| Author | Message | ||
| PSk (Psk)
Member Username: Psk Post Number: 663 Registered: 11-2002 |
I was a spectator many years ago watching the Rally of New Zealand when a helicopter landed behind us on a slope. The rotor blade hit the ground and the blade came off and went over our heads and dug itself in to the ground on the other side on a hill (we naturally were standing close to the top of this hill to get the best view). I cannot remember if the helicopter fell over or not but it was I guess a close call ... or though it did not catch our attention at the time for long. That was in the days of the awesome Audi Quattro ... oh how I miss that sound and the flames betching  Pete | ||
| L. (Testaroja)
New member Username: Testaroja Post Number: 50 Registered: 5-2003 |
Sometimes during a hard landing or a roll over the blades can come into the cockpit and even cut the pilots in half, it has happened. The blades dont brake apart like in the movies, they are build of composite materials and they tend to bend. I know of a guy that as he walked towards the helicopter his hat came off because of the wind and he jumped up in the air to reach for it and he lost his hand, if the machine is in an airport or helipad then the main rotor is pretty high but in remote areas the ground isnt level enough and at the high rpm's the main or even worst the tail rotor isnt visible. Another story was of a man that gave his son a heli. ride for his birthdate, when they landed they were both very exited and the father lift him up in his arms all the way over his head, he got his kids head in the main rotor blades and decapitated him, later that day the father suicide. There are hundreds of cases like this. | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 1491 Registered: 10-2002 |
L., since we have a helicopter specialist now in this discussion: Any comments on Alessandro Nannini who managed to cut off his own arm with his helicopter? Bad luck or amateur mistake? Trying to show off? | ||
| L. (Testaroja)
New member Username: Testaroja Post Number: 47 Registered: 5-2003 |
A helicopter hovering over a city with full fuel tanks and waiting to run out of gas to then do a hover off autorotation and specially over Monaco, I am a helicopter pilot and this sounds like a lot of b.s. that you hear in hangars all over. I hear stuff like this day in and day out. People say that I have done a roll in a r22 and landed with 1 inch diameter rotor mast!!! If they did this then they were just pretending it so just to screw around making people think that they were nuts for real. | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 1483 Registered: 10-2002 |
Alright, here is another one: Gilles and Pironi (both at Ferrari, when Gilles died and Pironi heavily crashed to end his career) were playing 'chicken' with their helicopters over Monaco: Allegedly they took off with full tanks and were hovering over the city to see who would last the longest and who would land before the fuel was gone. Of course you could always autorotate to a landing... Not related, but also a good story: Senna was almost a_nal about his papers, passports, FISA pass etc and had it always neatly in this briefcase. One day he and Berger were flying over Monaco in their helicopter and Berger, just for fun tossed Senna's briefcase out the door. Senna took revenge by filling Berger's hotel room with frogs. Do you guys see what you're missing with today's corporate image cleaned drivers and their boring one line statements at the press conference? | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 5174 Registered: 8-2002 |
These are all so awesome...! Please, everyone, keep sharing whatever you can... | ||
| PSk (Psk)
Member Username: Psk Post Number: 655 Registered: 11-2002 |
Actually I think we have found out Jacques problem. He was scared silly by Dad as a child and has never gotten over it ... Pete | ||
| Jay Grande (Jay)
Intermediate Member Username: Jay Post Number: 1406 Registered: 10-2001 |
Now the difference between Gilles and Jacques is seen! Gilles will always be considered one of the best drivers to get behind the wheel, I don't think the same will hold true for poor Jacques. I mean Gilles drove an F1 car like it was Nascar! | ||
| Jeff B. (Miltonian)
Member Username: Miltonian Post Number: 414 Registered: 12-2002 |
