Pilot interviewed by the BBC:
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34281218
Lucky to survive helicopter ditching
Moderators: lilfssister, North Shore, sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako
Re: Lucky to survive helicopter ditching
DId you hear the one about the jurisprudence fetishist? He got off on a technicality.
Re: Lucky to survive helicopter ditching
"I was halfway through a six-hour flight from Iqaluit in Canada to Nuuk in Greenland. I was flying above a thick carpet of fog and underneath a bright canopy of cloud, steering my Robinson R22 through this fluffy grey corridor, quite alone in the world with the engine noise and a feeling of intense happiness."
"Intense happiness"
My feeling of intense happiness goes away as soon as the floatplane is out of gliding distance of a lake and he s happy to be between layers in a piston single hundereds of miles from land? Nowadays we call that "nuts".
I suppose they might have said the same about Leif Ericson back in the day going the other way across the same water, but there was more call for borderline suicidal bravery in the world back then.
"Intense happiness"
My feeling of intense happiness goes away as soon as the floatplane is out of gliding distance of a lake and he s happy to be between layers in a piston single hundereds of miles from land? Nowadays we call that "nuts".
I suppose they might have said the same about Leif Ericson back in the day going the other way across the same water, but there was more call for borderline suicidal bravery in the world back then.
Re: Lucky to survive helicopter ditching
You should work on that.Meddler wrote: My feeling of intense happiness goes away as soon as the floatplane is out of gliding distance of a lake
DId you hear the one about the jurisprudence fetishist? He got off on a technicality.
Re: Lucky to survive helicopter ditching
Very dramatic! My favorite part was " my arms still in the air, my eyes black coals of rage, roaring."
And this:
"But if I did survive, I would have a few ideas to contribute to the science of search and rescue. Ideas such as:
•Send helicopters, not planes, to look for survivors
•Make survival suits that you can actually fly in
•Attach mini radio beacons to the suits or life rafts"
The survival suit comment is a valid one. Those things tend to be pretty uncomfortable to wear fully done up for long periods of time, especially in a small cockpit.
I find it really odd, that 50 some days into such a flight, it only occurred to him while sitting on the ice flow after ditching that having his beacon(s) attached to his body might have been prudent.
And this:
"But if I did survive, I would have a few ideas to contribute to the science of search and rescue. Ideas such as:
•Send helicopters, not planes, to look for survivors
•Make survival suits that you can actually fly in
•Attach mini radio beacons to the suits or life rafts"
The survival suit comment is a valid one. Those things tend to be pretty uncomfortable to wear fully done up for long periods of time, especially in a small cockpit.
I find it really odd, that 50 some days into such a flight, it only occurred to him while sitting on the ice flow after ditching that having his beacon(s) attached to his body might have been prudent.
Re: Lucky to survive helicopter ditching
There are tens of models of very wearable survival suits. I own one. You just have to ante up and pay for one, rather than the cheapskate rubber thing.
DId you hear the one about the jurisprudence fetishist? He got off on a technicality.
Re: Lucky to survive helicopter ditching
I was exaggerating for clarity.
The beacon and other stuff you might need attached to your body is a really good takeaway for anyone who flies over anything but civilized country on one engine.
The beacon and other stuff you might need attached to your body is a really good takeaway for anyone who flies over anything but civilized country on one engine.
