Post by: oldmate on March 20, 2015, 08:35:32 PM
Me.
Flew in chopper to Grand Canyon. Great flight, better than the 16 hour bus tour. Landed next to colorado river and flew back after stopping to refuel in the middle of nowhere. Flew over the strip of las vages at night on the way back.
Did helicopter flight on bathurst weekend in 02, great view and follow a few cars around the track, shouted a mate with me. Well worth it.
Did sea plane flight over what is now a destroyed port villa. Good flight.
Done flights over blue mountains, though they were normally getting dropped out of a chopper for as a RAFT (remote area firefighting team) team with the NSWRFs. Long time ago now.
What have you done?
Post by: Bird on March 20, 2015, 08:42:51 PM
``
Post by: Clouty on March 20, 2015, 08:44:38 PM
Spent about an hour on the beach then as we flew back to Airlie beach the pilot took us across few of the islands for look..
Post by: Patr80l on March 20, 2015, 08:51:31 PM
Post by: woftam on March 20, 2015, 08:57:29 PM
Way back as a cadet got a flight in a Huey - great fun.
Post by: JD-120 on March 20, 2015, 09:00:31 PM
12 apostles, again, fantastic
Post by: StrvnMrvn on March 20, 2015, 09:01:10 PM
Post by: Palmer on March 20, 2015, 09:04:10 PM
Around Hobart in a Huey many years ago
Now wishing I had done more...
Post by: gclan on March 20, 2015, 11:07:07 PM
Post by: Rumpig on March 20, 2015, 11:08:02 PM
Have also done a flight out at Longreach about 20 years ago which cost about $20 from memory, we just flew all around the general Longreach area looking for pigs etc, as we were going pig hunting the next day....lol
Not a helicopter but a plane....did a scenic flight about 2 years ago with the family at Birdsville out over The Simpson Desert, was pretty good seeing the sand dunes from the air and how they run parrallel with each other, a completely different perpestive from driving across the desert it was.
Post by: olddigger on March 20, 2015, 11:35:30 PM
(Was quite a while ago).
Post by: rossm on March 20, 2015, 11:36:11 PM
Amazing
Used to be a bit cynical about the cost of helicopter flights but now I would do my best to take advantage of them.
Oh and RAAF Pearce back in the 60s in a Huey when I was in the air cadets.
Pilot thought it would be good fun to scare the kids. I loved it!
Post by: rossm on March 20, 2015, 11:37:55 PM
Pilot thought it would be good fun to scare the kids. I loved it!
Post by: feisty on March 20, 2015, 11:38:06 PM
Post by: Tim - Stratford on March 21, 2015, 12:08:28 AM
500cc gp Phillip Island for work so they paid me......... tough gig.
Fair bit of the 90 mile beach (RAAF SAR chopper) and a bit of the local towns/foothills and High Country (Air units). All work related. I got to go on the High Country flight as the boss went a couple of weeks earlier when all the alarms and lights started flashing.....he felt reassured when the crew advised him they still had one engine...... :o :o :o he wasn't keen to go again ;D
Tim
Post by: feisty on March 21, 2015, 03:01:18 AM
I got the the trainee pilot getting up his hours for the most part. To finish off the day we did a lap of the island at about 50m above the beach. Absolute hoot. Felt like I was in apocalypse now...
Post by: muzza01 on March 21, 2015, 07:00:04 AM
Post by: D4D on March 21, 2015, 07:08:10 AM
Kings Canyon - couldn't be bothered walking it
x2
Post by: Hewy54 on March 21, 2015, 07:21:14 AM
Did the flight out of Mitchell Falls with the doors off and my mate nearly s**t himself when we banked over to his side and he thought he was going to fall out.
The flight between Mt Hotham and Falls creek during the ski season was incredible.
Post by: achjimmy on March 21, 2015, 07:47:19 AM
Have had the chance to second seat one, the good pilots are good it's a lot of work.
I have rarely seen a doco yet that doesn't use effective aerial shots to see some great spots of this country, and figure you really need to do same.
Post by: Diesel Power on March 21, 2015, 08:47:35 AM
Planes flights to Lindeman Island and back, regional SA ( in a mates plane ).
Regards
Angus.
Post by: scarpsD40 on March 21, 2015, 08:53:17 AM
In line with JCAT's thread, where have you been and seen from a chopper or plane?A helicopter once showed me it's underbelly. Seen better......,.
Post by: Jen, Sprogs n Him on March 21, 2015, 09:00:29 AM
Post by: Kangaron on March 21, 2015, 09:02:45 AM
Very easy to spot from the air they were.
