View Full Version : H300 down in Queensland
G'day All,
Just heard of a H300 going down near Charters Towers in Queensland. No word so far on the occupant(s). Hope all are OK.
Cheers,
MPT
CHOPPER74
9th Feb 2005, 23:29
Went down yesterday, and walked away safely luckily.
Hi,
Any idea who the pilot was ?
Huey
imabell
10th Feb 2005, 20:57
flying along, started to spin, went into auto but rolled it up on touchdown. says he went walking around the crash site and found a dead wedgetail.
that's the story.
Texdoc
10th Feb 2005, 21:13
Those glorious birds will attack anything (if that's what happend). Seen one end up stuck in the sail of a Drifter. Deep gouges in sail planes and an in flight photo of one (good 6ft+ wing span) destroying the sail of a hang glider.
From experience there is a particularily nasty one that used to live at the dump at Dalby he/she has moved down the road to Warra. Generally comes in from high and behind and you don't know you are a target until you hear the thud.
:ouch:
Nesting/Mating (and attacks) usually start around August September and can last well into the year. Some (very few) Wedgies will be unsociable all year round...
RobboRider
11th Feb 2005, 03:59
Seems that birdstrikes (not deliberate attacks by angry birds) are pretty reare on helicopters - unlike FWs.
Had a very near miss once when two wedgies were fighting in mid-air and crossing my path and I thought they would hear me and get out of the way. But they were obviously too busy trying to grab each other in flight and I just managed to have them pass beside the pax side of the cabin and avoid the tail rotor.
Seems they have to be intent on attacking you or really otherwise distracted to cause an actual strike.
Texdoc
11th Feb 2005, 08:52
Wedgies are pretty keen quick aviatiors and don't miss much with in sight ( LOOOONNG way).
Fighting? my bet is Mating Robborider... that would lead you to distraction.
Apparently most birds of prey (of the same breed??) are more likely to establish dominace through flying skill, or a known pecking order through familial regognition, rarely coming to blows unless their acrobatic skill is so close as to require a tie breaker...
Or so I was told when I once saw the same thing. The Raptologist (??) was quite interested and more than a bit envious, apparently not a very often witnessed occurence...
skydriller
11th Feb 2005, 20:29
Wedgie:confused:
6ft ...:eek:
Texdoc
12th Feb 2005, 01:09
The Wedgetailed Eagle, Australias most prolific Bird of Prey
http://www.lobsterdevil.com/australia/wildlife/raptors.html
Hi Mr Selfish,
Check your PM.
Huey
RobboRider
13th Feb 2005, 02:05
Texdoc,
You may be right. May have been tryinga bit of mid-air romance. They were grabbing at each others talons and when they did get a hold they spun around a couple of turns before letting go. Sort of stuff you see in David Attenborough type nature doco's. Just as they let go they passed under the rotors.
Scarey stuff but they seemed to be very preoccupied.;)