CMH chopper shenanigans!

oler1234

Active VIP Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2008
Messages
3,652
Reaction score
6,207
Location
Calgary, AB & Golden, BC
So mayby some recall my story a couple years back when I had a CMH chopper come up on behind me like something off the Platoon movie, not even 50ft off the ground, blocked my path and flip me the bird.

this weekend... Guess what. This time he come at me and some guys head on less then 50ft off the ground. Also I don't know much about helicopters but why was that thing incredible noisy over me and my group but over by the skiers it was whisper quit. Pretty much making me hard of hearing.

is there any way to report these guys and there shenanigans? With go pros mounted now it is pretty evident. 3 times Will be a charm for this pilot.
 

tater

Active VIP Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2009
Messages
488
Reaction score
737
Location
Okotoks
This happened to group I ride with in eagles last year. Must have been to close to his pow!!
 

Modman

Active VIP Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2008
Messages
6,033
Reaction score
8,465
Location
Castlegar
So mayby some recall my story a couple years back when I had a CMH chopper come up on behind me like something off the Platoon movie, not even 50ft off the ground, blocked my path and flip me the bird.

this weekend... Guess what. This time he come at me and some guys head on less then 50ft off the ground. Also I don't know much about helicopters but why was that thing incredible noisy over me and my group but over by the skiers it was whisper quit. Pretty much making me hard of hearing.

is there any way to report these guys and there shenanigans? With go pros mounted now it is pretty evident. 3 times Will be a charm for this pilot.

this dude would be eating through a straw if he pulled this sh!t with me. I'd be calling CMH first thing and letting them know what's up, could be the actions of a hot shot pilot who's watched too much top gun. If you guys weren't doing anything wrong or aggressive, I'd like to see this escalated with CMH so they know what is going on. They might be totally unaware of this guys actions.
[h=2]CMH ADDRESS[/h]CMH Heli-Skiing & Summer Adventures
217 Bear Street
Box 1660
Banff, Alberta, Canada T1L 1J6


[h=2]CMH MAIN SWITCHBOARD[/h]Toll Free 1.800.661.0252
Tel 403.762.7100
Fax 403.762.5879
Email info@cmhinc.com



and Yes - Absolutely it is reportable! use the link for registering a complaint and possibly the link for reporting an incident, I would talk to the TC folks first and see though, you don't need a emergency scramble out for something that was a "near miss". Log all details of the incident, time, exact place (GPS), etc etc. If you have witnesses please get them to fill out statements of the incident to corroborate your account of the incident. If there were people in the chopper with him and if it was a serious incident, then Transport Canada could probably ask for the passenger manifest and get their version of the story.

If you have proof, I'm sure they will want to see it. I would also be contacting Front Counter in Cranbrook and letting them know what happened. Generally they are not fond of commercial operators acting this way and this could impact CMH.

What is this guys fawkin' problem? Were you guys riding tenured CMH terrain (not that I think you would but maybe even heading up the forestry road through a tenured area) that might cheese this guy off? Wonder how tough this guy would be once he feet were on the ground and his rotor stopped spinning......
 

Shadam

Active VIP Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
1,282
Reaction score
2,253
Location
golden
I've heard of choppers buzzing sledders in glacier national park who had entered via quartz creek ...

Take the matter futher and let us know ...
 

Ramjet15x

Active VIP Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2008
Messages
249
Reaction score
276
Location
Leduc
Wen this type of things happens you must get a tail marker from, all aircraft have them, something like C- FXXX and report to NAVCAN and TSB as such.
For fixed wing aircraft you must maintain at least 500 feet AGL above ground level in any areas near public residence or structures
i do know another service provider was fined under transport regs for doing similar a few years back, I believe I read it in COPA
candadian owners and pilots association paper
 

TROLLCAT

Active VIP Member
Joined
Nov 23, 2010
Messages
71,371
Reaction score
39,258
Location
Dease Lake BC
if you have the numbers/letters or the call sign of the chopper these are painted on the side of the machine when you report the incident it will be easier to prove
 

samsquatch47

Active VIP Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
Messages
300
Reaction score
180
Location
St Paul, AB
Website
www.powermerchants.ca
Where were you guys riding? We're you encroaching on the heli-ski land? I've heard of that lots in that situation. Doesn't mean he's allowed to do it, just would be his reason. If your out of bounds and riding in their tendered land or on closed to sledders land this is a pretty minor thing to have to deal with. Sit back and enjoy the show! 50ft may same low but in reality he won't jeopardize his own life for a sledder. If your not in the wrong keep riding and enjoy the airshow! Then you can laugh cause you not leaving the area will royally piss him off and there's nothing he can do. Crop Dusters safely fly at 5-10ft AGL every day around obstacles and sometimes power lines. 50ft is nothing. But they also have height exemptions from Transport Canada for aerial application. This business probably doesn't though, so you are right what he's doing is technically illegal. All Canadian Air Craft registrations can be looked up online by the public. Transport Canada's site will tell you the registered owner and the exact aircraft type. Maxwell is right the registration has to be readable from the bottom ad the side of all fixed wing and Rotary aircraft. I'm a private pilot working on my commercial and my Dad has been a commercial Aerial Applicator (crop duster) since 1975. Low flying is all I know, but I can see how not used to it can be frightening to the public.
Transport Canada would take the report seriously and I guarantee they would follow up with the aircraft owner and pilot if you made a formal legitimate complaint. That's their job to keep you the public and the pilots safe.
 

RevyG

Active VIP Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2009
Messages
436
Reaction score
2,589
Location
Revelstoke
You are allowed in "their " tenure it's not theirs, the park reference is obviously different but all their tenure gives them is the right to heli ski and charge people, it does not close the area, almost everywhere we all ride is in someone's tenure. Total crap and I hope you report it.
 

Flyer

Active member
Joined
Nov 2, 2014
Messages
117
Reaction score
252
Location
Airdrie
Except where conducting a take-off, approach or landing or where permitted under section 602.15, no person shall operate an aircraft (...) at a distance less than 500 feet from any person, vessel, vehicle or structure.

Nav Canada won't care, this is not their role. Transport Canada will want to know. Review the go pro footage and see if you have the aircraft registration. Transport Canada will take this seriously. You may elect to contact the owner of the aircraft first, but don't take matters into your own hands. His passengers are innocent bystanders. The pilot has sole responsibility. Pretty hard to corner a pilot on this, because he may just claim that he was planning to land but aborted. Multiple reports of this behaviour will cause suspision though. High speeds will also make the claim difficult to deny too if the camera shows that.
 

BLUE PLATE

Active VIP Member
Joined
May 12, 2012
Messages
307
Reaction score
749
Location
Snowy mountains of BC
You are allowed in "their " tenure it's not theirs, the park reference is obviously different but all their tenure gives them is the right to heli ski and charge people, it does not close the area, almost everywhere we all ride is in someone's tenure. Total crap and I hope you report it.

Exactly what G said. Just because cmh has tenure does't mean you and me are not allowed to sled in their tenure. Report the a-hole!!
 

Chump

Active VIP Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2008
Messages
2,145
Reaction score
8,554
Location
calgary
Had the same thing happen to us in quartz. was up on a ridge. wasn't riding in park. Got a picture of the chopper and you can clearly see how close it came. Cant seem to post pic from my computer for some reason. Maybe next time ill launch a bear banger near them. see how they like it. if someone can help me post pic I will.
 

NeilV

Active VIP Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2009
Messages
203
Reaction score
470
Location
Busby Alberta
We had a chopper Buzz over us and then land in the same meadow a few years back. Went over and talked to the pilot and he said he didn't even see us sitting there. Talked to him for about 10 minutes and he was a super nice guy, the guide for the skiers though, not so much. We had a pilot at work that liked to buzz our trucks when we were driving and he would get REALLY low!! That is quite the experience cause you don't hear anything until he is right on top of you.


Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk
 
Top Bottom