Roost Air Lounge => Aviation related topics => Topic started by: Ragwing on August 19, 2010, 11:50:17 AM
Title: Rotary wing to the rescue
Post by: Ragwing on August 19, 2010, 11:50:17 AM
Washington State in the US has a very unique topography. In the Olympic Peninsula (Western part of the state) we have a lot of steep canyons in the Olympic mountains. Hikers make mistakes and get hurt. We are constantly rescuing them.
This week we had a 16 year old girl slip and fall off of a cliff breaking bones and falling into a river that is slightly warmer than the ice it melted from on Mount Olympus. With hypothermia on top of that, there was no time to take the hours it would have taken to carry her out.
A military helicopter was called in to do the impossible again......
Enjoy the video http://www.king5.com/news/local/Helicopter-rescues-teen-from-Skokomish-River-101016759.html (http://www.king5.com/news/local/Helicopter-rescues-teen-from-Skokomish-River-101016759.html)
Title: Re: Rotary wing to the rescue
Post by: Frank N. O. on August 31, 2010, 06:34:42 AM
Indeed fantastic, and how great to hear a pilot actually giving clear credit to the mechanics! Just one thing though, I read the text and saw and heard the video but what happened to the hiker!?
Frank
Title: Re: Rotary wing to the rescue
Post by: Mike on August 31, 2010, 10:11:30 PM
Man I would be worried about cables hanging off the bridge, old kites and such .... and about some kid throwing something in my rotors from above just to see what would happen.....
And Frank, helo guys are usually pretty tight with their mechanics since we don't get far without them as compared to airplanes.
Title: Re: Rotary wing to the rescue
Post by: Oddball on August 31, 2010, 11:54:25 PM
What about the rotor tips catching the cliffs? looked like they where pretty close to the narrows. seen some of the SAR boys here getting close in and backing out over Five Finger ridge on Ben Nevis, they even have one blade painted yellow so they can see the rotor disc. but that was some piloting by them boys |:)\ |:)\
Title: Re: Rotary wing to the rescue
Post by: Mike on September 01, 2010, 02:12:39 AM
What about the rotor tips catching the cliffs? looked like they where pretty close to the narrows. seen some of the SAR boys here getting close in and backing out over Five Finger ridge on Ben Nevis, they even have one blade painted yellow so they can see the rotor disc. but that was some piloting by them boys |:)\ |:)\
no, not so much. This guy has two pilots and a crew chief. One can hover, one can watch the gages and the cliff and the crewchief does the hoist. I wish I had all the time. You should see some of the places we go in sometimes. I think the Panaca Jane thread and the LaFawnduh thread might show a few.
Last winter we did some lift work on the new Encore Casino in Vegas where my blades were 8 to 10 ft from the building. I was looking straight down on the load so I had the real Nobu watch the blades for me from the outside constantly calling in my distance on the radio. Not comfortable at all! You really have to trust everybody on this......
But yes, they did some good flying. I am not mocking it by any reason. I just saying it wasn't my immediate concern looking at the video.
Title: Re: Rotary wing to the rescue
Post by: Ragwing on September 01, 2010, 02:16:24 AM
I read the text and saw and heard the video but what happened to the hiker!?
Frank,
She is recovering fine. Because of her age, her name and much information is not available.
Good news
The U.S. Navy is honoring the sailor who rappelled several hundred feet from a helicopter to rescue a 15-year-old girl who had fallen into the Skokomish River. http://www.king5.com/news/local/Sailor-who-rappelled-from-chopper-to-rescue-girl-honored-101723263.html (http://www.king5.com/news/local/Sailor-who-rappelled-from-chopper-to-rescue-girl-honored-101723263.html)
Title: Re: Rotary wing to the rescue
Post by: Frank N. O. on September 07, 2010, 01:49:48 PM
Mike: Hehe true, I guess that is another part of what makes sling-wing drivers different from stuck-wingers ;)
Ragwing: I can fully understand the need for privacy, I just wanted to know if she would make it, thanks :)
