R22 Beta missing on flight from Nunavut to Greenland
 

R22 Beta missing on flight from Nunavut to Greenland
 

I have quite a bit of experience flying in this part of the world. One of the most extreme environments there is. I have done the crossing to Greenland a few times. Mostly in AS350 fully equipped with pop outs, life raft, rifle and all the Arctic survival goodies. You really have to pick the day, weather is a major factor and can/ will change in an instant. I was communicating with an Inuit friend from Arctic Bay only yesterday, he was talking about the WX being crap, bad ice and lots of fog. He was out in the straits after polar bear. I certainly would not attempt that route in an R22, do they come pop out equipped or was it on fixed floats, where would you stow the survival kit and life raft required up there in an R22. Hope it ends well, but having operated up there I fear the worst.

Checking the photo in the article, not much room for any survival equipment next the, quit red neck style looking, extra fuel tank.

http://www.skyeagleaviation.com/blog...ent/unnamed-5/

And no, no floats at all on the helicopter.
I have been up north in the same region several times, and no way I would ever attempt something like that in a Robbie.....:ooh:

Saved and safe. Sergey Ananov, that R22 pilot sunk into Davis Strait, saved by Canadian Coast Guard ship "Pierre Radisson".

His R22 got transmission belt broken over waters. He only could take a life raft from the cabin and swam to the nearest iceberg having no communication devices other than 3 signal flares. Third flare was luckily noted from the resque ship.

BTW Sergey was on his world record circumnavigation trip which started from Moscow eastbound.

Nutter ...... V glad he's safe but really !! In an R22 ??!!!

:ok:Good to hear !

I don´t know what´s good to hear!?

A Nutter even starting this flight and now have to be rescued?

Hopefully he has to pay for the whole rescue operation and a "stupidity fine" on top!!

Massive Gonads, though....obviously he was at the front of the queue for those....and the tail end when brains were dished out. :}

Would have been worthy of a Darwin award if he hadn't made it back - it's all very well putting your own life at risk but what about the poor sods who have to come and look for you/rescue you in crap weather?

Could you actually carry enough fuel to do that distance in a 22 - even with the plastic cans in the front...?

You would have preferred that he didn't survive ?

You must be disappointed.Even expensive IFR twins with 2 pilots can suffer mechanical faults and end up in the drink.Just like this R22.Hardly his fault.

TWT ..... I'm not sure about your logic here . The R22 has everything against it from the engine ( piston ) to the size ( ability to carry survival gear , ability to fly safely in big winds / turbulence etc ) . I think even you can see that a Dauphin might be a tad safer than an R22 ?? A Bell 206 would not be as safe as a Dauphin ...but would be a lot safer than an R22 ...?
A really pointless risk . It's all been done before and the only thing that makes this attempt remarkable ....is that it is being done in a totally unsuitable machine which doesn't make it more difficult but just makes it more dangerous !!
To then have to be saved by someone who may have to risk their lives is just stupid and selfish .

@TWT

Hardly his fault?

Who started this flight with the least suitable aircraft on the planet (even without floats!) and flew over an area where, in case of failure (as is happened), he had no chance of an auto onto terra firma?

Who do you wanna blame??? :mad:

There was a gyrocopter that did the trip yesterday.

Home page, Autogyro circumnavigation of the globe, Norman Surplus, record attempt

When I was much younger and serving in the RCAF I almost lost track of the time, energy, costs and fuel we wasted looking for the likes of this guy, our SAR squadrons have better things to do than than go looking for this chap! All the worthwhile long distance flying has already been done long long ago, yes, I hope we do charge him for all the costs of the search and rescue operation.{Clunckdriver, AKA Canadian taxpayer}

R22 Beta missing on flight from Nunavut to Greenland
 

Clunk
Agree with what you say, as another Canadian tax payer.
Like I stated earlier I work in the high Arctic lots. The crossings across the straits is an ass puckering experience on a good day in a fully equipped turbine helicopter and loaded for bear. I would not even contemplate it in a R22 let alone a bloody gyro copter. Very lucky the guy didn't freeze to death, or meet a bear, they do tend to hang out on the ice flows.......Glad it ended with the dude surviving, very very lucky indeed.

Brave or Stupid or maybe both!
 

No one likes to see anyone hurt, but like the other posts above said don't know if he was brave or stupid, but if it was not for a few brave or stupid people mankind wouldn't be what we are.:D
As one similar person said "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind"

R22 Beta missing on flight from Nunavut to Greenland
 

http://www.gofundme.com/5n7ycbhgc

Seems like the guy is stuck in Iqualluit with no money, credit cards etc. Collection going on to get him home......Mmmm seems he encountered icing and fog, airspeed down to zero. No surprise there, guess he didn't check GFA.

