Famous pilots

[rotorrookie]

Last winter Iceland Express organized a trip to Cobenhavn on Iron Maiden concert and it was Bruce Dikinsson that flew the full plane of Maiden fans from Iceland to Denmark. Rumor said that he did sing "Aces High” on the intercom, how cool is that

[Winnie]

Apparently, David Gilmoure from Pink Floyd has quite a collection, and he flies as well!

When I was in Gander, Elton John quite frequently visited for fuel, but i doubt he flew himself...

[Flying Lawyer]

I don't know about Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd (I thought he was a fixed-wing man) but Nick Mason is a helicopter pilot. He keeps/kept(?) a helicopter at Denham.

[MD900 Explorer]

Heard a rumour Chris Evans is doing his PPL/H at the mo?

Regards

MD

[MPR]

A few of the names mentioned have a long history of rotary flight.....

Dave Gilmour = R22 G-BROX 1989-95, B206 G-PERZ 1997-2000 & possibly involved in B206 G-IOIO 1996-2002.

Nick Mason = B206 G-IOIO & AS350 G-OOIO.

Jim Corr R44 = G-SWAT

Dr J.C. Palmer = F28 G-BAHU, B206's G-AWOL, G-REVS, G-BPWI, AS350 G-PROM & AS355 G-JPAL.

David Richards (BAR & Prodrive) has had G-RALY (with Ari Vatanen), G-RALI, G-ITUP, G-BLKO, G-KSBF, G-PROD, G-OPRO, G-NOTA & EC135 G-IWRC is current ship.

Noel Edmonds has had a few heli's as well.... G-NOEL, G-NOEI, G-HMAN, G-GEDS, G-HLEN & G-VMCO but currently has nothing?

Would be interested to know what the Ferdinand R44 is?

[NickLappos]

Here is a comment on the meaning of fame in general. I only recognize about 1 in 20 of the "Famous" pilots listed in this thread. Is the Atlantic that wide?

[MD900 Explorer]

Isn't that Nick Lappos a famous pilot?

Read somewhere on a forum that he may just be

MD

[PENNINE BOY]

MOTOR CYCLE RACERS

Jim Moodie----------- R44

John Reynolds ---------R22

[Hughesy]

Im sure Hughesy fly's helicopters.

In fact.......yes I do

[Gomer Pylot]

Don't forget about me. I'm famous, at least in my own mind.

[Rotorbee]

Isn't that Nick Lappos a famous pilot?

Nick who? That must be one from somewhere over the pond.
Can't be famous then.

[J.A.F.O.]

Nick, I recognise less names than you and I live on the right side of the pond.

[Rotorbee]

Nick, I recognise less names than you and I live on the right side of the pond.

You should read the sun - or something similar - more often. You would be amazed how much useless information one can stuff in his brain.
By the way, if you want to talk to a woman about flying, just mention Harrison Ford and his 407.

[autosync]

I only recognize about 1 in 20 of the "Famous" pilots listed in this thread.

Is it wrong to get a kind of perverse pleasure when you meet these supposed famous people and you havn't got a breeze who they are, then watching their agitation building until they feel obliged to tell you that they were in a tabloid paper once for being a minor C list celeb?


Harrison Ford crashed his 407 somewhere in L.A I think,
He maybe able to fly a Millenium Falcon, but flying a heli is a far more difficult beat to tame.

[J.A.F.O.]

Rotorbee

I would read up on who these people are but for three things:

1. I don't give a damn.

2. I enjoy the perverse pleasure as outlined by autosync

3. I'm attempting to cultivate that High Court Judge, not heard
of anyone who became famous in the last forty years, sort of
persona; mainly for more perverse pleasure as outlined in 2.

[Lu Zuckerman]

Famous yes, but for what?

How about someone being famous for flying helicopters. Cdr. Frank Ericson. USCG.

Many of the devices used on todays helicopters were pioneered under his command at the Rotary Wing Development Unit at Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

Hoist
Pop-out-floats
Fixed floats
Rescue basket
Friction locks
Many more........

[Ian Corrigible]

Not surprisingly, there are a bunch of racing drivers who also became rotorheads. Dario Franchitti (IRL), Randy Wallace (Nascar), Bill Elliot (Nascar), Eric Smith (Nascar), Bob Bondurant (ex-GT/LM), Eddy Irvine (full-time playboy, occassional ex-F1 driver), Jonathan Palmer (ex-F1), Nigel Mansell (ex-F1), plus the late Graham Hill (F1), Gilles Villeneuve (ex-F1) and Steve Hislop (superbikes), to name but a few.

I/C

p.s. Don't mention Mark Thatcher's interest in helicopters, or you'll get him in trouble.

[Rotorbee]

1. I don't give a damn.

You are right one. Most of the "famous" who fly enjoy the fact that other pilots give a damn. In our world, they are just pilots. Period.

[Floppy Link]

they are just pilots

but sometimes they can think their "celebrity" makes them above the laws of common sense and airmanship. We were sitting in our F27 at Exeter when Mr X comes wazzing in to the apron with a massive quickstop which had the Squirrel tailskid about 2 inches from the ground, plonks it down and after shutting down, proceeded to walk to the terminal straight through the prop arc of our right engine - I was going to shout "clear prop" at him but couldn't get the darned window open fast enough in my fumbling ineptitude.
Another time on a blustery day at Wycombe I watched Dr Y do what can only be described as a downwind low level sideways quickstop to the fuel pump in his 206 - the skid clearance on the right was, once again, about 2 inches.

But hey, I'm just jealous.
- They can afford a helicopter
- I can't

I chose to go fixed wing, so it's my fault
Russell

[heloplt1]

Harrison Ford crashed his B206 and then bought a shiny new 407 which he flies today.

Greg Norman used to own a Bell 430, but went to a 407 so his insurance company didn't get heartburn with him at the controls (according to a company that services his helo on occasion).

You can't miss Norman's 407, Black shark painted on the side.