Out of Pod Experience

Bush pilot, best pilot.

My sister used to date a bush (and commercial heavy frieght) pilot in Alaska - before she realized he was an over-aged 12-year old and would never grow past that point.

It was nothing to take the dogs and go land on a glacier for an afternoon of snow-frisbee. I think he'd have enjoyed that 'landing strip.' It looks substantially better than many he's landed upon.

And if you watch the help the pilot's getting, it's quite clear that the passengers are fully clued-in and willing. Would that American passengers were so helpful.


There are still many places in the world where the only ways in by foot, animal power, or wings.

Damn, thats a sharp turn in such a low altitude.

Still a risky maneuver unless you really really know what you are doing.

These guys make like 15 to 20 drops per day, several days a week, so they get to know their stuff. Close to my home, parachutist pilots use to dive Pilatus PC-6 like stons to land ASAP and go for another round...

meh, helicopters... aren't as affected by direction of wind

Sometimes I wonder why they don't ever make a hovercraft/airplane hybrid - basically a seaplane, but for rugged flattish solid terrain.

Actually, it has already been done at small scales: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ih_KBru6Co

But I really doubt it will be a solution for larger scales. Since the hovercraft shape isn't that aerodynamic. So you will end up with a clumpsy aircraft with bad fuel efficiency.

Most likely better to put research into VTOL aircrafts like the osprey: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6oZsxJ6wtc

Hovercrfaft require a fairly tight interface between the bottom of the lift plenum and surface. "Flat-ish, rough" terrain won't cut it. On top of which, you can't build a working pressure in the plenum until you're close to the working surface, which means you have to grease the landing, Every. Time. Bernoulli's principle also means that you have a hard time building your working pressure until you've slowed considerably.

These are not flexible conditions - The resulting craft would be of strictly limited utility.


That's more of an Ekranoplan hybrid, a wing-in-ground effect aircraft that is also highly limited in general utility.

The Osprey works. Sorta. It was supposed to put the CH-47 out of business. It hasn't. It's complex, of fairly limited utility, and very expensive.

That's a damn good pilot there.

Watched a pair CH-46s dancing back and forth between ships at sea during a dual VertRep/UnRep.
One Sea Knight would pick a sling-load from the replensihment ship, fly backwards to position themselves over our fairly small flight deck, deposit the sling, the fly forwards to pick up the next load. At night. Whilst crabbing sideways at 14 knots. Meanwhile, a second Sea Knight was doing the same to the destroyer on the far side of replenishment ship. It was like the two helicopters were connected by a bar, and flown by one hand.

Oh, did I mention that the ships were also connected by a web of cables and fuel lines? And that as many lights as possible had been doused to protect the flight crews night vision?

Example:
http://youtu.be/Gq_-mFUklvU
Remember, the ship is going forward, the helo is crabbing sideways, and the ship is moving up and down with the waves, as well. With limited lights, in adverse winds, and no visible horizon.

Those guys have skills.


Here, another; CH-46 delivering to the forcastle of a cruiser. Observe the precise side-ways crabing so they don't get swatted out of teh sky by the crusier's superstructure:
http://youtu.be/EptSFYNRXy0