The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

Message
Author
User avatar
CharlieOneSix
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5005
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 12:58 pm
Location: NE Scotland
Gender:
Age: 79

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#201 Post by CharlieOneSix » Sat Nov 14, 2015 10:59 pm

Wessex 3 night deck landing on the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Tidepool. FD2 will recognise the standard position of the hand of the non-flying pilot on the handle outside his window during night landings. If the engine quits and you ditch just follow that hand to escape......

Wx3-Tidepool.jpg
The helicopter pilots' mantra: If it hasn't gone wrong then it's just about to...
https://www.glenbervie-weather.org

User avatar
CharlieOneSix
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5005
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 12:58 pm
Location: NE Scotland
Gender:
Age: 79

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#202 Post by CharlieOneSix » Sat Nov 14, 2015 11:23 pm

Wessex 3 XS153 in the 'dip' to hunt a submarine. As in FD2's photo of the Sea King doing this, after holding a Doppler hover and having a Rad Alt hold at 30 feet (or was it 40?), the sonar set was lowered into the sea and then the hover was maintained using drift forks around the cable to feed the autopilot. This was done both by day and night and could be done in thick fog if really necessary.

81-dip.jpg
The helicopter pilots' mantra: If it hasn't gone wrong then it's just about to...
https://www.glenbervie-weather.org

User avatar
CharlieOneSix
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5005
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 12:58 pm
Location: NE Scotland
Gender:
Age: 79

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#203 Post by CharlieOneSix » Sun Nov 15, 2015 6:17 pm

The early days - basic helicopter flying training on Hiller UH-12E's with 705 Squadron, Culdrose, around June 1964...
Attachments
Hillers.jpg
The helicopter pilots' mantra: If it hasn't gone wrong then it's just about to...
https://www.glenbervie-weather.org

User avatar
FD2
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5110
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: New Zealand
Gender:
Age: 76

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#204 Post by FD2 » Mon Nov 16, 2015 5:04 am

CharlieOneSix:

I remember that 'death in the dark' feeling well in the Wessex! We were chasing a Royal Thai Navy submarine off Thailand one very dark and humid night when the can fell off the port flotation gear and the flotation bag streamed back and started knocking bits off the port torpedo carrier. A minute or so of frantic adrenalin fuelled inactivity followed before we concluded we were still flying straight and level at 150 ft. We found out that during an inspection of the flot bags the metal cover was too difficult to replace over the folded up bag and it had split. Stop drilling the crack might have helped but the crack spread with the inevitable 'brown trouser' result.

On another occasion we were flying around at 1000 ft or so while a senior admiral was transferred to HMS Antrim. On return one of the maintainers found that the cotter pin which is removed whenever the blades are folded and replaced after they've been spread had split and the lower half had almost dropped out. We should have bought a lotto ticket that day!

User avatar
FD2
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5110
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: New Zealand
Gender:
Age: 76

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#205 Post by FD2 » Mon Nov 16, 2015 5:13 am

My excuse is that there are helicopters in the photos! They show HMS Hermes alongside in Narvik and steaming off the coast of Norway in February 1976, when we were supporting the Arctic warfare training of the Royal Marines ashore in Bardufoss and Elvegårdsmoen. The Wessex 5s of 845 Squadron were based ashore and some mornings couldn't be started because the gearbox oil was too cold. Our Sea Kings were used to lift some of the heavier loads for the bootnecks.

Hermes Narvik Feb 1976.jpg
Hermes Narvik Feb 1976.jpg (110.44 KiB) Viewed 808 times


Hermes Norway Feb 1976 1.jpg
Hermes Norway Feb 1976 1.jpg (103.09 KiB) Viewed 808 times


Hermes Norway Feb 1976 3.jpg
Hermes Norway Feb 1976 3.jpg (134.88 KiB) Viewed 808 times

User avatar
FD2
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5110
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: New Zealand
Gender:
Age: 76

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#206 Post by FD2 » Mon Nov 16, 2015 5:17 am

A couple more photos of the Bell 214ST of British Caledonian Helicopters at Aberdeen Airport.

