“Helicopters do crash.”
Helicopters shouldn’t fly to start.
I remember hearing them described as 30,000 parts flying in close formation.
I disagree...helicopters are lovely to fly. By competent folks.
I don’t like the thought of anything flying with the most important part on the whole thing named “the Jesus Nut”.
Reminds me of a story from years ago... Having flown on Army Hueys, CH47's and Blackhawks many times, on a unique occasion I was all set to fly out on a Marine Corp CH46. My attitude had been "if I can get on board a helicopter out of here, I'll live." I took a seat just forward of the aft rotor and settled myself into the webbing. I looked back toward the cargo door and noticed a pool hydraulic fluid on the floor. Looking up at the panel above the puddle, I could see that it was coming from above, and had not been left on the floor from any cargo that had just been transported. A young Marine looked over at me and noticed my concern. (I had just realized that what I had thought to be my saving ride out might be my death.) He pulled out a rag and wiped up the floor and then wiped the drips from the ceiling, smiled and said "we'll be fine sir, we don't have to worry until it stops dripping..." Yeah right. When you're young you think you'll live forever and that a little leak won't hurt anything. With age comes wisdom and a better understanding of the fact that engineers write up maintenance schedules for very good reasons. I volunteered to get shot at and to be able to kill the enemy. I didn't volunteer to die in a chopper crash because of a leaky hydraulic hose. I let our a big sigh of relief when we sat that CH46 down on the tarmac. I've never gotten back on a CH46 since that flight...