Bell 407 GX Helicopter review

is it a perfect day oh I'm out in New Jersey today and we're going to take a flight in this beautiful 407 which is of course the next generation of the 206 that's what the tour six turned into and as you can see it's a four bladed version of the same aircraft it's a little larger it's a little bit more powerful and a little faster and we're going to be flying today with Andrew woods welcome to New Jersey thank you there's a pilot here at the Aviation separation Manhattan helicopters and what do you guys do we fly tours and charters in and around the New York and the northeast of the United States main mainly tours and this time of year then a lot of charters for charters all through the year right and you fly mostly there it's like four I can fly all the aircraft here my favorite is of course the 407 run if this is just the it's the business to flight right it's a beautiful machine it's powerful it's smooth it's comfortable its pilots pilots favorite and crucially for our business it's a customer's favorite customers absolutely passengers love this machine plenty big we have tour windows on our aircraft so there's absolutely no problem with visibility getting great photographs and that's novel here yeah and that's why exactly these these these extended windows and it could actually see their bubble suit so it gives you more room on the interior of the aircraft more room to turn your camera and get those shots right and because it's full blooded aircraft is a lot smoother less vibration yes it is this is a very unique this is is it is a four blade soft and plane flex beam head and it's this hub at the top here yes this is actually this encompasses a Fram damped system which means that any of the undulations in the air actually dampened out by all the head system before it comes down to the cabin well so it's a super smooth aircraft even in even in rough choppy conditions this is really really good completely different today to our six and respect yes it is it's like the evolution this is this is a 1990s design aircraft whereas the original 206 is 1960s everything has changed since then and significantly more power did yes indeed this would be I'll open it up for you this would actually be essentially an 813 shaft horsepower engine which is D rated for the gearbox and if you give us 630 shaft horsepower continuous and 674 shaft horsepower for takeoff and here she is see you're getting almost twice the horsepower of a yep about 206 there is your engine there is your gearbox and forward then is into the into the transmission system you can have a little look just like a finger Cernik all right transmission into the main rotor hub that's it and in the hydraulic support is there hydraulics all the systems on this aircraft the three the cyclic the collective and the tail rotor pedals are all hydraulically 'sister to run a tails and pound pressure so in a lot of the 206s there's a lot of hydraulic fluid that leaks at the front here we get there and these not really know you'll often get lies oil these things there's also sing as a helicopter that doesn't spray oil at some stage of its life yeah the thing is to know where to look for where it might be we're looking at a very clean engine pan these these are are cleaned and monitored on a daily basis list are you should oversee about what we do here is we hand off our aircraft every to every evening after a flight personal handoff to the maintenance crew we actually meet the maintenance crew and go through any issues just as well these guys know more about the aircraft and I ever will so they're actually troubleshooting it they're liaison with Vale on a daily basis for all sorts of things and because we put so many hours on our aircraft well helicopters have a huge interest in our fleet I see we were one of the first customers to put a 407 through a five five thousand our check which is a pretty big maintain your forest even supplying almost every day our four sevens realistically would do 100 hours a month while in the air yeah so move moving forward then you've got the transmission driveshaft up to up to the blades blades or compasses weighing only 58 pounds each ahead of us here in the dark box then you'd have the hydraulic system with the reservoir the others other side with with the porthole for recognition everything has an inspection along the way your fuel steps for climbing up everything's well towed out of vents birthing points is in more fuel than a minute joy sec yes there is this this particular aircraft is the standard configuration so it has a forward tank which is in under here yeah and then a rear tank which is shaped like this so the combination of these two tanks gives a fuel capacity of eight hundred and 69 pounds of jet a at standard 15 degrees centigrade as the tank blowing into one or the other or can you choose which thank you what happens is when you're filling both tanks fell obviously this this this tank feels quicker it's got a capacity of 256 pounds totally would give 869 pounds and it's back fed there there are two boots from two transfer pumps and to boost pumps so all the time fuel is being circulated back here and then up to the engine from here and what sort of endurance does that give you how many realistically a range of this would be around 320 nautical miles with a fuel burn of 300 pounds per hour Wow so it's using a lot more fuel than it is yes it is but it's carrying two more passengers in a heavier aircraft there has to be you know