World Helicopter Championships 2008

[nrh]

Anyone going to Eisenach next month?

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q47/nericha/WHC.jpg

[md 600 driver]

yes me plus 3 in gazelle are you going ?

[nrh]

Yes md 600 driver - I'll be going as a photographer, hopefully to get some cracking pictures of the event... I was keen to make contact with a few folks before I get there and to post a few shots on pprune when I get back.

Cheers

nrh

[THM]

Will be part of the British Team as one of the judges. When you arriving in Germany MD600 ?

[md 600 driver]

THM
will be arriving later in week for a couple of days

steve

[Overdrive]

Has Dennis K decided whether or not to compete?

[MrEdd]

nrh will you post us some pic´s when you come back? Would be mighty nice to see.

[Canuck Guy]

Okay, at the risk of sounding like an idiot (first time today) what is this Championship thing about? Is it just a European event? I've never heard of it.

What sort of events are there? Things like precision long-lining or bucketing or more like races and aerobatics?

[topendtorque]

What sort of events are there? Things like precision long-lining or bucketing or more like races and aerobatics?


Fair quetion
part of answer might be that I have never noticed the subject being bucketed around these parts.

seriously, I have often thought that if there could be many more regionally based little comps based on lower difficulty levels (for maneuvres I mean) then it would be a useful adjunct to keeping skills sets up for those who don't fly much.

Provide a very useful forum for job information and tech talk as well.

The Robinson course must be commended for those reasons, but they could go futrther to include more flying bits.

[topendtorque]

There are two answers to your question;
1) Google will be your friend to find out all about it, the rules etc.
and
2) it is just the same as any gymnastics competition where you have a set sequence to perform and then freestyle.

Teams or individuals are catered for I believe. Essentially it is about precision flying and not so many way out maneuvres which are fairly well defined (limited) by the rules. Which could be good as it puts everyone on the same playing field.

I think your assumption (suggestion) that it could be opened up to some competition or commercial type activities is a good one.

[DennisK]

For Overdrive and other mates,

Nice picture of Gari Georkov winning the 12th World Champs 'freestyle' in the Mil2 at Rouen 2005. The event is at Eisenach near Leipzig from 13th to 17th August.

The British team are intent on winning and have put in some very dedicated practice over the last year, but the Russian competition is, as always more than tough. But we do have a winner. Caroline Gough-Cooper took the first ladies position at Rouen and I can see her doing that again.

Sunday 17th is set aside for the freestyle but does not count toward the team championships. The owners of LOOP aviation newspaper, are planning to sponsor my entry for the freestyle only. I'll either be flying a Schweizer 300C or possibly an Enstrom 28A model.

The freestyle is as it says and its for the pilot to produce a personal sequence that is good enough to get the most points awarded bythe judges and watch out for the penalities.

Scoring as follows. 12 Judges in total.

Degree of difficulty 0 to 70 points
Flying technique & skill 0 to 70 points
General impression 0 to 60 points


Penalty for flying outside the 500 metre square box or above 500 feet 20 points deducted for each violation.

Display routine to last exactly 240 seconds. 1 point penalty for every second over or under.

Flight over the audience. Disqualification.

Highest and lowest scores eliminated. The remaining scores count after any penalty deductions.

The previous days events are.

Precision flying.
Navigation
Slalom
Fender rigging.

It would be nice to see some UK pilots over there.

Best wishes,

Dennis Kenyon.

[heli1]

Dennis...with your unique routine as demoed recently,you should walk away the outright winner shouldn't you ?? !!
Good Luck.

[THM]

More information on the British Team and events at
British Team (http://www.britishhelicopterteam.co.uk/default.asp)

[nrh]

Will do Mr Edd,

Some more of 2005:

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q47/nericha/WHCselection2.jpg

[Overdrive]

Best of luck Dennis... and the whole team also :ok:

[DennisK]

Hi Heli1,

I should be okay as I've promised myself if the DA hits anywhere near 8,000 feet, I'll leave out the Utah manoeuvre ... but thanks for the good wishes.

Dennis Kenyon.

[rogerk]

... anyone got news ??

Did GB get anything ??

:ok::ok:

[Flying Lawyer]

The British Team came 3rd overall, behind the Russians and the Germans, and just beating the Austrians (4th) by 15 points.

Caroline Gough Cooper came 2nd in the Ladies - by only 50 points out of around 1200 - and was also the highest scoring Brit at 9th place overall.

FL

[Overdrive]

Results 13th World Helicopter Championships 2008 | FAI Rotorcraft Commission - CIG (http://www.fai.org/rotorcraft/node/89)



http://sports123.com/avi/results/owh-f-2008.html

[biggles99]

Flying Lawyer,

Caroline and her team mate, Imogen Asker, were the top placed Brits.

They've both been World Champions for 6 years - and that's pretty amazing.

