Friday, October 31, 2008

Our Helicopter

One of my helicopters was parked at the pumps recently when I came in to refuel. I think it's pretty nice. Snappy paint job, good avionics, and I'm sure it does that up and down thing that helicopters do so well. If you're Canadian it's yours, too. We should buy more of these. And lots of spare parts and stuff.

I've never flown a helicopter, and I'm almost daily glad that I don't, because of the really challenging sites they have to take off and land, but I'm always amused by their ability to do things I can't. They call "On final for the pumps," or if one is hovering over the taxiway I have called that I am planning to use, the pilot will cheerfully tell me he's moving sideways over the grass to let me go by. They can take off straight up, taxi backwards, land almost anywhere, even if it's just setting one skid down while the cargo is unloaded.

The closest I can get is when my GPS-indicated altitude bobs up and down, with my wheels firmly planted on the ground. I'm always amused when it does that.

4 comments:

dpierce said...

The B412's predecessor was a good friend of mine. I'm glad that family of aircraft is still working hard and doing well.

Anonymous said...

...and you fixed-wing jocks have to make those long linear approaches.

As one who has never flown fixed-wing (as a subclass we DO exist) the lack of dexterity in fixed-wing fills me with apprehension.

It is very easy to get used to turning up at the destination, changing your mind on the way down, & pretending that was your approach plan all along, hehe.

Nothing quite like hovering awaiting tower instructions to cross a runway, then *zhwhit-swoop-dart* transitioning parallel to the runway, flying accross, and continuing to hover-taxiing accross the grass to wherever it is one pleases to go.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, but I've seen what you helo jocks do when you try to engage an Air Force arrestor system with your Army helo.

Anonymous said...

Shall have to defer to you Majroj.

The nearest I have been to military aviation is watching reruns of "JAG"