View Full Version : Water-sking helicopter !
ForkTailedDrKiller
29th Apr 2007, 08:33
Tonight's TV news included an item remembering World Expo 88 held in Brisbane. It featured brief footage of a Jetranger "water ski-ing" on its skids down the Brisbane river.
Just curious!
I have heard stories of ag pilots water ski-ing with their wheels locked up, but never heard of it being done with a chopper.
Anyone care to comment on (note how carefully I worded that!):
How difficult is it to do?
Whats the margin for error?
Dr:cool:
rotornut
29th Apr 2007, 11:44
My instructor did the same thing. He landed the 206 on a dock in northern Saskatchewan to go shopping for groceries for a bush camp. After loading up the helicopter and lifting off from the dock he hovered over the water. However, the machine started to sink as he lost ground effect over the water.
He pushed the cyclic forward and the helicopter began to ski down the lake on its skids until he had translational lift and the machine began to climb. He said it was something he would not like to repeat but the people watching from the shore were very impressed.
topendtorque
29th Apr 2007, 12:14
Anyone care to comment on
Why don't you ask your underwriter, I'm sure that he would be delighted to politely inform you of the possibilities.
Did hear of one many moons ago trying to do a mono on the T/R, a fair bit south of Brisbane. It was a fairly dark helicopter and a leeding pilot in the area, without giving too much away.
A*** over T** it all went.
It's all a bit like water skiing in the six foot wide road side drain behind a fast moving motor car?? Being done recently by an applicant to our company, wondered why he got a knockback, bloody idiot.
Spanish Waltzer
29th Apr 2007, 14:44
Slightly off the original question but has anyone tried / witnessed water skiing behind a helo? Is it possible???? :confused:
Spunk
29th Apr 2007, 15:32
Waterski (http://www.wasserski-show.com/weltrekord_presse.htm) yes, it can be done...
or here:
http://www.nordsee-helikopter.de/resources/CIMG0592_r1.jpg
jetflite
29th Apr 2007, 15:33
Re water skiing behine a helo -
Troy Dann did it behind a KH-4 in the top end... was on one of his shows, that have now been realesed on DVD, also film of him suffering a engine failure in his B47 an ditching into a swamp filled with crocs...
For those who are unfilmilar Troy Dann is an Aussie who hosted his T.V show called "outback adventures" and travelled around oz in his B47, doing mustering, heli-fishing, while also educating people about the outback... got some good chopper footage... :ok:
Hughesy
29th Apr 2007, 17:09
Troy also showed us a little too much of him self while swimming in a hotel on one episode! :yuk:
Do all you aussie outback fullas wear G-Strings (thongs) while swimming? :}
(im quietly upset about cricket)
It was a pretty good programme actually, and was quite popular over here in NZ. Is it still running?
Hughesy
skadi
29th Apr 2007, 18:41
Slightly off the original question but has anyone tried / witnessed water skiing behind a helo? Is it possible????
Yes, its possible and it was a lot of fun:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxdNnitPNEM
skadi
Aesir
29th Apr 2007, 18:53
He landed the 206 on a dock in northern Saskatchewan to go shopping for groceries for a bush camp.
He must have bought a lot of Molson ;)
Ghostrider203
29th Apr 2007, 19:12
One picture from a german 205:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v140/Rotorheads/Huey_waterski.jpg
Photo: Hans Kraskes
pitch up!
G203
John Eacott
29th Apr 2007, 22:18
Water skiing was done in a Wessex at RNAS Portland about 1969, using the rescue hoist :p
Part of the annual Air Show, the skier was run almost onto Chesil Beach, then lifted with a judiscious application of collective to avoid Aunty Flo and family, who had SFA idea of what was going on :)
Happy days......:ok:
ForkTailedDrKiller
29th Apr 2007, 22:28
No guys, I am not talking about water ski-ing behind a chopper. The chopper in the video had the back half of its skids in the water as if the chopper itself was water ski-ing!
Dr:cool:
maxeemum
30th Apr 2007, 09:56
I too saw the footage on the TV (Aust Army Kiowa ploughing along on the BNE River during an Expo 88 flying display) and while I was admiring the attitude control of the pilot, I found myself asking why? ie what was the benefit? As I said I thought it looked great however, the sequence itself was obviously a high risk task with potentially disastrous consequences.
I guess this was 20 yrs ago and I suspect that the Army AVN COMD and the Risk management process would blow the task out of the water today however maybe 20 yrs ago the culture was such that the expo 88 flying display was an acceptable and skillful manoeuvre to partake in and showed the masses what sort of fearless aviators took to the Kiowa skies with superior attitude control while flying at the Earth's surface (literally).
I would be interested to hear from the ACFT Capt that conducted the display and the history behind the conduct of the sequence and if the process was self authorised or thrown to a higher level of authorisation. I would be interested to hear WHY? the task was necessary? As has been said in prvious posts by other pruners, the task looked and was incredibly risky with little or no return if things went peared shaped........ Loss of hull and/or capability for a few seconds of "gee look at that"
Mysterious aquaplaning Kiowa pilot of expo 88 over to you.......
Authorising Officer over to you too................
Max
:sad:
rotornut
30th Apr 2007, 11:37
He must have bought a lot of Molson
Actually, no. They didn't allow booze in the camp, according to my instructor. It was all food and supplies (however, he did say he brought a bottle of something for the cook but that was a little secret).
J.A.F.O.
30th Apr 2007, 13:29
Ghostrider
Can't help thinking that it would be more efficient if you didn't have the windmill connected between the helicopter and the skier - still, they probably know what they're doing.
ForkTailedDrKiller
1st May 2007, 13:18
I hadn't picked up on the fact that it was an Army Kiowa. Interesting! I wonder if that in the manual.
Dr:cool:
unstable load
14th May 2007, 14:57
http://www.dumpalink.com/videos/AT-6-Harvards-on-Water-df35.html
try this for a laugh. A bunch of crazy South African dudes having a dip!!
Teefor Gage
8th Jun 2007, 09:35
Just found this news item in the NZ press: A cautionary tale!
NZ Herald Article (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=61&objectid=10444012)
Half way through reading Hurricane Tim by Neville Peat, what a great story ............ would Toby Wallis be Sir Tim's son?
Teefor Gage
8th Jun 2007, 10:35
Indeed he is, as you should be able to see on his company website:
Alpineheli (http://www.alpineheli.co.nz/about_us.htm)
621andy
8th Jun 2007, 10:45
Slightly off the original question but has anyone tried / witnessed water skiing behind a helo? Is it possible????
The youtube clip looks very much like the Kieler Förde if I'm not mistaken:ok: That'll make it a German Navy Seaking from Holtenau...one of my ex balloon crew used to fly 'em;)
Flying Pictures did a stunt for 'You Bet' some time ago with Marc Woolf doing the flying. The skiier had to be towed by 3 different methods-boat,car and Squirrel(heli, not the animal;)) without stopping. They managed it- Skier was one of the company Directors, Colin Prescott.
Must be a youtube clip somewhere of this too...
The youtube clip looks very much like the Kieler Förde if I'm not mistaken:ok: That'll make it a German Navy Seaking from Holtenau...one of my ex balloon crew used to fly 'em;)
Yes, it was on the Kieler Förde and this show was part of an Airday of the Naval Airwing 5 in the 80ies.
skadi
SilsoeSid
14th Jun 2007, 11:44
Water skiing behind a helicopter.
Just watched an episode of Quantum Leap (3rd season - The Leap Home: Part 2 (Vietnam) - April 7, 1970) where the opening scene was a Navy Seal skiing behind a Huey in Vietnam on return from a mission.
Single ski down the river and the downwash flattening the water instead of having that boat wake to negotiate. I suppose in one way a boat wake enables you to have a constant jump ramp, yet a helicopter can raise you far higher!!
Andrea Thompson also happened to be in the episode, but of course I only watched it for the storyline and the Gunships! :E
BGRing
19th Jun 2007, 04:56
OK. So you all have noticed that when it is done. that the rope has a Heavy weight on it.
There are measurement that must be met EH?
I'm guessing that the Length of rope from the weight to the Ski Bar must be Far shorter than the length of rope from the Weight to the Heli.
PS. Check out the weight on the one where the windmill is Part of the Rig (LOL) that one looks as if though he is either slowing down for a controlled release (By the Skier) or it is made of lead.
I remember the French? guy it over a coral reef... That's Gutsy.
You all seen the Godmobile.. (Little off subject that last Q, but if you like the Ski Pics and Videos you will no doubt like the God Mobile)
That video of the Texans/Harvard's was amazing. I have been told by many a People that the Pilot is Skullie Laveen His son and daughter and ?? (Sorry didn't bother to check his name spelling) Dam Gutsy eh... I get mixed stories about whether they have their Breaks on or let the Wheels Roll when on the water.. Personally, I can understand Breaks on.. (Not like the Godmobile eh :) ).The other tid bit is that they actually push into it a bit. IE down Elevator.. Just a little eh ;) wouldn't push into it in a Heli. Hell wouldn't (Not that I could) even try it. But what ever gets the Woohoo's without Boohoo's eh.
Now. What else has been draged behind a Heli??
PS unstable load, today's top videos look hot :\
John Eacott
19th Jun 2007, 05:41
Now. What else has been dragged behind a Heli??
I have an early Westland film with footage of an early Whirlwind towing a minesweeper, and also towing a military mobile crane. The interesting thing is the towing is via a cable coming out of the back of the fuselage, a couple of feet below the tailboom.
It looks awfully close to the tail rotor in the film, and must have created some interesting load paths back through the fuselage :eek: