The Canadian Coast Guard’s helicopter mission is simple. They need to do everything. Coast Guard helicopters provide logistical support to marine infrastructure, move passengers and cargo, maintain maritime communications systems, provide environmental response and secondary search and rescue coverage. From bases ashore or deployed on ships, and everywhere that Canada has a shoreline, it’s a wide ranging mission that demands a flexible and capable helicopter.

The Coast Guard recently chose the Bell 429 to upgrade their fleet. Skies was invited to take a spin in the new machine to assess its capabilities to support the Coast Guard’s broad mandate. Our brief test flight would demonstrate a modern, well equipped helicopter with impressive systems and ample power for the Coast Guard mission.

Pilots are currently undergoing training on the Bell 429 at Transport Canada’s Aircraft Services Directorate in Ottawa. While the Coast Guard is a Special Operating Agency of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, its aviation operations are provided on a cost recovery basis by Transport Canada, which flies about seven thousand flying hours per year for the Coast Guard.

I was privileged to fly with David Weir, Chief Rotary Wing Pilot for the Aircraft Services Directorate, and one of the lead pilots on the Bell 429 acquisition project. He is responsible for training the pilot cadre. Weir understated the challenges upgrading from the 1980’s vintage Bo 105 helicopter, stating that the Coast Guard, “needed to check a lot of boxes with one airframe”.

This period of initial operational implementation is characterized by a walk-before-you-run approach.  Most Coast Guard flying is done single-pilot. The Coast Guard Bell 429’s are equipped for night, IFR and night vision goggle operations, however they are currently restricted to day, VFR, with night operations anticipated in due course. Coast Guard pilots are all highly experienced and IFR qualified, but Weir is doubtful that their mission would require routine IFR operations. Testing is ongoing for ship-helicopter interoperability, winter operations and slinging external loads.

Pre-Flight Impressions

Our test helicopter, registration C-GCQT, looked sharp in distinctive red and white Coast Guard colours. It was, in fact, brand new, having just arrived from acceptance testing at Bell Helicopters in Mirabel.

The very digital instrument panel features three bright, clear 6×8 inch Rogerson Kratos displays and a pair of Garmin GTN 750 and GTN 650 integrated navigators. Each pilot has an identical primary flight display. The centrally mounted multifunction display typically depicts engine indications and advisory annunciations, and includes helpful system schematics and an interface to the performance computer. Additional mission equipment includes a SkyTrac satellite data/communications system, and both an automatic direction finders (ADF) and distance measuring equipment (DME) for locating ships while underway (“because that’s where the food is”, added Weir helpfully).

The displays have an easily readable format. I like the way they incorporate digitally formatted round dials for airspeed and altitude, making them as easy to interpret as, um, round dials. If you have used linear tape displays, you’ll know what I mean. The interface, using bezel-mounted hot keys and multifunction knobs is, however, very pushbutton intensive. Take for example the ordeal of changing one’s altimeter setting: push the BARO button, twist the knob to the correct value, and then depress the knob to enter the setting. Forgetting to enter the value ensure that you’ll repeat the process until the avionics are happy. That is too many steps for such a simple function, but of course pilots quickly habituate to it.

Our helicopter had an empty weight of 5096 pounds, without the removable pop-out floats. Loaded with standard cabin equipment, Weir, myself and 1000 pounds of fuel, our takeoff weight was 6613 pounds, well below the 7500 pound maximum permissible weight. With a full fuel load of 1475 pounds, a single pilot could have carried 637 pounds of cargo; additional cargo imposing a trade-off for fuel. With 60 inch wide sliding cabin doors and six removable seats, there is considerable cargo loading flexibility, although Weir indicated that the forward center of gravity (CG) limit was easily reached. Furthermore, as the fuel cells are ahead of the CG, loading constraints occasionally limit the amount of fuel carried.

Out For a Spin

We departed from Ottawa toward the north under overcast skies to do some handling tests. Enroute Weir gave me a tour of the essentially stock Bell 429. A bubble window on the pilot’s door and external gauges were added for vertical reference work, and were the only modifications made from an off-the-shelf Bell 429 configuration.

The bubble window imposes a 135 KIAS maximum speed limitation; a 20 knot penalty on the maximum permissible speed, and Weir didn’t need to point out why. At speeds above 130 KIAS flow separation around the bubble induces vibration in the door that results in an audible rumble. Weir says that they are working to address the problem, possibly with reinforcement of the door structure. Chalk it up to teething pains.

Cruising along at 2000 feet pressure altitude with 86 percent power rewarded us with 130 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS). I was an immediate fan of the Power Situation Indicator; an integrated power display which combines several engine parameters into a single big digitally-rendered round gauge. We were burning 295 and 285 pounds per hour per engine, respectively. I thought the ride quality very good, with only a slight “four per” vibration in evidence. The smooth and capable four-axis autopilot lead us back to Gatineau Airport for some circuits. It will be appreciated by pilots during long transit flights.

