Pre flight nerves.
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Aberdeenshire
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Risk and fear is very close to my heart, so much so that I offered to put it into words as best as I could and it appears as a one off in Helicopter Life this month.
I used to race bikes pretty seriously and I have trained as an FI in the last couple of years both have had their moments but I have had a bigger scare in a heli than I ever did in nine years of racing bikes. When it goes wrong, the height gives you way too much time to think of the consequenses.
Basically train, prepare, be fit for purpose and learn from experience and it lengthens the odds, when your times up it's up. Racing has tought me that a number of times, fortunately helicopters have not so far.
As long as you do everything you can to be in the best possible shape for lift then the rest is in the lap of the gods
I used to race bikes pretty seriously and I have trained as an FI in the last couple of years both have had their moments but I have had a bigger scare in a heli than I ever did in nine years of racing bikes. When it goes wrong, the height gives you way too much time to think of the consequenses.
Basically train, prepare, be fit for purpose and learn from experience and it lengthens the odds, when your times up it's up. Racing has tought me that a number of times, fortunately helicopters have not so far.
As long as you do everything you can to be in the best possible shape for lift then the rest is in the lap of the gods
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Wembury, Devon
Age: 51
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I have been lucky enough to fly helicopters and fast jets, ride powerful motorcycles, race powerboats and fast cars and am still here to the wifes frustration. I also have a one year old son and so would no doubt be called irresponsible by many people.
I do however have a very healthy fear of death and do get nervous before any such activities which is obviously your body's way of making sure you are awake as it knows the consequences if you are not. I guess it boils down to your own personal risk assesment of the situation and your confidence in the machinery you are playing with and your own abilities to control it. I would for example never base jump off the Eifel tower as you would have to be mad to contemplate such a thing.
I am a big fan of the 'if your time is up' theory which definitely helps. With my career I could easily have been siting in one of the twin towers behind my bank of trading screens on 9/11 laughing at those idiots who put their life on the line every day flying helicopters for a living.
In short I hope my son will get to experience everything I have and more rather than opting to experience it through a sky digital box.
I do however have a very healthy fear of death and do get nervous before any such activities which is obviously your body's way of making sure you are awake as it knows the consequences if you are not. I guess it boils down to your own personal risk assesment of the situation and your confidence in the machinery you are playing with and your own abilities to control it. I would for example never base jump off the Eifel tower as you would have to be mad to contemplate such a thing.
I am a big fan of the 'if your time is up' theory which definitely helps. With my career I could easily have been siting in one of the twin towers behind my bank of trading screens on 9/11 laughing at those idiots who put their life on the line every day flying helicopters for a living.
In short I hope my son will get to experience everything I have and more rather than opting to experience it through a sky digital box.
I quite regularly take passengers who ask how high we'll be flying - and i'm sure most of them would be surprised to know that i'm not joking when i reply "don't worry - we'll not be going very high - i'm afraid of heights too!"
Like Nigel, I feel most comfortable around 500' - high enough to give you a fighting chance but low enough to still get some detail. Strangely, flying cross country at night i'll happily fly at 4000agl as there is no detail on the ground to see - just horizon/instruments. purely psychological i think - my last job flying powerlines probably didnt help - i thought anything over 200 was high...
plus, like jemax - if something goes catastrophic - i really don't want to get too long to think about it!
Like Nigel, I feel most comfortable around 500' - high enough to give you a fighting chance but low enough to still get some detail. Strangely, flying cross country at night i'll happily fly at 4000agl as there is no detail on the ground to see - just horizon/instruments. purely psychological i think - my last job flying powerlines probably didnt help - i thought anything over 200 was high...
plus, like jemax - if something goes catastrophic - i really don't want to get too long to think about it!
