MD500 Startup and Tuna Boat Flight
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- Опубликовано: 11 июл 2022
- Hey all, wanted to share some more raw footage of what it's like to fly the OH-6A (MD-500) off of a tuna fishing vessel. I do my best to describe what I'm doing so it makes more sense for more viewers. It is not intended to be an instructional video nor am I a perfect pilot. I'm still a low time pilot just sharing what I do for a living.
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This video is a perfect example of why I love youtube, its something id never see otherwise and also taught me how to startup an MD500 and spot fish from the sky, why wouldn't I need to know that?
Sounds like a skill that everyone needs. You never know when you might find yourself on a boat, needing to fly an MD500 😂
its actually a C model Hughes 500, prob from the '70s. no doubt this is a high-hour bird.
DO YOU LOVE HAVING YOUR SPEECH CONTROLLED AS WELL?
This looks like the coolest job in the world. Flying around barefoot in a chopper over the beautiful ocean. Wow
Can't argue with that. I'm not sure I'll be able to top this job
Yeah, it's the perfect sized operation for freedom and gainful employment!
If he was with a massive outfit - like a cruise ship or something international, they'd make him wear a stuffy uniform.
Just chilling on the boat between flights...man I'd catch up on all my shows, gaming, and things I'm studying. Stargazing at night must be insane! The milkyway must be SO clear!
I bet you can feel every little thing in that little bird that goes on barefoot. I flew a Cub a few times barefoot, just totally plugged in. You have the best job in the world my dude. Much love from North Carolina , USA.
Oh yeah I loved flying barefoot
Been flying skydivers barefoot since 1998. Only way to fly.
Flying a helicopter barefoot, respect.
It's pretty nice being able to, I'm gonna be a bit sad when I have to start wearing shoes or boots again lol
It’s almost feels like respect to the machine that will keep you alive. Love the vids brother
My mother would approve
its actually optimal. I fly with the thinnest sole shoes possible because the pedal feel is direct. If I was allowed to I would go barefoot or thongs lol
@@sgtsucc5348 I would hope you'd know to stay away from thongs because the back floppy part can interfere with foot controls!!
From New Zealand and from someone who has worked around these birds and Jet Rangers with sling loads, I fully appreciate your videos and can't wait to see more.
Thank you for the kind words! I'm trying to figure out what to do next. Might grab one from one of my training flights in the S58 or some cross country footage in the Huey or S300 I got to fly.
@@sinfulldoubt All three for the win👍
@@kiwidiesel I'm thinking I might do a music montage with footage from some of the cool things I've seen along the way on those flights and at my current job
@@sinfulldoubt Cool idea, Just one thing tho, please dont put music over top of ANY engine Starts or shutdowns, Inflight is fine cause they all noisy then. and especially not over radial piston power please, lol Its the simple things for me. p.s Why was your engine running so hot just after departure from the boat? And was it TOT that was peaking?
@@kiwidiesel oh yeah I think it's a crime to put music over the engine starts. Over in-flight turbine engine noise isn't so bad though. But yeah my tot was peaking out. The compressor seal was going out so wasn't super happy. We replaced the engine a few days after I took this footage.
You certainly look like an expert pilot! You made that all look very easy - well done. The MD -500 is one of my all time favorite helicopters. Thanks for sharing this with us and letting us go along for the ride. Cheers. Also, that's a cool helmet.
Glad you enjoyed it
I should’ve died in 2014 but I didn’t. I’m glad I made it to see the age of RUclips in its prime. Something like this would’ve never made it to TV and here we all are, rewinding and hanging onto every image. I can’t thank you enough for doing this.
Never seen like this, really great, thanks for sharing very impressive experience congratulations, excellent photography 🙏
I worked on a huge roof job next to Hughes helicopter testing facility in South Bay Los Angeles. They used to race them and do stall maneuvers . It was pretty cool to watch from up on the roof unobstructed.
That sounds like a pretty cool show to sit back and watch
im so glad a title like "fish master" exists.
