Helicopter pilot

[DaveB]

They also say that an airplane is just "40,000 rivets flying in loose formation"

[Churchill]

Yep, I'll speak to him tonight about this and PM you, and I'll tell him about the jesus bolts if he doesn't already know.

His first reply to "helicopters... etc... any recommendations" was "Yep, keep the turny thing pointing up".

Second rule of flying : Don't hit anything big.
First rule of flying : The earth counts as big.

[gingerjedi]

I used to manufacture helicopter parts for a living... you wouldn't get me in one!

[andy]

Second rule of flying : Don't hit anything big.
First rule of flying : The earth counts as big.

and remember to switch off that big fan overhead if you feel cold

[hyperD]

I believe HyperD was a 'copter pilot

Fixed wing only.... wouldn't get me up in one of those whirlybird things... when the engine fails in an aircraft you could be like me and fly twins so you have a spare. And if both go then you can trim into a glide and write your memoirs... although controlled flight into terrain is generally the preferred method of pranging aircraft.

...in a whirlybird you gotta dump the collective rapido and hope

1/2p(u2 + v2 + w2) is as high as possible...

[Paddy]

"In the annals of aviation lucky escapes, nothing beats what happened to Air Transat Flight 236 from Toronto to Lisbon two weekends ago. The huge Airbus A330 ran out of fuel over the Atlantic. Yet its two pilots were able to glide the plane for a full 18 minutes, catching warm-air updrafts, and successfully performed a "dead-stick" landing on the Azores, a mere speck of land 900 miles short of Portugal.

It was a feat that prompted awe and amazement, not least from the 291 passengers. When the aircraft slammed down on to the runway at Lajes airport at dawn on 24 August, they took just 90 seconds to evacuate using the emergency slides. Once on their feet - about 10 were hurt in the scramble - they turned back to look at the crippled plane and broke into applause. They were alive."

Try that in a chopper.

[Moscow Mule]

... 291 passengers...

Try that in a chopper.

Indeed.

[Numptycorner]

It must be possible, I'm sure Murdock did it on the A-Team once

[oraclesmith]

Let me guess... they were practising for the next season of "Lost"?

How the feck does an A330 run out of gas?

Needle must have got stuck on the fuel gauge. Happens on our Freelander all the time.

[Vito]

Needle must have got stuck on the fuel gauge. Happens on our Freelander all the time.