G-GKJD starting Aberdeen.jpg
G-GKJD starting Aberdeen.jpg (72.55 KiB) Viewed 807 times


G-BKFN in hangar.jpg
G-BKFN in hangar.jpg (85.46 KiB) Viewed 807 times

User avatar
CharlieOneSix
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5005
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 12:58 pm
Location: NE Scotland
Gender:
Age: 79

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#207 Post by CharlieOneSix » Mon Nov 16, 2015 10:47 am

FD2 wrote:.....the port flotation gear and the flotation bag streamed back .....

A similar thing happened to a Westland production test pilot who was flying a Wessex - can't remember whether it was a Mk1 or 3 - and suddenly a puff of 'smoke' and a 'flash of flame' appeared out of his window. He thought he had an engine fire, immediately hacked the HP cock to off, did an engine off landing and rolled down a hill into a wall doing quite a bit of damage. Of course the puff of smoke was the French chalk used in packing the floats and the sheet of flame was the inflated orange flotation bag.

He'd been flying near Dorchester and I seem to remember the cause was flying too close to some masts which were promulgated as a radhaz area.
FD2 wrote:On return one of the maintainers found that the cotter pin which is removed whenever the blades are folded and replaced after they've been spread had split and the lower half had almost dropped out. We should have bought a lotto ticket that day!

Again similar but on the ground.....when I was a stude with 737, with Guy H, one of my course mates, we were tasked with a Casex out of Portland in a Mk1. Guy was RHS and when he released the rotor brake we went almost immediately into a violent rocking motion. After Guy signed for the helicopter a PO had noticed something amiss on the head and had undone a wrist pin and was on his way back to the line shack to put it U/S. We must have passed him on the way out to the pad. We could see one blade had revolved on its axis through about 90 degrees. Guy hit the rotor brake, I hit the HP cock and we stopped it before it chopped the tail off.....
The helicopter pilots' mantra: If it hasn't gone wrong then it's just about to...
https://www.glenbervie-weather.org

User avatar
hico-p
PPL
PPL
Posts: 11
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 3:16 pm
Location: Devon
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#208 Post by hico-p » Mon Nov 16, 2015 1:08 pm

ditched 17.8.67-1.jpg
ditched 17.8.67-1.jpg (120.78 KiB) Viewed 797 times
a big fish.jpg
a big fish.jpg (72.14 KiB) Viewed 797 times
Gosh CharlieOneSix - you certainly had some exciting times! This ditching was just off the Eagle in August 1967 - I was flying 65 the SAR standby.
Regarding the flotation system - I remember one sortie, probably from Culdrose, when just before lift-off, the starboard bottle blew it's valve and shot a nasty lump of metal between the legs of a crewman sitting in the cabin door - luckily missing anything vital ..... of him!!
... experience is the knowledge that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.

User avatar
FD2
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5110
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: New Zealand
Gender:
Age: 76

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#209 Post by FD2 » Mon Nov 16, 2015 10:50 pm

706 Squadron formation near RNAS Culdrose about 1976/7:
You can see the Goonhilly Earth Station Mast on the left
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goonhilly ... th_Station
and it's just a few miles from Poldhu where Marconi conducted his first radio trials between England and Canada;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cornwall/hi ... 357702.stm
Most of the aircraft appear to be MK 1s but I think some may have been modified to Mk 2 standard as they appear to have six-bladed tail rotors.

706 formation .jpg
706 formation .jpg (68.79 KiB) Viewed 789 times

User avatar
500N
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 6985
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 4:27 pm
Location: The Great Southern Land - Melbourne, Aus
Gender:

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#210 Post by 500N » Mon Nov 16, 2015 10:54 pm

HMS Hermes looks weird without the Ramp.

Great photos.

User avatar
Airborne Aircrew
Capt
Capt
Posts: 1292
Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2015 11:44 am
Location: SE Michigan
Gender:

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#211 Post by Airborne Aircrew » Tue Nov 17, 2015 1:19 am

Is it just me or is any aircraft that needs a run-up to take off wasn't meant to fly in the first place... :ymdevil:
Reasons for being banned to date:-

1. Espousing extreme views
2. PITA, (love this one)...

User avatar
500N
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 6985
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 4:27 pm
Location: The Great Southern Land - Melbourne, Aus
Gender:

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#212 Post by 500N » Tue Nov 17, 2015 2:19 am

Airborne Aircrew wrote:Is it just me or is any aircraft that needs a run-up to take off wasn't meant to fly in the first place... :ymdevil:


:D

The RAAF guys could always be wound up when we asked if the 30,000 rivets flying in unison was safe !
(Referring to the C-130 and Caribous !)

