Rocks & T/Rs
'Twas in March 2002, when I found myself flying the 'Little Bird' MD500 storyship as number two to the wonderful American film pilot, Bob Zee. The location was Sidi Massou in Morocco for Ridley Scott's 'Black Hawk Down.' Gerry Grayson was flying the camera ship.
Holding a 175 ft HOGE in station with Bob Z hovering below at 50ft, I looked down to see a crowd of kids chucking rocks at Bob's 500. Security was called and the kids dispersed.
Next day as we repeated the shot, I noticed the kids had returned ... but this time armed with a catapult made from a lorry inner tube. Before I could transmit, I heard Bob call out, 'I'm hit,' and was concerned to see his 500 descending in a starboard spin. A lucky or a good shot had impacted Bob's T/R but with his experience, he was able to cushion the landing without further damage or casualties. The T/R was destroyed.
We managed to extricate Bob by swapping my T/R assembly and flying him out to nearby Sale Airfield, going back later to collect my machine. The culprit wasn't traced, but in that environment, I doubt if an effort was made anyway. I couldn't see the offending kid owning up except to his mates when he got back to school.
Anyone on the shoot know if the incident was caught on camera?
Safe flying to all, Dennis K.