Fun Stuff With Helicopters

[SelwayKid]

Was flying Bell 206 in Johannesburg, early 1970's. At the time there
were only five civil helicopters registered in all of South Africa. I
forget the exact reason for this event, but it included a lot of the
local politicians at the Britstown Tower in downtown Johannesburg. The
tower is similar to the space needle in Seattle with a revolving
restaurant on top. I landed the 206 near the base of the tower and
stepped out of the way while the boss and the politicos got their pics
taken with the helicopter. Then the boss told me to circle the tower
while they took pics from the top inside to show the helicopter with
the city in the background..
So, I took off and began circling the tower while the people inside
walked around taking photos of me. I don't know what got into me, but
I began slowing down to a near stop, and then began backing up very
slowly. I still laugh at the puzzled looks on peoples faces when they
thought the tower was malfunctioning and going too fast! Then someone
noticed it was me. My boss didn't think it was all that funny but he
forgave me about 20 years later.
Another time I had landed on what is called a kopje, a gigantic
granite outcropping that was at least 1000' tall with sloping sides.
As I settled the weight on the skids, they spread slightly and the
right skid slipped into a crack in the granite and got jammed. Well,
there I was by myself and trying to figure out how to get unstuck. It
took some lip chewing and biting as I concentrated on VERY careful
control manipulations to get out of that crack without breaking the
skid or worse. It turned out OK but I certainly will be more aware of
that potential danger landing on such a surface.
Got a lot more stories if anyone is interested. I think most of them
have a lesson to be learned. At least I learned from them and survived
the mistakes and dumb things I did,
Cheers
Rocky

[Gyroplanes]

Nice stories. I enjoyed reading them. Keep them coming.
Tom

[Jlfcopter]

Yes Rocky, I enjoy reading about everyones stories and adventures.

Jerry

[Hennie]

Rocky,
Thanks that was a really nice one from right
here at home.
Keep them coming.

regards

Hennie

[SelwayKid]

(Hennie) wrote in message >...
> Rocky,
> Thanks that was a really nice one from right
> here at home.
> Keep them coming.
>
> regards
>
> Hennie

Bell 206 out of Durban to P.E. with some businessmen. Down the
Transkei coast where the hills end up going right into the water.
Cloud deck lowering the farther south we went. Headed inland to see if
the clouds stayed higher but they all of a sudden were down to the
ground! VERY carefully picking our way towards the highway we knew was
there, watching out for wires or obstructions or someplace to land and
wait it out. Saw some buildings and decided to land and see if there
was some fuel anywhere close by since we had burned a lot flying low
and slow. I landed and suddenly, blades still turning, we were
surrounded by a group of natives, most of whom seemed to be carrying
knobkerries. A very distinctive regal woman came towards the
helicopter and I got out to talk with her. A small wizened old man
with skin as black as coal and more wrinkles then an elephant was
giving me the evil eye and agitating the rest of the group. The woman
asked if there was a problem and I told her no, we were looking for
some fuel and had gotten disoriented in the clouds. She pointed off
down the road and said perhaps we could get some at the mission store
about 5 km. In the meantime, the businessmen had elected to stay in
the helicopter except for one who got out in case I needed a
translator. He was getting worried at the restless crowd who were
starting to press in on us. I was concerned they'd hit a rotor blade
or the tail rotor and was anxious to get into the air. I thanked the
woman and we got airborne quickly. We landed at the mission store and
bought all the illuminating parafine they had (about 100 Liters). The
clouds seemed to have moved up a bit and we elected to return to
Durban. As you know, there ain't much along that coast in the
Transkei!! I climbed up to about 2500' as the cloud deck lifted and we
landed back at Durban with about 25 liters of fuel remaining.
As it turned out, we had landed at the kraal of the paramount chief of
the Pondo and I had been talking to his senior wife (not sure if she
was properly the Queen). The little old black man who was so agitated
was the witch doctor and he was telling everyone we were the police
come to arrest their chief and take him away. Looking back, we were a
lot closer to being in the deep dung than I realized! I was concerned
the pax would be upset but they thought it was a great adventure and
continued on to P.E. via SAA or someone. My boss said it odd that I
was always the one to have the adventures......

[Hennie]

Rocky,
Earlier this year a few friends and me did a helicopter
trip down to this same wild coast. There were 5 helicopters
1 R44,1 Bell 47, 2 CH7 Kompresses and my R22.
All the guy's left from Johannesburg and we joined up at
the town of Frankfort and flew from town to town enjoying the
Drakensberg mountains, the Natal subtropical coast line and then
the Wild coast. The trip lasted a week before we were back home
again. We landed at the most exotic beaches and waterfalls.
We cooked fresh crayfish on remote beaches and had a ball.

