Most unusual application for a helicopter?
Joined: May 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 18,633
Likes: 1,072
From: Downeast
Back in 2009, Northwest Helicopters of Olympia WA, had a NASA Contract which required execution of a 4,100 Foot Long Class C External Load (One in which the Longline remains in contact with the Ground).
NASA wanted to test the Concept of a Robot climbing its way into Space or some such silly notion. Good for Northwest but expensive for the Taxpayer.
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NASA wanted to test the Concept of a Robot climbing its way into Space or some such silly notion. Good for Northwest but expensive for the Taxpayer.
Latest News
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 128
Likes: 7
From: Melbourne, Australia
1. Lowering a VHS tape of the royal (Charles/Diana) wedding to the QE2 as she came up the South West approaches so that the pax didn't miss out on the national p*ss up.
2. Using a home-made sky-shout to scare yachties away from a live torpedo firing range. The fall-back position if they ignored us was to get the submarine to surface next to them ... hysterical to observe the increased levels of interest at that point!
3. Blowing sand in the eyes of Miss Grace Jones, shortly after she'd punched Russel Harty. (The mine/bomb sequence in A View To A Kill ... didn't mean to, honest)
4. Dropping the NASA/ESA Huygens probe for parachute inflation tests. Had to knock on the door of a couple of Oxfordshire houses to ask for it back when the wind got up a bit. Five years later it broke through clouds and took the most stunning pictures of the surface of Titan. I hereby claim to be the only helicopter pilot to have participated in filming another body in the solar system (but I'm certain somebody on here is going to knock me off that perch?)
2. Using a home-made sky-shout to scare yachties away from a live torpedo firing range. The fall-back position if they ignored us was to get the submarine to surface next to them ... hysterical to observe the increased levels of interest at that point!
3. Blowing sand in the eyes of Miss Grace Jones, shortly after she'd punched Russel Harty. (The mine/bomb sequence in A View To A Kill ... didn't mean to, honest)
4. Dropping the NASA/ESA Huygens probe for parachute inflation tests. Had to knock on the door of a couple of Oxfordshire houses to ask for it back when the wind got up a bit. Five years later it broke through clouds and took the most stunning pictures of the surface of Titan. I hereby claim to be the only helicopter pilot to have participated in filming another body in the solar system (but I'm certain somebody on here is going to knock me off that perch?)
Joined: Jul 2001
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL(H)
Posts: 508
Likes: 31
From: UK
Under slinging fully grown cows in a net from the bottom of the Mountains in Oman to the villages at the top. They had to arrive alive so they could then be slaughtered on site to celebrate Eid al Fitr after Ramadan. Sometimes the poor cows died of shock on the way up so go back down and get another!
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 120
Likes: 0
From: Scotland
Lunch delivery
In 1975 I and several hundred other guys were building the Ninian Central production platform at Loch Kishorn.
Just prior to float-out, most of the gangways had been removed so that access on and off the rig, although still in dry-dock was not easy. Getting to/from the canteen from your work area on the rig could take 15-20 mins each way. A fair chunk of "wasted" time on a 12 hour shift with 3 breaks. The union put their foot down and everyone got off the rig for their main break but the tea breaks were covered by swinging tea urns and snacks aboard by the tower cranes. As a banksman, it was my job to get the load safely down and unhooked.
One night shift two out of four tower cranes had broken down and those still working were way too busy to deal with our grub. In order to prevent mutiny, the rig boss commanded that one of the Bell Rangers on charter from PLM picked up our grub from the canteen and slung it aboard for the hungry bears. Straight line distance less than 300 yards but probably the most expensive cuppa and bacon roll I ever had.
This photo shows the scene a few days after at float-out. We dug the biggest dry dock in the world, built the biggest oil rig in the world and at float out we had the largest hover craft (it could only float by frantically pumping compressed air into the base) and the largest moving object in the world at the time. At float out, I counted 14 helicopters in the air, which might be some sort of record for non-military, non-fly-in occasions.
Just prior to float-out, most of the gangways had been removed so that access on and off the rig, although still in dry-dock was not easy. Getting to/from the canteen from your work area on the rig could take 15-20 mins each way. A fair chunk of "wasted" time on a 12 hour shift with 3 breaks. The union put their foot down and everyone got off the rig for their main break but the tea breaks were covered by swinging tea urns and snacks aboard by the tower cranes. As a banksman, it was my job to get the load safely down and unhooked.
