Bullets rip through Colombian military helicopter windshield mid flight.
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Last edited by Senior Pilot; 12th Jul 2019 at 11:39. Reason: Add YouTube video
Had a .51 Cal round remove the left pedal from under my foot....I can arrest to the notion such events gain your full completely undivided attention until the hydraulic fed fire draws it away!
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My Dad, Mike Tuson, was flying for the Oman Airforce around 1972, during the Dhofar rebellion. He was flying a 205 and got one of his toes shot off in flight. He always reckoned it saved his life, because when he sat back up from reaching down to his foot, there was a bullet hole through the canopy that would have hit his head if he hadn’t bent down.
He flew till he was 60, and died this March, age 85.
He flew till he was 60, and died this March, age 85.
I dare say that SASless had the means at his disposal to return the complement a few times over....
Errrrr.....not actually....two GPMG's (M-60 Door Guns) were only there for psychological warfare purposes...it made the air crew feel good but generally did zero harm to the Oppo's.
On that particular occasion I had my hands quite full dealing with some management problems....managing a roaring hot fire cockpit fire while in and out of cloud with a sling load dangling underneath the Chinook.
Heck....we never even mentioned a Checklist yet alone refer to it.
No murderous thoughts that time....earlier that morning it was a bit different.
I just could not understand why total strangers were so intent upon doing me in....if they had met me first then it might have made far more sense to me.
Well, there was your operational difficulty. You obviously weren't low enough if you were flying in and out of cloud, so there was no way for the Oppo's to see your psychological warfare apparatuses hanging out the door. Failing that option, you obviously weren't high enough up in the clouds for the Oppo's to not quite reach you with their apparatuses!
And there's another good reason for the captain to occupy the righthand seat in a helicopter: uninformed gunmen will target your co-pilot first! 
On a more serious note, looks like a pretty good outcome, considering the possibilities.
On a more serious note, looks like a pretty good outcome, considering the possibilities.
One hell of a way for Boeing to install cockpit heating SAS. 
Upon arrival in country we noticed one of the pilots had an unusual hair cut, a quarter or so inch of hair removed running around his head just above both ears. Round had come in through the windscreen, entered the space twix helmet and head, ran around his head/helmet and exited other side and out through the windscreen. Closest they got to me was a shot in the back in an ambush where 50% of the troops died stepping off.
Tradition in US Army slicks was for the aircraft commander to occupy the left seat, but I always rode right seat cause Charlie would reckon I was the copilot. 
To be honest, I had other reasons for preferring right seat.
Upon arrival in country we noticed one of the pilots had an unusual hair cut, a quarter or so inch of hair removed running around his head just above both ears. Round had come in through the windscreen, entered the space twix helmet and head, ran around his head/helmet and exited other side and out through the windscreen. Closest they got to me was a shot in the back in an ambush where 50% of the troops died stepping off.
And there's another good reason for the captain to occupy the righthand seat in a helicopter: uninformed gunmen will target your co-pilot first!
To be honest, I had other reasons for preferring right seat.
Is it just me or does there not seem much urgency about their response to taking ground fire? I would be heading for the tree tops in the opposite direction with the collective under my armpit.
Sometimes you just got to grin and bear it....like hoisting wounded...dropping repellers....or lifting downed aircraft.
But most times....Same has figured out the right answer....where the Torque Gauge becomes the amount of droop in your Rotor System and not what shows on the instrument panel!
No matter how Vietnam War Helicopter pilots like to embellish on occasions....one thing is for sure...when you are getting shot at AND taking hits....there is nothing "Normal" about that operation and red lines become something to talk about after the fact.
Usually it happens so fast, despite time coming to a pace about equal to a Molasses spill on a very cold February morning in the Arctic....you really only to get deal with the aftermath.
Watching Tracers...really large tracer bullets come up and whiz by is an interesting thing to contemplate both during and after it happens.
I do not condone that and suggest watching Hollywood films is as close as you really want to come in experiencing that.
Beer gains a new level of appreciation in the bar at night when you see them (the tracers) first hand.
But most times....Same has figured out the right answer....where the Torque Gauge becomes the amount of droop in your Rotor System and not what shows on the instrument panel!
No matter how Vietnam War Helicopter pilots like to embellish on occasions....one thing is for sure...when you are getting shot at AND taking hits....there is nothing "Normal" about that operation and red lines become something to talk about after the fact.
Usually it happens so fast, despite time coming to a pace about equal to a Molasses spill on a very cold February morning in the Arctic....you really only to get deal with the aftermath.
Watching Tracers...really large tracer bullets come up and whiz by is an interesting thing to contemplate both during and after it happens.
I do not condone that and suggest watching Hollywood films is as close as you really want to come in experiencing that.
