What was your scariest moment in a helicopter?
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Huey...
Christine...haha.
Yeah, once that collective is out of your hold she's all the way max pitch. Glad I'm not the only sucker. Sure makes you hang on tight in the future
I just remembered another scary one while offshore. The flying pilot barely lifted to 25ft off the platform and reached Max N1 on both. He started to fiddle with the beeps to squeeze a little more performance out of her, diverting his attention inside rather than outside. The quartering wind then decided to push us back towards the crane and fortunately I noticed the movement out of the chin bubble. I glanced over my shoulder to see all the pax on my side staring in a concerned manner at the BIG yellow crane a good 10ft from the disk. A few exclamations etc and a little encouragement to rotate and the problem was solved
Its also not nice on finals when its hot, heavy and committed and the crane started rotating towards the helideck.
Christine...haha.
Yeah, once that collective is out of your hold she's all the way max pitch. Glad I'm not the only sucker. Sure makes you hang on tight in the future
I just remembered another scary one while offshore. The flying pilot barely lifted to 25ft off the platform and reached Max N1 on both. He started to fiddle with the beeps to squeeze a little more performance out of her, diverting his attention inside rather than outside. The quartering wind then decided to push us back towards the crane and fortunately I noticed the movement out of the chin bubble. I glanced over my shoulder to see all the pax on my side staring in a concerned manner at the BIG yellow crane a good 10ft from the disk. A few exclamations etc and a little encouragement to rotate and the problem was solved
Its also not nice on finals when its hot, heavy and committed and the crane started rotating towards the helideck.
Cranes? Hateful things, we had so much trouble with them in the NS in the 70's, with so much construction going on, we eventually wouldn't land on some platforms unless the crane driver was ID'd standing outside his cab, with no one else inside!
Concerned moments in a helicopter? Hanging forward in my straps, looking at the ground <50ft away, with the toe of one skid (LongRanger) hooked on a powercable whilst filming a car commercial, sending a Mayday on the wrong freq...
Feeling of hope when max torque was followed by a very loud "Twang" as the 2 km of power cable pulled off the poles finally broke, followed by a further sense of frustration when the full aft cyclic chopped off the tail boom. Got down hard, but level, and all walked away. Sort of ...
Concerned moments in a helicopter? Hanging forward in my straps, looking at the ground <50ft away, with the toe of one skid (LongRanger) hooked on a powercable whilst filming a car commercial, sending a Mayday on the wrong freq...
Feeling of hope when max torque was followed by a very loud "Twang" as the 2 km of power cable pulled off the poles finally broke, followed by a further sense of frustration when the full aft cyclic chopped off the tail boom. Got down hard, but level, and all walked away. Sort of ...
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Although I don't have a lot of time I have had one experience that truly got my heart rate up. My instructor and myself we up in the mountains in Southern California practicing pinnacle landings in an R22. We knew that there was an airshow at one of the local airfields. We were coming in to land and were about 400 feet agl and about the same 'inland' from the edge of steep valley. All of a sudden a P-51 Mustang burst up and over the edge of the slope at about 50 feet agl heading straight at us. My instructor grabbed the controls and banked us hard round out of the way. The Mustang banked hard the other way, his wingtip barely missing the ground. He passed just in front and below us and then pulled up, did a barrel roll and disappeared. Hell of a way to see a Mustang close up but left my nerves in tatters!
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Actually, my hairiest moment took place outside of the helicopter. I was among a group of helicopter mechanics getting checked out in being hoisted and operating the hoist. I was picked up from a concrete runway on about 100 feet of cable. I was attached with the old type of horse collar and the only thing that kept me from falling out was by crossing my arms. The hoist operator started winching me in and when I was about 70 feet off the ground the pilot for whatever reason started to move off with me hanging on the cable. He moved towards a stand of trees and I thought he was going to drag me through the treetops. The winch operator brought my plight to the attention of the pilot and he slowed to a hover and I was winched into the helicopter. My only thought during those few minutes was that the pilot did not experience a power failure.
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Several years ago my partner and I were flying through a canyon. My partner was flying, and I was looking down at the ground when I saw we were going over major high tension power lines and not much higher then they were. I looked at my partner, figured he had not seen them and motioned with my hand that we had to climb as I was also telling him over the intercom. His reply was SH** can't, look above. Sure enough there were the "lighting" wires for the power lines above us.
We flew right through the center of the arch between the "lighting" wires and power lines at 80kts. Pants change on that one.
We flew right through the center of the arch between the "lighting" wires and power lines at 80kts. Pants change on that one.