One of the coolest job titles 🤣
Wow that looks like an incredible ship, everything is spotless! Great job 👍
Oh yeah that ship had to have been the nicest out there
Dude this must be one of the coolest jobs ever
Great video, a trip down memory lane. Spent 15 months back in the mid 90's initially flying Bell 47's and on the last trip, a MD 500 D which were a bit rare out there at that time. Stay safe, it is great experience.
Funny how quickly things can change. I didn't see a single Bell out there but I did see a few R44s
Bell 47,s are most likely in museums by now or simply junked. Slow and thirsty compared to the R 44.@@sinfulldoubt
2:30 So that is the standard procedure before flying an MD500...SO COOL & NICE! 😆
The best way to fly
I'm a transport Canada licenced aircraft sheetmetal AME. I used to rebuild 500's in the 90's. They're my favorite machine to work with. If I ever had the opportunity to work with them again I would.
This one looks privately owned. It's clean clean clean.
🇨🇦❤️
@Concerned Individual yeah RP- is the Philippines
It’s indeed registered in the Philippines. It’s a Hughes 369HM, which is also a MD 500.
I use to do this out San Diego in the 1970’s on Hughes 500’s. Those were the days!
All the pilots I flew with were ex Vietnam Vet pilots and they were mad as a meat axes…:-)
Please keep the cool videos coming!
Thanks for this video. I was laughing out loud on 2:30. Waiting for more episodes.
Lol no shoes allowed in my heli 😂 I should have the landing part of the video ready to go tomorrow
The Spotter speaks with little twitches of his head. It seems right up my alley.
Yeah that was our communication 🤣 I didn't speak Japanese or Taiwanese. So it was mostly gestures
Seeing a RP-C registration earns an automatic subs. Keep it up!
I've got plenty more on the way in the future
Ngl, "Fish Master" sounds like a pretty cool job
Wow amazing weather
I’m a fixed wing pilot, and sometimes I think I’m cool, but then I get humbled by a sick ass helicopter video. Different breed
Lol well glad you enjoyed it! I do the same thing when I watch videos like the fire tankers absolutely screaming down into a canyon for their drop
So cool, thanks for sharing.
Awesome video!
Great video thanks for making and sharing...
Thanks! And no problem
Awesome dude! What a job
Perfec..exelent you are the best..pilot..
Anyone else read the title as tuna boss fight? No? Just me? ... Man I'm high.
That only happens once we're about to fill the boat and need one last catch
Thanks for sharing this. Very interesting. I had no idea this was done.
No problem, glad you enjoyed it. I like sharing my adventures when I can. especially when I'm working obscure jobs like this lol
素晴らしい動画です😊。
OH-6乗ってみたい🚁
It would be nice, walk through the bridge of a nice ship, nice electronics, and keep walking , like see you boys later, and hop into a nice 500... And barefooted to boot. Enjoy the day brother. Be safe...
Oh yeah, it was a pretty sweet gig for sure
Amazing video. It would be nerve wrecking for me to be over the water the whole time of flight. Great skills and awesome job. Is there a training for autorotations over bodies of water or You would do just regular one and hope for a small splash? :D
I love the flip-flop storage system :D
Works pretty well. I almost lost them in the ocean once though 🤣
Excellent
That water looks amazing
It certainly is
I'd be alright if it had doors, but I feel sick just looking at something high up that I could fall out of. Anyone know what kind of vertigo that is? I have no problem being in planes but put me near the edge of something and I want to throw up and end up having a panic attack if it's for too long.
The ocean colour is not equal to any other thing in the world.its really very nice
Thankyou for the vid the was Awesome Awesomeness, I would luv your job I think ,although I luv being a musician more ,cheers ,Peace and luv to you from Australia x
Keep uploading my friend
Will do
Any reason for turning that pedal around while parked?
Yeah it locks the pedals in place so that the wind doesn't slam them around
Ahhh, I see - thanks! @@sinfulldoubt
I just clicked because md500, and got educated about fishing.
Thanks!
Des the flight manual for the a model allow flight with only both front doors off? For the D model you can only have one front door off or all doors off.
Going through training now in northern MN.
What did your duties look like when you weren't flying? Im interested in the Job.
Man, I absolutely love the MD-500 and the MD-520 series of helicopter. That bird is a Giles as hell. I’m checked out in both models, but I don’t currently fly one.
