Moorabbin incident: Geoffrey Edelsten
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Thanks. Like to know more on the pink Enstrom crash! Will Google+Wiki.
I went to the US in 83 and stayed 15yrs so missed downunder news.
I seemed to be the only pilot who liked the Enstrom (oh, so did Les Morris who gave me the endorsement on the dreaded A-model VH FSP).
Operated VH IFR F28C for 18mths 79/80, safely carried more than 2,000 PAX and the experience was without incidence.
My thinking is that he was planning to buy an R44 so was getting the training as a prospective owner, but 80hrs rotary pre solo is a lot more than I've known.
Interesting life some folk have? It will go on ...
I went to the US in 83 and stayed 15yrs so missed downunder news.
I seemed to be the only pilot who liked the Enstrom (oh, so did Les Morris who gave me the endorsement on the dreaded A-model VH FSP).
Operated VH IFR F28C for 18mths 79/80, safely carried more than 2,000 PAX and the experience was without incidence.
My thinking is that he was planning to buy an R44 so was getting the training as a prospective owner, but 80hrs rotary pre solo is a lot more than I've known.
Interesting life some folk have? It will go on ...
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Yeah I vaguely recall news reports at the time praising the pilot for avoiding the school. Grim truth is you don't have a lot of choice once the motors quit.
Did a tif in an F28 at Fox enstroms in Melbourne a few years back. The auto in the flying lounge room was so laid back compared to the R22. I could learn to love a high inertia rotor system!
Did a tif in an F28 at Fox enstroms in Melbourne a few years back. The auto in the flying lounge room was so laid back compared to the R22. I could learn to love a high inertia rotor system!
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Wiki quote:
Edelsten was known as a flamboyant entrepreneur in the 1980s, transforming the idea of what a doctor's surgery was with chandeliers, grand pianos and 24 hour opening.[5] He also had mink-covered examination benches, mansions and a fleet of Rolls-Royces and Lamborghinis sporting number plates such as Macho, Spunky and Sexy. [6]
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You're right on; landing spot is between your feet, slightly left or slightly right, below 500. No hard decisions about it, mostly luck or no luck.
Poor guy ... the job had no salary, just build up your hours, 24/7 on call, room in the garage/guest house section of the palatial estate. I dropped in my CV but we mutually agreed to be incompatible. Did see the Porsche 928 and the then wife.
Still looking for the crash report.
Am sure we will hear more on the R44 (CLX).
Poor guy ... the job had no salary, just build up your hours, 24/7 on call, room in the garage/guest house section of the palatial estate. I dropped in my CV but we mutually agreed to be incompatible. Did see the Porsche 928 and the then wife.
Still looking for the crash report.
Am sure we will hear more on the R44 (CLX).
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Could it be that Dr E was too light for solo flight without ballast in such a machine?
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150lbs is 10stone 7lbs in the old style (& in the US were he's been) and my bet is he is definitely not that heavy, so ... did he have ballast ...
Thanks for that info. Interesting.
Thanks for that info. Interesting.
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22clipper -
accident of Enstrom was at Baulkham Hills 15mins into the flight on 31/1/89, 3 fatals, but no more info that I can find, except it said it bounced and burned.
(I made a typo with my rego .. it was IFY, not IFR)
accident of Enstrom was at Baulkham Hills 15mins into the flight on 31/1/89, 3 fatals, but no more info that I can find, except it said it bounced and burned.
(I made a typo with my rego .. it was IFY, not IFR)
Think you will find that it was a photo flight, pilot was hovering, ran out of pedal and spun into the ground - no apparent normal recovery attempt. My brother watched it spin and drop.
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How many Enstrom's did he own? Did one not decorate itself over the top of Mt Kosiocko at around the late seventies, early eighties as well, with another 'live in" pilot at the wheel. last name start with W.
Les Morris, now there's a name i haven't heard for a while, bless his departed soul. A rather, very extraordinary person was Les. His standard response to any FOI who was silly enough to ask him had he flown such and such a type was, "Oh yes I have about 1100 hours in that type." Usually in an affected, superior imperitive tone that used to get-right-up-their-noses.
Les turned up one day at our place of work, the company had not long bought an R22, which I flew as I was the only one with an endorsement. Les was there to, "do a few more," so to speak.
While he was there some bright spark, ahem! I think it was the boss, said why don't you go and do a few autos with Les so's you can check out the other guys later.
'Yep no worries', everyone agreed, I didn't get a vote. I had though been doing heaps in the '47 at this stage.
Now I had only done a very rudimentary endorsement with one Ron Shortis I think his name was from Perth.
I turn up at about 2.30 pm on a stinking hot day from a mustering job elsewhere after he has been endorsing others all day. He hadn't been doing autos with the others.
Les has a quick look at the book, his eyes light on the 52 knots bit about the minimum speed in autos or some such and gives instruction to me, "We'll do 'em at 52 knots, right?"
Well who am i to argue he's the ace right?
Light weight blades they were, did I say a hot afternoon, bloody hot, no wind, 75% fuel, in a standard 22.
Things were going sort of ok, he hasn't touched the wheel up until the third one when at about fifty feet he yells out real loud, "Holy jesus, look at that will yer?"
Well what else could I do? although as everyone would say it's not the best time to looking away from the job in hand in those aircraft.
