Extreme Chinook Helicopter Landing

[Patriot]

Troop Extraction by helicopter is usually a fairly routine maneuver, however, sometimes the terrain can make it difficult. The pilot of this CH-47 Chinook demonstrates his flying skill as he successfully extracts these troops off the side of a mountain in Afghanistan.

https://biggeekdad.com/2010/10/chinook-helicopter-landing

 

[airboss]

Pilot must be 1st Cav. remember their Huey's from Viet-Nam with the notches in the tips of the rotor blades, if the LZ wasn't quiet large enough, oh well they when in anyway.

 

[James Burleigh]

Whoa!

 

[dj bill]

good skilz,those rotors will fk you up like a vegimatic.

 

[Checkswrecks]

You can bet that the pilot in front was sweating as the crew chief on the rear ramp guided him in. His trust in his chief was as big as his skills. I'm looking at less than 5 ft clearance at the edge of that 60 ft rotor disc - when really bad things can happen too fast to respond to.

We don't know the strategic & casualty situation, but having the troops climb to a ridge and picking them off that would've been a LOT safer call on the pilot's part.

 

[SacramentoMike]

Buy that feller a beer. Couple of 'em.

 

[phroenips]

Wouldn't a landing have to be defined as the wheels having to touch the ground as opposed to just the rear ramp?

Don't know the situation to warrant it, but damn. Just damn.

 

[DagoFeejer]

I'm certain the pilot verified with the troops on the ground the incline gradient prior to extraction. The PIC knows the max gradient they can set the rear down on without clipping a rotor, depending on winds and terrain. Very ballsy for sure and definitely a dedicated Chinook crew. Impressive.

 

[Auburn]

Holy sh*t that is one hell of a pilot! :clapping:

 

[Crash Cash]

Wow. I think my 'nads retracted all the way up to my spleen, looking *down* on the rotor disk! The edge-on view showing how close it was to terrain... holy sh*t is right! Thanks for that video...

 

[LagerHead]

Here's how the boys in the 160th SOAR roll.

[VIDEO]

[/VIDEO]

 

[allrider]

Yee Ha

 

[dcarver]

Holy crapola Batman, them boyz have BIG balz!

 

[jrr]

Wow, did that bring back memories. I saw almost the exact same thing in Viet Nam back in 1969. That pilot was resupplying my platoonf much need C-rats and ammo.

 

[radman]

Pilot must be 1st Cav. remember their Huey's from Viet-Nam with the notches in the tips of the rotor blades, if the LZ wasn't quiet large enough, oh well they when in anyway.

Yup.

 

[Checkswrecks]

Absolutely, the video looks cool and the crew had brass ones. My point was that when it gets as close as in the video, pros back off and think about how to pad things in their favor and think about alternatives. On my last helo ride a few months ago, the pilot's decision was for us on the ground to cross a rocky and slick slope of "ankle busters" to get to him. Hence my comment about having the troops go up to a ridgetop IF POSSIBLE to ensure blade clearance. What we do NOT know is whether this Army crew had already been through that decision making and knew there were hostiles there, or if it was a 22 year old crew chief on the ramp with excessive "can do" who brought the tips that close to the rocks.

The fire fighting pilots are also really good and have a lot of "can do" attitude, many having started in the military. The guys in the following pic had 26,000 hours flight experience and missed the top of a pine by "only" 6 feet. The blades made it through (as in the Viet Nam references) but Nr slowed in an already marginal situation. When things are this close is when people get bit by errors in charts (this accident), slight gusts, etc. Same goes for riding motorcycles like a pro or a squid.

 

[FJRBluesman]

That was AMAZING!

 

[mferriter]

Even more amazing realizing that it's way harder to fly a helicopter close to the ground than at altitude due to the turbulence bouncing back up off the ground.

 

[stew71]

Big. Brass. Balls. Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzz..... :clapping: