Actually Harvey, I think is was Don who asked the rescuee to put his camera away. That section grabbed my attention as well, and I watched it several times to clarify; the rescuee has a camera in his right hand and is switching it to his left (with the trekking poles) as Don approaches him. It's small and red, with a wrist-strap.
"You are correct, Bulldog; Don asked the rescuee to put his camera away."
If I was the rescuer dood, I would be thinking something along the lines of "Does this guy not understand the seriousness of the situation? We had to fly a big ole chinook up here to save their dumb asses, not to mention the ground rescue teams who risked their lives to save them and they can't put their camera down long enough to make the extraction quick and safe?"
I think the issue is not with the camera, per se, but rather, with having a loose "thing" as one approaches a helicopter with blades turning. If a person has not been near one, the wind is unbelievable. On an unstable surface, it would be easy to fall, and to lose the camera, which could end up in the air, and in an engine, disabling the copter.
When I've been involved in air operations, they are careful to orient us to not have loose "things" on our bodies.
On the other hand, it could have to do with stopping the fun filming, and getting into gear and onto the helicoptor. At a thousand dollars a minute or more, 20 seconds of filming is pretty expensive.
Yeah the only fun we got to have on Friday was picking up the SK NPS team from the westside, and bring them back to Lone Pine.
I swear next time I land on top I'm going to sign the book. Too bad the weather was enigmatic on Thursday, I was pretty apprehensive and wanted to get off the top ASAP.
Now back to work in the central valley, wa wa waaaaaahhhhhh.
That makes a lot of sense Ken. I've flown in a Blackhawk and a Chinook in recent years, and the rotor wash is pretty incredible at just a grounded idle. Each time we were cautioned about firmly securing loose items before nearing the aircraft - especially items we might not consider "loose", like hats, sunglasses and cameras.
I'm really enjoying all this video and photo documentation of the operation. Great insight - and just fascinating to watch.
I used to be a LSE (Landing Signalman Enlisted) on an Amphib Transport Dock (LPD) and the is no rotor wash like the H-53E. Almost sent me over the side a few times. The Chinook is a bad mofo though. Saw an old family friend on a Discovery Channel show once use one to move a bridge in Iowa. Army Reserve must be a fun gig........................................DUG
Ken's "loose thing" near a helicopter sounds very on point, esp. when combined with the same resucer's request to the other rescuee to point his hiking poles down. It sounded to me like he was preparing them for boarding the helicopter rather than a reprimand.
CaT
If future generations are to remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them more than the miracle of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning, not just after we got through with it.
- Lyndon Johnson, on signing the Wilderness Act into law (1964)
That's an outstanding video. Great editing and really nice you id'd all the crew. I sent it to all the SEKI people who were involved.
There was some discussion when ordering it whether a Chinook could land there. I guess so... .
Thanks,
g.
None of the views expressed here in any way represent those of the unidentified agency that I work for or, often, reality. It's just me, fired up by coffee and powerful prose.