User avatar
FD2
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5110
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: New Zealand
Gender:
Age: 76

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#213 Post by FD2 » Tue Nov 17, 2015 3:46 am

7th May 1971 RNAS Culdrose

705 Squadron positioned a Hiller and a Whirlwind on a parade ground outside the hall so the parents, friends and relatives would have something to look at after the Wings award. :D

Wings Day at Culdrose.jpg
Wings Day at Culdrose.jpg (59.79 KiB) Viewed 782 times

User avatar
500N
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 6985
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 4:27 pm
Location: The Great Southern Land - Melbourne, Aus
Gender:

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#214 Post by 500N » Tue Nov 17, 2015 3:59 am

FD2

Sorry for the thread drift, I just noticed you live in Christchurch, I think it is a great city.

Do you live anywhere near Riccarton, Fendalton, Merivale ?

User avatar
FD2
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5110
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: New Zealand
Gender:
Age: 76

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#215 Post by FD2 » Tue Nov 17, 2015 4:12 am

Changing times at Den Helder, part 1.

KLM Helicopters bought their S76Bs from Sikorsky and fitted them out really well with an excellent AFCS and autopilot. This is PH-NZT in original KLM Helikopters (with a 'k') colours. Initially they were operated out of Schiphol but then moved to the Dutch naval air station De Kooy at Den Helder:

PH-NZT KLM 2-1.jpg
PH-NZT KLM 2-1.jpg (213.33 KiB) Viewed 780 times


ERA (E. Rowan Aviation in the U.S.) then bought a large chunk of the company and it became KLM ERA Helicopters (with a 'c' this time) which didn't require much of a change of paint scheme or logo:

PH-NZT KLM ERA.jpg
PH-NZT KLM ERA.jpg (271.17 KiB) Viewed 780 times


PH-NZT was then re-registered as G-UKLT for use at Norwich Airport when KLM ERA Helicopters (UK) was quickly expanded for the Shell Southern North Sea contract - same colour scheme just different reg. It was there for two years or so before being returned to Den Helder and registered as PH-NZT again. Schreiner Aviation then took over KLM ERA Helicopters and before being completely re-painted the aircraft just had the Schreiner logo painted over the KLM one. Here is PH-NZS in the interim colour scheme:

PH-NZS at Den Helder b.jpg
PH-NZS at Den Helder b.jpg (308.1 KiB) Viewed 780 times

User avatar
FD2
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5110
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: New Zealand
Gender:
Age: 76

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#216 Post by FD2 » Tue Nov 17, 2015 4:26 am

Changing times at Den Helder part 2.

PH-NZT repainted in Schreiner colours:
PH-NZT Schreiner 1.jpg
PH-NZT Schreiner 1.jpg (97.54 KiB) Viewed 779 times



and lastly Schreiner was taken over by CHC so yet another paint job:

PH-NZT CHC.jpg
PH-NZT CHC.jpg (145.16 KiB) Viewed 779 times


Lovely aircraft with lots and lots of POWER! ^:)^ Don't know if it's still flying there.

User avatar
FD2
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5110
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: New Zealand
Gender:
Age: 76

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#217 Post by FD2 » Tue Nov 17, 2015 4:37 am

500N:

I've sent you a PM

User avatar
CharlieOneSix
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5005
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 12:58 pm
Location: NE Scotland
Gender:
Age: 79

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#218 Post by CharlieOneSix » Tue Nov 17, 2015 11:36 am

Great shots again FD2 - especially the one of Hermes going into the sun. very evocative!

For those used to North Sea helicopter operations look away now! I shot this video in 1995.

