Stupid Helicopter Tricks
Ferry flight of a Bell 205 in 1985 to Burbank CA from Montreal – the chief pilot was going to do it but Xmas was fast approaching and the weather in the USA was awful so yours truly and an engineer get nominated for the job.
No xponder so the avionics guy makes up a portable one battery powered. The only other navaid is an ADF
After fighting wx we make it to Syracuse NY and do the customs thing.
Filed a flight plan to Youngstown Ohio and pressed on in good VFR.
While still a considerable distance from Youngstown it starts to get dark as I had screwed up the calculation for sunset in Youngstown. Time zone change ECT ECT.
Not to worry – even though I do not have a helicopter night rating nor a helicopter IFR rating. Got a fixed wing night rating and the mandatory20 hrs of IFR training FW in 1973 so what is to worry about.
Just after it gets too dark to land anywhere but an airport Youngstown tells me that the WX has just gone to 2 miles in snow then to ½ mile in snow showers. He then states that he is starting to lose my transponder (batteries are low). He asks me my intentions.
I tell him that I will continue inbound. The only ther choice being to find a place to land out in the booonies and a quick check with the landing light reveals nothing but big snowflakes.
At this very moment my ADI decides to crap out so I have to fly using the one on the co-pilot’s side.
Just as things look dynamic the controller calls and says: “There is an Ohio National Guard unit here on the field and there are here doing training this evening. Would you like to do a practice GCA for them?”
“Why I would love to! Anything to help the boys!” Says I.
What follows is the scariest 15 minutes of my career.
When the GCA controller calls mins and asks if I have the airfield in sight I got nothing- just big white snowflakes and a pressing need for a bathroom.
He then just says “For practice purposes continue your approach” and keeps calling heading changes and rates of descent.
Finally a joyful scream from the engineer and there are the approach lights.
I land on the button.
The controller asks if I can see the terminal. All I can see is 3 runway lights. They send a Follow Me truck to get us.
I paid a lot of drinks for both the National Guard and that controller that evening.