Agaricus - Actually these guys weren't idiots - they were and are some of the best pilots around, and no they aren't dead, they are actually still alive and flying.
Armin Egli who was flying one of the D models now flies for ARHT (Westpac Rescue Heli) in Auckland and Steve Podjursky I think is flying for either Erickson on the Crane or Columbia. Dennis Mulooly I am not sure about.
Its just the way flying was back in those days same as a lot of the flying that was done in Vietnam etc or or are they all idiots to you as well.
Either way it is what it is.
