About 18 months ago there was a couple week period with many shark sightings off the Southern Califonia coast. During this time I was flying a helicopter south along the Coast line just North of Santa Barbara. I was on the lee side of the coastal mountain range, which at this time was an off shore...

Funny coming across this after almost 14 years. But I was in this accident with my family. My dad was a part of the CG for many years. And he was the reason we all survived this crash. Lots of Los info not mentioned in the reports. And my brother who was seriously injured is doing very well to this...

Continental Airlines, PDX-HOU-GPT. Got home and discovered my "Pub Bag" was missing from one of the checked bags. Held my GPS, Jep CR5, sectionals, knee board, flashlights, gloves, knife, Leatherman, signal mirror, misc other items that accumulate in a pilots flight bag. A call to Continental told...

Finished the spray season in Minnesota with about 450 hours logged from June to 20Sept. More than 45,000 acres sprayed without incident. Then was hired to ferry a Bell 206L3 from northern MN down to Baton Rouge LA where it promptly was put to work. I declined an offer to go to work immediately as I...

Anyone else besides me here ever hit a wire in a helicopter? I did it at night while crop dusting in California. Was a steel cable and all it did was leave "chatter" marks in the paint and tore the end cap. Very close call and we had to replace the blades (which were just about timed out anyway). I...

Have been thinking of things to post re;Ag Flying with rotorcraft. I have to pay more attention to my work though! In many of my fields here, they are irrigated with sprinkler pivots. Generally I'll have to fly over them spraying to get the crops underneath. I haven't measured the tallest points on...

Since I seem to have stirred a little interest, I'll try to enlighten those who care to read it. I'm one of those fortunate few who get to do stuff that many can't even dream of or imagine with helicopters. An old friend of mine, corporate helo pilot with 12K+ hours did some ag flying with me and...

Was flying a UH13ET recently and hit the tip of a blade on a tree. It tore the end cap and the blades had to come off for inspection/repair. Hmmm...a little too close. Landing on an elevated pad about 10' off the ground and the skids hang off front and back. Sometimes its a little dicey taking off...

Needed right now...experienced helicopter ag pilot for bollworm contract in Rio Grande valley, Texas. Flying a Bell 47 doing ULV, using AgNav system. Pays $100 flight hour and should net in excess of $30K for the summer. If you are not experienced in ag work don't bother me with "please" to break...

Which of the SAN area airports are you flying out of? I've operated out of all of them and even a few that are no longer in existence. Some that very few even remember! Like Peaks Airport very near where Cudahy Slough is in Mission Bay, or down in Chula Vista...and I think you can still see one of...

There are several helo operators that offer training in the mountain environment there in SoCal. Western Helicopters comes to mind near Rialto. A couple hours dual in nearly any helicopter in the high country will give you an insight into the do/don't of mtn flying. Major difference is in the...

Since the subject of night flying came up, I thought I'd toss out a little about night spraying with helicopters and airplanes. I've done both and prefer the helicopter. Both are OK when properly equipped but the airplanes move faster and take more time to cover a given field with their long...

Over the past weekend in San Diego, an 84 year old man decided to unstrap and get out of the aircraft while on short final. It killed him of course. He was in a biplane but it reminded me of some incidents when I had passengers who became the emergency in helicopters too. How to handle them? A pax...

Well it appears this board needs something to stir some activity. So, let's talk about touchdown autorotations. Just like spins in the phyxed wing world, there are those who argue for/against touchdown autos. I've been flying helicopters since the mid 60's and have done quite a few touchdown autos...

If you think the recent requirement by TSA to have CFI's register, and to develop a database at your private expense, with threat of a $10,000 fine if you don't comply, better keep your eyes open for the even more sinister legislation for the national identity card with HR10 and S2774. I have been...

If you think the recent requirement by TSA to have CFI's register, and to develop a database at your private expense, with threat of a $10,000 fine if you don't comply, better keep your eyes open for the even more sinister legislation for the national identity card with HR10 and S2774. I have been...

If you think the recent requirement by TSA to have CFI's register, and to develop a database at your private expense, with threat of a $10,000 fine if you don't comply, better keep your eyes open for the even more sinister legislation for the national identity card with HR10 and S2774. I have been...

Sitting here in Mobile, Alabama watching the storm track headed right for us. Of course many are preparing for it and offshore rigs have begun evacuating. We haven't made a decision to move the aircraft out yet and that will probably happen tomorrow. With Brookley field sticking out into Mobile...

Kruger National Park in South Africa, early 70's. Working with game rangers to do health checks on elephants. Using a Bell 206 with doors off, game ranger with a dart gun and heavy duty tranquilizers, a specific herd of elephants... get them moving out in line to avoid the noisy annoying helicopter...

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...