I've only ridden in a helicopter once, some kind of small Bell. When approaching it with the pilot he motioned for me to duck and we both went to and from the helicopter in a crouch. I figured if the guy operating the aircraft ducks it probably isn't a bad idea.

Better safe than headless.

Evolution! Ducking is a response to danger be it helicopters, bullets, lightning, cannons, pterodactyls, whatever. Over time, head sticker uppers became cannon fodder and duckers survived.

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:
A helicopter is always looking for an excuse to kill you. Never, ever give one the chance; it WILL take it.

That sounds like excellent advice.

Because, no matter how silly I look when I duck under spinning rotor blades, I'd look dumber with my head above the blades and my body below them.

IN addition you should also hold down your skirt
when approaching a helicopter....

Always approach from the side or front, never the rear. Remove headgear that isn't strapped to your noggin. Duck. LOL

I think it's instinctive to anyone who recognizes a helicopter for what it is. We're all cognizant that there are big, hard, spinning things above our heads that we can't really see, so we duck.

What would be interesting is to see if one of those Amazonian tribes who've never had contact with the outside world would duck the first time they get close to a chopper.

Ask Vic Morrow...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vic_Morrow

Not about copters but I had a shipmate that was walking and talking and didn't duck as he went thru the hatch door.
Laid him out cold.

I did a lot of sling loading as a LT and CPT in the Army with the 101st and in Alaska with CH-47s and CH-54s. The CH-54, with its huge 72-foot rotor disk, was by far the worst "blow job" of the two, even with the CH-47's twin disks. Helicopters also generate a significant amount of static electricity. Loads were connected to the CH-47 with a 3-foot sling "donut", which required no metal-to-metal contact with the helicopter's sling hook. The CH-54, on the other hand, required a metal clevis to gather all of the load straps. This necessitated discharging the static electricity from the hook before placing the clevis on the sling hook - metal-to-metal contact. We typically used several pieces of WD-1 wire connected to a large screwdriver and a grounding rod to dissipate the static electricity. So here I was in the early evening at Fort Campbell, standing on top of a M114A1 howitzer's equilibrators, a few feet away from a bobbing, hovering helicopter. I touched the screwdriver to the hook, saw the spark, tossed the screwdriver to the ground, shoved the clevis on the helicopter's hook and...all went dark. I awoke a second or two later on the ground, on my back, looking up into a maelstrom of dust, grass and twigs. I had connected the clevis but in the short time between grounding the CH-54 and slapping on the clevis, it had built up enough charge to knock me off. The NCO working with me got me out of the way, made sure the straps were clear and off it went. Fun times!

And yes, we always ducked when entering and exiting a helicopter!

Warning! Warning! Warning!
Whirling blades of sudden death.
Helicopter! Duck!!

I make it a point to never trust an airplane where the wings spin and the pilot sits on the wrong side.

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
Then consider the non-concrete landing pad implications - military / life-flight helos can find themselves landing in terrain that isn’t completely flat, so you may find a couple inches of your typical clearance gone to slightly rising terrain features, etc.

And if you have ever been around a large helicopter when it takes off, you will want to be hunched over to lower your center of gravity - because if you are unprepared, they can send your ass flying. I’ve witnessed large 50-75# packs tossed like a rag doll when a CH-47 lifted off.

I witnessed 175 lb men tossed about by a CH47. Rotor wash is a bitch.

quote:

Originally posted by AllenInWV:
What would be interesting is to see if one of those Amazonian tribes who've never had contact with the outside world would duck the first time they get close to a chopper.

Interesting....

Because that noisy, whirling circle of death is scary.

The many times I ran to a UH-1 with the rotor spinning at damn near takeoff speed, you duck as low as possible. Believe me it can be a bit frightening! Not to mention it is a bit windy!

I think it's almost an involuntary reaction; I've flown in Army and Air Force Black Hawks and Pave Hawks and that blade going whomp-whomp-whomp seemingly just inches over your head is no joke.

quote:

Originally posted by 45_Auto:
The many times I ran to a UH-1 with the rotor spinning at damn near takeoff speed, you duck as low as possible. Believe me it can be a bit frightening! Not to mention it is a bit windy!

This! And they didn't have to tell me to get low more than once

quote:

Originally posted by 45_Auto:
The many times I ran to a UH-1 with the rotor spinning at damn near takeoff speed, you duck as low as possible. Believe me it can be a bit frightening! Not to mention it is a bit windy!

Especially with its 2-bladed teeter-totter rotor system.

I prefer to the wield the only blade that shaves my head, thankyouverymuch.