Choppers

[dinny_g]

Jesus H Christ!!!

[McSwede]

More information / storytelling required here.

I was passenger in my cousin's new kit car (Caterham type) and we had a massive whoopsie. We spun across the road at a fair old speed, hit the concrete end of an Armco barrier and the car flipped end over end. Somehow on impact I hit the harness release and exited the car like Superman, went through a massive hawthorn bush and landed in a ditch, the car then landed on top of me. I can vaguely remember being under it and hearing/feeling people lift it off me. Next thing I remember was being in the air ambulance with suspected broken back/neck.

Luckily I only had scrapes and bruises and a few big thorns stuck in my head and body. Cousin stayed in the car but shattered a vertibrae on landing and was paralysed . I can remember being laid in the crash room at the hospital when they brought him in and hearing him talking about loss of feeling/sensation from the chest down.

I didn't know my name or where I'd been or any phone numbers so it was a few hours before our families knew where we were or what happened to us.

Wow

Did your cousin recover, or permanent paralysis?

Sadly not but he's living his best life as he is a very positive and determined person.

It was a crazy day!!

[drcarlos]

I've been in one once but was strapped to a back board being fiddled with by a paramedic

I do remember it being a very smooth ride and landing

More information / storytelling required here.

I was passenger in my cousin's new kit car (Caterham type) and we had a massive whoopsie. We spun across the road at a fair old speed, hit the concrete end of an Armco barrier and the car flipped end over end. Somehow on impact I hit the harness release and exited the car like Superman, went through a massive hawthorn bush and landed in a ditch, the car then landed on top of me. I can vaguely remember being under it and hearing/feeling people lift it off me. Next thing I remember was being in the air ambulance with suspected broken back/neck.

Luckily I only had scrapes and bruises and a few big thorns stuck in my head and body. Cousin stayed in the car but shattered a vertibrae on landing and was paralysed . I can remember being laid in the crash room at the hospital when they brought him in and hearing him talking about loss of feeling/sensation from the chest down.

I didn't know my name or where I'd been or any phone numbers so it was a few hours before our families knew where we were or what happened to us.

Wow, my mate had an accident years nearly 30 years ago where he rolled his Mk1 Astra and was thrown clear, also through a bush (gorse this time) and landed in more gorse bushes, he did break his back, although he wasn't paralysed. The conclusion was if he'd remained in the car he'd at least have been paralysed, more likely dead. He wasn't airlifted though.

As for choppers I've never been in one, I'm not really bothered by them either way and if needed would probably be fine travelling in one.

[duncs500]

@McSwede That's a bad one.

[mik]

Sadly not but he's living his best life as he is a very positive and determined person.

Great that he’s remained positive, but that’s rough.

[Jobbo]

Wow McSwede. I have a friend about my age who (before I knew her) ~20 years ago was living with her partner. He had recently bought a Caterham and went out for a Sunday drive. He never came home; he had had an accident on this short straight stretch of road, seemingly not involving anyone else, and died: https://goo.gl/maps/TdU7Y4znsS2h4hAj7
Definitely not a car you want to crash in.

I've been in a helicopter to the Isles of Scilly and back. The service from Penzance hasn't always been continuous and the choppers look smaller now, but it was fantastic - 32 passenger seats, IIRC, with all of the passengers' luggage in a pile at the front under a cargo net. I flew there the following year on the plane which was a 10 seater, though only passengers (one seat for the pilot and one used for luggage). The plane was definitely scarier.



We live close to a small airport at which there is a helicopter training school. Every now and again I see an absolute beginner about 5ft above the runway as I drive past, crabbing or rotating gently or otherwise ballsing up the sticks. Does not tempt me.

[duncs500]

Didn't someone on this forum also get shunted in his Caterham (albeit wasn't injured). Lucky I got out alive! Watch out @speedingfine!

[V8Granite]

Blimey, what an awful crash!!!

Dave!

[Marv]

I booked the helicopter hike at the Franz Josef Glacier on the South Island of NZ many years ago.

It got cancelled because of fog.

That would have been my first time in a helicopter, haven't pursued it since.

Not sure how I feel about the risk, as they're something that if there is a problem, I guess there's a decent chance you won't survive? But then I ride motorbikes regularly and there's some risk involved in that (even if I am a cautious/slow rider, unfortunate accidents can and do happen)

[mik]

https://www.threads.com/@fl360aero/post/DJsIy5fMZwf

[Mito Man]

That floated surprisingly well.

[DaveE]

Even the people who make helicopters aren't confident in them. Which is why when you buy one they come with wheels, floats, and skis, so no matter where you come down you have a fighting chance

This is a paraphrase/butcher of something from a very funny after dinner speech I remember hearing in the late 80s I think by David Gunson called "What goes up"

Really well worth listening to

Very funny

If a little inappropriate these days...