My only Helo flight was in the back of a Gazelle.
The highlight was when we autorotated and landed in the middle of the airfield and pulled up next to the flem with his co2 extinguisher and off we went again !
I would love to fly in a cobra.
I saw an S once at Paris 87. My shoulders were wider than the cockpit!
I’ve been a passenger on a CH-53E a few times. It would be alot of fun to fly. It’s big and has plenty of power. The pilots love to hug the dirt when they fly over rough terrain, and that’s what I’d love to do. It would be like driving a windy race track with a Mac Truck.
targetdriver and midnightprowler,
Sikorsky only got one CH-53A to ever do a roll and a loop, but the airframe had to be retired after that flight. It was stripped down to the bare bones before that flight. I doubt that an MH-53J, CH-53D, or a CH-53E could ever do a roll.
I’ve got time in the B-206 & H-500, but by far most of my helo flying time is in the H-300C. It’s a great little helo, and fun to fly. My favorite by far is the H-500D. No hydraulic boost, just electric trim (chinaman’s hat) so you FEEL all of the inputs to the rotor system. I just couldn’t get used to the hydraulic boost on the B-206, especially after flying the H-300 and H-500. I’m sure with more time, the Bell products would have felt better. I’ve got lots of back seat time in the HH-60G and some in the UH-1H. I’d like to try out a CH-47D, but I won’t even climb into an R-44. The T-cyclic stick is just too wierd form me.[:)]
BTW, I worked for Hawaii Pacific Helicopters back in the early eightys. We had Jetcopters H-500D (35A) which you all remember as the Island Hopper bird on Magnum PI. We also used our B-206’s for that show. The pilot’s name was Steve Kux…A thin wirey ex-marine CH-46 driver with a thick handle bar mustache. Roger Mosely (TC) was scared to death of the helo, and truth be known never did fly in 95A. WHen you see him, he’s in a mock-up over at the Diamond Head studios.
Avus,
Yeah, that’s just what we’ve always called the AH-6’s. They’re also known as SIX-GUNS (six-barreled miniguns) while the MH-6’s go by SIX-PAX (six passengers on the benches).
Bottom line…gimme a H-500 of any model, followed close by a BO-105.
Oh yeah,
I could be wrong here but I’m pretty sure that as long as you keep one positive G on it and if it’s a fully articulated rotor system, you can roll a helicopter. You’d have to be a good stick though and it might look ugly.
salbando,
You said: “… MH-6’s go by SIX-PAX (six passengers on the benches)”. I wonder: actually there is enough space for six passengers but I’ve always senn only four. can you confirm that?
Do you know if and how the passengere are secured to the benches?
I could use this one for my “six-pack”.
Avus,
The MH-6’s are set up for 6 customers (3 per bench). In the Mog, usually 4 were flown (2 per side). There were a few times where 6 were flown, but when you consider available power, it’s better for the aircrew if you can get away with 4 per bird, and if it doesn’t impact the mission. Now, I have heard of up to 8 (no kidding) being flown, but I think that’s pretty rare. In other ops/exercises, I’ve usually seen 4 per bird.
As far as securing pax on the bench. Beliave it or not it’s a operator specific kind of thing. I’m sure there’s SOP’s regarding this, but I’m just telling you that when the rubber hits the road it’s up to the operator. I can tell you what I’ve personnally done, and seen done by others. Usually for the trips out to the target area, we would set up a “beaner” and a securing strap or rope to our vest or webgear. We would simply hook into a bulkhead or some other section of the helo. When you got close to the target site, you would unhook from the helo and hold on till touchdown.
For seating arrangements, i’ve done/seen it two ways. First two operators sitting on either forward sides of the benches faced forward into the wind so to speak. the other operators faced outwards on the benches. The second way was to have everyone sit facing outward. You have to realize that with operators on the benches (especially on the front) it really obscured the SA (situational awareness) for the aircrew due to their view out the sides. Operators were and are ALWAYS considered part of the defensive suite of the MH-6 and as such your head would be on a swivel looking for threats on the flight.
It’s definately Mr Toad’s Wild Ride.
Hope that helps.
A KA-50 would be really nice![yeah]
Well for me it would be the HH-60H Seahawk, flew in them with HCS-5, rescue missions. And still can’t beat the apprehensive feeling of landing on a rocking and rolling flight deck of a cruiser. Fun to fly with the AFCS system these helos have. Also helps in managing the other systems this aircraft has on board. Nap of the earth, NVG, etc…
Chuck
Fly Navy
I’ve resisted for as long as I can. I’ve been at the controls of the following:
TH-55 (Hughes 300), TH-13S (Bell 47), UH-1A,B,C,D,H , AH-1G, OH-6A, OH-58A,
CH-34C, Westland Wasp, Sikorsky S-76. Flew in back of a CH-47 and would never re-enter unless forced to do so at gunpoint (I nearly fainted when the engineer calmly took his red maintanence rag from his rear pocket and walked about the cabin mopping up hydraulic leaks). Also got a ride in the back of a Navy SH-2 and the civilian version of the
SeaKing (what a noisy beast that was). Most of my time was in the AH-1G and while it
occupies a huge place in my heart, my vote has to go to the little Hughes hotrod, the OH-6. It was just too much fun to buzz around in. I hope the newer versions are as much fun.
An Apache–so I could take care of my jackass neighbors!