I fly out of a VFR, non-towered field. I had a lesson scheduled and after 30 minutes of fiddling could not get the radio or intercom working.
We were going to work on pattern ops, with my student tasked with flying the length of the runway first 10' AGL, then 5' AGL, etc to help him get the sight picture while maintaining centerline.
There were a few birds flying but it wasn't inordinately busy. So I grabbed the handheld and we taxied out.
The first few circuits we fit into the traffic with no problems. On about the fifth we were on short final when I heard a helicopter announce, "Taxing from the pad, right turn on departure..."
By now we were level over the numbers. I looked ahead and watched the helicopter drift across the grass towards the runway facing runway heading (in other words, back towards the traffic)...
"My airplane."
I yanked the power and held the nose up. By now we were midway down the 2400' strip. Sure enough, the chopper drifted right across the runway as it climbed, tail facing us, then turned right. I planted it and we stopped in time, but had we continued the planned go around, it would have been very close.
Now, I understand the risks of flying NORDO or with weak radios, and after that we did two more and I called it a day.
But, a right turn over the runway, tail boom facing traffic?? Really?
We were going to work on pattern ops, with my student tasked with flying the length of the runway first 10' AGL, then 5' AGL, etc to help him get the sight picture while maintaining centerline.
There were a few birds flying but it wasn't inordinately busy. So I grabbed the handheld and we taxied out.
The first few circuits we fit into the traffic with no problems. On about the fifth we were on short final when I heard a helicopter announce, "Taxing from the pad, right turn on departure..."
By now we were level over the numbers. I looked ahead and watched the helicopter drift across the grass towards the runway facing runway heading (in other words, back towards the traffic)...
"My airplane."
I yanked the power and held the nose up. By now we were midway down the 2400' strip. Sure enough, the chopper drifted right across the runway as it climbed, tail facing us, then turned right. I planted it and we stopped in time, but had we continued the planned go around, it would have been very close.
Now, I understand the risks of flying NORDO or with weak radios, and after that we did two more and I called it a day.
But, a right turn over the runway, tail boom facing traffic?? Really?
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