RYL Forums - View Single Post

Aidee · 17-12-2007, 01:17 AM

So, as some of you know, I'm a paramedic and occasionally in the course of my duties I'm called to transport a patient via helicopter. Last night was one of these times. Now, I had never been in a helicopter at night before, but I figured no big deal, right? right.

So we were going out to this resort about 70 miles from the hospital we needed to transport the patient to. I had driven out there in an ambulance with a couple other medics and the helicopter was meeting us there.

So we get the patient, get everything ready, and I get on the helicopter with the patient and take off to head towards the hospital. The helicopter is a military aircraft, so it was a Blackhawk, which is super cool type of helicopter, and it's got 2 pilots, and 2 basic military medics on board.

So we've been flying for about 5 minutes, no big deal, everything is going great....NOT.

Suddenly ALL, and I mean ALL the lights go out in the helicopter and the damn thing lurches and drops a few feet. I begin to have a heart attack and scramble for my special night vision safe flashlight (since it was dark all the military guys had on night vision goggles, and you can't use a normal flashlight.)

Then the lights come back on, and the helicopter continues flying normally.

I choose to refrain from speculating what had happened, although I had a good idea.

So we get to the hospital eventually, drop off the patient (who was fine), and I talk with one of the military medics I knew for a bit. He proceeds to tell me exactly what had happened with the helicopter much to my dismay, I was trying to go with the whole "ignorance is bliss" thing, but no such luck.

He proceeds to tell me for no detectable reason, the helicopter lost all power. All power, as in power to the controls, power to the lights, power to the engines, power to the rotor....you get the picture.

Sufficed to say, I really didn't need to hear that.

Then I find out from the medic when they tried to turn off the heilo at the hospital, the problem happened again, so they turned the engine on again full blast and left before the helicopter could totally break down.

Needless to say, I won't be on THAT helicopter again anytime soon!

17-12-2007, 01:17 AM	#1
Aidee Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: USA I am currently:	Aidey's very real brush with death So, as some of you know, I'm a paramedic and occasionally in the course of my duties I'm called to transport a patient via helicopter. Last night was one of these times. Now, I had never been in a helicopter at night before, but I figured no big deal, right? right. So we were going out to this resort about 70 miles from the hospital we needed to transport the patient to. I had driven out there in an ambulance with a couple other medics and the helicopter was meeting us there. So we get the patient, get everything ready, and I get on the helicopter with the patient and take off to head towards the hospital. The helicopter is a military aircraft, so it was a Blackhawk, which is super cool type of helicopter, and it's got 2 pilots, and 2 basic military medics on board. So we've been flying for about 5 minutes, no big deal, everything is going great....NOT. Suddenly ALL, and I mean ALL the lights go out in the helicopter and the damn thing lurches and drops a few feet. I begin to have a heart attack and scramble for my special night vision safe flashlight (since it was dark all the military guys had on night vision goggles, and you can't use a normal flashlight.) Then the lights come back on, and the helicopter continues flying normally. I choose to refrain from speculating what had happened, although I had a good idea. So we get to the hospital eventually, drop off the patient (who was fine), and I talk with one of the military medics I knew for a bit. He proceeds to tell me exactly what had happened with the helicopter much to my dismay, I was trying to go with the whole "ignorance is bliss" thing, but no such luck. He proceeds to tell me for no detectable reason, the helicopter lost all power. All power, as in power to the controls, power to the lights, power to the engines, power to the rotor....you get the picture. Sufficed to say, I really didn't need to hear that. Then I find out from the medic when they tried to turn off the heilo at the hospital, the problem happened again, so they turned the engine on again full blast and left before the helicopter could totally break down. Needless to say, I won't be on THAT helicopter again anytime soon!
Aidee Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: USA I am currently:	Well it breaks my heart to see you this way, The beauty in life, where's it gone? And somebody told me you were doing okay, Somehow I guess they were wrong.