Sounds like most of us heli pilots are a bunch of sissies when it comes to standing on a bridge or a building ledge. I get the hibijibies just watching people bungi jumping...
As part of our ppl training one of the last lessons is to take the student to 10 000'. Worst was doing it one summer day in a 22 with the doors off...!!! Won't do that again.
Was on a ferry flight to Nigeria trying to get over the hamatan (dust from the Sahara) to get a bit of clean air and vis, and was at about 11 500' when the hydraulics went kaboom... Sounded like we were hit by something explosive...
Being in IF conditions, no hydraulics and having this contious screetching metal on metal and then kaboom noice going off in the boot on the emergency decent into the middle of nowhere was no fun...
Wind and weather prevailing I still fly most of my long haul ferries across africa at 10 000'. Have saved thousands of $$$ for the boss and many hours. The saving on fuel often means we don't have to find a place to land in the middle of nowhere to fuel from the drums, and in the middle of summer, temperatures and the ride are so much more comfortable...