Thread: Filmmakers killed in Australian helicopter crash

Filmmakers killed in Australian helicopter crash
February 5, 2012

SYDNEY—Two celebrated filmmakers working on a documentary with Oscar-winning director James Cameron and National Geographic have died in a helicopter crash in Australia, the media group said Sunday.

Andrew Wight, 52, and Mike deGruy, 60, both longtime colleagues of Cameron, were killed when their helicopter crashed at a rural airstrip south of Sydney, National Geographic said a statement on its website.

According to local media reports the pair was in Australia working on a feature-length documentary about Papua New Guinea.

Wight recently co-produced the feature film “Sanctum 3D” with “Avatar” and “Titanic” director Cameron, after accompanying him on six deep-ocean documentary expeditions.

DeGruy, an Emmy award-winning diver and submarine pilot with 30 years of experience in ocean filmmaking, was director of undersea photography for Cameron’s “Last Mysteries of the Titanic.”

Cameron said the pair had died “doing exactly what they loved most, heading out to sea on a new and personally challenging expedition.”

“They were passionate storytellers who lived by the explorer’s code of humor, empathy, optimism and courage,” Cameron said in the National Geographic statement.

“Their deaths are a tremendous loss for the world of underwater exploration, conservation and filmmaking.”

Though unable to confirm their identities, police said two men – a pilot from Melbourne and male passenger from America – died at the scene of a helicopter crash at Jasper’s Brush, south of Nowra, on Saturday afternoon.

Emergency services arrived at the scene to find the helicopter “well alight,” police said.

“Witnesses have told police the helicopter crashed shortly after taking off,” police said.

National Geographic said Wight was the helicopter’s owner and pilot.

A friend told Melbourne’s The Age newspaper that Wight was “James Cameron’s right-hand man for years and knew him intimately.”

entertainment.inquirer.net

I hate those things. Can't jump out, can't crash land.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Originally Posted by socal

I hate those things. Can't jump out, can't crash land.

Not only can you jump out (they're often used for rapid military deployments), but you can glide them to the ground (it's called autorotation).

You only might be in trouble if the main rotors shear, but then again there's been many a commercial aircraft crashed because of serious mechanical failure, and you can't jump out of those.

Having said that, in reviewing this crash I would take a guess that God finally watched "Sanctum".

I heard they glide too but stillt. Every helicopter crash is the same.

Originally Posted by socal

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Originally Posted by socal

I hate those things. Can't jump out, can't crash land.

Not only can you jump out (they're often used for rapid military deployments), but you can glide them to the ground (it's called autorotation).

You only might be in trouble if the main rotors shear, but then again there's been many a commercial aircraft crashed because of serious mechanical failure, and you can't jump out of those.

Having said that, in reviewing this crash I would take a guess that God finally watched "Sanctum".

I heard they glide too but stillt. Every helicopter crash is the same.

Don't be a c*nt all your life.

Is this:



the same as this?

helicopter crash - YouTube

Or this?

Or even this:

As a rule jumping out of any sort of aircraft is frowned on. But I am told that you can still skydive without a parachute. Not that I am suggesting you try it.

^ Not dissimilar to this:

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Or even this:

they just bounce around a bit and fall out of the sky and the occupants are fuct.

Tons of planes fell out of the sky in ww2 and the guys just jump the fuck out.

^ Ah bless, you never fail to amuse.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

^ Ah bless, you never fail to amuse.

with a shute of course.. did i have to add that ?

Originally Posted by socal

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

^ Ah bless, you never fail to amuse.

with a shute of course.. did i have to add that ?

I don't know. What's a "shute". Something a gorilla uses?

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Originally Posted by socal

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

^ Ah bless, you never fail to amuse.

with a shute of course.. did i have to add that ?

I don't know. What's a "shute". Something a gorilla uses?

A parachute is what I was thinking. A dirt shute is something that probably gives and receives for you