Just out of curiosity, is the OH-6A/MD-500 (Hughes 369HM) you’re flying is registered in the Philippines?
Yes it is registered in the Philippines
wow! tutorial how to have a trip on tuna fishing vessel and fly at once. amazing man! Could u share how to get this job?
That's a really nice boat
Oh yeah, it was probably the nicest ship out there
Gorgeous 😎 few questions:
1. What is that instrument below your ASI?
2. Do you have any position aboard the ship besides pilot?
3. How do you set up the approach to the ship altitude wise for landing? You use the Ship's radar?
Looks like it's my dual tachometer for the engine and rotor speed.
I only flew the heli and helped the mechanic with the heli when needed.
Typically I just used the ship itself when I got close. Tried to be around the height of the crows nest and I was coming around the back side and then a bit above deck height when I was coming in to the deck
well done
Whats that blue and gray disc the spotter brings into the cabin? I saw a few of them laying around near the helipad in the landing video
Those are solar powered GPS buoys that we can drop to keep track of a raft or something that we see out there
Magnum PI's chopper pilot TC has nothing on the barefoot tuna chopper pilot
Also do you put the doors on when the weather really hits
And whats with the rug the helicopter sits on
Lol that gave me a good chuckle, thanks. Yeah we usually put the right door on once I shutdown. Keeps the salt spray and what not from getting in. Then my door comes on at the end of the day or if it's going to rain. That coil of rope is to help keep the heli in place on the deck. That metal deck gets slippery when it gets wet, so the rope provides some grip
The birds be like "this damn helicopter keeps chasing us!"
😂 you're not wrong
Texans: *Hunt boars with helicoop*
This guy: *Hunts fish*
It's funny because this job technically counts as wildlife survey and capture for insurance purposes
When flying point to point, how does the fish master give you the points? Lat/longs to put in the GPS? Bearings/distances from the boat? Or can they see you on radar and vector you around? Also what's the thing in the spotter's feet?
Usually it's GPS coordinates that my spotter will put into the GPS for me. But sometimes it's headings and distances. They can see us on radar though and that's kinda how they'll vector us if they want. The thing at his feet is a GPS beacon
@@sinfulldoubt does he drop it into a school of fish, and then the boat follows it?
the best work in the world
I do miss it a lot
You certainly don’t act like some Johnny low time pilot, eager to blast off in under 2 minutes flat? You take your time with the walk around, thoroughly checking all is good 👍 Slow and steady wins the race......even in a 500!!! Only one suggestion when operating with doors OFF, don’t throw any loose items like those ipanel covers, stack cover, baffles or tie downs in the back seat. There’s a good chance those suckers will fly out the front, and possibility into the MR/TR, which will turn a beautiful day into a nightmare. Fly safe!
I noticed they were tied off but you make all valid points
Yeah the covers were tied off. That is a valid point, but I've never had any issues with them flying around back there at least. I definitely learned early on when I got my commercial, not to let anyone rush me to get airborne. That's how mistakes happen
Do you perform regular fresh water engine rinses post-flight?
We do at the end of the day
Just curious but roughly how many hours do you need for a job like that? Also, how do you go about finding a job like that?
curious as well
I had 199 hours when I got hired on at this job. Lol at Pacific Spotters or maybe tropic Helicopters if you don't have any luck with Pacific Spotters
A few quick questions,
Is that an empty fire extinguisher bracket next to your left leg? If not, what is it for? Why is it empty?
Also, do you have any onboard duties other than flying? Do you only get paid when flying? How long are you on ship and how much of that time is flying?
Yeah it was lol. Guess they figured I really didn't need it out in the middle of the ocean. They have two large fire extinguishers on the deck for me though. No other duties except flying and I'm on salary so it was easy. It's a 12 month contract
@@sinfulldoubtso you do spent all 12 months on the ship?
Brilliant video thank you.... love tucking the jandals (or thongs/flip-flops depending on where you are from) under the rope-work helipad! Been lucky enough to do a bit of shooting from choppers, but what you do looks awesome. Question... what is the circular item at the spotters feet? Cheers!
