Most dangerous

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

11th October 2006 | 13:20

#1 (permalink)

meat bomb

Thread Starter

Joined: May 2006

Posts: 28

Likes: 0

From: A long way away

Most dangerous

Question for everyone, what is , statistically the most dangerous role a heli pilot can undertake. Is it HEMS , SAR , that crazy cattle rustling stuff or what? ( No offence to crazy castle herders out there )

11th October 2006 | 13:31

#2 (permalink)

Farmer 1

Combine Operations

Joined: May 2005

Posts: 687

Likes: 0

From: U.K.

Hats off to the chaps who tried to sort out Chernobyl.

11th October 2006 | 15:40

#3 (permalink)

rudestuff

Joined: Dec 2005

Aviation Qualifications: ATPL

Posts: 4,973

Likes: 326

From: Hong Kong

Exactly. And if it happened in the west, how many of us could say that we'd do the same?

I'd have thougt that the low level stuff - powerlines, mustering, vertical reference would be up there.

11th October 2006 | 20:29

#4 (permalink)

Bat-Off

Joined: Jul 2006

Posts: 34

Likes: 0

From: Brisbane

I always heard that Ag work and mustering were probably the most dangerous roles you can partake in.

11th October 2006 | 20:35

#5 (permalink)

Whirlygig

Hovering AND talking

Joined: Feb 2003

Posts: 5,711

Likes: 1

From: Propping up bars in the Lands of D H Lawrence and Bishop Bonner

Teaching me might rank fairly high

Cheers

Whirls

11th October 2006 | 20:40

#6 (permalink)

wrench1

Joined: Oct 2006

Aviation Qualifications: A&P

Posts: 1,346

Likes: 270

From: USA

How about fire fighting and the guys who do the mountain rescues in Alaska with the Lamas.

11th October 2006 | 20:46

#7 (permalink)

Aser

Joined: Nov 2003

Posts: 1,079

Likes: 5

From: Abu Dhabi

My bet by numbers...
HEMS ?

11th October 2006 | 21:04

#8 (permalink)

Helinut

Joined: Jan 2001

Posts: 1,365

Likes: 0

From: UK

HEMS is probably one of the worst major sectors. (Unlike many activities) I suspect the rate is country dependent for HEMS. Given what HEMS can do in the USA and what they don't do in Europe, no surprise really: night ad-hoc landings etc as against day-only (effectively).

It would be ineresting to know whether the real stats reflected people's views.

11th October 2006 | 21:26

#9 (permalink)

Gomer Pylot

Joined: Oct 2003

Posts: 1,030

Likes: 0

From: Over here

Statistically, I'm not sure those statistics exist. There are perceptions, but that's not the same thing.

12th October 2006 | 10:00

#10 (permalink)

Rotorbee

Joined: Jul 2004

Posts: 447

Likes: 30

From: Europe

@ Helinut
The HEMS companies in Switzerland do night rescue. With NVG and all the other fancy stuff. The only night accident I know of was once a guy hovered backwards in the hangar door.
They can do it, because the swiss heli ops did not change to JAR yet ... and frankly, I hope they never will. The brits wrote too much silly things in JAR, which would bring down a lot of helicopter companies.

12th October 2006 | 11:24

#11 (permalink)

paco

Joined: Nov 2000

Posts: 4,330

Likes: 74

From: White Waltham, Prestwick & Calgary

Hey, it's not just the Brits! The Germans (and others) were at it, too!

Phil

12th October 2006 | 11:33

#12 (permalink)

Rotorbee

Joined: Jul 2004

Posts: 447

Likes: 30

From: Europe

I knew that would happen.

The Brits wrote most of it ... and some other countries who care more about flying over flat parts of the world.

12th October 2006 | 13:34

#13 (permalink)

Sandy Toad

Joined: Jul 2002

Posts: 102

Likes: 0

From: Dubai

I always thought the most dangereous role was posting on Pprune.

12th October 2006 | 14:11

#14 (permalink)

SASless

Joined: May 2002

Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil

Posts: 18,633

Likes: 1,072

From: Downeast

American HEMS crews have a death rate 20x all other job types in this country including hard rock mining, coal mining, high steel workers, Police Officers and Fire Fighters.

12th October 2006 | 16:55

#15 (permalink)

rudestuff

Joined: Dec 2005

Aviation Qualifications: ATPL

Posts: 4,973

Likes: 326

From: Hong Kong

Ahh, but is it as dangerous as Alaskan snow-crab fishing??

12th October 2006 | 19:40

#16 (permalink)

kissmysquirrel

Guest

Posts: n/a

Catching crabs can be quite hazardous I hear, especially in some parts of the world!

How safe is the european offshore flying?

13th October 2006 | 07:09

#17 (permalink)

MCA

Joined: May 2001

Posts: 58

Likes: 0

From: In a Tent

Quote:

Originally Posted by wrench1

How about fire fighting and the guys who do the mountain rescues in Alaska with the Lamas.

what about the guys on the Yukon side (kluane park) flying rescues in the same mountains with Jet Rangers? 19,000 feet +

13th October 2006 | 12:13

#18 (permalink)

BigMike

Joined: May 2003

Posts: 900

Likes: 26

From: The Wild West... and Oz

I think the guys flying the 500s for Blackwater in Iraq would probably take the top spot. Who else non-military has M-4's and Minimi's as standard equipment onboard....