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I've had a couple:
New on the 212 and not accustomed to boggy landing areas. On take-off one skid let go suddenly and nearly rolled over before the second let go.
Co-pilot in a 412 in northern Labrador, night medevac flight, snowstorm and NVG's, low fuel and last bit of transit over water. The flying pilot lost reference and we impacted the water. After a relatively long ordeal, rescued 34 hours later. All injured but survived.
Climbing in an R22 at 25" MP and the student inadvertantly chopped the throttle, took most of the next 500' to realize what she had done.
Ab initio instruction night dual flight. The student was confusing the runways and I was trying to explain the ground references and traffic pattern to follow. I looked left to check for any traffic (nobody on frequency but let's look anyway). All I saw was a big windscreen full of airplane, bright lights and rivets. Stopped the student from turning into his flight path and away we went.
Too many in flight training to mention.
---Moral of the story is ...I learn from every one of them and make sure I never make the same mistake again. And if I can learn from someone else all the better.
New on the 212 and not accustomed to boggy landing areas. On take-off one skid let go suddenly and nearly rolled over before the second let go.
Co-pilot in a 412 in northern Labrador, night medevac flight, snowstorm and NVG's, low fuel and last bit of transit over water. The flying pilot lost reference and we impacted the water. After a relatively long ordeal, rescued 34 hours later. All injured but survived.
Climbing in an R22 at 25" MP and the student inadvertantly chopped the throttle, took most of the next 500' to realize what she had done.
Ab initio instruction night dual flight. The student was confusing the runways and I was trying to explain the ground references and traffic pattern to follow. I looked left to check for any traffic (nobody on frequency but let's look anyway). All I saw was a big windscreen full of airplane, bright lights and rivets. Stopped the student from turning into his flight path and away we went.
Too many in flight training to mention.
---Moral of the story is
...I learn from every one of them and make sure I never make the same mistake again. And if I can learn from someone else all the better.
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Taking off at night in a Seaking from Her Majesty's grey funnel line, two spot ship, aft spot, 3am in the morning, overcast, rain/drizzle combined with funnel smoke. Cleared to go by the marshaller (green wand)and as I pulled collective, the nose rotated up, corrected with cyclcic, checked the autopilot, OK, pulled more collective and nose went rapidly up to above 45 deg, despite cyclic hard against the instrument panel, lost sight of the ship, saw the back of the the AI. By now my brain was rapidly searching for an explanation, and I remembered from the tech log that the primary hydraulic servos had beeen serviced that day. Convinced that the cyclic longitudinal controls had been rigged the wrong way round, I moved the cyclic aft to see if that would bring the nose down, at the same time as the tail lashing (still attached for those who haven't got that far) parted. The aircraft rapidly shot forward across the deck and I managed to stop it in time to make a rather hasty and untidy landing on the forward spot (luckily clear of aircraft). If I hadn't moved the cyclic aft I am convincved we would have gone into the hangar. Worst thing was that the aircraft was needed on task so following a rotors running check of the aft tail lashing attachmment, we were ordered to launch for the allotted tasking. Four hearts still doing 180 beats/minute three hours later, as I made the worst landing ever on recovery to the ship. Flight Deck operations were significantly changed after that one!
I'm still learning!
I'm still learning!
Talking of King Dippers and the Grey Funnel Line, one of our lookers had his worst moment when I was on mid finals for an aft facing landing on Eagle. Amazing how much HOT oil can leak out of the MGB onto the back seat, and how little concern or sympathy can be elicited from the drivers up front, no matter how much pain you are in
Then there was the cross decking to Forrestal, ending with a late night departure. When Flyco called wind red 180, 25kts, we (I, to take the blame...) started a ground taxi spot turn out to port, to avoid a hover with the wind up my chuff. As we got to face due port, into the total black, Flyco came up a tad concerned and advised the wind now red 90. OK, good enough for a go, pull pitch, 100% Tq to maintain hover, lots of left cyclic, no visual reference, sudden panic as the co looks out the left window to see us drifting into the New York sized fire truck they keep on deck. Rapid overtorque, fall over the side and climb to 200', sort out a trip back to Mother.
