I am a scriptwriter in need of some helicopter info
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I think somebody has already mentioned the idea of a remote weather staton with no road access. However, there are some locations I have seen where telecoms relay/repeater stations are situated in very remote locations. Generally these are placed as high as possible in the area and often have "road" access - i.e. they are accesible by land transport albeit with some difficulty.
Such telecoms relays, or repeater stations, are powered by solar cells which charge a large array of batteries. From time to time the batteries have to be checked, replaced and or topped-up etc. Where time permits this is conducted by land transport but where speed is of the essence a helicopter is often used. Hazardous liquids, including batteries, are usually underslung to the location after the ground support team has been flown in first.
The helipad for these sites is usually very basic with little more than a windsock and some basic ground markings to provide the pilot with "useful" information. The ground support team would carry an airband transceiver to communicate with the pilots.
Such telecoms relays, or repeater stations, are powered by solar cells which charge a large array of batteries. From time to time the batteries have to be checked, replaced and or topped-up etc. Where time permits this is conducted by land transport but where speed is of the essence a helicopter is often used. Hazardous liquids, including batteries, are usually underslung to the location after the ground support team has been flown in first.
The helipad for these sites is usually very basic with little more than a windsock and some basic ground markings to provide the pilot with "useful" information. The ground support team would carry an airband transceiver to communicate with the pilots.
This is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO awesome! You have just solved ANOTHER plot problem I had that is totally unrelated to my helicoptor problem!Jesus! You people are beautiful!
Let me tell you (in detail) what kind of a miracle you just bestowed upon me, flyer43:
I'm gonna do this in chunks, once again because I don't want to risk a too-long post.
Stay tuned ....
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We aren't meant to allow posts by people researching for various projects because PPRuNe gets so many of them. I let yours go, but if I hadn't edited your synopsis (one of the longest posts in the history of the forum) it certainly wouldn't have escaped the site Administrators' axe. It still might not, but your chances will be better if you write much shorter posts.
No copy kept for posterity. It didn't occur to me that, as the scriptwriter, you wouldn't have a synopsis stored.
"Anyone here wanna know what the story is about?"
That would spoil the enjoyment of the movie. Just let us know when it's in post-production and we can start waiting with eager anticipation for its release.
Seriously - No.
Heliport
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My non-helicopter problem was that my small desert town had no cell phone service. Two critical plot points rely heavilly upon the lack of cell phone service in the region. First, there's a flashback to five years earlier where a man and his wife are travelling cross country in the vicinity of my smal town. They run out of gas in the middle of the desert, only to discover that there's no cell phone reception to allow them call for help. But then (here's the fanatsy element of the story, guys) a mysterious tow truck driver comes along and gives them five gallons of gas to get them on their way. The married couple tries to pay him, but he refuses to take their cash. It turns out the tow truck driver was an angel in disguise. But the married couple doesn't realize that until later, and even then, they really don't tell anyone about it.
Stay tuned for the NEXT post ...
Stay tuned for the NEXT post ...
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Plot Device, going back to your post #19, yes it's a perfectly valid scenario i.e. security restrictions etc - I wouldn't balk at that!
Cheers
Whirls
PS - some of us are lady pilots!!!
Cheers
Whirls
PS - some of us are lady pilots!!!
In essence, yes!
Although, just to go over a few details. Depending on their size, helipads connected to hospitals or clinics are often restricted to EMS (Emergency Medical Services) aircraft only. ie they are not 'public-usage' heliports. They might well make a concession due to the fact that it's the State Governor and he has to visit somewhere locally. I know that they would obviously make this concession for GWB!
The authorities (ie FAA or ATC) could also introduce airspace restrictions to 'protect' the governor's presence. They are called TRAs (Temporary Restricted Areas, or Restricted Area (Temporary) if you are bang up-to-date) over here. There were plenty over here for the recent G8 conference in Scotland to 'protect' GWB and his buddies. However, whether or not they would extend this privilege for a lowly state governor, I don't know...
Also, as we've already covered, the news heli wouldn't necessarily be limited to landing on the mountain top helipad. He could potentially land anywhere on the mountain (in order to get some panoramic shots for his report, for example). However, if I ever have to fly somewhere and there is a helipad in the area, I would generally prefer to land there rather than in a field next door.