Oh yeah I miss flying barefoot lol. That thing is a solar powered GPS buoy that we drop on rafts we find
man that is my DREAM job... i wanna be a pilot at some point... but ill have to figure out my own shit first before i go after a dream job
very nice simulator game and very nice graphics! amazing!
Oh yeah, the best graphics ever 🤣
0:22 If that dude hadn't have reappeared on the deck later I would have sworn you had a ghost XD
🤣I think you're the first person to say anything about that. Yeah I had to splice some videos together because I messed up the footage
At first I was like "what the heck is that deck hand doing in pyjamas!"
Then I saw the brown hand and I was like "understandable, carry on"
🤣 yeah the sun is no joke out here
can you tell us more about the bird radar? How does it work?
Yes. See bird? Don't hit bird. Very simple.
I should know, I watched a video about helicopters on youtube one time.
0:23 , lol, that was a good cut, the guy just disappeared and my brain broke.
Lol thanks. Took a second to get the timing right. Couldn't use that first clip though because the GoPro lense fogged up for like 15 minutes as soon as it hit the heat
Great, now I'll have bass fishermen buzzing my lake cabin!
How much JET-A does the ship keep onboard for the Helicopter
We can carry about 6,300 gallons of Jet A. But I'm not sure if they filled it all the way up. That would last us around 275 flight hours which we never got near
Did anyone else spot a person standing behind the door through the glass pane at 0:23 however when the door opens a mini second later that person is gone??
Probably Just a ghost of a fish Capitan or Pilot that died out there
awesome vid, just a quick question;
is there any specific reason why you don't do a hover check?
thx :)
They always taught us not to hover over the deck. Just get away from the obstacles back by your tail rotor
@@sinfulldoubt I guess that's one of the wonders of flying naval, thx for the answer dude, I'm starting learning for the license was cool to get some knowledge. I also guess the md500 is about the best helo, odds wise with it's little list of components, for an immediate pick up to pan out well
@@Cutstalk oh yeah that's one of the good things about the 500. There's really no systems to check 🤣 as long as the engine is running, you're good to go
Nothing beats the sound of a turbine starting up.
Oh yeah, it's my favorite sound out there. Followed closely by turbo noises and straight cut gears in a sequential transmission 😏
@@sinfulldoubt I don't know if I'd want to live with a straight cut transmission car but I definitely want to drive one at least.
I'm looking forward to when I finally get to fly turbine airplanes. I've got quite a few years before that happens though.
@@FiveTwoSevenTHR yeah I wouldn't want to have straight cut gears on a daily driver. But on a race car it's great sound.
Keep it though! It'll all be worth it soon enough. It's definitely a frustrating and uphill battle getting hours as a low time pilot.
The ignitor sounds like a BBQ grill lighting up ......the turbine spooling up to the high pitch wine give me goose bumps!
@@fudogwhisperer3590 gotta love that noise!
Best channel and kind of dream job. How long you are spending on board for one time. 6month contarct?
Thank you! My contract is for one year but I'm going to extend an extra six months. Usually we're only on the ship for about 4-6 weeks before we come back for a break to offload the fish.
@@sinfulldoubt Thanks, no problem. I was working on cargo ships, max 8months but after this time people started to speak with mikrowaves cookers :)to long at sea. I wsnted to do my helicopter course on Bristov accademy in US but I gave chosen medical school...but I want to fly as a doctor on hems..Maybe in futer I will make paper for helikopters. Good luck, good money and no storms
Superb
Thanks!
We need your helicopter playlist for our own headphones
1:48 shouldnt there be a safety net ?
How many hours did you take home after your 12 Months?
Loved the video and insight thanks made!
Thanks! I only took home about 400 hours so not nearly as much as most others
@@sinfulldoubt Thank you very much for the answer! What would you reckon is the average most tuna pilots take home hour wise?
Modern fish stocks don’t stand a chance. While this is a cool video, it’s wild to think that fish are being scouted from the sky before they are harvested. No wonder fisheries are collapsing around the globe.
Amazing ! Thanks :)
Glad you enjoyed it
@@sinfulldoubt It's just a great video clip with perfect explanations! :) I know it looks like a vacation, although constant travel also comes with a lot of burden. - With an authority background and an own PPL-A flight license, I just wanted to mention "as co-pilot" that a fire extinguisher in the cockpit can be quite useful. Even if there is enough water around you. But I've heard about quite a few cable fires. Just imagine, no radio, no cell phone, (no CB?)... at least annoying ...
