Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

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G~Man
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Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#301 Post by G~Man » Fri Jan 11, 2019 7:39 pm

Looking at both articles is kinda scary. Firstly, at 71 years of age, the guy should not be flying those type of missions anymore. (And no I am not trying to be age discriminatory, but ones reflexes do slow down). Sounds like he had a TR chip light, then some form of TR control issue---this is NOT a huge issue. We train to land with loss of TR thrust and both stuck left and right pedal---it can be done.
As the craft fell to the ground, the Bambi bucket (water-holding device) swung up into the main rotor.
Because they are using choker lines instead of attaching the bucket direct to the belly hook. See this from the other article:
620x349.jpg
620x349.jpg (6.96 KiB) Viewed 1056 times
If attached direct to the belly as per manufacturers instructions, the bucket cannot reach the TR or MR. See this pic of me in mine:


Huey 2.jpg
Huey 3.jpg
B-) Life may not be the party you hoped for, but while you're here, you may as well dance. B-)

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Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#302 Post by Cacophonix » Fri Jan 11, 2019 10:10 pm

G~Man, I assume that the moment one of those red lights come on, you would, unless over people or houses, habitation etc.. dump the bucket immediately?

Bees (the beast) Marais, was a South African helicopter legend, ex SAAF, fought in Angola, worked with the SA Police Service and then became a renowned South African Red Cross Air Mercy Service pilot.

Clearly a very good man, but good men, as you say, get old but who knows when to say enough is enough... not even Ulysses!

It little profits that an idle king,
By this still hearth, among these barren crags,
Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and dole
Unequal laws unto a savage race,
That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.
I cannot rest from travel: I will drink
Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy'd
Greatly, have suffer'd greatly, both with those
That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when
Thro' scudding drifts the rainy Hyades
Vext the dim sea: I am become a name;
For always roaming with a hungry heart
Much have I seen and known; cities of men
And manners, climates, councils, governments,
Myself not least, but honour'd of them all;
And drunk delight of battle with my peers,
Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.
I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'
Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades
For ever and forever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!
As tho' to breathe were life! Life piled on life
Were all too little, and of one to me
Little remains: but every hour is saved
From that eternal silence, something more,
A bringer of new things; and vile it were
For some three suns to store and hoard myself,
And this gray spirit yearning in desire
To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.

This is my son, mine own Telemachus,
To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle,—
Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfil
This labour, by slow prudence to make mild
A rugged people, and thro' soft degrees
Subdue them to the useful and the good.
Most blameless is he, centred in the sphere
Of common duties, decent not to fail
In offices of tenderness, and pay
Meet adoration to my household gods,
When I am gone. He works his work, I mine.

There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:
There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners,
Souls that have toil'd, and wrought, and thought with me—
That ever with a frolic welcome took
The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed
Free hearts, free foreheads—you and I are old;
Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;
Death closes all: but something ere the end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.
The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:
The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep
Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,
'T is not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

Good poetry is no substitute for good heli flying though I guess! ;)))

Caco

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Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#303 Post by G~Man » Fri Jan 11, 2019 10:54 pm

Cacophonix wrote:
Fri Jan 11, 2019 10:10 pm
G~Man, I assume that the moment one of those red lights come on, you would, unless over people or houses, habitation etc.. dump the bucket immediately?
Caco
It depends on what light. I would hit the release to get rid of the water. If I can land the helicopter and save the bucket I would do so. Buckets are expensive.

Chances are the only time I would release the bucket immediately would be engine failure.
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Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#304 Post by Cacophonix » Fri Jan 11, 2019 11:03 pm

G~Man wrote:
Fri Jan 11, 2019 10:54 pm
Cacophonix wrote:
Fri Jan 11, 2019 10:10 pm
G~Man, I assume that the moment one of those red lights come on, you would, unless over people or houses, habitation etc.. dump the bucket immediately?
Caco
It depends on what light. I would hit the release to get rid of the water. If I can land the helicopter and save the bucket I would do so. Buckets are expensive.

Chances are the only time I would release the bucket immediately would be engine failure.
G~Man, I appreciate you experience and insight here.

I don't know, maybe the old bloke decided to hang onto that bucket on the basis of the potential cost to the organisation (Working on Fire) and that, with the loss of the TR and all, plus the longer line, fell victim to the usual litany of African mistakes, so often made, based upon either poverty, greed or necessity!

Very sad, whatever the case.

Caco

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Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#305 Post by G~Man » Sat Jan 12, 2019 12:33 am

Cacophonix wrote:
Fri Jan 11, 2019 11:03 pm
Very sad, whatever the case.
Caco
Indeedy.
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Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#306 Post by Cacophonix » Sun Jan 13, 2019 11:55 am

As for Caco, egg-beater "extraordinaire" we called on the Saturday lesson on the basis of forecast low cloud and the fact that I was suffering a dribbling cold. I guess a mucus spattered inside of a gold fish bowl comes to mind, and is not to be recommended, not least for the long suffering instructor.

Twas a good call.

Rebooked for next Saturday at 12:00hrs.

