Merlin makes a splash at Wyvern Tor
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Merlin makes a splash at Wyvern Tor
I guess the downwash from a Merlin is rather more than a Sea King then.
Helicopter takes out portable toilets at Devon Ten Tors event - BBC News
Helicopter takes out portable toilets at Devon Ten Tors event - BBC News
That is pretty poor operating by both front and rear crew - I assume that the Royal Navy conduct a 5-S recce, especially considering what they were carrying? I think the lady 'tittering' in the commentary sums it up!
Mind you, I suppose it is no different to losing your cabin door, or stuffing the nose wheel in and tootling off into the sunset................
Mind you, I suppose it is no different to losing your cabin door, or stuffing the nose wheel in and tootling off into the sunset................
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At least at that height, the sh*t shouldn't hit the fan. 
I remember doing a bridge lifting demo for the pongoes with our then new Chinook, as I was a keen photographer I was asked to video the event, never having used one before I set up and awaited its arrival in front of the stands,.
Despite pumping water on the sandy soil for days it didn't help and a veritable sand storm erupted with me inside it, the language I used was pretty fruity and I called the captain C...... T......... all the names under the sun, it was only when we got back and they played the tape to see my results that I realised it had sound!
I remember doing a bridge lifting demo for the pongoes with our then new Chinook, as I was a keen photographer I was asked to video the event, never having used one before I set up and awaited its arrival in front of the stands,.
Despite pumping water on the sandy soil for days it didn't help and a veritable sand storm erupted with me inside it, the language I used was pretty fruity and I called the captain C...... T......... all the names under the sun, it was only when we got back and they played the tape to see my results that I realised it had sound!
And reminds me of the day a Sea King, due to have some Mods rapidly fitted prior to a rather urgent trip "Down South" with the Task Force in 1982, was not shut down on the airfield at Lee-on-Solent prior to a tow to the hangar, but was authorised by ATC to hover-taxi from the active runway to the hangar hardstanding to speed up the process. This evolution entailed the SK threading itself through a narrow gap between two large blocks of cars parked on the airfield due to emergency car parking restrictions being in force on the base at the time. The brightly painted 55 gal drums used to denote the limits of said car park areas took this breezy opportunity to depart in various directions, at various altitudes and at various velocities. Once the inevitable carnage was complete, being the newest junior Erk on the Section, I was swiftly volunteered by everyone else to deliver the Fleet Chief's (now WO1's) front number plate to him! His intense annoyance at being interrupted by a mere minion was swiftly replaced by utter anguish when I explained that the number plate I had in my hand had been removed from the front of his car by a flying 55 gal oil drum working on the principle of an airborne scythe! Yes, it is true, WO's do cry!!!!!!!
Last edited by Hot 'n' High; 7th May 2016 at 15:10.
Participated in a similar event at the RAF Buchan families day in 1986 when, en-route back to ABZ from some rig or other we were asked by Aberdeen Approach if we could do a flyby for them at the CO's request. My Capt had displayed the Chinook before and agreed readily.
I had to call knock it off as we came to a quickstop v. high hover and the dunnies went over and away all in a row, followed by the ice-cream van's awning, hats, clothing, rugs and entire picnics followed in a blizzard of dust and debris. I swear I saw daylight under Mr Whippy's tyres...
The ensuing call from the CO as we were slinking out of the Ops room half an hour later was, astonishingly, not a furious b@llocking but effusive praise and thanks. We had to wonder if he had actually attended the event!
I had to call knock it off as we came to a quickstop v. high hover and the dunnies went over and away all in a row, followed by the ice-cream van's awning, hats, clothing, rugs and entire picnics followed in a blizzard of dust and debris. I swear I saw daylight under Mr Whippy's tyres...
The ensuing call from the CO as we were slinking out of the Ops room half an hour later was, astonishingly, not a furious b@llocking but effusive praise and thanks. We had to wonder if he had actually attended the event!
In the early days of the Sea King the prevailing SOP was a hover taxi at Culdrose to the runway, usually past the sloping ground alongside the bomb dump.
The first anyone knew of the Hiller 12E being rolled up into component parts down the slope by a passing Sea King was some time later when the very upset Midshipman student wandered across the field. Ground taxiing became the new requirement from then on.
Similarly the arrival of the first Aircrane on Helitack duties outside my hangar at Essendon neatly tipped a parked Cessna onto its wing; it was such a regular occurrence that the crew almost had a pro forma for dealing with the irate owner.
So I wouldn't be pointing too many fingers at the Merlin crew; it goes with the territory.
The first anyone knew of the Hiller 12E being rolled up into component parts down the slope by a passing Sea King was some time later when the very upset Midshipman student wandered across the field. Ground taxiing became the new requirement from then on.
Similarly the arrival of the first Aircrane on Helitack duties outside my hangar at Essendon neatly tipped a parked Cessna onto its wing; it was such a regular occurrence that the crew almost had a pro forma for dealing with the irate owner.
So I wouldn't be pointing too many fingers at the Merlin crew; it goes with the territory.
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The Cessna reminds me, when I became a civilian we had a French person on route to Paris who due to weather (fog) was diverted to Le Touquet...
