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I scared the cr#p out of myself when


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I was working in the winter in northern BC. I had plenty of local knowledge of the area as I was a base manager for a few yrs.

Coming back to the base after doing a job for a week out of town there was an inversion.  I was up in the clean sky with a OAT of +5 I am flying along fat dumb and happy.  I got close to town and saw the fog laying in the valley. Looks like I need to use my favorite creek to get down to the base which is about 400' lower than I am currently at.

Being alone I didn't notice the torque climbing. Had my head in the longline window as I worked my way down the creek. Very happy with myself as I land on the pad. Roll the Jetranger back to idle for the 2 minute cool down..... I notice the OAT is now -11 .... that is when all **** broke out and the machine was shaking like I was driving on a gravel road at a high speed and hit wash board I could hardly read the gauges.

I roll the throttle off and pull pitch to slow everything down and stop the machine from bouncing off the pad.

I get out and see all the ice had shed off of only one T/R blade. ( Insert foul words here.... I said many that day)

Into the hanger she went and turned up the heat to de-ice the machine.... first and last time I ever saw it rain indoors. 

I was so scare and so mad at myself that day for doing something this stupid. I was so fortunate I was on the ground when this happened. 

Local knowledge is a good thing MOST days.

So you low timers.... when you are bored of hearing about icing.... keep listening as it is very real.

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I was long-lining seismic bags in the Amazon jungle on a 220’ line.  Was on a steep slope and the bags kept rolling into a creek as I kept trying to perch them behind a stump before I released.  Lost situational awareness and started moving my tail around.  I heard a strange whooshing noise out my right side (a star door off)  I looked to my right and there was an astar tail rotor diameter tube of green leaves horizontally flying out the right side.  I had stuck my tail in the top of a tree, while hovering deep in the curve.  I released all bags and held my breath as I hovered over to the nearest pad, landed safely, inspected the green tail rotor. It was so green and lush the tabs where not even bent.  Fak me!

And then there’s the time a 3 goes sloth climbed onto my line from a tree……that’s another thread though….

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24 minutes ago, twinstar_ca said:

and once again the old adage comes to mind... "learn from the mistakes of others as you don't have time to make them all yourself"... thanks for being big enough men to share with us, pool and sir... 👍😎

I would like all of us old timers help the low timers get old.

I liked getting the flier that came with the AIP updates that told us about accidents and of course the pilot that was always doing dumb stuff..... I don't remember his name.

I learned alot and found it interesting to read of others mistakes.

Maybe we can bring this forum back to what we all wanted again.

I know there will be some who will bicker and protest but who cares.... if we save a person's life by sharing..... I call that a win.

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3 hours ago, sirlandsalot said:

And then there’s the time a 3 goes sloth climbed onto my line from a tree……that’s another thread though….

LOL.

Are you trying to tell us all you are pretty slow with the line.

Just teasing you.

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Here's a good one...I was longlining in a net load of hose on a drill job on the side of a steep slope...I had taken all the doors off this jetbox to lighten her up...guy on the ground is watching the proceedings when he starts waving his arms around like mad and is pointing at the ship...I move my head to look left...I had an evergreen tree coming in the left door and the top was tickling the circuit breaker panel...I slowly pulled some pitch and the tree exited out the door...cleaned the shorts after that one!!!

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One night, chatting with guys at the pub, I mentioned (like an idiot) that I’d never had a tail rotor strike…

the next day, I land in a spot all fat, dumb and happy and hop out to hook on my line. There, next to my tail not two feet away is a 5’ pine. It was so close that I shut down and cut it down before I took off. I have no idea how that thing didn’t get pulled into the tail rotor!

Obviously, do a good recce but more importantly, DO NOT TEMP FATE! She’s a mean ***** and will come back to prove you to be the moron you ( but mostly me) clearly are. 

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Low Level in Abu Sayef Territory

The sun was beating down on a hot summer day in the South China Sea. My FO and I were preparing to depart the Malampaya Platform and head back onshore to Manila in the Philippines. We were on a cargo run with no passengers so we decided that we were going to fly home low level. Now this would never happen with passengers as the company requirements had us transiting over rebel territory at higher altitudes. That’s right, REBEL territory! The Philippine government has been clashing with numerous Muslim rebel groups and the Abu Sayef were active in our area. Our first venture was flying amongst the islands enroute to our refueling station. This was fun as we were at 50 feet over the water with the altitude warning chime “CHECK HEIGHT” in our headsets every few seconds! Buzzing the beaches and little fishing villages amongst the little islands was definitely a thrill I won’t forget. Once we were “feet dry” at the island that had our refuel station we proceeded up a valley, the palm fronds and rice paddies large in the windshield as we were still on the treetops and zooming along at 140 knots! We came up on a field when I saw some “farmers” come out of the jungle with “tools” over their shoulders. As we got closer I realized that these were not farmers and that those weren’t tools over their shoulders. These were Abu Sayef rebels and they starting shooting at us. I can still see the muzzle flashes and remember thinking how weird it was not to hear the boom from the rifles.

My FO was flying and it was time to get out of that valley and get out now! “HARD RIGHT, HARD RIGHT, GET OVER THAT HILL” I yelled over the intercom. At 100 feet off the deck we were well within range of the weapons they were carrying. We got over the hill, climbing like a homesick angel, and arrived safely at our refuel station. Once there we reported what we seen. It didn’t take long and three military Huey’s came flying in, fully armed, and they headed off hunting for the rebels we had seen. I had some mixed feelings because I knew that this was a conflict situation and that people were going to die. It was an almost daily event that the local newspapers would have pictures of slain soldiers and rebels plastered over the front page. All I can say is that the Philippines was a beautiful place, one of the prettiest places on earth. If they could have got their politics sorted out, the resort potential would rival any other place on this planet. Some people just never learn…

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37 minutes ago, R0T0R said:

One night, chatting with guys at the pub, I mentioned (like an idiot) that I’d never had a tail rotor strike…

the next day, I land in a spot all fat, dumb and happy and hop out to hook on my line. There, next to my tail not two feet away is a 5’ pine. It was so close that I shut down and cut it down before I took off. I have no idea how that thing didn’t get pulled into the tail rotor!

Obviously, do a good recce but more importantly, DO NOT TEMP FATE! She’s a mean ***** and will come back to prove you to be the moron you ( but mostly me) clearly are. 

Had same thing happen...was going to land on top of hill ...had 3 guys on board...hadn't been in this spot for about 5 years and the pine trees had gotten about 5 ft tall...asked the guy in the rear left to open the door and watch the tailrotor...says yeah you are golden...land...shut down...get out and look at the rear of the ship...one of those pine trees is 1 inch from the vertical fin on the right side...got out my trusty pocket knife with the saw blade and cut down a 5 ft tree!!! Some of the branches were touching the boom.

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