Helicopter Landing - Some Fakery In This Video?

Looks real to me, but I am no video expert. It's amazing what you can sometimes do with enough hours under your belt.
 
Looks real to me too. Depending on how far from shore they are, the pilot may not have much choice other than landing.
 
Real.

From the ship profile and hull number that is the HDMS Ejnar Mikkelsen (P571), Royal Dannish Navy.

The helo appears to be some ASW export variant of the Lynx (British) helicopter.

I've watched Navy and Marine pilots land like that in heavy seas many times. Some of the best pilots in the world.

I have never determined who has the biggest pucker factor going during these landings - the pilot, Paddles (the LFO - Landing Flight Officer - the poor guy standing on deck giving the pilot hand signals), or the Air Boss (the one in the tower responsible for all flight ops).

The pilot is trying to land on a moving postage stamp, Paddles has to be ready to dodge pieces coming off any aircraft that "hits hard" and the Air Boss is puckering on every takeoff and landing as if his career depends on what happens (it does).
 
A long time ago, we went to the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, OR. They had a lot of exhibits on the Coast Guard rescue boats that worked the mouth of the Columbia River. They had some videos that I can't find on youtube. The rescue boats are designed to self right and sometimes actually flip over. The crew will be under water until the boat rights itself. No thanks. That's not for me. I get sea sick.

[youtube]O_Ot9A-8Qm0[/youtube]
 
My thought is maybe he can land it, but how long can a helicopter stay on the deck before it slides off one side or the other into the sea? Ten seconds, maybe? I expected to see people running out to chain it down the instant it landed, and I was surprised when I didn't. :confused:
 
Cougar Allen said:
My thought is maybe he can land it, but how long can a helicopter stay on the deck before it slides off one side or the other into the sea? Ten seconds, maybe? I expected to see people running out to chain it down the instant it landed, and I was surprised when I didn't. :confused:
Click to expand...

Don't you know nothin? There is velcro on the skids......or maybe suction cups. Magnets?
 
Cougar Allen said:
My thought is maybe he can land it, but how long can a helicopter stay on the deck before it slides off one side or the other into the sea? Ten seconds, maybe? I expected to see people running out to chain it down the instant it landed, and I was surprised when I didn't. :confused:
Click to expand...

Oh, trust me, they do go running out, but there is a delay while they wait to see if the bird has to launch quickly. Sometimes, "stuff" happens and then they have to take off almost immediately, Usually when the pilot "feels" something is "off" or the Air Boss sees something about to go wrong and orders a takeoff.

Also, an empty Lynx (the one in the clip) weighs over 7200#, add in 600 more for the 3 crewmen and gear, and with any remaining fuel/expenditures load, a landing Lynx will easily exceed 8000#. It won't just go sliding off the deck easily. It can, and will, slide off under the right set of circumstances, but the weight, combined with friction coefficient of the rubber tires on the rough, non-skid treated deck and a maybe little down-force push by the rotors, the bird won't go anywhere before it gets chocked and chained, even in fairly heavy seas, like in this video.
 
zzyzzogeton said:
Also, an empty Lynx (the one in the clip) weighs over 7200#, add in 600 more for the 3 crewmen and gear, and with any remaining fuel/expenditures load, a landing Lynx will easily exceed 8000#.
Click to expand...

Probably more like 10000 lbs when you add the weight of the pilot's testicles.
 
Cougar Allen said:
My thought is maybe he can land it, but how long can a helicopter stay on the deck before it slides off one side or the other into the sea? Ten seconds, maybe? I expected to see people running out to chain it down the instant it landed, and I was surprised when I didn't. :confused:
Click to expand...

No kidding. It seemed like they had to wait forever before the deck leveled out long enough to just set the helicopter down.
 
UffDa said:
Don't you know nothin? There is velcro on the skids......or maybe suction cups. Magnets?
Click to expand...

Contact cement? That would work - brush some on the wheels and some on the deck and wait till it gets tacky ...

Of course, that could be a bit of a problem later, when it's time to take off again....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top