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Posted

That's the old one isn't it FT?

 

Bet they aren't happy about bogging their chopper. Just thinking of the horribly salty mud makes me cringe.

 

 

Posted

 

forced landing you say, fair enough, but obviously the engine was running long enough to attempt a U turn on the mud before getting bogged.

 

 

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Posted

He's waiting for the tide to come in now, won't be long. Bit ova shampoo, be good as new.

 

 

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Posted

Just copied this from that Facebook page, seems the chopper had engine troubles not bogged at all:nerd:

 

Hi all, first of all we are fine. We chose to do a precautionary landing on Lake Eyre and found the surface to be too soft towards the end of the landing roll. Unfortunately the wheels broke through the salt surface and we became stuck. No damage to the plane or occupants. Thanks to search and rescue we had a crew from Williams creek send a chopper to collect us. Unfortunately they had engine problems on shut down and had to be retrieved also. All were then transported by a very accomplished chopper pilot from Moomba and taken to Williams creek and arrived around 11pm last night. Thanks again to Trevor Wright and his fantastic team for their assistance. More updates to follow.....

 

 

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Posted
Geez, I hope they locked the fuel tank and dropped the anchor.

Fixed

 

 

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Posted

Maybe a soft and wide tyred dolly will enable it to be flown off. I can't think of any other way to save it. Nev

 

 

Posted

You guys have got no idea...period

 

Slide a big sheet plywood under it, hook tow rope on to ply, other end of rope onto your trusty land cruiser, off you go...at around 120kph we have liftoff....

 

Now...how hard was that.008_roflmao.gif.692a1fa1bc264885482c2a384583e343.gif

 

 

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Posted
Many that go there stay there and not because they like it. Nev

I remember reading a tourist guide about the 'Lake', saying that an aircraft got stuck there in the 60's, and is now "...a small salt-encrusted island.." Anyone tempted to try a landing out there needs to remember that image. I once watched a STOL aircraft try a touch and go on the surface, but broke through and started making deep tracks as the mud got hold. Fortunately he had enough power 100hp Rotax and a good high lift wing (Zenith 701) and a light load, but just barely managed to pull free......... It was a very close call, and a very tense time, with probably just as much of a mess in his shorts as the mud below....

Actually, I have landed out in the middle of Lake Eyre in a Beaver ultralight many years ago. But that was only after first walking out 4 hours under a full moon, and identifying a solid hard salt pan and marking it with my GPS. That spot was just as hard a concrete, as I found when I slept out there the rest of the night without a mattress.... Had to skirt around lots of soft muddy spots that looked just the same from the air but would have been traps for the unwary. Flew out the next morning and landed on that absolutely smooth surface, Waa-Hoo!

 

JG

 

 

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