Bliss .....

[Heliport]

One of our contributors (StevieTerrier) describes what he finds the most satisfying aspect of his work as: Flying a 206 / 500 for weekdays and an IFR twin mega Corporate Cruiser for weekends, high days and holidays. Fully coupled, flight-directed, mash the buttons and sit back safely at 5,000' on my way to Cheltenham, Ascot or wherever my rich customers please."

Is this your idea of what flying a helicopter for a living is all about?

If not .....

* What's your idea of fun in a helicopter

* Straight and level on autopilot at 5000', or something a little more challenging?

* Looking at the flying you've done in your career to date, what have you found to be the most rewarding/interesting/satisfying aspects of the job?



If security considerations allow, it would be great to get some input from mil pilots.

[RW-1]

I'm still new to the playing field, everything I'm learning now is fun for me at this point. So I'll take the questions towards my mil time and ops I've done and hope to in the future. Of course I'll trade with Steve to build up T-Bine time hehe ... :)

I find low level to be really fun, whether hovering or flying at cruise, just being down where you can see stuff.

Precision hovering / confined area landings are what I consider a challenge, being able to get it into a location, safely and getting out as well. I hope to get more experience in that reguard as I want to eventually do EMS work.

Some hoisting situations I've been in have given me a fright, when you're on the hhoist you are expendable if something happens to the heli, worst thing I've had is while coming back up they got a chip light on #2, luckily they kept composure and we moved to a clearing and set me down, then moved further away and set down, they could have just hit cable cut and dunked me ...

Right now I'm pleased if my CFI says that the maneuver I performed would meet commercial/CFI standards, meaning I really can learn this stuff! :)


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Marc

[This message has been edited by RW-1 (edited 31 May 2001).]

[CTD]

* What do you find the most rewarding/interesting/satisfying aspect of the job?

I found precision longline to be the most rewarding thing I've ever done. There was always a great feeling at the end of the day to see what you had built, be it a tower, bridge, diamond drill, or what have you.

In addition, it just HAS to be the most interesting thing in the world to learn about so many different industries. One job you're moving heavy equipment for a mining outfit, then you're putting an antenna on a tower for a phone company, working with Hydro crews on a broken power line, catching poachers on a salmon river for Fisheries, flying gold bars from a remote mine for Brinks, banding geese or darting caribou for the Wildlife Dept, Polar Bear surveys in the Arctic, fighting a forest fire, moving UN crews from a desert base in Somalia......how many industries could be that interesting?

The other part of the business that I loved was the places we got to see and work in. My career has brought me all across Canada, including the High Arctic (my personal favorite as most beautiful place on the planet), Asia, Africa, and the US.

What better way to see these places than by actually working with a helicopter? Sure, the Jet Jockeys get to see all the hotels and airports, but they don't SEE the country like we do. For example, during my stint in Cambodia, I visited virtually every village in the country and flew over every square foot. Tell me another career where you can do that?

And still we bitch and complain.....at least I do :rolleyes:

[This message has been edited by CTD (edited 31 May 2001).]

[Flight Safety]

I read an interesting article in Smithsonian Air and Space a few months ago about helo pilots who flew power line repair jobs.

They hover next to the power line and "ground" the helo to the power line being worked on (making it electrically neutral), and maneuver a repair technician (on a platform between the skids) next to the power line (or tower) that needs repair. Then they have to hold a hover right next to the power line until the repair is completed.

BTW, the repair technician has to wear special clothing because of the intensity of the electric field he is working in. And yes, the cost justification for this type of work is that you don't have to shut down the power grid while the work is being performed.

Does anyone here do this kind of flying? It has absolutely no appeal for me.

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Safe flying to you...

[This message has been edited by Flight Safety (edited 31 May 2001).]

[CTD]

My former employer, CHL, does a similar thing in Canada but not with a platform. They use an integrated tool system where the aircraft has a tool attachment on one side (basically a giant hook) and a counterweight on the other. They call it Helinas. The attachment hooks on to a man-carrier, a tool basket, or a trolley. The TwinStar hovers next to the appropriate basket or tool and slides in to hook up, then carries the load up to the powerline where it places the load on the wire.

Very slick system, and the guys who fly it are serious pros.

[oldbeefer]

Belize, Puma, Radalt set to 50ft and if the light went out at 140kts, we were too high! (but there was only one power cable in Belize!!!). I don't do it anymore - really.....

[teeteringhead]

Yes oldbeefs, but that was day/VMC n'est ce pas? Surely the best/most demanding/most-fun-with-your trousers-on in a military helo has GOT to be on goggles.

PS. Did you ever have a yellow mini?

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tee-head

[Arm out the window]

Sorry, Teeteringhead, can't agree there.

Until they make full colour goggles that give you an unrestricted field of view, they won't provide a patch on the visual splendours you see when nipping around among the hills and trees at low level.

I find the two fuzzy green dunny rolls detract greatly from the sense of being 'right there' amongst it all, unfortunately.

