Had a friend who flew with Nick Ross a couple of times but this was around 1990 and I think it was an 'A' model.

Some additional shots of yesterday's departure:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D...s+Basilica.jpg
The 'Vaticopter' passes in front of St. Peter's Basilica

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-v...to+28+2+13.jpg
The Papal 139 lines-up to overfly St. Peter's Square

The last time I saw that much smoke pouring from a 139 was when a pilot - who thought that the RFM did not apply to him - shut down the engines before the 2 minute cool down period..... Ciao

30 seconds from touchdown to rotor stopped.:ok:
Another record for the Italian Air Force.:E

One tries! :E

FYI .. TQHF have also made a few 'brisk' shut-downs in their time!

From originally flippant comments that the smoke was a sign that Benedetto should have remained in office .. Italian news are now saying that the 'smoking Vaticopter' is an endorsement that a 'higher authority' in fact approves of his retirement .. and .. it is no longer being discussed with humour .. but with a worrying degree of credibility! Just goes to show what far-reaching consequences the actions of helicopter pilots can have! ;)

when he was a cardinal
 

[IMG]http://i46.tinypic.com/domma8.jpg[/IMG]

The Arriel has a 30 second cool down period at flat pitch.

Anyone shutting down a turbine engine prematurely is storing problems for the future - if not the next start up (power turbine rub being one possibility.)

Papa Francesco met with Papa Benedetto at Castel Gandolfo yesterday:

http://images.politico.com/global/20...ict_ap_328.jpg

Francesco's arrival (courtesy of the Vaticopter) can be seen in the first moments of the clip below:

The Vaticopter seems to have been "blessed" with quite an extensive ESM/ECM suite.

Necessary for when the Aeronautica Militare are tasked with non-Papal flights! ;)

On a more serious note .. increasingly common (these days) for flying units engaged in transporting Heads of State, but, there are some notable exceptions around the world .. including the UK.