Helicopter Only Caches

[Mighty Tiggers]

Howdy ,

 

I've been lurking here for a little while, reading up on most everything GC related. At first, I was the only one in the family that got the bug. However, my son hasn't stopped talking about "finding treasure" since we found our first cache a month ago. In fact, we are about to go look for one of the "Project A.P.E." caches in a few minutes. Now, it's become a family obsession, and I had to change my username from RDRickster to what it is now.

 

Anyway, I sent an e-mail to the GC staff asking about a "Helicopter Only" or "Aircraft Only" cache idea, and they suggested I test the waters on the forum. Specifically, a helicopter can go some places where people can't really get to (without great difficulty). An example would be a pinnacle (maybe the real hard-core rock climbers would dare to go, but not likely). Another example would be a rooftop helipad.

 

Well, I wanted to know if anybody thought this was a particularly dumb idea or if it had merit. Perhaps even the creation of a special helicopter icon as a new type of cache find? Okay, I'm going to duck for cover and wait for the incoming rounds, now.

 

R2

[+Anonymous']

I think it sounds like a cool idea. I don't think a specially made icon will be given to this idea though.

[+BadAndy]

I saw an airplane only cache in Wisconsin once. Woulda loved to try it....but my plane has yet to materialize.

[+º]

Sounds like fun ...

[+WxGuesser]

I'm not sure that they would be visited often.. Not too many people have access to choppers..

[+CoolBreeze2513]

That sounds like a really cool idea.

[+Nurse Dave]

I don't see a reason not to do it, but also wouldn't be surprised if you didn't get any finders. Someone has to fly a helicopter or have a buddy that does, who is also into geocaching, who is in your area.

[+tirediron]

Yeah, like Nurse Dave said, helicopters are very expensive, very specialized items, so the chances of it being visited are pretty slim, but there's nothing wrong with the idea. I just wouldn't get my heart set on seeing a lot of "Found" logs....

[+Renegade Knight]

The harder the cache the less finders. The less finders the more bragging rights you get when you find it. Plus you get to do a bigger victory dance.

 

The only reason such a cache would not be viable would be your own ability to maintain it should the need arise.

[+The Jester]

Just don't be surprised if someone does it in a different manner. Like the FTF on a 'rock climb' cache that was done with a balloon. There are many of cachers who are also rock climbers...

[+zygote2k]

Where's the "MOON" cache?

[+fly46]

Like other people had said.

Don't be surprised if it doesn't get found often, and don't be pissed if someone finds it using a different method than you'd prefer used.

Other than that, I see this no different than a SCUBA or boat required cache.

[Mighty Tiggers]

Just got back from Project APE (Mission 7: Crab Creek)... very cool cache. Anyway, I'll post this on some of the helicopter forums and see what the other side thinks. Of course, there will be some folks that find the cache without a helicopter or other aircraft... hats off to them for reaching it. In my mind, the goal would be to use a helicopter as a tool to get there... like scuba gear to reach the bottom of a lake. Yes, larger helicopters are very expensive to rent or to charter. However, smaller helicopters (2-seat rotorcraft) aren't out of reach. If you search the web, you will probably find a local flight school, near you, that offers a helicopter demo/intro ride for $99 bucks or less!

[+NightPilot]

I suspect that the number of recreational helicopter pilots who are cachers is in the single digits. I fly helicopters, but only when and where the customer or the boss says, and certainly not to Maryland. You won't be going out to a cache on that $99 introductory lesson, but only after you get your license, about $50,000 later.

 

If you want to put such a cache out, fine, but I will bet the rent money that > 90% of the finders will actually get to it on foot, and those will be very few. If that's ok with you, have fun.

[+W7WT]

I have always said, the hider can put in anything and require anything he can get approved. The hunter can select what he wants or can find. In Alaska and Canada there are a lot of lakes that can only be accessed via float plane in the summer or a ski plane when the ice has formed. If someone wants to place a cache on a lake or on a river that has a lot of float trips, it might get more hits that you might think. Back in the late 70's, I took a kayak trip down the Noatak River in Alaska. If taking the trip now it would be fun to pick up a cache or two every day. Good Luck, Dick, W7WT

[+kc8bdr]

If you want to put such a cache out, fine, but I will bet the rent money that > 90% of the finders will actually get to it on foot, and those will be very few.  If that's ok with you, have fun.

What you would not use an S-76 to go caching

 

I work at an airport and there is a fellow that is a helicopter instructor. The going rate is $275 an hour for lesions. The helicopter is a two seat Robertson R-22.

 

I wish that I had the money to learn as it looks like fun.

 

Forgive me if you have thought of this already, but you might wand to check local regulations, as there are many places that it would be illegal to land a helicopter off airport.

 

On the other hand if you have the opportunity to pull off a helicopter only cache. I would say put it out there and see what happens.

 

Jim

[+McMurdo1]

Well it is not a helicopter only cache, but very nearly so

Cone_Z

That is how it was placed.

[+Hard Oiler]

This cache had a FTF prize of $1000 and although the first and only finders didn't use a helicopter it would have helped (it took them two and half days). Also check the hiders Profile. They're the ones with the helicopter.