some trade-off and when you open up and have a look in here we've out we've our bags and bits and pieces in there but you can see two seats here and three seats there and then actually there's the view if you look across there's no ledge for the windows so there really isn't any excuse for not getting perfect photographs and I think that the curvature also reduces the amount of reflection off that yes it does and these these windows are tinted as well and so one thing I noticed when I first walked in here was well well both the 407 and the 206 looked the same in photographs in real life this looks wider but it is it is it is wider this is actually seven and a half feet wide 41 feet long and roughly depending on these machines comes with standard low skids this has got the high skid it looks better so it's higher so you're looking at it a height between 10 and 11 feet just got a little bit more comfort in the cabin because of the extra width it yes you do plus when you're inside these bubble windows give the the elbow room which is great for anybody who wants to take photographs EIC and just visibility of when we do when we do a charter flight obviously the kind of passengers on a charter flight really genuinely aren't interested in taking photographs and but it's still it's a comfort comfortable machine and it's a machine where I asked for we offer the three machines we've got the regular Bell the B the 206 B we've got an L model and we've got three of these at the moment on fleet with another one on order but this wood it's a dear-dear machine to to charter but this is actually what customers want first because of the comfort yes it is yeah makes sense yeah beautiful all right let's keep walking around we load up later on yeah all right so three sections the machine is divided into three sections the forward section the intermediate section and then the tail boom section yep with stabilizers and sides and the stabilizers it's the same similar to the one on the long Ranger yes it is these give these give directional stability inflate and your tail is actually offset by five degrees which get which gives a roll stability fry from this angle you can really see the extra win yes you can and it's all about it's all about the customer you can see how much of the cabin actually is for passengers and crew yeah we have a baggage compartment up here as well camera this is a backup camera we'll have fun with that later on that's actually it's very handy in a situation like this yeah or if you're starting and you're not sure of what what's moving behind you before you would ever lift a helicopter it's like your car check your mirrors this is my rear view mirror that's my dad yes so that's one of the things that's always kept clean it's actually in a perfect place here it doesn't really get very dirty but we'd always clean that on a daily it's cleaned up nice anyway and then just we polish it off from any water residue in the morning baggage compartment 250 pound capacity it's got an 86 per square foot loading and what you'll be checking for on a pre-flight is going to we've done our pre-flight already here this morning you're checking for no loose items there these are the dual controls make sure everything is stowed in the correct place but if anything is here you've got latch points so if we were carrying something you can strap anywhere it was a fear of it moving we can totally stop it in here unless one that were always a thing to have a look at before you actually take off and I like after what's in here yeah ways were always conscious of weight off to something in here that isn't needed for the particular mission as it goes now that first shake it and the pedals the the copilot get off or I stay in play the copilot pedals stay in place but there are disabled all that aside yes you for it for you today they'll actually be force rests which is really handy because when people sit beside you when they want photographs they put their feet on the pedals it actually gives them that rigid rigidity on the turn yeah we'll get ready and we'll jump inside and we'll do the start up and move you're going to take Astro tour around York City are going to have a quite to be quite an experience in New York look at the day we have yeah this is just beautiful day obviously you knew this was going to happen no end even no wind visibility of many many miles yeah so will be lots to see we make it worth your while farming overseas superoxides this up and we get going all right so I noticed a lot of the switchgear looks very similar to a six does it really essentially is with a lot more circuits and a lot more protection on every instant really has its own circuit here on and the main battery is still up here battery here genny's yep lights air conditioning icing systems fuel boosts and then you go back to the actual instrument instrument electronics hydraulics and then your anything anything actually with an extra port for our entertainment system on the network so everything is set up here you become very familiar with the panel up here yep but really the exciting part is the g1000 part is the g1000 and this is unbelievable piece of kit so it's actually right now it's going through its own FBI t-test a built-in test so the system is checking the systems right I'm checking position of valves pressures Oh like I said sexy guys or all that it's going through everything yeah yeah okay but if I want let's take this of the album here I can do this right there we go nice which is