Sleeping in a helicopter
Ok
So its been a bad day, you head for the last hour of flight back to your desination. Its getitng dark, and there is a cold front on its way. You phone a friend at the destination that says its 'OK' so you set off.
45 mins into the flight the weather comes in. Its down to about 500ft AGL, its getting quite dusk and then the rain hits hard. That's it, time to turn around and hea for the nearest weather diversion. Wolverhampton.
Its 21.20 and its nearly dark and in you go to a reasonable airfield and its pi$$ing with rain. Land fine, shut down, then its find a bed.
Nothing, no taxi, no one about, just 25kts wind and rain. Only one thing for it - sleep in the heli.
Thats what happened a month ago - don't ever do it - its is unbelievably uncomfortable. Add to that, the police heli went in 4 times that night and the heli was rocking in the wind.
The following morning, after having to start the machine up at 5, 6, 7, 8 just to keep warm and thaw my feet, and eventually I could leave for my destination.
Anyone else slept in their heli.
PS: an R44 is only about 4.5ft wide and its damn uncomfortable
Jon P