Another accident that seems to be a wire strike in a gyro? I have heard of a gyro hitting a single wire which held back the machine by the mast and cheek plates, luckily the rotors managed to climb over the wire without breaking anything and released the gyro.... to wobble off and land without further incident, from what I remember..... a very lucky pilot. I believe it was in the USA many years ago?
Most medium to large helicopters have wire cutters these days, not because they want to hit wires, but just in case.... maybe it is time for us to think about fitting something on our machines? I often use the old style wire (quite loose) from the front keel to the rotorhead cheek plates, just so if I run into a fence or wire, my head has a better chance of staying where it is.... however, am seriously considering fitting some sort of cutter on the nose leg, instrument pod leg and front of mast were a wire would likely slip to.... the things a wire would likely snag if a pilot found him/herself faced with a powerline?
I know in
now, powerlines are absolutely everywhere and the single wire is so hard to see.... a friend of mine (and Chris's) caught a fence wire with his nose wheel on take off and it pulled him into the ground (broken sternum worst injury) had he had some sort of cutter (even sharpened aluminium) perhaps the wire would have cut and been gone, rather than pull down the machine?Some of the cabin gyros could easily adapt something similar to what the bigger helicopters use.... it might save someone from disaster?
Any comments? What are your thoughts?
