Safe landing for the lads in G-LADZ!!

G-LADZ, my first chopper, was involved in a precautionary landing just south of Biggin Hill over the weekend after it suddenly developed severe vibration, accompanied by not very healthy sounding banging noises, whilst in the climb.

I wasn’t in the aircraft, an Enstrom 480, but three of my closest mates were and I’m obviously pleased to report that they got the machine down safely into a field.

LADZ had been on a continuation training exercise, navigating the London Heli Routes, with Steve and Mike (two of the owners) and JJ. They had completed one trip and then popped into a pre-arranged helicopter fly in for lunch before setting out on their return trip. The lads had just received clearance from Thames radar to enter there area and were approximately 4 miles south of H4 (the route that takes them along the Thames river) when their problem presented itself.