We stayed in Port St Johns for a few nights and used the small town
as a base wile flying up and down the coast every day.
The trip was in excess of a 1000 nauticle miles and I logged
more than 20 hours for the week.

Twice we had 30 knot coastal winds to fly in. The first time
it was a tail wind and the second time a head wind. This slowed
the Bell 47 down to only 35 knots ground speed. Imagine what
this do to you planned fuel consumption!

We are already planning next years trip.

Regards


Hennie

[SelwayKid]

(Hennie) wrote in message >...
> Rocky,
> Earlier this year a few friends and me did a helicopter
> trip down to this same wild coast. There were 5 helicopters
> 1 R44,1 Bell 47, 2 CH7 Kompresses and my R22.
> All the guy's left from Johannesburg and we joined up at
> the town of Frankfort and flew from town to town enjoying the
> Drakensberg mountains, the Natal subtropical coast line and then
> the Wild coast. The trip lasted a week before we were back home
> again. We landed at the most exotic beaches and waterfalls.
> We cooked fresh crayfish on remote beaches and had a ball.

Hennnie Hennie Hennie
Please stop it.....fresh crayfish (crawdads as we call them here in
the southern USA) on the beach and a helicopter fly in with friends?
Voetsok man!
How do you like your R22 up there on the hiveldt? I recall one trip
while flying a 206 out of Jo'berg down to the coast at Richards Bay
and on south to Stanger and Durban. While flying down the coast at
perhaps 100'awl (above water level<ggg>)and just off the beach, I
suddenly came around a point and in a pretty little bay saw a couple
coupling on the beach. I was startled and did a quick stop and they
did a quick jump for the covers!! I laughed and continued on down the
coast. Lusikisiki was the place where we got our fuel in that other
story.
Beautiful country that Natal province....... Did I ever tell you the
time when we flew up to the face of Augrabie Falls and hovered? Hmmmm,
perhaps another time........ lots of stories about the Karoo and
adventures.
Rocky
>
> We stayed in Port St Johns for a few nights and used the small town
> as a base wile flying up and down the coast every day.
> The trip was in excess of a 1000 nauticle miles and I logged
> more than 20 hours for the week.
>
> Twice we had 30 knot coastal winds to fly in. The first time
> it was a tail wind and the second time a head wind. This slowed
> the Bell 47 down to only 35 knots ground speed. Imagine what
> this do to you planned fuel consumption!
>
> We are already planning next years trip.
>
> Regards
>
>
> Hennie

[Steve R.]

Hi Hennie,

Sounds like a "wonderful" trip. I admit, I'm a little green!

Would you happen to have a place where you can post pictures?

Fly Safe,
Steve R.


"Hennie" > wrote in message
om...
> Rocky,
> Earlier this year a few friends and me did a helicopter
> trip down to this same wild coast. There were 5 helicopters
> 1 R44,1 Bell 47, 2 CH7 Kompresses and my R22.
> All the guy's left from Johannesburg and we joined up at
> the town of Frankfort and flew from town to town enjoying the
> Drakensberg mountains, the Natal subtropical coast line and then
> the Wild coast. The trip lasted a week before we were back home
> again. We landed at the most exotic beaches and waterfalls.
> We cooked fresh crayfish on remote beaches and had a ball.
>
> We stayed in Port St Johns for a few nights and used the small town
> as a base wile flying up and down the coast every day.
> The trip was in excess of a 1000 nauticle miles and I logged
> more than 20 hours for the week.
>
> Twice we had 30 knot coastal winds to fly in. The first time
> it was a tail wind and the second time a head wind. This slowed
> the Bell 47 down to only 35 knots ground speed. Imagine what
> this do to you planned fuel consumption!
>
> We are already planning next years trip.
>
> Regards
>
>
> Hennie

[Shiver Me Timbers]

> Steve R. > wrote:

> Hi Hennie,
>
> Sounds like a "wonderful" trip. I admit, I'm a little green!
>
> Would you happen to have a place where you can post pictures?

I'd sure like to see photos of your adventure also.

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[Hennie]

I will try to get some pictures on a web page and I will let you guy's
know when it will be ready for viewing.

Rocky after flying a mini 500 that I built in the highveld the
R22 feel like a V8 monster. Ok when solo that is. You have to be
carefull with a pax that weigh 200 pounds.

THis R22 I rebuilt myself under the experimental rules so it is
modified some. If you look at glenns web page at

http://www.3cats.com/helicopter/newstuff.htm

and scroll down the page you will see a picture of me beside
my heli after the first beach landing at Umkomaas.

I have a complete set of parts for another heli like this one
but I am going to install a 160 hp turbine in that. I think
with the turbine it will be OK for the Highveld.

