View Full Version : Darwin flying an R44...
Nige321
14th Dec 2016, 08:14
I'm not sure how many will be able to see this, I've tried to find the original video but can only see it on Facebook...:uhoh:
https://www.facebook.com/100009164475697/videos/1712767739038692/
finalchecksplease
14th Dec 2016, 08:30
Saves wearing out the ground wheels, what could possibly go wrong ... :ugh::ugh::ugh:
Hughes500
14th Dec 2016, 12:31
I think the expression everyone is looking for is knob jockey !
aa777888
14th Dec 2016, 15:41
Oh, come on, Larry Hagman flew out of a hangar in Deadly Encounter, and everybody loves that movie! ;)
njuaxuSs-Kk
RINKER
14th Dec 2016, 18:50
Hope he checked hangar for FOD.
Funny looking at guy observing,like he was checking rotor clearance.
HA. If it had hit the roof he would have been eating schrapnel. !
For sure what could possibly go wrong.
Nige321
14th Dec 2016, 19:05
It's PR-TRR - Brazil if that helps/explains anything!
henra
14th Dec 2016, 19:08
For sure what could possibly go wrong.
Paaaah! There was easily 3 ft remaining clearance :E
Really no idea what could possibly go wrong:}.
I'm feeling with the other R-44 owners. Chances are at some point in the future they will have to pay for one more written off R-44 via their insurance fees.
Octane
14th Dec 2016, 21:21
I realize that was an incredibly stupid stunt to do but would it require extraordinary skill to pull it off?
fijdor
14th Dec 2016, 21:36
Can't say myself but it was told somewhere else that it was a R66. (not really important in this case)
JD
Squeaks
14th Dec 2016, 22:50
It looks like an R44 to me?
oGhMKT7lWjU
https://www.youtube.com/edit?video_id=oGhMKT7lWjU
CYHeli
14th Dec 2016, 23:27
Good flying but poor judgement?
I think the spotter is watching the painted pole on this left side of the frame.
Poor planning if they didn't have the wheels with them.
krypton_john
15th Dec 2016, 18:36
It's a great way to blow all the leaves and spider webs out of the shed. It would have taken hours to sweep that thing out but only a couple of minutes with the Robbie and she's good as gold!
Turco
15th Dec 2016, 23:36
As a young engineer in the late 80's, making the transition from the fixed wing to rotary world, I was sent on a field trip to a remote sheep station in QLD to assist with a 100 hour inspection on an R22.
Arriving on site before the R22, I was shown a big empty, open ended shed where we would perform the maintenance, I quickly noticed the step left by the contreate slab floor and went about looking for ground handling wheels and something to make a ramp from.....They wont be required, My senior engineer said, and with that the sound of an approaching R22 could be heard.
The Robbie then appeared at the back end of the shed and proceeded to enter with a hover taxi, Dust and S*#t going everywhere, taking cover behind the shed wall until the machine was in place and shut down without consequence.
At the completion of the job, A ground run and T/R balance was carried out inside the shed, I then asked the foolish question...How are we going to get it out? The answer was "the same way as we got it in"
This time there was a Ford F350 parked at the back of the hangar, Intrigued and suitably impressed by these rotary wing aircraft over what I was used to, I sat in the F350, free from the dust to watch the departure.
A hover taxi was commenced, but as the aircraft approached the exit I thought S*#t! this is going to be close! with that the advancing blade stuck to centre roof support, The aircraft rolled on its side, flung into the ground and was destroyed in seconds.
The pilot sustained only minor injuries but still today I clearly remember the first words out of his mouth...." Do you think you can fix it?"
tartare
16th Dec 2016, 00:15
Good yarn Turco.
Flying Binghi
16th Dec 2016, 04:19
...would it require extraordinary skill to pull it off?
Nope. First measure shed clearance and heli height. then if sufficient space just hover within a foot of the ground and focus on maintaining that foot or less and stay clear of the shed sides. No need to look above. Any idiot can do it..:hmm:
.
Octane
16th Dec 2016, 05:55
"Any idiot can do it", except the guy in Turco's story haha! Maybe you have to be a skilful idiot?!
Thomas coupling
16th Dec 2016, 08:10
Another one for the Darwin Award, methinks.
A beautiful example of what is wrong with humankind, really. One person comes up with a scatty idea, another person encourages or supports that theory, less authoritative observers nearby toe the line to be accepted by the rest of the 'herd' and voila a hand grenade goes off and kills everyone. Lemming state and all that.
The only goodness that would come of that, of course is the removal of another Robbo, I suppose. :D
I don't know what you're all moaning about...
...you could get a bus in there!
:E
But if you touch the walls or ceiling with a bus, it won't end up in a zillion pieces:)
As said earlier 'any idiot can do it' you just have to find the right idiot with no sense of self-preservation to give it a go!
Dave B
16th Dec 2016, 15:41
1963, RAF Odiham, the snow was very thick, and had built up in drifts outside the hangers. Helicopters were requested to fly to the west country to help with farm animal feeding. Because it was impossible to tow aircraft out over the snowdrifts, a Whirlwind Mk10 was started in the hanger and air taxied out. I believe the pilot was the squadron CO, but the name escapes me after all these years.
Those hangers were pretty big though.