Colin McRae - 7 Years ago we lost a true Petrol Head.

[16plates]

Surprised at the hate on here tbh.

He flew with an expired licence... not revoked or surrendered. Yes its naughty but it wasn't removed from him because he was unsafe or unfit or not able to pilot the chopper.

What he did wrong was fly too low, the equivalent to one of us driving too fast round the backroads - we've all done it. He sadly paid the ultimate price.

I don't think there has ever been a driver as exciting, determined or committed since Colin McRae? When do we see a rally driver rolling a car twice, getting it sorted out and finishing the stage looking like this; (Cyprus 2002). Finished 6th in the rally despite this.



Or repairing a suspension arm by smashing it straight again with a rock, refitting it himself at the side of the road and carrying on to win the next stage with the car not 100%?

One of a kind, the most committed driver i've ever seen in any car.

Edited by 16plates on Wednesday 17th September 10:21

[anonymous-user]

I've been in helicopter and loved every nerve-shredding minute of it, but at the back of my mind were the words a friend of mine said. He works in aeronautical insurance and he once said that knowing what he does about choppers and accidents he'd never want to fly in one.

[Petrus1983]

16plates said:

Surprised at the hate on here tbh.

Probably something to do with the 2 kids he killed.

This 'expired' license stuff is a bit annoying - I have an expired license and wouldn't dream of carrying anyone until I'd been re-checked, it's the whole point of it - flying doesn't have the room for errors that even road driving has - the consequences are usually fast and severe and in that split moment if you're not 100% 'on it' things like this happen.

It's a great shame that his legacy has been left this way, but he really does only have himself to blame.

Edited by Petrus1983 on Wednesday 17th September 10:22

[TwigtheWonderkid]

16plates said:

He flew with an expired licence... not revoked or surrendered. Yes its naughty but it wasn't removed from him because he was unsafe or unfit or not able to pilot the chopper.

And yet it turns out he was indeed unsafe, unfit and not able to pilot the chopper.

[otolith]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

16plates said:

He flew with an expired licence... not revoked or surrendered. Yes its naughty but it wasn't removed from him because he was unsafe or unfit or not able to pilot the chopper.

And yet it turns out he was indeed unsafe, unfit and not able to pilot the chopper.

Which would not have prevented him from renewing his licence.

[Petrus1983]

otolith said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

16plates said:

He flew with an expired licence... not revoked or surrendered. Yes its naughty but it wasn't removed from him because he was unsafe or unfit or not able to pilot the chopper.

And yet it turns out he was indeed unsafe, unfit and not able to pilot the chopper.

Which would not have prevented him from renewing his licence.

You're wrong. You're not automatically re-validated just for turning up one morning, if the instructor feels you're not ready to be re-certified then you have to take any remedial action as deemed necessary.

The re-validation process -

Holding a type rating allows you to act as pilot on the type of helicopter specified in the rating.

To apply for this type rating you must hold a PPL(H), CPL(H) or ATPL(H) licence and have completed the relevant training and testing as defined in CAP804. Section 4 Part H subpart 2. and a current Helicopter Type rating.

If you are the holder of an existing UK issued JAR Flight Crew licence or UK PPL(H), CPL(H) or ATPL(HG) which has not already been converted to a Part-FCL licence, then this licensing action will result in the compulsory conversion of your existing licence to a Part-FCL licence.

This will require an additional application form / information which will have to be submitted, and additional requirements may have to be met. As such, please refer to the conversion information available on our website in addition to the information on this page.

Pre-Requisites

You must:
Have a current and valid helicopter licence.
Have a current helicopter type rating applicable to the type being revalidated.
Pass a proficiency check in accordance with Appendix 9 to Part-FCL in the relevant type of helicopter or an FSTD representing that type within the 3 months immediately preceding the expiry date of the rating; and

Complete at least 2 hours as a pilot of the relevant helicopter type within the validity period of the rating. The duration of the proficiency check may be counted towards the 2 hours.

The revalidation of an IR(H), if held, may be combined with a proficiency check.

Please ensure that your examiner has met the designation of examiner for skills test for initial issue of Licences, ratings and certificates and Briefing of Non UK examiners requirements, as detailed in information notice IN 2012/153 and IN 2012/156, if applicable

Your medical records must be held by the UK CAA and you must hold a current and valid PART MED medical certificate appropriate to the level of licence held.

Edited by Petrus1983 on Wednesday 17th September 11:42

[J4CKO]

Petrus1983 said:

otolith said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

16plates said:

He flew with an expired licence... not revoked or surrendered. Yes its naughty but it wasn't removed from him because he was unsafe or unfit or not able to pilot the chopper.

And yet it turns out he was indeed unsafe, unfit and not able to pilot the chopper.

Which would not have prevented him from renewing his licence.

You're wrong. You're not automatically re-validated just for turning up one morning, if the instructor feels you're not ready to be re-certified then you have to take any remedial action as deemed necessary.

I suspect he may have turned up and not started doing low level aerobatics and revalidated, I think the license is, in part, a bit of a Red Herring as it was mostly a formality and nobody would be daft enough to try and do tricks whilst in that situation.