One night shift two out of four tower cranes had broken down and those still working were way too busy to deal with our grub. In order to prevent mutiny, the rig boss commanded that one of the Bell Rangers on charter from PLM picked up our grub from the canteen and slung it aboard for the hungry bears. Straight line distance less than 300 yards but probably the most expensive cuppa and bacon roll I ever had.
This photo shows the scene a few days after at float-out. We dug the biggest dry dock in the world, built the biggest oil rig in the world and at float out we had the largest hover craft (it could only float by frantically pumping compressed air into the base) and the largest moving object in the world at the time. At float out, I counted 14 helicopters in the air, which might be some sort of record for non-military, non-fly-in occasions.
Last edited by piesupper; 26th October 2015 at 01:51. Reason: two "p"s in pumping
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 667
Likes: 0
From: Germany
My favorites
My favorites:
-blowing of snow of the roof top of a soccer stadium
-taking water samples with nothing but a helicopter, a rope and a bucket
-frost prevention, hovering overhead tomato fields
-drying a horse race track
-blowing of snow of the roof top of a soccer stadium
-taking water samples with nothing but a helicopter, a rope and a bucket
-frost prevention, hovering overhead tomato fields
-drying a horse race track
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,191
Likes: 26
From: Top of the World
pulling a injured & sick Mountaineer off Manslu between camp 4 & 5; 24,400' @ -7ºC (but only just) 
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whilst filming crossing the Nuptse pass @ 27,000' the pass below at 26,444' prevailing jetstream wind speeds of 60+knots
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whilst filming crossing the Nuptse pass @ 27,000' the pass below at 26,444' prevailing jetstream wind speeds of 60+knots
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 155
Likes: 0
From: Oregon, US
I don't think 14 is the maximum piesupper.
Remember this project?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBWHUdPQCH8
We flew a total of 22,000 hours building that line.
There were 4 Skycranes
1 BV107
4 Kmax
1 407
6 500D/Es
3 530FFs
1 520N
1 212S
6 or 7 Astars.
I think we got as many as 18-20 flying at the same time at the height of the project. They we spread out a bit over several miles. But you could usually see 2-4 in the air at any given time.
Remember this project?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBWHUdPQCH8
We flew a total of 22,000 hours building that line.
There were 4 Skycranes
1 BV107
4 Kmax
1 407
6 500D/Es
3 530FFs
1 520N
1 212S
6 or 7 Astars.
I think we got as many as 18-20 flying at the same time at the height of the project. They we spread out a bit over several miles. But you could usually see 2-4 in the air at any given time.
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
From: Melbourne, Australia
Most unusual application for a helicopter?
Followed a Bridge to Bridge water-ski race chartered by two mothers watching their sons compete, lot of fun winding along the Hawksbury River bends ... felt like we were on skis, too.
About 29 Santa Claus deliveries, all different and all hazardous with pepped-up dress-ups exiting and heaving their Santa sack up over their shoulder, threatening the rotor blades. Their over-sized gumboots a problem in the cockpit, too.
Cross-country charter New Year's Eve with my large male passenger drinking a six pack of beer, one by one tossed the empties out the window.
Joyrider (disabled heavy set young man) threw a punch at my jaw, knocking off my headset. His "carer" was seated by the window for safety but I copped the blow. Very short flight.
Filming a disabled swimmer on a marathon swim from Sydney to Wollongong; he had only one leg and one arm.
Filmed the HMAS Ovens (submarine) off the Sydney coast, surfacing for a Join the Navy brochure. Difficult to see the coast on return flight.
Gas pipeline regular inspections, low level CBD Sydney with street directory flight path on lap. Still have the street directory showing the underground pipeline location.
Parachute drops.
About 29 Santa Claus deliveries, all different and all hazardous with pepped-up dress-ups exiting and heaving their Santa sack up over their shoulder, threatening the rotor blades. Their over-sized gumboots a problem in the cockpit, too.
Cross-country charter New Year's Eve with my large male passenger drinking a six pack of beer, one by one tossed the empties out the window.
Joyrider (disabled heavy set young man) threw a punch at my jaw, knocking off my headset. His "carer" was seated by the window for safety but I copped the blow. Very short flight.
