Gees, you guys have turned this into a huge saga! Simple fact is the guys hanging off the skids and the pilot driving that ridiculously ugly 44 are dipsh*ts! The pilot deserves to have his licence CANCELLED....there is no defence for his action IMHO.
(Helicopter Pilots are steely eyed, weapons systems managers who kill bad people and break things. However, they can also be very charming and personable. The average helicopter pilot, despite sometimes having a swaggering exterior, is very much capable of such feelings as love, affection, intimacy and caring. (However, these feelings don't usually involve anyone else.))