We were leaving port the other day, or evening as the small video clips will show when we had a visit from a very loud and bright flying object, they started flashing searchlights across the deck and it was all very noisy. I went to the port bridge window and there was a big Helicopter of type unidentifiable about 10 metres from me the co-pilot had a number board with “69″ on it and he was gesticulating vigorously with a flashlight at the number, the penny finally dropped inside my head and I lifted the VHF tuned to channel 69 (nothing to do with any other purported uses of this cipher combination), as I tuned in an extremely efficient British voice crackled across the airwaves, “Coastguard helicopter Whiskey Delta, on exercise, permission to place a man on deck, OVER” I gave the OK “Whiskey Delta, permission granted” thinking to myself these are the boys that could make the difference on a dark and dirty night in the North Sea, so practice away lads.
My cameraman missed the first part of the operation we were all fairly awestruck at the proximity, noise and presence of such a big machine flying a few feet overhead. There are four small sequences showing the winchman exercise with a stretcher basket and finally fly off into the murk.
The last clip is a few seconds of the Dunkirk pilot making his entrance, there was too much wind for a launch so he had to arrive by chopper. I took a photo as they flew past the bridge and blogged previously under Flying Pilots
The sea pilot arrived by helicopter yesterday, nothing too strange there. When he arrived on the bridge he wanted to smoke directly which is not allowed so he was in a bit of a humour. When we were going into the locks at Dunkerque he was behind me as I was at the controls, he didn’t say anything except made a sort of a noise like tut tutting when he felt we were wandering off track, then he didn’t have to say anything because I knew something was wrong and fixed it by applying more helm or thrust. Once in the locks and secure he dashed down to the smoke room for a couple of Gitanes, when he came back the humour was better…..I suggested a nicotene patch for the long pilotages where smoking is not allowed……he produced a box of pills from his pocket and said “I ‘ave been chewing thees nicotine sweets all evening!ยจ
The demon nicotine!
Any aircraft experts out there (Devin) know what kind of helicopter it is?
On the Netherlands coast last year we had to disembark the pilot by helicopter because the weather was too rough for the pilot boat. The decision to use the helicopter was taken at the last minute and the pilot had been expecting to get off by launch, but he had the helicopter suit and helmet with just in case.
He wanted to get off by boat and he was very dischuffed about the whole helicopter lark, he didn’t say anything and remained professional but his facial expression fell and there was a fair deal of huffing and puffing putting on the immersion suit. His hands were a bit shaky also, I felt sorry for him but he marched out stoicly and his departure was successful.
It was a fairly spectacular sight to see the yellow chopper buzzing over the deck, I was in the helicopter party, which sounds like fun maybe but is a bit more serious, we have the bolt cutters and chemical foam and extinguishers ready if it all goes wrong. It didn’t and the pilot flew away and we sailed away.
The Pilot Boat has more on pilot operations click on the link and head on over.
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