Anyway by the time the fog subsided the said Frenchman found himself lost, over Kent and out of fuel, a perfect landing was carried out in a plowed field that was to small to fly out of, so a plan was hatched to airlift the undamaged aircraft to another field and the USAF offered a CH-53 to do the lift... The resulting damage due to downdraught to the now flipped aircraft was a broken back, crushed fin and wing and engine damage courtesy of the USAF
We stripped it, bought a complete rear fuselage chopped off another aircraft in the States and grafted it on, the engine was overhauled and various repairs carried out before the Frenchman was able to continue his journey several months later
Anyway by the time the fog subsided the said Frenchman found himself lost, over Kent and out of fuel, a perfect landing was carried out in a plowed field that was to small to fly out of, so a plan was hatched to airlift the undamaged aircraft to another field and the USAF offered a CH-53 to do the lift... The resulting damage due to downdraught to the now flipped aircraft was a broken back, crushed fin and wing and engine damage courtesy of the USAF
We stripped it, bought a complete rear fuselage chopped off another aircraft in the States and grafted it on, the engine was overhauled and various repairs carried out before the Frenchman was able to continue his journey several months later
Thought police antagonist
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Early 80's after the Open golf at Birkdale.....an AF Concorde arrives at MAN to collect golfs elite and thus home to America.
Said Concorde is parked at the end of pier B and those travelling.... and the usual hangers on.... were permitted to stroll down the ramp as it were rather than inside the pier.
Thus, many expensive hair styles ( male and female ) along with equally expensive clothing on display.
Alas, nobody it seemed had thought to tell the well wishers who assembled at the end of the pier of the fact that 4 x Olympus generate a fair amount of efflux when taxiing away from the pier.
The returning throng, in addition to being sandblasted by the dust, gave a credible impression of the term "dragged though a hedge backwards ".
Said Concorde is parked at the end of pier B and those travelling.... and the usual hangers on.... were permitted to stroll down the ramp as it were rather than inside the pier.
Thus, many expensive hair styles ( male and female ) along with equally expensive clothing on display.
Alas, nobody it seemed had thought to tell the well wishers who assembled at the end of the pier of the fact that 4 x Olympus generate a fair amount of efflux when taxiing away from the pier.
The returning throng, in addition to being sandblasted by the dust, gave a credible impression of the term "dragged though a hedge backwards ".
USAF offered a CH-53 to do the lift... The resulting damage due to downdraught to the now flipped aircraft was a broken back, crushed fin and wing and engine damage courtesy of the USAF
George Blackie (Mr Tactful) to pilot: "Don't they teach you f@@@@@s that downwash goes downwind then?"
CG
Chinook and the dog kennel....
How many remember a dim and distant day when British Airways Helicopters got their first Chinook for offshore work? On the way to Aberdeen it dropped into the BAH base at Beccles for all to admire. On departure, the Captain did a low run past the office and departure lounge to impress all and sundry.
As you'll know, the Wokka delivers a huge down draft. No body noticed this until it passed the end of the block. Here was a kennel containing Rover the security and drug dog. The wind picked up both the kennel and dog, and blew them across the car park, bouncing off various vehicles left by the bears going offshore. The kennel was trashed, the dog had a very bad trip and several cars got scratched and dented.
The best part for me was sitting in the office when my boss had to call up a gentleman offshore to report the damage to his car. The call went something like: ' Mr Smith, your car just got trashed by a low flying dog kennel.....'
Cue gales of laughter from the staff, and a shocked silence from offshore measured in micro-seconds before a roar came back. He was sore displeased, and thought we were all taking the p*** - it didn't help that this sad event just happened to occur on 1st April....
As you'll know, the Wokka delivers a huge down draft. No body noticed this until it passed the end of the block. Here was a kennel containing Rover the security and drug dog. The wind picked up both the kennel and dog, and blew them across the car park, bouncing off various vehicles left by the bears going offshore. The kennel was trashed, the dog had a very bad trip and several cars got scratched and dented.
The best part for me was sitting in the office when my boss had to call up a gentleman offshore to report the damage to his car. The call went something like: ' Mr Smith, your car just got trashed by a low flying dog kennel.....'
Cue gales of laughter from the staff, and a shocked silence from offshore measured in micro-seconds before a roar came back. He was sore displeased, and thought we were all taking the p*** - it didn't help that this sad event just happened to occur on 1st April....
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HS
Because pilots, even naval pilots, are human and humans have always made and will always make errors.
Doctors kill more people than Saddam Hussein every year by making mistakes. It's part of the job.
Every now and then helicopters blow toilets over.
Why don't you jump on a different outrage bus?
p.s. It is funny. Anything to do with poo, toilets and disaster is funny to anybody british.
Because pilots, even naval pilots, are human and humans have always made and will always make errors.
Doctors kill more people than Saddam Hussein every year by making mistakes. It's part of the job.
Every now and then helicopters blow toilets over.
Why don't you jump on a different outrage bus?
p.s. It is funny. Anything to do with poo, toilets and disaster is funny to anybody british.
Or because some RN and Ex-RN pilots (which I assume you are) don't think downwash is their responsibility or that such incidents can be avoided by using that old-fashioned skill of airmanship.
It is funny. Anything to do with poo, toilets and disaster is funny to anybody british.