I enjoy helicopter rides, especially if they keep the doors open. I also enjoy the safety briefings, though I regret to say that these have grown slightly more professional over the past two decades. The only amusing words during the briefing for the Indiana flights were, "If you throw up in my chopper, you clean it up," prompting a couple of people to get airbags. But I remember my first such briefing, back in the day when men were men. Two rules especially stick with me:
- you should never tuck your legs under the seat, in case of what is now called a "hard landing," but 20 years ago was called an "unexpected early landing," e.g., crash. That's because the seat is a big shock absorber which will slam to the floor to cushion the impact. If your legs happen to be there, they will remain, even after you depart the helicopter.
- After the unexpected landing, "remain in the cabin until the rotors stop spinning." Everyone nods, understanding the obvious. "Unless the cabin is on fire." The nods transform to head shaking.
This time there are no unexpected landings, so we never get a chance to put this advice to the test.
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