by Flacke » Sun Jun 05, 2016 9:48 pm
Thats great, I have a bit of stick time in the Gazelle . The first thing thats obvious is how fast it is! Fastest Helo I have ever been in. The speed is a great asset during cross-country trips. The machine is very strong and well-built compared to purely civilian Helos.
One thing that I do not like at all is the rotor-droop when its shutting down.
The rotor blade tips could very easily chop heads off if people approach it before the rotor is totally stopped. One day we had just landed on the ramp at Clay Lacy Aviation in Boeing Field Wash. Two ramp attendants came zipping up to attend to us and got very close to the drooping rotors before we wildly waved them away.
My buddy gave them a good verbal education on how to approach ALL helos safely on the ramp. Their response was very good and they said they appreciated the lesson and would change their habits right away.
Commercial SA342 Gazelle Helicopter !! Soon !
