Why didn't I listen...

[CM119]

28 minutes ago, Full On said:

Yeah. Sorry about that that “stupid thread comment “ I guess every post is worthy in its own way. I just don’t like to dwell on the negative is all 

I think the whole premise of this post is to expose what pilots and ame’s have tolerated to be a part of this “industry”.  I see no dwelling, just a good spoonful of reality.

[Pool pilot]

22 minutes ago, Full On said:

Yeah. Sorry about that that “stupid thread comment “ I guess every post is worthy in its own way. I just don’t like to dwell on the negative is all 

All good.... appreciate the apology 

[Pool pilot]

14 minutes ago, CM119 said:

I think he whole premise of this post is to expose what pilots and ame’s have tolerated to be a part of this “industry”.  I see no dwelling, just a good spoonful of reality!

When I thought of this post..... I did not have in mind complaining about the industry. 

I was hoping.... us old guys could use it to point out some of the bigger mistakes that either..... dam near killed us.... or when we needed to go get new underwear midday.

And maybe.... just maybe some of the low time pilots will read about our mistakes and stick it in the back of their mind..... under the holy crap file.

Who knows.... maybe we might save a life by sharing some of our stupidity..... we all had those moments.

[Full On]

28 minutes ago, CM119 said:

I think the whole premise of this post is to expose what pilots and ame’s have tolerated to be a part of this “industry”.  I see no dwelling, just a good spoonful of reality.

Really, you must’ve had some fun. Come on let’s here about it!

[Full On]

24 minutes ago, Pool pilot said:

All good.... appreciate the apology 

No worries, I know when to eat crow…

[BJP]

On 2/22/2022 at 7:02 PM, tipspeed said:

+1 to that. 
 

I have wondered about making the switch to FW, I know that side has its own problems too as you don’t just magically end up flying airliners. 
 

That said I don’t regret one bit making the switch to the IFR side. Predicable schedule, overtime, time off….. Sure it’s not as exciting as some of the stuff the VFR side has but after a couple thousand hours of that BS I don’t miss it at all.

Uuuggghhh, thats like a factory, unionised job, same routes, flying minimal hours to boot. Not a bad thing at all, if that's your personality trait. 

And as the topic says..."Why didn't I listen"...grass isn't always greener on the other side, the grass is sometimes greener where you water and nourish it.

Fixed wing isn't a bad way to go. Aviation is aviation.  Helicopters are just awesomeness. 

I'm not knocking Helo IFR or FW at all. If that's your end destination, remember to enjoy the journey getting there. Dont contemplate Helo IFR until 2000hrs or so. Alot of tricks to learn in that time.

I'm coming up to my 5000th hr mark. 2000hrs in IFR outfit, although we never really flew IFR, other than for proficiency. I went back to VFR as I still love flying and the variety of work and locations. I remain IFR current, for when or if I want to go back to it. 

[Billy Hill]

So there I was watching a storm outside from the comfort of inside the nice warm hangar. I had told my wife I wasn’t flying till the afternoon, it was forecasted to be calm by said time. The boss comes in and human factors me in a despicable fashion to push out and head to site. He was required to be apart of the days flight for sign off purposes for our client. We go flying and dramatically end up upside down in a forest. Jet fuel pouring on me with an engine still running kind of thing, leg trapped and can’t get it out. Ughhh I still relieve that day while in the shower, every single shower I’ve taken since.

Life has consequences beyond our wildest imaginations sometimes. When 💩 hits the fan it happens fast. Take all the training you receive with dedication and 100% effort. Wear your shoulder harness and helmet for every single flight. Stand up for yourself when you have a bad gut feeling. It’s a fine line between assertive and aggressive but crossing that line is okay sometimes if you feel it’s right. I love what I do and I don’t think I’d be any happier doing anything else for a living. What a job it is and I love the home life it affords you and your family (pool pilot not quite the same as a base guy)!

thanks for listening. 

[Bee3]

1 hour ago, Billy Hill said:

So there I was watching a storm outside from the comfort of inside the nice warm hangar. I had told my wife I wasn’t flying till the afternoon, it was forecasted to be calm by said time. The boss comes in and human factors me in a despicable fashion to push out and head to site. He was required to be apart of the days flight for sign off purposes for our client. We go flying and dramatically end up upside down in a forest. Jet fuel pouring on me with an engine still running kind of thing, leg trapped and can’t get it out. Ughhh I still relieve that day while in the shower, every single shower I’ve taken since.

Life has consequences beyond our wildest imaginations sometimes. When 💩 hits the fan it happens fast. Take all the training you receive with dedication and 100% effort. Wear your shoulder harness and helmet for every single flight. Stand up for yourself when you have a bad gut feeling. It’s a fine line between assertive and aggressive but crossing that line is okay sometimes if you feel it’s right. I love what I do and I don’t think I’d be any happier doing anything else for a living. What a job it is and I love the home life it affords you and your family (pool pilot not quite the same as a base guy)!

thanks for listening. 

Great story Billy. Glad you are here to share it with us. 
 

Trust your gut is the best advice i was ever given. 

[DGP]

On 2/23/2022 at 10:07 AM, DGP said:

Not sure if I told the one about pulling a pilot and his passenger out of a freshly crashed 205?

This happened in 1989...I had been double crewing a 206 with my old buddy Black Bart and I had time X ed so I was told to change hats and put my coverals on and go wrench on a 205,204 and a 206 until I could go back flying. I had an apprentice to give me a hand...we would be working pretty much all night with a few hours of sleep in the mornings. I had just replaced a pitch change bearing on the 204 that night ...another story for another time...and I had washed out the engine oil cooler on the 205 as the pilot...his name was Terry...can't remember his last name...had said the engine oil telmps were running amost in the red...so...I had just woke up and had gone fore brunch when some guys ask me if its cool that the refueling guys who were watering down the helipad should be hossing down the exhaust pipe on my 205....to be continued!!!!

[DGP]

So...before I even got up from my chair yelling...What the f##K...I hear the 205 fire up...I run over to the window and the blades are spinning on the 205...its a bit of a hike to the pad but I sprint out of there at top speed running to the helipad in time to see the 205 lifting off in a cloud of dust...it gets about 1000 yards away climbing over some 60 ft spruce trees when there is a huge explosion and a huge black cloud coming out of the tail pipe of the 205 engine and she goes down in a line of huge trees....I am yelling at guys to get a hoseline down the road to the crash site as I am at top speed running down the road to were it has gone in....to be continued!!!!