What was he waving around? the bloody collective dual lever that someone? had forgot to lock in.
I told him straight up after I landed that i thought it was a real good time for a cup of coffee. lesson finished. I'm glad it was unstuck though in hindsight, god knows what stunt he was going to pull had it been connected.
a great guy was Les.
Les Morris, now there's a name i haven't heard for a while, bless his departed soul. A rather, very extraordinary person was Les. His standard response to any FOI who was silly enough to ask him had he flown such and such a type was, "Oh yes I have about 1100 hours in that type." Usually in an affected, superior imperitive tone that used to get-right-up-their-noses.
Les turned up one day at our place of work, the company had not long bought an R22, which I flew as I was the only one with an endorsement. Les was there to, "do a few more," so to speak.
While he was there some bright spark, ahem! I think it was the boss, said why don't you go and do a few autos with Les so's you can check out the other guys later.
'Yep no worries', everyone agreed, I didn't get a vote. I had though been doing heaps in the '47 at this stage.
Now I had only done a very rudimentary endorsement with one Ron Shortis I think his name was from Perth.
I turn up at about 2.30 pm on a stinking hot day from a mustering job elsewhere after he has been endorsing others all day. He hadn't been doing autos with the others.
Les has a quick look at the book, his eyes light on the 52 knots bit about the minimum speed in autos or some such and gives instruction to me, "We'll do 'em at 52 knots, right?"
Well who am i to argue he's the ace right?
Light weight blades they were, did I say a hot afternoon, bloody hot, no wind, 75% fuel, in a standard 22.
Things were going sort of ok, he hasn't touched the wheel up until the third one when at about fifty feet he yells out real loud, "Holy jesus, look at that will yer?"
Well what else could I do? although as everyone would say it's not the best time to looking away from the job in hand in those aircraft.
What was he waving around? the bloody collective dual lever that someone? had forgot to lock in.
I told him straight up after I landed that i thought it was a real good time for a cup of coffee. lesson finished. I'm glad it was unstuck though in hindsight, god knows what stunt he was going to pull had it been connected.
a great guy was Les.
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Ron Shortis...........I remember him well. In WA Ron came to our bush camp to see if I could give him a job & then proceeded to tell me about his recent accident. He was a very new pilot & had been mustering in a 47. It was soon after his first take off when he tried to move a large scrub bull. He lost sight of it & decided to hover to see where the bull had gone. Being young, he decided to hover at 5 feet as per his endorsement. Suddenly glancing to his left, he saw the bull head down charging from the left. A few thousand pounds hit his left skid at full speed, where upon the 47 did a neat half barrel roll & landed on its mast head. The fuel tanks broke & leaked into Ron's upside down brand new helmet. The avgas ignited, Ron undid his seat belt, landed on his nose, broke it & then got out. Unfortunately the helmet then emptied the avgas down his new flying suit & ignited. Receiving very nasty burns, he passed out clear of the 47 until that evening when the crew looked for him & found him in a pretty poor state. And that is why Ron has scar tissue around his face & neck but surprisingly kept his good humour.
Bull 1, 47 nil.
Bull 1, 47 nil.
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You gotta watch those removable thingos eh Topend? The Robbie pedals can be bad news too if the spring loaded detent doesn't engage, leaves 'em free to rotate. That's where single use ownership spoils a person, you always know how you left stuff. But in a hire machine you have double check everything.
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Top End Torque Nigel Osborn Ron Shortis Edelsten memories
Edelsten "owned" an Enstrom which was flown by that pilot who was not paid, but whose name was Don ????
Edelsten probably did not own it but his pilot overpitched it at the base of the mountains in Mt Kosciusco National Park then flew to the top of the mountain overpitched and crashed.
Shortis and I salvaged that helicopter.
After repairs I flew this apology for a helicopter and realised the following:
A) Come up to the hover. Engine power is insufficient to maintain RRPM.
B) RRPM decreases.
C) Because the turbocharger is the only thing that got this porker off the ground in the first place, loss of RRPM decreases the exhaust gas flow.
D) So MAP decreases. Not unlike lifting your foot after realising that your car cannot get over the hill.
E) Milking the collective will not work. Turbos do not work that fast. Hope you have not tried to transition over the fence and grab translation.
F) Oh dear
That was 25 years ago. I hope Don???? went on to better things. As for Jeff...
No surprises there.
thekite
Edelsten probably did not own it but his pilot overpitched it at the base of the mountains in Mt Kosciusco National Park then flew to the top of the mountain overpitched and crashed.
Shortis and I salvaged that helicopter.
After repairs I flew this apology for a helicopter and realised the following:
A) Come up to the hover. Engine power is insufficient to maintain RRPM.
B) RRPM decreases.
C) Because the turbocharger is the only thing that got this porker off the ground in the first place, loss of RRPM decreases the exhaust gas flow.
D) So MAP decreases. Not unlike lifting your foot after realising that your car cannot get over the hill.
E) Milking the collective will not work. Turbos do not work that fast. Hope you have not tried to transition over the fence and grab translation.
F) Oh dear
That was 25 years ago. I hope Don???? went on to better things. As for Jeff...
No surprises there.
thekite
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Wonder how Geoff and Brynne’s married bliss is going?
Last edited by cattletruck; 21st Feb 2020 at 09:21.