Regards

Hennie

[SelwayKid]

(Hennie) wrote in message >...
> I will try to get some pictures on a web page and I will let you guy's
> know when it will be ready for viewing.
>
> Rocky after flying a mini 500 that I built in the highveld the
> R22 feel like a V8 monster. Ok when solo that is. You have to be
> carefull with a pax that weigh 200 pounds.
>
> THis R22 I rebuilt myself under the experimental rules so it is
> modified some. If you look at glenns web page at
>
> http://www.3cats.com/helicopter/newstuff.htm
>
> and scroll down the page you will see a picture of me beside
> my heli after the first beach landing at Umkomaas.
>
> I have a complete set of parts for another heli like this one
> but I am going to install a 160 hp turbine in that. I think
> with the turbine it will be OK for the Highveld.
>
> Regards
>
> Hennie
Hennie
No Joy on the site or pics. With the increased power, how will that
affect the transmission limits?
Are you based in or near Kroonstad? Do you know how many civil
helicopters there are now in SA? What a far cry from 1974!!
Side note....when DCA began writing the air law regarding crop
spraying in '74, they asked me to help them out. I did a rough draft
loosely based on our own FAR 137 for aerial application and left out
the parts I didn't like. Surprised me when they adopted the majority
of my recommendations and made it law!
I was stunned to learn how many cobras there are out in the Karoo
while I was doing the way leaving for ESCOM. Based for a couple weeks
at Pofadder, then DeAar and Preiska. What great fun and adventure.
Reminds me of the time when we were......ah thats for another
time...<ggg>
Rocky

[Hennie]

Rocky,
You should try that site again. Maybe it was off line
at that stage.
I am trying to get the story on my own web page with some pictures.

The turbine power is so smooth ( without the piston engine power pulses)
that the transmission will be able to handle the extra power.

I am based in Kroonstad town. The last figure I had on civil helicopters
was 339 piston, 304 turbine and 53 homebuilt. Quite a change from the
70's.
Interesting about the regulations, i have a few friends doing crop
spraying.

I did a lot of work in the Prieska and de Aar area. Me and my partner
in crime run a communications company. We have a lot of repeaters
on high sites and rent airtime to farmers and companies. All over
the Free State, Northern Cape and into parts of Natal.

Think About the next story over the weekend????


Regards

Hennie

[SelwayKid]

(Hennie) wrote in message >...
> Rocky,
> You should try that site again. Maybe it was off line
> at that stage.
> I am trying to get the story on my own web page with some pictures.
>
> The turbine power is so smooth ( without the piston engine power pulses)
> that the transmission will be able to handle the extra power.
>
> I am based in Kroonstad town. The last figure I had on civil helicopters
> was 339 piston, 304 turbine and 53 homebuilt. Quite a change from the
> 70's.
> Interesting about the regulations, i have a few friends doing crop
> spraying.
Hennie
Astra Helicopters had crews that were doing a week out and two back
in. I was in a single status and loved flying out in the Karoo so
offered to stay out there for a little "hardship" bonus and let the
married guys stay in JHB. It worked out great and I got to fly all
over the place. Frequent crew change was in Kimberly and naturally I
had to drop in and fly around in the "big hole". For those who don't
know, it was the original diamond mine and is huge! I only did it once
and I'm sure got away with it since there were so few helicopters yet
in South Africa.
From there it was natural to follow the Oranje River - Orange River
for the Yanks, and so it followed that I'd drop in on Augrabie Falls
which is a kind of miniature Grand Canyon with these incredible falls.
I'd fly down in the canyon and look around. Found a spot just down
river from the falls where, during flood times, the river would
overflow its banks and go around to this drop off point, down into a
catch basin which appeared to be about an 80' drop, then spill again
over a lip another 40-50' into the main river bed. Often thought that
wouuld be a perfect place to look for diamonds that were carried in
the current and dropped into that catch basin. But, not wanting to be
caught up in IDB laws, never did anything about it. Got some great
pics and plans though..... IDB aka Illicit Diamond Buying.
Then there was the time when we had to jam a pole into the snakes hole
to keep a cobra from attacking us... and landing on top of a mountain
peak that required me to put one skid down so my crew could get off to
clear enough boulders so I could land right on the edge of a sheer
cliff that dropped for probably 1000' or more. The takeoff was a fun
one but will save that for the next episode.
Cheers
Rocky
>
> I did a lot of work in the Prieska and de Aar area. Me and my partner
> in crime run a communications company. We have a lot of repeaters
> on high sites and rent airtime to farmers and companies. All over
> the Free State, Northern Cape and into parts of Natal.
>
> Think About the next story over the weekend????
>
>
> Regards
>
> Hennie