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2 Answers

Currency

Asked by: 1356 views General Aviation

I am a commercial H125 helicopter pilot for a gov’t agency.  Recently our helicopter was in an annual maintenance.  Unfortunately the maintenance exceeded my 90 day currency requirement.   When it comes out of maintenance I am the maintenance pilot designated to do the track and balance.   To do the track and balance I have to have a mechanic in the helicopter with me.  The question is he considered a passenger or essential crew member and can he legally accompany me while doing both track and balance and take off and landing currency?

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2 Answers



  1. EAD on May 18, 2022

    Here’s my opinion on the matter, but I am not an expert by any means.

    If the official Aircraft Maintenance Manual requires a mechanic on-board for the procedure (not just a company policy), then they would be a required crewmember and therefore NOT a passenger, but only as long as required to complete the track and balance.

    In other words, if the procedure only requires a single flight (1 Takeoff/Landing) then they are only a required crewmember for duration of that single flight. If everything checked out fine and you decide to go do a couple more landings they are now a passenger since they are no longer required on board.

    If you did a couple extra landings. there could also be a sticking point about taking a passenger on-board a, technically, unairworthy aircraft. The aircraft MX isn’t complete until the entire procedure is completed properly and signed off in the logbook.

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  2. Kris Kortokrax on May 18, 2022

    Not sure what the problem is. It’s a helicopter.

    Install the tracking gear. Start the helicopter.

    Pick it up, set it down.
    Pick it up, set it down.
    Pick it up, set it down.

    Now you are current and the mechanic can get in and you can do the track and balance.

    If the FAA intended that you make a flight around the pattern for each takeoff and landing, they would state that in the regulation, as the do in 61.109(c)(2)(ii) and other places.

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