Gents, this level of risk-taking with eventually bite you in the ass. Ridiculous level of taking unnecessary risk in an aircraft that is poorly equipped for IMC. You're lucky you didn't snag a wire, hit an antenna or both, or collide with another risk-taker who has foolishly chosen to fly in equally poor conditions.
@TimKGrimes @ Scudrunners... all due respect, of course. Just don't kill yourselves. There is a fine line between having fun and being dead. There's still a lot of enjoyment in flying in a boring fashion.
@TimKGrimes Unfortunately Martin Rutty (Pilot on the left) was sadly killed with another college while in a R22 in France (November 2010, I believe), not sure who was flying or what caused it, such a shame.
@ commenters: Guys, the camera isn't showing the actual visibility: It's way more clear than it looks.
@ pilots: Apart from that, you guys are risking getting into the actual cloud and that would most probably lead to a vertigo. Avoiding the obstacles is one thing but flying safely is another. I wouldn't have tried that in any case. I would prefer to land this bird on roller skates and drive to my destination....
P.S. What kind of torture is that, that you actually have to wear uniforms?
@vassdel You are absolutely right there, the camera is blinded by the brightness outside, so makes the visibility look worse than it is.
Not entering cloud is top priority, I totally agree, hence you see me lowering collective to be sure to maintain visual references. If it had got much worse, I would have landed and sat it out.
Uniforms: once you step off the south eastern corner of Europe, you need uniforms and even gold bars just to get through the admin BS at all the airports. :)
I know here in NZ you can fly with Viz down too no less than 500M and still maintain VFR if the helicopter maintains a safe operating speed for the conditions. Im not sure the Minimum Viz for VFR Helicopter op's in the UK but im assuming its not too far off the NZ standard. Looked ok to me, i dont think they had less then 500m viz the whole time.
this is considered bad weather?... next question why is there two guys flying this 44??? this a BHP contract? and I thought I looked like a jack ass when wearing a flight suit these two are unbelievable
@helobelow Thanks for commenting. We had clear space between the bottom of the clouds and the top of the terrain, and reasonable viz in between (though the camera whites this out a bit as it's set to show the in-cockpit detail). It wasn't beginners weather, for sure, but we were assessing it constantly, and would have been prepared to land if the cloudbase had got much closer to the top of the terrain/obstacles. I think it's pressing when things worsen that kills, not flying in marginal viz.
@whalebarn Yeah you always have the option to land but flying in MVFR can easily change to IMC quickly and accounts for some 85% of accidents caused by those conditions. I was just saying you may want to reconsider before flying those types of missions because when it does happen it's gonna be too late to do anything about. I pray you all stay safe, ...your in a select few as rotorcraft airmen. Please be safe, I mean that with the best concerned intentions.
LMAO! What the hell where you two thinking! You where squinting and bobbing, what were you trying to see. Why was your co-p even attempting to use a map. To try to get a feel of what you guys were flying in, I just stuck my face in mashed potatoes....All joking aside...good piloting be safe (seriously)
Skilled for sure, but remember a helicopter can stop, hover and come down to Earth. I saw one fly right over me at 150ft above me in low cloud following the M5 Motorway. It then slowed to a hover near a big illuminated motorway sign, followed the sign directions to a junction and landed in a field near by. I saw the helicopter still in the field on my return journey. The low cloud had lifted, but amazing to watch in action.
@Spacecwb0y117 rotary is better in bad weather, why ? because you can fly as slow as you want to and land anywhere you want if it's really really bad... You guessed: I'd rather be in a fling wing than in a fixed wing in low visibility. ;-)
Gents, this level of risk-taking with eventually bite you in the ass. Ridiculous level of taking unnecessary risk in an aircraft that is poorly equipped for IMC. You're lucky you didn't snag a wire, hit an antenna or both, or collide with another risk-taker who has foolishly chosen to fly in equally poor conditions.
And for what?
TimKGrimes 3 months ago
@TimKGrimes @ Scudrunners... all due respect, of course. Just don't kill yourselves. There is a fine line between having fun and being dead. There's still a lot of enjoyment in flying in a boring fashion.
TimKGrimes 3 months ago
@TimKGrimes Unfortunately Martin Rutty (Pilot on the left) was sadly killed with another college while in a R22 in France (November 2010, I believe), not sure who was flying or what caused it, such a shame.
colin5016 2 months ago
'Skud runnin'!
bythedog 3 months ago
What could go wrong with 2 sets of four stripes and accents like that
williambrodie 3 months ago 2
@ commenters: Guys, the camera isn't showing the actual visibility: It's way more clear than it looks.
