Snoopy - Flying inside a stadium
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,951
Likes: 90
From: After all, what’s more important than proving to someone on the internet that they’re wrong? - Manson
Capt Hollywood
You've got to see this....
You've got to see this....
I did! And I thought I could kind of fly a helicopter at the time having about 4000 hours in them. Pretty humbling.
I remember the tail rotor just touching the ground a couple of times and picking up dirt.
In about 1996 we used to drop skydivers in there from about 4K at night. One in an Elvis outfit, one guy with a dog and a large flag advertising dog food (PAL), and other outfits. Used to sit up at about 4K waiting for the off and as I was not privy to the radio comms for the timing which was critical you might be sitting there talking to the guys and then all of a sudden you were on your own! In those years there was a cable strung across the arena at about 100'. The guys under canopy would sometimes bug out if they couldn't get the right approach due to the wind and ended up in the car park or the suburbs rather than in the cable in front of a load of people. Large cojones or mad, it was difficult to tell. These guys also did a lot of illegal BASE jumping in the city but thats another story!
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 36
Likes: 10
From: In the saddle or in the air
Excellent Video, it must have been spectacular sitting in the audience. The chances of that happening now are pretty remote. Anything like that requires a risk assessment and method statement nowadays and I suspect it would not get past the first question. Could you imagine the Health and Safety Executive comments to the bit that says.......
Well we were proposing to put two large helicopters inside the arena at night hovering out of ground effect close to the audience then pulling into a vertical climb with some people dangling outside.....
Well.........probably not!
Well we were proposing to put two large helicopters inside the arena at night hovering out of ground effect close to the audience then pulling into a vertical climb with some people dangling outside.....
Well.........probably not!
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 413
Likes: 1
From: 1500' AMSL
Wonderfull show ! the least we can say, is that the 206 pilot knows something about helicopter flying ! I cannot forbid myself to smile when I tdream about a similar display in our grim modern helicopter world.
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: Oz
The Snoopy pilot was Ross Rundle (retired), he did hundreds of these displays. The 'handler' in this case was Steve Graham (HeliCorp?), but the act was often conducted by a female clerk from the SAA at Oakey - can't remember her name. The commentator was Paddy O'Brian (RIP), killed in an EMS accident at Rockhampton (mid 90's?).
The demo. was stunning to see live, and appreciated by all. The fixed wing guys also did a gobb-smacking demo in the Pilatus Porter, flying in/out of areas no bigger than the stadium.
Of course there was risk, but it seems in today's world that mediocrity and arse covering is the norm. I spent my first years in the those last days of the 'golden era' of aviation, and although we do lot of things better now, we have lost that passion and grit.
The demo. was stunning to see live, and appreciated by all. The fixed wing guys also did a gobb-smacking demo in the Pilatus Porter, flying in/out of areas no bigger than the stadium.
Of course there was risk, but it seems in today's world that mediocrity and arse covering is the norm. I spent my first years in the those last days of the 'golden era' of aviation, and although we do lot of things better now, we have lost that passion and grit.
Purveyor of Egg Liqueur to Lucifer
Joined: Nov 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 4,752
Likes: 64
From: Alles über die platz
All very good, but the paint job is a bit of a giveaway of this being an RC Jetranger. However this was a very good example of the cameras ability of deception of depth perception.
The Sea Kings are also nice models, similar to the one used in the theatre play Miss Saigon.
Just about a month too late !
The Sea Kings are also nice models, similar to the one used in the theatre play Miss Saigon.
Just about a month too late !
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Ireland
I thought I could fly but that was a truly awesome display. To do all that at night was very impressive. It would be great to see displays like that today but crowd safety and SMS means it will never happen. Great to have the video here.
Joined: Feb 2006
Aviation Qualifications: LAME
Posts: 36,137
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From: Falling off the end of the thread
Imagine getting away with this today