Post by: Paul (SA) on March 21, 2015, 09:03:08 AM
Post by: Herks on March 21, 2015, 09:28:10 AM
Post by: Gwoods on March 21, 2015, 10:04:43 AM
Post by: edz on March 21, 2015, 10:19:59 AM
Trees trees and lots of tree tops filling the windscreen and clipping the skids of a Huey with a Yank pilot flying fast and low in the hills around Canberra ..
Cook Island and the Tweed coast / Gold Coast .. :cup:
Post by: jmorgan1981 on March 21, 2015, 10:27:35 AM
Lots of km of powerlines
Post by: Spada on March 21, 2015, 12:25:11 PM
The best chopper flight I've ever done was when I was working in Rockhampton. The local radio station used to do an Easter egg drop each year for the kids in Rocky & Yeppoon, & I donated the eggs for it through work. One year they sent me in the chopper to do the drop. That was in a little Robinson R22 with a loony mustering pilot who decided to put on a bit of a show over the beach at Yeppoon...............took about a week to wipe the grin off my face.
Post by: DaveR on March 21, 2015, 12:53:30 PM
Have had to do
Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Thailand
Vietnam Coast (not the war)
Bass straight
Nth Sea
These were all were horrible flights due to the silly suits we must wear and the only thrill was getting of it.
Best was in PNG, long ago with crazy ex vet aussie Pilots in a Huey. We'd hop in on top of this terminal, say to them 500 foot ceiling (Due to us being Divers) and they'd say... "What? 50 foot? OK, no worries"
They'd lift of from this, and fall off the side. We'd zoom along the rivers following the tight twists and turns.
Only thing missing was someone yelling out the door "Get some Get Some" That I did like.
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7640/16878287605_8cd3c8fc4d_c.jpg)
My better half had a Pilot Licence, for small single engine things, wants to take me up, but not for me, if it has no drinks trolley, no good to me.
Post by: JB on March 21, 2015, 08:15:15 PM
Also got a few goes in the Nation Safety Council's Bell 212s in the mid 80s while I was an Air Training Corp cadet at the Traralgon Airport.
Cheers
JB
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Post by: Mack on March 21, 2015, 11:57:45 PM
Post by: dales133 on March 22, 2015, 12:16:38 AM
Pretty keen to do a bi plane flight to the 12 apostles
Post by: feisty on March 22, 2015, 03:00:20 AM
Post by: speewa158 on March 22, 2015, 06:26:05 AM
Post by: InMused on March 22, 2015, 07:07:14 AM
Post by: Bill on March 22, 2015, 07:15:45 AM
Bill
Post by: Rumpig on March 22, 2015, 09:17:43 AM
....Also in a balloon over Melbourne at dawn .....Was it the same as when we did it here in Brisbane for a friends 30th, heaps of dogs going beserk every time the pilot hits the burners to get a touch more lift? I was amazed at how many dogs i could hear barking below us as we drifted over the houses below, being so early in the morning on a weekend there wasn't much other noise with the lack of traffic about
Pretty keen to do a bi plane flight to the 12 apostlesi want to do a stunt plane flight in one of those old types of planes myself, i went up in a Cessna type stunt plane doing loop the loops and barrel rolls many years ago, but reckon doing it in an open cockpit like those planes have, would be a much better experience. 8) 8)
Post by: dazzler on March 22, 2015, 09:51:26 AM
Post by: 03hilux on March 22, 2015, 03:04:08 PM
Post by: Draggin on March 22, 2015, 03:24:11 PM
Passenger in PNG - Bell Jet Ranger - lots of mountains and rivers viewed
Piloted a Jet Ranger Pt Cook to Geelong and back low level beach viewed
Pax in Chinook over Melbourne, Pax in Chinook over West Coast Tassie wilderness.
Never enough, did I mention I'd fly again at the drop of a hat. As long as I have a kidney or soul to sell, I'll go :D
Post by: DaveR on March 22, 2015, 03:32:13 PM
Best looking Passenger Jet by Far
Post by: nzboy50 on March 22, 2015, 03:51:54 PM
I've seen things the average person would only dream of.Wonderful waterfalls / bush people living miles from anywhere in bush material houses / woman wearing bark beaten clothing / full on tribal fights / mountain tops up to 13000ft / coastal coral tropical waters / virgin white sandy beaches / crystal clear flowing rivers/ large wide long valleys with 8000ft mtns either side ;D :cheers:
Post by: tk421 on March 22, 2015, 04:09:11 PM
As it was a freebie (cousin was dating the pilot), we had to do it after the paying punters at midday. The heat off the ground was creating thermals so bad they couldn't land. We did a go round and then stalled it to land. Quite an entertaining few minutes.