From Professor Sid Watkins' book: "I once had the misfortune to meet him (Gilles) in the lobby of the hotel at Sao Paolo when he offered me a lift to Interlagos. Madame Villeneuve was with him so when we got to his rented car I moved to sit in the rear, but Madame insisted that I sit in the front. Gilles in a road car was frightening, and when I turned to speak to his wife she was not visible as she had taken to the floor. She indicated that this was normal for her and I soon found out why. Villeneuve believed in the "gap theory" -i.e., that there was always a space into which he could move when faced with a high speed collision. He ignored all red lights, gently bounced off parked cars or lamp posts, talking all the time and never pausing or hesitating in the traffic." | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 1479 Registered: 10-2002 |
Anthony, you pretty much nailed it. Not sure who was less sober. One of those 10 beers must have been bad I suppose... Ok, now that we got that story from grandpa's repertoire, you have to only write down the other 999 tales. PS: Next time you meet the guy, bring a tape recorder. | ||
| Anthony_Ferrari (Anthony_ferrari)
Member Username: Anthony_ferrari Post Number: 306 Registered: 11-2002 |
OK Andreas, I'll tell the story. You tell me if I missed anything. There is an elderly Italian gentleman who attends all the European Grand Prix in his decrepid camper van. He is in his nineties and he is full of great stories about Grand Prix. He tells one about the first time he met Gilles: "We were at the Nurburgring and Gilles was having his first test for Ferrari. He had just moved to Ferrari from McLaren. Forghieri asked if Gilles could follow me to the hotel as Gilles didn't know the way. I agreed and I went to my hire car. Gilles was in a hire car aswell and we set off to the hotel. The hotel was in a valley and we were driving down the side of the valley. The road was quite steep with many left and right hairpins. We had been driving for ten minutes when Gilles suddenly passed me. His car was going sideways and he was waving at me! I was sure we would both die, but Gilles just shot off into the distance. I got to the hotel and walked in. Sat inside the door was Gilles. He had a brandy in his hand. He looked at me and tapped his watch! I went to see Forghieri and told him he was stupid to employ this madman as a driver. I admit now I was wrong. Gilles was a great man and a great driver." That's the story how I remember it. Andreas, you were there the last time he told the story, maybe you were more sober than me and can remember more? | ||
| David S (Djs308)
Junior Member Username: Djs308 Post Number: 162 Registered: 9-2002 |
Yeah, there was an article in a back issue of Forza magazine a few years ago that mentioned Gilles. There was a pic showing his orange 308 that had just been parked sideways! | ||
| GThomas (Ferrariartist)
Junior Member Username: Ferrariartist Post Number: 172 Registered: 2-2003 |
Andreas: "Wasn't Gilles also famous for parking the car sideways at Fiorano? " I had heard that story too.. he used to scare the living daylites out of workers who happened to be nearby... i'll try to search thru my books to see if i can find sustantiation.. sounds true tho doesnt it? (: GT | ||
| Ben Cannon (Artherd)
Member Username: Artherd Post Number: 513 Registered: 6-2002 |
Faisal- love that responce I too have noticed there are two schools of race drivers on the street. Those that drive 10/10ths all the time no matter what other drivers capability is, and those that are *SCARED* on the street because there are so many idoits out there. I don't know which group I fall into, but the rear tyres on my road car need replacing. Yep, just the rears. Fronts still have probally 75% tread remaining! Best! Ben. | ||
| Taek-Ho Kwon (Stickanddice)
Intermediate Member Username: Stickanddice Post Number: 1366 Registered: 11-2002 |
Tony, A friend of mine had video from the Running of the Bulls event when Mario was driving a Diablo. HAUL ASS is what his license plate should say. Cheers | ||
| Tony Fuisz (Fuiszt)
Junior Member Username: Fuiszt Post Number: 103 Registered: 10-2002 |
Mario passed me once in Nazareth PA at about 90mph on a winding country road- I think it was Mario-a red Lambo with F1 champ plates. My grandmother not! | ||
| Jon P. Kofod (95f355c)
Member Username: 95f355c Post Number: 746 Registered: 8-2001 |