Caco

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Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#307 Post by Cacophonix » Sat Jan 19, 2019 2:54 pm

Lesson moved to 10:00 hrs. All together better show. No major, stupid mistakes, like maladjusted pedals etc.. No solo but I am now happy that I will be able to hack that call when it comes. Spent 30 minutes after the flight been given the gen. on the checking the machine out and also told to start studying the book stuff to write the relevant exams. Hovering back to the standard it was two lessons ago, which was Ok. Funny how one can go backwards and have to try and step up to the step again.. I just decided to take the good advice here and really enjoyed flying today.

Nest flight 09:00 hrs next Saturday.

Caco

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Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#308 Post by Slasher » Sat Jan 19, 2019 5:24 pm

Cacophonix wrote:
Sat Jan 19, 2019 2:54 pm
Funny how one can go backwards and have to try and step up to the step again.
Too true me ol' mate. You should've seen me in the 320 sim during my conversion training from real aeroplanes in Tooloose. The damn bloody thing is so complicated that I'd forgotten what the Frogs shovelled into me head the day before!

Good luck next Satdy. I hope the destructor finally boots you out of the helinest. :)

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Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#309 Post by Boac » Sat Jan 19, 2019 6:00 pm

Purple Airspace EGKH 26 Jan 08301130 5nm radius 510942N0003850E up to 5000ft

Seenenough

Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#310 Post by Seenenough » Tue Jan 22, 2019 1:52 am

Caco -I think you would do well to try and fly 3 or so hours on consecutive days.I accept money and time may be an issue but I think both would be well invested.I feel that the infequency of your flying is giving you the sense that at times you do not feel that you are making forward progress as you are having to re- learn some of the things you did a few weeks ago and it is damaging your confidence.

Obviously the glorious UK weather is not helping either. If you get a good gap in the weather stick in as many hours as you can.It is stressful and anxious to wait a week to see how the conditions will be.

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Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#311 Post by Cacophonix » Tue Jan 22, 2019 6:22 am

Seenenough wrote:
Tue Jan 22, 2019 1:52 am
Caco -I think you would do well to try and fly 3 or so hours on consecutive days.I accept money and time may be an issue but I think both would be well invested.I feel that the infequency of your flying is giving you the sense that at times you do not feel that you are making forward progress as you are having to re- learn some of the things you did a few weeks ago and it is damaging your confidence.

Obviously the glorious UK weather is not helping either. If you get a good gap in the weather stick in as many hours as you can.It is stressful and anxious to wait a week to see how the conditions will be.
Pretty sound advice Seenenough. Continuity is very important as you say. I will make the push when I get back from SA next month.

Caco

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Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#312 Post by CharlieOneSix » Tue Jan 22, 2019 10:18 am

Certainly agree with Seenenough. One of the advantages of military training was continuity - just looked back at my logbook...first dual helicopter flight 6 Jul 64, first solo 9 days later after 7hr30mins. Scheduled exercises D1 to D8 over 8 flights. That was the norm. Continuity is king!
The helicopter pilots' mantra: If it hasn't gone wrong then it's just about to...
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Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#313 Post by G~Man » Fri Jan 25, 2019 9:52 pm

50728456_2035667899854161_8368360386000322560_n.jpg
B-) Life may not be the party you hoped for, but while you're here, you may as well dance. B-)

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Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#314 Post by Seenenough » Sat Jan 26, 2019 3:38 am

A lucky escape,I do believe

Seenenough

Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#315 Post by Seenenough » Sat Jan 26, 2019 5:43 pm

Did you fly today Caco?

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Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#316 Post by Cacophonix » Sat Jan 26, 2019 9:40 pm

Seenenough wrote:
Sat Jan 26, 2019 5:43 pm
Did you fly today Caco?
I did Seenenough. Standard was Ok but wind above solo parameters today. I am now booking a 3 hr session together for when I return from SA. I hope to be able to report some good news then.

I was able to complete 5 landings on the one runway direction I haven't used to date. Unlucky 13 hours mark reached mind.

Caco

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Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#317 Post by Cacophonix » Sat Jan 26, 2019 10:03 pm

G~Man wrote:
Fri Jan 25, 2019 9:52 pm
One thing I don't get is why an operator would misrig the Bambi bucket on a longer line when the danger is so obvious? Any professional care to comment?

Caco

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Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#318 Post by FD2 » Sat Jan 26, 2019 11:00 pm

Caco - can you postpone if the forecast is bad for your 3 hour special? As in fixed wing an accurately flown circuit is not easy, but it will be a lot harder in bad weather!

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Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#319 Post by Cacophonix » Sat Jan 26, 2019 11:10 pm

FD2 wrote:
Sat Jan 26, 2019 11:00 pm
Caco - can you postpone if the forecast is bad for your 3 hour special? As in fixed wing an accurately flown circuit is not easy, but it will be a lot harder in bad weather!
I can and will FD2.

Caco

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Re: Caco's trial helicopter flight.....

#320 Post by G~Man » Sun Jan 27, 2019 11:28 pm

Cacophonix wrote:
Sat Jan 26, 2019 10:03 pm

One thing I don't get is why an operator would misrig the Bambi bucket on a longer line when the danger is so obvious? Any professional care to comment?

Caco
No clue, maybe they do not read the manual....
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