[WATCH] Local pilot wins a ‘heli-va’ competition
Even though the final scores were extremely close, the judges ultimately had to use the challenge completion time to award the winners.
A total of 13 pilots and student pilots from all over the country gathered in the name of radical flying objects when they competed, blade against blade, in hopes of taking home the trophy for the second annual Helivate Olympics.
This so-called Heli-Olympics was held at the Krugersdorp Flying Club field on Saturday, 9 September, and saw the dedicated pilots taking on several intense helicopter-orientated challenges.
The first challenge required placing one traffic cone on top of another, and then ‘tree bashing’ a third cone with the nose of the helicopter facing into the circle in either direction through a full 360 degrees. Once the tree bash is completed, the pilot had to knock over the cone using the pilot side skid.
For the second challenge each pilot had to make his/ her way around a complex course consisting of two sets of three gates (each gate represented by two traffic cones placed opposite each other) with a bucket of water being controlled by the navigator from inside the helicopter. Once past the first three gates, the bucket had to be placed on a drum on the ground. The bucket had then to be picked up again and flown through another three gates. The aim was to keep the bucket as full as possible.
For the third and final challenge each participant had the opportunity to cool off with a well-deserved beer, but they had to work for it. For the final show-stopper, the pilots had to open a bottle of beer with a bottle opener taped to a skid.
The final scores were extremely close, the judges ultimately having to use the challenge completion times to determine the winners. And at the end of the day, there could only be one winner per category. Dieter Bock, with his son, Karl, as navigator was declared the winner in the qualified pilot category, while Animike Cloete with navigator Carl Nicholl won the student pilot category.
“I thought it’d be quite nice to do something like this with my son and support Helivate Helicopter Services in the process,” Dieter said.
“These Heli-Olympics are ground-breaking; something new, and I’m proud to call myself an Olympic champion, which I’d never thought I would.”
He went on to explain that he’s been flying aircraft for the past 25 years, and only started flying helicopters roughly ten years ago. He has also been a member of the Krugersdorp Flying Club for the past 25 years, which reflects tremendous dedication.
“To fly is heavenly, but to hover is divine – you feel a sense of power,” he said.
Dieter now aims to complete a Drakensberg Mountain-flying Course in the near future and would also like to complete in next year’s Helivate Olympics in an effort to remain the champion of the sky.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at krugersdorpnews@caxton.co.za or phone us on 011 955 1130.
For free daily local news on the West Rand, also visit our sister websites:
Remember to visit our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages to let your voice be heard!
