Is it just me...
 

Is it just me or is this kind of low flying over an open public highway not a good idea?

In the air to air video he flies over 21 oncoming cars at a height varying between approx 15 and 50 feet.


Helicopter and Motorcycle Chase (Gyromaster Equipment Test)



Mickjoebill

Good Idea? No

Good Fun? Oh my God, yes.

Hope he scoped the route for wires first.

Definitely illegal flying in the absence of some sort of special permit for filming etc.

Stupid, dangerous, mad, idiotic, foolish, unprofessional...... I'm running out of adjectives.

Well the motorcycle and cars must be going really slowly for a Schweizer to overtake and keep up!!

Cheers

Whirls

was done for testing camera equipment for shooting movies i think , by mark forman.

"Mark Forman Productions HDTV Digital cinematography, Digital Cinema, Forman Electric Camera Bikes,screening room, camera bicycles,Helicopter cinematography"> index.html

Very foolish indeed:=

i'm surprised it took of....did you see the size of the passenger...!you could strap his/hers thighs on to the skids for floats

Anyone seen the film Dadly Encounter? Larry Hagmen was in it, all based around him and a 500.

That'll rattle a few cages........

Or this might.... http://www.griffin-helicopters.co.uk...ro,%201967.flv

Hell while we're un nerving people... http://www.griffin-helicopters.co.uk...utterina44.flv

Not condoning this behavior, but how frequent are there car accidents caused by driver distraction (due to low flying helis)?



Mickjoebill

Looks to me like a fake anyway - when he passed the black the shadow and reflection only partially show up.

Either that or it was very well planned as non or the cars are seen to swerve or stop.

Looks like a film shoot, that's all - with everything scripted in advance & a controlled environment, not on an open highway.

It was an open road
 

It is not fake. Look at the shodow of the heli as it overtakes the black SUV.
It was not a commercial film shoot, it was a private test of a piece of camera kit, using a DV camera.

It was an OPEN road.

The camera operator commented on another forum "We were testing the system as the small copter flew a lot lower than anticipated".

The issue I have with this picture being circulated around the film and TV world is that gives the impression that flying low over an open public road is legal.


The flipside is that I am interested to learn of the real dangers of distraction a low flying heli. Given the number of medivac landings in public places should we expect a link to car accidents at the time of take off and landing?


Mickjoebill

mickjoebill,

You're probably aware that CASA, when issuing permission for low flying film jobs in Australia, will make the issue of avoiding possible distraction of motorists a condition of that permission.

Rolling road blocks, closed roads, private roads are all solutions to the requirement. The flying in the video clip would certainly invite a "please explain" from CASA :hmm:

What were they filming from ?.

As most drivers sit down, strap in, switch on, then turn off....they probably never even knew he was about until it was all over and the auto-fade mode was re-engaged after about ten seconds of wondering what had happened.

driven to distraction?
 

After the car accident I guess anyone can argue that they were distracted by a low flying helicopter, what is hard to prove is if such a driver would be distracted by anything remotly out of the ordinary.
In other words that they are in general a careless driver

Anecdotal evidence suggests that there are few car accidents blamed on low flying aircraft.
My basis for this statement is the lack of media reports mentioning car accidents occuring during the numerous light aircraft and commercial jet crashes in built up areas.

Not condoning this particular flight, because he was over the top of the public.
Also not condoning roaring unannounced over a peaceful village at treetop height or where crane scaffolding workers could be surprised.


Since the rules were written the public see many more low flying aircraft so perhaps distraction is overplayed as a reason not to fly low?



Mickjoebill