Steve 76, Kflexer
I believe you have some experience up there. I'm sure our paths would have crossed, but the good thing about these forums is the fact we can remain anonymous.
I haven't seen anything in some of the other posting which would let me guess where all that "skids on rocks" stuff is still happening. I'm sure it does on the odd occasion, but not like the "old days." That's why the Jetrangers and H500s are gone.
Lifting for an OGE take off is not too hard. It's what we're there for. Seismic pads are all prepared pads as far as I am concerned and yet the approaches can be difficult. Landing in a village isn't what I'd call an unprepared site either. I think some of these posters can't be long off the training school hover pattern.
Good for you kflexer, if you had no pressure on you. Were you guys around prior to the OSL take over from Chevron? Did you experience the regime then? The one with a certain swamp dweller from the Deep South boasting about all the pilots he had "run off" from the project? And he was ably abetted by his Canadian wingman. Half of a certain companies pilots probably experienced that, and the other half just didn't want to go there. There's a subject for a separate thread I reckon. Luckily neither of them survived the take over but there's one example of some pressure - it can take many forms.
Well, looks like we cant find out more about the accident through here. Ill just have to ask through other channels.