Posted on 06/23/2022 10:24:13 AM PDT by BenLurkin
Six people died on Wednesday when a tourist helicopter used in Hollywood movies crashed in West Virginia during a vintage helicopter show where guests without pilot licenses were allowed to fly the aircraft.
The Vietnam-era helicopter, which had previously appeared in movies including Baywatch, Die Hard and Outbreak, was being flown during the 7th Annual Huey Reunion, an event for historical aviation enthusiasts.
Guests at the event, hosted at the Marpat Aviation school in Logan county, could pay to fly the helicopter for $250 for a 30-minute session even without having a license, according to the event page.
The helicopter, advertised as probably the oldest Bell UH-1B helicopter in existence, crashed near Route 17 in the state’s south-west region...
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
I would never ride in a helicopter if I could avoid it.
A vintage copter? No way.
The statistics are horrible for helicopters. Frankly, I am surprised they allow the US President to fly in one.
Magnum P.I. - Hughes 500 crashed - no fatalities
Airwolf Bell 222 crashed - 3 fatalities I think
All after the shows ended
What could possibly go wrong?
That’s like having Buttagig try to fix supply chain problems.
(where guests without pilot licenses were allowed to fly the aircraft.)
Uh...no...not gonna do that.
Guy I know was a test pilot for the AH-64 Apache - he always considered the machine would kill him under the right circumstances.
IIRC he’d have to go to 10,000 and autorotate to check that the rotors were spinning within limits.
I went to Walmart one day and one flew over. He told me he’d just gotten out of it and the next pilot took it up.
I was staying at his place not far from a NG base.
“Guests at the event, hosted at the Marpat Aviation school in Logan county, could pay to fly the helicopter for $250 for a 30-minute session even without having a license, according to the event page.”
That doesn’t sound right. Something like this you ride in, not physically fly the helicopter.
One does not ‘fly’ a helicopter.
One continually keeps it from crashing, until you land................
I always thought it was strange how Vic Morrow died a Twilight Zone type of Vietnam combat death while filming a Twilight Zone segment.
Vietnam war set, sounds, costuming, and he and the Vietnamese kids he was rescuing were all killed by a crashing Huey.
They are a bear to maintain, though - labor intensive, but a bargain as there are a ton of things only a helicopter can do.
Without knowing any of the details, I’d guess the situation was similar to what you describe. (I’d also bet that the unlicensed individual would not be doing the takeoff or landing.) There are probably quite a few former military helicopter pilots who didn’t keep their licenses current but who still know how to fly.
I personally don’t want to get aboard any helicopter unless I have to, no matter what it is or who’s flying it. I rode in enough when I was a lot younger.
Does this smell a little bullshitty to anyone else>
My BIL crashed a Chinook back in 89 or 90. No fatalities, as they were just lifting off and had barely gained any altitude. It was determined that a mechanical failure caused the crash.
I saw the pictures and the damage to the aircraft was shocking, even though the worst injury was a broken leg.
Wow, I didn’t know that (or forgot it). And a “Combat” veteran, too!
I flew in a commuter helo twice in my life, once from SFO to OAK airports back in the late 70s or early 80s and once in NYC from Manhattan to JFK about the same time. Both times I thought the machine was going to shake itself to pieces. I was shocked at the amount of vibration in those things.
“The statistics are horrible for helicopters. Frankly, I am surprised they allow the US President to fly in one.”
I’ve flown in many helicopters in the past.
Nothing like flying just above the tree tops with your legs hanging out the side and nothing but a 2in strap holding you in.😁
Looks like no $!#+ ... Two Fifty got you 30 min in the right seat.
Until it didn't.
a vintage helicopter show where guests without pilot licenses were allowed to fly the aircraft.
Yep, they were all decapitated. The helicopter got to low and the explosions from the pyrotechnics were too hot causing it to lose lift and spin out of control. At least for Vic and the kids, they didn’t feel a thing.
Wouldn’t have happened if it had been solar powered. /s
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.