Drink Flying

roundymac

This guy got off lightly in my opinion.
ww.irishexaminer.com/ireland/pilot-fined-20k-for-dangerous-flying-268029.html

Suasdaguna1

20k fine for a fella that can well afford it after flying a heli after a few PINTS?

Do what he did in the states for instance and he'd have served time, a long time.

Bill G

Picture of an AB139 totally misleading on that article....

roundymac

Bill G wrote: »

Picture of an AB139 totally misleading on that article....

What do you expect, a helicopter is a helicopter is a helicopter to a jouro.:D
Totally agree about doing time for it as I would also expect the same for any drink driveing in a car, but then some guard will delete something and they'll probably get away with it.

weisses

Pic of pilot




The way I read it he wasn't even fined for drinking

flazio

A good few years ago, didn't someone serve time for landing on the Texas centre in Athlone and injuring a security guard with the down draft?

n0brain3r

Wasn't there a guy took off after a concert in Slane too with a few on board. If I remember properly he switched off his transponder and lights(at night) when challenged by ATC and then entered restricted airspace before landing. I don't remember the details but I think he got off pretty lightly too.

Nforce

This is the heli that was involved..

Nforce

and here it is afterwards!

Xpro

Those were the days when builders used to fly choppers. I wouldn't call them pilots anyway, it wasn't for the love in aviation, but their image and show off:roll eyes:

CONM

Xpro wrote: »

Those were the days when builders used to fly choppers. I wouldn't call them pilots anyway, it wasn't for the love in aviation, but their image and show off:roll eyes:

Given the incident took place in late 2011, that statement is far from the truth. Also I think you'll find that the owner of that helicopter was a quarry.

Xpro

CONM wrote: »

Given the incident took place in late 2011, that statement is far from the truth. Also I think you'll find that the owner of that helicopter was a quarry.

Quarry owner, builder, no different. Same type of carry on, clearly by what he has done. Flying after consuming a few pints is something a responsible pilot just wouldn't do.

Have a little read online, there was plenty of similar type of accidents happening before when every john and harry had an R44. Breach of rules, airspace infringements, landing on top of hotels, car parks without clearances,permissions,damaging electric lines,etc. Those type of people simply didn't care, as it was all for show. Where are they now? You won't see them around flying choppers again.

CONM

Xpro wrote: »

Quarry owner, builder, no different. Same type of carry on, clearly by what he has done. Flying after consuming a few pints is something a responsible pilot just wouldn't do.

Have a little read online, there was plenty of similar type of accidents happening before when every john and harry had an R44. Breach of rules, airspace infringements, landing on top of hotels, car parks without clearances,permissions,damaging electric lines,etc. Those type of people simply didn't care, as it was all for show. Where are they now? You won't see them around flying choppers again.

My first point was that this incident occurred significantly after the beginning recession, the vast majority of builders had stopped flying by 2009.

And don't get me wrong I'm certainly not defending this guy (in my opinion he's an idiot), what annoys me is your implication that being a builder would some how make you a worse private pilot than someone of another profession. Also I am sure plenty of builders did buy helicopters and small planes for a love of flying, as I'm sure you well know aviation is a very expensive hobby and is something they may well not have been able to do without the property boom.

Also has the ratio of helicopter accidents and incidents to the number in active use in Ireland actually decreased? Or is it just a simple case of far less accidents and incidents because of far less aircraft.

Xpro

When I said builders I didn't knock them down because of their profession, better pilot or not, could have been a doctor or a solicitor, totally irrelevant, but it was the lifestyle most of them had back in the day, living the life, flying choppers without the care in the world. And thats when accidents happen.

And in relation to helicopter accidents, according to AAIU, massive decrease from 2004 up to now, almost non existing. A very few private helicopters left in this country at this moment. A few that are left are up on avbuyer.

Regards,