World without Helicopters
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2024
Posts: 24
Likes: 1
From: Tropopause
World without Helicopters
Hey guys, just wanted to share a thought I had after the NY crash a few days ago. Do not get me wrong, I am currently a CPL H student and can not wait to get in the controls every time but I was wondering how a world without the invention of the helicopter would look like? Do you guys think it has brought more benefits than detriments?
Popular Reply
15th April 2025, 11:48
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 18,633
Likes: 1,072
From: Downeast
Ever attend a gathering of old timers of the helicopter industry and listen to the many stories told and thought of what they are all about?
Some of the old Geezers with the long whiskers, livers that probably resemble Rugby Footballs due to the bowser loads of Beer they filtered, and some with the the scars, wounds, and injuries from when things did not go according to plan can spin some serious yarns.
They bring the human side of the equation to the fore and for neophytes it provides a great store of knowledge and experience.
Some of us have gone from early model Bell 47's, Hillers, even the odd Sycamore and early Sikorsky's to the latest and greatest fully tricked out aircraft of today.
Wars have been fought, rescues made, patients transported, wildfires fought, VIP's catered to, oil field workers shifted around, tourists flown, law enforced, and lost children found....all as a days work for the flight crews and the engineers.
We have lived in posh hotels, tents, even in the Bell or Boeing-Vertol Arms or just under the Stars....experienced storms, tornado's, hurricanes, and cyclones and the aftermath of them and even earthquakes.
Deer, Elk, and Moose have been pursued for research, terrorists hunted for real, and open air concerts and ball games protected.
Yes....helicopters have made a difference in many lives and in many ways and in each of us.
We are far better off for having them and the kinds of folks that make it happen every day.
You know you are doing something good and is appreciated when you arrive and it is nothing but upturned faces with huge smiles and happy faces on people who knew you would come in their time of great need.
I saw that from Infantry Soldiers on the ground in combat, survivors of earthquakes in Iran, injured persons at automobile accidents at home, and fighter pilots looking up as we winched them from places they really did not care to linger at. I know for sure of one US Sailor that benefited from a ride in the back of my aircraft after being grievously wounded and because of our timely presence and flying him to the nearest field hospital he lived and later sent me a very nice letter thanking me for what in reality was just an ordinary part of my work day but meant so much to him. As part of Grant-a-Wish programs for the terminally ill I have given sight seeing rides and being able to do so meant a lot to both the recipient....and to the giver. I would not have had those blessings had I not been a helicopter pilot and there not been the helicopter to provide the means. We can and do make a difference as we should whenever possible.
One recent example... volunteer helicopters responding to survivors of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina.
https://www.operationhelo.org
Some of the old Geezers with the long whiskers, livers that probably resemble Rugby Footballs due to the bowser loads of Beer they filtered, and some with the the scars, wounds, and injuries from when things did not go according to plan can spin some serious yarns.
They bring the human side of the equation to the fore and for neophytes it provides a great store of knowledge and experience.
Some of us have gone from early model Bell 47's, Hillers, even the odd Sycamore and early Sikorsky's to the latest and greatest fully tricked out aircraft of today.
Wars have been fought, rescues made, patients transported, wildfires fought, VIP's catered to, oil field workers shifted around, tourists flown, law enforced, and lost children found....all as a days work for the flight crews and the engineers.
We have lived in posh hotels, tents, even in the Bell or Boeing-Vertol Arms or just under the Stars....experienced storms, tornado's, hurricanes, and cyclones and the aftermath of them and even earthquakes.
Deer, Elk, and Moose have been pursued for research, terrorists hunted for real, and open air concerts and ball games protected.
Yes....helicopters have made a difference in many lives and in many ways and in each of us.
We are far better off for having them and the kinds of folks that make it happen every day.
You know you are doing something good and is appreciated when you arrive and it is nothing but upturned faces with huge smiles and happy faces on people who knew you would come in their time of great need.
I saw that from Infantry Soldiers on the ground in combat, survivors of earthquakes in Iran, injured persons at automobile accidents at home, and fighter pilots looking up as we winched them from places they really did not care to linger at. I know for sure of one US Sailor that benefited from a ride in the back of my aircraft after being grievously wounded and because of our timely presence and flying him to the nearest field hospital he lived and later sent me a very nice letter thanking me for what in reality was just an ordinary part of my work day but meant so much to him. As part of Grant-a-Wish programs for the terminally ill I have given sight seeing rides and being able to do so meant a lot to both the recipient....and to the giver. I would not have had those blessings had I not been a helicopter pilot and there not been the helicopter to provide the means. We can and do make a difference as we should whenever possible.
