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A new respect for helicopter pilots!

Mon May 14, 2007 12:26 pm

I have a new respect for helicopter pilots, but the other guy on the video ...well I am thinking he either has bigger balls, or is only working with one brain cell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEKbMMHAwm0

here is a better video .... of the same job

Mon May 14, 2007 12:32 pm

I wonder what they put in the job description.... Looking for a career with some zip? Come apply at XYZ Helicopter Company for the most electrifying job ever!

V

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3q9WdjD5wc&mode=related&search=

Mon May 14, 2007 1:58 pm

My uncle works for one of the big power companies and he was talking about this a couple weeks ago.

They are replacing some parts that were elongated when the power lines went down in Kansas some time ago, due to a ice storm.

He said the helo pilots realy helped get the lines back up in record time. Some are still down. If it were not for them they would still have a massive amount of work to do.

Notice the blades have been shortened and they are actualy flying through the middle of the power lines.

Mon May 14, 2007 5:20 pm

Anyone care to venture a guess as to what kind of hazard pay those guys receive? :shock: It doesn't get much more hard core than that.

Mon May 14, 2007 5:30 pm

Shorter blades? WTF! Maybe an optical illusion, because shortening the blades will lead to a truckload of problems for the helo.

Thanks guys, I feel much more appreciated now!

Ollie the helo flyer.

8)

Canada Heli

Mon May 14, 2007 10:04 pm

I think in Canada the Helicopter is truly underappreciated. How many helicopters are used in populous areas? In the united states it seems that they are used everywhere (Military, News, Media, Heavy lift, corporate, homebuilt...so on).

If you were to ask the general public in Canada ..."what helicopters are used in canada?" I am willing to bet that the answers would be:
..."the yellow ones (Canadian Forces SAR)
.... and some army green ones (what other colour would the army have?)
.... oh and those ones that crash all teh time the Sea Kings" (All due respect to the Air Force/Navy Assigned Work horse)

The only highly visable one I can think of outside that said list is the "Bandaid one" (the Ontario civil air ambulance)

Whereas in the USA I bet people see choopers all the time.....

Chinook
blackhawk
Apache
CObra

Of course there are several police helicopters! ETC .....

We all know that Helicopters are truly a great tool, but they (including the pilots), seem to be under utilized / appreciated here in the Great White North.

IMHO


What do you think?
Last edited by Vulture on Tue May 15, 2007 1:00 am, edited 1 time in total.

Mon May 14, 2007 10:19 pm

The 500D is perfect for that work. I think it has a smaller diameter than the earlier four bladed 500's.

Still, that's not the job for the faint of heart...or me!
Jerry

Mon May 14, 2007 10:54 pm

Rob Mears wrote:Anyone care to venture a guess as to what kind of hazard pay those guys receive? :shock: It doesn't get much more hard core than that.


Free lunches :wink:

Lynn

Tue May 15, 2007 12:52 pm

i've seen this type of work done before over my friend's private lake. what made it more hazardous than that was that it was accomplished over railroad tracks!!! the guy hanging with is ass by a wire needs more hearing protection than that helmet with the wind turbulence, & rotor clap going on!!!

Tue May 15, 2007 5:52 pm

Rob Mears wrote:Anyone care to venture a guess as to what kind of hazard pay those guys receive?


......and what they have to pay for a decent life insurance.....

Tillerman.

Not that hard to do

Tue May 15, 2007 6:37 pm

Actually that is not that hard to do.

We have a company that does local flying chainsaw work. Where they fly with a 7 blade rotary saw hanging under a MD500 and cut open power line right of ways. You have to bounce the chopper up and down to get it cutting on the vertical plane. When you land, you set the saw down and start backing up as you set the chopper down. Now that is a SCARY thing to do.

I saw a video of it on YOUTUBE once

Mark H
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