Descending down into an in-ground-effect (IGE) hover, I noticed that in order to maintain a precise position the cyclic and pedals were suddenly somewhat busier than they had been. The culprit was a slight lateral instability of the helicopter, likely owing to recirculating airflow. The effect was manageable, but it was seen as a slight “nervousness” in lateral position. It was a subtle but noticeable quirk. I mentioned it to Weir, and his laconic response was, “Ever flown an AStar?” Fair enough. The effect was hardly as strong as some other helicopters in our collective experience, and it’s simply in the nature of some helicopters to undergo a personality transplant as they progress from OGE to IGE hovering.

More relevant than these minor aerodynamic effects was the control response. Hovering in the infield I performed some small sharp sidestep maneuvers to assess the agility of the Bell 429. I was trying to reproduce the challenges of shipboard landing; a task that was inherent to the Coast Guard’s mission. Flying in Stability Augmentation System (SAS) mode on the automatic flight control system, the result was a very prompt and crisp control response, which lead me to believe that the Bell 429 would be well suited to chasing its floating marine helipad as it tossed and bobbed at sea. Weir expressed concern at the compliance of the skid gear (“It’s made of spaghetti”, he quipped) and the requirement for straps to secure the skids for towing at weights above 5850 pounds; an encumbrance for ground crew. Time will tell how it stands up to the rigors of shipborne operations.

Power to Spare

One feature of the Bell 429 that will compare favourably against its Bo 105 predecessor is power margin. Weir dismissed the Bo 105 as having effectively no one-engine-inoperative (OEI) capability at maximum gross weight. The Bell 429 is a different story indeed. We simulated engine failures using the Category A helipad takeoff techniques. Category A operations are procedures to ensure safe OEI performance throughout the takeoff and landing phases. Weir poked some buttons on the multifunction display, and the performance computer advised us that our takeoff decision point (TDP) to continue departure following an engine failure was 135 feet. In the first instance, Weir demonstrated the procedure in the tricky phase below TDP. He performed a vertical climb, offset laterally to keep the landing point in sight.

The training mode – a toggle switch on the instrument panel that simulates the effect of engine failure – is a spectacular benefit to understanding the somewhat complex and dynamic indications of losing an engine in a helicopter with digitally controlled engines. At 120 feet I simulated failure of the right engine, and suddenly…nothing happened! Weir lowered the collective slightly to initiate a descent, but the power margin was such that there was no need for haste. The power required peaked in the upper half of the 2 1/2 minute OEI range.

Then I took a turn. I climbed vertically in accordance with the prescribed procedure for a helipad departure. Passing 135 feet, Weir snapped the OEI training switch to simulate failure of the left engine. Having passed the decision point, I monitored the power and rotor speed while lowering the nose to accelerate. To my surprise, a slight further collective increase was required to settle at the top of the 30 second power band with the intended 1-2 percent rotor speed droop. Interpreting the transient power indications to obtain optimal performance was easy, and no doubt in part owing to our very light weight, the power margin was ample for the OEI fly-away maneuver.

Our next task was to sling a very heavy, albeit entirely imaginary external load. In my vivid imagination I pictured a 1000 pound load beside the runway, perhaps supplies for a lighthouse or a marine radio battery pack. Our task was to reposition it. The Bell 429’s cargo hook has a 3000 pound limit, but notwithstanding its ample power available the empty weight of the equipped helicopter practically limits loads to less than 2000 pounds. Positioning over the load was intended to be facilitated by the nose-mounted mirror; unfortunately it was mounted directly in front of my right foot. I climbed into position to take strain with a simulated 75 foot strap, finding the Bell 429’s vertical reference hover handling pleasant and precise. Field of view from the right bubble window was excellent, and leaning outboard away from the collective imposed no problems. The external power gauges were not yet fitted, but will be a welcome addition.

And In With the New

I cunningly confronted David Weir with my favourite trick question, “If you could change, modify or improve anything about this helicopter, what would it be?” Without a moment’s hesitation he said that he would move the float arming switch from the instrument panel onto the collective. I laughed. If that minor change is the first thing on his wish list, then it speaks volumes for the utility of the Bell 429 for the mission.

My own impressions were similarly positive, with a singular caveat. I found the Bell 429 a pleasant handling, well equipped machine with ample power margins, however the Coast Guard’s mission dictates a comprehensive mission equipment suite, which adds to the empty weight. Wire strike protection, floats, radar, autopilot and air conditioning all earned their place onboard for reasons of safety or utility, but impose compromises to the pure utility helicopter mission. Payload was a minor casualty of the extensive equipment fit.

To date, twelve out of the fleet of fifteen Bell 429’s have been received, and are currently being implemented into operations at Coast Guard bases across the country. The advent of the Bell 429 is good news for the Coast Guard, as their new helicopter carries more, flies faster and operates safer than their predecessors.