OK time to fess up
On excerciise at Port Stephens NSW circa 1971
i x Bell 47GB2 (doors off), one mechanic, one driver airframe, troops for the use of.
2 small wooden plank strapped to port front cross beam
Sandwiched between these 4 small blue smokes with string from pins into the cockpit
On stbd stretcher a 5 gallon drum full of sand - buried in it was a LARGE white smoke generator with string into the cockpit
Oh - operating out of a very confined area with fuel drums, uneven ground etc etc.
- what could go wrong??
Departed, flew lazy circuits of the departing medical teams after their annual excercise, pulling the small pins out as each one was finished - constant sreams of blue and white smoke ( Corp colours....)
Well, we thought they were finished ,,,,,
Came back into the pad - al good until we came to the hover - then instant IFR !
The downwash reactivated the LARGE white pot and at 6ft near the drums, could not se a darn thing.
Glimpsed some trees back the way we came in and just pedal turned, sucked it up and went for them.
Luckily left the smoke behind - needless to say there were 2 faces as white as the smoke !
Yep, I learned about flying from that...