Together with two other Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait Marine Pilots we set up our own business piloting the very large bulk carriers through Hydrographers Passage and Hay Point, Mackay. (60 ships a month transit the passage). "Hydropilots” was born.
The opposition Pilotage companies refused us access to their helicopters so we had to by our own. As owners (not passengers) we could use a single engine IFR helicopter – very rare – and the only one in Australia was hanging up in a museum. We found one, an IFR Bell 206B3 Jetranger in Sweden and shipped it out…….
Picture 5. That elbow pipe (looks like it came from Bunnings) is a very expensive "Range Extender". The brains at Bell made a fuel tank that was impossible to fill to the top, so you have to buy this accessory to be able to get the last bit of fuel in - what a joke!
Picture 6. We 'acquired' the old airport emergency generator room and a couple of weekends work (and a borrowed chainsaw) we had a 'new' hangar!
Picture 8. 24 hour ops - not for the faint hearted!! Still the longest continuous overwater helicopter flight in the world. Battery start trolley plugged in - absolutely essential to preserve the battery to start up on a very remote pontoon 150 miles offshore! Engine mods were done to be able run on diesel fuel (close to kerosene anyway) so we could get fuel off a ship if necessary...
Picture 9. Landing on an inbound Hyundai bulkie flying light in ballast - on a good day. Always land on ships while there underway; if they stop then they roll heavily, especially when 'light'.
Coffee cup holder? - checked and secure for landing!
That small red package on the left is our emergency 2 man life raft with its orange smoke canister... (Many years later, after we sold YDR she had an engine failure and had to put down into the sea 20 miles off White Tip. The emergency pop-out floats didn't cope with with the ocean swell and she rolled over and sank in very deep water. The helicopter pilot, and the Reef pilot, made it into the tiny 2 man raft and were rescued OK.)
Picture 10. Emergency landing pontoon at White Tip Reef - named because of the big population of White Tip Reef sharks. Good to know if you crash into the sea.... This pontoon was the ONLY place to land.
Picture 11. Shut down and waiting on the White Tip pontoon because some dickhead Chinese Captain forgot to adjust his ship to Australian time - so ETA all fucked up - very common !!!!! The thick coating of birdshot and lice kind of spoiled the scene a bit!
(Hope the battery is fully charged and engine fires first time.......)
Picture 12. "Fresh off the Reef" the Reef Pilots call it !
Just been picked up off an outward bound ship after a long days piloting through the Reef - totally stuffed. I can tell because I'm sitting in the back where's there's a bit of room to lie down and grab a nap on the long flight back - sometimes twice a day.
Final pictures are of YDR after she was painted and looking smart. It was very unique aircraft and got us on our feet in a very competitive market place. I was very sad to hear, many years later, that she was lost at sea.
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