One recent example... volunteer helicopters responding to survivors of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina.
https://www.operationhelo.org
Joined: Aug 2009
Aviation Qualifications: Military
Posts: 9,328
Likes: 2,175
From: Texas
Gee, Aicila2491, you ask a bunch of helicopter pilots that question.
What answer did you expect?
Of course it has brought more benefits than detriments!
The sheer number of soldiers lives saved via MEDEVAC over the past 60 years is but one data point.
You can ask Gordo about the benefits of doing power line work in the Western US.
Fire fighting in certain places. Logging in some places.
The fun sightseeing tour I took my family on in the Smokey Mountains a few decades ago.
That's just the tip of the iceberg.
What answer did you expect?
Of course it has brought more benefits than detriments!
The sheer number of soldiers lives saved via MEDEVAC over the past 60 years is but one data point.
You can ask Gordo about the benefits of doing power line work in the Western US.
Fire fighting in certain places. Logging in some places.
The fun sightseeing tour I took my family on in the Smokey Mountains a few decades ago.
That's just the tip of the iceberg.
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 444
Likes: 83
From: Alles Über
Gee, Aicila2491, you ask a bunch of helicopter pilots that question.
What answer did you expect?
Of course it has brought more benefits than detriments!
The sheer number of soldiers lives saved via MEDEVAC over the past 60 years is but one data point.
You can ask Gordo about the benefits of doing power line work in the Western US.
Fire fighting in certain places. Logging in some places.
The fun sightseeing tour I took my family on in the Smokey Mountains a few decades ago.
That's just the tip of the iceberg.
What answer did you expect?
Of course it has brought more benefits than detriments!
The sheer number of soldiers lives saved via MEDEVAC over the past 60 years is but one data point.
You can ask Gordo about the benefits of doing power line work in the Western US.
Fire fighting in certain places. Logging in some places.
The fun sightseeing tour I took my family on in the Smokey Mountains a few decades ago.
That's just the tip of the iceberg.
Joined: Jul 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL(H)
Posts: 3,052
Likes: 56
From: UK
I was once told that the helicopter is the only mode of transport that has helped to save more lives than it has taken.
I don’t have a reference to prove this but I’m sure that if you dig deep enough, you could find the statistics to validate this point.
I don’t have a reference to prove this but I’m sure that if you dig deep enough, you could find the statistics to validate this point.
Joined: Oct 2006
Aviation Qualifications: A&P
Posts: 1,346
Likes: 270
From: USA
Hey guys, just wanted to share a thought I had after the NY crash a few days ago. Do not get me wrong, I am currently a CPL H student and can not wait to get in the controls every time but I was wondering how a world without the invention of the helicopter would look like? Do you guys think it has brought more benefits than detriments?
Joined: Aug 2009
Aviation Qualifications: Military
Posts: 9,328
Likes: 2,175
From: Texas
Joined: Sep 2002
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 4,721
Likes: 636
From: Great South East, tired and retired
Power line inspection (before drones)
Power tower insertion by longline
Police ops
Inserting people into tight spots where they are needed
Oil rig work
Power tower insertion by longline
Police ops
Inserting people into tight spots where they are needed
Oil rig work
Joined: Apr 2009
Aviation Qualifications: Non-Aircrew
Posts: 1,572
Likes: 650
From: DM33
Joined: Aug 2009
Aviation Qualifications: Military
Posts: 9,328
Likes: 2,175
From: Texas
Joined: Sep 2023
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 219
Likes: 99
From: Montana
Do you guys think it has brought more benefits than detriments?
Joined: Oct 2019
Aviation Qualifications: Non-Aircrew
Posts: 1,690
Likes: 1,069
From: USA
Tough to say, but it was inevitable with the invention of the autogyro following the death of the inventor Juan de la Cierva's friend due to stalling a fixed wing**. Of course prior to that Leonardo daVinci had some ideas, but the autogyro was the first practical rotary wing.
