MAY/JUNE 2016 / rodandrifle.co.nz / 3534 / rodandrifle.co.nz / MAY/JUNE 2016

Chopper’s Down

>>HUNTING

“It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light” –AristotleOnassis

20 September 1980: I was shooting for my brother Jum, and my brother Ted had started

working with us as a second shooter. We had just picked up helicopter ZK-HQV, from Mountain Helicopters in Taupo after a routine 100 hour maintenance check and replacement of the fuel control unit. Jum did his test flight and we then loaded up our gear and went to work. Eight minutes later we were flying at about 200 feet above the ground, hunting a block of small pines in the Kaingaroa Forest – when suddenly the “Engine Out” warning audio alarm and red light activated! We immediately started to descend, turning left as Jum desperately looked for a clear spot to land. I remember it vividly to this day; everything seemed to go quiet as we dropped like a stone, nose first, straight at the ground. Time became like a slow motion movie. Jum tried to make it to a dirt road although it was just too far away, but he flared the helicopter just before we hit the ground. The tail hit first and was smashed off on impact, then we were like an egg summersaulting down a small hill into a pile of cut-over logs which had been heaped up before replanting. We rolled end-for-end 3 times and finally came to a stop on our left side with the engine still idling, no rotor blades, and the rotor head churning up the ground like a rotary hoe on a tractor. The fuel cell had ruptured – we were all covered in jet fuel and Jum was yelling, “Get out! Get out!”

I’d had been thrown forward on impact and my head had taken out the bubble and support beam, but luckily for me I was wearing a motor bike crash helmet and it saved my life. As soon as we stopped rolling, I released my seat belt, fell on top of Jum and immediately proceeded to climb over him to escape out the door. I scrambled out of the wreckage and then reached in, grabbing Jum by his overalls and dragged him out. Ted, who was riding in the back, made it out unscathed and we all ran to get clear of the wreck, expecting it to explode into flames at any moment. 20 metres away we turned to see the helicopter lying on its side still doing a rotary hoe act. Drenched in jet fuel, we all burst out laughing hysterically – the sight reminded us of something out of a cartoon. Jum then went back to the helicopter and pulled the fuel valve closed, cut the fuel flow and switched the battery off.

We then unloaded all the gear to see what we had, and activated the emergency locater transmitter (ELT); then the long wait for rescue started. Jum had a cut above his eye and I had a sprained wrist and a smashed right knee, while my lower back was starting to get very painful; I couldn’t get comfortable or straighten up when I stood. Ted was uninjured and thankfully we were all alive. About ten minutes after the crash, shock started to set in.

At first we sat around waiting to be rescued, because we expected someone would pick up the ELT signal and be here in no time, but after about an hour and no sign

of a rescue helicopter, Jum suggested we start walking. But there was one problem: which direction? I was in great pain, confused and disorientated with shock as we set off together down a dirt track, but before we’d gone 100 metres, I gave up and lay down on the road and went to sleep. It took a while for Jum and Ted to notice I wasn’t with them and come back; we decided then to do the smart thing and stay at the crash site. Ted built a fire and shot a couple of hares which we roasted and ate.

We crashed at 8am but it was not until about 8pm when we finally heard the sweet sound of a machine in the distance coming our way. One of Air New Zealand’s passenger planes had picked up our emergency beacon signal and reported it at 7 pm. Search and Rescue had alerted John Funnell, the local rescue helicopter operator, who arrived in his Lama helicopter and took us back to Taupo.

Next day we flew back out to the crash site with Lyall Mudford and John Funnell who recovered the wreck with the Lama and flew it back to Taupo. This was the first helicopter wreck I’d seen – but it would be the first of many. For a week I put up with constant pain in my back before finally getting checked out medically. That’s when I learnt my spine had been compressed on impact, a common injury in helicopter accidents, and I had also slipped a disc in my lower back between my L2 and L3 vertebrae, an injury which has plagued me ever since. I took a couple of months off before going back to work.

Dick Joggin then offered me a job shooting for him. Dick was flying for Ken Lambert and Whare Biddle at the time, a couple of Tuhoe Maori elders who had invested in a Hughes 500C helicopter ZK-HJV. A month later however, Dick left to go to work in South Africa, and Kim Hollows from Te Anau arrived to fly in the Ureweras. At the time, Kim was the youngest venison pilot in New Zealand at 18 years of age – and he went home to Te Anau after about two

months. Chris Cowan, also from the South Island, replaced him; he was a great pilot but needed time to learn the country and learn about catching and shooting deer and Ken didn’t have the time and money to train him, so he got another pilot, Mark Latham. I realised on the first hunt with Mark that he was never going to be a venison pilot and I was worried he would crash so I left and went back opossum trapping and ground hunting. (3 weeks later he did crash, but

The tail hit first and was smashed off on impact, then we were summersaulting

down into a pile of cut-over logs. We rolled end-for-end 3 times and finally came to a stop on our left side with the engine still

idling, no rotor blades, and the rotor head churning up the ground like a rotary hoe on a tractor. The fuel cell had ruptured – we were all covered in jet fuel and Jum

was yelling, “Get out! Get out!’’

1981 Ruatahuna; ZK-HMS with Stu Fraser, Bernie Milroy and I about to go hunting.

1980, Mountain Helicopters’ hangar in Taupo; brothers

Jum on left and Ted, just before we crashed.

