In 1978 I worked for the forest service in Idaho and saw the remains of the helicopter being trucked away after the pilot decided to simulate an engine failure and try fluttering it down. He walked away. The helicopter never flew again, I wouldn't be surprised if the pilot didn't either. I worked at Hughes Helicopters in Culver City, CA in 1981. At that time they had built the first seven Apaches. One other thing I saw was a Bell 4-seater on its pad on top of a good sized motor yacht in the San Juan Islands, WA around 1983. The boat was called the Lucky Logger.
All I was missing was the Volks Van. You and I share a love for that machine. My 3500 hours in the 500 were some of the best years of my life.
Back in about 1992 we were doing STABO ops from a UH-1 out of Klamath Falls, Oregon. We were in a hover at about 80 feet over a ridge (while my mates were clipping into the ropes on the ground) when the bird suddenly lurched to the left and then fell straight down. No body was killed, but since we were only wearing gunners belts we got beat up pretty good. I was told (much) later that it had been a "catastrophic transmission failure". The co-pilot, who had over 10,000 hrs in Hueys, stated he had never heard of or expereinced anything like it. Have you guys?
Me too. (Stock McDonnell Douglas Photo) ...and no, there is no such thing as little black helicopters that fly around at night peaking in everyone's windows. heh...heh...heh
A few weeks ago, I was riding up to Valdumpster from Gainesville via some backroads, and I saw something ahead of me just above the tree line on the other side of the road. I couldn't make it out until I got a bit closer, but it was a black helicopter...just sitting there above the tree line... At first, I thought it might be cops, so I slowed down, but then I realized they wouldn't be patrolling this podunk backroad when the interstate is just a few miles away, and there were no police cars in sight, and the chopper had no markings...just black. The thing just stayed there. It was bizarre. I went past, and it stayed put. It never moved.
You guys up north spend alot of time slinging stuff around. Can't say as I ever did any of that. Except for the time I got to be the hoisted cargo. Good 'ol Navy H3... ...picks up your's truly out of the brisk Pacific Ocean The view from the bottom up...(water, water, everywhere... and not a drop to drink) Luckily, I hadn't just splashed one. It was part of a joint SAR exercise, and I was dumb enough to jump out in the first place so the Navy could do their job. Although we flew single engine overwater quite a bit back in those days, I'm glad I didn't ever have to experience a ditching for real... like at night! :eek1
Didn't have a thermometer, nor an immersion suit, but my testicles being in my throat gave me an indication. (OK, it wasn't that bad but it wasn't like Caribbean bath water either, i.e. no continental shelf.) I wasn't in that long... just long enough to start thinking about how big the sharks get in that area... and how happy I was to see the helicopter over me again.
:huh Damn, Tree... Max Power... I obviously flew the wrong friggin helos! Don't remember any Hollywood models hanging out with me after shutdown. Here's our crowd of onlookers (we were always frightened they'd wander into the tailrotor) The only thing that will make them go away is to point to your wingman who just landed in front of you and say "Candy Man!, Candy Man!" Then you can sit back, relax, and watch him being mauled.
