EP15 Pilot Passenger Weight Limitations?

[@captaincolten]

Great video! I’ve flown Helicopter Tours my whole career so far this has come up a lot for me. I’d just like to add to your comments: It’s important to follow w&b not just for you but for future pilots too. I get so annoyed when I get a customer who exceeds limits and they tell me “I’ve flown in this chopper lots of times and no one said anything to me before” or “my last pilot flew me.” It doesn’t matter what others did before, its your license on the line and the safety of you and your other customers. Sure the aircraft may be capable of doing it and make you think “well nothing happened so its ok” but its not. Limitations are there for a reason; exceeding limitations especially on a regular basis can lead to premature failure of a aircraft component. Your decision can/will affect other pilots whether its a part failing on them in the future or a customer pushes them to do things they shouldn’t. Thanks again guys for the awesome videos keep it up!

[@HelicopterGround]

Thank you for sharing Colton!

[@ronbaier3538]

Boy this is always a tough one. Never easy. I too have had to have that discussion many times and I too have the conversation about limits, safety of the aircraft and crew. Sometimes they get mad, but most understand. We never want to turn someone away, but its about not only our safety, but theirs too!

[@HelicopterGround]

Exactly right Ron! One reason I'm glad I do do rides at fairs anymore!

[@jonathanbuss1558]

Hey, this weight limitation actually held me back quite a long time from getting my RW rating. My earliest memory of aviation is sitting in one of those helicopter rides outside of a store about about 4 years age. I had snuck outside and my mother was looking all over for me, and finally found me there with a huge grin as some guy had plugged a coin in watching me "fly". Well 50+ years later I'm 6'-4" and 250#. I couldn't really fit in the most common training helicopter the R22, and the others seemed so expensive per hour, I put it off for many years. I ended up getting my fixed wing and flew those for 6-7 years before I was able to go for a demo ride in a R44. All things came together and I was fortunate enough to have access to a Hughes 500C model to learn in. My first 20 hours was ferrying it to my helicopter CFI's location. I then started the actual training and got the RW add on about 10 months later. This was done after flying weekends and after work while commuting over an hour to the lessons. It has been a dream come true flying for personal and business. Flying is about the only time I wish that I wasn't a big guy.........

[@HelicopterGround]

Thank you for sharing Jonathan!

[@SmittySmithsonite]

I know the burden of weight - my best friend, before he had gastric bypass surgery (which almost killed him, but that's a whole other story ...) was 350+. He got kicked off a roller coaster he was trying to go on with his kids. That was the motivator for him to have the surgery. He said it was the most heart-breaking and embarrassing thing he's ever had to go through in his life. They had to call him out in front of everyone, since they couldn't buckle the belt around him. He didn't get mad - he understands physics. The kids didn't, and were crying since they couldn't ride the ride. It's a crappy situation, but it is what it is. I was blessed with a small frame. Pilots love me, LOL. I'm 170 lbs. soaking wet. The one instance where being small is an advantage. I was built to fly. :)

[@HelicopterGround]

Thank you for the feedback Smitty!

[@fernandopratesi5378]

Thanks for this Kenny! Super excited to transition from FW to RW, you were definitely a part of it. Question - how do you know to leave gear behind in an EMS situation? do you just eyeball guess the patients weight on scene? Or do you try to hover, settle, then chuck stuff off?

[@HelicopterGround]

Weight and balance is figured for every leg of flight. They had one container of equipment that could be unloaded, it's weight already calculated , so a weight and balance could be refigured quickly.

[@rotorpanda]

Is it pretty standard across different ems outfits, or does each one decide their own based on aircraft? I'm curious if I should accept now that I won't be doing ems anytime in the future, since 220 is probably the lowest weight I could get to in a healthy way.

[@HelicopterGround]

Each situation can vary. Type of aircraft. Equipment configurations. Each company will have requirements set for their specific operation.

[@gnagyusa]

I took a coworker up in my Enstrom once and he told his wife about it, so naturally the wife wanted to fly, too. But she was so overweight that the seat belt wouldn't even reach around her. Thankfully, my coworker gave me her measurement and I could measure the seatbelt length without her being on site. Yep. Touchy subject, indeed.

[@danb715]

Kenny can't wait to go back to school to learn to fly Helicopter Kim

[@HelicopterGround]

Awesome!

[@philipgledhill7227]

Kenny what's the weight is that about 15 stone.because philip likes is food or does he have to loose weight first. Take care lads philip.

[@HelicopterGround]

Weight and balance is figured for each flight.

[@geekvinos]

I'm a fixed wing newbie. PPL/Instrument rating. I'm 6'6" 250lbs. I am so intrigued by the possibility of converting to helicopters and pursuing a career. Am I too big?

[@HelicopterGround]

You can do it! Thank you for the feedback!

[@tommyk1073]

Can be an awkward situation..excuse me miss, uhm, what do you weigh?

[@HelicopterGround]

Exactly!

[@captaincolten]

You get better at it though. Be sensitive, I like to teach people and explain its for their safety, you can use the information about airlines so people realize it really is normal. (This is when knowing your aircraft is really important. The R44 300 lbs is for the crash rated seats, above that weight with a hard landing you cannot insure your spine protection and they can survive the crash to later die from spinal leakage. I have literally taught customers this.) Some more tricks: • If a group or couple walks up and your only concerned about the weight of one person weigh them all so it looks less like your picking on the one. • People lie on their weights so never trust them add at least 10 lbs per person. • Get in the habit of weighing everyone some people are heavier or lighter than they look.