@@h8GW Keep in mind, I flew in this job for 2 1/2 years. For 90% of that I wore sandals. For 10% of that time I tried flying bare footed & it felt good, but my feet got sunburned. But at least it wasn’t a sunburn of the outline of my sandals anymore. Then my last couple of months I acquired some soft shoes designed for walking in water & I found those to be the ideal way to fly. Two things to keep in mind, it’s the tropics down on the equator & it’s hot. People typically wear sandals or go bare footed in the tropics. Number two, I flew 100% of the time over water & in an emergency ditching, I would have been swimming in the ocean treading water & you don’t want heavy, waterlogged shoes to be weighing you down. It was no shoes pretty much everyday. It was a Taiwanese tuna boat, flying over the South Pacific Ocean everyday. 🚁 In an emergency landing, we would be autorotating to water in 30 seconds. You don’t want to be treading water in waterlogged shoes. 😉
@@ictpilot Under normal circumstances I would agree with you. But flying as a tuna spotting pilot are far from normal circumstances. I totally disagree. I have had people make similar comments, such as, “you would have to walk across broken glass…” despite helicopters having not having glass, they have plexiglass windscreens. But… people making those types of comments fail to comprehend that I was literally flying over the ocean 100% of the time. Therefore; if a tuna pilot ever had to ditch their bird in the water, despite it being equipped with floats, a majority of the time they capsize because of the large swells & that pilot & spotter would have to egress out by swimming out of the cockpit, not walking. Have you ever tried to float for hours by treading water while wearing HEAVY, water logged shoes or boots on your feet?!! 👟👟 Shoes are great for walking or running, but not swimming. 🏊♂️
@@ictpilot As a helicopter pilot we always bring & wear the appropriate equipment & gear according to the dictates of that particular mission. Flying as a tuna spotting pilot is different from any other kind of flying out there because you are literally flying over the ocean 100% of the time. 🌊 If you go down you are swimming for your life. Myself, I only wore sandals or went barefoot over the ocean while working as a tuna pilot. 🌊 That was it. I would never consider doing it anywhere else. 🚁 Fred North, famous Hollywood helicopter stunt pilot likes flying bare footed because he says that it puts you more in touch with the machine because you can feel every vibration & nuance of the aircraft & frankly, I totally agree with that assessment. But, when I am flying over land I always wear appropriate footgear, which when working in rugged environments I prefer to wear safety boots. 🥾🥾 Here’s a video of me from this past summer doing cherry 🍒 drying flights & you will notice that I am wearing a nice pair of Redwing safety work boots. There’s a time & place for everything.😉 ua-cam.com/video/wQfUovTGCFY/v-deo.htmlsi=2djfFKZ8A01_79kp
@@OneHoof Yeah I've heard the flying in socks and barefoot feel everything stuff. Can always put on a pair of water shoes and have some protection for your feet but still "feel the machine". Whether I'm flying airplane or helicopter, yes I'm rated in both, would want something covering my feet. But knock yourself out.
@@editology5170 If we left the doors on it would be 140° Fahrenheit inside the helicopter. It would be as hot as sitting in a car with your windows up in summertime. Plus, in an emergency landing in the ocean the waves can flip the helicopter upside down, & doors could trap you inside the helicopter. So, yes, we flew doors off 100% of the time. 95% of my 2,100 hours of helicopter flight time has been with the doors off. It’s awesome! It’s the closest you will ever get to riding a magic carpet. 🚁
@@timhopper8688 It’s not as easy as it looks. The ship is typically movie at 12 knots & bouncing up & down on the waves. But, I made 1,000 ship landings & after that much practice, you tend to get pretty good at performing challenging tasks. 🛳️🚁
Ahh yes ! 👍👍 The old days were great 👍
Flying a helicopter and landing it on a moving boat while barefoot, that is the very essence of cool.
better barefoot than with shoes
Sensacional.
Nice Shoes
I got some just like that.
What is this, no-shoes-day Tuesday?
