Sleeping in a helicopter
Joined: May 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 18,633
Likes: 1,072
From: Downeast
Landed a Jetranger in the wilds of Mt. Rainier National Park....fire guys took a wander off to check some lightning strikes. Combination of altitude, boredom, warm sunshine, cool air, beautiful scenery.....fire fighters returning commented to themselves about how there could be a motorized vehicle in the park in that location. Twas I making like a chainsaw....head back....snoring to beat the band! I am embarrassed to know how far away they heard me....but good for a laugh over beer.
Avoid imitations
Joined: Nov 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 15,110
Likes: 1,083
From: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Sleeping in helicopters?
I know of a pilot and crewman who both slept in a Puma, in Belize in the early 1980s.
They were wakened from their peaceful slumber that evening by one of the regular passengers, a Women's Royal Vouluntary Service lady.
She shook the pilot's left arm and told him it was time to land as they had gone past the airport ....
We split that particularly long shift after that and used two crews as it wasn't the first time someone fell asleep on the way back.
I know of a pilot and crewman who both slept in a Puma, in Belize in the early 1980s.
They were wakened from their peaceful slumber that evening by one of the regular passengers, a Women's Royal Vouluntary Service lady.
She shook the pilot's left arm and told him it was time to land as they had gone past the airport ....
We split that particularly long shift after that and used two crews as it wasn't the first time someone fell asleep on the way back.
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 440
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From: Port Townsend,WA. USA
I was sleeping in the back seat of a jetranger on our usual morning flight to a survey site, about 6am. The pilot put the ship into some scary maneuver and everybody screamed to wake me up. Then they all laughed of course. I figured since they were looking at me it must have been a stunt so I went back to sleep.
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 267
Likes: 0
From: Queensland Australia
There was the story going round a couple of years ago bout a musterer in a Bell 47 somewhere in the OZ outback who was ferrying back to the homestead after a very long hard day chasing cattle.
Felt a bump and woke up to realize he was flying at a very low altitude and was now minus a pair of skids. Just had the cross tubes remaining.
He radioed the homestead and they set up four 44 gallon drums and he set down on them.
Of course it's probably all rumour
Felt a bump and woke up to realize he was flying at a very low altitude and was now minus a pair of skids. Just had the cross tubes remaining.
He radioed the homestead and they set up four 44 gallon drums and he set down on them.
Of course it's probably all rumour
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 230
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From: Murica.
Slept many hours in the 44..as the Antillean half-hour easily stretches to 3-5hrs. Across the front seats ok in a pinch, backseats not possible due to the VCR mounted in the middle and lack of cushion in the right seat.
Much better to sleep under the helicopter, and worry about strange bugs. Have to constantly move the feet into the shade as the shadow from the tailboom moves. Ahh...to have a bigger helicopter...
Much better to sleep under the helicopter, and worry about strange bugs. Have to constantly move the feet into the shade as the shadow from the tailboom moves. Ahh...to have a bigger helicopter...
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 13
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From: Leicestershire
Spent quite a few nights sleeping in Gazelles on various exercises in Germany.
Used to fold the seats down into the 'casevac' role and use the cushions as a mattress. You had to make sure the aircraft was parked fairly level, otherwise you tended to slip down into the luggage bay overnight.
The biggest pain was clearing the condensation before being able to fly in the morning. Happy days!
Used to fold the seats down into the 'casevac' role and use the cushions as a mattress. You had to make sure the aircraft was parked fairly level, otherwise you tended to slip down into the luggage bay overnight.
The biggest pain was clearing the condensation before being able to fly in the morning. Happy days!
sleeping in a chopper
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 755
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From: EGPT/ESVS
Had a stretcher fit in the Wessex for Mildenhall Air Show static display.
It wasn't really sleep though....more like comatose! Great parties...
Tried sleeping across the front seats of a 110 Land Rover in Belize - not to be attempted by a sane human.
EESDL if you want another night away from the missus, I'll stand in for you
It wasn't really sleep though....more like comatose! Great parties...
Tried sleeping across the front seats of a 110 Land Rover in Belize - not to be attempted by a sane human.
EESDL if you want another night away from the missus, I'll stand in for you
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 378
Likes: 26
From: Australia
Many good sleeps in back of Chinook lots of room for stretchers and mattresses and the rolling motion puts you to sleep! Slept in back of Huey in back of C-130 not very comfortable as not much room , and also one memorable experiance with myself a mate and 3 backpackers (2 english ,1 NZ) and 2 cartons of VB "Guarding" 2 Blackhawks at Broome W.A . a long time ago....
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 115
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From: Townsville Australia
The Boeing Hilton
The Back of a Chinook (aka Boeing Hilton) is very comfortable when you're out in the bush. Whilst the rest of the regiment is digging in and sleeping under plastic, you, and the rest of the crew and maintainers, are snug as a bug... etc.
Nodded off in a Black Hawk once... but then woke up and decided to hand over controls to the other pilot who was asleep. Long transits with extended range fuel tanks, long days, no radio traffic, no scenery (except the GAFA) makes for a very dangerous combination. Lady luck was looking out for us.
CB
Nodded off in a Black Hawk once... but then woke up and decided to hand over controls to the other pilot who was asleep. Long transits with extended range fuel tanks, long days, no radio traffic, no scenery (except the GAFA) makes for a very dangerous combination. Lady luck was looking out for us.
CB
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 910
Likes: 14
From: Here n there.
Slept in a 'King' in 36 deg of heat....not nice. Woke up somewhere over a big lake at 500ft in a Wessex, on goggles and I was the only one awake. It was at the end of a very long shift, interesting chat afterwards as the LM downstairs reckoned he'd managed at least 5 minutes uninterupted schlaf!