Beer gains a new level of appreciation in the bar at night when you see them (the tracers) first hand.
SAS, you wrote: “ there is nothing "Normal" about that operation and red lines become something to talk about after the fact.”
A USAF HH-5C pilot named Donald Carty came up to SA to help us complete a flight loads survey data flight while hooked into a C-130 ( something new to yours truly ). We were talking one day about the inaccuracies our H53 project pilot had found in the cruise guide system at higher speeds and higher altitudes with the new -7 engines. Discussion got around to your subject of red lines. Well, Don had been “ up north “ one day and was being chased by a MIG. He dived at a cloud as that was his only possible salvation. I asked him about what his weight was and how fast he had gone. He said that he had no idea what the speed was as his total concentration was getting to that cloud as fast as he could. He did offer that the vibration level was something he hadn’t experienced before or since. They gave the ship a thorough inspection upon return ( he made it to the cloud and evaded the MIG ) without result. SAS, you are on point: there may occur a situation where the limitations as published become academic.
A USAF HH-5C pilot named Donald Carty came up to SA to help us complete a flight loads survey data flight while hooked into a C-130 ( something new to yours truly ). We were talking one day about the inaccuracies our H53 project pilot had found in the cruise guide system at higher speeds and higher altitudes with the new -7 engines. Discussion got around to your subject of red lines. Well, Don had been “ up north “ one day and was being chased by a MIG. He dived at a cloud as that was his only possible salvation. I asked him about what his weight was and how fast he had gone. He said that he had no idea what the speed was as his total concentration was getting to that cloud as fast as he could. He did offer that the vibration level was something he hadn’t experienced before or since. They gave the ship a thorough inspection upon return ( he made it to the cloud and evaded the MIG ) without result. SAS, you are on point: there may occur a situation where the limitations as published become academic.
there may occur a situation where the limitations as published become academic
Rule 27 from the combat pilots handbook - The aircraft limits are only there in case there is another flight planned for that particular airplane. If subsequent flights do not appear likely, there are no limits.
SAS, you wrote: “ there is nothing "Normal" about that operation and red lines become something to talk about after the fact.”
A USAF HH-5C pilot named Donald Carty came up to SA to help us complete a flight loads survey data flight while hooked into a C-130 (something new to yours truly). We were talking one day about the inaccuracies our H53 project pilot had found in the cruise guide system at higher speeds and higher altitudes with the new -7 engines. Discussion got around to your subject of red lines. Well, Don had been “up north“ one day and was being chased by a MIG. He dived at a cloud as that was his only possible salvation. I asked him about what his weight was and how fast he had gone. He said that he had no idea what the speed was as his total concentration was getting to that cloud as fast as he could. He did offer that the vibration level was something he hadn’t experienced before or since. They gave the ship a thorough inspection upon return (he made it to the cloud and evaded the MIG) without result. SAS, you are on point: there may occur a situation where the limitations as published become academic.
A USAF HH-5C pilot named Donald Carty came up to SA to help us complete a flight loads survey data flight while hooked into a C-130 (something new to yours truly). We were talking one day about the inaccuracies our H53 project pilot had found in the cruise guide system at higher speeds and higher altitudes with the new -7 engines. Discussion got around to your subject of red lines. Well, Don had been “up north“ one day and was being chased by a MIG. He dived at a cloud as that was his only possible salvation. I asked him about what his weight was and how fast he had gone. He said that he had no idea what the speed was as his total concentration was getting to that cloud as fast as he could. He did offer that the vibration level was something he hadn’t experienced before or since. They gave the ship a thorough inspection upon return (he made it to the cloud and evaded the MIG) without result. SAS, you are on point: there may occur a situation where the limitations as published become academic.
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Sorry for the necro post. Don Carty is my father and he’s in really bad health right now. I was looking around the internet for tidbits and found this. Thank you for sharing. He went from a coal mining town Clintwood, VA to USNA, switched to USAF became a test pilot and ended up flying Jollys in Vietnam. He always said flying helos was the most fun he ever had. I was in IZ a few years back and just barely missed an opportunity to fly on the final (I was told) MH-53 Pave Low mission. Some of those birds dated back to my father’s era. Interesting side note; the guy that was trying to setup the flight was the backseater’s son from Boxer 22B. Names intentionally omitted.
R9chelsea, please pass your Dad best wishes and renewed thanks for his really first class assistance. Those of us in the pilot office at SA will always be in his debt for the help. Don typified the quality and the bravery of all the Jolly Greens. Flying with your dad is a memory I will never forget.
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R9chelsea, please pass your Dad best wishes and renewed thanks for his really first class assistance. Those of us in the pilot office at SA will always be in his debt for the help. Don typified the quality and the bravery of all the Jolly Greens. Flying with your dad is a memory I will never forget.