Also saw two muster pilots fly into Daly waters, land in the campground, drink all night, sleep it off in the motel room, and fly back to work the next morning.
Post by: fuji on March 22, 2015, 05:18:16 PM
Post by: MDS69 on March 22, 2015, 05:29:23 PM
Back in my single days a joy flight out and around Dreamworld
Post by: mjharps on March 22, 2015, 07:47:44 PM
Discovering and exploring it by land is what I spend more time thinking about though ;-)
Post by: discoteddy on March 22, 2015, 08:25:47 PM
Cheers,
Disco teddy
Post by: mjharps on March 22, 2015, 08:28:26 PM
Post by: GRANT ED on March 22, 2015, 08:42:04 PM
Post by: grizzly on March 22, 2015, 08:48:05 PM
Grizzly :cheers:
Post by: Rumpig on March 22, 2015, 08:58:28 PM
Also saw two muster pilots fly into Daly waters, land in the campground, drink all night, sleep it off in the motel room, and fly back to work the next morning.Reminds me of the last time i was at The Blue Heeler Hotel.....we had a local land his chopper across the road beside the highway, and the 2 people onboard came in and have a counter meal lunch. Also had a chopper land near the homestead at Lorella Springs whilst we were there....it was a boss man from the local mine, he'd seen one of the company vehicles parked there as he flew over, he landed the chopper and sprung a couple of the workers having a coldie at the bar when they should have been elsewhere working. Turned out to be expensive beers for those guys, they got the sack over that.
Post by: Barrabart on March 22, 2015, 09:07:23 PM
I've done a fair bit of flying around Laos, I missed out on the chopper run, but that only came up on offer when our little Cessna was broken down, blokes who did the chopper run said they'd never do it again, i don't recall what type of chopper it was, but the blokes told me it was a relic, possibly out of Russia, they were glad when it touched down.......
The Cessna we used flew pretty low, so the 3hr flight through Laos was pretty good weaving through the clouds, looking over the villages, jungle covered lime stone bluffs and escarpments (sometimes we were a bit too close up for my liking to these),,,,,, rice paddys, fish farms, sections of thick jungle and other sections full of regrowth and strange most unnatural round ponds scattered through out.. believe the "ponds" were excavated for the Loas folk by Uncle Sam back in the 70's...... he made plenty of them, 1000's actually.......
Places like Bangkok from the air are pretty awesome too, that's one big sprawling city. Coming into Singapore at night, i was often amazed by the ships sitting off Singapore, had to look twice, as at first glance you'd swear you were flying over town areas, as the amount of lit up ships looked like suburbs or towns.......
Flown plenty around the New Britain and New Ireland Province of PNG, seen Mount Tavurvur (Volcano off Rabaul) in full angry mode, Port Moresby and the Owen Stanley ranges, home of the Kokoda Track, ...... plus some of the most pristine, mostly untouched reefs, islands on the planet.... Trobriand Islands are up there with the best island reef spots anywhere i'd reckon.
Catch yas'
Barrabart.
Post by: Ozsnowman on March 23, 2015, 08:15:47 PM
Post by: brickiematt on March 24, 2015, 05:00:33 AM
Last year at Kings Canyon, the wife and daughter took a flight over the canyon. I kept my feet firmly planted on terra firma!!
Their pics were awesome though, and a highlight of the trip for them both.
:cheers:
Post by: Garfish on March 24, 2015, 06:49:15 AM
The wife spent enough time in a chopper as a governess out west. And didn't want to come for a flight
Post by: Proudy on March 24, 2015, 06:56:00 AM
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Post by: JCAT on March 24, 2015, 07:23:31 AM
Very jealous of some of the places you guys have been.
My dad's doing one of the Grand Canyon trips this year, flying in and then busing it out - Envy.
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Post by: bobnrob on March 24, 2015, 11:46:44 AM
klms and klms of fire when we were airlifted out of the south coast fires years ago..
``
Was that 'round '01 '02 - Eurobodalla area?
Also only seen fire from choppers. I hate flying, and the only reason I get into them - and planes, is because I know the minister get's $$$ if they stop suddenly ;)
Post by: Jeepers Creepers on March 24, 2015, 03:59:45 PM
Now, i'm not good with heights, but no problem flying.
So we walk out to a grass air field to find a chopper not much bigger than a ride-on friggen lawn mower.
The thing had a outboard motor or motorbike engine or some friggen piddly thing bolted to it and I thought.... oh crap.
The three of us (Pilot) get in and the dag gets lift off.
We're about 50 feet in the air, but the lunatic follows a pathway below us, even going out through the gate. ???
Anyway, we headed out to the deserted island for a 4 hour champagne lunch, bit of a swim etc.