As for favourite places, where to start?
Playing around in the snow;

flying over a cliff edge at low level and getting the 'drop off' view as you go over the lip;

shutting down on a coral beach for a couple of hours during a lull in a task;

in PNG with 100 ft on the radalt and 10 000 on the altimeter;

roaring around at low level practising quickstops into pads;

aaahhh....rotary wing.

[Hoist-to-Crew]

Mountain Flying. Flying both by feel and instruments. The actual challenge to get to the area that you want to be without getting killed and then hovering/winching and getting out again.

To operate in such a rapidly changing environment - definately the best poling that you can get for a helo. Definately more piloty than pucnh the auto-pilot and go.

[offshoreigor]

Come on guys, let's be serious here.

The best flying for most of us is when we break six figures in a year!

Cheers, OffshoreIgor http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/eek.gif

PS: 212 at 16000' DA on a Volcano Edge has to at least get some mention.

[Puch]

After more than 3000 hours, I really appreciate flying with all modes engaged such as ALT, AIRSPEED, NAV or HDG.

From my experience, the most demanding situations where the night hovering over fishing boats for rescue. It is really a special job, scarring, frightening, impresive. But, while the job was done, it was a huge sense of relief to climb a bit, let say 500 ft and engage the AP back to the station.

[Thomas coupling]

My most enjoyable experience lasted 30 minutes, in the front seat of a USM supercobra doing a live rocket strike on scrap italian tanks in decci momanau (spelling). 50' / 120kts / 3G turns!

Nowadays HEMS ops gives me a buzzzzzz.

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Thermal runaway.

[oldbeefer]

Hi teeteringhead. Yellow Mini? Certainly did, Stanley, but I've swopped it for a '69 Bonnie! [email protected]

[Redbeard]

Guys...
try landing on a small fregat..small helispot.. moving in rough sea's.. no auto hook like the yanks. to pull you safely down, no stabilized horizon bar etc.. just seat of the pants flying in the dark atlantic nights..
pfff those guys above you flying transallantic FL 350 heheh who is flying http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/cool.gif

[HeliAviator]

Guys come on, no really come on! The best is: (take your pick)

1. Low flying 50ft / 140 kts.
2. Low flying at night on NVG, 250 ft / 130 kts
3. Operating of a rolling deck at night.
4. Lifting 8 tonne as a single or tripe usl.
5. Fighter evasion.
6. Proceedural IF (if you must!)

Just a few of the every-day tasks of a Chinook crew.

The Badger

[Up & Away]

'Variety' is the key to maintain the thrill in flying. As for me now after ten types of Helicopter and eight types of Planks I can say that each had their moments of excitement (and demanding flying). Enjoy all you've got now, but be prepared to move on. The best job is one with alot of variety / chance for change because there is alot to enjoy up there.

[1S1]

Gee, I must be a boring pilot. I seriously need to get some more experience. And I thought wet stretcher winching and autohover was challenging and exciting

[helidrvr]

After a life time of doing almost everything with helicopters that helicopters do, it is indeed a singular experience to suddenly find yourself able to take off into a 500' ceiling, punch the button at 300' and then stay on autopilot until you're level at 50' over the runway centerline once again. It is such a totally different type of cockpit management and believe me, you won't get bored.

After all these years of flying them, what has become clear to me more than anything else though is this:

The most thrilling thing I have ever done in a helicopter is strap in for the first flight of the day knowing that I will once again get to experience the feeling of being master of the most amazing flying machine ever invented .... and not yey knowing what the flight is going to be like. It's those first two or three minutes that continue to give me the greatest thrill of all.

Cheers

[Hoverman]

helidrvr
"After a life time of doing almost everything with helicopters that helicopters do ..........."
That makes quite a difference! :)

[Mark Six]

Any Aussie Wessex drivers remember this-six aircraft formations at night over water (100 feet ASL?),no lights other than cyalume sticks strapped to the oleos and tail. Almost as scary as Mike Lehan's 12 ship calender photo shoots!

[John Eacott]

M6,
No, but remember Dave Warren's mid air with a couple of Wessex swapping blades? And getting away with it....

Mike is alive and well down the road in sunny Melbourne, as a finance adviser :)

[Vortex what...ouch!]

Yep, starting the ac up then lifting into the hover for the first flight of the day....
You can't beat that with anything.



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http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/aircraft/PlaneHeli.gifThe idea of not being able to stop before I land is scarey.

[RW-1]

Helidrvr,

You do sum it up nicely, I think it's amazing one can punch into IMC and back, and ditto you first flight feelings, but I liken it to every time I lift off.

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Marc

[jockspice]

Must agree with HeliAviator of the flying chacons! :)

Low flying, day and night, fighter evasion and NVG decks to a frigate are all a demanding, necessary skills, yet loads of fun and we get paid for it too!!!!
The debate for more dosh in the civvy world with mind numbing flying does not hold water at this time of my life - maybe when I grow up..............no, b*gger that!

