Hiller 12E supporting a 107
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By "inthegreen"
In the mid-nineties I was working for Columbia Helicopters flying a 12E supporting a 107. It was late winter and we were in Featherville Idaho. The service landing was a very small cutout in the trees covered in a blanket of deep snow with small clearings for the 12E, the 107 and the service trailer, all relatively close to each other. Getting the 12E ready for a morning launch in the winter begins 1 1/2 hours before sunrise, brushing off snow, de-icing, warming up the transmission, etc. The woods crew and the 107 were waiting for me to deliver the chokers and I was a little bit late. I had coiled up the blade tie-down sleeve which was was a heavy metal clasp and I threw it up into the well in front of the pedals, which was our custom. It was a good visual confirmation that the blades were untied.
I lifted up with the line, I pulled up clear of the service landing and pushed into forward flight, lowered power and realized I could not push any right pedal. The blade tie-down that I had flung into the pedal-well had jammed in front of the right pedal, jamming both pedals in about the half left pedal position.
I was above the service trailer, the 107 and other various support equipment over the service landing and was reluctant to pickle the line. I couldn't lower power to land without spinning left. I had to climb. I flew for a little while to think about it and tried to reach the tie-down from my seat, which I couldn't.
In this 12E if you let go of the collective it would drop like a rock. I had to unhook the seat belt, let go of the cyclic and lean forward to try to pull out the tie-down.
It was pure luck, but I was able to swipe it out in one try.
Anyway, I flew on for a awhile, settled down and then headed to the log landing for the chokers. The first hookshot was a little shaky. After that the tie-down went on the other side near the battery. If it wasn't for the inherent stability and lag in the 12E, I would never have been able to let go of the cyclic like that. It's ironic, if Hiller had ever fixed that horrible lag I really would have been cooked.
About the Author
"inthegreen"
Rating: 4.00
Comments
Fatal Traps has pictures of pilot's cell phones stuck under pedals.
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