Faisal, I saw the video on BBC that you refer to. It was actually Sterling Moss and it was pretty unbelievable. he just drove in circles with the tail completely out and fiddling with the sereo buttons and changing tapes. Regards, Jon P. Kofod 1995 F355 Challenge #23 | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 5086 Registered: 8-2002 |
LMAO...! This thread is full of role models. | ||
| Faisal Khan (Tvrfreak)
Member Username: Tvrfreak Post Number: 392 Registered: 3-2003 |
I think it was Phil Hill who was requested to try a couple's new BMW 3-series. He had it completely sideways all the way through a 270-degree highway off-ramp, all the while chattering away to them. And halfway through the turn, he reached down, ejected the cassette, flipped it over, and put it in again. Asked about it later, he said it's what he always did when the tape finished playing on one side... | ||
| Andreas Forrer (Tifosi12)
Intermediate Member Username: Tifosi12 Post Number: 1468 Registered: 10-2002 |
Wasn't Gilles also famous for parking the car sideways at Fiorano? And then there is of course the famous story from grandpa and Gilles beating them to the hotel bar. But I leave that to you Anthony. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 5072 Registered: 8-2002 |
Anthony, thanks for sharing, that's one of the most awesome articles i've ever read on someone; the guy was obviously all about the racing, the speed, the rush, the feeling - i know how that feels... On a somewhat-related-but-not-really note, i heard something the other day, that i've never heard before and probably will never heard again: "i should probably let you drive; it would be safer..." Go figure. | ||
| V.Z. (Ama328)
Junior Member Username: Ama328 Post Number: 174 Registered: 11-2002 |
oops, pls forgive spelling: 'Gilles' | ||
| V.Z. (Ama328)
Junior Member Username: Ama328 Post Number: 173 Registered: 11-2002 |
Could be the diff between Giles & Mario is that Giles got himself killed, while Mario's seen a bunch of people killed...doesn't impact talent or ability, just usage of that ability. | ||
| Ken (Allyn)
Intermediate Member Username: Allyn Post Number: 1045 Registered: 10-2001 |
That story is a perfect example of why ordinary people like most of us here truly lack the psyche to be championship drivers. I'm not condoning the way Gilles drives, but if you don't have that mind set you'll never win any races. OTOH, Mario Andretti drives like your grandmother on the street, so go figure. | ||
| Anthony_Ferrari (Anthony_ferrari)
Member Username: Anthony_ferrari Post Number: 301 Registered: 11-2002 |
This is what Nigel Roebuck (Autosport columnist) replied when asked, 'Having been friendly with Gilles Villeneuve, can you describe what it was like to be a passenger with him in a road car?': "What was it like to be a passenger with Gilles in a road car? In a word: terrifying! I once drove with him, in a Ferrari 308, from Silverstone to Heathrow, and vowed never, EVER, to do such a thing again. It wasn't, God knows, that I didn't have faith in his ability, simply that I was on roads I knew well, and had thought in my innocence that I drove pretty quickly... It wasn't the sheer speed which disconcerted me, nor the fact that Gilles chattered away the whole time; no, what unsettled me most - and I've found this same characteristic in many racing drivers on the road - was that he seemed to assume that everyone else was operating with his level of expertise, his speed of reaction, and so on. It seemed to me he didn't make enough allowance for what other drivers might do. On the other hand, there was that sublime ability at work. One moment that comes back to me is of a car coming the other way, overtaking a truck. It was coming straight at us, and we were not travelling slowly. Gilles somehow squeezed over, giving the guy the space he needed, and did it without any aspersion at all. 'Close...' he murmured, and that was it. I was very glad when we got to Heathrow, but the fellow from Maranello Concessionaires had no idea what his precious car had just been through. Or maybe he had! Did Gilles ever take his time, and watch the scenery at 30mph? On foot, perhaps, but otherwise, no, I'm sure not. As his great pal Patrick Tambay once put it, 'Gilles lived his entire life at 200mph'. I always used to marvel at his wife Joann's ability to travel in a car with him, day in, day out... " |