@@h8GW Keep in mind, I flew in this job for 2 1/2 years. For 90% of that I wore sandals. For 10% of that time I tried flying bare footed & it felt good, but my feet got sunburned. But at least it wasn’t a sunburn of the outline of my sandals anymore.
Then my last couple of months I acquired some soft shoes designed for walking in water & I found those to be the ideal way to fly.
Two things to keep in mind, it’s the tropics down on the equator & it’s hot. People typically wear sandals or go bare footed in the tropics.
Number two, I flew 100% of the time over water & in an emergency ditching, I would have been swimming in the ocean treading water & you don’t want heavy, waterlogged shoes to be weighing you down.
It was no shoes pretty much everyday. It was a Taiwanese tuna boat, flying over the South Pacific Ocean everyday. 🚁
In an emergency landing, we would be autorotating to water in 30 seconds. You don’t want to be treading water in waterlogged shoes. 😉
Wouldn't want bare feet in the event of a crash either.
@@ictpilot
Under normal circumstances I would agree with you. But flying as a tuna spotting pilot are far from normal circumstances.
I totally disagree. I have had people make similar comments, such as, “you would have to walk across broken glass…” despite helicopters having not having glass, they have plexiglass windscreens.
But… people making those types of comments fail to comprehend that I was literally flying over the ocean 100% of the time.
Therefore; if a tuna pilot ever had to ditch their bird in the water, despite it being equipped with floats, a majority of the time they capsize because of the large swells & that pilot & spotter would have to egress out by swimming out of the cockpit, not walking.
Have you ever tried to float for hours by treading water while wearing HEAVY, water logged shoes or boots on your feet?!! 👟👟
Shoes are great for walking or running, but not swimming. 🏊♂️
@@ictpilot As a helicopter pilot we always bring & wear the appropriate equipment & gear according to the dictates of that particular mission. Flying as a tuna spotting pilot is different from any other kind of flying out there because you are literally flying over the ocean 100% of the time. 🌊 If you go down you are swimming for your life.
Myself, I only wore sandals or went barefoot over the ocean while working as a tuna pilot. 🌊 That was it. I would never consider doing it anywhere else. 🚁
Fred North, famous Hollywood helicopter stunt pilot likes flying bare footed because he says that it puts you more in touch with the machine because you can feel every vibration & nuance of the aircraft & frankly, I totally agree with that assessment.
But, when I am flying over land I always wear appropriate footgear, which when working in rugged environments I prefer to wear safety boots. 🥾🥾
Here’s a video of me from this past summer doing cherry 🍒 drying flights & you will notice that I am wearing a nice pair of Redwing safety work boots.
There’s a time & place for everything.😉
ua-cam.com/video/wQfUovTGCFY/v-deo.htmlsi=2djfFKZ8A01_79kp
@@OneHoof Yeah I've heard the flying in socks and barefoot feel everything stuff. Can always put on a pair of water shoes and have some protection for your feet but still "feel the machine". Whether I'm flying airplane or helicopter, yes I'm rated in both, would want something covering my feet. But knock yourself out.
Takes BALLS!
Мрлодец
What without doors !!!!
@@editology5170 If we left the doors on it would be 140° Fahrenheit inside the helicopter. It would be as hot as sitting in a car with your windows up in summertime.
Plus, in an emergency landing in the ocean the waves can flip the helicopter upside down, & doors could trap you inside the helicopter. So, yes, we flew doors off 100% of the time.
95% of my 2,100 hours of helicopter flight time has been with the doors off. It’s awesome! It’s the closest you will ever get to riding a magic carpet. 🚁
oh okay thanks
This looks like a fun job! Also good to see the helicopter has floats. Do you wear a PLB?
@@8180634 No PLB. But we carried 3 GPS sounder buoys that were water activated that the ship could track.
Well that was easy 😂😂😂
@@timhopper8688 It’s not as easy as it looks.
The ship is typically movie at 12 knots & bouncing up & down on the waves.
But, I made 1,000 ship landings & after that much practice, you tend to get pretty good at performing challenging tasks. 🛳️🚁
barefoot experience