Belgium Jail Break by R44

[Benet]

Also appearing on reuters.com ...

Convict escapes prison again, this time in a hijacked helicopter.

MORE INFO:
A few months ago, the same man escaped from a Spanish jail in the Girona region when taking part in a reconstitution. He was arrested recently in Belgium and was in jail waiting for extradition to Spain.

SCRIPT:

An unusual jail break in Belgium - two men hijacked a helicopter and forced the pilot to land inside the prison grounds.

After paying for a helicopter trip from an airstrip outside Brussels, the pair produced weapons and forced the pilot to fly to Lantin prison near Liege.

The pilot, Eric Mathieu, said the hijackers sounded nervous - but they threatened to blow up the helicopter if he didn't obey their orders.

The helicopter first landed on one of the walls surrounding the prison. One of the hijackers threw tear gas canisters at some 300 prisoners and guards exercising in the prison yard below.

They then touched down inside the grounds and picked up one prisoner. The hijackers ordered the pilot to fly out and land at a nearby field. The three men escaped in a car waiting for them at the field.

Police said the escapee was Erik Ferdinand, accused of forgery and the use of forged documents, thefts, and embezzlement. He escaped from a Spanish jail a few months ago.

Benet Allen, Reuters

[rotornut]

Reminds me of Charles Bronson in Breakout.

[Robbo Jock]

The guy must have some pretty dedicated friends:

After paying for a helicopter trip

the pair produced weapons

the hijackers sounded nervous - but they threatened to blow up the helicopter

threw tear gas canisters

escaped in a car waiting for them at the field

Two guys in the aircraft, possibly one more in the waiting car, weapons, tear gas, threatening to blow up the aircraft. What on Earth did he do to get that many mates prepared to possibly kill and die for him? He must be damned good at this forgery lark.

[RINKER]

Presuming the two hijackers stayed on board after they uplifted their friend the pilot did a good job getting an R44 out of a compound with four on board .Obviously depends weights, fuel ,compond size' raven 2 ? etc.
R

[Benet]

Well, I can't see him saying "sorry guys, we're overweight... who's going to get out?"

[007helicopter]

All those mates thought they would have chipped in for somthing with a bit more grunt..

[Hoveronly]

Finally proven that the Robbo is good for something!:D

[ThomasTheTankEngine]

I just read that they pulled hand grenades and hand guns out when they ordered the pilot to fly to the prison and when they left the helicopter they left one of the hand grenades inside. :eek:

[whoateallthepies]

Anyone know which company owned the helicopter?

[Helimikey]

I believe it's Crown Helicopters in Sint Truiden Belgium.

[Helimikey]

Just heard from a guy who works for that company that they where 4 when the took of from their base and full fuel. So that means they took of from the prison with 5 onboard and 26°C outside that day... I believe T's & P's were not all in the green... Well done to the pilot!

[Heliplane]

Similar story where I learnt to fly helicopters in the US:

As the story was told to me, the student progressed to a solo stage and then on or shortly after his first solo, flew into the grounds of a prison to pick up a mate.

I gather that a number of others (likely unaware of an R22s limitations) tried to pile on board and caused some damage in doing so! :ugh:

The "pilot" managed to get over the prison walls, but not much further. All occupants (not sure how many at this stage) were apprehended shortly thereafter outside the prison and now comfortably reside on the inside!

[alouette]

Maybe the escapee is connected to some governments, and they urgently needed him to draw up some more phony proposals:E

This would explain the use of hand grenades, tear gas, etc...:}

[Pekka]

Two men hijacked a helicopter and forced the pilot to land in a prison courtyard where they picked up a French prisoner in a dramatic jailbreak, the pilot told Belgian television.

The accomplices paid for a helicopter ride at an airstrip near the eastern city of Sint-Truiden, saying they were tourists from Marseilles in southern France, pilot Eric Mathieu told the RTL-TVI network.

After take-off they produced a pistol and hand-grenade, ordering Mathieu to fly to Lantin prison outside nearby Liege.

"They pointed a revolver at my forehead,'' Mathieu told RTBF television.

"The prison yard was so small, at first I refused to land there, but they threatened to kill me, so I had to do it.''

Mathieu said he touched down while about 200 prisoners were exercising in the yard. One climbed on board while his accomplices threw tear gas canisters into the crowd.

The helicopter then landed less than a kilometre from the prison, where the prisoner and his accomplices drove away in a waiting car.

RTL-TVI identified the fugitive as Frenchman Eric Ferdinand, who was in pre-trial detention on charges of fraud and theft.

RTBF said he had previously escaped from prisons in France and Spain.

Nice work Mr. Mathieu:D

[Flying Lawyer]

As far as I know, there has only been one helicopter escape in the UK - 20 years ago.

A hijacked B206 was used to spring two prisoners from Gartree prison. It was a high security prison in those days - but the powers that be hadn't anticipated a helicopter.

http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/assets/images/100000B3gartree.jpg

Two prisoners escaped - John Kendall, serving 10 years for organising a series of commercial burglaries and another serving life for murder. (Both were recaptured within weeks.)

I represented one of Kendall's 'team' and remember the trial well for a couple of reasons - one of them being that they had a long run taking truck loads of high value goods (booze and tobacco) from cash & carry warehouses in night time burglaries all over the South East using such a simple almost comical method that worked every time. (They were caught when an underworld informant tipped off the police.)

I've been told the pilot was Uncle Ian of 'Age Discrimination' fame.

Uncle Ian? If it was you, tell us the tale.

[Heliport]

Helicopter escapes are much more common in France. Link (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=201789)

[Newforest]

I've been told the pilot was Uncle Ian of 'Age Discrimination' fame.

Uncle Ian? If it was you, tell us the tale.

Yes, it was, maybe he hasn't seen this thread!