Finally, please remember that this is all coming from a UK perspective. Things are probably very different 'Stateside'!
Although, just to go over a few details. Depending on their size, helipads connected to hospitals or clinics are often restricted to EMS (Emergency Medical Services) aircraft only. ie they are not 'public-usage' heliports. They might well make a concession due to the fact that it's the State Governor and he has to visit somewhere locally. I know that they would obviously make this concession for GWB!
The authorities (ie FAA or ATC) could also introduce airspace restrictions to 'protect' the governor's presence. They are called TRAs (Temporary Restricted Areas, or Restricted Area (Temporary) if you are bang up-to-date) over here. There were plenty over here for the recent G8 conference in Scotland to 'protect' GWB and his buddies. However, whether or not they would extend this privilege for a lowly state governor, I don't know...
Also, as we've already covered, the news heli wouldn't necessarily be limited to landing on the mountain top helipad. He could potentially land anywhere on the mountain (in order to get some panoramic shots for his report, for example). However, if I ever have to fly somewhere and there is a helipad in the area, I would generally prefer to land there rather than in a field next door.
Finally, please remember that this is all coming from a UK perspective. Things are probably very different 'Stateside'!
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(maybe just gentlemen--maybe there are no ladies in this thread other than myself),
Oh yes, there are ladies here!! They fly helicopters too, some commercially, some just for fun & some even teach others too. Whirlybird who left you a nice message, perfectly typed as always, is a lady but the female thing is a whole different thread!
and Heliport is right, your posts are VERY long, maybe you just type quicker that us
Oh yes, there are ladies here!! They fly helicopters too, some commercially, some just for fun & some even teach others too. Whirlybird who left you a nice message, perfectly typed as always, is a lady but the female thing is a whole different thread!
and Heliport is right, your posts are VERY long, maybe you just type quicker that us
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The authorities (ie FAA or ATC) could also introduce airspace restrictions to 'protect' the governor's presence. They are called TRAs (Temporary Restricted Areas, or Restricted Area (Temporary) if you are bang up-to-date) over here. There were plenty over here for the recent G8 conference in Scotland to 'protect' GWB and his buddies. However, whether or not they would extend this privilege for a lowly state governor, I don't know...
Also, as we've already covered, the news heli wouldn't necessarily be limited to landing on the mountain top helipad. He could potentially land anywhere on the mountain (in order to get some panoramic shots for his report, for example). However, if I ever have to fly somewhere and there is a helipad in the area, I would generally prefer to land there rather than in a field next door.
Finally, please remember that this is all coming from a UK perspective. Things are probably very different 'Stateside'!
Also, as we've already covered, the news heli wouldn't necessarily be limited to landing on the mountain top helipad. He could potentially land anywhere on the mountain (in order to get some panoramic shots for his report, for example). However, if I ever have to fly somewhere and there is a helipad in the area, I would generally prefer to land there rather than in a field next door.
Finally, please remember that this is all coming from a UK perspective. Things are probably very different 'Stateside'!
I agree that most governors are "lowly"
, but not from the persepctive of Homeland Security. Ten years ago, a "lowly governor" here in the US would normally not have much security hubbub surrounding him. But since 9/11, almost any politician of either gubernatorial or senatorial status gets security consideration on a federal level. Doubly--so if he's even HINTED at a bid for the presidency (that's when they literally call in the Secret Service MiB's to chaparone him around everywhere). And one of the priorities that the press has is to document the ENTITRE public life of virtually ANY politician for the sake of future historical accuracy AND in the event that said politician becomes famous (or even infamous). I like your clarification of temporary air space restrictions. The notion of such restrictions is also something I have kicking around in my head from my couch-potato education on helicopters. You've just strongly confirmed what I only vaguely suspected. And this sort of confirmation helps a lot in achieving a believable flow and cohesiveness to the interconnectivity of all the plot points.
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[quore=bravo73]In essence, yes!
Although, just to go over a few details. Depending on their size, helipads connected to hospitals or clinics are often restricted to EMS (Emergency Medical Services) aircraft only. ie they are not 'public-usage' heliports. They might well make a concession due to the fact that it's the State Governor and he has to visit somewhere locally. I know that they would obviously make this concession for GWB![/quote]
The post by flyer43 really helped a lot. He unknowingly gave me a perfect excuse to have there be two helipads in the vicinity, and to have one of them specifically atop a mountain. Here's the upshot of what he did for me:
1) Small rundown town has just one heliport on the desert floor to service the medical clinic just outside outside of town.
