I have been following this thread with interest and have a couple a question that I hope someone may help me with.

Is the "Q" referred to the same one who took part in the World Helicopter Championships in Moscow in an R22. Is it the same one whose father had a training establishment at Wellesbourne Mountford in the early '90's?

STAN

1) Yes
2) Yes

Is this going to cause you to reveal some great secret? ;)

Quentin Smith flew an R22 to Moscow and, I think, won his class in the World Championships.

Mike Smith still has the 'training establishment' at Wellesbourne airfield. It's called HeliAir. (Q runs HeliAir at Denham.)

Both schools get consistently good reports here.

Well, it all makes sense then.

I would have thought he had grown out of the ten gallon hat and hung up his spurs.

'nuff said before I get moderated.

(removed)

Not a whole lot of freedom for adventure left here or what?

Why did no one cry out loud when they made it to the northpole then? If I remember right they also landed on floating ice and some friend had to fly out fuel (also landing on the shoal...) with an airplane.....

When G-NUDE passed Panama I did not think they where nuts, just a little too confident. Getting into a chopper and do Extreme tours a little after the Private License is not the safest thing I agree, but they where well equipt on their way south!

The rear seat baggage compartments where filled with race car like foam filled fuel cells, interconnected to 2 electric pumps and tied in the fuel drain of the aux tank with a T-fitting. Absolutely professional work.

The pilots behaviour was to the book when it came to preflight and ramp safety by the way!

Why they won´t get into detail:

The R-44 as they flew it in the South Atlantic was probably equiped with some more aux-tanks and seeing their previous instalation I do not doubt that it was made in a good way.

If they are not "specific" on the amount of fuel loaded, well I guess you do not want to tell when you fly off with overweight.
Nevermind the R-44 can do it easily (THOUGH I DO NOT APPROVE OF DOING IT!!), I won´t tell you how I know....

THough I do grant their story on the ditching seems impossible. Though you might be able to get on the skids, I doubt they had time to do anything but get the autorotation done.
If they got into (dense) fog, then most likely they had no choice than to put it into the water - I do not remember if the pilot was IFR-trained, even then it is very intense to stay on the panel for long in a helicopter without autopilot, especially if you do not know where you are and/or when you get out of it (fog).

I train people regularly for tunaboats and that entails full touchdowns with floats on water. From 500 ft you have only about 15 seconds to contact - no time for the stunt they claime


Personally I do not see the point to do what they planned to do, but they have different goals.

It seems no one ever complains if alpinists get into trouble and have to be picked up by helicopter - what is the sense to climb on a rock, just asking for trouble!

But life would be just plain boring without adventure.

There is so much cover up on accidents for insurance reasons - here no one can proof anything. If they ran out of fuel, it stays with them. They may have had plenty of fuel left, but what if the pumps failed , or....., or..., you get it.

To the big calculaters on this thread:

Who says the wind did not change on the route or they got off course a bit, everyone perfect here I guess!


Give them a little credit for the spirit!

3top:D

Headset, I understand what you are saying, but in no way am I saying that this is actually to happen. It is however well known that Frank Robinson is not chuffed about this state of affairs, it's only a logical conclusion.......

I am in no way attacking the Smiths, I have met 'Q' and as a pilot his skills are very good. I do question, as do most others, the logic of undertaking such a flight. But that is the pilots own discretion. What I do not condone is not admitting if you have made a mistake. The very fact that there has been no official comment from the people involved invites speculation. Whether it be correct or not. I guess the truth will out eventually, but the damage may already have been done to reputations.

I will however delete my post as I would not like Pprune to get into any (potential) legal bother. As to my self, I would take my chance as the truth in time will show itself.......

The report does make a mockery of the investigating system. I was under the impression that the AAIB reports were there so that we could learn from others misadventures. Not much to learn from this, but then again I dont suppose there are many of us who want to fly a R44 to Antarctica. Mind you it shows how important fuel reserves and weather diversion planning is.

I'm sure the pilot with initials QS is a highly professional and capable pilot. Lets face it Heliair has been extremely successful under his leadership. It doesnt say which pilot actually contributed to the report, but it seems it was written by a professional journalist rather than a pilot.

It is a shame that we will never hear the whole story. It would be interesting to hear what really happened.

The pilot made an interesting report to some members of the Helicopter Club of Great Britain. In it he said the ditching was made under partial power. After putting out the passenger, he moved off some 15 metres before putting the aircraft in the water.

See! Little by little we get the rumours together!

Though I still doubt he can keep the machine smooth enough to have someone do walks on the skids under partial power. You´re getting your CG way out there, things have to be done very smooth and slow.
(Won´t tell you either how I know that....!)

They mentioned getting fog and trying to get around. If the autorotation-ditching-story is already "inbelievable", what part of the story can you believe to be accurate?

