Looking for an Unbiased Opinion

[zedder]

As an ex-Nav my opinion is probably a bit biased, but have to say that this pilot is probably a bit of an arrogant cock?

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/inverness/697183/chopper-drama-spoils-lunch/

Can't see any signs indicating that it was a recognised helicopter landing site. Looks like just a case of "don't you know who/what I am, just get out of the way" syndrome to me!

[Peter G-W]

He could be an ex-nav. Quite a few of them out there now as pilots...

[zedder]

Excellent point, well presented!:D

[Just a spotter]

Are Gazelle drivers the aviation equivalent of the owners of a certain Bavarian auto-mobile brand?

The moment a helicopter crashes into an Irish pub ? video | World news | The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2015/jul/17/helicopter-crashes-into-pub-abbeyshire-ireland-video)

:}

JAS

[Wander00]

Love the two with the dog, who hardly notice until the last minute. Mind you "unbiased opinion", on here, you must be joking!

[thing]

I've landed on a par five at a golf course before, quite legally. Does that make me an arrogant cock because I held up play for a couple of minutes? Apparently if you read the blurb the place is a regular haunt for choppers visiting the local restaurant. There is absolutely no story there at all.

[HEDP]

It looks to me to be a vastly inflated event from the media. The Gazelle is clearly trying to land on the only suitable piece of level ground; without the aid of a sky shout how does the pilot communicate that the bystanders are sat in his only suitable landing site. Somebody clearly comes out and explains that the aircraft is trying to land and then having been educated they move away.

The alternative is to divert at great cost or wait until they get the hint; for how long?

[JointShiteFighter]

While it is true that some (but not certainly not all) pilots are arrogant cocks, and particularly some military pilots who sometimes forget that to be where they are does require a lot of luck in terms of their health and their aptitude, which are two things they can not learn. In this case, I don't think the pilot was being at all arrogant. What goes up, must come down and the helo pilot has a finite amount of fuel and must land in a suitable place. The people on the ground have an almost infinite amount of dry places where they could sit!

[Union Jack]

Love the two with the dog,.....

.....which didn't seem to need too much soothing, judging by the wagging tail.:ok: On the other hand, it surely wouldn't have taken the hotel staff much effort to go out and ask people to move as the Gazelle approached.:=

Jack

[Genstabler]

Sorry, but I don't see much evidence of terrified picnickers fleeing from a reckless helicopter pilot.

[Tankertrashnav]

As an ex-nav I thought all pilots were arrogant cocks until I did my first solo during my PPL.

Thereafter I thought that all navs were merely talking ballast ;)

[GlobalNav]

This is the place to come if you want an UNBIASED opinion. haha

[Courtney Mil]

I'm guessing he lands near the hotel fairly regularly, pitched up to find a place to land and that was it. No way to talk to the folk picnicking there so he hung around until they got the idea he wanted to land. That moved, he landed, job done.

Mind you, if I had my picnic table, smoked salmon, champagne and cucumber sandwiches all laid out, I might have been inclined to sit tight. But Jacques, my dog, would probably have seen them off, so no snags there.

It could be seen as arrogant, maybe pushy, I guess. Probably just trying to get his fee payers to their destination. Shame he had to push others, with just as much right to be there as him, out of the way to do it.

P.S. I'm not biased, I'm just right. :cool:

[Lonewolf_50]

Doesn't anyone apply the 7p's anymore?

[Rosevidney1]

I suppose a Skyshout equipment could have been fitted to talk to the common earthlings - but how often would it be needed? I don't think they are all that cheap.

[ImageGear]

Probably a Pub sign that says "If you see a "chopper" coming at you run like hell" would do the trick.:ok:

Imagegear

[Old Fella]

Reading the post of Joint****eFighter I get the distinct impression JSF might just have missed out on a military flying career. Maybe his health and/or aptitude were not up to it for the military. As for the finite amount of fuel the helo pilot may or may not have had, I did not see a turbine fuel bowser close by.

[smujsmith]

Unbiased ? You'll be lucky, but the local cafe owner admits to many visits for lunch per annum. I would have thought manners would require a prior booking, and therefore negate the fracas created. Otherwise, much better than military scran !!

Smudge :ok:

[Danny42C]

Tankertrashnav,

Your #11 - superb ! (but there may be incoming).

At least this chap got it down intact - which is more than can be said of the unfortunate at Abbeyshrule ! The most expensive pint of Guinness he'll ever drink in his life, I would have thought.

As for "panic", it seemed more of a case of festina lente to me.

D.

[Brian W May]

Glad my car wasn't parked there . . .

If I was unbiased I'd offer an opinion, however . . .

[Royalistflyer]

I didn't see any panic - I did see some people take forever to get it through their heads that he wanted to land.

[DirtyProp]

Same here, I don't see anyone panicking - maybe the dog - but I see a piece of crappy sensationalist that shows how professional the writer is.

"Dramatic footage" really? "of the incident" what incident? "running for safety" blah blah blah...

[FODPlod]

Can't see the problem. The pilot gave ample notice of his intent to land and was probably gesticulating through the plexiglas. There was definitely no panic. I'm just surprised it took so long for those obstructing the LZ to get the message or was it sheer obstinacy?

[Basil]

I'd say the restaurant should mark the area off with low level 'Do not enter' notices - prob solved.

Re 'arrogant cock':

Bas' D2: "Pilots are arrogant $%@*s
Bas: "Oh, have you met one?"
Bas' D2: "Other than you, no!"
Bas: :\

[rarelyathome]

Part of the Exemption to Rule 5

(i) Manoeuvring helicopters. A helicopter shall be exempt from the 500 feet rule when conducting manoeuvres in accordance with normal aviation practice, within the boundaries of a licensed or Government aerodrome, or at other sites with the permission of the CAA: provided that when flying in accordance with this exemption the helicopter must not be operated closer than 60 metres to persons, vessels vehicles or structures located outside the aerodrome or site.

Guess this explains why he or she will almost certainly be in the dwang - bit closer than 60m.