Anyone interested in a helicopter ride?

No offense to you, but after about the 3rd day of the helicopters over Camp Scholler I've had my fill.  Is it possible to change the flight pattern away from the campgrounds? Just a suggestion that's been on my mind for a while. Any thoughts Airventure planners?

Hi David,

No offense taken.  One man's music is another man's noise :-)

I am but a lowly volunteer and several pay grades below any decision maker.  I do know that we fly a very precise pattern designed to minimize our impact on the other flying activities going on there and to maximize safety.  We are required to fly at a maximum of 400' AGL and remain within a very specific box of airspace that is reserved for the flingwings only.

I've camped at Scholler for about ten of the last fourteen years and I almost never heard the helos.  I know everyone has a favorite spot in the campgrounds (we always enjoyed meeting our friends in our 'hood'), but I might suggest you try a spot south of the Red Barn.  We don't go south of the main east west camp road so anywhere south of there would be a bit quieter.  The loudest area is south of the beer tent as we usually start our descent for landing coming south over the red lot.  That's were the 47 puts out the familiar Bell "Whop, Whop, Whop" as the advancing blade hits the turbulence from the proceeding blade and a portion of the blade actually stalls momentarily then unstalls making that great (only to me) noise.

 

When I flew Hueys in West Berlin we called it "The sound of freedom" and I was christened "The King of Whop" as I had taught myself how to make the Huey "sing" from about ten miles away. 

 

Of course, we could have the FAA do a noise impact study and see if we need to put a ban on noisy airplane flying over Oshkosh........I'M JUST KIDDING! 

 

It would be (in my limited vision of 'the big picture') fairly difficult to have a flight pattern that did not include the northern area of the campgrounds without negatively impacting the arrivals and departures.  BTW, have you seen the view from the 47?  It's the best of any aeromachine (other that parachute) I've flown!

 

Also, we moved our closing time from 8pm to 6pm last year as it was making for some long days for us.  We arrive an hour before flying to preflight the birds and then stay an hour or more after closing to grease and change oil on them.

 

 

LOL.  I had to chuckle a bit at this.  Last year, was the first time I was able to camp the entire week (and then some) at Camp Scholler.  I was just south of the main east/west drag.  The first couple of days, the helos didn't bother me. On the contrary, I was all excited just to be able to be there all week and take everything in.  Then, about day 3 and 4, I did notice the slightest bit of annoyance of the constant monotony.  But then, a funny thing happened beginning about day 5 and the rest of the week.  At some times, I hardly noticed the helos anymore.   And when I did notice them, it was almost more of a "comforting" feeling then it was an annoyance anymore.

I also pondered the situation and came to the realization there there's really no other area the helos could locate their flight pattern, as the ultralights are just south of the helo pattern, the north/south runway is just due east.  And then, as Mike said, all the arrival and departure traffic for the main runways has to be taken into consideration.  And to fly out too far to the west, really doesn't give the riders much of any view of AirVenture, which is what they most want to see I'm sure.

Hi guys. I was hoping someone would get a chuckle. I know it is impossible to change the flight path, but  I put it out there

as a topic of discussion. I've been in two helicopters in the sands of Saudi Arabia and said that would be my last two rides. Hope you have a prosperous Airventure.

I'm assuming the military provided you with the rides so I salute you!  I was on inactive ready reserve when Desert Shield was warming up.  Had to report for a flight physical and I wasn't too excited about stirring up dustdevils!  Sand is a great enemy of anything mechanical and takes special pride in messing with helos!

Anyway.........I'm still trying to drum up business
  We fly around 600+ people every day using three helos and around ten pilots.  No way around it, we're gonna make some noise..........

Maybe the helos don't bother me as much as a result of my Viet-Nam days.  And perhaps, that's where the "comfort" factor comes in for me.  Kind of a "safe" feeling I guess, when I'd hear the choppers. So maybe that's coming back to me now after all these years. Who knows. :-)

Hi Russ!  I can lay down by the fuel truck at Pioneer and fall soundly asleep in minutes as the 47's fly by :-)  I used to fall asleep on the wing root of B52's as the plane in the next reventment would fire up.  Now that's some comfort.  Of course, now I'm one of those old farts that's always saying "What did ya say?".  What noise?  That's the sound of music to my ears! 

 

And of course I can't forget to mention the beautiful sound of four F4's lifting off in formation with full burners glowing just before sunrise........the good old days.

If you've got some time to waste, go to YouTube and search for mbrowner1 and check out some of the noise I listened to and helped create at the Branson, MO airshow last May.  Terrible quality as I was using my $80.00 still camera to take movies and I don't know squat about editing, but you can get a feel for how close the action was for me.  The one titled "Best Seat in the House" is one of my all time cool moments in aviation!

