A foggy day at Kirkstone Pass

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CharlieOneSix
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A foggy day at Kirkstone Pass

#1 Post by CharlieOneSix » Sun Oct 07, 2018 1:13 pm

You probably wouldn't spot this on FR24 even if it was flying higher. One of those helicopters from the Hereford Gun Club that are rarely seen or talked about. However I am amazed that with 366 posts to date on Rotorheads on TOP they are still wittering on about this video some two months after the footage came to light.....I think the video may default to nil sound but it is available.....
A Foggy Day at Kirkstone Pass
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Re: A foggy day at Kirkstone Pass

#2 Post by Boac » Sun Oct 07, 2018 1:20 pm

Excuse me! Downright dangerous with no headlights on in that weather!

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Re: A foggy day at Kirkstone Pass

#3 Post by CharlieOneSix » Sun Oct 07, 2018 1:25 pm

At least he was obeying the right hand rule....
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Re: A foggy day at Kirkstone Pass

#4 Post by Boac » Sun Oct 07, 2018 1:50 pm

No! We drive on the left in the UK, even in the Kirkstone Pass. We'll have none of your Jockistan habits here, egad!

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Re: A foggy day at Kirkstone Pass

#5 Post by CharlieOneSix » Sun Oct 07, 2018 5:29 pm

Humour aside, Boac, on researching this I was surprised that when the Standard European Rules of the Air (SERA) came into force in December 2014, in respect of rights of way on the ground on an airfield, overtaking aircraft and vehicles are now able to pass other aircraft and vehicles on either the left or the right. :-\

Also the UK rule which required aircraft to be flown along the right hand side of line features ceased to be a legal requirement at the same time.
However, it is still considered to be good practice as a means avoiding collisions with aircraft coming the other way, and so is strongly recommended.
Hmm! :-s

All seems to be a retrograde step to me. On the very rare occasions many, many years ago if I was at snake height in a VFR helicopter in poor weather - never as low as in that video - then I took some small comfort that if there was another silly bugger in a helicopter following the same line feature in the opposite direction then when we saw each other we would both break to the right if necessary. Think I'll stay retired, less for me to be confused about...
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Re: A foggy day at Kirkstone Pass

#6 Post by FD2 » Sun Oct 07, 2018 7:06 pm

Yes - it's amazing the amount of confected outrage and fury that this has brought out on the TOP thread! Very up to date thing to be 'outraged' into a red faced shouting hysteria nowadays isn't it?!
I think I would rather my 'special' fighting forces were able to do this sort of thing than sit on the ground waiting for a weather clearance while innocent people got murdered.
As for making the line feature rule 'good practice' it seems that it will eventually become a thing of the past and ignored - with reduced safety as a result.
Secondly passing left or right when overtaking sounds very peculiar - I don't ever recollect overtaking anyone at all - but helicopters don't normally ground taxi very fast and the only place wide enough where I would think it would apply would be a runway under the eyes of a controller. Maybe it only applies to grass airfields. Very confusing.
I agree with you C16 - let those clever people like all the low hours, self-opinionated experts on TOP get on with it... :D

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Re: A foggy day at Kirkstone Pass

#7 Post by CharlieOneSix » Sun Oct 07, 2018 7:33 pm

Overtaking story! We had just got our brand new JetRanger, I think it was number five in the UK in 1968. The Army were still flying the Bell 47 which cruised at around 80kts.

I came across one in front of me north of Exeter one day so I stuffed the JetRanger nose down and pulled max torque to get around 120kts. I passed reasonably close to him on his starboard side and overtook him in a pronounced nose high flare. He called me cocky when we met up on the ground at Exeter airport!
The helicopter pilots' mantra: If it hasn't gone wrong then it's just about to...
https://www.glenbervie-weather.org

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Re: A foggy day at Kirkstone Pass

#8 Post by CharlieOneSix » Sun Oct 07, 2018 11:18 pm

Re Boac’s post #2 perhaps this is an appropriate video....
.
The helicopter pilots' mantra: If it hasn't gone wrong then it's just about to...
https://www.glenbervie-weather.org

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