I must say, the waters of the Whitsundays are pretty damn good, but sh!t hot from the air.
Anyway, just the two of us and about 50 others, on what was busier than Gilligan's friggen island, enjoyed our time.
I told Mrs. Jeepers, be careful around the coral, its slippery and sharp.
I may or may not have been a few drinks up when I slipped ar$e over elbow on the coral and cut up one leg.
Didn't see much going back, was getting about 3 sheets to wind by then.
Whitsundays by chopper, JUST DO IT. 8)
Post by: edz on March 24, 2015, 10:27:18 PM
Might be another + for the National meet up for those interested https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nky5xMUkIkI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nky5xMUkIkI)
EDIT: Found one http://www.paraglidingrainbow.com/ (http://www.paraglidingrainbow.com/)
Post by: Jeepers Creepers on March 25, 2015, 04:13:56 AM
Post by: DaveR on March 25, 2015, 06:26:35 PM
I've flown over Exmouth and Karratha more times than I care to remember on my way to/from work. I'm sure I would have enjoy it more if I wasn't going to work.
The trip home always seems to be better for some reason
Post by: adstar24 on March 25, 2015, 10:12:45 PM
Chinooks in western Iraq, Blackhawks in and around Baghdad and a marathon flight from Baghdad to Basra in Blackhawks and British Merlins.
Nothing compares to the scenery in Afghanistan though! But there is plenty to take the gloss off it all.
Ads
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Post by: Proudy on March 26, 2015, 04:00:53 PM
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Post by: Fizzie on July 30, 2015, 12:52:50 PM
Let's see:
Kiowa, Iroquois & Chinook over Wide Bay Training Area (Tin Can Bay) including 1 run in a Kiowa over Fraser up to Kingfisher Bay & a trip at 50 - 100 ft in a Chook from the Bay back home to the Gold Coast - sitting on the tail-gate coming down along Moreton Island! ;D
Another Chook from Southport to Carrara one year for the old Albert Aussie Day celebrations.
Both Aussie & Yank Blackhawks near Delamere, NT
Iroquois & Chinook over Singleton
Caribou from Rocky out to Shoalwater, then Blackhawk around it
Missed out on 2 chances to go in a Herc - both times I had to drive >:(
Going back forever ago way back to when I was a kid, a Lanham's Cessna from Coolangatta up to Main Beach
Would have loved to fly but never in a position to afford it :'(
But my eldest is 80% of the to his Private licence through Air Cadets, so when he's finished, he's going to have a frequent passenger >:D
Post by: UIZ733 on July 30, 2015, 02:43:57 PM
Post by: dales133 on July 30, 2015, 04:19:17 PM
Post by: stabicraft on July 30, 2015, 08:53:22 PM
As an engineer I can mathematically prove that an aeroplane can fly.
But it cannot be mathematically proven that a helecopter or bumble bee can actually fly.
And anything that I cant prove can fly will not be ridden in by this little black duck
Cheers
Post by: gclan on July 30, 2015, 09:41:29 PM
Needless to say, they only saw the beautiful rolling hills of the Hunter Valley...and nothing else :angel:
Post by: Big Damo on July 30, 2015, 09:48:57 PM
It was a great experience certainly gives a different view of the world.
Had such a good experience that we decided next time we go back to Uluru will do the flight there as well and yes I think it was worth the dollars
Damo
Post by: Nomad on July 30, 2015, 10:16:49 PM
Post by: fuji on July 30, 2015, 10:55:08 PM
Post by: speewa158 on July 31, 2015, 06:53:38 AM
Post by: Bad Scott on July 31, 2015, 07:11:32 AM
Horizontal falls from 1500ft & by boat through the gaps . Bucket list stuff :cup: :cheers:That would have been awesome. :cheers:
Flight over Kings Canyon. amazing
Balloon flight over Yarra Glen
Post by: shakey55 on July 31, 2015, 07:23:37 AM
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Post by: swanny on July 31, 2015, 10:47:20 AM
In Australia, some great stuff, but more memorable would be a flight across the Kakadu some years ago, it would be my highlight, some great stuff to see, also flew from Darwin across to Melville Island and beyond, breath taking flight, and once over the Island, again so much to see and do...
Post by: sparksy on July 31, 2015, 08:05:19 PM
Worked for Lighthouse Service in mid 80's.
Post by: gronk on July 31, 2015, 08:51:16 PM
I fly for a living so I'm lucky to have seen a bunch of this magic country from the air.
Discovering and exploring it by land is what I spend more time thinking about though ;-)
Aahh, but did you do it from a helicopter ?? ;D ;D
I've only seen the Grand Canyon.....but it was pretty awesome though !!