Mayhem From Belgium, joined Feb 2006, 146 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (4 years 4 months 1 day ago) and read 3245 times:
Once on a Robinson 44, when i was a kid, and twice on an EC135 Colibri... (Owned by a relative *jealous* who has now bought a Bell 407 which i hope to fly in one day as well!)
As a kid i was always dreaming of going out with my rubber dingy as far as possible in sea to be picked up by the SAR Seaking... (un)fortunately it never came to that...
JGPH1A From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (4 years 4 months 1 day ago) and read 3241 times:
Been on joyrides on Jetrangers a couple of times in SA
Flew Victoria-Vancouver on a Helijet S76
Flew Kulusuk-Ammassalik and back - out on a Jetranger, back on a Bell 222
Flew Gladstone-Heron Island on a Jetranger
Flew round Ayers Rock on a Jetranger
A380US From United States of America, joined Mar 2007, 2357 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (4 years 4 months 23 hours ago) and read 3234 times:
yes....
In Alaska, i think Skagway we were supposed to go dog sledding on a glacier but as we were flying over the glacier the pilot decided that he cant land b/c well you cant see the bottom so we returned and got a refund and a free helicopter trip.
HT From Germany, joined May 2005, 6315 posts, RR: 31 Reply 7, posted (4 years 4 months 23 hours ago) and read 3234 times:
Mil Mi-8 in Cuba of Aerogaviota back in 1996.
Flight from Varadero (the city airstrip MUKW, not VRA) to some unknown hacienda (or whatever it might be called) in Yumuri Valley and back.
Example:
Lobster From Germany, joined Oct 2008, 49 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (4 years 4 months 22 hours ago) and read 3227 times:
A bunch of times.
The ambulance service I used to work for had a fleet of Agusta's. I did some ride-a-longs with them. All on an Agusta A109E Power. Awesome helicopter!! I had a total of 6 flights.
Now I'm trying to get into an Air Ambulance company in the Guard. I always wanted to be a flight medic in the military, but so far I've been a ground pounder.
CanadianNorth From Canada, joined Aug 2002, 3354 posts, RR: 12 Reply 13, posted (4 years 4 months 7 hours ago) and read 3184 times:
Two that I can remember, both with Trans North Helicopters in a 206. Wouldn't even stop to think if I have the chance to again, taking off in a helicopter has to be one of the best feelings ever, and the view from those big bubble window things is simply amazing.
Euclid From South Africa, joined Apr 2005, 368 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (4 years 3 months 4 weeks 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 3122 times:
Having done my 1 year's compulsory military service in the South African Air Force and being part of the protection squadron for the Hoedspruit air force base one of the few perks were that we got to do chopper drills once a month. The thrill of sitting in the open side door of the helicopter with your legs dangling outside in the open air and looking almost straight down at the ground when it banked towards the side you were sitting on is beyond description, although I almost did drop my gun once when it hit some turbulence during one such a turn and almost shook the gun, which I was holding very loosely, out of my hands. Had that happened I would have been in deep shit.
They would drop us off in the bush somewhere ( you usually had to jump out of the hovering chopper from quite some height) and then leave us there for a while before picking us up and dropping us off somewhere else again. Usually we would do this the whole day. Some of the very few good times we used to have in an otherwise very shitty military job.
I have no idea what the make and model of these choppers were but the air force used to refer to them as Pumas. No doubt someone on this site can give us the proper description and photo.
I have also twice been fortunate to have been given free flights in a Bell JetRanger from my local GA airport (Wonderboom) and do some sightseeing over the city, both times lasting some 20 or so minutes.
Skywatch From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 922 posts, RR: 7 Reply 24, posted (4 years 3 months 4 weeks 14 hours ago) and read 3101 times:
Just a short hop in a JetRanger before an airshow. I definitely wanna do that again! Nothing quite like the vertical, lateral, and backwards movement.
Fantikerz From United States of America, joined Jan 2008, 110 posts, RR: 0 Reply 25, posted (4 years 3 months 4 weeks 13 hours ago) and read 3098 times:
Never have, but it looks quite fun and I'd like to eventually..
