Couldnt agree more with helicopterinterested.
The Southern Alps on NZ are a very challenging enviroment indeed. Helicopters commonly operating at 4000 to 12,000 feet. Fresh snow, Glacier landings, high swirling winds ect. To my knowledge this company has been operating since the early 1980's with a fleet of some 20 helicopters and have a remarkable safety record and some of the best mountain pilots in the business. These armchair idots who feel they should share their expertise on exactly what happened and why just astound me to no end. I have spent most of my 34 year career in the mountains in Europe, Canada, Central Asia, South America and others and I know one thing for sure, it is a very unforgiving enviroment. Add snow, ice and high alpine winds to the mix, well its a hard day at the office thats for sure.
The very fact that one pilot can slag off another in these circumstances from across the other side of the world (whom they don't even know and adding the fact they have absolutely no clue as to what happened or why) is to my mind sinking to such low levels I feel this industry is becoming a lot like little old ladies gossiping at the corner store. These armchair warrior pilots have problay never even flown in 5,000 to 12,000 foot mountains like this company does every single day for the last 25 odd years. We have all had close calls in our time, every one of us, which could easily have gone either way
To all you armchair experts please stop being idiots, you really are bringing this industry to low levels. IMO We should be here to support each other. And no I do not fly in NZ (yet) but have been there and went on a heli few flights in the South Island and what a wonderful place it must be to fly in for a living. .
I will sit down to my scotch and now reflect on todays industry with some deep dissapoinment and ponder what my late father once told me. " Son opinions are like assholes, every one has got one, but an informed opinion based on fact, now thats gold".
The pilot as I undertsand is very seriously injured in a coma, my thoughts and best wishes go to him and his family. Because I for one very much care about what happens to a fellow heli pilot.
Last edited by djk59; 30th October 2013 at 06:01.