Filming a new Magum PI movie with a MD500
 

here

Nice video (albeit with the wrong music... :E), previously posted in the 50 Years of the Fabulous 500 thread, but don't see anything to suggest that a new Magnum PI movie is in the works. More likely this was just Paradise Helicopters showing off their beautifully refurbished MD500 that was showcased at last year's Heli-Expo.

I/C

oops came to me via a film making thread...

no floats.?
 

Don't people believe in floats for single engine helicopters when flying over water?

The AS350 crash in the Baltic Sea off the North German coast proves what can happen!

Hi Good Vibs,

no need for floats - second (rescue) helicopter was close by, filming ;-)
And - water temperature at Hawaii allows much loger survivability than the Baltic sea in winter :-(

Greetings Flying Bull

floats, lifejackets?
 

Nice that a second helicopter filming is nearby!
Is it equipped to rescue people in the water after a crash, ie winch, winchman, etc.
Do the people in the 500 realized how fast a helicopter sinks after hitting the water if it has no floats. Dare I ask...Rotor Brake?
Good luck if it does not have one.

Good vibes,

no most people don't. same as we don't feel the need for twin engines when flying over inhospitable terrain, ie mountains, forest, cities, water etc, pretty much everywhere that helicopters operate!

Not everyone is so concerned that they will be onboard a turbine helicopter when it has its 1 in 100,000 hr engine failure.

considering that 95% or so of accidents are pilots flying a perfectly safe helicopter into the ground/water/wire/structure, wouldn't you be better to suggest that the helicopter has a spare pilot onboard rather than floats?

Good vibs
So when you were taught to fly did you not fly a single piston in the avoid curve??? Presumably not considering your safety views !

Hi Good Vibs,
there are already some answers.
What you need a rotorbrake for?
You can use it only, if you have floats.
In any other case, when going in, the pilot should consider to roll the helicopter in that way, that the advancing blade will hit the water - therefore let the gearbox travel backwards....

Greetings Udo
Flying Bull

Singles and Floats
 

Hi FB ... great that you fancy igniting the 'old chestnut' debate.

Out of interest, I was recently asked to research engine failure rates and produce a risk assessment for a company who planned to spend extra time in the 'Avoid Curve' ... By the way, I call the condition: The 'Area of Extra Caution,' which I feel is a better reflection of the situation.

It's like pulling hens teeth getting definitive answers for the 250-C20 series shut-down rate, but I was quoted a figure of ... "1 in 100,000 hours due to mechanical malfunction." ... being about your figure.

After 40 years handling rotary types, I've accumulated a whisker under
15,000 hours. IE ... I'll need to live another six lives before I'm due to fall foul of the statistics. Six life times and 85,000 hours chugging along with a hundred weight of useless float gear attached to my bum ... 10 knots knocked off my speed while preventing me practicing full stop, skid on EOLs and all at a cost of a thousand or so quid every other year for maintenance.

I like to turn a buck in this business and I know where my money needs to go!

Dennis K.

Hi Dennis,
the problem with statistics...
you don´t know, when the failure occurs - during the first 1.000 hrs, the second or the last
and even if the risk seems smal - I don´t wan´t to become statistic and news headlines :-(

Bye the way, had a coughing C20, with parts of the compressor housing going through the engine - so I´ll be save another 10 lives or so?
Or do I have **** on my shoes and collect failures? Nobody news.....

Greetings Udo
Fyling Bull

Engine Failures and Statistics
 

I agree that we all take a risk when we fly, and hopefully use a little common sense to reduce the risks we can control. That said, having been on the receiving end of a night engine failure (in an airplane) I have to tell you that statistics are of absolutely no comfort when you are holding the winning lottery ticket. And especially, as in my case, when your 3 year old son is sleeping in the back seat.

I suspect that we all take more risks than we actually think, because humans are programmed to believe that it's always going to happen to the other guy. Luckily in my case there was a cow pasture to land in. It wouldn't have been so great if we'd been over the water when it happened...