Helicopter support

[Flat Foot]

Hit us up if you have any last minute requests for helicopter support at this weekends Parker 425 or any upcoming Motorsports events. Blackhawks, Hueys or an Agusta we have you covered!
Racer discounts available, go to Motorsports | HP Helicopters for more information.

 

[JDDurfey]

You state on your website that the chopper communicates with the driver notifying them of upcoming dangers. Have the rules changed in the last few years with BITD? Didn't RG get DQ'd at Parker for communication from his chopper a few years ago?

 

[MTPyle]

You can relay safety issues to your driver. But nothing more than that.

The Helicopter is on a Race ops Air channel to relay any race info thats relevant like someone stopped or a wreck. Then you can talk to your driver if there is a wreck or car stopped on track ahead of them.

If they hear any other calls they can DQ your driver. That being said most teams with helicopter support also have P2T Sat comms so zero way to catch them as its encrypted. LOL

Mike

 

[B.HAGLE]

You can relay safety issues to your driver. But nothing more than that.

The Helicopter is on a Race ops Air channel to relay any race info thats relevant like someone stopped or a wreck. Then you can talk to your driver if there is a wreck or car stopped on track ahead of them.

If they hear any other calls they can DQ your driver. That being said most teams with helicopter support also have P2T Sat comms so zero way to catch them as its encrypted. LOL

Mike

anyone have Two used satcomms available

 

[tapeworm]

If you believe teams with helicopters aren’t talking to each other then you must still believe people do t drive off the GPS in the dust.

With the amount of money trophy truck teams are spending they should be able to use helicopter to truck communications.

The spec class should not be able to use helicopters but that is too hard to enforce.

 

[JDDurfey]

I am sure they all communicate with the chopper. I just wouldn't advertise it as a selling point for my chopper rental company....since it is against the rules.

 

[Honda48X]

I think the rules should be changed. The speeds they cary are now a major Safety concern and with them driving on roads used by locals it poses a BIG Safety issue. It could also reduce the amount of Prerunning as the drivers may get used to good communications between each other. Trophy Trucks are unlimited. Let them use Helicopter to truck coms.

 

[Flat Foot]

So believe it or not in the last 15 years of our company chasing desert cars and trucks we have never even been asked to communicate with the drivers unless its a hazard. We wont even do radio relay for non safety related topics in fear of that being considered a "competitive advantage." I cant speak of other teams and their helicopters but the teams we have worked with are very conscious of this and don't want the perception of cheating. Last weekend our helicopter alerted our race truck of a very slow race vehicle in front of us as we were charging hard through the dust, that one radio call resulted in a near miss instead of a direct hit which is the very intent of helicopter support.

Everyone knows the guys at the club that cheat on their golf score and who wants to be that guy!

 

[Flat Foot]

I think the rules should be changed. The speeds they cary are now a major Safety concern and with them driving on roads used by locals it poses a BIG Safety issue. It could also reduce the amount of Prerunning as the drivers may get used to good communications between each other. Trophy Trucks are unlimited. Let them use Helicopter to truck coms.

I don't disagree with your statement at all, however we are currently free to talk direct to trucks if the flight crew is concerned about something ahead. If we could talk back and fourth freely it would change the game but its amazing how difficult it is to read the terrain from above. Just because a line that looks fast from the air doesn't mean its the best choice for the car, there's just no substitute for actual pre running but pre race aerial recons can be a valuable way to quickly understand the options and have more effective pre running.

 

[Honda48X]

I don't disagree with your statement at all, however we are currently free to talk direct to trucks if the flight crew is concerned about something ahead. If we could talk back and fourth freely it would change the game but its amazing how difficult it is to read the terrain from above. Just because a line that looks fast from the air doesn't mean its the best choice for the car, there's just no substitute for actual pre running but pre race aerial recons can be a valuable way to quickly understand the options and have more effective pre running.

So you sorta said that it doesn't necessarily help because a line that looks fast from the air may actually not be the fastest. This is my point to the racing Orgs. for Trophy Trucks. They are supposed to be UNLIMITED so lets allow them the support to make it SAFER. The line called by the Helicopter should be the safest line.

 

[Flat Foot]

So you sorta said that it doesn't necessarily help because a line that looks fast from the air may actually not be the fastest. This is my point to the racing Orgs. for Trophy Trucks. They are supposed to be UNLIMITED so lets allow them the support to make it SAFER. The line called by the Helicopter should be the safest line.

You make a great point! It's unlimited so lets lift the limitation and use all available tools to their fullest potential.

 

[51rcr]

nice equipment was neat to see a big heavy 4400 fly in.

 

[Big Whitey]

You make a great point! It's unlimited so lets lift the limitation and use all available tools to their fullest potential.

So any class with a unlimited add on is good to use and communicate with the helicopter? AKA c5U. Class 1 etc…

 

[Bro_Gill]

So any class with a unlimited add on is good to use and communicate with the helicopter? AKA c5U. Class 1 etc…

Stop it!

 

[Honda48X]

So any class with a unlimited add on is good to use and communicate with the helicopter? AKA c5U. Class 1 etc…

Tell me honestly why they shouldn’t be allowed.

 

[kyle_pc_75]

If you put a truck body on a helicopter, can you just race that?

 

[MTPyle]

Personally I think it should not be allowed to have air support communication. Maybe for TT as they are unlimited but it just adds a cost that we don’t need in the rest of the classes.

I believe Menzies gets a lot of value out of their air support system. So in a way it’s already happening and been allowed.

But I would hate to see it become necessary to win in spec trucks.

Mike

 

[Robin Hood]

Imagine a 30 TT field with a 30 helicopter race in the sky ...great idea guys!

 

[calstyl2]

Personally I think it should not be allowed to have air support communication. Maybe for TT as they are unlimited but it just adds a cost that we don’t need in the rest of the classes.

I believe Menzies gets a lot of value out of their air support system. So in a way it’s already happening and been allowed.

But I would hate to see it become necessary to win in spec trucks.

Mike

Steve M has pulled his helo for injured and down Moto riders, when we had several down riders in Borrego area at a super hot 500 one year he flew entire course looking for a rider who passed away. Hes picked up injured riders in v2r and KOH. Same for Shane Redline, and nick garvin,
The filming that the Menzies helo does is the current best we see in the sport but I think you already know that.
I always feel good knowing the Menzies helo is around, Same for HeliJim, one of the best, birddogged me into some nasty injuries in Baja at races.

 

[MTPyle]

I wasn’t hating on Menzies. They for sure use their helicopter for good as do many of the helicopters that race.

Just saying they have figured out how to get an advantage because of it. Which is of course true. They have more time in that helicopter chasing Bryce than any team has. I bet they have figured out what’s to gain an advantage with it that we can’t even think of. Steve M seems pretty smart.

It’s a very powerful tool and I bet it’s been the difference at least once of them winning or not.

Mike