Wild guess is they got fog building everywhere around - it happens sometime that you have no way out. Without floats and/or rough sea you are done.

I am curious to find the real thing told with out regards to insurance, aviation authorities, etc.

3top

Crashondeck
You are obviously having a l'AARF! The AAIB clearly show what their source - i.e. a single AARF form the crew filled in. No independent investigation - no extra insight.

Bravo to AAIB for keeping a straight face while putting this report out. :ok:

Anyway, you can't blame 'em for publishing only what they have to go on. If the crew won't talk...that's it! Not much the AAIB can do about that, not unless we're proposing equiping them with pliers and a hot branding iron as part of their kit?:oh:

Still, I think we're all grown up boys and girls on here, so we can all do the fuel and weight numbers for ourselves, and read between the lines as necessary. Why all the fuss? Apart from the bit about endangering rescue crews these two were out for a bit of adventure, that's all. And even then, those self-same rescuers would be out of a job pronto if it wasn't for a bit of mis-adventure once in a while, wouldn't they?

Good luck to this pair. I wish I had the time and money to do likewise.:}

Tell you what….


I’ll stop paying my taxes which indirectly keep the SAR people in the air, I’ll carry the card which states that I’ve opted out of the “Get home Free” service, and promise faithfully not to call out those crews when I need them, who incidentally, do a sterling job, and appreciated by all.

I honestly think jealousy plays a major part of this thread. By definition of being Helicopter pilots, we hardly want an easy life now do we? Tell any one of us to sit at home and play tiddlywinks everyday and see what reply you’d get. It would drive any one of us insane. We all stretch the envelope occasionally don’t we? Well these two stretched it that bit further and got away with it. Good luck to them.

Take another look the thread regarding “Barn-storming” the bridge. Now take a good look at the outcome of the poll. Almost all participants basically said “Good on ya mate” and by the way, you can keep your licence and nice to see you’ve got away with it. No comments from the SAR crews suggesting how stupid or irresponsible it was and how there’d be required to “pick up the pieces” if it had gone tits up, and what a waste of taxpayers money, now was their? No. Why, because it was a cheeky little number, sticking two fingers up to the establishment that’s why. I wish I had the bottle to do it.

Q Smith is an excellent safety conscious pilot, with a very high degree of skill and talent, dare I say possibly far more than the majority of contributors to this thread. He is also a mature adult with responsibilities like the rest of us. Do you honestly think someone in his or her right mind would set out on this quest of this nature without planning? A pilot with that amount of experience would not embark on a 7 hour, cross water flight, with only 3 or 4 hours duration, give them some credit for Christ’s sake.

Okay, they may have caught a cold with the authorities – so what. I expect you’d riddle if put in a corner, but that doesn’t give everyone the right to jump on the bandwagon and have a go. The next time anyone of you does something not quite legal or within limits, just think on…
:ok:

Happy Landing! I am with you there, apart from me not paying any taxes that go to any usefull SAR establishment!

Talking about "professional" pilots - learning from this threat about dumb "professionals" like the german rescue helicopter driver who had to go below a 37ft bridge with out any reason being on a duty flight is not understandable. Just to counter the "professional" pilots who wanted to take the bridge pilots license.

Keep it professional where it has to be and counts.
But have some fun where it does no harm!
Enjoy your profession and live!

3top
:cool: :D :cool:

Happy Landing:
You're spot on.
But never forget, Q's game is played for high stakes. When his luck runs out, he's going to suffer.
But he'll have fun getting there.

Ah T'aint - Q also rolls the dice, as do we all !

It's refreshing to read responses like those from happy landings and 3top. It goes to show that there are still misguided people in this industry and it's up to the rest of us to maintain standards.
Flying under bridges is not in the same department as this escapade...where is the connection?

Read the report again, slowly. Absorb what the inference is regarding this duo's 'professional 'approach to their mission. Would you have gone about it the way they did? Would you refuse to contribute to the investigation on certain technical aspects? What is there to hide?

What rubbish will you come out with next HL? :8

Hey T-coupling,

I would be glad if you correct my English - it is indeed not my first language!
If you do not understand some of the stuff I write, just ask, I might be able to put it into plain English.........sometimes I am able to!!

3top
:D

Mr Coupling,

My opinion only and I'm sticking to it;)

Taking the wet stuff out of 3top is below the belt. I'd love to see your written account in whatever his 1st language might be.

Still, your wages will be in the bank at the end of the Month eh?

Or should it be more than your jobs worth :ok:

TC
You may disagree fundamentally with 3Top about this issue, but you also have something in common: you both make regular and excellent contributions to this forum.
The comment about his command of English was silly. I leave you to decide whether, on reflection, it would be better to delete it.

Heliport