Are there exemptions from requirements in international waters? ;)
Great footage. Where was this filmed?
Somewhere in the South Pacific. Likely near Papua New Guinea
What are those round objects in the rack at :55; also saw one at the spotters feet in the MD500. Great videos. Thank you!
Those are solar powered GPS buoys
2:28 that's me about to enter my home
nice channel
Muito top 🔝
Belo vôo
Um abraço do Brasil.🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
🚁💨💨
Thank you!
What kind of job do you do?
Wonder if this could be done with the new crop of drones?
They've tried it a few times before but from what I've heard they usually lose the drones within a few months
I don’t know if anyone noticed, but that’s not a MD500. That’s a Hughes 500C model.
it looked really old from the beginning 🤔
Mans got the grippers out.
Sweet!
May have been asked - why set up to pilot from left seat for this configuration / operation?
Honestly I'm really not sure. I prefer right seat usually. My only real guess is so that you can have better visibility of the boat when landing on a tight ship
next time im having a tuna sandwich I will think, a helicopter made this possible
There's a good chance that a helicopter helped.
I almost did this when I was younger, but they were operating robbies.. If it was a 500 I would have pulled the trigger. Thanks for the video very cool.
Oh yeah, the 500 is pretty much everyone's main reason for coming out here. It wouldn't be worth it if we ended up in a 44
I saw it at Pacific Ocean many times, they work for Korean fishing vessel. Like Sajo Company
Oh yeah there's quite a few companies fishing out there
A question, as the ship is moving when you take off and go for a flight - how do you know where the ship is when you want to return?
They have a GPS beacon on the ship that always shows me where it is. If that were to go down, we could use our radios and the ships radar to get back. Also on a good day, at 1500 feet,I could see the boat from about 30-35 miles away so you just gotta get close enough to see it
@@sinfulldoubt That is a fantastic answer! Thank you very much 😊
@@elmar001 no problem!
Pretty awesome, wonder is the costs would lower if you were flying drones instead of a helicopter.
A few companies have tried that recently and lost all of their drones. They had a real hard time getting them back on the ship
Served as air traffic controller at south korean md500 battalion for two years. I always controlled the aircraft through radio but never seen flying in first person. Thank you for awesome video.
And Im just curious if it's safe to start up using internal battery. Our aircrafts often had over current issue so using GPU was mandatory unless in emergency situation.
Also had lots of problems regarding transmission chip. As the aircraft is quite old now, the tranmission often had chip warning and had to land immediately. Is it same for american version?
Glad you enjoyed the video. I've only ever used a GPU to start a handful of times. I've never had an issue with battery starts causing an over current. We just make sure that the avionics are off before we start cranking. Haven't had any issues with chip lights for the transmission though
@@sinfulldoubt Guess it's because american version use better engine then. South korean use old version of ellsion turbo and was manufactured by Korean air and boeing.
I really miss the buzzing sound that md 500 makes when performing autorotation. Hope you can record it one day. thank you for you kind reply
What music do you like the most while flying
It's all over the place. I've got chill step mixes, electronic, rap, rock, country, etc.
I wonder how long it takes for the boat to get to the school of fish? Cheers!
It depends on how far away they were. The boat usually would cruise at 13-15 knots and we would fly up to about 45 miles tops. So could be a few hours
expert pilot, rookie fisherman needing a heli to spot fish lol
It's better than wasting literal tons of fuel for the ship to wander in circles
looks like I may have stumbled upon a potential dream job
It is a pretty sweet gig. I'm going to miss it
@@sinfulldoubt I'll take over for you man, I've got like 50 hours on my hotas. *feeling pretty confident*
@@FartInYourFace234 alright you got this! I'll let the boss know 😂
Is the footage Inverted? Because usually the Helicopter Pilot's seat is on the left side and not the right but I can be mistaken. oh and What ship are you on, it's very awesome.
It really depends on the helicopter. This one I flew from the left side. A majority I fly from the right though
@@sinfulldoubt oh okay