Here's a challenge

[Helimechanic]

Hi guy's,

Time to put your thinking caps on! I'm looking for a solution to
connect my wrist to the cyclic grip.
A bit of history first so you know where I'm coming from.
I'm a Commercial Helicopter Pilot with an Instructors rating and a
Licensed Aircraft Engineer. I have about 2000 hours made up of all the
normal stuff. I lost my right hand in an explosion in 02 at the wrist.

So the problem is; I'm trying to come up with a method of attaching my
right wrist to the cyclic that will stratify the regulatory authority
i.e big brother! so I can get my medical back. What I've tried so far
is using my standard artificial arm, which is a carbon fibre sleeve
with a titanium crab claw and taping to the cyclic, which works fine
but will never be approved. I have also built a clamp that attaches to
the cyclic and rod end that screws into the carbon sleeve, and the two
are connected by a quick disconnect pip pin, the authority is
concerned about the permanence of the connection in the event of an
accident.

So I'd really appreciate the readers of this forum to brainstorm and
post any ideas they might have no matter how crazy they seem, as you
never know were the idea might lead. The solution needs to be quick to
fit and remove, simple, and fail safe.

Just to let the sceptics know, you can fly with an artificial hand,
I've flown around 10 hours in the last few years in R22, R44 II and
UH1-H. I plan to do the test flying in either a R22 or R44.

This is a very unique challenge as I can't find any pilot currently
flying helicopters in the world at the moment with an artificial hand.
If any body knows any different please let me know I'd love to know
how they're doing it.

Cheers

Doug Banks

[Jon K]

Doug -

You may already know most of what I'm going to say here, but bear with
me because flying with a disability is a topic near and dear to my
heart, as a transradial amputee with a private license, and a board
member for Able Flight (ableflight.org), so I'll do a brain dump for
everyone's benefit. We (OPP and Able Flight) are currently working on
several projects for disabled pilots, and we intend to make the
results part of our general library here for everyone's benefit
(though you're the first arm rotary guy I've heard of). There's also
these guys http://www.wheelchairaviators.org/ whose wheelchair wings
logo I thought was cool but isn't on their site anymore. This page
offers amputee and helo contacts:
http://www.wheelchairaviators.org/additional_resources.html

From the brief details you give, I'm guessing you're using a VC TRS
Grip device (which would explain the tape, since you would have to
have constant cable pressure), or a Dorrance 5XTi, and might ought to
consider a few more rubber bands. I use the latter to fly fixed wing,
and like being able to take my hand off the yoke in cruise, and do
other things with it if necessary. If you absolutely feel you must be
attached to the cyclic, another alternative might be this device:
http://www.mertlawwill.com/prosthetic/Lawwill_ProstheticFS.htm
designed for motorcycle racing. It is a spring loaded ball joint that
releases like a clipless bike pedal or ski binging in the case of an
accident, which might make whoever is giving you a hard time happy
(although in a helo accident I can't see how being attached to a
control is the greatest of your worries...). This thing is titanium,
too, and diesel enough to tow a small trailer. The part that would
clamp to the controls is non-permanent, which would also make the FAA
happy, since you wouldn't need a 337 for the aircraft.

In order to get a valid medical, you need to fulfill all of the
medical requirements. Any red flags, such as heart disease, a seizure
disorder, or, say, a missing limb, are noted by your doctor as
requiring a waiver, in the case of the first two, or as requiring a
Statement of Demonstrated Ability (SODA) in the case of the second.
While it didn't entirely make sense to me, when I notified the FAA of
the loss of my arm, the FAA (from Oklahoma City, and by a different
doctor) reissued my previously current medical as valid only for
student purposes (requiring me to solo again, and with the same issue
date of the medical I had), and issued a second full Class III medical
and SODA to the local FSDO, pending a "Medical Flight Test." The FAA
stressed that this was *not* a checkride, as if I had been issued a
violation, but was nevertheless a little more serious-feeling, by
virtue of its being administered by an FAA official rather than a
designated examiner.

Because it sounds like they're maybe giving you a harder time than
they should, I'll offer my experience on the medical SODA front. It
may be different with a commercial and a class I medical if you have
one. The medical flight test is simply a review by the FAA to satisfy
their requirement that a disabled pilot be able to safely operate the
controls of the aircraft, and in my case involved a single takeoff and
landing (with a brutal crosswind), and some slow flight and
maneuvering to put me through my paces. Because I'm missing a right
arm, my flight instructor suggested that I switch to flying from the
right seat, enabling me to use my hook (5XTi) on the yoke, and my
sound hand for the flaps, throttle, prop, mixture, gear lever, radios,
etc. You get the picture of why this made sense to do. Interestingly,
the FAA had no heartache over the fact that my plane has no right toe
brakes, although good nosewheel authority, and I must brake with the
emergency brake and without the benefit of differential brakes. Also
interesting is the the FAA issued both the SODA and new medical with
the phrase "must wear prosthesis" although the regulation states only
that this phrase be added if the device is used in the test (before I
had talked to them about how I intended to do it). No beef here:
although I know of people who can do it, I wouldn't have tried to take
the test without a prosthesis.

Here's the FAA info on the topic:
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/ame/guide/dec_cons/disease_prot/musculoskeletal/

Now for any of you interested in light sport, all you need is a valid
drivers license, which makes things a lot easier.

Anyway, I hope that is of some help, and please contact me directly if
you have any more questions.

Jon Kuniholm

[boyu]

I am not sure what a cyclic looks like, perhaps a picture would help.
But anyway try to search for a clamp in www.mcmaster.com, I think you
might be able to help yourself, if all you need is a fail safe
connection and be able to release in case of emergency.