June 1981, ZK-HMS at the bottom of the slip the boys crashed on.

Free Range Guided Hunting in Hawke's BayRed, Sika, Fallow Deer, Wild Goats

See my website for all details: www.jeremyhanarays.co.nzJeremy Hanaray, Rivers to Ranges106 Nelson Street, HastingsPh: 64 6 878 7177, Mob: 64 27 226 7202Email: hunting@jeremyhanarays.co.nz

Top: Luke Moss and I with our winning heads at the 2012 Sika Show. Middle: Renee Worthington and Aunty Anita with Renee’s first deer taken on a guided hunt with Jem. Bottom: Jane Dunkerley with her son Sam shot this fat red hind while on a guided hunt with Jem.

Having been a keen hunter since an early age I have enjoyed many hunting experiences around my home province of Hawke’s Bay and throughout NZ, places which I can share with you. I also have my own store, River to Ranges in Hastings. Contact me for trophy, non-trophy and meat hunts in the beautiful Hawke’s Bay back country.

>>Steve Collins - A Hunter Pilot’s Story Part 03

MAY/JUNE 2016 / rodandrifle.co.nz / 3736 / rodandrifle.co.nz / MAY/JUNE 2016

>>HUNTINGluckily nobody was seriously injured.)

Bernie Milroy then offered me a job and I worked part time for him, based out of Ruatahuna, for two months. He had Stu Feaver flying for him and John Duncan and my cousin Johnny boy as his full-time shooters. Bernie had been shooting in the South Island for several years and was a real character. He was a Maori from Ruatoki and had moved back north to base his helicopters in Ruatahuna to work the Te Urewera National Park and his tribal lands. Bernie was a short man at 5 foot 5 inches with stocky build, sharp eyes, and amazing wit and humour – always joking and laughing, a hard worker but a party animal too. He played hard and worked hard! He loved motor racing – raced cars in fact, and owned an E-Type Jaguar which was one of the best sports cars of that era. He was an awesome shot with a rifle, and a great helicopter shooter. When I shot with him, he was always cracking me up, giving me grief about my shooting and for being too slow. I admired him very much.

One day we were having a couple of quiet ales and Bernie asked me why I hadn’t learned to fly? I told him I was too dumb to be a pilot and his reply was,

“If those bastards can do it, so can you. Do you think they’re smarter than you?”

I’d never thought of it like that before.“No,” I replied. I paused. “I can’t afford

to, Bernie”.He looked at me with his cheeky smile

and said,“Go and get the exams and we’ll soon sort

the flying out.” Now I had no excuses. For the first time in

my life I had someone telling me I could do anything if I was just willing to go out and grab the opportunity. I said nothing, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d said, and what he’d offered. I went home that night and told my wife Judy I was going to be a helicopter pilot and she just laughed at me. I think she’d heard so many stories about what I wanted to do, like sail around the world in a yacht or backpack the Third World through Asia, the Middle East, Africa and South America, etc ... she’d stopped taking me seriously. But I called Nelson Aviation College – and it just so happened there was a 3 month course starting there in a couple of days. So I booked a spot, packed my gear and said goodbye to my wife. I jumped on my trail bike and left for Nelson.

Sadly the boys crashed three days later and Bernie Milroy and John Duncan were killed; Stu Feaver survived but suffered serious head injuries. I was devastated and flew back for the tangi at Ruatoki. As I stood next to Bernie’s grave, I pledged I would get my helicopter license and finish the mission. I had lost my friend and mentor, but little did I know he was going to be the first of many….

>>HUNTING

I took this photo moments after the crash: Jum and Ted seeing the bright side…we survived!

MAXUS HUNTER

MAXUS COMPOSITE

MAXUS HUNTER

For full details and your nearest Browning Dealer Partner: visit www.browning.eu

X-BOLT

The key to your most memorabluracy

XBOLT HUNTER

XBOLT MONTE CARLO

XBOLT MONTE CARLO

For full details and your nearest Browning Dealer Partner: visit www.browning.eu

NGO Ri e Partner

now Availa

ble in

6.5 x 55 100.000

Browning Launch A5 | English 210 x 297mm

* or 7 years

A5 CAMO INFINITY

A5 COMPOSITEA5 COMPOSITE

A5 CAMO INFINITY

For full details and your nearest Browning Dealer Partner: visit www.browning.eu

www.facebook.com/BrowningEuropeok.com/Browningcebook.com/Bro

Proudly distributed by Cameron Sports

Imports Ltd

/cameronsports

The Kinematic Drive System is your 100,000 round guarantee

The key to your most memorable day is perfect accuracy

COMPOSITE

G2 WALNUT

COMPOSITE

Kinematic Drive System : simplicity of design for consistent,reliable function with any load and under the full extremes of weather, temperature, moisture and grime.

Features a Power Drive gas system for reliability in all conditions & lightning trigger for a smooth crisp feel and a fast speed

• Inflex recoil pad • Exclusive detachable magazine• Feather trigger delivering a crisp, predictable trigger• Free floated barrel with front and rear bedding for guaranteed accuracy

STAINLESS COMPOSITE

The most reliable design, construction & performance ever

ZK-HMS; Bernie and Johno had no chance on the shooters’ side with the impact.

Bernie Milroy, Johnny boy, Tahuri and me – cleaning up animals at our Ruatahuna base, 1981.