Compute Out-of-Ground-Effect (OGE) hover ceilings, water bucket payload limits, terrain downdraft sink rates, and NWCG GAR risk envelopes for high-elevation wildland operations.
Aircraft gross weight exceeds OGE hover power capacity at this density altitude. Drop site requires jettison or reduced bucket dip.
| Component | Specification / Description | Weight (lbs) |
|---|
Superheated convection columns and high summer ambient temperatures drastically reduce air density. A 6,000-foot ridge at 100°F experiences a Density Altitude exceeding 9,500 feet, starving rotor blades of lift and gas turbine engines of oxygen and shaft horsepower.
Dip-site hovering over mountain lakes or portable dip tanks requires Out-of-Ground-Effect (HOGE) power. If water bucket weight is taken on beyond the HOGE gross weight curve, settling with power (Vortex Ring State) or insufficient collective reserve triggers catastrophic sink rates.
The Green-Amber-Red model synthesizes pilot fatigue, complex box canyon terrain, thermal downdrafts, and radio blind spots. Scores above 35 demand operational mitigation (lightening load, flying ridge contour paths); scores above 45 enforce immediate mission stand-down.