Sadly, I agree with almost everyones POV on this thread so far.
Yes it is my job to sit in the back and watch in awe as the highly trained chap or chapette in the front, majestically and skilfully navigates the line back to whichever part of paradise we happen to be in this week..(for non brits, read . . . irony / sarcasm)
Except, I've been doing this a very long time and have a vested interest, I realise that due to your position you usually get to arrive at the scene of the accident before me (although, not always) and are just as reluctant as I to get there at all.
I'm not in any way shape or form nervous SLF, but I did have the misfortune to be prepping a job on a vessel in peterhead many moons ago when we were spot hired to go find a Chinook which had attempted to eat itself, sitting in the ROV shack watching the pictures of the damage was most unpleasant (and put me off prawns for weeks)
Have seen more than one helicopter delivered back to Aberdeen on the back of a DSV (Dive support Vessel), have lost friends to heli accidents (one recently, and we went to school together as nippers)
Waaaay back in the day, I used to shuttle to / from work every day. 30 mins to work, 30 mins back, I'd make a point of getting in the back of the (I think, but been wrong before 212) and watch the world go by. 16 hours in a helicopter every 2 weeks, lovely days. Do remember the reg as it made me laugh G-BALZ,
Currently on contract in the sandpit, being taken to / from work by the guys n gals of GH, who (from the back of the bus) seem to fly smoothly.
nice long, gently decellerating finals, no feeling of being about to loose my fillings as the heli shudders like a thing possesed as we blooter down from 120kts -0 in about 500m from 1500' above the deck like happens elsewhere, occasionally. (yeah yeah yeah, cat whatever approach, in the manual, perfectly safe . . . . from the back as you watch the roof panels try to leave the aircraft, it may wel be safe but it sure as poop isn't pleasant.)
I really am not sitting here behind my computer as some pompous little oik saying "I think you should fly (insert profile of choice here) as they did it this way somewhere else and it lets me sleep for another 2 mins each flight" I put the reference into the 139 boom thread as the reek spoots (exhaust outlets) point straight up and a reversing departure from the helideck (yes the 139 does hang arse down but I can tell it's a reversing departure as; 1) there are windows in the back and 2) by the time we are 80-100' above the helideck the bow leg which was behind us on the helideck is now forward of us . . .) the concern(s) I had were based on the heat from those reek spoots having to go somewhere (unlike on a puma with sideways facing outlets this would be washed down the side of the aircraft, on the 139 the hot gas will go over the boom ) and neither driver is looking back as we leave (i.e. in the direction of travel)
I think you are comprehensively wasting your time explaining flight profiles to pax; I would be interested, but I am a weirdo and not at all representative of normal pax (I fly gliders, for fun) to 99.9% of pax it's pretty close to magic and they have no concept of nor are they interested in finding out about how / why the aircraft works.
I have been on a one man, doomed to failure mission to try to get the rest of the SLF to use the 4 point harnesses in the back of the 139's corectly. it's not gonna happen, any conceivable way of mis fitting a harness I have seen in the last 6 months, guys taking the lap strap over a shoulder (like they would in a car) and staring blankly at the shoulder straps which are left. people regularly trying to get the ends of the straps into a buckle facing in towards them, lap straps left loose and shoulder straps tightened to the max, putting the buckle neatly between their nipples, I have verbally briefed guys offshore that if they release the buckles before the signs go off in town, I will punch them inside the terminal, every face smiles, they nod, as soon as the wheels touch . . . . . straps flying everywhere (and I did punch them)
The general assertion that pax are stupid individuals, is, sadly, correct. I base this on the demonstrated fact that fitting a four pont harness is beyond them (and this is 2 mins after they have watched a video on how to do it
)
Some of us are interested, some of us are a PITA, but none of us are in the back for the glory or the medals, we are just going to work.
I think the flight safety brief given to pax should _stress_ the importance of keeping the harness bucked 'till you signal us to take them off.
And in the most simplistic terms possible, explain that there are occasions after the wheels have touched where you will need to reposition the aircraft in a positive manner.
on a side note to the above point on harnesses, wherever I have been in the world, you are _all_ rubbish at switching on and off the seatbelt signs.
(not the main reason pax throw off the belts a.s.a.p. but as a rule of thumb, we do routinely ignore the seatbelt signs as you don't pay any attention to them either) general assertion, not aimed at anyone in particular.
I think Gulf Heli is a good company too. the current 139 issue is just down to luck, it had to happen somewhere.