“…The helicopter symbolize(s) the victory of ingenuity over common sense.” ~Montross, Lyn and Prouty
Let’s face it! We all know that helicopters often get attached with a belief that it’s a rich man’s ride. Sure is but we normal human beings who are not in touch with the industry often fail to consider the operating costs and the tough missions they are designed to operate.
Here we are operating Eurocopter’s Equreuil helicopter, Europe’s most successful single engine civil helicopter. It is also one of the world’s toughest helicopters. It has proved itself when it touched down on the icing of the Mighty Mt. Everest and won itself the crown of the world’s highest rescue from Mt. Annapurna (6900m) where two lives were saved.
Now getting back to the question of why you should choose a helicopter ride and why it is so special. Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky dedicated his life into making this concept a reality so that today we could take full advantage of the machine and its capabilities. Today we are using it everyday to let people have fun of the divinity of hovering like a humming bird, make transportation of heavy cargo easier, help with other development projects by aerial survey and most importantly saving lives on rescue missions. When we get into a helicopter we are not only being a part of the spiritual ride but also enjoying the intellectual aptitude of the human evolution and how far we have come. Sometimes we take things like this for granted and fail to realize that what we are experiencing is far from normal and far from what we human beings were made to do. Ask anyone who has ever been on a helicopter ride and they will tell you with an element of charm in their faces that it was worth the cost. It’s the ‘helicopter bug’ and once it bites you, you cannot really deny the triumph of man over science and technology.
This article I write not with the intention of justifying why helicopters are superior over other machines or better for some operations than other means but is just a small effort to let you think back and appreciate how far we have come. For those lucky enough to have had a ride, cheers to the time and for those who are still to get in, well we shall save this one till you try it.
“The helicopter is evidence of how man’s imagination can be given physical form.” ~Wheeler, Howard A. (1987)
By Anusha Udas (Co-Pilot @ Fishtail Air)
