Magnum Mania!

Yeah, cool info.

Still flying, only now in Kentucky, that's a long way from Robin's Nest. Mosley should go visit it sometime.

I can only assume that N1095A is no longer in service as I looked up the number in the FAA registery, and it says the number is assigned to a completely different aircraft type.

IF ONLY the producers of "Las Vegas" would buy it and repaint it and have REM fly it in and land it on the roof of the Montecito and have Cooper and Manetti's character come to the roof to greet REM there and then bring him down into the hotel for the high stakes poker game. . . . . WHY didn't THEY think of that??????? (because maybe they aren't the MPI fans we are???)


golf

golfmobile wrote:Do we need a "Transportation Sticky" for discussions of the chopper, the Ferrari, and other modes of transportation on the show? Just a thought . . . . anyway, I found this thread -- read down quite a few messages to where it talks about the log book for TC's chopper:

TC's MD500 since the show ceased production

golf

golf, good find! Thanks for posting that, that was some pretty neat info.

Like N1095A, I checked the FAA database. N1095A is now registered to a 1996 Beechcraft A36 Bonanza . Although, someone on the other forum mentioned that one of the aircraft from the series was still in service. N58428, the N number that the person stated, IS in service and is registered to a 1979 Hughes 369D. Here is the link to the FAA info, http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry ... 2FReserved.

Funny, that helicopter is registered to a company in Columbus Ohio, which is where I grew up. I could have seen it and not known I was looking at TC's chopper.

They mention they are "one of the oldest MD Helicopter ... Service Centers in the country" and have a "fleet of MD500 helicopters." Looks like they're mostly used to survey and work on right of ways for high voltage power lines.

Their website has a picture of a MD type chopper which *could* be the one from Magnum P.I.

http://www.helicopterminitmen.com/

[
Although, someone on the other forum mentioned that one of the aircraft from the series was still in service. N58428, the N number that the person stated, IS in service and is registered to a 1979 Hughes 369D. Here is the link to the FAA info, http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry ... 2FReserved.[/quote]

Good Morning golfmobile.

I'm not sure if the reported N-number (58428) is correct.Years ago I did a search on the helicopters used in the series.

From "China Doll" N58243 is the number I noticed..Maybe someone can do a screen capture.This is the helicopter that crashed while filming.
Here is the NTSB report.

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=28678&key=0

Also N4943T is seen on the pier in the later seasons 6 or 7,again maybe someone can look for that and report the episode so we can get a screen capture...Solo Flight comes to mind but I'm not sure.
N4943T is the helicopter that crashed in May of 88.

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_i ... 5726&key=1

This is the only info I have on 1095A....Piloted by Steve Kux,the same pilot involved in the N4943T crash.Picture taken after the end of the series,she looks a little worse for wear.

http://www.airpirates.com/gallery/Hawai ... _I_chopper

Sam,

Thanks for that information and those links. Interesting. I wonder what the actual statistics are on helicopter crashes in terms of pilot error vs. mechanical problem. That's got to be on the internet somewhere . . . . may try to look that up. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that the most helicopter crashes are caused by line strike, which would be pilot error, I would think. I wish I could find right now the youtube video of a helicopter crash where the co-pilot says to the pilot as they are heading for going between two trees," You think we can make it?" And the pilot says, "Oh, ye of little faith." Then boom! They crash between the trees.

I wasn't aware of the 1988 crash. The "China Doll" one was the one where the pilot was killed, is that correct? I wonder if this is when the production changed from the V tail, 4-bladed main rotor bird (the 369? 1963-1976) to the T-tail, 5-bladed main rotor bird (500D). I recall seeing a few shots of the V-tail bird in early episodes but don't recall a scene of it non-flying so that the four rotors show clearly. Anyone recall any scenes like that?

golf

Golfmobile


I read somewhere that pilot error is the leading cause of helicopter crashes..

In the N58243 crash,a cameraman by the name of Robert Van Der Kar was killed...The episode Skin Deep was dedicated to his memory.

http://tigger.uic.edu/sph/glakes/harts1 ... stunts.txt

Don't know if you saw the edit.

This is the only info I have on 1095A....Piloted by Steve Kux,the same pilot involved in the N4943T crash.Picture taken after the end of the series,she looks a little worse for wear.

http://www.airpirates.com/gallery/Hawai ... _I_chopper

Hi Sam, Welcome! Thanks for the great heli info!

Sam wrote:From "China Doll" N58243 is the number I noticed..Maybe someone can do a screen capture.This is the helicopter that crashed while filming.

Just to clarify, the low-flying crash that killed camerman Robert Van Der Kar occurred during the filming of "Skin Deep", not "China Doll". An on-screen caption before the closing credits of "Skin Deep" reads:

This episode is dedicated to camera technician ROBERT VAN DER KAR who died during its filming

Hi Jim

Great site,thanks.

Yes,the China Doll reference only dealt with the fact that the N-number was visible in that episode.

I happened to see Roger E. Mosley today on an episode of Sanford & Son.

He was hired by Sanford to look for items to sell, but all he brought back was a mean looking stuffed black bear. Mosley's character said Sanford could put it in his window and use it as a "watch bear." Needless to say, he was fired by the end of the episode.


Here's a choice bit of dialog:

Sanford: "What's your name?"

Mosley: (while flexing) "Down at the gym they call me King."

Sanford: "Yeah, what do they call you at home? Kong?"

Here is an interview with Roger Mosley by Dave Romas.

Side one.
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.tv.m ... 45405c867c

Side two.
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.tv.m ... 4c10d24a51

Sam wrote:Here is an interview with Roger Mosley by Dave Romas.

Side one.
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.tv.m ... 45405c867c

Side two.
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.tv.m ... 4c10d24a51

Sam,

That was AWESOME!

Hi Doc....I too enjoyed the interview,especially the Hillerman and Mackay portion.

Here is a photo from the interview.

VERY cool! Great read. Thanks for the posting that Sam!