The confusion? Flyco was giving wind relative to us, not relative to the ship's head, as we expected. Learnt LOTS from that one! Fortunately, Forrestal had a
very wide flight deck
[ 20 August 2001: Message edited by: John Eacott ]
Then there was the cross decking to Forrestal, ending with a late night departure. When Flyco called wind red 180, 25kts, we (I, to take the blame...) started a ground taxi spot turn out to port, to avoid a hover with the wind up my chuff. As we got to face due port, into the total black, Flyco came up a tad concerned and advised the wind now red 90. OK, good enough for a go, pull pitch, 100% Tq to maintain hover, lots of left cyclic, no visual reference, sudden panic as the co looks out the left window to see us drifting into the New York sized fire truck they keep on deck. Rapid overtorque, fall over the side and climb to 200', sort out a trip back to Mother.
The confusion? Flyco was giving wind relative to us, not relative to the ship's head, as we expected. Learnt LOTS from that one! Fortunately, Forrestal had a
very wide flight deck
[ 20 August 2001: Message edited by: John Eacott ]
Avoid imitations
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Here's one to ponder.
I was instructing a basic student in a Gazelle. He was hover taxying for a low-level navex which needed a whole bunch of maps. As we approached the departure point he realised he had the wrong map at the top of the stack. After trying to sort his maps in the hover he asked me to take control (left hand seat), which I did. He had applied far too much collective friction in the hover, so I instinctively swapped hands (left hand now on cyclic) and reached across to his collective lever to roll off the friction with my right hand.
As the collective friction came loose, the collective dropped so the aircraft descended.
Brain transmitted: "Aircraft descending in hover, left hand pull up on collective".
Unfortunately, left hand was on cyclic due to swapped hands. Left hand pulled back on cyclic instead, so aircraft moved backwards.
Brain transmitted: "Aircraft moving back, right hand push forward on cyclic".
Unfortunately, right hand was on RH collective so it lowered collective instead. Aircraft descended even quicker.
Brain transmitted: "Aircraft now descending even quicker, left hand pull up on collective even more!" So it moved the cyclic back instead, the aircraft moved back even quicker.......
Anyone guess what happened next, as Brain wondered if aircraft controls had failed?
I was instructing a basic student in a Gazelle. He was hover taxying for a low-level navex which needed a whole bunch of maps. As we approached the departure point he realised he had the wrong map at the top of the stack. After trying to sort his maps in the hover he asked me to take control (left hand seat), which I did. He had applied far too much collective friction in the hover, so I instinctively swapped hands (left hand now on cyclic) and reached across to his collective lever to roll off the friction with my right hand.
As the collective friction came loose, the collective dropped so the aircraft descended.
Brain transmitted: "Aircraft descending in hover, left hand pull up on collective".
Unfortunately, left hand was on cyclic due to swapped hands. Left hand pulled back on cyclic instead, so aircraft moved backwards.
Brain transmitted: "Aircraft moving back, right hand push forward on cyclic".
Unfortunately, right hand was on RH collective so it lowered collective instead. Aircraft descended even quicker.
Brain transmitted: "Aircraft now descending even quicker, left hand pull up on collective even more!" So it moved the cyclic back instead, the aircraft moved back even quicker.......
Anyone guess what happened next, as Brain wondered if aircraft controls had failed?
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Scariest moment OUTSIDE of a helicopter - monitoring a student on 2nd solo in an H300 land on the tarmac instead of the grass. He forgot all about recovery from ground resonance and the bird proceeded to thrash itself to bits, severing the tail boom in the process. Tail rotor was still spinning and made a target out of me!
I was standing about 20m away but that tail boom and empennage was honking. It missed, I lived.
Incredible watching a 70kg bloke being tossed around in the cabin like that - even with shoulder straps on.
Why didn't I run?
I was glued to the spot willing him to raise the lever during his impromptu side show ride.
I was standing about 20m away but that tail boom and empennage was honking. It missed, I lived.
Incredible watching a 70kg bloke being tossed around in the cabin like that - even with shoulder straps on.
Why didn't I run?
I was glued to the spot willing him to raise the lever during his impromptu side show ride.
Avoid imitations
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No, the student didn't take control; he had his head down.
Brain suddenly went into failsafe/survival mode and told right hand to pull collective. Due to lightning-fast responses (QHIs are renowned for this ), the aircraft did a rapid rearwards transition over the low fence a few metres behind. Normal service was resumed shortly afterwards when brain told hands to swap back!
No damage and no overtorque but the tail must have got extremely close to the ground and the fence.
I admitted my mistake to Flight Commander after return. A severe listening-to was given to him as he told me what a stupid prat I was. I agreed but argued that it should be publicised because it might happen to another QHI and someone might hit the tail or worse (some were even more stupid than me). He said no, it was just me.
