One Less Afghan Helicopter

Makes me wanna order an MD530.
Ha. But you don't need to get a 530 or even a 520 to get the same crash worthiness. Plenty of used 500s out there around the $400K to $600K range depending on component times. Same airframe. Think of it as a poor mans Cirrus that doesn't need a BRS and can go places where no Cirrus can dream of... unless that is at the end of said chute.;)
 
All of that probably doesn't translate very well. After all, the notion of flight didn't originate from that sector of the world, did it?
Even Icarus and Daedalus were a bit further to the north.

Messopatmia is literally where math was invented. Afghanistan is next door.

If the criteria is geographic proximity to the history of science the USA is literally last in line for humanity.
 
Messopatmia is literally where math was invented. Afghanistan is next door.

If the criteria is geographic proximity to the history of science the USA is literally last in line for humanity.
*Mesopotamia
 
^thank you. Never could spell worth a damn. (Can’t believe my iphone let me down on that)
 
Says a lot about that part of the world that they just laugh

"Ahmed, go fly the helicopter."
"Brother, I do not know how to fly."
"Brother, Allah will help you fly."
"OK, Allahu Akbar!"
Long ago at Primary flt training, my buds and I were watching some solo students practicing autorotations to the ground. One went straight in, no sign of a flare and he balled it up. They dragged the foreign student from what was left of the a/c (unhurt) & asked "Why didn't you flare? His reply: "Allah will protect."
 
Yeah read that yesterday. I’ve always heard the old Hughes 500 “egg” design was very crashworthy. Wonder if some of that translates into the MD530.
Way back during the LOH evaluation, they hoisted the Bell, Hiller and Hughs prototypes up and punched them off. Two were written off but the YOH-6 was able to be flown by a test pilot.
 
I once chatted with a patient at the Army Hospital in Camp Zama, Japan. I asked "What are you in for?" His arm was in a cast. He told me about low leveling over the rice paddies at 120KTS + in a OH-6. A "Golden BB" brought the ship down. He came to sitting in just the chair surrounded by scrap metal.
 
Long ago at Primary flt training, my buds and I were watching some solo students practicing autorotations to the ground. One went straight in, no sign of a flare and he balled it up. They dragged the foreign student from what was left of the a/c (unhurt) & asked "Why didn't you flare? His reply: "Allah will protect."

Sort of like a middle eastern version of "Jesus has the wheel" huh?
 
Long ago at Primary flt training, my buds and I were watching some solo students practicing autorotations to the ground. One went straight in, no sign of a flare and he balled it up. They dragged the foreign student from what was left of the a/c (unhurt) & asked "Why didn't you flare? His reply: "Allah will protect."

Some of the foreign students I’ve seen just have an overall complete lack of caring or intensity to begin with.

Had a Saudi student one night on a practice low level to one of the Rucker RTs. Approaching his H hour and knowing he’s lost bigger than ****, I ask if he knows where he is. “I do not, but it is ok…it is ok.” Minutes later I ask again and get the same reply. Finally, over 10 minutes past H hour and not even sure if we’re still in the state of Alabama, I say “It is not OK, turn on the GPS and take us direct the LZ.” Just no drive whatsoever in most of them. My “stick buddy” was Saudi and one night he fell asleep up front. :eek:
 
Some of the foreign students I’ve seen just have an overall complete lack of caring or intensity to begin with.

Had a Saudi student one night on a practice low level to one of the Rucker RTs. Approaching his H hour and knowing he’s lost bigger than ****, I ask if he knows where he is. “I do not, but it is ok…it is ok.” Minutes later I ask again and get the same reply. Finally, over 10 minutes past H hour and not even sure if we’re still in the state of Alabama, I say “It is not OK, turn on the GPS and take us direct the LZ.” Just no drive whatsoever in most of them. My “stick buddy” was Saudi and one night he fell asleep up front. :eek:

I've worked with plenty of dopes from all nations and walks of life. "Foreign" pilots, students, doctors and cooks have no special immunity from human failings.
 
I've worked with plenty of dopes from all nations and walks of life. "Foreign" pilots, students, doctors and cooks have no special immunity from human failings.

Sure but some countries are worse than others. There’s a reason why a lot of my friends fly as contractors in certain overseas countries. Their societies (culture) just don’t produce that many pilots.

On the other hand, I’ve flown with several German and Norwegian military student pilots and every one of them was outstanding. All eager to learn and were extremely competitive. I’d put them up against our American counterparts any day.
 
Sure but some countries are worse than others. There’s a reason why a lot of my friends fly as contractors in certain overseas countries. Their societies (culture) just don’t produce that many pilots.

On the other hand, I’ve flown with several German and Norwegian military student pilots and every one of them was outstanding. All eager to learn and were extremely competitive. I’d put them up against our American counterparts any day.

I'll go with some people are worse than others.
 
Sure but some countries are worse than others. There’s a reason why a lot of my friends fly as contractors in certain overseas countries. Their societies (culture) just don’t produce that many [skilled] pilots.
FTFY. My experience as well. Certain positions especially in aviation are dictated strictly by social class vs skill levels. On the maintenance side its similar, but regardless of their personal skill level/experience they will always refer to the "higher" pilot level for direction. Which in some cases does not end well. Plus in a number of countries a persons only way into aviation is either extreme wealth, social influence, or the military. Throw in which "doctrine" the pilots/mechanics learned under and that can influence how their individual skill sets/thought processes are developed and taught. For example, I've flown with pilots in MI-8/MI-17 helicopters who have never started an engine before as it was the flight engineer's duty to start the engines. It boggles the mind it takes a crew of 4 to fly such a capable aircraft and whose crew positions are dictated by the social food chain/instructional syllabus instead of their abilities and skills.
 
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