Helicopters on the Voyage!

I have taken this photo with my head sticking out of my bunk window. This is because you are not allowed to be out on the deck when the helicopters are flying. This is because photographers get in the way and a helicopter had a crash on the boat a few years ago. Bits of the blades went flying all over the shop so unless you are working with them you are not out there.
This ice is really thick sea ice and the boat is purposefully stuck into it, so it does not move! There was some science research going on to find out how far they can send out a Remote Controlled Submarine before the remote stops working. just imagine if they got $3,000,000 stuck in the ice and couldn't get it back out!



This is when we had to push start the helicopter as the blades fell off!
That orange tube is actually the floaties for the helicopter in case it falls into the water. The helicopters have to fly in pairs when it is over water or ice. One of them has to be empty so that it can pick up everyone that gets wet if they are still alive!



This is one of the pilots taking the blades off the a small Squirrel helicopter. They are only made out of fibreglass and have a titanium edge down the front side of each blade. Squirrel's only have one engine and 3 blades while the S76 has twin engines and four blades. The difference is how many people they can take and how fast they can go.