 !!!

Mike,

Were  you working pyro there?  Just curious how you happened to be right along the runway, and it kinda looked to me like that's what was going on?

Russ

P.S.  Adam, thanks for the clip

Yep, four days of fun and NOISE!  I voluenteered with Rich's Incredable Pyro at OSH for several years (another "Best seat in the house" experience) and I try and keep track of where he's making noise.  My folks live fifteen miles from Branson so the new Branson Airport Airshow really worked out nice.  In the Stearman pass you can see two adults and a kid walking and getting totally engulfed in the show smoke.  They are my dad, brother, and nephiew :-)  We started around 5am and were done setting up the explosions by 10am.  Sat at one side of  "show center" all day getting buzzed.  Now that there's fun, and I don't care who you are!

The wall of fire was 3000' long and consisted of a cardboard box every 10' or so with detinator cord coiled in the bottom then a garbage bag inserted in the box, then 5 gal of mogas.  Work the air out of the top of the bag, tie a knot in it, then lay the loose end of the det cord over the bag and fold the box closed.  Then we attached all the pigtails from the boxes to the main line det cord with electrical tape.  An electric blasting cap was taped to the end of the main line just before the airshow started and the last thing was to unshunt the blasting cap and get ready to touch a 9v radio batt to the leads (or for "guest shots" use the old timey plunger.

 

Of course, to get the noise just right we added a bit of dynomite and several gallon milk jugs packed with ampho (amonium nitrate and fuel oil). 

 

There is a very strict method to the madness out there to minimise our exposure to danger, but the cost/benifit ratio is unbelievable!  I've had a Super-Corsair/Hawker Sea Fury/Mustang Reno Air Race reenactment go balls out less than 100' over my head.  Sean Tucker tried to get me to duck one day :-)  Jimmy Franklin came over inverted with his kid on the top wing so low I felt like I could jump up and give him a high five (or was that a low five?).  And on and on. Now I'm too busy with pulling pitch to help with Pyro at OSH, but I like to help Rich when I can.  The whole Pyro team are a great hard working group!

 

Please don't think I'm bragging.......I'm just counting some of my blessings out loud!  If it were not for the EAA I would have never had many of my great avation experiences.  Thanks Paul for getting us all together!

 

Now, back to the thread.........come all ye aviators and behold the sight of a machine beating the air into submission!

Mike,

I'm just curious about something I've been wondering about for a while now.  Does that "Rich" of Rich's Incredible Pyro, happen to be Rich Gibson out of Rockford, IL? Years (years and years and years..LOL) ago, when I was flying out of Peterson Flight School in Rockford, I knew a Rich Gibson, who I think owned an air cargo company or something like that, and if I'm not mistaken, he was beginning to fiddle with pyro back at that time.  I don't live in Rockford anymore and it's been a long time since I've spent any time there, and I don't fly anymore so I'm pretty much out of the loop on things.  But I was just curious if the 2 "Rich's" are one in the same person.

Russ

Yep, the same guy!  A lot of his primary crew used to skydive with him waaaaay back.

Greetings Mike, 

 

We'll be doing the ride thing again this year.  Myself, the wife and kids (2) have made it one of our Oshkosh regular activities as we exit the Kidventure area.  I'm sure you've taken one of us up many times since we been Oshkoshers in the mid 90's.

It's great that you look forward to all the hard work you guys do during the week.  That's a lot of flying!!

Hi James!  I'm the "Unit Stick Piggy" so to speak as I don't stray too far from Pioneer all week.  I strive to get 40 plus hours in with around ten legs per hour.  A lot of people have asked me, "Don't you get board flying in little circles all day?".  I reply that I have never had the "perfect" flight yet so I keep practicing.  It's fun to try and level off at exactly 400' AGL at exactly 60mph,  at exactly 22 inches of manifold pressure and the tachometer exactly in the middle of the green arc without looking at an instrument :-)  And there's always the stray fixed wing that has lost it's way (more probably not familarized itself with the notams) and the traffic flow and how the campgraound are filling and look at all those powerlines to be missed in the event of forced landing.........................I guess I'm easily entertained :-)

I'm exhausted at the end of the week, but can't wait to get back!

I think most all the helpers at EAA feel the same way!

Hi Mike,

   I don't think you'll be banging that drum for too long, there always seems to be a line.  We also ride every year, and this year we are going to ask for the "King of Whop" and we'll see just how loud you can make it. lol  Thanks for volunteering.

Brian

Mike,

I just tell them that it may be boring but it sure beats working for a living!!

Cheers!

Joe

 

Ooooooh, I like a challenge!

 

One each, sound o' freedom, comin' right up!