Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Does this make me famous?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRmkkN7BoSc

Imagine if you will, laying in the bottom of a 3-400 foot volcano crater with your thigh bent at a 30 degree angle. The last thing you remember is watching your front wheel stop in the cinders and the handlebars flying underneath you at about 40 MPH. After about an hour you see a helicopter circling above you. They seem indecisive, are they wondering if they can get back out? And where are the S&R guys at anyway?

The helicopter circles down and lands. 2 guys jump out, I wonder if they are medics. Turns out one used to be an army nurse, the other was an army paramedic. The helicopter shuts down and a third guy gets out of the front seat, he used to be an army pilot.

They come over and talk gently, but it sure doesn't feel like they are being gentle. After they get an IV started they shoot a couple of drugs into it. Suddenly all seems right in the world, except when they move that dad-gum leg. After about 1/2 hour of work they move you to a helicopter and tell you that it is about 10 minutes to the hospital.

The trick with this one was that we were at 8400 feet at 84 degrees. This single engine wind maker doesn't have near the power that one of Snorpht's Apaches does, but with a little finesse and a very tight sphincter we made it out. We just had to stay close to the ground to increase our power margin.

They always warn us to fly as if the chief pilot is watching, I guess this proves it. The video isn't that exciting, actually kind of boring, but it's cool that somebody taped it and posted it.

I've been published twice and now I'm on youtube, does this make me famous?

alan

1 comment:

Schteveo said...

Holy hole in the ground Batman!!

Alan, I don't like riding in a helicopter, so those of you who do, have my admiration, those of you who fly them, well, I'm at a loss on that one. Too many hand and foot movements at one time for me. My extremities aren't schizophrenic enough to handle it.

I'm a repair type, not an operator at heart. I like to take "it" apart. see what makes it tick, then rebuild it.