Bell 214ST - North Sea helicopter flight to the Gryphon

Initially Bell 214ST G-BKFP is shown arriving at Bristow Aberdeen from an offshore flight. Next an instrument panel shot enroute to an offshore destination. For the uninitiated - aircraft weight shown as 17400lbs, 100 lbs below maximum all up weight. Torque 70%. Rotor rpm 100%. Altitude 3000ft, on track and heading 040°. Airspeed 120 knots – maximum permitted cruise speed 121 knots, 10 knots below the 131 VNE (never exceed speed for this weight and altitude). A gentlemanly start to the day – it’s 1014 in the morning.

As it’s 16 years since I flew on these routes I can’t identify the production platforms, drilling rigs or support ships enroute to our destination which is the Gryphon, the orange hulled ship that comes into shot at 1:58.

On deck Gryphon the 16 passengers disembark – all wearing survival suits with hoods up and lifejackets worn. Baggage offloaded and taken below.

3.11 – refuelling for the trip back to Aberdeen.

3.42 – close up of the Trimble GPS. Track 225° to join the 047 Aberdeen VOR radial at 120 miles from Aberdeen.

3.49 – warning that the GPS will feed the autopilot and turn the helicopter to 227° in 27 seconds.

4.08 – now tracking to next reporting point, the 90 miles mark on the 047 radial. It is 29.4 miles away and the estimated arrival is in 21 minutes. Our groundspeed is 128 knots (147 mph) and the wind is from 223° at 42 knots (48mph).

4.13 – we have 1901 lbs of fuel remaining which give us an endurance of 2hrs and 11 minutes and we can go 192 nm on this heading before the tanks are down to reserves.

4.16 – the crosswind element is 17 knots, the headwind component is 10 knots and we’re expecting to arrive on Runway 16 at Aberdeen.

4.31 – Aberdeen airport (EGPD) is 119 nautical miles away – our flight plan distance to get there is 122 nautical miles and we’ll be there in 1hr 24 minutes at 1324.

4.36 – our arrival fuel will be 673 lbs.

5.23 – a different flight at 0620 into the sunrise.
The helicopter pilots' mantra: If it hasn't gone wrong then it's just about to...
https://www.glenbervie-weather.org

User avatar
500N
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 6985
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 4:27 pm
Location: The Great Southern Land - Melbourne, Aus
Gender:

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#219 Post by 500N » Tue Nov 17, 2015 11:51 am

Charlie

Great video.

A couple of questions if I may.

What is the mat, net or whatever tide down on the deck of the platform landing spot ?

Is it for the benefit of the Helicopter or the people ?

Do you ever shutdown on a platform or do you always "hot" refuel ?
(Excuse the terminology, slang we used in the Army)

I must say the GPS is great, beats a map, compass and stop watch :D

User avatar
CharlieOneSix
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5005
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 12:58 pm
Location: NE Scotland
Gender:
Age: 79

Re: The Ever Growing Helo Photo Thread

#220 Post by CharlieOneSix » Tue Nov 17, 2015 12:10 pm

500N - the net is mainly for the benefit of the helicopter. Unlike the RN who attach four strops to lash the helicopter to the deck as soon as you land, that never happens in the civvie world offshore. You will find the nets even on fixed platforms where there is no pitch, roll, or heave - unlike ships such as the Gryphon. Having said all that, helidecks can be slippy places if fuel etc gets spilt so there is some protection for deck personnel, passengers etc although it can of course be a tripping hazard as well. Incidentally the Bell 214ST normal landing limits were destination pitch and roll less than 5° and heave less than 5 metres.

Yes, we used to shut down where the tasking called for it but hot refuelling was the norm - we could only use gravity refuelling (like a car) whereas other types could use pressure refuelling. The greatest danger in shutting down in high winds was damage to the flapping rotor blades in the latter stages of shut down. The steady windspeed limit for a 214ST was 50 knots both for start up and shut down. Gusting winds could make life interesting! We stopped flying operations at 60 knots deck windspeed as people could not safely stand on the helideck. If we did shut down then that was when we used strops to secure the helicopter to the deck. Nothing worse than having lunch in the canteen for someone to come and say your helicopter has fallen over. It has happened, not to me but but to a S76 helicopter in the Forties field.
The helicopter pilots' mantra: If it hasn't gone wrong then it's just about to...
https://www.glenbervie-weather.org

Post Reply