@ pilots: Apart from that, you guys are risking getting into the actual cloud and that would most probably lead to a vertigo. Avoiding the obstacles is one thing but flying safely is another. I wouldn't have tried that in any case. I would prefer to land this bird on roller skates and drive to my destination....
P.S. What kind of torture is that, that you actually have to wear uniforms?
vassdel 3 months ago
@vassdel You are absolutely right there, the camera is blinded by the brightness outside, so makes the visibility look worse than it is.
Not entering cloud is top priority, I totally agree, hence you see me lowering collective to be sure to maintain visual references. If it had got much worse, I would have landed and sat it out.
Uniforms: once you step off the south eastern corner of Europe, you need uniforms and even gold bars just to get through the admin BS at all the airports. :)
whalebarn 3 months ago
I know here in NZ you can fly with Viz down too no less than 500M and still maintain VFR if the helicopter maintains a safe operating speed for the conditions. Im not sure the Minimum Viz for VFR Helicopter op's in the UK but im assuming its not too far off the NZ standard. Looked ok to me, i dont think they had less then 500m viz the whole time.
AR15RNZAF 3 months ago
this is considered bad weather?... next question why is there two guys flying this 44??? this a BHP contract? and I thought I looked like a jack ass when wearing a flight suit these two are unbelievable
shapipple12 4 months ago
They are both 4 stripers... what is the worry??
tanyasean 4 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Wow, you guys are freaking crazy!!!!
jslat111 5 months ago
Comment removed
jslat111 5 months ago
Comment removed
jslat111 5 months ago
Comment removed
jslat111 5 months ago
This is a great example of how NOT to fly VFR! This will bite you in the ass one day guys. This is not at all risk management this is taking risks.
helobelow 5 months ago 5
@helobelow Thanks for commenting. We had clear space between the bottom of the clouds and the top of the terrain, and reasonable viz in between (though the camera whites this out a bit as it's set to show the in-cockpit detail). It wasn't beginners weather, for sure, but we were assessing it constantly, and would have been prepared to land if the cloudbase had got much closer to the top of the terrain/obstacles. I think it's pressing when things worsen that kills, not flying in marginal viz.
whalebarn 5 months ago 6
@whalebarn Yeah you always have the option to land but flying in MVFR can easily change to IMC quickly and accounts for some 85% of accidents caused by those conditions. I was just saying you may want to reconsider before flying those types of missions because when it does happen it's gonna be too late to do anything about. I pray you all stay safe, ...your in a select few as rotorcraft airmen. Please be safe, I mean that with the best concerned intentions.
helobelow 5 months ago
lowest IFR IMC ever seen
stealhty1 5 months ago
Got to do what you got to do to stay alive in that Robbie.
motokid032 5 months ago
RIP
danieltux2 5 months ago
LMAO! What the hell where you two thinking! You where squinting and bobbing, what were you trying to see. Why was your co-p even attempting to use a map. To try to get a feel of what you guys were flying in, I just stuck my face in mashed potatoes....All joking aside...good piloting be safe (seriously)
rodcre8s 5 months ago
id never fly a heli in this weather!
hiddencharges 5 months ago
Skilled for sure, but remember a helicopter can stop, hover and come down to Earth. I saw one fly right over me at 150ft above me in low cloud following the M5 Motorway. It then slowed to a hover near a big illuminated motorway sign, followed the sign directions to a junction and landed in a field near by. I saw the helicopter still in the field on my return journey. The low cloud had lifted, but amazing to watch in action.
solarday 5 months ago
idiot
Thalesoffice 6 months ago
that's some ballsy flying
brazilianEYEreportU 6 months ago
stupid
SlatteryMJS 7 months ago
nice
MrDaniel580 8 months ago
i would be fine with that weather in a fixed wing but an R44... nah man..
Spacecwb0y117 9 months ago
@Spacecwb0y117 rotary is better in bad weather, why ? because you can fly as slow as you want to and land anywhere you want if it's really really bad... You guessed: I'd rather be in a fling wing than in a fixed wing in low visibility. ;-)
raphy1123 7 months ago
Talk about scud running....These guys did not have a 1/4 mile most of the time.
ray66v 1 year ago