[Regia-NA] Re: [Regia-NA]Was Mail - now "coming clean"
Ian Uzzell
list-regia-na@lig.net
Sun, 29 Jun 2003 17:42:03 +0100
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> Alright, Ian. come clean! I want to hear all about those stories, =
too... Jennifer=20
I will try to be brief - which as many might tell you is not one of my =
strong points. :-s
About the helicopter. I was a Royal Maringe Officer and I was training =
to be a pilot Royal in 1965 and was on the last week of my course =
before being awarded my pilot's wings. We had to do a night cross =
country flight over some hills near Salisbury in the South of England. =
I flew the trip with an instructor, and then went to do the same trip =
solo. During this time the weather got worse and it started to rain. We =
were supposed to fly at 1800 feet (the hills were 600 feet high) but at =
1500 feet I flew into cloud. The helicopter did not have blind flying =
instruments so I descended to 1200 ft to be clear of the cloud and =
radio'd to say what had happened and I was told to continue, which I =
did. Then the rain got very heavy and I could hear it on the bubble =
(the helicopter was a Sioux similar to the ones on the TV program =
"Mash") I was only 600 ft above the hill and I did not realise that I =
was losing height and I flew into the top of the hill :-( The =
helicopter broke up on impact and the fuel tank came through the cockpit =
and removed my flying helmet by breaking the chinstrap. But I was very =
lucky and mostly received minor injuries - a badly cut hand and two =
broken ribs and many bruises mostly caused by the seat belts and helmet =
chinstrap. But I did have more serious internal injuries, as my spleen =
was ruptured and by the time I was operated on, I had lost 4.5pints of =
blood. But I got better and I finished my flying training and flew for =
5 years, even flying a member of the Royal Family as a passenger - Lord =
Mountbatten. (I will send you a picture of the dead helicopter to your =
private address Jennifer)
When I left the Royal Marines I decided to join the Reserves and as such =
had the opportunity to do a parachute course. I had almost completed =
that when I had a bad landing and injured my leg causing me to limp for =
about 9 months. 2 years later I was offered the chance to do a =
parachute jump into the sea near Liverpool. I borrowed a "wet suit" and =
was in the back of a lorry about to go to the airfield to get into the =
plane when I saw a friend and wanted to talk to him. I started to climb =
over the tailgate just as someone removed the securing pins and fell 7 =
ft to the road surface, landing on my side hurting my leg and arm. As I =
lay there in some pain a voice from above in a broad Liverpool accent =
said "If you are not going to jump, sir, can I borrow your wetsuit?" It =
was the person who had removed the pin. I declined his offer and =
carried on to complete the jump. I only had to limp for 6 months after =
that one ! :-)=20
Now I do safer things - I am a Viking, and sometimes a Saxon.
Ian Uzzell
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<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>> Alright, Ian. come =
clean! I want=20
to hear all about those stories, too... Jennifer </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I will try to be brief - which as many =
might tell=20
you is not one of my strong points. :-s</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>About the helicopter. I was a =
Royal Maringe=20
Officer and I was training to be a pilot Royal in 1965 and =
was on the=20
last week of my course before being awarded my pilot's wings. We =
had to do=20
a night cross country flight over some hills near Salisbury in the South =
of=20
England. I flew the trip with an instructor, and then went to do =
the same=20
trip solo. During this time the weather got worse and it started =
to rain.=20
We were supposed to fly at 1800 feet (the hills were 600 feet high) but =
at 1500=20
feet I flew into cloud. The helicopter did not have blind flying=20
instruments so I descended to 1200 ft to be clear of the cloud and =
radio'd to=20
say what had happened and I was told to continue, which I did. =
Then the=20
rain got very heavy and I could hear it on the bubble (the helicopter =
was a=20
Sioux similar to the ones on the TV program "Mash") I was only 600 ft =
above the=20
hill and I did not realise that I was losing height and I flew into the =
top of=20
the hill :-( The helicopter broke up on impact and the fuel tank =
came=20
through the cockpit and removed my flying helmet by breaking the=20
chinstrap. But I was very lucky and mostly received minor injuries =
- a=20
badly cut hand and two broken ribs and many bruises mostly caused by the =
seat=20
belts and helmet chinstrap. But I did have more serious internal =
injuries,=20
as my spleen was ruptured and by the time I was operated on, I had lost =
4.5pints=20
of blood. But I got better and I finished my flying training and =
flew for=20
5 years, even flying a member of the Royal Family as a passenger - Lord=20
Mountbatten. (I will send you a picture of the dead helicopter to =
your=20
private address Jennifer)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>When I left the Royal Marines I decided =
to join the=20
Reserves and as such had the opportunity to do a parachute course. =
I had=20
almost completed that when I had a bad landing and injured my leg =
causing me to=20
limp for about 9 months. 2 years later I was offered the chance to =
do a=20
parachute jump into the sea near Liverpool. I borrowed a "wet =
suit" and=20
was in the back of a lorry about to go to the airfield to get into the =
plane=20
when I saw a friend and wanted to talk to him. I started to climb =
over the=20
tailgate just as someone removed the securing pins and fell 7 ft to the =
road=20
surface, landing on my side hurting my leg and arm. As I lay there =
in some=20
pain a voice from above in a broad Liverpool accent said "If you are not =
going=20
to jump, sir, can I borrow your wetsuit?" It was the person =
who had=20
removed the pin. I declined his offer and carried on to complete =
the=20
jump. I only had to limp for 6 months after that one !=20
:-) </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Now I do safer things - I am a Viking, =
and=20
sometimes a Saxon.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Ian =
Uzzell</FONT></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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