Narrative:

My student and I were taxiing nwbound on the inside ramp at reid-hillview airport in an small aircraft aircraft. We were given advisories by the ground controller regarding a fuel truck on our left and a vehicle on our right. We were not given advisories regarding helicopter activity. As we turned right onto taxiway golf on our return to FBO my student couldn't turn right enough to complete the turn, even with full right rudder. He tried using right brake to help it turn but by that time we didn't have enough room to turn right due to parked airplanes at our 2 O'clock position; so, I decided to make a left turn 270 degree turn to get back on taxiway golf. That is when we saw the culprit: an small aircraft helicopter aircraft was either taking off or landing at FBO ramp. I've never had such a strong gust move my tail in 160 hours of flying small aircraft aircraft. Solution: helicopters should not be parked so close to areas of fixed wing movements, especially where large numbers of very light aircraft are prevalent. Many aircraft with empty weights less than 1000 pounds operate within 50 ft of helicopters at rhv. In our case we were circa 100 ft from it. Our plane has an empty weight of ____ 900 pounds and is, like any tail dragger, somewhat vulnerable to gusts compared with tricycle gear aircraft. The helicopter landing site could perhaps be moved to taxiway foxtrot for better spacing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT LOST CTL OF SMA ACFT DURING TAXI TO PARKING DUE TO HELI ACFT 'DOWN WASH.'

Narrative: MY STUDENT AND I WERE TAXIING NWBOUND ON THE INSIDE RAMP AT REID-HILLVIEW ARPT IN AN SMA ACFT. WE WERE GIVEN ADVISORIES BY THE GND CTLR REGARDING A FUEL TRUCK ON OUR L AND A VEHICLE ON OUR R. WE WERE NOT GIVEN ADVISORIES REGARDING HELI ACTIVITY. AS WE TURNED R ONTO TAXIWAY GOLF ON OUR RETURN TO FBO MY STUDENT COULDN'T TURN R ENOUGH TO COMPLETE THE TURN, EVEN WITH FULL R RUDDER. HE TRIED USING R BRAKE TO HELP IT TURN BUT BY THAT TIME WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH ROOM TO TURN R DUE TO PARKED AIRPLANES AT OUR 2 O'CLOCK POS; SO, I DECIDED TO MAKE A L TURN 270 DEG TURN TO GET BACK ON TAXIWAY GOLF. THAT IS WHEN WE SAW THE CULPRIT: AN SMA HELI ACFT WAS EITHER TAKING OFF OR LNDG AT FBO RAMP. I'VE NEVER HAD SUCH A STRONG GUST MOVE MY TAIL IN 160 HRS OF FLYING SMA ACFT. SOLUTION: HELIS SHOULD NOT BE PARKED SO CLOSE TO AREAS OF FIXED WING MOVEMENTS, ESPECIALLY WHERE LARGE NUMBERS OF VERY LIGHT ACFT ARE PREVALENT. MANY ACFT WITH EMPTY WTS LESS THAN 1000 POUNDS OPERATE WITHIN 50 FT OF HELIS AT RHV. IN OUR CASE WE WERE CIRCA 100 FT FROM IT. OUR PLANE HAS AN EMPTY WT OF ____ 900 POUNDS AND IS, LIKE ANY TAIL DRAGGER, SOMEWHAT VULNERABLE TO GUSTS COMPARED WITH TRICYCLE GEAR ACFT. THE HELI LNDG SITE COULD PERHAPS BE MOVED TO TAXIWAY FOXTROT FOR BETTER SPACING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.