Flying the Rigs if Your Scared of Heights

auto360 · April 18, 2008

Relyon, your hulk wouldn't necessarily be lifeless, at least not right away. I know of at least one pilot who fell from an offshore helideck and survived.

Another aspect of offshore platforms that isn't often discussed is landing technique. Those who fly out there know this, but new guys making their first approach and landing are usually surprised. Most students are taught to land from a hover by looking out in the distance. That won't work on a platform, because the distance can be moving up and down, and because there is no perspective. Looking out toward the horizon when trying to land will almost always result in bent metal. You have to look down where you're going to land, and forget about the horizon and the distance and the water. This works whether landing on a platform or a pitching boat or barge deck. I've reached the point where I simply cannot do a good, smooth landing by looking forward, I have to look down through the chin bubble or the lower windshield or side window. I've done it so long, it's become natural.

These are the questions that I wouldn't have even known to ask yet it can seem so obvious to an experienced Pilot. This is the type of stuff that interest me.

Wally · April 18, 2008

Relyon, your hulk wouldn't necessarily be lifeless, at least not right away. I know of at least one pilot who fell from an offshore helideck and survived.

Another aspect of offshore platforms that isn't often discussed is landing technique. Those who fly out there know this, but new guys making their first approach and landing are usually surprised. Most students are taught to land from a hover by looking out in the distance. That won't work on a platform, because the distance can be moving up and down, and because there is no perspective. Looking out toward the horizon when trying to land will almost always result in bent metal. You have to look down where you're going to land, and forget about the horizon and the distance and the water. This works whether landing on a platform or a pitching boat or barge deck. I've reached the point where I simply cannot do a good, smooth landing by looking forward, I have to look down through the chin bubble or the lower windshield or side window. I've done it so long, it's become natural.

Yeah, you can survive the fall. Legend had it that a mech fell off one night, climbed back onto the structure, felt foolish about it and didn't tell anybody- until the next day when he couldn't get out of bed. Getting back onto the structure is more unpleasant than the fall- you survive it or you don't; you're conscious or you're not. I flew a replacement down to the Grand Isle base one night (ne of a very few night flights I had in a small ship) to replace one that had gone into the drink with only the pilot on board. He had some back injuries, but he said the worst part was climbing back onto the boat landing- the barnacles cut him up.

Wally · April 18, 2008

Relyon, your hulk wouldn't necessarily be lifeless, at least not right away. I know of at least one pilot who fell from an offshore helideck and survived.

Another aspect of offshore platforms that isn't often discussed is landing technique. Those who fly out there know this, but new guys making their first approach and landing are usually surprised. Most students are taught to land from a hover by looking out in the distance. That won't work on a platform, because the distance can be moving up and down, and because there is no perspective. Looking out toward the horizon when trying to land will almost always result in bent metal. You have to look down where you're going to land, and forget about the horizon and the distance and the water. This works whether landing on a platform or a pitching boat or barge deck. I've reached the point where I simply cannot do a good, smooth landing by looking forward, I have to look down through the chin bubble or the lower windshield or side window. I've done it so long, it's become natural.

Yeah, you can survive the fall. Legend had it that a mech fell off one night, climbed back onto the structure, felt foolish about it and didn't tell anybody- until the next day when he couldn't get out of bed. Getting back onto the structure is more unpleasant than the fall- you survive it or you don't; you're conscious or you're not. I flew a replacement down to the Grand Isle base one night (one of a very few night flights I had in a small ship) to replace one that had gone into the drink with only the pilot on board. He had some back injuries, but he said the worst part was climbing back onto the boat landing- the barnacles cut him up.

@$(*!

Wally, speaking in tongues to vent rage...

Edited April 18, 2008 by Wally

relyon · April 19, 2008

Relyon, your hulk wouldn't necessarily be lifeless, at least not right away. I know of at least one pilot who fell from an offshore helideck and survived.

I realize the fall isn't necessarily fatal and have met one pilot who had to fly the crew back to the loop platform soaking wet after falling. But I'd have considered myself lucky to have made it to the +10 (boat landing) to get scraped up by the barnacles that night. With 20+ foot breakers and a serious current I seriously doubt I'd have survived very long.

Another aspect of offshore platforms that isn't often discussed is landing technique. ...

I don't have a problem looking out but I'm often on larger helidecks trying to make room for another machine - I look down so I know where the gear is. Most skirting and supports don't look like the kind of things I want to do an impromptu structural test on.

Bob

TheLorax · April 20, 2008

awesome video, really seems to show how intensely awesome gulf work really is; the perpetual zombie-metal soundtrack really sets it off......

Rogue · April 20, 2008

hard to tell if you're being facetious or not but I love the video, I've watched it at least 50 times. Ok so I'm a little off the beaten path but heck I think flying the rigs would be an awesome job, but then again I find the rigs themselves interesting.

Gomer Pylot · April 20, 2008

Well, yes, there is the possibility of 40 foot seas and barnacles, but survival is possible. Death is also possible from falling in the shower. Some caution is always necessary.

Looking down is essential for seeing where your skids or wheels are going to be, whether offshore or onshore landing on a tug. I've seen the result of landing on the fence, and it isn't pretty.

TheLorax · April 21, 2008

you caught me, i was. to each his own. on the other hand, it's nice to know that there are literate people on this forum: i admire your correct spelling of 'facetious'. although, i cannot tell if you've had firefox and it's spellcheck help you on that one!

ill shut up now, that was my second, and last, penny.

Rogue · April 26, 2008

hahaha no spell check, not bad for ol' country boy auto mechanic huh? shoot bro, I've been penniless for years hahahaha

I find it funny how others percieve things, what I find interesteing you find boring - maybe after I actually been flying for a while it will get old, maybe not - I still feel like a kid in a candy store every time I get on my motorcycle....

sizzlechest · April 28, 2008

Don't let a fear a heights prevent you from coming down here to the GOM. I'm not a fan of heights and I definitely don't like water past my waist. But I've been out here for over 2 years and I've never really had a problem. Get in a medium ship (not hard to do right now) and you will usually only go to giant drilling rigs and in a medium you never spend the night offshore...unless you break down late in the day. You usually don't even shut down offshore, except for a few contracts. When you land, the right seater gets out supervises the offload and load-up of pax, fuels up if you need it, hops back in and you're gone. Only between 10-15 minutes on the deck. You're busy for those 10-15 min so you don't even have time to think about how high you are. Besides the heli-decks on drilling rigs are pretty huge, you won't even be near the edge. When you do occasionally shut down its only about 2-3 flights of stairs to get off the heli-deck, then all the other stairs to go to the bathroom, chowhall, or lounge (the 3 most important places for a pilot) are inside the structure. When you're inside you won't even know you're 100 miles out in the ocean.

HarleyDave · May 3, 2008

I have to say, reading about the Offshore stuff is really really interesting. I watched a few shows on offshore drilling on TV. Of them all only one even mentioned the Helicoper aspect, and that was when a new worker suffered an epileptiic (spelling?) siezure and had to be picked up in a hurry.

Has anyone written any books on the subject, from the first person helicopter pilot's perspective? I could read and re-read something like that for years to come.

PS Im a little scared of hights, and I love it! It makes you feel alive! I used to enjoy walking 100 feet above a warehouse floor on those see through cat walks. After a while I got used to it, and there was a certain sadness to it, because it wasn't enjoyable anymore!