About three weeks later he broke the regs by flying solo GH in a Gazelle from the left hand seat. He went to the relief landing ground, adjusted the friction by swapping hands - and hit the tail hard. After that all QHIs were briefed on the problem and got a chance to (try to) hover in the left hand seat with hands swapped, under the careful eye of a CFS instructor. Most of them did the same as me or worse!
Beware! That problem is still out there, you Gazelle guys
ShyT
Brain suddenly went into failsafe/survival mode and told right hand to pull collective. Due to lightning-fast responses (QHIs are renowned for this
), the aircraft did a rapid rearwards transition over the low fence a few metres behind. Normal service was resumed shortly afterwards when brain told hands to swap back!No damage and no overtorque but the tail must have got extremely close to the ground and the fence.
I admitted my mistake to Flight Commander after return. A severe listening-to was given to him as he told me what a stupid prat I was. I agreed but argued that it should be publicised because it might happen to another QHI and someone might hit the tail or worse (some were even more stupid than me). He said no, it was just me.
About three weeks later he broke the regs by flying solo GH in a Gazelle from the left hand seat. He went to the relief landing ground, adjusted the friction by swapping hands - and hit the tail hard. After that all QHIs were briefed on the problem and got a chance to (try to) hover in the left hand seat with hands swapped, under the careful eye of a CFS instructor. Most of them did the same as me or worse!
Beware! That problem is still out there, you Gazelle guys
ShyT
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Late '80s, Norway, I was a pax in the back of a Royal Marines Lynx in formation with a RM Gazelle doing a photo shoot, we were about 100ft apart in his 4, same level. Suddenly someone called Break!Break! and a civvy twin-piston (Baron?) flashed past about 50-100ft above us opposite course. Few seconds of swearing and we start to settle down when this 'kin great orange torpedo thing went past in between us & the Gazelle just below our level. It took us a few seconds to figure the orange thing was a target drogue & the Baron was a target tug and the wire had been between the pair of us for a good ten seconds. It went very quiet. Lead pilot filed an airmiss, it turned out that he was a Swedish contractor doing some runs for the Norwegian AAA mates and had gone way outside of his Notamed area.
Edited to change late 70s to late 80s.
[ 22 August 2001: Message edited by: Gainesy ]
Edited to change late 70s to late 80s.
[ 22 August 2001: Message edited by: Gainesy ]
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Gainsey,
Thats an absolute beauty!! Thats the sort of stuff that makes you shake your head and wonder how did I get out of that!
It reminded me of an incident when I was towing a survey torpedo, we had long survey lines over mountain terrain, and the survey lines took about 30 mins each way at 150ft agl, up and down like a roller coaster. The early morning was the worst working into the sun for about 4 runs east. Anyway, on the way back west on about the 2nd run I saw a hug single span wire at about 300agl and climbed rapidly to clear the torpedo we were towing 100ft below us, the operator asked me why we were climbing and I promptly told him very colourfully, why,to which he replied "why didn't you go under it like you did on the 1st run?"
He thought I had decided to go under it first time, and never bothered to tell me about it thinking i had seen it!!!
He bought the beers that night, and after that, he was spotting wires every day, you couldn't shut him up!
Thats an absolute beauty!! Thats the sort of stuff that makes you shake your head and wonder how did I get out of that!
It reminded me of an incident when I was towing a survey torpedo, we had long survey lines over mountain terrain, and the survey lines took about 30 mins each way at 150ft agl, up and down like a roller coaster. The early morning was the worst working into the sun for about 4 runs east. Anyway, on the way back west on about the 2nd run I saw a hug single span wire at about 300agl and climbed rapidly to clear the torpedo we were towing 100ft below us, the operator asked me why we were climbing and I promptly told him very colourfully, why,to which he replied "why didn't you go under it like you did on the 1st run?"
He thought I had decided to go under it first time, and never bothered to tell me about it thinking i had seen it!!!
He bought the beers that night, and after that, he was spotting wires every day, you couldn't shut him up!
Great stories, Lads.
Semi-Rigid, you stirred up a memory with your question "why didn't I run"......
From the "glued in place, blithering idiot" file.... Somalia, 1994, on the ramp in Mogadishu. Camp under sniper attack. Refueller guy gets hit in the neck with bullet, just behind me. Cobras are up, fixin' to seek and destroy the perpetrators. Self says "Gee, wouldn't it be great to have some video of the Cobra firing rockets?" Of course it would, so I stood out in the middle of the ramp, my camera fixed on the Cobras. After some time, all the cracking and whizzing sounds elicited a sudden rush of common sense, mixed with pee-in-the-pants fear. I dove into my all-metal 212 for cover.