SWABrian From United States of America, joined Nov 2007, 294 posts, RR: 2 Reply 27, posted (4 years 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 3074 times:
January 1979 British Caledonian S-61 G-LINK LHR to LGW
JFKTOWERFAN From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 1099 posts, RR: 20 Reply 28, posted (4 years 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 3075 times:
NWOrientDC10 From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 1386 posts, RR: 5 Reply 31, posted (4 years 3 months 3 weeks 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 3040 times:
BAViscount From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2004, 2323 posts, RR: 4 Reply 32, posted (4 years 3 months 3 weeks 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 3032 times:
My cousin and I were booked on a sightseeing helicopter flight over Manhatten in February 2005. The day of the flight we turned up at the terminal as planned, on what was a particularly windy day in the New York area. While we were waiting to check in, we stood and stared out of the window as our chopper landed from its previous flight. I swear, that thing was being blown around like a piece of tissue paper in a wind tunnel and looked as if it was having a hard time re-acquainting itself with terra firma. Consequently we both looked at each other and, being family and knowing exactly what the other was thinking, hot tailed it out of there without exchanging a single word!!!
So, the answer to your question is...nearly, but NO!!
Coward?? Moi?!?! Yeah, OK, I'll give you that one!
Andy.
Ladies & gentlemen this is Captain Tobias Wilcock welcoming you aboard Coconut Airways flight 372 to Bridgetown Barb
I received an invitation to visit BA6 Montijo and take some photos to the Air Museum T-6 Texan that were based there. What was interesting was that I just arrived from a long trip to USA and the final flight arrived early that morning from JFK ( TW L1011-50 Tristar....). I went home, gave a kiss to my wife and older son ( by the way today is turning 19 in Fresno/CA...) with 2 months and 1 day old and drove to Montijo. Then out of the blue I was invited to board that FAP Puma and we flew side by side with the T-6 for about 1 hour.
Date: 1990/04/11
Model: SA330S1 Puma
Operator: Portugal Air Force
Registration: FAP 9503
I was invited again to join another trip, this time it was the Portugal Air Force Media Department that wanted to film in the air another Air Museum airplane, a Tiger Moth. I joined with a young friend of mine the rest of the guys, with cameras, video cameras etc. etc. We had again around 1 hour flight around the Tagus and Setubal, then my friend started to feel sick and threw up....then the best part came at the end....the pilot asked if the filming was over, the guys said yes and the pilot asked the crew member to close the door and he started a cession of aerobatics and most of the media guys started to threw-up too!!! Thank God I was OK during all that time. When we landed the pilot first came to my friend and he said - "You are a guest so I'll not charge you anything....but you there you threw on my helicopter you know the penalty, you'll pay a box of beer each!!!"
And that was my experience with helicopters.
Regards
Wrighbrothers From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2005, 1874 posts, RR: 11 Reply 34, posted (4 years 3 months 3 weeks 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 3018 times:
Quoting Euclid (Reply 22): have no idea what the make and model of these choppers were but the air force used to refer to them as Pumas. No doubt someone on this site can give us the proper description and photo.
MHG From Germany, joined Dec 2004, 543 posts, RR: 1 Reply 35, posted (4 years 3 months 3 weeks 4 days ago) and read 3003 times:
First helicopter flight in my life was in a Bell 47 G. Later i was able to experience Hughes 500 and Bell 206.
Since i have started to "collect" scheduled Helicopter flights in 2006 i have flown on ALIDAUNIA Agusta A 109 (Foggia, Italy - Isole Tremiti, Italy) and BRITISH INTERNATIONAL Sikorski S-61 (Penzance, UK - Scilly Isles, UK).
My next planned scheduled Helicopter flights for this year will be on US Helicopters´s Sikorski S-76 in New York as well as Helijet´s Sikorski S-76/S-61 between Vancouver and Victoria Island.
Probably i can even manage to experience this year the Heliexpress S-76 between Hongkong and Macau ...
PC12Fan From United States of America, joined Jan 2007, 2053 posts, RR: 6 Reply 37, posted (4 years 3 months 3 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 2976 times: