Pool pilot Posted February 22, 2022 Report Share Posted February 22, 2022 So let's start a thread for the low time guys to be able to read and see just what we did put up with to be a helicopter Pilot/Ame. Let's not complain on this thread... but give your story about some of the bad days over the years. Like the days where we were sitting some place wondering why didn't I just listen to those guys. This could be interesting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winnie Posted February 22, 2022 Report Share Posted February 22, 2022 If going east or west in Ontario, don't travek the north shore of Lake Superior, take the slightly more northern route, unless you want to sit in Marathon or Wawa for an extended time.... 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJP Posted February 22, 2022 Report Share Posted February 22, 2022 Depends on who you listen to and at what point in your career... "Get yer IFR"...what a dream killer. Talk about taking the fun out of flying helo's. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool pilot Posted February 22, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2022 Churchill Manitobia.... April.... minus 35.... wind blowing at about 20mph out of the south west. Trying to go north.... daily the weather would stop me about 25 miles north..... but.... check out of the hotel.... remove all the covers on the 407..... do the 25 miles and back.... put the covers on again..... that is a bout 4 hours gone ..... take your bags .... go back to hotel and check in..... stand in hot shower trying to get warm.... again. This continued for 12 days 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitestone Posted February 22, 2022 Report Share Posted February 22, 2022 20 minutes ago, Winnie said: If going east or west in Ontario, don't travek the north shore of Lake Superior, take the slightly more northern route, unless you want to sit in Marathon or Wawa for an extended time.... I can second that! flew into Wawa in light snow, took on fuel and hummed and hawwed about the weather and continuing on and after a waiting for a "break" in the weather fired up and headed south. That trip, even in those little hills haunts me to this day, crawling along in very poor vis (but still half mile of course) i made it to Eliot Lake with MINUTES TO SPARE before legal dark AND my GPS died three miles back, thank God for the runway lights, like a Christmas tree in the distance to guide me home. Thankfully the lady who ran the terminal had heard my radio call and had turned on the lights AND she waited for me to cover my machine and put in heaters and gave me a ride to the hotel. So if someone says "lake effect" just stay put. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunchbox Posted February 22, 2022 Report Share Posted February 22, 2022 Those 16+ hour shifts wrenching aren't worth the risk. Had some close calls and got lucky that nothing major happened. You will miss things and make mistakes. There's human factors requirements for a reason, and yes it's all relevant... But it's almost like you have to be there or see it/live it for it to sink in though. The theory can sometimes only get you so far. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CM119 Posted February 22, 2022 Report Share Posted February 22, 2022 12 minutes ago, Lunchbox said: Those 16+ hour shifts wrenching aren't worth the risk. Had some close calls and got lucky that nothing major happened. You will miss things and make mistakes. There's human factors requirements for a reason, and yes it's all relevant... But it's almost like you have to be there or see it/live it for it to sink in though. The theory can sometimes only get you so far. We’ve all done those shifts and more. No it’s not worth it for the going rate up here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool pilot Posted February 22, 2022 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2022 The west coast...... heli-logging..... the weather is going down the tube... the crane parks due to weather........ then they say....... go get the crew..... you pick up 3 in Jet box..... you lift up over the trees .... the windows fog up...(it was a cloud ....and fogged up windows).....(you don't need the heater it is summer time when asked about getting it fixed).... you loose visual reference.... the guy in the back yells...HEY..... you look over your left shoulder and see you are moving backwards toward the rock face...... you nose it over .... you can see below the cloud thankfully....... you get back to the staging..... alive......you shake like crazy for an hour or so..... you tell yourself you will never do that again........ and WTF am I doing here.... so..........you low time guys.....get the dam heater fixed. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjg Posted February 22, 2022 Report Share Posted February 22, 2022 If you don’t mind giving up your labour rights…go for it! Some members of HAC believe that paying overtime is just silly!! Time off?? Lol…come on now! Shhh…..Just go to work young fella!! 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceman Posted February 22, 2022 Report Share Posted February 22, 2022 So true. On my last flight out from the logging show on the island, my employer from Squamish required me to push limits to get back. Ignorance. They fired me when I got back home. Then they had a lower time fellow who replace me then write off my favourite machine. You know the rest of the story. 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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