Semi-Rigid, you stirred up a memory with your question "why didn't I run"......
From the "glued in place, blithering idiot" file.... Somalia, 1994, on the ramp in Mogadishu. Camp under sniper attack. Refueller guy gets hit in the neck with bullet, just behind me. Cobras are up, fixin' to seek and destroy the perpetrators. Self says "Gee, wouldn't it be great to have some video of the Cobra firing rockets?" Of course it would, so I stood out in the middle of the ramp, my camera fixed on the Cobras. After some time, all the cracking and whizzing sounds elicited a sudden rush of common sense, mixed with pee-in-the-pants fear. I dove into my all-metal 212 for cover.
In my very few hours, nothing scary has happened really except while transiting Wattisham overhead at 1500' with clearance, they let off a radiosonde just as I was there. I still wonder how I didn't wrap the balloons wires around the main rotors. It couldn't have been any closer without contacting the a/c.
This was in a Robinson R22 and I definitely needed a clean pair of pants afterwards, and many expletives from me to ground which went unanswered.
Only other one was when I pressed the TX button on the cyclic,(R22 again) the low rotor rpm horn came on. (i'm sure I thought about things for more than 1.2 seconds!!)
Me and the pax had increased heartbeats for a while.
Nothing like some of the stories here, thank God.
And they say helicopters are a safe form of transport.??!!!!
This was in a Robinson R22 and I definitely needed a clean pair of pants afterwards, and many expletives from me to ground which went unanswered.
Only other one was when I pressed the TX button on the cyclic,(R22 again) the low rotor rpm horn came on. (i'm sure I thought about things for more than 1.2 seconds!!)
Me and the pax had increased heartbeats for a while.
Nothing like some of the stories here, thank God.
And they say helicopters are a safe form of transport.??!!!!
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Out night pinging in the good old Sea King....Flash green grenade!!(Submarine signal) the 3 helo's out there all rush to the one point in space to Hack/Maim/Kill the tube..I wonder why one of the other doesn't give way like it says in the rules.... he passes just behind us... we all take up our sectors and I then check our lights ....Lights Master switch off = no external lights....OPS!!
Gazelle 'fenestron stall' again 8-900' slow left hand turn trying to turn inside other mutual helo (Well we all do it!!) suddenly it's going round VERY fast with no change with pedal input. Finaly try dumping the collective and it snaps out !! Mate in other helo said 'If planed manouvre... very impressive' but I know the truth.
Being tasked as an 'expendable asset' during Falklands '82. Night, Fog (200m vis aprox) go and visualy identify unknown surface contact!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (If you come back we know what it is, If you don't we'll sink it!!) Nice for us.....Fortunatly a Brit ship but there was 30 mins or so of serious self preservation planning!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gazelle 'fenestron stall' again 8-900' slow left hand turn trying to turn inside other mutual helo (Well we all do it!!) suddenly it's going round VERY fast with no change with pedal input. Finaly try dumping the collective and it snaps out !! Mate in other helo said 'If planed manouvre... very impressive' but I know the truth.
Being tasked as an 'expendable asset' during Falklands '82. Night, Fog (200m vis aprox) go and visualy identify unknown surface contact!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (If you come back we know what it is, If you don't we'll sink it!!) Nice for us.....Fortunatly a Brit ship but there was 30 mins or so of serious self preservation planning!!!!!!!!!!!!
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All very early in flying career.
A weekend away with the girlfriend in an R22 to Southwold. I had planned the whole trip (but not the legs)very carefully, totally ignoring the fact that there was a day in between and the wind had changed significantly against me. Too long into the return flight it dawned on me that there wasn't an airfield nearby and that I didn't have enough fuel to make it back. Then the low fuel light came on. There were pylons everywhere but I managed to land and after 5hrs get enough 100ll back into it to make it home.
Didn't do that again.
The other event. Having upgraded to the R44 and having been in too much of a rush to depart to Snowdon for the w/e I rushed the checks. No problems but something really niggled during the whole journey, I just couldn't put my fnger on it. Having gone over Snowdon, it was time to descend into the Seoint Manor. Pull carb heat before lowering lever except that it wasn't the carb heat and I hadn't caged the mixture. Then I knew what was nagging me..the toggle still on the dash. Luckily I slammed the mixture back in so quickly the engine kept running. Sure changed the colour of my pants and didn't help the heartbeat of the Instructor who had taken control and was wondering where he was going to put it down.