Winning Silver this time in the Ladies, winning Silver in the individual "Postman" event and being top Brits, yet again, is superb.

It really is a team effort for most of the events. Even the precision flying is better done with some verbal help from the crew member.

So don't forget the Navigator and well done to both Caroline and Imogen.

Big Ls

[Flying Lawyer]

biggles99

I wasn't there.

Rogerk asked a question so I passed on what I was told by someone who was.

FL

[tecpilot]

Can someone explain me the reason and background for doing such "World Helicopter Championship"? What does the title "World Champion" mean? As i have seen there are only 7 nations involved, all from Europe. What is the reputation of this cup?

As i learned there a two groups divided into "seniors" with more than 250 flighthours and "juniors" below this experience.

They are doing some special flights like navigation, slalom and putting a load into a window.

What does a pilot qualify for this event? Why there are no pilots from the other countries?

The "Junior World Helicopter Championship" took place between only two countries with 4 crews.

The "Freestyle World Champion" was made between only 4 pilots. ;)

Dennis, you lost an easy earned "World Champion" title! Sure such a mighty title will decrease your insurance rates and personal sponsors are on the phone all the day :)

[md 600 driver]

from what i saw all i can say was that dennis performance was a lot better than the rest i cant understand how the points were worked out

[THM]

Have a look here all is explained: http://www.fai.org/rotorcraft/system/files/cig_champrules_2008.pdf

Also http://www.britishhelicopterteam.co.uk/default.asp?id=385698

[DennisK]

Ref the WHC event at Eisenach ... The September issue of LOOP will cover the event as a report. The Brit team did especially well to get a third place always bearing in mind the Ruskies are virtually unbeatable in all the tests and have been since I first took part in 1973!

My article will say that in one section, the Russians were scoring 299 points out of a maximum of 300. You can't get a lot more perfect than that!

Our two ladies did us really proud so read the LOOP article for four pages of info and pictures.

A major difficulty is the Russian team treat the event as a military task and at a guess, I'd say they spend perhaps four or five times airborne practice as is possible for a UK team.

The odd thing is that the WHC event never seems to attract the right number of countries. No Yanks, Far East, Ozmen or Afica. A few years back the Americans did come over but it seems that since any available sponsorship is minimal ... location costs become prohibitive. All a bit sad, because to see fifty or sixty different make helicopters in one place at a competitive event makes for a great helicopter occasion and watching the Russian pilots slickly manoeuvre the clunky old Mil 2s around and through the various 'gates' always makes me wonder how they fly so well.

For some reason the 'Freestyle' doesn't attract a worthwhile entry at all. Seldom more than a dozen, and just 4 at Eisenach. Why? The event is open to any pilot, anywhere in the world.

Quentin Smith and myself have been the only civvy Brits that have participated in any of the last eight events, plus the serviceman Andy Berryman (gazelle) a few years back.

The next 'worlds' are in Russia 2011. If I'm still on my perch, I'd like to have another good go ... so how about some of you guys out there with access to the right heli, thinking right now about preparing a good Brit entry. Let's make it a real World Championship event for once.

While on the site, a really big thanks for all the wellwishers following my daft episode in Utah. The fall-out was that the long time insurers were not able to offer display cover for my WHC 2008 entry, hence the last minute change of heli type.

Nevertheless, a great experience flying over what was once Russian 'Cold War' territory ... plus the huge Beers they served outside the team hotel in Eisenach!

Safe flying to all.

Dennis Kenyon.

[tecpilot]

Yeah the russians seem to be unbeatable, because they got the most chances to train this few specific exercises. If i'm not wrong this competition is first hand a question of money, support and time, but founded of course on good pilot skills. OK, not unconventional in this world ;)

Sorry to say in respect, not a fair and really open competition for me and sure the reason for the irreducible interest and participators. The FAI should stop it or improve the show. A "Helicopter Junior World Champion" in the FAI annuals out of only 4 pilots from 2 countries is crazy and not in line with the impressive FAI history and sense with hundred member countries.




Dennis, i hope you will solve your insurance trouble! All the best

[Buttocknurdler]

Dennis

In which type of heli did you compete?

[nrh]

Buttocknurdler - Enstrom as below.

Many thanks to Dennis and all the crews at Eisenach - the pictures have been used in a number of places and it was a most enjoyable few days in Germany!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all :ok:



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[robrob]

The Brit team did especially well to get a third place always bearing in mind the Ruskies are virtually unbeatable in all the tests and have been since I first took part in 1973!

The US team made up mostly of US Army helicopter pilots won the 4th (1981) and 5th (1986) FAI World Helicopter Championships. I was a member of the '81 team. The '81 team website is here: Helicopter Team (http://robrobinette.com/HelicopterTeam/index.htm)

http://robrobinette.com/HelicopterTeam/images/TeamPhotoColorSmall.jpg