Tandem Slinging Question

[twinstar_ca]

was watching fear factor tonite... it's like playboy, i watch it for the interesting stunts... 🙄

anyways, the final stunt involved 2 astars slinging side by side while the final contestants pull flags off the structure being slung...

my question is what's it like to try and keep everything so steady.. found myself wondering about the rotorwash created by each disk so close to each other... and how much turbulence you are trying to compensate for...

the same went on liftoff... must be some pretty good co-ordination on the pitch pull.. B)

 

[duf]

...I had to get my rocks off by watching an old Magnum PI with a 500/Longranger chase scene.

 

[Sticky]

my question is what's it like to try and keep everything so steady.. found myself wondering about the rotorwash created by each disk so close to each other... and how much turbulence you are trying to compensate for...

the same went on liftoff... must be some pretty good co-ordination on the pitch pull.. B)

If both machines are into wind then the rotorwash will tend to flow down and aft, therefore, won't affect the other helicopter appreciably. On takeoff, if both lift off the ground into a high hover at the same time they will avoid each others rotorwash as well and the timing of pulling pitch can easily be coordinated on the radio. What looks hard on TV sometimes really isn't - they just build up the drama for effect although I never saw this Fear Factor episode so maybe it was harder than I imagine... :wacko:

Me...in the middle (summer 1990). We're halfway through a line abreast formation 360 degree pedal turn...and no problems with rotorwash.

I remember watching a TV show when I was a kid of a guy hovering a 206. He had a little robotic arm on the toe of the right skid and he had to prepare a bowl of cereal - milk and all, just using the arm. I was pretty impressed back then but in reality, with some practice, it's probably within the capability of your average helicopter pilot.

I guess I shouldn't make this stuff sound too easy or everyone will want to be a helicopter pilot. :huh:

 

[Bladestrike]

...I had to get my rocks off by watching an old Magnum PI with a 500/Longranger chase scene.

I grew up watching Magnum! Wife actually got me the first season on DVD....although she can't sit through an episode. Heard Hollywood's doing a movie with George Clooney as our intrepid Ferrari driving , womanizing, crime-fighting star.

 

[jetbox]

it's like playboy,

You're right Twinstar, the best part of Fear Factor is the hot chicks in bikinis!!

Oh yeah, and the helicopters are cool too!!

 

[Pratt]

It was a pretty good show, usually some pretty good stunts also. And last night I glad that the gal ended up winning. 😀

 

[412driver]

it was some pretty good flying i figure................

i noticed one a/c was a little higher than the other. maybe just the camera angle....

 

[twinstar_ca]

i guess that's what got me too, 412driver.. from the camera angle, the disks looked too close to each other to not be in each others burble...

as sticky was saying, the wind was a definate factor in the show... both appeared to be full face on...

and i have watched the portage rangers and was well aware that co-ordination was very likely.. it was just the closeness or appearance of closeness that made me wonder..

 

[leadingedge]

I wonder How TC would classify that one =Double D class load!!!?

Formation slinging? I'd like to see' em do some tandom heli logging! two smaller machines twice the load??. Hell with 2 206 B's you could probably start thinking about picking up a half decent size tree!!! HA HA HA

I can just imagine calling up TC and trying to explain how this thing was going to go off??

Ah Sir......well you see its like this......

I wanna talk to the operator who's insurance says this tandom external deal load is OK??, who was the operator? any body notice the REG #?

 

[Nomex]

I didn't see the show, but I would expect they would stagger the length of long line or short lines being used - one machine with a 75' and the other with a 50'. That's what I have seen in the past to avoid close calls.
There was that inadvertant tandem slinging on a logging show a while back on the BC coast when the support 206's long line and the 61's long line snagged each other - thankfully the release worked, on the 206!

 

[cyclic monkey]

For those of you unfamiliar with the TV show Fear Factor, or the magazine Playboy that are being discussed here, I have included some photos from my vast collection for your edification.

Fear Factor often features some cunning stunts, while Playboy features something with a slightly different spelling.

On the left is the "tandem slinging" scene from the TV show a few nights ago. Unfortunately I do not have any close-up photos of the sling-load.

On the right is a young lady from the Playboy organisation. It appears she is just removing some "tandem slinging" equipment at the time this photo was taken. Unfortunately I am not allowed to include my close-up photos of the sling-load, though I can assure you it is a class DD load !!!

 

[Elvis]

Excellent

 

[Pratt]

Nice images Cyclic!! Regarding the helicopter tandem, I also noticed during the show that they appeared to be staggered slightly in height .

 

[Sisyphus]

This sort of thing is to be discouraged at every turn. People will believe whatever they see on TV and sure as shooting someone will think that tandem slinging is an accepted practice. Its pitfalls are obvious and numerous. Fear Factor deserves vociferous censure for this.

Lest young and impressionable pilots get the idea that stunting is acceptable, it is most certainly not. Machinery has been destroyed and lives have been lost because of it. Brought to mind is the unfortunate incident some years ago near Banff. It is likely that the pilot was flying very low and very fast over a ridge with fatal results. The picnickers on board enjoyed their lunch in a place far higher than they ever expected.

Helicopter flying is an inherently dangerous undertaking. Terrible things can happen so fast that the victims will not even know what hit them. Utmost caution is to be used at all times. It pays to be hypercautious. Never let anyone talk you into doing something that causes discomfort. If there is a little voice somewhere saying, 'Gee, I don't know about this...', pay attention.

On the other hand, if one applies sound judgement and intelligent thought and if one seeks out the counsel of those wiser and more experienced, one will be pleasantly surprised at what he and his machine can do.

 

[leadingedge]

CM, The real fear factor!