I did see that helicopters played a huge role in turning the tide for the North Vietnamese who had been hassled by them for a long time, until a badly designed mission saw several of them shot down. The Viet Cong were emboldened by the victory over a machine they could not dream of operating and using only small arms fire. Had the US gone into Viet Nam without helicopters a very different attitude might have been taken, either ending the involvement sooner or getting a lot more people killed.
Overall a general plus for aviation, though when they fail they do so spectacularly and, sadly, too often with the loss of lives. More saved than lost - certainly, but saving lives doesn't make the news so often, so there is a bias in what the general population knows.
I do expect that drones will take / are taking a number of operations away from helicopters, mainly for SAR, forward observation, clearly for "kamikaze" attacks, news gathering, agricultural monitoring and pesticide application, land sales photography; mainly anything that does not require going 100 knots for an hour at a time or a need for care of someone on board or delivery of someone on board. Of the latter, the drones are coming closer. The big ag drones can carry 100kg and can apply materials on a square meter basis within centimeters of the desired position.
I still recall during one of the Mississippi floods where a riverboat got loose and the news copters were competing for a good view. The one that made it first got detailed video of the superstructure of the riverboat being peeled off as it was forced under a bridge. The one that got there second had only a distant view of the first one.
This competition would not happen with drones; they could be just a few feet from the action like a swarm of bees. They can also use FLIR to actually enter smoke plumes if necessary to see how fires are going - not a thing a manned helicopter can do.
**Google finds no reference to the death. Puzzling as I recall reading about that, but after 5 decades it may be the author of what I read was fact-checked and the origin was just an interest in rotating wings.
I did see that helicopters played a huge role in turning the tide for the North Vietnamese who had been hassled by them for a long time, until a badly designed mission saw several of them shot down. The Viet Cong were emboldened by the victory over a machine they could not dream of operating and using only small arms fire. Had the US gone into Viet Nam without helicopters a very different attitude might have been taken, either ending the involvement sooner or getting a lot more people killed.
Overall a general plus for aviation, though when they fail they do so spectacularly and, sadly, too often with the loss of lives. More saved than lost - certainly, but saving lives doesn't make the news so often, so there is a bias in what the general population knows.
I do expect that drones will take / are taking a number of operations away from helicopters, mainly for SAR, forward observation, clearly for "kamikaze" attacks, news gathering, agricultural monitoring and pesticide application, land sales photography; mainly anything that does not require going 100 knots for an hour at a time or a need for care of someone on board or delivery of someone on board. Of the latter, the drones are coming closer. The big ag drones can carry 100kg and can apply materials on a square meter basis within centimeters of the desired position.
I still recall during one of the Mississippi floods where a riverboat got loose and the news copters were competing for a good view. The one that made it first got detailed video of the superstructure of the riverboat being peeled off as it was forced under a bridge. The one that got there second had only a distant view of the first one.
This competition would not happen with drones; they could be just a few feet from the action like a swarm of bees. They can also use FLIR to actually enter smoke plumes if necessary to see how fires are going - not a thing a manned helicopter can do.
**Google finds no reference to the death. Puzzling as I recall reading about that, but after 5 decades it may be the author of what I read was fact-checked and the origin was just an interest in rotating wings.
Last edited by MechEngr; 13th April 2025 at 23:20.
Joined: Aug 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 1,629
Likes: 206
From: SW England
Re the saving lives vs taking them 'thing' - ISTR the ex-SAR-heli pilot and UK company CEO, now the boss of an excellent Air Ambulance operation, trotting out that line as it was a particular favourite of his. He wasn't too pleased when one of his pilots, a relatively-recent ex-AAC Apache operator, added a comment along the lines of "but we were doing our best to catch up".
My take on the OP question is - I'm really grateful that they were invented, otherwise I'd have had to work for a living instead of being paid to do my hobby. Messrs Cierva, Sikorsky et al have my eternal gratitude.
My take on the OP question is - I'm really grateful that they were invented, otherwise I'd have had to work for a living instead of being paid to do my hobby. Messrs Cierva, Sikorsky et al have my eternal gratitude.
Joined: Sep 2018
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 888
Likes: 65
From: California
Hey guys, just wanted to share a thought I had after the NY crash a few days ago. Do not get me wrong, I am currently a CPL H student and can not wait to get in the controls every time but I was wondering how a world without the invention of the helicopter would look like? Do you guys think it has brought more benefits than detriments?
