Re: NNG or SG: A fun way to burn petrochemicals...

I think the problem fixed wing pilots have with helicopters is that you are up there with no visable means of support. The truth of course, is that you are probibly safer in a helicopter in the event of an engine failure. I once brought out, from a fire camp, a chopper crew being relieved. Their company sent a single engine to fly them back home and the chopper pilot was very uneasy, he said he did not like flying in little airplanes. The guy was a veteran of both Viet Nam and wildland fire fighting, so he didn't lack for nerve.

I did see a helicopter almost crash though. It was a National Guard Jet Ranger that was taking off from the airport at La Grande OR. It got about 5' off the tarmac when there was a shreek and a great blot of fire came out the tail pipe. The craft instantly quit flying, and the crew jumped out shaking their pant legs. A few more seconds and they would have been high enough to cause a serious crash, but not high enough to auto-rotate.