US military helicopter has reportedly crashed near the North Korean border

Originally posted by Zaphod58
reply to post by RothchildRancor

 

It's a helicopter. They go down, sometimes a lot. They're a million different pieces, going in a million different directions at the same time, held together with a frame.

Oh thanks, i wasn't already aware of that with all the reports of them going down in the middle east in the past
12 years+

Usually helicopters go down for only a few reason:
1. Shot down
2. Mechnical failure or computer failure
3. Pilot error
4. Weather(only in worst of conditions)

Helicopters are far more durable and resilient than you are implying

Oh and obviously North Korea doesn't have EMP tech or they would gladly use it and you would hear about it.
Wasn't serious.

reply to post by RothchildRancor


Helicopters go down in not very bad weather all the time. It depends on what aspect of flight you are talking about. If it's straight and level, reasonably high altitude, then yes, you're right, it will take a pretty good storm to bring them down. Low level and fast, or low level and landing, and a strong gust can bring them down if it catches the pilots unaware. It happened to a V-22 recently, and it's happened to numerous helicopters through the years.

And yes, helicopters really are as fragile as I said, but as long as they're maintained properly, then things tend to stay together, and go well. But that description of a helicopter came from a helicopter pilot, and has been used for many years, as it's accurate.

reply to post by gariac


Believe it or not, there is a AN-2 in a small town in Idaho. The last time I went through heading west I was lucky enough to be at the only angle you could see it from the road.

reply to post by projectvxn


Wind shifts, and gusts on landing have caused more problems, especially for helicopter pilots than just about anything else. The V-22 that went down in Algeria got caught in wind when they took off with a tail wind, and didn't compensate properly for the gusts.

reply to post by Zaphod58


It was commie day at the Tonopah Test Range:
Colt
Actually it is probably commie day a lot over there.

We were buzzed at low altituded at night by the blacked out Colt. The conversation was mostly "WTF is this plane." It wasn't until we saw it in daylight that the plane was identified. And that took a phone call to get some help. [There is Verizon CDMA available pretty far back into the TTR. The GSM stops a bit short of the base.]

Damn

Originally posted by Zaphod58
reply to post by RothchildRancor

 

Helicopters go down in not very bad weather all the time. It depends on what aspect of flight you are talking about. If it's straight and level, reasonably high altitude, then yes, you're right, it will take a pretty good storm to bring them down. Low level and fast, or low level and landing, and a strong gust can bring them down if it catches the pilots unaware. It happened to a V-22 recently, and it's happened to numerous helicopters through the years.

And yes, helicopters really are as fragile as I said, but as long as they're maintained properly, then things tend to stay together, and go well. But that description of a helicopter came from a helicopter pilot, and has been used for many years, as it's accurate.

Oh I believe you, and as fragile as they are, they build them to be as tough as the piloting of them will allow them to be.
Coupled that with CONSTANT maintenance will allow them to survive quite a bit of conditions.
They do go down all the time, but not nearly as often as would render them a waste of time.

They are like the disposable styrofoam cup of the military that is used over and over again being constantly maintained by mechanics.

I personally would love to fly one but only once because I have a morbid fear of heights.

reply to post by RothchildRancor


I've flown on a really nice DEA bird, it was an AugustaWestland IIRC. The pilot was a friend of ours, and had to go on a test hop so he took us with him. They're a lot of fun because you're slow enough to get a really good look at things on the ground. When you go out over the ocean it really gets fun, because you can see everything.

Personally though, give me a fixed wing any day of the week.

Originally posted by Zaphod58
reply to post by RothchildRancor

 

I've flown on a really nice DEA bird, it was an AugustaWestland IIRC. The pilot was a friend of ours, and had to go on a test hop so he took us with him. They're a lot of fun because you're slow enough to get a really good look at things on the ground. When you go out over the ocean it really gets fun, because you can see everything.

Personally though, give me a fixed wing any day of the week.

I would need to be strapped down because my fear of heights would make me flip out and probably fall out 8(

reply to post by RothchildRancor


I'm not a particular fan of them either. It was fun to see the view from it, but turns made me feel like my stomach was leaving the building. It would be fun every once in awhile, but not more than that.