R44 doing aerial work (video)

[madman1145]

Bear with me, if this has been posted earlier.

Interesting video how a R44 does aerial work in Italy.
As we northern guys say, sometimes things are done a bit different south of the Alps :ooh: :sad: ..

ngsLhWq7uJk

- Martin

[the coyote]

The old "if something goes wrong here we're all f%#&d!" kind of job.

It sounds great when you have about 500 hours, but insane when you have 5000. Or have had an engine stop.

If I was in that wedding party with my family, I would have pulled that pilots head out of his a$$, smashed a champagne bottle over it, and then jammed the lot right back up there.

Couldn't care less about the legalities of it, just a little thank you for stupidly endangering me without asking first.

[madman1145]

Looks like business as usual for those guys ..

TOyWWtiCPYg

- Martin

[DynamicallyUnstable]

Wow coyote, a little harsh don't ya think?
I didn't see anything that was all that dangerous. Yes, he slowed way down to drop the petals (assuming that's what they were) but it didn't look like he stopped completely (every little bit helps). Even if he had stopped completely, it was only for a second. As far as him endangering everyone...well, if he is any kind of pilot, he is going to push forward for airspeed rather than attempt a 200' hover auto if that engine quits which is probably going to put him into the parked cars.
Is there a risk? Yes, there is a risk. We fly helicopters, we are "risk managers," right? We try to minimize the amount of risk we take and do our best to assure that everyone else will be safe should our "risk" bite us in the butt.
I know guys that longline in an MD500, hovering 150' above the ground and people 50% of their flight time. I fly a twin engine helicopter and rarely hover myself but I still understand the logistics of some jobs.
Just my .02

[Runway101]

Apart from the safety concerns that some may have, I just don't see the point in having an extremely loud lawnmower-like noise overhead my wedding party, dropping stuff on my friends and family and blowing dirt all over us. Maybe I am just not romantic enough to see the point :}

[wokkaboy]

You can see that everyone is really impressed particularly in the second video at having their lives put at risk, the downwash blowing the umbrellas around, and the confetti completely missing the party...

Great work guys.
:rolleyes:

[the coyote]

Tad harsh I suppose, maybe I wouldn't have smashed the bottle over his head, just rammed it unbroken up his a$$ instead!

There is a difference. In longlining all parties know the risks involved, mitigate them as best they can, and accept them in that line of work. A wedding party of innocent bystanders (and those in the buildings flown over) suddenly becoming exposed, and presumably not being given a choice first, is different. Unnecessary risk, and that's the difference.

Anyone that knows me knows that I'm not the one to spoil a party, and I've done my fair share of retrospectively stupid stuff in a helicopter in the past, but only exposed myself in the process.

If you are going to be stupid, give the risk to yourself, and not a wedding party or anyone esle.

[ReverseFlight]

Here in Australia you need specific approval from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to release anything from an aircraft, or else you can be fined heavily and your AOC suspended.

We don't do it like the Italians.

[madman1145]

EASA doesn't do it neither like the "Italians" ..

- Martin

[Thomas coupling]

ICAO, Ch1, para1.1: The rules hereforafter enshrined in the European Union under European Law do not apply to Italian Nationals, nor their dependants.

Mind you - they wouldn't know that because they don't read the documents in the first place. :ugh: