Awesome UH-1H video (charter Cape Town)

[Vlerkies]

Picked this up on a local aviation forum.

Its a charter offering various types of flights including a low down dirty 'combat simulation' flight with some low flying, touchdowns steep turns etc..

 

Heres a video. Sit back relax and drewl.

 

 

The history of this airframe goes as follows, quoted directly from the local site of the people that imported the wonderful flying machine.

the serial number of our Huey is 66-01009. It was born as a UH-1D, but later converted to an H.

You can find it's history on the internet. It flew in Vietnam with the 129 Assault Helicopter Company, spent some time in Thailand, Germany & Alaska.

Thereafter it was sent to the Army Helicopter Training School at Fort Rucker where it remained until it was surplused in 1996, flown to Davis Monthan and it stayed there until it was auctioned in 2002. We bought in in 2003, and finally got it to SA in November 2006 after lengthy delays from the US State Department to grant the export license. We were visited and audited by the US State Department to ensure that we will indeed be the end user, and that we had no connection to any terrorist organisation. We have operated it commercially since April 2007 when it was granted a Commercial Authority to Fly by the SACAA after a lengthy certification and evaluation process that took almost 6 months.

 

After the helicopter was auctioned, it was completely de-militarised, and we fitted a freshly overhauled engine, a new main rotor gearbox, a new K flex shaft, and numerous other new items such as scissors & sleeve, swath plate, Main Rotor Head, blades and a Bell 212 42º gearbox.

 

I will be catching a ride in this in the new year when I am down in Cape Town.

:pilotfly:

 

 

 

http://www.sport-helicopters.co.za/huey-combat-mission

Edited November 25, 2013 by Vlerkies

[armageddon]

nice video and cool sound.

i didn't notice the same shaking during the transitional lift like we see in the DCS huey.

[ARM505]

And in the background of that picture is Shimmy Beach Club, if you want to catch some sun and food. I happened to be sitting there as the Huey started up, buzzed off, came back and shut down - just after I'd bought the DCS version. I was having visions of swimming across and trying to nick theirs! Nice find Vlerks. At about 10:47 my house would be in the extreme left edge of the shot! Such a familiar site, my home airfield of Cape Town, yay!

 

P.S. I should mention the tremendous controversy this operator has attracted in some circles - it seems to be an enormous paperwork C.F., I didn't really follow the story.

Edited November 25, 2013 by ARM505

[VanjaB]

Holy crap, thats some serious low level flying there. Thanks for that video, great stuff. As a former resident of Cape Town, SA. I also appreciate the scenery. Thanks again. :)

[Vlerkies]

Hey Arm, good to see you around, lifestyles of the rich and famous lazing around in Slaapstad hey, hahaha.

 

I followed the thread on Avcom today, one of the sport helicopter guys put some of the critics clearly in their places in that thread, he was very much in their faces about a lot of unsubstantiated claims.

 

Handbags at dawn but he brought a minigun :)

 

I am definitely going in this thing early next year. If I do a business trip to CT before then I will stay over and book a ride then.

[Naviss]

Thanks so much for sharing. Love it!

[Skulleader]

WOW great video, thanks for this sharing.

Skull.

[DeJohn]

Vlerkies, really nice find thank you.

 

And for those who still don't know why the exagerated shaking in DCS Huey during transitional...its because you don't have tactile feeling of the transition, so they exagerate the effect so you can tell when its occuring. That being said if you still don't like the shaking, you can always reduce the effect yourself.

[scrtagnt69]

First thing a PIC does when getting into an AC is strap in .not wait till rotors are turning..this guy breaks so many operational guidelines within in the first 30 secs..This is a disaster waiting to happen.

[Yurgon]

Holy Cow, I'm officially envious! :D

 

Regarding safety guidelines, yeah, I'd also say a few are broken... like... lots. But damn, that looks like fun! :pilotfly:

 

Somewhere around the 8 minute mark, did he intently drop into VRS? Airspeed looked near 0 and VVI was indicating very rapid descent if I read the instruments correctly. I actually held on to my chair, waiting for the chopper to crash there. But apparently, the guys knows what he's doing. :D

[Fifi]

Excellent flying! Thanks for sharing.

[Vlerkies]

First thing a PIC does when getting into an AC is strap in .not wait till rotors are turning..this guy breaks so many operational guidelines within in the first 30 secs..This is a disaster waiting to happen.

 

I'm supposed to strap myself into my car as well before I start the engine, but I don't.

