I must say I'm in love with the circular ASI and ALT on the glass cockpit, I haven't met a helicopter pilot who likes those horrible tapes you usually get! Seems like Bell have actually asked pilots what they like :)
WOW! So if you take out the instruction/talking it would still be a seven minute start up????? Even if only six minutes still a long time. AB now has electronics that get you up in 2-2.5 mins in their newer lines. This seems an unacceptable time to me for Air Med IFFFFF scene to Hospital. Fine for the rest of course. Certainly they can equip this with newer technology to get the time cut in half? Just watched one Medical crew take just over 4 1/2 minutes in it. So I know can be faster. Just still too long.
I suspect a chief pilot or similar could move some of the less critical checks to first thing in the morning or to the shutdown checklist. Last exceedances, rotor brake. Start the second engine right after the first if you're on ground power, so no delay waiting for the generator load to drop below 100A. I bet the hydraulics check is way faster when not being narrated.
instead of the flying car....how about a helicopter that's simple enough for the average car driver to use and own...or an autonomous helicopter for personal use!!!! :-) Just thoughts
Great idea, let´s get all the idiot drivers up in the air.. It´ll be fine... Hell, fly-by shooting´s gonna be the next youtube megahit, or how about those boring drunkards burping home from the local waterhole.. Much more entertaining if we put them in helicopters :D :D
Fxxk me just fit the 429 with the Garmin G1000H or better still the GarmIn G1000NXI, the recent upgrade to the 407 then I might even consider buying one over the Airbus H135 with Helionix with twin Garmin GTN 750 displays.. However before that Bell might also want to reduce the noise levels of the 429 compared to the Airbus H135 levels which in itself would be impossible unless Bell either introduce a shrouded tail rotor, they may want to also consider the redesign the main rotor blades..
