

However, looking at the use of the R22 as a cattle mustering vehicle, I am unsure whether I am looking at the antithesis of what is good for a machine, and oneself, and what may even amount to helicopter abuse, and that is before you even get to the cattle! ;)))

The R22 was certainly never certified to fly so many long, low, slow hours, in the dust, pulling so many tight manoeuvres, which, while not aerobatic, seem to be on the ragged side, to my amateur, tyro's eye anyway, and it seems that the Australian CAA agrees with me.


The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has raised questions about the use of the Robinson R22 for aerial cattle-mustering operations.

An ATSB study found that large and sudden power changes involved in aerial mustering apply very high loads on the helicopter's drive system, which may exceed the limits set during the type's certification process.

The R22 is the most common model of rotary-wing aircraft on the Australian register and is widely used for aerial stock mustering, which is a uniquely Australian application, with the R22 flying over 67% of all the aerial mustering hours in the country.

Although the type has a relatively good safety record compared with other light piston-engine helicopters in Australia based on activity levels, the spectrum of manoeuvres involved in aerial mustering did not form part of the flight profile used in the helicopter's certification process, says the ATSB, which was concerned that use for aerial mustering could have adverse effects on the structural integrity of the helicopter.

In particular, the ATSB is seeking assurance from the manufacturer that no components in the rotor drive train are adversely affected or life limited under the high amplitude torsional loading measured during aerial mustering, which involves rapid power changes at low airspeeds.

The manufacturer says that although aerial mustering causes more damage to the tail rotor drive shaft (TRDS) than had been allowed for in the original certification usage spectrum, the additional damage was not severe enough to require the TRDS be listed as a life-limited component.

The bureau commissioned Australian engineering company AeroStructures to study the forces acting on a R22 engaged in aerial mustering. AeroStructures installed Altair Avionics' MaxLife aircraft usage monitoring system on a single R22, supplied by Kununurra, Western Australia-based Heliwork, and monitored the helicopter through a cattle-mustering season.

The helicopter operated for 26 weeks, with 350h of data recorded. MaxLife was then fitted to a strain-gauged R22 belonging to the helicopter manufacturer and typical aerial mustering manoeuvres were performed.

AeroStructures concluded that helicopter usage in cattle mustering is significantly different to certification usage, both in frequency and type of manoeuvres. Aerial mustering involves a significantly higher percentage of low speed manoeuvres than specified for the helicopter's
https://www.flightglobal.com/australia- ... 47.article
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Re: R22 cattle mustering in Australia

#2 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Sun Jun 20, 2021 3:33 pm

Others make some good points about how it can all be done safely and well...

https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2 ... mustering/

What do the cognoscenti here think?

Am I just being a big South African "pooftah" unworthy of being called Bruce? =))
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Re: R22 cattle mustering in Australia

#3 Post by ian16th » Sun Jun 20, 2021 4:08 pm

TheGreenGoblin wrote:
Sun Jun 20, 2021 3:33 pm
Others make some good points about how it can all be done safely and well...

https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2 ... mustering/

What do the cognoscenti here think?

Am I just being a big South African "pooftah" moffie unworthy of being called Bruce? =))
Fixed that for you!

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Re: R22 cattle mustering in Australia

#4 Post by TheGreenGoblin » Sun Jun 20, 2021 4:10 pm

ian16th wrote:
Sun Jun 20, 2021 4:08 pm
TheGreenGoblin wrote:
Sun Jun 20, 2021 3:33 pm
Others make some good points about how it can all be done safely and well...

https://www.flightsafetyaustralia.com/2 ... mustering/

What do the cognoscenti here think?

Am I just being a big South African "pooftah" moffie unworthy of being called Bruce? =))
Fixed that for you!

:YMDEVIL:
=))

As an Afrikaans mechanic in Howick once said to my brother "you can't be a "moffie" to be a mechanic", I suppose the same applies to being a helicopter pilot! ;)))
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Re: R22 cattle mustering in Australia

#5 Post by CharlieOneSix » Sun Jun 20, 2021 4:44 pm

To me that video shows a lot of unnecessary control inputs to achieve a result which could be done with more thought and smooth poling. It reminds me of one very experienced pilot I flew with who had a remarkable ability, when lifting into the hover from an offshore platform, to whip his tightly gripped cyclic all around the cockpit so fast that he managed to achieve absolutely no airframe movement. The same could be easily achieved with a light and steady touch on the controls.
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