MD500 Startup and Tuna Boat Flight
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- Опубліковано 4 жов 2024
- 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.
I should’ve died in 2014 but I didn’t. I’m glad I made it to see the age of UA-cam 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.
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.
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
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
im so glad a title like "fish master" exists.
One of the coolest job titles 🤣
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
Dude this must be one of the coolest jobs ever
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.
Never seen like this, really great, thanks for sharing very impressive experience congratulations, excellent photography 🙏
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…:-)
2:30 So that is the standard procedure before flying an MD500...SO COOL & NICE! 😆
The best way to fly
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
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
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
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
I just clicked because md500, and got educated about fishing.
Thanks!
Wow that looks like an incredible ship, everything is spotless! Great job 👍
Oh yeah that ship had to have been the nicest out there
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 ocean colour is not equal to any other thing in the world.its really very nice
Great, now I'll have bass fishermen buzzing my lake cabin!
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
I love the flip-flop storage system :D
Works pretty well. I almost lost them in the ocean once though 🤣
Perfec..exelent you are the best..pilot..
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
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.
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
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!
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
The birds be like "this damn helicopter keeps chasing us!"
😂 you're not wrong
Please keep the cool videos coming!
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
Awesome dude! What a job
Great video thanks for making and sharing...
Thanks! And no problem
Keep uploading my friend
Will do
Mans got the grippers out.
Every MD500 deserves its own Grass Mat.
Yeah they do. Such sweet helicopters
2:28 that's me about to enter my home
We need your helicopter playlist for our own headphones
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
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
the best work in the world
I do miss it a lot
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
素晴らしい動画です😊。
OH-6乗ってみたい🚁
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
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
next time im having a tuna sandwich I will think, a helicopter made this possible
There's a good chance that a helicopter helped.
That water looks amazing
It certainly is
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 🤔
Wow amazing weather
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
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
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.
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
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? ;)
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
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?
CGI will effortlessly render a scene every bit as photorealistic as this within 5 years.
You should try snatching a couple tuna out of the water with those claws working the pedals
I prefer to use a fishing pole lol
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
I'm a UH1 Huey guy, never ever flown barefoot, just old school.
I'm gonna miss flying barefoot lol
That's a really nice boat
Oh yeah, it was probably the nicest ship out there
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 have never seen a tuna vessel with a helipad lol, what ship is that?
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
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
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
very nice simulator game and very nice graphics! amazing!
Oh yeah, the best graphics ever 🤣
So many things to comment on, ship looks spotless, so does chopper, chopper maintenance must be nightmarish, flying barefooted is not for me, do these guys ever talk amongst themselves? Keep them videos coming.
This is why we have so few fish left in the oceans
Yup, not the fact that people keep eating it and creating a huge demand
@@sinfulldoubt A good point. But if you have to use a helicopter and trawler to find the last few fish, that’s wrong. I’m a forester and I know all the arguments….over fishing like over tree harvesting is not working!
@@Gryphon_19 yeah but we're also not doing it because there's no fish to find. It saves them a lot of time and money with fuel costs. It's pretty beneficial to be able to send it helicopter out to check on things than spend hours and tons of fuel with the ship
@@sinfulldoubt I understand where your coming from.
@@Gryphon_19 yeah I can see both sides. I think my boat did a pretty good job overall though but I know that's a lot of other boats that don't care about the rules and other sea life. I've left that job recently though and I'm continuing my career elsewhere
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
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
Excellent
Helicopters, as a passenger always make me puke. Once I toss my cookies my equilibrium gets adjusted and I'm fine. Been on a few military birds in my younger days. It was a blast.
Oh they kinda get to me too when I'm the passenger lol
@@sinfulldoubt Always the case. Lol! I'm no pilot and the only thing I've ever flown per say was a Leer Jet that was already over 10,000 feet in the air. I wasn't air sick in the least. Just being in control of that plane calmed my nerves. I hate rollercoaster rides, but if we're in control of the rollercoaster you couldn't get me off the damn thing. Crazy how that works
@@roosterj2599 oh yeah lol. Sitting in the back seat of a small plane or heli still gets me feeling kinda sick 😂
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?
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
Muito top 🔝
Belo vôo
Um abraço do Brasil.🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
🚁💨💨
Thank you!
Awesome video!
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?
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.
It's a fishing boat helo that found the adrift Aussie and his dog in the South Pacific!
I think I heard about that, do you remember how long ago it was?
@@sinfulldoubt Just a month or two ago. ua-cam.com/video/WpKYL3qiFps/v-deo.html
Looks like it’s fun, great way to get hours. Would make other flying jobs boring
Oh yeah, it had plenty of boring times but I miss it for sure.
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
So cool, thanks for sharing.
Wheres the guy going behind the door? Short cut. Doors open. Guy wasnt there anymore. xDD Thanks for that good one!
Lol he pulled a Houdini on us 🤣
How does one become one of these Fish Masters? Seems like a prestigious title
I believe they just work their way up through the ranks. I'm fairly certain they, or at least mine was the captain at the point
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 know that birds tell you where the fish is but I didn’t know you guys also used that out at sea
Oh yeah, it's impressive how they always find the fish
Hearing the sound of the engine going at full capacity, I was worried about an explosion or at least an overheat.
Oh yeah it's a very loud heli
Was the Vne reduced with the floats attached?
Yeah we were limited to 100 knots
Sweet!
Dude I think it’s waaay cooler to be chillin on a boat for work rather than at a stuffy, snobby FBO!
Oh yeah, I'll miss my FBO days but I'm loving where I'm at now
Why you got a Rumba sitting shotgun?
That's actually one of the solar powered GPS buoys that we'll deploy on rafts or pyalls that we find out there. That way we can keep track of them and come back to check on fish later
@@sinfulldoubt ohh okay that’s cool and interesting! Sorry was just being a dick 😂
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
Going through training now in northern MN.
What did your duties look like when you weren't flying? Im interested in the Job.