The worst landing site in the world

[What Limits]

In "Helicopter Heroes" episode 6, the lovely Matt Niven (well done for wearing your visor down) stated that Sheffield Childrens Hospital is the worst landing site in the world. Why?

I vote for Lincoln County - why, because in the event of...there is only one place to go...straight into A & E.....literally!

So, ppruners, which one do you vote for and why?

[helicopter-redeye]

Sheffield Childrens Hospital is the worst landing site in the world. Why?


I'm not sure the SCH helipad is still in use.

It was located opposite the hospital, at the main Western Bank entrance to Western Park, or a 7 degree Easterly slope of old and shiny ashfelt, next to high wrought iron gates, adjacent a large building and with 10 acres of grass behind it. Thus securing the site would require a lot of tape and a lot of manpower.

It was out of use due to the building work on the Mappin, and when this was cleared in the Spring, the H was not repainted.

I've only ever seen one heli on it (with a lot of police chasing tape blowing away..) and that was a while ago.

I don't think they have one on the roof? But happy to be corrected.

[ShyTorque]

I can think of many, including a few jungle ones but more recently, a very small one at a hotel that could only be approached from a high vertical hover and where from photo information I had been given, what I thought was the 'H' in the middle turned out to be an H shaped bed of 4 foot high white leaved shrubs.

After I had shut down the tail rotor was in the middle of it....and about one foot from branches :O . It made for an interesting and careful departure... thankfully withoput incident. :hmm:

I now always check that H's aren't 4 foot high shrubs. :suspect:

[NLJ]

Now where shall I start.

The Complete Angler Marlow. A narrow strip of grass between the Hotel and the Thames. If the windows were open you could clear the tables with the down wash.

Vanguard - Isle of Dogs. Tiny tarmac square built up on 3 sides with the Thames on the 4th.

Not flown charter/corporate for a while so I don't know if these sites are still used.

[AlanM]

Ahh - what is Nivv's up to? Is he no longer with PAS?

Yes, the Vanguard is still there - Public Transport only I believe. Certainly used daily now. Getting quite busy there.

[Upland Goose]

ShyTorque

Good to know that you did not become a statistic. Beware of Elephant Grass it could really spoil your day - however, not a problem in Doncaster.

When flying for a well known retailer some 20 years ago I landed at the "practice ground" for Dunfermline Athletic where the grass almost reached up to the tail rotor of my AS 355 ( on high skids)- George D my principal passenger said it was Dunfermline's secret weapon. On the damp days at Ibrox or Pittodrie, DA's stamina was legendary!

Good view of the Firth of Forth whilst I ate my sarnies!

I also paint stripped a Vauxhall Viva at the Little Chef car park north of Alnwick with my Bell 47 in 1977 - when it was SOP to land for a cup of tea every other Wednesday on the Gas Patrol.

I was told that the site can be a "little tight" on busy afternoons in summer!

Strangely enough the Vauxhall driver took it rather well (after we took he and his wife for a flip). They would lock me up nowadays.

Don't you just love intermediate gear boxes to get the tail rotor out of harm's way.

UG:ok:

[wokkameister]

Any located within Afghanistan!

WM

[ppng]

Just arrived to pick up a Marine Pilot from the deck of a tanker bound for Japan when the engine stopped - and there was no way the boat was turning back!

[pedroalpha]

EDWARDS CENTRAL in Belize - in a Scout AH1

[BRASSEMUP]

Lisnaskea "The biscuit tin" at night!:eek:

[moosp]

ppng you've made a good point here. How many pilots on marine pilot runs take their passport with them?

Enjoy the trip, hopefully you will enjoy the many delights of Japanese ports. Remember if you end up in Fukuoka which IATA gave the city three letter designator of the first three letters of its name, they saw the marketing point and developed it.

[maxdrypower]

Alan M , Sir Niven the Brave still works for pas and flits between air ambulance and police air support

[Floppy Link]

Nivs!...wanna buy a logbook cover?

[Non-PC Plod]

I'll second the vote for the biscuit tin - if its still there. Not the place to be with a new guy who cant hold a steady hover on gogs!

[Big-Windy]

Good grief! One little throw-away comment
...just thinking out loud
...look what happens!
....and yes, I've still got some logbook covers.
:)

[ShyTorque]

Lisnaskea "The biscuit tin" at night!

Ah, yes! "Liznasty", used to worry me too, but in my time in the Province they wouldn't let us land inside. Many the time I sat in that damned field outside, expecting a drive by shooting as it was the perfect ambush point. After sitting there rotors running for nearly twenty minutes on one occasion while the user unit basically farted about trying to sort the internal load out, we told tasking that there really should be no more internal loads at that location, only USLs, so the a/c could get the hell in and out in a reasonable time!

Ask "Nivs" about his night single engine run on landing on a supposedly "clear area".... no-one knew (until they began the run-on) that the farmer had cut the hay that day and the place was littered with 1 tonne bales :ooh:
An exciting few moments but he dodged them all, Well done, mate! :D

[BRASSEMUP]

No way!!!!!!!!!! Apart from the fuel tanks you could fit a sqn of Chinooks in there, and it was easy at night. You'll be saying R650 was difficult next!:rolleyes: