Thanks for the offer Ned, much appreciated as always.

Like my old friend EESDL (...hope you’re well, D), mine involves a Wessex and RAF Valley.
After 72 and Sixty I was on 22Sqn for a while. Was crap at SAR and eventually got chopped but before then while doing the work up at Valley we did some night IF. Despite having an AI the size of a bin lid, Wessex IF was always hard work for me... (all OK now, thanks for asking).
Will W was the duty pilot and he sat LHS while I did some general handling to the NW of the field before a couple of approaches to finish off.
We were at maybe 4000’ in slightly hazy conditions when Will told me to come out from under the hood and “Look at that!”
We were approaching the South Stack lighthouse and the beams were illuminating the haze. From above it looked like a giant six spoked wagon wheel silently rotating in the dark. Slightly disorientating and not good for my IF in the next few minutes but the sight itself was eerie, mesmerising and for some reason even a little scary. I’ll never forget it.

For me it was going up in a Gazelle for a test flight over the Adriatic.
First time sitting up up front as young sprog technician.
After a successful test flight I was encouraged to try a bit of 'hands on'. Although being scared senseless I was able to bring the aircraft back to base (with a lot of expert guidance) whereby the Captain toook over.

For me, it was landing a jetranger at NYC heliport between an S76 and an AW139 both spinning, full pucker affect, backing out I think the 76 spooled up just to help me out, ;-(

XV105

Yes indeed it was a very sad day that I learned of G-BBHMs demise. We took very great care of the old girl all the way out to Bangladesh and back again. I flew it back to Aberdeen in July 98 as well.

It's a sad fact of the AAIB report that "HM" was significantly abused during multiple engine starts at Portland and this lead directly to her demise. Probably by someone with no "mechanical sympathy"

XA

FC80

Getting airborne from an airfield somewhere in Norway in 10M vis before an engine failure just after TDP Oh wait, that was the sim...

Most memorable moment in an acutal helicopter - probably nearly getting speared by a pair of F-15s while flying a Jet Ranger up Glencoe...

There we were, bimbling along at 100 knots, soaking in the scenery. What a lovely day it was to be airborne over the glorious Scottish countryside instead of indulging in some mundane ground-bound pursuit.

Half a second later, two of Uncle Sam's finest death machines appear from nowhere - one flashes above, one below, followed by the aroma of jet exhaust wafting into the cockpit. There wasn't really time to do anything apart from hope there wasn't a third one lurking round the corner.

Fortunately I was wearing my bicycle clips that day


That is a great story!!!!

My best memories for flying was when I took my brother with me as an ground crew to a small airfield where I had to do some pleasure flights for about 15 pax in total. on a summerday.
I had been flying flying for about two years at that time but never had my brother with me in the helicopter before, that meant a lot to me :O

Best moment in recent times- doing a flight in NZ out of Wanaka exploring Milford Haven and the Fiordland with an experienced local pointing out the landmarks- absolutely stunning locations!

Taking my first trip offshore (in the back as passenger) in a Westland 30 and wondering if that sliding door would fall off with all that vibration

Latest was doing the grand canyon in the front seat of an EC130 with my wife on her birthday in 2016.... 4 others behind us did not enjoy the ride... sik saks deployed and used... but not by us!!!! :)

Early 80s in a B-model Huey, called out in a storm under low cloud to a yacht which had sunk 30nm off the coast. Found it by being guided in by a circling Herc, so we dropped a smoke float upwind of the wallowing dinghy, set up a pattern and sent the "teabag" down the wire, over the heaving seas. We managed to make 5 pickups off 5 circuits before we ran out of smoke floats, so on the 6th my hover was a bit ragged, and the teabag got his feet wet for the first time - all the others we had popped him into the open door of the dinghy.

We took the 6 yachties back to base, just made it with fuel, and the mongrels didn't even say "Thank you"!

Late Jan 2001, having spent many nights on a VERY cold (must have been below -5) Salisbury Plain, having broken the ice off our kit, racked with the flu (proper flu, none of your heavy cold rubbish), and waiting for extraction by HC2. At first light we watched them flying in from the South, like some sort of Guardian Angel, slowly at first, it seemed like an age, lying there, soaked and freezing. In an intricate synchronised ballet like movement, they each touched their wheels down onto the frost laden grass and mud, the cacophony of their engines and blades filling the air. The noise increased, the down wash was biting to our skin as they lifted off without us, returning South to a more pressing engagement, leaving us to tab out of the Plain.

Did I mention it was VERY cold? lol

That was my most memorable helicopter experience, sadly without being in a helicopter. All my other experiences in helicopters feel much more pedestrian to me in my memory.

One of my memories.

Taking a blind person on a sight-"seeing" trip over the Canaries.
He wanted to experience the feelings and noises. I talked him through the scenery and also did some "sporty" flying. He loved every minute and came back later for more. It was a great experience for me as well.:ok:

Unfortunately my most memorable was flying into a live Danger Area.
We initially heard the immortal lat and long being dictated over Guard, and at first chuckled amongst ourselves about the poor sod who had 'bonged' a NOTAMd Live GunEx...
Then by slowly checking off each digit narrated by ATC on our Mission Display, we eventually realised IT WAS US!
Lesson very much learnt...

Thanks, Ned! Love your pics:ok:

Many memories, most good. Here are three that stand out:

1. First helicopter flight: Passenger in a Huey while a cadet in ROTC. I had dreamt about this for years, and the sensation did not disappoint.

2. First time at the controls: Eight-ish years later I'm acting as FTE for the first time. Test pilot states that the engineer always gets to fly home. Got to fly us back and try my hand at hovering. The sensation did not disappoint!

3. Eight-ish years on again: Flying with same test pilot as above (whom I had not seen since). By this time I have earned my CPL. We both fly, and he shares more of his wisdom. Post-flight my test pilot, friend, and mentor offers a very complimentary assessment of my flying. That sensation certainly did not disappoint!!

Thanks Ned!


I worked on helicopter engines for several years before I actually had my first ride - so there was plenty of anticipation - and it did not disappoint. The 'first time' is never one's best but I doubt that many ever forget it. (I'm still talking about helicopters)


Flying with a Bell test pilot in a 407 we did what is to every pilot very standard stuff but to a newbie and one who had spent way too many years staring up into the skies, it sealed my love for flying.


Now I'm early into training on Gyro and loving every minute behind the controls. I had reasons why this wasn't pursued earlier but very grateful that it is possible now.

My last landing.

Thanks Ned and happy holidays.

Ferry flight R22 from Jacksonville,FL to Salinas,CA November 2000. Just me with about 300h TT.
Spend the night in AL due to Thunderstorms, land in a field to wait that the fog burns off, night stop in TX, fly trough snow storm to Pecos,TX fighting headwinds (just fly really low) through NM, AZ in to Apple Valley,CA with the last 2h at night 🤤 it gets really dark out there. Next day arrival in Salinas.
Lots of learning by doing..... experience priceless!

Sadly, have never been off the ground in a helicopter, though I'm hoping my first ride will be on my own volition! Still appreciate all the great work done in a great industry.

Hello Ned, here's my contribution. My twin sister invited me, as a special birthday treat, on a trip to New York. We flew to the USA and spent a week visiting the sights. The big treat on top of all that was a helicopter trip over New York. It was absolutely incredible! I have always been a big fan of helicopters and this really got me hooked! If I were younger I would have liked to learn to fly one! My husband used to fly gliders and my sister and I did too, now one of my sons flies a bus and the other is studying aerospace engineering so something has passed on, but I know, after a short trip to NZ a few years ago, that in my next life I would like to grow up in New Zealand and fly helicopters! Take care.

Thanks Ned,
I was going to say crossing the centreline of KSAN at 800' in a 44 and seeing 2 reds 2 whites on the PAPIs and thinking 23.5 hours earlier I saw the same picture in something a lot bigger but that's been done re KLAX 😎
I remember creeping up a snow covered valley below Byron Heights in the Falklands looking for 3 guys walking down to meet us. There'd been a recent incident where people had nearly died of exposure trying the same thing. Our loady spotted them so we put one wheel on and opened the cargo door. There was little visual reference with patches of hill fog around in fact I was using a black rock to maintain a hover. Just as the last guy was dragged through the door the rock spread its wings and flew off. !*#+ .