“If the wings are travelling faster than the fuselage it has to be a helicopter and therefore, unsafe.”
“If something hasn't broken on your helicopter, it's about to.'”
''An fixed wing aircraft is built to be inherently stable.
A helicopter is a compromised design that inherently wants to thrash itself apart.”
You might guess that I was a fixed wing pilot.Am I Gammon or Woke ? - I neither know nor care.
2016 Discovery 4 Landmark
2011 Mercedes Benz SL350 (R230)
1973 MG B GT V8 - 3.9L John Eales engine, 5 speed R380 gearbox, since 1975.
1959 MGA roadster - 1.9L Peter Burgess Engine - 5 speed gearbox
Past LRs - Multiple FFRs, Discos & a Series I - some petrol, some diesel,
none Electric or H2 fuel cell - yet.
There are 10 types of people in this world: Those who understand binary, and those who don’t.
2016 Discovery 4 Landmark
2011 Mercedes Benz SL350 (R230)
1973 MG B GT V8 - 3.9L John Eales engine, 5 speed R380 gearbox, since 1975.
1959 MGA roadster - 1.9L Peter Burgess Engine - 5 speed gearbox
Past LRs - Multiple FFRs, Discos & a Series I - some petrol, some diesel,
none Electric or H2 fuel cell - yet.
There are 10 types of people in this world: Those who understand binary, and those who don’t.
NJSSAm I Gammon or Woke ? - I neither know nor care.
2016 Discovery 4 Landmark
2011 Mercedes Benz SL350 (R230)
1973 MG B GT V8 - 3.9L John Eales engine, 5 speed R380 gearbox, since 1975.
1959 MGA roadster - 1.9L Peter Burgess Engine - 5 speed gearbox
Past LRs - Multiple FFRs, Discos & a Series I - some petrol, some diesel,
none Electric or H2 fuel cell - yet.
There are 10 types of people in this world: Those who understand binary, and those who don’t.
When I worked on the oil and gas platforms in the mid 1980,s I used to go on helicopters quite regularly and to be honest I never felt 100% safe. Moreover when I had to do my safety training for the first time the riggers said don't worry about ditching in the sea and what you need to do on crashing as you will be dead anyway I think the helicopters I went on were Sikorsky,s although i,m not 100% sure (It was a big thing with the propellers in the wrong place The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
They just make the best of everything they have.
11th Mar 2019 3:30 pm
seddie
Member Since: 23 Mar 2010
Location: Aberdeenshire
Posts: 415
I flew in lots of different heli's during my time offshore including S58's, S61's, Wessex, Bolkow 105, Jetranger etc. The only helicopter I did not feel safe in was the Chinook, it always felt as if it was shaking itself apart. A pal of mine ditched in a S61, it was a controlled ditch and it floated in a fairly calm sea, all were rescued without physical harm. In the early days of NS oil a lot of the pilots were gung-ho ex USA pilots that flew in the Vietnam war, now they were more dangerous than the heli's.
I'm not saying they are safe, just that I did not feel as though we were going to have an accident every time I flew. For people that are not presently flying offshore for a living, have a look at the attached .pdf file, it tells the real story of North Sea Helicopters.
Member Since: 04 May 2015
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 605
Airbus H175s and Sikorsky S92 in the North Sea nowadays. Fortunately they stopped using the EC225 as i never liked those, far to small inside when full of passengers and the safety record wasnt great either.2003 BMW M5- 5 Litres of V8 Optimax Slurping Goodness in Carbon Black
2013 RRS SDV6 HSE Black Edition- Orkney Grey with Ebony & Ivory. LR Facelift RAI, Genuine G4 Expo Rack, 4x Warn Spotlights, Warn 9.5 XPS Winch, Mantec Underbody Protection, Full Easylift Suspension, LightForce HTX 230 Spot Lights, LR Light Guards, 18” Compomotive PD1881 on 265/65/18 BF Goodrich KO2, Brembos Calipers, ARB Fridge, Tuff trek awning.
Visiting from the RR Sport forum:
11th Mar 2019 5:37 pm
chopcat
Member Since: 08 Apr 2013
Location: Pembrokeshire
Posts: 481
In its time the B206 was the safest single engined aircraft in the world.
Fixed wing included.
Tcmay the odds be ever in your favor
12th Mar 2019 8:11 am
Davethegeo
Member Since: 01 Oct 2015
Location: Edinburgh
Posts: 914
When I was in my prime and flying off to the North Sea and other grotty places (average about 90 flights a year) I never felt safe in any helicopter. Far too many close shaves and dodgy moments. The exception may have been the S61. Nice big solid thing, boat shaped fuselage, plenty of room inside. And.... there used to be stewardesses in the early days!D1 300Tdi - gone
D2 Td5 ES (Alive remapped...mmm) - sadly gone
D4 2012 SDV6 XS - Stolen
D4 2014 SDV6 HSE - Shiny
12th Mar 2019 8:17 am
kajtzu
Member Since: 10 Aug 2017
Location: Helsinki
Posts: 6759
Interesting stats in that pdf, thanks.
12th Mar 2019 8:22 am
MARKW
Member Since: 29 Aug 2008
Location: SW
Posts: 2390
During my time in service, I flew in all sorts of airframes. Seaking smelt of fuel, Merlin Chinook etc. Loved every flight.
When we were sent to Sierra Leonne on detachment you landed at the airport on an island, there were 2 options to get to the mainland, hovercraft or Hip. The hovercraft was a gift from the UK govt, used to be the craft going to Isle of Wight (?) but it broke down on a regular basis and often floated out into the channel. So we took the option of an old under maintained Hip. All was good, but a month later it crashed killing all onboard. Felt very lucky after thatHONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE
They shall not grow old as those of us left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condem. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
13th Mar 2019 7:51 pm
flydive
Member Since: 21 Aug 2007
Location: Lugano
Posts: 1535
Helicopters can't really fly - they're just so ugly that the earth immediately repels them
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I think the helicopters I went on were Sikorsky,s although i,m not 100% sure (It was a big thing with the propellers in the wrong place 
Felt very lucky after that