Joined: May 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 18,633
Likes: 1,072
From: Downeast
Ever attend a gathering of old timers of the helicopter industry and listen to the many stories told and thought of what they are all about?
Some of the old Geezers with the long whiskers, livers that probably resemble Rugby Footballs due to the bowser loads of Beer they filtered, and some with the the scars, wounds, and injuries from when things did not go according to plan can spin some serious yarns.
They bring the human side of the equation to the fore and for neophytes it provides a great store of knowledge and experience.
Some of us have gone from early model Bell 47's, Hillers, even the odd Sycamore and early Sikorsky's to the latest and greatest fully tricked out aircraft of today.
Wars have been fought, rescues made, patients transported, wildfires fought, VIP's catered to, oil field workers shifted around, tourists flown, law enforced, and lost children found....all as a days work for the flight crews and the engineers.
We have lived in posh hotels, tents, even in the Bell or Boeing-Vertol Arms or just under the Stars....experienced storms, tornado's, hurricanes, and cyclones and the aftermath of them and even earthquakes.
Deer, Elk, and Moose have been pursued for research, terrorists hunted for real, and open air concerts and ball games protected.
Yes....helicopters have made a difference in many lives and in many ways and in each of us.
We are far better off for having them and the kinds of folks that make it happen every day.
You know you are doing something good and is appreciated when you arrive and it is nothing but upturned faces with huge smiles and happy faces on people who knew you would come in their time of great need.
I saw that from Infantry Soldiers on the ground in combat, survivors of earthquakes in Iran, injured persons at automobile accidents at home, and fighter pilots looking up as we winched them from places they really did not care to linger at. I know for sure of one US Sailor that benefited from a ride in the back of my aircraft after being grievously wounded and because of our timely presence and flying him to the nearest field hospital he lived and later sent me a very nice letter thanking me for what in reality was just an ordinary part of my work day but meant so much to him. As part of Grant-a-Wish programs for the terminally ill I have given sight seeing rides and being able to do so meant a lot to both the recipient....and to the giver. I would not have had those blessings had I not been a helicopter pilot and there not been the helicopter to provide the means. We can and do make a difference as we should whenever possible.
One recent example... volunteer helicopters responding to survivors of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina.
https://www.operationhelo.org
Some of the old Geezers with the long whiskers, livers that probably resemble Rugby Footballs due to the bowser loads of Beer they filtered, and some with the the scars, wounds, and injuries from when things did not go according to plan can spin some serious yarns.
They bring the human side of the equation to the fore and for neophytes it provides a great store of knowledge and experience.
Some of us have gone from early model Bell 47's, Hillers, even the odd Sycamore and early Sikorsky's to the latest and greatest fully tricked out aircraft of today.
Wars have been fought, rescues made, patients transported, wildfires fought, VIP's catered to, oil field workers shifted around, tourists flown, law enforced, and lost children found....all as a days work for the flight crews and the engineers.
We have lived in posh hotels, tents, even in the Bell or Boeing-Vertol Arms or just under the Stars....experienced storms, tornado's, hurricanes, and cyclones and the aftermath of them and even earthquakes.
Deer, Elk, and Moose have been pursued for research, terrorists hunted for real, and open air concerts and ball games protected.
Yes....helicopters have made a difference in many lives and in many ways and in each of us.
We are far better off for having them and the kinds of folks that make it happen every day.
You know you are doing something good and is appreciated when you arrive and it is nothing but upturned faces with huge smiles and happy faces on people who knew you would come in their time of great need.
I saw that from Infantry Soldiers on the ground in combat, survivors of earthquakes in Iran, injured persons at automobile accidents at home, and fighter pilots looking up as we winched them from places they really did not care to linger at. I know for sure of one US Sailor that benefited from a ride in the back of my aircraft after being grievously wounded and because of our timely presence and flying him to the nearest field hospital he lived and later sent me a very nice letter thanking me for what in reality was just an ordinary part of my work day but meant so much to him. As part of Grant-a-Wish programs for the terminally ill I have given sight seeing rides and being able to do so meant a lot to both the recipient....and to the giver. I would not have had those blessings had I not been a helicopter pilot and there not been the helicopter to provide the means. We can and do make a difference as we should whenever possible.
One recent example... volunteer helicopters responding to survivors of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina.
https://www.operationhelo.org
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 319
Likes: 56
From: On land