Oh, rest assured it was. And yet they got off lucky with only destroying two aircraft, as no one was killed (or at least that's how it looks from the footage we have). I think helicopters are cool, but they are dangerous as hell compared to fixed wing aircraft. Have to wonder if there was a student pilot at the controls..
That could have gone a lot worse. First thing you see is his tail rotor flying off without him. And he beat the blades off of it against the fuel tanks of that Cessna. Hawkpilot
the thing to know about whoppyclopters: every control has a delay, and they are all different. you roll the throttle up and wait for the engine to rev up, you lift the collective and you wait for the bird to rise, you push the pedals to counter the rotor torque WHILE you raise the collective because you need to counter the torque instantly, so you have to anticipate... and the delays are different on every model of helicopter.
I've been fortunate/unfortunate depending on how you look at it to have ridden in lots of helicopters..... Talking off and landing on the drilling rigs were always fun JD
A friend flew 93s to the platforms in the GOM. She said she had some hairy flights. Rarely the weather, mostly mechanical. And a few times rambunctious oil workers thinking how hard can it be, so took the controls.
When I first started going out, 1976, the pilots were mostly former Nam pilots... We did have some wild crazy rides at times... Old Bel 212 and 412s mostly, the first time I rode in a Sikorsky it seemed like a limo compared to a beater.. JD
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Damned good there was an airplane to stop all that.
ReplyDeleteProb a dei instructor or the jab kicked in. 'Pilot error"
ReplyDeleteMore like poor maintenance or mechanical failure for the tail rotor to fly off like that.
Delete-lg
Look at the very beginning of the video. The tail rotor hit the ground.
DeleteI'm only going by what I see. The rotor was already separated when it appeared on screen and before the rest of the copter did.
Delete-lg
And the tail is on the ground as it enters the screen.
DeleteThat looked expensive...
ReplyDeleteOh, rest assured it was. And yet they got off lucky with only destroying two aircraft, as no one was killed (or at least that's how it looks from the footage we have). I think helicopters are cool, but they are dangerous as hell compared to fixed wing aircraft. Have to wonder if there was a student pilot at the controls..
DeleteThat could have gone a lot worse. First thing you see is his tail rotor flying off without him. And he beat the blades off of it against the fuel tanks of that Cessna.
ReplyDeleteHawkpilot
Bob Hoover once said, "If you're faced with a forced landing, fly the thing into the crash as possible". I guess he was just following instructions.
ReplyDeleteHelicopters are utility aircraft. They shouldn’t be used for pleasure or sightseeing. Too dangerous for non-essential uses.
ReplyDeleteReal good for war, though!
ReplyDeleteReal good for beach combing too!
DeleteAnd everybody's insurance rates just went up.
ReplyDeletethe thing to know about whoppyclopters: every control has a delay, and they are all different. you roll the throttle up and wait for the engine to rev up, you lift the collective and you wait for the bird to rise, you push the pedals to counter the rotor torque WHILE you raise the collective because you need to counter the torque instantly, so you have to anticipate... and the delays are different on every model of helicopter.
ReplyDeleteand the
Damned Robertsons and their mast-bumping!
ReplyDeleteYou got it. That's why Robertson has specialized training.
DeleteI've been fortunate/unfortunate depending on how you look at it to have ridden in lots of helicopters..... Talking off and landing on the drilling rigs were always fun
ReplyDeleteJD
A friend flew 93s to the platforms in the GOM. She said she had some hairy flights. Rarely the weather, mostly mechanical. And a few times rambunctious oil workers thinking how hard can it be, so took the controls.
DeleteWhen I first started going out, 1976, the pilots were mostly former Nam pilots... We did have some wild crazy rides at times... Old Bel 212 and 412s mostly, the first time I rode in a Sikorsky it seemed like a limo compared to a beater..
DeleteJD
Those old Nam pilots could really fly, though.
DeleteAny landing you can walk away from is a good landing.
ReplyDelete