ANAC Agricultural Pilot Helicopter (PAGH) cheat sheet

ICAO Annex 2 defines the rules of the air; national law (ANAC/LAR) implements them and prevails where more restrictive.

VFR minima in controlled airspace generally require 5 km flight visibility and 300 m (1000 ft) vertical, 1500 m horizontal distance from cloud in Class C/D/E.

Right-of-way: converging aircraft at the same level give way to the one on the right; power-driven heavier-than-air give way to gliders, airships and balloons.

An aircraft overtaking another passes on the right; the overtaken aircraft has right-of-way.

Head-on approach: both aircraft alter heading to the right.

Landing aircraft on final approach has right-of-way over aircraft on the ground or in the traffic circuit.

Anti-collision lights and navigation lights required at night; landing lights recommended for conspicuity in the circuit.

Aircraft must not fly over congested areas below the minimum height permitting a safe forced landing; over open country minimum 500 ft AGL unless authorised.

Agricultural aviation operations require an operator authorisation (AOC/certificate) plus specific ag-ops approval from the national authority.

Pilot qualification for ag-ops typically requires a commercial helicopter licence with ag rating, type-specific training and recurrent proficiency checks.

Aerial application is normally prohibited over populated areas, schools, hospitals and water bodies used for public supply unless specifically permitted.

Records of each application (product, dose, area, date, pilot, aircraft) must be retained and available for inspection.

Dispensing equipment must have a positive shut-off operable from the cockpit and a jettisonable hopper/load in emergency.

Rest periods, duty limits and flight-time limits apply; ag flying is counted as flight time and often as low-level operations.

Transport and storage of pesticides are regulated; products must be registered for the intended crop and pest.

Notification of operations to local authorities and neighbours is commonly required before spraying near settlements.

Main rotor head types: articulated (fully hinged), semi-rigid (teetering), and rigid (hingeless); hinges allow flap, lead-lag and pitch change.

Tail rotor counteracts main rotor torque; Fenestron and NOTAR are alternatives with different failure characteristics.

Freewheel unit (one-way clutch) disconnects the engine from the rotor to allow autorotation after power loss.

Governor maintains rotor RPM (Nr) within limits by adjusting engine power; pilot monitors Nr and torque.

Turboshaft engines deliver power via a free power turbine; limits are torque, T4/TOT and N1/N2.

Hydraulic boost reduces control forces; failure may increase forces or, in some designs, cause servo transparency.

Fuel system: main tank, boost pump, filter, shut-off valve, fuel control unit; check for contamination and water before flight.

Sling/hopper load attachment points and emergency jettison systems must be inspected for wear and correct rigging.

Hover performance is limited by density altitude, weight, and wind; IGE hover ceiling is higher than OGE hover ceiling.

Power required increases with weight and density altitude; power available decreases with density altitude and temperature.

Autorotation glide ratio for helicopters is roughly 3:1 to 5:1; flare and rotor energy management determine touchdown point.

Translational lift occurs above approximately 10-15 kt effective translational lift (ETL), improving performance.

Vortex ring state (settling with power): descent rate >300 ft/min, low airspeed, high power; recover by forward cyclic and reducing collective.

Ground effect is lost above roughly one rotor diameter AGL.

Max takeoff/landing weight must account for hopper load, fuel, crew and equipment; performance planning uses charts, not estimates.

Height-velocity diagram defines the avoid zone where a safe autorotation landing is unlikely.

Mass and balance: total mass = empty mass + crew + fuel + payload (hopper product + equipment).

Centre of gravity must remain within the fore and aft limits for all phases; ag hoppers are usually near the CG but change CG as they empty.

Moment = mass x arm; CG = total moment / total mass.

Fuel mass: use density (approx 0.72-0.8 kg/L for avtur/Jet A-1) rather than volume alone.

Hopper calibration: product mass = volume x product density; check density from the label, not assumed.

Overloading reduces performance margins, increases power required and degrades autorotation and control response.

Lateral imbalance in sling loads causes control difficulty; keep loads centred and within lateral CG limits.

Load sheet must be completed and retained; recalculate after partial unloading or refuelling.

Hypoxia onset is faster at altitude; ag flying at low level rarely causes hypoxia but fatigue and CO exposure do.

Carbon monoxide from engine exhaust can enter the cabin; symptoms include headache, dizziness and confusion; vent and land.

Fatigue degrades vigilance and reaction time; duty limits and rest are the primary mitigations.

Spatial disorientation occurs without visual references; trust instruments and avoid abrupt head movements in IMC.

Dehydration and heat stress in hot cockpits impair performance; carry water and manage workload.

