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Prang Bots

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Ex-Ascot
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Prang Bots

#1 Post by Ex-Ascot » Fri Mar 17, 2023 11:16 am

It is rumour that we have one in here. Just the pilot on board, dead. Not a NR a NZ. They have managed to keep it quiet for six days. I will not mention the company but they operate Robinsons. I will put my money on that it was one of those. He was a young guy and probably not qualified on the Jet Rangers.
'Yes, Madam, I am drunk, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly.' Sir Winston Churchill.

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Re: Prang Bots

#2 Post by Ex-Ascot » Mon Mar 20, 2023 4:50 am

'Yes, Madam, I am drunk, but in the morning I shall be sober and you will still be ugly.' Sir Winston Churchill.

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Re: Prang Bots

#3 Post by FD2 » Sun May 14, 2023 4:23 am

Appropriate registration HEX - bad juju got him alright.

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The blinding darkness!

#4 Post by OneHungLow » Tue May 16, 2023 4:14 am

I took a little time out to look at some of the reports and scuttlebutt around the use of helicopters, and most specifically the R44, in and around the Delta and what emerges in a number of cases is a pretty dismal picture, with examples like this one (see below) being indicative of the cavalier disregard for regulations, safety and good air sense that is likely to result in accidents whatever the aircraft type...

https://www.gov.bw/sites/default/files/ ... canned.pdf

In the case below, that occurred in 2014, a police night flight in flagrant disregard of operational procedures and CAA regulations resulted in multiple deaths. The aircraft in this case was not an R44 (BPS02 was a Eurocopter AS350B3 Ecureuil). This news report gives an indication of how far out of line some operators of these aircraft are.

The blinding darkness!
An industry expert qualified in flying both helicopters and aeroplanes with over 7000 fighting hours flying experience and another who is close to the preliminary investigations revealed how the pilot who was on her first flight after being grounded for three months following a flight accident, lost her bearings and became disorientated on the night of April 23rdbecause it was completely dark in the Delta. “It was like a blind crew flying a helicopter”, the experts said explain the blinding darkness that may have resulted in the helicopter crash that killed Superintendent Keokeditswe Sobatha, Assistant Superintendent Shepherd Ntobedzi and Inspector Ricardo Mabotho. The first expert explained that in Botswana pilots cannot fly at nigh unless they fly under night visual flight rules (VFR) with the assistance of light from streets lights or full moon.
Quaint, almost poetic English aside, what emerges is a depressing picture with a number of accidents, not all fatal, peripherally associated with social events at ranches and bush camps etc. In the ZS-SBM R44 case, there was some question as to the possibility of alcohol consumption being a factor in the accident and the delay in reporting the accident and getting medical assistance to the injured passenger who subsequently died.
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Re: The blinding darkness!

#5 Post by CharlieOneSix » Tue May 16, 2023 8:23 am

OneHungLow wrote:
Tue May 16, 2023 4:14 am
....Quaint, almost poetic English aside....
That first report had a charm of its own throughout in its use of language in an official document, e.g.
...after the security guards had knocked off.....
:))
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Re: Prang Bots

#6 Post by FD2 » Tue May 16, 2023 10:58 am

7000 'fighting' hours flying experience... WTF?! I know it does sometimes feel like a fight, but 7000 hours of it? The 350 is a great machine but not suitable for zooming around in total darkness. The instrumentation is a bit meagre and after my last single engine flying in the dark, about 50 years ago, I had a silly fear of repeating the experience!

The arrogance (or stupidity) is amazing. :o) If this was the first flight after three months off, for any reason, then I think it might have been sensible to get a bit of daylight handling in. Just a bit of a refamil after loafing at home for so long, you know? #-o

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Re: Prang Bots

#7 Post by CharlieOneSix » Tue May 16, 2023 1:37 pm

I can't remember which year single engine helicopter public transport night operations became illegal in the UK but I was certainly doing it up until the mid to late 70's. Our JetRangers had Schermuly parachute flares fitted in case of engine failure so that you could see where you were - probably - going to make a dent in the ground. All the helicopter routes in the London CTZ were available to be used at night. The routes were theoretically chosen by the CAA so emergency landing areas were possible but the thought of an engine failure at night on the 1000ft altitude limited H7 from Banstead to Barnes was one of my nightmares!

We were based on the south coast at Shoreham at that time. When we had a northerly wind at night, and some time expired Schermuly parachute flares, we used to inform the Coastguard and Police and then fire off the flares just off the coast and practice autorotating when they illuminated......can't find a photo of one of our JetRangers with the flare installation but this gives an idea....


The 815 Squadron Senior Pilot used to train us at night at Sembawang airfield, Singapore, in the single engine Wessex. No runway lights permitted to vaguely simulate being over water and you had to fly downwind at 90kts at our anti-submarine transit operating height of 125ft and he'd chop the engine. A quick flare and horse it round into wind and land. After we bent two airframes with the wheels halfway up the fuselage towards the pilots' windows the practice was banned! :))
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Re: Prang Bots

#8 Post by FD2 » Tue May 16, 2023 7:22 pm

I remember the 'theory' in the Mk 3 but we were only allowed to try it to the hover from the 150ft jump height, in daylight, over the airfield! It usually worked but it was much easier when you were primed and you knew the instructor was about to wind back the throttle!

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