Robinsons are like the invisible helicopter

RyanB

RyanB

Super Administrator
Management Council Member
PoA Supporter
Joined
Jul 21, 2010
Messages
17,161
Location
Chattanooga, TN
Display Name
Ryan
Flew up to Gatlinburg Friday afternoon. If your not familiar with it, they have helicopter training at GKT so there are robinsons around there. Anyway i was inbound decsending into pattern alt. making my calls and i hear an R22 saying hes crossing mid-field for the downwind. Im entering on the downwind a few miles out. Then he says hes downwind, then base. I announce over the CTAF "those robinsons are hard to spot i tell you what" the whole time i had a hard time spotting him, i dont know if its the shape of the heli or what but they take some time to spot, i usually have no trouble spotting Bell's or EC's. Anyone else experience this before?
 
They're also disposable too. Get to 2000 hrs in one and you get to send it to the factory and pretty much buy it all over again.
 
Dang, I thought this was going to be a Wonder Woman thread.
 
Art VanDelay said:
They're also disposable too. Get to 2000 hrs in one and you get to send it to the factory and pretty much buy it all over again.
Click to expand...

Not quite, but the helicopter gets brought back up to new standards. Unlike the Schwiezers, Enstroms, Bell, etc that leaves the factory never to be seen again and get years of cheap owner maintenance, the Robinson comes out ahead maintenance wise.

As with any complex machine, it's "pay me now or pay me later". If one follows Robinson guidelines on maintenance reserves the 2200 hour overhaul isn't that bad, and in reality no more expensive than another brand if you follow their maintenance program.

Robinson did it this way to lower liability, just as they implemented the SFAR on their ships. All in all it makes good sound business sense.

BTW, Robinson Service Centers can do the overhauls as well.
 
That's funny. I have a harder time spotting planes than other choppers. I flew an R22 from Atlanta to that airport last weekend to visit the museum. Since it was at the opposite end of the active runway - it probably cost me $20 to taxi the whole way. I remember commenting that we should have crossed midfield - if there weren't any airplanes in the way.
 
Art VanDelay said:
They're also disposable too. Get to 2000 hrs in one and you get to send it to the factory and pretty much buy it all over again.
Click to expand...

There are now other shops that can perform the 2000hr overhaul, there was a shop at LZU doing them IIRC. Not quite the cost of new, but yeah, it's thorough and expensive. That's not a bad deal though as it is budget able, and most Robinsons are working trainers.
 
Henning said:
There are now other shops that can perform the 2000hr overhaul, there was a shop at LZU doing them IIRC. Not quite the cost of new, but yeah, it's thorough and expensive. That's not a bad deal though as it is budget able, and most Robinsons are working trainers.
Click to expand...

Speaking of, dont quote me but I think SCC at GKT can do it.
 
Art VanDelay said:
They're also disposable too. Get to 2000 hrs in one and you get to send it to the factory and pretty much buy it all over again.
Click to expand...

It is debatable that the overhaul needs to be done if the ship is flown personally or Part 91. I know of several R-22 owners who have not done the 12 year or 2200 hour overhaul (except for blades) and continue to fly. I'm certainly no expert, but this is a debatable issue in helo forums for sure.
 
Isn't it true that Robinsons don't have any components limited to less than 2200 hours, so there aren't the repetitive inspections and replacements every couple hundred hours?
 
Geico266 said:
It is debatable that the overhaul needs to be done if the ship is flown personally or Part 91. I know of several R-22 owners who have not done the 12 year or 2200 hour overhaul (except for blades) and continue to fly. I'm certainly no expert, but this is a debatable issue in helo forums for sure.
Click to expand...

That is true but it significantly lowers your resale value too as only a non-commercial user can buy it from you. Also I think most insurance brokers raise or even decline insurance after the 2200 hours and no rebuild.

If were to get a piston helicopter I would get a Safari and build it myself. Thus getting the Repairman's Certificate and lowering my maintanence costs. Safari also has a better useful load than a Robby-copter.
 
Art VanDelay said:
That is true but it significantly lowers your resale value too as only a non-commercial user can buy it from you. Also I think most insurance brokers raise or even decline insurance after the 2200 hours and no rebuild.

If were to get a piston helicopter I would get a Safari and build it myself. Thus getting the Repairman's Certificate and lowering my maintanence costs. Safari also has a better useful load than a Robby-copter.
Click to expand...

Not true about the insurance. As long as it has a valid airworthiness certificate and is in annual it is covered. ;)

I have been looking at Safari! They seem like a pretty good outfit. They have had issues, but seem to have worked through them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top