What chance I got?
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
From: england
What chance I got?
Ok I have question I’m a professional pilot for 27 years with a mere 5500 hours mostly instruction when am I going to die in a helicopter...... lots have bite the dust who were considerably more experienced than me !
Last edited by cyclic flare; 11th December 2019 at 21:31.
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 803
Likes: 52
From: Pensacola, Florida
Meh- could be tomorrow. Heck, could be today! What, you want to live forever? Then choose another profession. Dying in a helicopter is something that we who do it for a living simply don't think about...because if you do think about it too much, you'd have to quit. At least, I would. It would drive me crazy. No, I prefer to concentrate on staying alive in a helicopter. That's a much more positive thing to focus on, I believe. And you know, a lot of it is simply out of our control.
If you've been doing this for as long as you say, you've undoubtedly had some very close calls. We all have. And we all go through periods of depression and (ahem) introspection, especially when we see a guy with so much more experience than us having a fatal. Sometimes it hits us pretty hard. And we get to wondering, "When is it going to be my turn?" But again, you have to shrug those feelings off and continue to punch the button. It'll happen...or not...whenever. And if it does? I'm cool with that. I knew the risks when I signed up.
You did too.
If you've been doing this for as long as you say, you've undoubtedly had some very close calls. We all have. And we all go through periods of depression and (ahem) introspection, especially when we see a guy with so much more experience than us having a fatal. Sometimes it hits us pretty hard. And we get to wondering, "When is it going to be my turn?" But again, you have to shrug those feelings off and continue to punch the button. It'll happen...or not...whenever. And if it does? I'm cool with that. I knew the risks when I signed up.
You did too.
Joined: Sep 2018
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 888
Likes: 65
From: California
Get one of those magic 8-balls and ask it before every flight, "Is this the one that gets me?"
Joined: May 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 18,633
Likes: 1,072
From: Downeast
Dying of old age, dementia, cancer....or just a sudden onset of severe gravity.....in the end we all are leaving here.
I am like a lot of folks....dying doesn't scare me a bit.....I just don't want to be there when it happens.
I am like a lot of folks....dying doesn't scare me a bit.....I just don't want to be there when it happens.
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,111
Likes: 118
Well I have twice the hours and do I think about it, yes, but big deal, we all die sometime, just think of all the good times. Be fatalistic, if your time is up your time is up, dont worry about it. Wont stop me flying a longline in the mountains in a single engine, lots think I am mad but more likely to be killed on my mountain bike !
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,669
Likes: 5
From: uk
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”
Hunter S.Thompson
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 518
Likes: 50
From: London/Atlanta
No one mentioned a Robinson or fairground ride, you had your say in the thread relevant to that, why drag it into a totally unrelated topic?
Avoid imitations
Joined: Nov 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 15,110
Likes: 1,083
From: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
I was asked if I wanted to be an organ donor. I agreed, but on the proviso that I wore out all the best bits myself.
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 850
Likes: 0
From: USA
This thread is a discussion of risk. This was merely pointing out that not all risks are appreciated in the same way in a manner familiar to many PPRuNe members. This seemed like a reasonably relevant contribution. You are welcome to disagree.
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 169
Likes: 0
From: Scotland
Don't worry, it's not so easy to kill yourself with a helicopter.
I managed 46 years and about 23k hours with only one crash and a few near misses and now the bloody cancer got me
.
I really would have prefered to died in a nice crash, but that's life. You unfortunately can't chose.
I managed 46 years and about 23k hours with only one crash and a few near misses and now the bloody cancer got me
.I really would have prefered to died in a nice crash, but that's life. You unfortunately can't chose.
