Blade Strikes...yikes!

[MINI]

Just thought Id start something interesting. Just curious as to how many if any of you fine boys and girls have had any blade strikes while in the biz and what your hours were when ya had it or them ? I have had two in my 33 years of flying these beasts. First one was at about 2000 hrs Aloutte III and took the tip caps off. Second one was about II,OOO hrs Longranger and scuffed the underside of the blades and were in limits. So come on people swallow your pride and egos and be honest. :shock: :shock:

 

Hope your all having a safe and good summer. Mini.

[NG Limited]

Hey Mini,

 

About 5000 hours and no blade strikes yet. :up: Although that is partially due to dumb luck. On one instance I nearly trimmed the top of a tree. To this day I don't know how I missed it. It was a case of hovering in the sun while the slingload was down in shadow and smoke and using a 125ft line but needing a 150.

 

Cheers!

NG

[407 Driver]

I got ONE 206 blade at 200 hours (1979) , Yes, the other blade was untouched?

 

Since then, at an average of 570 hrs a year...no strikes. But then there was that Duck that went through the tail rotor.

 

Duuuuck ! F$#@^%...ck !

 

 

 

Recipe for Duck Soup

 

1 adult Duck

Puree with tail rotor

Baste with 1/2 L Mobil Jet II

add a touch of Shell 22 grease

salt and pepper to taste

 

mmmm enjoy. :up:

[mtnhopper]

I was born in 79, 407 I also watched that video when I was training pretty wild. One light stike, some small willows nothing more than green blades. Still smartened me up though :up:

 

 

 

 

MH

[Helilog56]

Ha.....I took the tip caps off a 500 when I had around 8,500 hours on a tall cedar snag while shake blocking, whacked a blade on a Longranger L-4) on a seismec job, (sunny day with snow on ground ,dam tree jumped into my blades) at around 9,200 hours. But I'll add one to the pot.....I took off a t/r blade with my longline at 10,600 hours.....quite a ride that was.... :shock: Sooooo at 15,930 hours....I'm hopeing for "NO MORE DUMBASS" moves.....

[cap]

In my "present life" I've had one that I didn't even know about, but was seen by a recently exited pax.......no damage...no nothing, but LOTS of reports to be filed. Another one at flat pitch that severed a branch nicely, leaving green stains the rest of the way back. In my "former life", under different and more "trying" conditions, I had more that I can now remember.......and didn't "give a rat's ***" either. Considering where the vast majority of us operate during our careers, I think the majority of my peers do one **** of a job personally. Stand-up and take a bow gents because I 'doff my cap' to y'all.

[Bladestrike]

In over twenty years, one, and it was in my first 500 hours. My employer, who kept me on afterwards because the customer preferred my inexperienced but smiling face to the arrogant a##h**e I replaced, would go on and on about it for years, hence the choice of moniker. It was a tip cap on a 206.

[Cry of the Wind]

Well with an incredible 8 hours dual I haven't had any yet :up: but it seems like listening to you guys it will be inevitable. One thing I noticed is many of your incidents occurred as higher time pilots. I'm curious to know if this is more a risk as a high timer in a high timer environment and it's just the employer of the low timer that keeps him outta trouble for the most part. Or will it be that in your first 1000 hours you're too scared to do anything to the helicopter and lose your job that you fly the safest in your life. And failing that there is no trend and they just happen when they happen.

[Mac-Ex-wafu]

Or will it be that in your first 1000 hours you're too scared to do anything to the helicopter and lose your job that you fly the safest in your life. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Why should you fly any differently AFTER 1000 Hours ??????

[67november]

I was shown that video in mechanics school in '86 that has been around for quite some by the looks of it