Sergey Ananov was making an attempt to be the first R22 to travel around the world. While on his way he encountered icy conditions and fog (all we know) and his tracking indicated zero airspeed. While normally, given those conditions, news is generally not great, Canadian Search & Rescue was able to spot a flare and locate him. He is now en route to Iqaluit but has no clothes, no money, no credit card and most importantly, no papers and needs to reach a Russian Consulate. The closest one is in Montreal or Toronto over 1,275 miles away. A flight alone to Montreal is $2,000.

Nothing to be gained for humanity here AT ALL. This was purely about self realisation and self display of a bored individual.
I think it's his right to do so but I also think he should be charged at least partially for the rescue costs.

Edit: Seriously?? After zigzagging all over the place just for fun, the guy is honestly asking public for money??? :yuk: Why can't his "team" wire some money? :=

Some more info regarding the finding of him.

Sergey Ananov, Russian helicopter pilot missing in Davis Strait, found alive - Nova Scotia - CBC News

But "Survival suit not buttoned up"..........! :ooh::ugh: And 3 polar bears walking around him.:uhoh:

He has used up all his luck, no more left for sure.

Excellent news that he is OK but even better news that another R22 has bitten the dust and is no more. Only 3,146 to go and we'll be rid of the lot!:eek:

Could have been worse TC. Surely you have to give him credit for not trying it in a Russian helicopter. :rolleyes:

Titel hinzufügen

Having done quite a few hours in terrible conditions over the years in Mi8,s I have to say I would be much happier in one than an R22 !! Over the years they have been very reliable and handle landing sites that no European helicopter would handle !

I'm surprised this trip had got so far without there being a thread about it on PPRuNe :hmm:

I think we just don't want to encourage them !!!

@Nigelh

As the manufacturers head office is in Moscow and the eastern border of "Europe" is the Ural mountains you could say they are "European helicopters":hmm:

Out of interest - what kind of landing site this aircraft can handle that others can´t?

Pprune forums are always most active when folk are criticizing other pilots.

Pilot's story: Sergey Ananov, Russian pilot rescued in Arctic, recounts 2-day ordeal - North - CBC News

R22 Beta missing on flight from Nunavut to Greenland
 

'The pilot took off Saturday morning into good weather conditions, flying sandwiched between a layer of fog below and clouds overhead.'

Mmmm....says it all really. Anyone with experience flying Baffin and the straits wouldn't even consider lifting off VFR in those conditions.

The world needs more pioneers like this. Stop being arm chair critics and give him a break.

''pioneers?!'' of stupidity then?!:ugh: Don't worry, the last idiot has not been born yet!! :rolleyes:

Evil7...... The landing sites on the edges of the river are very rough with big boulders . The only way to land most helis would be to just put one wheel or skid onto a rock and pax climb out . In blustery weather and with ice on the rocks this is fraught with danger for all concerned !! The Mi8 hs huge balloon type tyres and massive clearance so can usually fully land . When they tried a Eurocopter it rolled over and killed the pax who were outside ....

Thanx for the description, nigel.

If no pax needed to be placed, you could use a skycrane - that should fit some boulders underneath:}

Pioneer? He's a mentalist who is very lucky to be alive. Old and bold.

His 'survival' story sounds like pure invention - either that or he didn't pay any attention whatsoever in his survival training lessons in the Army.

Did he really 'swim' to the ice floe or paddle in his dinghy?

He only thought to put on his survival suit after he got soaking wet???

He flew across the Arctic waters in 'street clothes'????

As for the bollocks about chasing away Polar bears - which is the big, fast, nasty and immensely strong predator out of Sergey and a Polar bear?

As for good weather day with fog below and clouds above - that's not VFR weather anywhere, let alone the Arctic.

With bullshi*t like his he ought to be Putin's publicist!

Waste of oxygen!

France To Oshkosh By Helicopter
 

In 2010 Matthieu de Quillacq crossed from Greenland to Canada in a single seater kit helicopter. He was travelling from southern France to Oshkosh in his lightweight Kompress CH-7 helicopter with a Rotax 914 engine.

Here is an inspiring interview with this guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zggCDPcPZM0

R22 Beta missing on flight from Nunavut to Greenland
 

stringfellow
Pioneer ? Have you ever flown in this part of the world, operationally day in day out? I have a few thou hours up there. There is no pioneering spirit ignoring the WX, flight planning and proper survival gear. Also a good weather briefing via Arctic Radio in North Bay. Wonder if he even flight planned with them considering its in the Adiz. Only an ignorant fool would cross that water in street clothes in non VFR conditions.You dismiss/ignore the weather at your peril. I can assure you it can change in minutes. This time of year the fog is a major player along with poor sea ice and hungry bears. I note from your profile that you are a PPL from the Lake District so maybe you don't quite understand the dangers operating up in the Arctic. Back to my armchair quarterbacking!!

Crab
Agree, unbelievable re the survival story. Two Inuit I worked with up on Baffin last year were attack in the night by a Polar Bear while seal hunting on the ice. The only way they survived was by shooting it, after it had done some serious damage to both. Screaming and shouting might work for Black Bear but 3xPolar Bear and one guy on an ice flow.....easy pray!!