However, the fact he hadn't renewed it and went up anyway perhaps says a lot about his attitude to aviation and its rules, which are pretty anal and restrictive, for very good reasons.

[Petrus1983]

J4CKO said:

I suspect he may have turned up and not started doing low level aerobatics and revalidated

If you're suggesting that if he turned up and flew normally he was have been re-validated I agree.

J4CKO said:

However, the fact he hadn't renewed it and went up anyway perhaps says a lot about his attitude to aviation and its rules

Sadly yes.

[otolith]

Petrus1983 said:

otolith said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

16plates said:

He flew with an expired licence... not revoked or surrendered. Yes its naughty but it wasn't removed from him because he was unsafe or unfit or not able to pilot the chopper.

And yet it turns out he was indeed unsafe, unfit and not able to pilot the chopper.

Which would not have prevented him from renewing his licence.

You're wrong. You're not automatically re-validated just for turning up one morning, if the instructor feels you're not ready to be re-certified then you have to take any remedial action as deemed necessary.

(details)

Are you assuming that he would have flown under assessment in the way that he flew during the fatal incident? I think that's a little unlikely, given that he had previously shown himself capable of behaving himself for the duration of the assessment.

[Petrus1983]

otolith said:

Are you assuming that he would have flown under assessment in the way that he flew during the fatal incident? I think that's a little unlikely, given that he had previously shown himself capable of behaving himself for the duration of the assessment.

Not at all, and his ability to achieve his helicopter license in the first place isn't an easy feat either. I think J4CKO is closer to the reality when he points out it's more to do with his attitude to the rules, rather than his ability to be able to achieve them/abide by them.

[otolith]

We are in agreement.

[stichill99]

Okay so the boy did not ask permission from his parents.....but lets be honest if the boy had phoned his parents and said, Dad Colin is going to take us up in the Helicopter,pleeeese can I go with them. Were they really going to say No Son flying is dangerous! Easy to be wise after the event!

[loskie]

Having seen Colin and Alister fly their helicopters along with others at various rallies it was obvious that they were regularly taking risks, flying close to one another, in amongst trees, landing within forests, flying in poor visibility. Alister was also notorious for riding his sport bike recklessly up and around Glasgow.
Very sad that kids were killed, in fact devastating but no place for reckless risk takers in flying copters. Unlike rallying where the risks are calculated and safety paramount.

[Kawasicki]

What made Colin McRae a champion also caused the accident.

He was a massive risk taker.

[J4CKO]

stichill99 said:

Okay so the boy did not ask permission from his parents.....but lets be honest if the boy had phoned his parents and said, Dad Colin is going to take us up in the Helicopter,pleeeese can I go with them. Were they really going to say No Son flying is dangerous! Easy to be wise after the event!

I remember a day after my kids had started at a private school that brought home the difference to where they had been, youngest got dropped off from his mates in an F430 and was buzzing, then my eldest rang and sort of upstaged him "Can I stay at Laurence's a bit longer as his dad is coming over in the Helicopter", we did say he was not to go up in it, I think that partly was to do with this accident being fresh in the memory , as it happened weather prevented the visit by air anyway.

I am not saying I would never allow my kids to go up in a Helicopter but I would want some kind of idea who was flying it, what kind of helicopter etc, it isnt much different to being concerned whose car they go in, I suspect if it was CM himself and I had met him, I would probably let him go to be fair

[matchmaker]

Phil303 said:

I've been in helicopter and loved every nerve-shredding minute of it, but at the back of my mind were the words a friend of mine said. He works in aeronautical insurance and he once said that knowing what he does about choppers and accidents he'd never want to fly in one.

I've been in an S61N a few times when the Coastguard chopper was exercising with our lifeboat. I was always glad to be back in the comfort and safety of a 52' boat in a force 6 and Atlantic swell...

[Bbunter]

Colin was a very rare talent. It was a sad day when he passed away. R.I.P. Colin.

[cheesesliceking]

Kawasicki said:

What made Colin McRae a champion also caused the accident.

He was a massive risk taker.

Exactly, and if he had only killed himself then yes, brand him a hero, a legend, all the clichés anyone can think of, but he didn’t, he was irresponsible, took risks with other peoples lives and they all paid the price for his irresponsible actions.

So no, fk "legend" and "Hero" the man was a tt

[TwigtheWonderkid]

I wouldn't have allowed my sons to go in a helicopter when they were young, as they fall out of the sky far too often for my liking. I certainly wouldn't go in one myself. Bloody horrid things.

[Stenn]

cheesesliceking said:

Exactly, and if he had only killed himself then yes, brand him a hero, a legend, all the clichés anyone can think of, but he didn’t, he was irresponsible, took risks with other peoples lives and they all paid the price for his irresponsible actions.

So no, fk "legend" and "Hero" the man was a tt

I pretty much agreee. Hero and legend? Laughable imo.

Looking at the other possible outcome, what if he had been the only survivor of the crash? What would people think of him now and would he have ended up in jail? An interesting thought.