Strange, only one skid aligned???
SLB

But can you park ya Rotor successfully ..!!;)

Before the rush begins,

Thank you for a year of brilliant stories and magnificent pictures, truly fantastic.

Peter R-B
Lancashire UK

Merry Christmas
 

Hey SLB

Yaaar - trainee...............:O
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Good morning Peter

Thank You for Your kind words Brother :)


Wishing All a Safe & Happy festivities :ok:
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...3A6255A8_1.jpg

the Western Khumb
 

just below the choke, above Camp 1 ~ 21,800' :8

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...8D0D48DCDF.jpg

Wow, that's a picture.

Compliments of the season - let me know if you need any more Vegemite. ;)

Merry Merry
 

Good morning Peter

Many thanks & wishing You an awesome coming new year :ok: Hmmmmm yes please, starting to miss the ole axle grease :ouch:

Happy Happy

Who's shooting who..........
 

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...0DFA77E9D2.jpg

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...EE51926414.jpg
taking clix, below the choke - Western Khumb, Sagarmatha ~ 21,800' :ooh: :eek: :E

Married, brain bucket and cannula - times have changed, VF!

Details
 

Good morning krypton_john

Married ~ 'twas about time I guess, hmmm I had to tie Her down with the paperwork, or risk loosing Her :* as she was to good to let go; I did the needful :ok:
Brain Bucket ~ better safe than sorry........:} I wear a Helmet Motorcycling so why not Helicycling :eek:
O2 Cannula ~ Yaaar whenever I'm landing above 19,000ish' I stick it on :mad: not sure if it helps, or.....:confused:

Merry Merry & Jolly dayz ahead :ok:

VF
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...0000000104.jpg
Mrs VF ;)

Wise man on all accounts.

Myself, I need to put on the helmet and cannula just to get the mail.

WoW - peering up into the Western Khumb
 

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...F070E8D7_1.jpg
nearing the top of the ice fall; approaching the entrance to the Western-Khumb the deadend.deadzone narrow valley that starts at just over 19,000' 4or5nmiles long, highest landing on the valley floor ~ 23,800' & surrounded by 29,000 feet of mountains on 3 sides :eek:

Yikes
 

Hey KJ

You must have a very treacherous jaunt to the letterbox :{


Question:

Who was the first to land inside the Western Khumb???:confused:

short final :8
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...000000008E.jpg

WoW - approaching the outer atmospheric limits of Planet Earth circa 1973
 

:confused: somewhere around Gorokshhep :eek: these guys where truly the pioneering test Pilot's to flying at these extreme landing heights :ok: 1973 :uhoh:
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...0000000411.jpg

VNKT
 

Tribhuvan International airstrip :8 Brahman security :oh: Herc 130 delivering 2 x Augusta 205's for (planned) Sagarmatha aerial operations into the Western Khumb :eek:
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...0000000417.jpg

WoW
 

Pheriche ~ 14,000' :ok:
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...0000000418.jpg

re-entry
 

Crikey VF,

you'll need an ablation skin on the underside of your re-entry vehicle to return to earth from those altitudes:ok:

DoT.:*

Yikes
 

Hey DoT

Yep all that................................:O

Wonderful new Years wishes :ok:

VF

Yikes that's HIGH for a B205
 

short final to camp 2 Western Khumb - Sagarmatha := circa 1973 :eek:
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...0000000413.jpg
on ground camp2 :cool:
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...0000000414.jpg

Namaste VF,

Your are caught on film.
You are probably caught more often but this was the first time i saw you on Dutch television.
On Boxing day there was a documentary about some Dutch climbers trying to conquer the Cho Oyu.
As a side step about the dangers to which also the sherpas are exposed there was a clipping from ABC news about the 12 sherpas who died 18 April.
This clipping starts from about 6:00 and features a shot with VF in the 350.

This is the online link. I do not know if you can view this from outside Holland.
(I often cannot open links to BBC online, so there might be a limitation on this as well)
VF on Dutch telly
Fly safe SLB

I wish to express my appreciation to those that have posted their photos in this thread. They are almost without exception stunning examples of fantastic operations at the edge of the performance envelope.

Well done, and thank you! :ok:

coffee time
 

Hey Self loading bear

Thanks Brother :ok: safe Flying :cool:
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G'day jstflyin

Yes Mate what an amazing way to live :E
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Namaste ThreeThreeMike

It sure is....totally on the edge of Power & Tail Rotor Authority - very serious, very challenging; living on the edge :ooh:
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All the Best for 2015 & Happy Landings

VF

WoW amazing display of skills circa 1973
 

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...0000000419.jpg

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...0000000412.jpg

WoW factor Nepali style
 

Office Duties
 

circa 1973
 

& (sadly) during a sudden & severe squall; whilst landing @ Camp1 (~20,K') inside the Western Khumb, Sagarmatha (Everest); 1 of the (2) Italian A205s, blew over, just after landing!!! :{ WoW+Pukr Factor :uhoh:
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...0000000410.jpg

WoW+Pukr Factor
 

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...1098B3A4_1.jpg
outside the Performance graphs, yet still clear of satellite traffic (just), just these great big hills up here :eek: :ooh: :)

Gorokshhep
 

cuppa tea b'fore going for a Lunar shoot :E :mad: :cool:
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...47792899FF.jpg

LeBeast
 

Tail-Rotor clear
 

LeBeast
 

Morning VF :)

Prefer the paint job on the other Beast (two wheeled one) :}

Have a great day!

Namaste Steve,

Looks like the Old Bone shaker could do with a set of spokes, then it would almost be back in the 1960's..:ok:

Fly like the wind, land like a feather,...take care my friend.
Peter R-B

I will try to ring you mid afternoon this coming Sunday UK time

Hey Encyclo

Me too Mate, me too :oh:
----------------------------------------------------
Good morning Peter-RB

OK Brother standing by for Your call :ok:

Happy Landings & Happy Life :cool:

Tail-Rotor clear & safe
 

LeBeasties :ooh:
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...EA6848A3_1.jpg

B3e & B3- :eek:

VF, just curious, isn't in prudent to have a hi-viz colous scheme, in those flying conditions, vs black ?? Stealth .. :)

coffee time
 

Hey good-morning ecureilx

Totally agree Broh......however this purchase was after a earlier customer reneged on it's order & we got it a bit cheaper :ooh: fluro striping to soon follow :ok:

& sometimes, stealth mode is a damn good option :}

Happy Happy :)

Yikes that is damn HIGH
 

Air POWER :eek: (above Camp 2 inside the Western Khumb, Sagarmatha ~ 23,500' :O
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...AFC11F0E_1.jpg
Ground POWER :8(well errr sounded good :suspect:)
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...B30E8C0FB8.jpg
Humble ground-based RotorHead Transport :=

VF, sorry to trouble you... the pictures in posts 2345 and 2346, where were they taken?

Love following this thread - only direct experience of Nepal was 3 weeks trekking in 1979, but many happy memories of working with Gurkhas in Hong Kong, Brunei and elsewhere.

Hi VF......
grounded or not, but Im proud to have had the experience to be on your 'white beast' tru the chaos of the Kathmandu rush hour. Not to forget the food later!
All the best to you and mrs VF.
fritz

Morning Tea with Scones
 

Hey Fritz

Thanks Brother......to me Your never grounded but flying high :E

See You soon for a beer & then.......sum :)
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Namaste Thud_and_Blunder

No troubles Mate, those clix where taken at Gorok Shhep :ok: WoW things would have looked very different in those days :eek:

Happy Happy :p