Filming a disabled swimmer on a marathon swim from Sydney to Wollongong; he had only one leg and one arm.
Filmed the HMAS Ovens (submarine) off the Sydney coast, surfacing for a Join the Navy brochure. Difficult to see the coast on return flight.
Gas pipeline regular inspections, low level CBD Sydney with street directory flight path on lap. Still have the street directory showing the underground pipeline location.
Parachute drops.
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 3,373
Likes: 2
From: Home
This is dated, but may be of interest to both the long line pilots and the H-2/H-3/H-60 dipping community.
In the late 60's early 70's the DOD folks came up with a requirement to be able to keep an H-3 in a hover at 10,000 ft for extended periods. Hence the design included a 10,000 ft long flexible refueling hose. So the idea was to lift off, haul the hose to 10,000', engage the " Hover " coupler in the AFCS, and sit there for 8-10 hrs, all the while taking on fuel from below as needed. It didn't stop with the concept. The hardware was built and flight tested, as I recall, at the Augusta Ga Airport. Pilot was Kurt Cannon. You all can imagine the challenges. I do not recall why it did not go forward, but can think of a good number of reasons.
In the late 60's early 70's the DOD folks came up with a requirement to be able to keep an H-3 in a hover at 10,000 ft for extended periods. Hence the design included a 10,000 ft long flexible refueling hose. So the idea was to lift off, haul the hose to 10,000', engage the " Hover " coupler in the AFCS, and sit there for 8-10 hrs, all the while taking on fuel from below as needed. It didn't stop with the concept. The hardware was built and flight tested, as I recall, at the Augusta Ga Airport. Pilot was Kurt Cannon. You all can imagine the challenges. I do not recall why it did not go forward, but can think of a good number of reasons.
This hose that is 10000ft long. This will surely weigh once full at least 1Kg per foot if it is to carry enough fuel to feed an H3.
An H3 can surely only lift 6000Kg ish?
Was it an extraordinarily thin hose at amazing pressure?
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 821
Likes: 1
From: no comment ;)
Mi-26 x 2
one helicopter. Camera spotted close encounter of tail and main rotor blade....
Friend of mine was on board... all ended well...
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,017
Likes: 165
From: Hobe Sound, Florida
Long Drink
Tourist, the following news article from 1969 provides some further information. The project was Long Drink, not High Drink, and it was flown at Huntsville, not Augusta.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?n...,3403415&hl=en
Might have some hose details in a few days. Glad you probed the issue: it got me to reconnect with some old friends.
Never say never in aviation, right?
John
https://news.google.com/newspapers?n...,3403415&hl=en
Might have some hose details in a few days. Glad you probed the issue: it got me to reconnect with some old friends.
Never say never in aviation, right?
John
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 843
Likes: 0
From: N/A
The Jet fuel in 3000m height of hose would make a pressure (at SpG of 0.8) of 240Bar or 24mPascal which is like 240kg/cm^2
The hose need only be 1cm^2 , making the weight of the fluid in the hose 3000m x 0.0001m x 0.8(SpG) = 240kg (a smaller diameter hose could be used, but the pressure would be the same)
Surprisingly the helicopter would not have to lift this since the pump (at the bottom) lifts the fuel (but the helicopter has to lift the hose - which might weigh about the same as the hose).
So not THAT hard to do.
Or you could just use an efficient helicopter and carry the fuel, depending on the payload required.
(BTW Amazing pair of articles on the same page;, US test pilots fly and like Concord, and new noise rules introduced. Trade war? who started it? I know the Germans by invading Poland ! )
The hose need only be 1cm^2 , making the weight of the fluid in the hose 3000m x 0.0001m x 0.8(SpG) = 240kg (a smaller diameter hose could be used, but the pressure would be the same)
Surprisingly the helicopter would not have to lift this since the pump (at the bottom) lifts the fuel (but the helicopter has to lift the hose - which might weigh about the same as the hose).
So not THAT hard to do.
Or you could just use an efficient helicopter and carry the fuel, depending on the payload required.
(BTW Amazing pair of articles on the same page;, US test pilots fly and like Concord, and new noise rules introduced. Trade war? who started it? I know the Germans by invading Poland ! )
Last edited by AnFI; 23rd November 2015 at 23:33. Reason: seen other articles on same page