:lol:

[VanjaB]

Holy Cow, I'm officially envious! :D

 

Regarding safety guidelines, yeah, I'd also say a few are broken... like... lots. But damn, that looks like fun! :pilotfly:

 

Somewhere around the 8 minute mark, did he intently drop into VRS? Airspeed looked near 0 and VVI was indicating very rapid descent if I read the instruments correctly. I actually held on to my chair, waiting for the chopper to crash there. But apparently, the guys knows what he's doing. :D

 

I thought the same thing, but somehow he pulls out just by yanking on the collective and just a slight push on the cyclic. Which. shouldnt. be. possible? (At least it doesnt work that way in DCS :lol:) In any case serious flying, the guy has balls of steel. Im guessing they make you sign a hefty document before letting you on the chopper...

[Vlerkies]

I thought the same thing, but somehow he pulls out just by yanking on the collective and just a slight push on the cyclic. Which. shouldn't. be. possible? (At least it doesnt work that way in DCS :lol:) In any case serious flying, the guy has balls of steel. Im guessing they make you sign a hefty document before letting you on the chopper...

 

The whole flight, maneuvers,etc have been green lighted by the local aviation authorities, including an ex commander of an attack chopper sqn.

 

In real terms (imho as a layman) the risks are no more than any normal flight from what I have read on it, a catastrophic failure at low or high alt is going to amount to a meat cluster bomb in both cases.

 

The maneuvers are simply a low level flight, a few high bank turns and such that any heli pilot worth their salt will be able to perform quite comfortably, and the Huey is being flown well within its limits/flight envelope the whole flight.

 

It's just not the average ride you would usually get as a pax in a chopper.

I'll sign whatever they want me to sign, no worries.

[hansangb]

If I were running a touring company, I'd charge extra for the "whole enchilada experience" Have them sit towards the back (near the shaft) wearing heavy rucks...and know what it feels like to - seemingly - have half of your ass sticking out of the chopper during an NOE flight! :) And since fast roping is too dangerous, hook them up to a rope and have them rappel down when you get back to the tarmac. I still recall NOE experiences where I *swore* I could reach out and touch the tree tops. My guess is, the pilots have a bet of how many of the 11B's will throw up! :)

[ckek]

wow~:)

[Vlerkies]

Turns out I have a trip to Cape Town on Thursday the 12th of December for a meeting. :thumbup: No idea how that happened :angel:

I have a management meeting the next day in Durban, but if I can get out of that I will be Huey' ing on Friday the 13th :fear:

:)

 

Hmmm.

Sounds perfect!

Edited November 26, 2013 by Vlerkies

[hansangb]

LOL...people are constantly asking me to visit Johannasburg and Capetown for work reasons as well. But it's just such a long flight I've been putting it off. Plus I would like to take advantage and hit the safari tour as well. But maybe this tipped it in their favor! :)

[ARM505]

You can safely skip Joburg :) No loss.

[Havoc175]

i have been on crazier flights than that with the 160th SOAR. those bastards are crazy!!!

[hansangb]

i have been on crazier flights than that with the 160th SOAR. those bastards are crazy!!!

 

With the 75th, I bet you have!

[Havoc175]

the pilots have a bet of how many of the 11B's will throw up! :)

lol you know that's right!!!

[Rangi]

nice video and cool sound.

i didn't notice the same shaking during the transitional lift like we see in the DCS huey.

 

I'm pretty sure the camera has image stabilisation so most of the hand movements and vibrations are smoothed out. From personal experience on this chopper and Australian army UH-1H there is definitely shaking with transitional lift, whether its as pronounced as DCS Huey is debatable. Its something you feel more than see because of the built in stabilisation in our eyes, just like you don't see you car moving much when you hit bumps. Sorry for O/T. I can confirm its a great ride in this Huey, my favorite bit when I rode was when he flew straight at a line of trees (the copper below the treetops) and popped over them at the last minute.

[Ganesh]

Thanks for sharing ;) it puts a smile on my face

since i now flying the huey in dcs i had screamed for my life at min. 8:05 :eek:

[NRG-Vampire]

i didn't notice the same shaking during the transitional lift like we see in the DCS huey.

 

no ?

just watch how the windshield wipers shake ;)

Vlerkies thanks for the video :thumbup: - looks that was a joyride for everyone onboard :D

 

and now: a short advertisement from 2009:)

Edited December 2, 2013 by NRG-Vampire