How Helicopters Land in Rough Seas

[spartan.prime.]

These pilots are another breed of crazy compared to your average pilot

[abrahamdozer]

Bear Trap was invented by the Royal Canadian Navy back in the late 1950s. In fact, the currently used format of large helicopters on smaller ships with a flight deck and hanger on the quarter deck is a Canadian invention that is used all over the World, now.

[geneard]

When I worked at Sikorsky Aircraft Co. I had to research Recovery Assist systems. Globally there are about six different systems. 'Bear Trap' is one system, one of the systems shown here is 'RAST', another not show is ASSIST. When these systems are used, the helicopter never reduces power. The way helicopters work, power stays at 100%, collective is adjusted to increase/decrease lift. In the US Navy, unless something changed since I retired, only the MH-60R is currently built with a RAST system installed. The MH-60S was still in development when I retired, and at that time installing RAST in it was still under discussion.

[karlsteffen]

For those who dont knowx this "bear trap" idea was created by the canadians, and adapted to almost every single navy.

[lisaanderson]

Just proves how much skill & nerves of steel it takes to be a pilot but also a crew member on an aircraft carrier. One of the most dangerous but also one of the greatest jobs ever, being a military pilot!❤

[Mariner]

I have NEVER seen Bear-Trap or RAST installed on an aircraft carrier. I flew in the Seahawk for 20 years off of frigates - much of the late 1980s up in the Northern Pacific hunting Soviet Submarines

[IndigenousAmericanTrucker]

Thanks for this! I've always wondered how they landed on an unstable, moving ship, without incident!

[colcot]

Lynx helicopters when I worked on the in the Royal Navy have something called Harpoon

[AcidRain]

Drilling jack ups don't have bear traps. When on tow the pilot has to match the swell.

[SuperMickey]

I served on the Amphibious Assault ship USS Guam LPH-9, we had no bear trap. They just touched down and the deck crew would chain them down.

[victoraustin]

The Canadian Navy was the one who invented this bear trap system back in the 60's

[torresggustavo]

Repositioning the helicopter (H60s B/R) to bring inside the ship’s hanger is just as crazy.

[garbanzo_is_yes]

This is such a underrated channel channel
you got yourself another sub

[mike]

Bear in mind that Bass Strait, (Southern Australia), is the roughest ocean on Earth. I served as Flight Deck crew on HMAS Darwin, which was the first Australian Adelaide class, (Oliver Hazard Perry class) Frigate fitted with the RAST system.

We never got to use it as we are that time didn't yet have the Seahawks. So recovering a Bird, (including Seakings), in iffy weather, was always dangerous, but a ton of fun.

[lycian]

Extraordinary type of training, both technical and mental, must occur to get pilots to even attempt this.

[EricOkrasinski]

Not on an aircraft carrier. There's 5 spots on the carrier for a helicopter to land

[tamparocks]

It's awesome learning about stuff like this❤

[qiongliu]

This is very similar to planes landing too

[davewilson]

Was on an LPH for over 2 years, 79-81, most of our pilots were ex Vietnam pilots. See them land perfectly with 40 mph winds

[giostormusn]

Never heard it called a bear trap, When I was on a Ticonderoga Cruiser (USS Valley Forge CG-50) we called it RAST (Recovery and Assist Transom)