2) Cell phone service in this small rundown town totally sucks due to lack of cellular towers in the area.
3) My main protag's job is as a promotional specialist. He was hired by the town to help bolster the local economy since the recent shut-down of the military base.
4) After this promotional specialist gets the brilliant idea to make this little town into ANOTHER version of Roswell, New Mexico with an artificially manufactured tourist draw centered upon the claim that the town is graced by angels (as opposed to aliens), the town's tourism starts to boom, money starts coming in, and the long-standing complaints about bad cellular service are finally addressed because a brand new cellular booster tower is installed on top of one of the local mountains, complete with a helipad (as described by flyer43 in his priceless gem of a post up above).
5) Our main protag works hard via connections and favors to help keep the town in the news, and he decides to make the town's Centennial a huge extravaganza, and he even gets the state governor to agree to come.
6) Part of the problem of having the governor come includes security concerns. The town leaders have to work with the governor's security guys on those concerns. The logistics of landing the governor's helicoptor at the medical helipad get worked out. And the back-up of the newly constructed mountain-top helipad that services the cellular tower is part of that logistical planning. The security guys tell the press that IF they want to send choppers to cover the governor's visit, they can't land their choppers anywhere else but at the celluar relay station on the mountain top.
This is utterly, utterly perfect. You guys have so totally helped me work out the bugs in my script!
Cookies for EVERYONE!
Although, just to go over a few details. Depending on their size, helipads connected to hospitals or clinics are often restricted to EMS (Emergency Medical Services) aircraft only. ie they are not 'public-usage' heliports. They might well make a concession due to the fact that it's the State Governor and he has to visit somewhere locally. I know that they would obviously make this concession for GWB![/quote]
The post by flyer43 really helped a lot. He unknowingly gave me a perfect excuse to have there be two helipads in the vicinity, and to have one of them specifically atop a mountain. Here's the upshot of what he did for me:
1) Small rundown town has just one heliport on the desert floor to service the medical clinic just outside outside of town.
2) Cell phone service in this small rundown town totally sucks due to lack of cellular towers in the area.
3) My main protag's job is as a promotional specialist. He was hired by the town to help bolster the local economy since the recent shut-down of the military base.
4) After this promotional specialist gets the brilliant idea to make this little town into ANOTHER version of Roswell, New Mexico with an artificially manufactured tourist draw centered upon the claim that the town is graced by angels (as opposed to aliens), the town's tourism starts to boom, money starts coming in, and the long-standing complaints about bad cellular service are finally addressed because a brand new cellular booster tower is installed on top of one of the local mountains, complete with a helipad (as described by flyer43 in his priceless gem of a post up above).
5) Our main protag works hard via connections and favors to help keep the town in the news, and he decides to make the town's Centennial a huge extravaganza, and he even gets the state governor to agree to come.
6) Part of the problem of having the governor come includes security concerns. The town leaders have to work with the governor's security guys on those concerns. The logistics of landing the governor's helicoptor at the medical helipad get worked out. And the back-up of the newly constructed mountain-top helipad that services the cellular tower is part of that logistical planning. The security guys tell the press that IF they want to send choppers to cover the governor's visit, they can't land their choppers anywhere else but at the celluar relay station on the mountain top.
This is utterly, utterly perfect. You guys have so totally helped me work out the bugs in my script!
Cookies for EVERYONE!
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(maybe just gentlemen--maybe there are no ladies in this thread other than myself),
Oh yes, there are ladies here!! They fly helicopters too, some commercially, some just for fun & some even teach others too. Whirlybird who left you a nice message, perfectly typed as always, is a lady but the female thing is a whole different thread!
and Heliport is right, your posts are VERY long, maybe you just type quicker that us
Oh yes, there are ladies here!! They fly helicopters too, some commercially, some just for fun & some even teach others too. Whirlybird who left you a nice message, perfectly typed as always, is a lady but the female thing is a whole different thread!
and Heliport is right, your posts are VERY long, maybe you just type quicker that us
