Man charged after stones thrown at helicopter

[dragman]

Man charged after stones thrown at helicopter | Stuff.co.nz (http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/2613936/Man-charged-after-stones-thrown-at-helicopter/)

A case of "Throw first, ask questions later"?

Man charged after stones thrown at helicopter

A man who allegedly threw rocks at a helicopter was remanded in custody when he appeared in Taupo District Court today.
Daniel Whetu Ormsby, 44, of Tokaanu, was remanded to reappear on Monday after being charged with damage endangering or likely to endanger a helicopter in flight.
He was also charged with assaulting the pilot with stones.
He pleaded not guilty to both charges.
When asked if he had anything to say about the police opposing bail, he addressed the court in te reo, then in English.
He cited the Te Ture Whenua 1993 Act and said he lived by the principles laid out in its preamble.
That legislation outlined how Maori land was to be governed to try to ensure Maori retained ownership, while ensuring it was commercially viable.
The helicopter suffered at least $20,000 worth of damage when hit with rocks while idling near Waihi Village, at the southern end of Lake Taupo yesterday.
Pilot Matt Boulcott made an emergency lift off after the rocks shattered his front window and hit him in the shoulder, TV3 News reported last night.
Mr Boulcott was collecting surveyors monitoring a potential landslide after earthquakes and wet weather in the area.
The man pulled up in a van and started screaming and pelting the helicopter with rocks, Mr Boulcott said.
The attack lasted less than a minute.
The man continued to throw rocks at the helicopter in the air, smashing two windows and narrowly missing the rotor blade.

[Fun Police]

hopefully they throw the book at him. really hard!

[VH-XXX]

Only in NZ !

[dragman]

Unfortunately, due to defence cuts, surface to air missles were unavailable

[topendtorque]

I know of a case in northern oz a few years ago, where a certain R22 took out a ground to air missile. didn't do a lot of good for the R22. After the encounter it was seen disappearing into the flora backwards at low altitude and very high speed.

Hero and pax got out OK. through the front door, without a scratch. IMHO that pax was the army colonel showing young hapless type where the ground troops were before a muster the next day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
quite embarrassing

Looks like we in oz don't hold the embargo on Darwinian activities though.

Although a recent story comes to mind.

Old mate, a mustering pilot - yes I know agaaaaain - and in the north of wetsern oz agaaaaain-- spots a barramundi in yon waterhole. As per usual old mate wants to catch yon fish for supper, brag, etc.

Well, as per usual old mate is carrying the old landing net, of the .357 or larger capacity. He decides to inflict serious harm on yon fish with yon landing net and then push the now stunned fish to shore with downwash from yon R22.
You can believe that if you like but that is the story that I heard.

The story is good so far, except that old mate overcorrects bit at some stage and the old mate T/R takes a serious dislike to the H2O. Yon R22 spins, bucks like a mad bronc and ends up in the water.

Told to me by a mate of mine who swears that he heard it first hand from "old mate". My mate reckons, "stupid ba*****d, doesn't he realise it coulda killed him."

The big downplay on all this is that we most likely will all be subsidising this clowns insurance payout. UGH

I haven't mentioned this one in the "how many" thread, but i have a distinct feeling that it is there in the latest crash comics' ATSB records for all to see, but without the embellished story.

[Coconutty]

Mr Boulcott was collecting surveyors monitoring a potential landslide after earthquakes and wet weather in the area.

RUBBISH ! - He was obviously engaged in a test flight for a new helicopter variant...

The man continued to throw rocks at the helicopter in the air, smashing two windows and narrowly missing the rotor blade.

No sure how "commercially viable" such a machine would be ;)

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d129/coconut11/Coconutty.jpg

[ShyTorque]

But one rotor blade is twice as difficult to hit than two.

[dragman]

The poor fella obviously got too close to the tail rotor. Have you seen what it did to his hair?

[Coconutty]

Apart from the stupid haircut - the original story states that the offender
( Daniel Ormsby ) was remanded in custody.

I find that particularly interesting as an anagram of his name is
"Bail Syndrome" ;)

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d129/coconut11/Coconutty.jpg

[dragman]

Coconutty, you gotta get a new hobby!

[Coconutty]

GRANDMA - I Know :p

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d129/coconut11/Coconutty.jpg

[dragman]

Here's the latest.....

Helicopter attack accused denied bail | Stuff.co.nz (http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/2679291/Helicopter-attack-accused-denied-bail)


A Tokaanu man who allegedly caused $20,000 damage to a helicopter by throwing rocks at it had previously taken pot shots at planes with an air rifle, Taupo District Court has been told.
Daniel Ormsby, 44, is charged with damaging a Helipro Squirrel helicopter in a manner likely to endanger people on board when in flight, and assaulting helicopter pilot Matthew Boulcott with a weapon.
Ormsby allegedly threw stones at the helicopter last week when Mr Boulcott landed it near Tokaanu, and again as it took off. Rocks smashed the cockpit windscreen and narrowly missed damaging rotor blades.
Mr Boulcott and two passengers had been surveying Waihi Village by air to assess landslide risks.
In court yesterday, Sergeant Mark Robertson said Ormsby was "passionate" and "driven" to defend his land and his beliefs.
There was a risk if Ormsby was bailed and returned to Tokaanu, which had a large amount of commercial tourism involving aircraft, Mr Robertson said. "He has a previous history of taking pot shots at aircraft with an air rifle."
Judge Patrick Treston remanded Ormsby in custody until August 13 to make an application for electronic bail to an Auckland address.
Outside court, a family member said Ormsby was frustrated by trespassers on Maori-owned land near Tokaanu.
"He has been the kaitiaki [guardian] of the area since he was 12 years old and feels he has to protect it."

[Te_Kahu]

A Tokaanu resident said Mr Ormsby was well known in the area, where he had many relations. "He has his moments, but we do all care for him. What he did was very stupid. The actual reason for the helicopter going around was to make sure that it was safe for the Waihi people.

"He may not have understood that - in saying that, we're not quite sure what goes on in Daniel's mind at times."


From what I know this quote from another story sums him up very well.

TK