Had a visitor at the airport the last few days

How big was it? I saw something very similar orbiting Central Park in NYC last week, but it looked way too small to be an airship that would carry more than one person.
 
DaleB said:
How big was it? I saw something very similar orbiting Central Park in NYC last week, but it looked way too small to be an airship that would carry more than one person.
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Actually was smaller than I would’ve thought. I haven’t tried to get close to it yet but from a distance while it was landing I’d say a max of 8 people in the cabin. That’s a best guess but I’ve always envisioned these things being more massive.
 
It must have smelled blood in the water.
 
Saw it on the ground at KRAL a couple weeks ago05B31337-30B8-4AA6-AC59-403F383029CD.jpeg
 
Where do flying sharks fit in the right of way pecking order?
 
cowman said:
Where do flying sharks fit in the right of way pecking order?
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I’d gladly give way since it’s the only shark I like my chances of outrunning. I doubt a punch in the nose would help much if it caught me though…
 
Easy to spot when they are in the pattern with you...
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My homedrome used to house the snoopy blimp and the shark blimp. They were always great exciting for pax going on their first flight and set a great mood for a small airport.

It was also very cool to watch them take off and land as well as being in the pattern while they set up their landing. Good fun!


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This is what showed up at my airport yesterday...
IMG_2006.JPG

IMG_2009.JPG

I think I saw this exact copter on U tube doing it's thing.

Seems like a dangerous job?
IMG_2020.JPG
 
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I did not see this one online, just noticed the N number is different. It appears to be a old sheriff copter.
 
Gary Ward said:
This is what showed up at my airport yesterday...
IMG_2006.JPG

IMG_2009.JPG

I think I saw this exact copter on U tube doing it's thing.

Seems like a dangerous job?
IMG_2020.JPG
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Do you drive a BMW Z8?

 
Gary Ward said:
This is what showed up at my airport yesterday...
IMG_2006.JPG

IMG_2009.JPG

I think I saw this exact copter on U tube doing it's thing.

Seems like a dangerous job?
IMG_2020.JPG
Click to expand...
Oh wow. So THAT’s how they deal with air sharks.

Kind of a niche market, I’d think…
 
They’re amazingly quick. Watched this guy for a few minutes and he covered about a 1/4 mile. Had a fatal crash not far from that area just a couple years later. They do power line work as well.

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Velocity173 said:
They’re amazingly quick. Watched this guy for a few minutes and he covered about a 1/4 mile. Had a fatal crash not far from that area just a couple years later. They do power line work as well.

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I watched a couple of videos put up by an operator. Two different helicopters, both 1980-ish Hughes 369s. The saw looks pretty heavy, and those aren't very powerful birds. But they handle them well.

I'm wondering how the saw is kept parallel to the utility easement borders. Is there some sort of control? Gyroscopic stability? I did find information stating the inventor was killed in 1984 demonstrating the first model. Not an auspicious start.

This article explains the process with sufficient detail to understand how it works.

https://www.tdworld.com/vegetation-management/article/20969658/aerial-saw-is-boon-to-line-trimming
 
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In the earlier picture it looks like the saw is connected with an aluminum pipe not a rope and may be able to be twisted as needed to adjust the angle.
 
3393RP said:
I watched a couple of videos put up by an operator. Two different helicopters, both 1980-ish Hughes 369s. The saw looks pretty heavy, and those aren't very powerful birds. But they handle them well.

I'm wondering how the saw is kept parallel to the utility easement borders. Is there some sort of control? Gyroscopic stability? I did find information stating the inventor was killed in 1984 demonstrating the first model. Not an auspicious start.

This article explains the process with sufficient detail to understand how it works.

https://www.tdworld.com/vegetation-management/article/20969658/aerial-saw-is-boon-to-line-trimming
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Yeah it’s quite a contraption. All I know is I wouldn’t have the patience for that all day. Probably hurt my neck leaning out the window as well. Met a pilot at the local airport who said he was on the road 8 months out of the year. Not for me.
 
TomF said:
In the earlier picture it looks like the saw is connected with an aluminum pipe not a rope and may be able to be twisted as needed to adjust the angle.
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Yeah, it is a sectioned tube that's assembled on the ground. The saw and its parts total 850 lbs. Looking closer, it appears there is a triangular frame under the helicopter that keeps the saw oriented parallel to the easement borders.
 
One late afternoon/early evening about 15 years ago, I saw one of these things drifting on a light northerly breeze southbound about 200 - 300 ft. above Le Jeune Road in Miami. Le Jeune Road just happens to run south/north about 1500 ft. east of the departure end of Runway 08R at MIA.

Remote-Control-Shark-Toys-Air-Swimming-RC-Animal-Radio-Fly-Fishing-Balloons-Clown-Fish-Animals-Interactive.jpg_Q90.jpg_59b1ed87-e8c7-43b7-a067-dafe582c107b.webp



They are helium-filled, remote controlled, just over 5ft. long and are intended for indoor use only. I was almost at a loss for words in attempting to describe the "air shark" to Miami Tower. Air traffic was departing east bound at the time and aircraft were well above the 200-300 ft. altitude of the shark. Departure is not the time for pilots to be idly looking outside, and due to deck angles, the "air shark" would have been well below the Pilot Flying's line of sight. Even if an aircraft hit one of these air sharks, it probably wouldn't have been noticeable due to the light weight structure of the thing. After about 20 minutes, the "air shark" disappeared from sight, still sailing sedately south over the center line of LeJeune Avenue. It didn't appear to be at all predatory, but, then again, we all know that sharks are unpredictable.
 
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This is the illustration I couldn't get into my above post. I wish I knew what I was doing with these computer things.
 
Video of him taking off Saturday morning. The pilot and one crew member were at the airport at 7am when I got there in the parking lot. About 7:20 they were preping the copter, cleaning off dew off, removing the door and starting and then stopping the small engine for the saw.( must be a remote start?] The crew member pulled his truck near and filled it with jetA fuel. Then moved his truck clear so the copter could take off. Left at 7:45 and came back at 1PM. That seems like plenty in the left seat for one guy per day. The ADS-B also does not show much of him because he is so low I am guessing? Looks like he is working in Hebron KY over by the airport?
 
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Will Kumley said:
Actually was smaller than I would’ve thought. I haven’t tried to get close to it yet but from a distance while it was landing I’d say a max of 8 people in the cabin. That’s a best guess but I’ve always envisioned these things being more massive.
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So there's actually 2 of them. An East Coast and a West Coast one. The East coast one is smaller, Pilot + 4 more seats, West Coast is pilot + 8 more seats.
 
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