Post by goingaround on Dec 15, 2020 10:45:59 GMT -5
Thought I would make my first post on this forum and introduce myself.
Back in the day as a youngster I had completed 3 years at an Army College becoming a land surveyor.
I was young and knew everything and feared nothing - like youngsters do.
My first posting was to the Middle East to what was then the Former Aden Protectorate (now part of the Yeman) to carry out urgent surveying work for the military campaign that was ongoing at the time.
It all seemed rather a rush and we set off in Landrovers and trucks to a mountainous region a couple of hundred
miles away. The going was expected to be difficult and take a few days. It was slow - experiencing breakdowns and getting stuck in soft sand and we were soon behind our schedule.
The plan was to meet at a forward location and arrive around the same time as an Army Air Corp detachment and before being deployed would be taught the rudiments of
Helicopter air lifts etc. As we were behind schedule it was decided that the Helicopters would take us from our enroute convoy.
We then had to navigate to specific hill/mountain tops - quite new to me and challenging at the time. When we had touched down the Pilot indicated to me to get out and unload
my equipment - simple instruction. However I didn't know how to open the door. I could see a yellow and black handle (and knowing everything) I pulled on this and the door instanly instantly opened - it had came away from the helicopter. I can't remember who was the most surprised. The pilot was in a low hover and getting a little agitated so I unloaded and placed the door in the back and away he went. A few days later, I was to be taken from the hilltop, it was the same pilot but was flying without any front doors on at all. He later told me for survey operations it was better that way! However I loaded equipment and a local escort/interpreter in the back but he was carrying his rations - a rather worn sand bag containing flour which the down draft started to blow the flour everywhere.
I have learnt a lot in the 50 odd years since then. In latter years I have clocked up a couple of hundred hours in an ultralight and Cessna 152 but today is only at the desktop and if there is something I am not sure of I can always put it in pause and work it out.
Take car all and stay safe..... and you won't be having me as a passenger!
Back in the day as a youngster I had completed 3 years at an Army College becoming a land surveyor.
I was young and knew everything and feared nothing - like youngsters do.
My first posting was to the Middle East to what was then the Former Aden Protectorate (now part of the Yeman) to carry out urgent surveying work for the military campaign that was ongoing at the time.
It all seemed rather a rush and we set off in Landrovers and trucks to a mountainous region a couple of hundred
miles away. The going was expected to be difficult and take a few days. It was slow - experiencing breakdowns and getting stuck in soft sand and we were soon behind our schedule.
The plan was to meet at a forward location and arrive around the same time as an Army Air Corp detachment and before being deployed would be taught the rudiments of
Helicopter air lifts etc. As we were behind schedule it was decided that the Helicopters would take us from our enroute convoy.
We then had to navigate to specific hill/mountain tops - quite new to me and challenging at the time. When we had touched down the Pilot indicated to me to get out and unload
my equipment - simple instruction. However I didn't know how to open the door. I could see a yellow and black handle (and knowing everything) I pulled on this and the door instanly instantly opened - it had came away from the helicopter. I can't remember who was the most surprised. The pilot was in a low hover and getting a little agitated so I unloaded and placed the door in the back and away he went. A few days later, I was to be taken from the hilltop, it was the same pilot but was flying without any front doors on at all. He later told me for survey operations it was better that way! However I loaded equipment and a local escort/interpreter in the back but he was carrying his rations - a rather worn sand bag containing flour which the down draft started to blow the flour everywhere.
I have learnt a lot in the 50 odd years since then. In latter years I have clocked up a couple of hundred hours in an ultralight and Cessna 152 but today is only at the desktop and if there is something I am not sure of I can always put it in pause and work it out.
Take car all and stay safe..... and you won't be having me as a passenger!