A bit more of a sense of satisfaction too - moving a coy of soaking bootnecks in pants weather by yourself (cos the crabs have refused http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/tongue.gif ) after they have spent a fortnight being rained on - the grins on their faces (and the beers later) made the 5 hours in the seat worthwhile!!


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Fear God, honour the King!

[trimpot]

Goggles are good, boat winching is good, night over-water autohover is good, but when the medics at the pick-up point say the patient is going to die and then the medics at drop-off point say the patient is going to live, well that feels pretty damn good.

[John Eacott]

Jockspice,

Did you mention flying chacons?
http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/gallery/seaking/826_Sea_King_142_with_chacon_underslung_air_to_air_over_Looe _Bar_Cornwall.jpg
;)

Shame about the claim to being a snowboarder, our skiing season starts tomorrow. Do say Hi to JAY in the simulator, if you're passing.

[jockspice]

John

Like the pic!!! Flying chacon was our pet name for the Crab chinooks in Boz cos you can cram everything into it and ignore it for months. ;)

Down at the sim next week, I'll say hello for you :)

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Fear God, honour the King!

[SASless]

Jockspice,

At an airshow one weekend...showing my sister and her son around. The little one...standing and gawking at a Chinook (my favorite helicopter)...stated with some sincerity..."Mom when I grow up, I want to be a helicopter pilot."

My sister's response was immediate and also said with some sincerity..."Son, you can't do both!"

[ShyTorque]

SASless,

You really have been trawling deep to drag up a thread from 2001! ;)

No horizon, no moon, off shore SAR, instrument auto transition down to a 50 ft radalt hover over the sea.

(Did it many times but it still gives me the shivers :uhoh: )

Night air-to-air refuelling the MH-60 from a C-130, lights out on NVG, definitely wins the thrill stakes and job satisfaction prize though. :ok:

[SASless]

SASless,

You really have been trawling deep to drag up a thread from 2001!

Shy...you seem to have lost me on that comment...in that Heliport started this thread in 2001....not I.

[diginagain]

Just as jockspice has put it earlier; for me it must be the odd occasion I've pulled a bunch of blokes out of a bog they'd been in for a couple of days - wet, cold, stinking, half-starved. The cheering could be heard over the noise, and as for the beers in the Mess afterwards.....

[ShyTorque]

Perhaps we are separated by our (un)common language? I merely noticed that the date alongside the last post, prior to yours today, was posted on 8th June 2001!

[Heliport]

ShyTorque

I found the thread while spending a few hours merging threads to increase our database.

The forum was a fraction of its present size in those days so there weren't many responses - thought I'd bring it back to the top.


H.

[ShyTorque]

Gotcha! So you are the trawlerman, not SASless.... It wasn't obvious to a mere punter like me that it had been officially moderated to the top of the deck! :ok:

[Rotortiger]

Most scary: trying to hover over a sinking fishing boat 100 miles into the Atlantic at night in a storm.:sad:
Most fun: chasing stolen sports cars:E
Most rewarding: safely delivering the casualties having had to hover taxi (at night) up a river estuary to reach the hospital landing site.:ok:
Most stupid: overfueling my machine and then joining a fifty ship formation without enough power to hover! (let alone keep up in the turns):ugh:

[homealone]

Most scary: Discovering my crewman wasn’t quite as good at hands on flying as I thought he was! Or finding myself on the approach line of 4 fast jets heading for the Fearless in San Carlos Water.
Most fun: Low level in a MK9 lynx before they limited the max speed (But I was just a TA pilot by that time)
Most rewarding: Finally being told my hover skills were good enough to put the dope-on-a-rope out of the aircraft.
Most stupid: Not taking that refuel when I had the chance.

[Triple Matched TQ]

..........lower the body.

......ping........ no echoes .........prepare to jump


day/night vmc/imc


40` or 120`:ok:

[Ascend Charlie]

Scooting along the beach at Byron Bay and having to pull up to let each wave pass under me. And then the joy of "surfing" the wave next to a pod of dolphins having a good time.

Chasing a stolen RX-7, watch it roll over and start to burn. Cops arrive. Doors open and baddies start to abandon burning car, cops push them back inside... for a brief moment until more cops arrive to control them.

[verticalhold]

The total surprise I still feel every time I hit the bottom of an instrument approach and find the runway lights in front of me. After 20 years that moment still amazes me. The other time is solo, positioning back to base high level, late evening into night. Absolutely marvelous.:ok:

[Vfrpilotpb]

The total and unbelievable thrill of flying any Helicopter to any destination whenever I can on my little PPL(H) gives me a smile that lasts for days. and I never do anything trickey!!;)

PeterR-B
Vfr :ok:

[rudestuff]

hovering around the carribbean at 5ft, 30 miles offshore, with some dude hanging out the side with some kind of metal detector (Treasure hunters i think). In a Robinson.