Vision: night vision is poor in peripheral field; use off-centre viewing and avoid bright light before night flight.

Stress and high workload narrow attention; use checklists and standard calls to reduce omission errors.

Medication, alcohol and drugs: standard limits apply; self-medication with sedating antihistamines is disqualifying for duty.

Standard atmosphere: 15 degC at MSL, lapse rate 2 degC per 1000 ft, pressure 1013.25 hPa.

Density altitude = pressure altitude + 120 ft per degC above ISA; high density altitude reduces performance.

Wind gradient near the surface causes airspeed loss on final approach and during flare; anticipate with power.

Convective turbulence and thermals peak mid-afternoon; spray operations are best in stable, low-wind conditions.

Temperature inversion traps spray and reduces dispersion; avoid spraying under inversions.

Crosswind limits for ag helicopters are usually lower than for aeroplanes; check the flight manual.

Thunderstorms: avoid; hail, downdrafts and lightning are hazardous at low level.

Fog and low cloud: VFR minima must be maintained; ag ops at low level require visual contact with the surface.

Dead reckoning: track = heading + wind correction; groundspeed = TAS +/- wind component.

1 in 60 rule: 1 nm off track per 60 nm flown equals 1 degree of track error.

Magnetic variation east is subtracted from true heading to obtain magnetic heading.

GPS provides position and groundspeed; verify against map features at low level.

Ag operations use field maps, GPS guidance and light bars; mark obstacles and boundaries before flight.

Low-level navigation requires frequent position fixes; maintain a planned escape route and note wires and poles.

Wind drift during turns and spray runs must be corrected; spray swath alignment depends on track, not heading.

Fuel planning: reserve plus diversion; ag sorties are short but repeated; track fuel per sortie.

Pre-flight: check hopper, spray booms, nozzles, pump, jettison, and load attachment; verify product and dose.

Spray runs: establish height and speed before the field; use a lead-in and escape route; avoid overflying people.

Confined area approach: high reconnaissance, then low reconnaissance; approach into wind with a steep angle and escape route.

Autorotation entry: lower collective, maintain Nr, select landing area, flare at low height.

Crosswind takeoff/landing: use into-wind component and control drift with cyclic; avoid hovering downwind.

Emergency jettison of hopper load reduces weight and improves performance; know the switch location.

Wire and obstacle avoidance: fly higher than the highest obstacle or use a spotter; never assume wires are absent.

Post-flight: wash down aircraft and equipment after chemical use; dispose of rinse water per regulations.

Lift = 1/2 x rho x V^2 x S x CL; rotor lift depends on blade angle of attack, RPM and air density.

Induced drag decreases with airspeed; profile drag increases; total drag is minimum at best glide speed.

Translational lift improves efficiency above ETL; retreating blade stall limits forward speed.

Dissymmetry of lift is compensated by blade flapping and cyclic feathering.

Torque reaction requires tail rotor thrust; loss of tail rotor authority causes yaw and requires immediate autorotation.

Autorotation: rotor driven by upward airflow; Nr controlled by collective and airspeed.

Ground effect reduces induced velocity and power required near the surface.

Settling with power and blade stall are both power/speed related; avoid low speed, high descent rate and high power.

Standard phraseology: use ICAO standard words (ROGER, WILCO, AFFIRM, STANDBY, SAY AGAIN).

Readback is required for clearances, runway/takeoff instructions and frequency changes.

Emergency frequencies: 121.5 MHz; use MAYDAY for distress, PAN PAN for urgency.

Position reports include callsign, position, altitude, next point and ETA.

Radio failure: squawk 7600, follow lost-communication procedures, land as soon as practicable.

Ag operations often use discrete frequencies; monitor the area frequency and local traffic.

Transponder codes: 7700 emergency, 7600 radio failure, 7500 unlawful interference.

Keep transmissions brief; identify with callsign and avoid blocking the frequency.

Dose = product mass or volume per hectare; total product = dose x treated area.

Swath width depends on nozzle type, height, speed and wind; effective swath is less than geometric swath.

Nozzle flow rate Q = K x sqrt(pressure) for a given nozzle; doubling pressure increases flow by about 1.41.

Calibration: measure output over a known time, convert to L/min, divide by speed and swath to get L/ha.

Droplet size: fine droplets drift more; coarse droplets reduce drift but may reduce coverage.

Drift management: spray when wind is 2-10 km/h, avoid inversions, use drift-reducing nozzles and buffer zones.

Product compatibility and mixing order must follow the label; triple-rinse containers and dispose properly.

Personal protective equipment: gloves, mask, goggles and coveralls when handling concentrates; wash after use.