Contact   Imprint   Advertising   Guidelines

Seaking helicopter incident leaves kite surfer injured

Forum for kitesurfers
User avatar
Laughingman
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 2979
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2009 4:35 pm
Local Beach: Kettle Point, Mitchell's Bay, Rondeau Bay
Favorite Beaches: Kettle Point, Mitchell's Bay, Rondeau Bay, Long Bay, Cayo Guillermo, La Ventana
Gear: Ocean Rodeo Gen6 Flites 10m, 12m Gen2 Roams 6m and 8m, Cloud D 4.8, 6.2, 8.0, 10.4
Xeon Laluz, Mako Wide 150, Jellyfish Custom surf board quad fin 6', LF Impulse Foil and Kanaha Shapes 37" board
Engine Harness with slider
Location: Southwestern Ontario
Has thanked: 17 times
Been thanked: 17 times

Re: Seaking helicopter incident leaves kite surfer injured

Postby Laughingman » Fri Aug 17, 2012 4:06 pm

The Captain wrote:Oh, and as for the sneaking up on people thing...

I assure you, it is possible to sneak up on and surprise people. In boats, on motorcycles, etc.

Maybe I'll try and sneak up on you one day! (with proper clearances, of course)
Just don't do it while I am jumping in shallow water! :rollgrin:

FredBGG
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 3458
Joined: Tue May 24, 2005 3:38 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Malibu
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 42 times

Re: Seaking helicopter incident leaves kite surfer injured

Postby FredBGG » Fri Aug 17, 2012 6:19 pm

The Captain wrote:Take this as from someone who actually knows what they are talking about, because I actually know what I am talking about, in a general sense.

1. Yes, even a big helicopter can sneak up on you if it is coming from behind you at some speed. You can't blame the kiter for not knowing it was there.
Never heard such bullshit.

A Sea King Chopper weighs over 13,000 lbs, has 2 × General Electric T58-10 turboshafts, 1,500 hp (1,119 kW) each, about 75 feet long.
The f@#king rotor has 5 blades and is 65 feet in diameter.

3,000 HP of truboshaft engines carrying a mass of over 13,000 lbs can't sneak up on you unless your head is up your ass.

A few months ago one landed at our local spot to evac a wounded kiter. You could hear the monster from a mile away. When it was close enough for us to feel even the slightest effect of the rotors on the air the noise was crazy. The ambulance staff could not hear me even though I was yelling about 3 feet away.

This whole discussion is ridiculous.

It's as clear as day that the injured kiter is to blame period. Jumping in shallow water showing off.
probably just crashed by himself and prefers to try to blame someone else rather than admit his own mistake and bad behavior.

User avatar
JS
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 918
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2005 6:25 pm
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Vancouver
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Seaking helicopter incident leaves kite surfer injured

Postby JS » Fri Aug 17, 2012 7:13 pm

FredBGG wrote:Never heard such bullshit.
No doubt.

This has become one of the more ridiculous threads I've seen (which is quite something).

Whatever did or did not happen that day almost certainly bears little resemblence to the host of suppositions apparent in this thread, some stated as fact, just to make it extra silly.

By the way, the following two statements, taken together, are both astounding and amusing (apparently not speaking from experience):
The Captain wrote:Take this as from someone who actually knows what they are talking about, because I actually know what I am talking about...
The Captain wrote:...even a big helicopter can sneak up on you if it is coming from behind you at some speed.
The sound and percussion from those machines are nothing short of overwhelming.
Last edited by JS on Fri Aug 17, 2012 8:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

plummet
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 6819
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2009 11:25 pm
Local Beach: EE
Favorite Beaches: NZ
Style: Terrain riding
Gear: Old wornout ozone.
Plummet hydrofoil and mutant
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 11 times
Been thanked: 224 times

Re: Seaking helicopter incident leaves kite surfer injured

Postby plummet » Fri Aug 17, 2012 8:16 pm

Was anyone actually there that can make comment? I'm trying to fathom how a massive helicopter can sneak up on a kiter.

I also don't understand how the helicopter cant see the kite. if he can't see a massive 10m advertisement in the sky whats his chances of finding a small child?

who here doesn't jump in the shallows? i do. it provides the flatest water. sure theres risks. so what.

Now ultimately it is the helicopter that is at fault even if the kiter was showing off. the oness is one the helicopter pilot to avoid anything on the ground.

Jbrook
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 993
Joined: Sat Jul 31, 2004 2:39 am
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Seaking helicopter incident leaves kite surfer injured

Postby Jbrook » Fri Aug 17, 2012 10:24 pm

Clown kiter showing off for helicopter simple.. If this guy was smart would have tried to stay clear of the heli. No heli sneaks up like that he heard it. Face it he was prancing like a ballerina and got pounded, shallow water or not just stupid, safety is no accident. :cool2: ride smart and dont endanger others. :thumb:

User avatar
The Captain
Frequent Poster
Posts: 380
Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2009 1:53 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: POOR SATELLITE RECEPTION
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Seaking helicopter incident leaves kite surfer injured

Postby The Captain » Fri Aug 17, 2012 10:55 pm

FredBGG wrote: It's as clear as day that the injured kiter is to blame period. Jumping in shallow water showing off.
probably just crashed by himself and prefers to try to blame someone else rather than admit his own mistake and bad behavior.
Very possibly true Fred. I wasn't there. But, IF a helicopter was bombing along a busy beach low enough to screw with a guy kiting (completely plausible), it is SOLELY the pilot who is to blame. It isn't that this kiter was at the end of a runway or near a busy heliport and could expect an aircraft, like someone else's mentioned situation. Also, the kiter likely would not have known how long after and how far away from the original flightpath the air can be disturbed by a passing helicopter. That gets worse with higher weights.

And I did not say this kiter was snuck up upon, I just said it is possible, given the right conditions.

As for the rest, we'll have to agree to disagree...

FredBGG
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 3458
Joined: Tue May 24, 2005 3:38 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Malibu
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 42 times

Re: Seaking helicopter incident leaves kite surfer injured

Postby FredBGG » Sat Aug 18, 2012 2:06 am

The Captain wrote:
FredBGG wrote: It's as clear as day that the injured kiter is to blame period. Jumping in shallow water showing off.
probably just crashed by himself and prefers to try to blame someone else rather than admit his own mistake and bad behavior.
Very possibly true Fred. I wasn't there. But, IF a helicopter was bombing along a busy beach low enough to screw with a guy kiting (completely plausible), it is SOLELY the pilot who is to blame. It isn't that this kiter was at the end of a runway or near a busy heliport and could expect an aircraft, like someone else's mentioned situation. Also, the kiter likely would not have known how long after and how far away from the original flightpath the air can be disturbed by a passing helicopter. That gets worse with higher weights.

And I did not say this kiter was snuck up upon, I just said it is possible, given the right conditions.

As for the rest, we'll have to agree to disagree...
So you still claim that a massive 13,000 lb 3,000 horsepower chopper can sneak up on people?????

That is such bullshit that it's almost funny.

A sea king about 500 yards away.....

[youtube] http://youtu.be/tovXvcnAVAA [/youtube]

User avatar
JS
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 918
Joined: Wed Aug 03, 2005 6:25 pm
Brand Affiliation: None
Location: Vancouver
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Seaking helicopter incident leaves kite surfer injured

Postby JS » Sat Aug 18, 2012 6:17 am

FredBGG wrote:A sea king about 500 yards away.....

[youtube] http://youtu.be/tovXvcnAVAA [/youtube]
Unfortunately, that video doesn't remotely capture the real effect of one of those things. Your Cap'n friend could probably watch that and further convince him/herself it could 'sneak up' on someone.

For the benefit of those who haven't been near such a helicopter in flight, the engines are a variation on millitary jet engines, and operate at high power settings whenever the craft is airborne, driving the rotor blades through the air with tip velocities approaching the speed of sound.

User avatar
Ned Divine
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 623
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 6:52 am
Brand Affiliation: None
Has thanked: 0
Been thanked: 0

Re: Seaking helicopter incident leaves kite surfer injured

Postby Ned Divine » Sat Aug 18, 2012 10:42 am

From what he says about losing his job etc. I wonder if Captain is actually a helicopter pilot. If this is the case, it very amusing how some people are so willing to dismiss his opinion as bullshit. :o

ronnie
Very Frequent Poster
Posts: 4184
Joined: Sun Jul 24, 2005 6:39 pm
Has thanked: 31 times
Been thanked: 59 times

Re: Seaking helicopter incident leaves kite surfer injured

Postby ronnie » Sat Aug 18, 2012 11:12 am

I'm sure they can hear it from a long way off, but are able to talk when it is quite close.
Look at her hair at 1:54 - not moving though the helicopter is close.

Still - I wouldn't want to have anything big attached to me when a helicopter is nearby.



Return to “Kitesurfing”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Bing [Bot], Blackened, Google [Bot], Majestic-12 [Bot], Windalex and 134 guests