Category: Auto-biographical (tuna helicopters)

Moggy’s Tunaboat Helicopter Manual Section 5. Trying to keep everybody happy 5-2 You and your observer (2) “A Bit of Theater “ It’s wise to remember that a lot of observers have spent literally thousands of hours, sitting at one thousand feet altitude in little bubbles, suspended underneath one single nut, wholly at the mercy…

Moggy’s Tunaboat Helicopter Manual Section 5. Trying to keep everybody happy 5-1 You and your observer (1) “The Basics “ Observers vary in character and outlook so greatly, it’s funny. One man, very serious, you could annoy by simply talking. He would peer and peer through his binoculars, never relaxing, always frowning. Him you would…

Moggy’s Tunaboat Helicopter Manual The fifteen most likely scenarios for a tuna chopper crash Below I offer you merely an opinion. And you know what they say about opinions. You are strongly encouraged to form your own, and don’t mind me. But my listing (in order of ranking!) might give you some food for thought……

Moggy’s Tunaboat Helicopter Manual Section 4. GPS Systems and Offshore Navigation Issues 4-5 Hey, it sure is getting dark! Why, you may wonder, a whole chapter devoted to ‘sunset’? Because it catches people out. The closer you get to the equator, the faster the sun sets. You may have had a nice blue sky all…

Moggy’s Tunaboat Helicopter Manual Section 4. GPS Systems and Offshore Navigation Issues 4-4 Limitations and Failures 1) Limitations You need to consider carefully that a ship can move quite a distance in the two hours you are away. Some purse seiners can cruise at 18 knots. That’s 36 nautical miles! If you are in a…

Moggy’s Tunaboat Helicopter Manual Section 4. GPS Systems and Offshore Navigation Issues 4-3 Digital Select Calling, the Ross DSC500, and other clever stuff Okay, we’ve given you some anecdotes, to wet your appetite, now for some clever ‘technical schtuff’… To recap, these days just about everybody uses GPS systems. There are a few purists left,…

Moggy’s Tunaboat Helicopter Manual Section 4. GPS Systems and Offshore Navigation Issues 4-2 Hey Moggy, I can’t find my boat and I’m almost outta gas…! It was a pretty horrible day. When there’s lots of wind, and therefore a rough old sea state, and lots of low, scudding cloud into the bargain, it’s a lot…

Moggy’s Tunaboat Helicopter Manual Section 4. GPS Systems and Offshore Navigation issues 4-1 The long, dark tunnel Before we delve into tuna helicopter specific GPS systems, first a general warning about GPS and the over reliance many pilots place on it. In two short sentences: “Don’t be one of those GPS slaves who always meekly…

Moggy’s Tunaboat Helicopter Manual Too much ‘doom and gloom’? 4/6/2010 I’m enjoying the feedback I get from pilots, usually total strangers, who kindly drop me an email from time to time. I had one today, and it just brought a smile to my face. I have to thank you for the time you spent assembling…

Moggy’s Tunaboat Helicopter Manual A word to the wise… 3/4/2010 We have now covered quite some material, eh? We must not lose sight of the fact that helicopter flying is wonderful fun. It beats actually working for a living any day. And flying the Tuna Fields adds a whole extra dimension of cultural experience, strange…