Category Archives: Flying Stories
Learning Curve
My initial helicopter flight training took place at Skyrotors Ltd. Arnprior Ontario. I had no way of knowing it at the time, but flight training for the company was a very secondary operation. I remember my flight instructor walking me into … Continue reading →
Just traveling in bigger circles
Can anyone remember the movie or book that had the following lines? “Is it really you? Been so long since we’ve seen you, we figured you were dead?” “No, just travelin’ in bigger circles.” came the reply. I hear Sam … Continue reading →
Second Solo
One of the primary rules of flight instruction is “Does the student understand the task to be performed?” I was the student. September of 1974, flying a Bell 47 G-2. I had a grand total of 4.6 hours and my … Continue reading →
Flight Rules
NO night VFR flights in Mexico was the warning. The implication being that bad things would befall any pilot who found himself flying under visual flight rules in Mexican airspace after official darkness. Oooh, scary! Except that it happens all … Continue reading →
Getting Started
If you have ever been an employee in your parents company, you know its a no win situation. I admired my fathers abilities and intellect. He designed, amongst other things, a cooling system for a nuclear reactor without ever getting … Continue reading →
Flying down to Ensenada
Well, actually, I was driving. Fast. I was late, even though I was up at 04:00 and had crossed the border at Tijuana without incident. My helicopter was sitting at an airport on the coast south of Ensenada, Mexico. The … Continue reading →
Minus 40 with Gale force winds.
Celsius or Fahrenheit? Both thermometer scales meet at that same low point, as if to say that it doesn’t really matter. Its cold, damn cold. Add a 40 mph wind and the wind chill is -85. I mention this little … Continue reading →
Billy is Dying
I was up 12 feet in the air in the dark when I heard the news. Climbing down the gear leg of the SkyCrane with my flash light I walked over to our interpreter/ pilot Kostas and asked … Continue reading →
The Last 10 Days
Sunday Morning on CBS, has long been one of my favorite shows on television. It has held onto its faithful followers and its early morning time slot means that it competes with cartoons, evangelists (same thing) and infomercials. The show … Continue reading →
Holding the Line
Summertime and the living isn’t always easy, here in Greece. My assignment is firefighting with a SkyCrane based in Athens. The flying we do with this impressive aircraft is called I.A. or initial attack. It is a simple program, get … Continue reading →
Posted in Flying Stories, helicopter firefighting
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Tagged Euro travel, helicopter, helicopter firefighting, Helicopter flying, Helicopter Pilot, World Travel
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1 Comment
Helicopter Pilot, will travel 