Helicopters are different from fixed-wing aircraft, and generate strong wakes in all directions especially when close to the ground. There is little related guidance.
Helicopters like the Bell 412 operated by the City of Los Angeles shown at right generate a wake much stronger than their relative size might suggest.
Think about how much air has to move to support a helicopter with a takeoff weight close to 12,000 lbs., and that’s what you’re dealing with. Lighter helicopters also produce a substantial wake.
Long ago and far away, my T-hangar at a busy reliever airport outside Washington, D.C., was across from where a nearby county’s law enforcement and emergency medical services helicopter operation was based. Since I was at the end of the hangar row, they were well within 100 yards. The ’copter, a Bell 412 as I […]
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