I learnt never to rush the checks and what a full stoppage in a Robbo feels like.
A weekend away with the girlfriend in an R22 to Southwold. I had planned the whole trip (but not the legs)very carefully, totally ignoring the fact that there was a day in between and the wind had changed significantly against me. Too long into the return flight it dawned on me that there wasn't an airfield nearby and that I didn't have enough fuel to make it back. Then the low fuel light came on. There were pylons everywhere but I managed to land and after 5hrs get enough 100ll back into it to make it home.
Didn't do that again.
The other event. Having upgraded to the R44 and having been in too much of a rush to depart to Snowdon for the w/e I rushed the checks. No problems but something really niggled during the whole journey, I just couldn't put my fnger on it. Having gone over Snowdon, it was time to descend into the Seoint Manor. Pull carb heat before lowering lever except that it wasn't the carb heat and I hadn't caged the mixture. Then I knew what was nagging me..the toggle still on the dash. Luckily I slammed the mixture back in so quickly the engine kept running. Sure changed the colour of my pants and didn't help the heartbeat of the Instructor who had taken control and was wondering where he was going to put it down.
I learnt never to rush the checks and what a full stoppage in a Robbo feels like.
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Here's one for the "scariest moments outside a helicopter" list - Landed a 105 in the top of a really pretty (aren't they all) waterfall - tail over the drop and skids were under the water; I bounced it a few times and it felt good so I gave the OK for the pax to deplane and waited for the rundown. Joining the happy campers, just as I stepped off the skid she rotated on the aft of the skids, going tail first over the waterfall. In a flash of self-preservation I leaped back onto the front of the tube and she slowly came back down. It was the last waterfall I ever landed in.
In a flash of self-preservation I leaped back onto the front of the tube and she slowly came back down. It was the last waterfall I ever landed in.
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Good one, 4HolerPoler. That reminds me of a somewhat similar incident I had with a 105 offshore Holland in the early 70’s – not a scary moment as I wasn’t with the helicopter when it happened.
Landed on the Lay Barge LB27 for a shutdown and lunch. This thing had two huge cranes that ran up and down each side of the barge on a kind of railway track, but the helideck was hinged on both sides so it could be lowered and the cranes could pass.
Well, I never thought anyone would be daft enough to lower the helideck away from underneath the 105 whilst we were at lunch, but they sure did. Came back on deck to find the rear third of one of the skids with air underneath it. Nearly wet myself. An early lesson in Never, Ever, Just Never Assume!
Landed on the Lay Barge LB27 for a shutdown and lunch. This thing had two huge cranes that ran up and down each side of the barge on a kind of railway track, but the helideck was hinged on both sides so it could be lowered and the cranes could pass.
Well, I never thought anyone would be daft enough to lower the helideck away from underneath the 105 whilst we were at lunch, but they sure did. Came back on deck to find the rear third of one of the skids with air underneath it. Nearly wet myself. An early lesson in Never, Ever, Just Never Assume!
Ahhhhh Thumper. Assumption, ain't it grand.
1987. Northern Peninsula, Newfoundland, Canada. We had a fuel cache at a gas station with several drums of rocket fuel stashed there. Had fuelled there dozens of times in the past, so I ASSUMED I could fuel there again.
Well, this time I was flying a Hughes 500D on fixed floats, with three Dept of Fisheries enforcement types aboard. Fresh snow on the ground, so I approached to a high hover to blow it away while I used the corner of the building for reference. Descending slowly, I noticed a weird white line working its way up the windshield so I halted the descent to focus on what it was. It was a wire. A white one. Turns out, the hardware store next door was owned by the same guys, and they had just installed an intercom to chat back and forth. The wire ran directly overhead our fuel cache.
I just realized, I have far too many stupid stories, hence my new signature.
1987. Northern Peninsula, Newfoundland, Canada. We had a fuel cache at a gas station with several drums of rocket fuel stashed there. Had fuelled there dozens of times in the past, so I ASSUMED I could fuel there again.
Well, this time I was flying a Hughes 500D on fixed floats, with three Dept of Fisheries enforcement types aboard. Fresh snow on the ground, so I approached to a high hover to blow it away while I used the corner of the building for reference. Descending slowly, I noticed a weird white line working its way up the windshield so I halted the descent to focus on what it was. It was a wire. A white one. Turns out, the hardware store next door was owned by the same guys, and they had just installed an intercom to chat back and forth. The wire ran directly overhead our fuel cache.
I just realized, I have far too many stupid stories, hence my new signature.