Vintage piston helo pilot wanted

[heli1]

Is there anyone out there with serious big piston helo experience...S-55 ,S-51 Dragonfly, Mil Mi-1 or Sycamore ...but still "young enough" to fly a veteran piston helicopter for displays ? If you would like to see one of these old timers on the airshow circuit in Europe please pm me.
Robinson and Enstrom only experience doesn't count I'm afraid .

[Helilog56]

To bad I'm in Canada.....sounds like fun! Some of the most fun I had was flying the SK58 and 55.....radials rock :ok:

[hillberg]

1820 in an S-58 my favorite, :ok:

[TiPwEiGhT]

Try sending Rotorfossil a PM. If he cant help he will most likely know someone who will!

[Good Vibs]

Check you PM please.

[OvertHawk]

you might want to try getting in touch with Derek Jones - ex Bristow - if he's still doing the rounds.

OH

[SASless]

There should still be some dottering old fools left around.....but they would certainly be old...like really old....almost as old as time itself.

The transition from a 300 to a piston Medium would not be that big a jump I should think....as it is muscle memory with the left hand and arm...and feet.

If the Huey guys up at Wesham are practicing manual governor much....they would be good candidates as well. Neil would be a good one to talk to.

[Vertical Freedom]

would 500hrs on 47 & 300hrs on 269 help?

[B Sousa]

SASLESS. I used to fly the CH-34. Loved it. Got to know the Sikorsky Shuffle real well.

[Oldlae]

Heli1

Rotorfossil flew the Whirlwind Mk 7 now in the Museum.

Regards.

[Agaricus bisporus]

I'd contact Elpan apRhees at the museum at Weston if I were you.

[Senior Pilot]

Heli1

Rotorfossil flew the Whirlwind Mk 7 now in the Museum.

Regards.

So did I :p

[CharlieOneSix]

Flew the Whirlwind Mk7, HAR Mk3 and have 2500 hours on Bell 47's but am too decrepit nowadays to think of getting my licence current again otherwise would have loved to participate:{

[jeepys]

Hi,

not sure whether I can help but apart from medium and heavy turbine type (S76, S61, 139)
I do have have plenty of piston time with a bit on the Hiller 12C. I am still young enough to see the guages without glasses!

Kind regards.

[fly911]

I sure would love to see a twin radial Sikorsky S-56 CH-37 Mojave fly again.
Haven't worked with one since Viet Nam. (They were running out of 3/4 ton trucks to feed it) :)
http://olive-drab.com/images/id_ch37mojave_01_700.jpg

[SASless]

I loved the Mo-J-Vee! Now that was a real Man's helicopter!:ok:

[Fareastdriver]

I loved the Mo-J-Vee

Had a ride in one once. No roof lining; you could see the shafts going into the gearbox. It was raining so the crewman was wandering around the empty hold with a rubber sqeegee pushing water down a hole in the centre.

Sixty hours in the Sycamore but you will not be able to pay me as I am too old for a British commercial licence and I do not fly for nothing.

[SASless]

The Post Flight on the Mo was something like.....Fill it up with oil and check the fuel!

When the oil can is a proper 55 gallon Steel Drum (US Gallons) and a hand pump.....you know you are in serious business.

The Emergency Intercom system for the pilots was a long stick to hit the other guy on the shoulder and then semaphore signals.....as the cockpit was ROOMY!

There shall never be anything as wonderful to hear as the sound of a great big old Radial Engine wake up from a sound sleep! Jet Fuel might tweak your Libido....but AvGas and a big Pratt and Whitney Radial belching smoke, flame, and thunder really generates Iron!

[Genghis the Engineer]

The gent who used to post as Wyvern had a shedload of hours in piston and turbine helicopters of all sizes, and is an ex CFS examiner. He was good enough to mentor me as a baby display pilot a fair number of years ago, and is an utter gentleman and brilliant instructor.

He elected to ground himself a few years ago due to age and some personal medical concerns he had, but I am still in touch with him occasionally and whilst I'm certain he'd not wish to try displaying again, he'd be a superb mentor.

If that's of any use, PM me and I'll try and put you in touch.

G

[fly911]

I'm thinking that Keystone Helicopters outside of Philadelphia bought the Type Certificate. Not 100% sure about that.

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q140/fly911/Mojave.jpg

[SASless]

Quite a few were out at Medford, Oregon for a while.....as there was some thought to binning the Radials and putting Turbines on the old girls.

[Troglodita]

There must be a whole bunch of us still around with experience on the old Whirlwind from 705 squadron pre 1973 days but I don't think many (if any) ever had it as a S55 type rating on a European licence.

Trog

[76fan]

Yes, and a lot of us would love to be able to do it.

[TipCap]

I flew the Whirlwind 3 and 7 but that was a l-o-n-g time ago. Well retired now :ok:

[madflyer26]

I reckon Derek Jones is a good bet. Still active, ex RAF with multiple oldies under his belt. He is still an examiner working for HJS in Aberdeen.

Regards

MF26