over sit yeah so if I lost his screen yep my primary flight flying instruments I can go straight to it the second redundant screen now there it is aged toss test okay so what's going going through its own systems checking so the only two analog dolls we get a speed and altitude alright so obviously on the ground the airspeed should be saying reading zero and the altimeter should be reading feel at field elevation which is correct as of now so inhibiting terrain we're going to be flying quite low so I don't want this buzzing in my headset the whole time so I'm telling the system to know oh yeah it's going to notice the terrain I'm telling it not to tell me I say if there's no reason for us missing anything anything today absolutely nothing so you don't have screaming in your head we're going to go back to the engine page look at the detail autumn credit isn't and you'll see it as we're flying along this is so good when you think of the technology that originally put man in the moon this is even better yeah and it's Anna hello copter so it's setup with helicopter instruments we've talked and managed gas temperature the heat of the engine and the gas generation system compasses is telling me what systems are off so I'm going to scan these down now to make sure I know that what here is is what I expect I expect the generator to be off expect the hydraulic systems we have as telling me we're on the ground my fuel boost and transfer systems are off yes they are and when you chain you do the start do you manually still hold the starter down like another aircraft business this has a FedEx system so what I'm do that FedEx system is actually going through and starting the engine with it within its own guided parameters I say it's faster than the pilot so the pilot is actually just a backup to the system so what I'm what would you start a helicopter there are two very important things two of many one of them is that the blade is actually that as it actually starts to turn very very quickly after so what we don't what we need to do is just sit in in in the helicopter relaxed listening to the battery is the battery is the noise from the start or what you're used to it's like starting your car you put the key and it goes through well then it's not going to be a good day if the battery isn't strong enough in this we don't get enough air into the system and the system will basically overheat you have a hot start so a strong battery a blade that's turning in the space provided so then before we actually has anything we check again that nothing has happened since the time we did our pre-flight check I'm not the turning of the blade it's safe to do because I'm giving the blade turning or flight so we go ahead the system is telling me that right now everything is ok so I'm going to to turn on the boost and transfer pumps and I expect some lights to go off here fair enough generator still of hydraulics I can now hear the boos phones working assist a Pheo boost yeah yeah so we're now good to go so I'll just get my time we're ready to start so final checks here looking outside we go clear out in a moment so fuel valve is on FADEC system is in the autumn okay truffle our collective is fully down with the total in the idle position the most important thing you can do right now quite simply is relaxed alright the systems in charge are here is backup with no distractions your head cluck comes on like so I leave my door open just for a moment and here we go final checks on auto idle later I don't even look at what you can already see the blade is moving right so it introduced the feel for you yes 81:5 grade that feels good a little over PR to to further elaborate like you to eight four one five three is really about clearly in addition all right you should have be able to hear me Nick I can a okay we've got very good Bose a20 noise reduction headsets set up for Lloyd noise reduction now you notice I didn't put my seatbelt on I actually it in case there was an emergency I'm starting an engine fire or something I like to leave my seatbelt up front right now the seatbelt goes on I'm happy that everything's okay in for an emergency I needed to get out that's what's going on so seatbelts on doors closed go to class all right and the office is now open I planned it father before we go goes uh let's get the F I find it I use the information for the airport one time to dream advising TV oppa edible 1500 Boston traveling passes off to us a kolbe is an exclusive doesn't eat no statement of the power lines for one of them ourselves out west the Tata box is o co at 155 feet AGL twice over an hour while I proceed Co airport advise on initial contact yep it's information Juliet information Juliet's go ahead and Juliet one to five diesel would calm visually 1-0 sky sea level mm temperature to three dew point one eight automobile 0 2 to 3 0 to 2 you flatter over 2 to the power only to tune into eight seven wagons or throw into dreams survive maintain VFR edible 1504 such a V pattern off towards a pole 2,000 feet no favorite I'm going to do just a hydraulics check before I know Murphy's OCO I want her to feel my feet in deal so the sister tells me it's bit of where I was looking for any motoring with the controls now I'm happy with that okay hydraulics bucket always guarding the controls whenever your hands are just guarding with something else liberal mm so I'm happy with information Juliette we have a radio back to the box one is the tower and cold well to make it life easy always have your second frequency stored in there so before we go three five one four three coral ground expert me Papa November Gillian air conditioning air conditioning yes this is a great feat gelling so again before we go I'm happy that everything in the side is everything inside is in the green gauges are where they should be I'm still clear all around it was we were helped by our colleague route there who's standing our behind another thing I actually on this is if we were unsure on the day what we can do is look at the backup camera let's have a look at this back up ever now there it is all right there's the tsx taking off your r6 behind us all right so let's go but I'll leave that out for a moment so radio set we have information Juliette we're clear all around and you're good to go we're good to go let's do all right so here we go now one of the things we do here as we move off the dummy rock we just checked it looking as left there as in there's no oil leaks or anything I have just softly occurred because the engine is now quite harsh in 140 no shake I don't do a lot of pressure so here we're actually cleared out to the alpha November this is great yes it's terrible morning to you tip 42 is alpha November with Juliet for a New York departure your two callers are the morning when the caller two-30 teach you to take on such as November to the east oh gentle fire fellas regular course reversal relax all the time looking over trash just apart off the ramp is the helicopter eastbound a fire opal is important it is incredibly smooth there's no incredible the difference between the two I sucks being the numbers of room there really is there your prompt tempers now working all the time nothing today it's quite calm anyway but on other days it can be really yeah cousin Charlie Mikawa talks mystery zero to 2 into right down to 2 or 4 square Lake I've got a liquid dripping down yes it's just the money air conditioning I would imagine so you're on 5 350 new taxi unlike any flying mission always thinking a fox what's coming next your farm to factory Romeo back when I'm out there with you and I need a frequency change what I'm going to say what I'm going to ask for Kentucky 5-0 me a call well tower until right now 82 for squirrely Kaname an always a bigger force at the airport right now we've an agreement that we fly over this particular Road under the tiles and feet so we keep everybody happy yeah it's easy to do a bunch of flight time and the city no find time in the city I'm typically from Carville to downtown New York is 12 minutes right but today it's going to take us a little bit longer because we have a few treats in store for usual what a birthday yes it is that tired 242 freak change a few help alright so here we go changing frequency into the next Airport Teterboro Delta airspace and ahead of us we can see ya elio city get star takes up the traffic even yep this is route 46 heading for the Lincoln Tunnel right now it should be getting a little bit quieter but you can see anything of these roads expect anything and never be surprised you can hear how busy or whatever was here where the eyeless one-niner circle - for tonight's agenda Julia November tiro tower and a wry face for me - for continued sent ISM Friday or actually for traffic you're on the jet so we're breaking it off alpha only two for Julie little how's the Corsa comes here ila for my circle people go and take yourself remember there are 9 RQ Oh Mike this is traffic yep within two nautical charts uh not as you've left the path at societi oh my November 7 0 9 r qo minor 67% or right now we're like today yeah you know we've okay we've been awfully low down contractility to us yeah but even even with five passengers in the back of 495 of in November 7 V ours is we need not initiate road if power becomes an issue really there's something wrong so it's telling you something so when you ask for a transition in New York or Niner qo Mike Keota and they give it to you which they do because they know us their language and they know we're going to do exactly what we've asked for if we have to deviate from that always tell these guys obviously if you've got to avoid 43 radar contact out to get through 1.5 on 0 to 2 it were Thomas the toaster toaster I love when I took up the form on fares up ahead of us 14 of our busiest exec chat Airport in the Northeast United States and there's traffic ahead of us on going to an orthography to walk across town all right ahead of us crossing the Hudson River again looking for traffic yeah they've got you better help visually and the scope but always always look out ahead of us is we're actually going to cross this is probably Morningside us Columbia University and we'll have a look at Yankees yep so Hudson River George Washington Bridge ahead of us at one o'clock there is LaGuardia Airport tonight gentle descent always looking to make sure there's nothing below you traffic boys and adds another car gonna be quite busy Hannah it's very very busy all the time Roxy you probably looking now it's early in the day so the radio isn't doesn't answer but we don't expect anything how many hours did you have before you become a tour operator I came to here with 800 hours and a 206 raising front and it's developed since then you

Channel: Nick Murray

Views: 641,408

Keywords: Bell 407, Bell 407 GX, Bell 407 GXP, Bell 206, Helicopter, Helicopter review, Flight, aircraft, flight

Id: R8zIZhsdJQw

Length: 26min 51sec (1611 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 11 2016