[+AtoZ]

If you do it expect only one or two hits on it. The cost to keep a helicoper iin the air is expensive, upwards $100.00/hor or more. So it is a nice idea but will many folks do it NO.

cheers

Edited January 17, 2005 by AtoZ

[+BilboB]

Cone Z is one of the best caches I have seen yet. How the heck can you get to it UNLESS you have a helicopter? Anyone want to join me?

[+NightPilot]

$100/hour won't come close. We charge $6400/hour if I go out, but it's a couple of hundred cheaper in the daytime. The cheapest thing available, usually an R22, costs more than $100/hour to operate, nevermind making any profit. It's expensive to keep that many moving parts flying in close formation - mostly maintenance, and the A&P mechanic who's doing that is making less than the guy down at the Ford dealer.

[Mighty Tiggers]

True... expect to pay $225/hour to have a pilot fly in an a R22 or 300CB. If you have a friend that is a pilot, you can split costs, etc. Would it be worth it for a one time cache find? I guess that's the real question... it's definately something different.

[Mighty Tiggers]

Here is a cool locationless cache looking for airports. Chances are good that you might be able to log something in your area. I almost went blind reading all the coordinates, but nobody has logged anything where I live, yet...

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...32-78367ec1189b

[+BilboB]

A trick Mighty Tiggers is to open the cache and view it on one page. If you are using Microsoft (it might work on other OS's) do CTRL + F for Find. Type the word you are looking for, state, town, anything someone might put as a keyword for their cache, and bingo, you will not have to look at 1533 posted finds! Piece of cake.

[ThePup]

Cone Z is one of the best caches I have seen yet. How the heck can you get to it UNLESS you have a helicopter? Anyone want to join me?

If I win lotto, this is the first cache I'm doing! I'm happy to team up with someone, just don't hold ya breath waiting! (I Don't buy lotto tickets often, and haven't won anything yet )

 

I Got baggies on the FTF prize though! I think that looks cool! (Well, probably about -40 degrees cool to get technical...)

[+wilkintj]

I have a couple of questions after reading through these posts about the chopper cache ... how are caches like this approved - if someone would need a chopper to get to it, or a boat, or something along those lines. Also, I saw someone speaking of lakes in Canada that could only be reached via floatplane ... wouldn't that violate the 'vacation' cache rule? Or there's a cache in St. John USVI that was placed by a connecticut cacher I think (ok, so this has nothing to do with the chopper, but it made me think of it while reading some of the posts), how is that approved, if the people are from connecticut and the cache is in the caribbean?

[uperdooper]

A trick Mighty Tiggers is to open the cache and view it on one page. If you are using Microsoft (it might work on other OS's) do CTRL + F for Find. Type the word you are looking for, state, town, anything someone might put as a keyword for their cache, and bingo, you will not have to look at 1533 posted finds! Piece of cake.

good advice. i use this to search for locationless caches in my state. i view all the logs, do the ctrl + F finger dance, and type in my state. pretty much every log should have the state mentioned in it. that way i can find ones that are close to me.

[+wv-yen]

I love the helo-cache idea, especially if it is in an area you know to have helocopter rides available, or if there was a "twist" like you are a pilot and if someone contacted you, you would make arrangements to do the flying. I have thought about this type of tour while on vacation a couple times but have never done it. If I could pick up a cache in the process it might make the differance.

 

As to the Canada/Caribbean question: it is sort of a matter of being able to give enough information to your reviewer to show that you can maintain the cache. The USVI folks my have vacation property down there and go 2-3 times a year with a local "emergengy" contact. In Canada, the case may be that the cache belongs to one of the many fishing guides or float plane pilots. Personally my only cache to date is well over 100 miles from where I live, but I go there every month to 6 weeks - it's at my parents. There is one in my area (OH) that is owned by a cacher that lives in TX but is originally from here. Again, he has an "emergency" contact if there are problems.

It really boils down to good communication with the reviewers!

 

edit:spelling

Edited January 19, 2005 by wv-yen

[+wilkintj]

Thanks for the info, I know it wasn't directly related to this topic, but reading it popped those questions into my mind.

[philip123]

It's probably as useful as throwing a heavier than water cache over board in the middle of the atlantic ocean and poste the coordinates. IMHO. On the other hand, why not?

[+evergreenhiker!]

why not! just make it a 5-star terrain to indicate cache needing special equipment to complete....in this case, helicopter. Very unusual,but what the heck.

[+Milbank]

I say just do it. Place the cache and see what happens.

[Mighty Tiggers]

And a helicopter was used to log this Locationless (Reverse) cache just two days ago. Very cool...

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...a9-35e2bb6e2541

 

I know the pilot because he visits one of the popular helicopter forums. Reading his stats further, this was his FIRST GEOCACHE find... and he did it while piloting an AS350B2. In case you are wondering, this is what one looks like...

 

Edited January 25, 2005 by Mighty Tiggers

[+Jeep_Dog]

Classified:

 

One helicopter pilot geocacher seeks rich geocacher to seek helicopter only cache. FTF can go to the rich geocacher.

 

 

(just in case this cache does get placed and someone wins the lottery)

[TahoeJoe]

It souds like a great cache idea and I'm sure you would get some interesting logs and photos. Make sure you place some great swag in the cache.

[Mighty Tiggers]

From another helicopter forum where I brought up "Helicopters and Geocaching," this guy calls his helicopter the "Geocopter" and there are some cool pictures of him geocaching in a R22...

 

http://ideology.geocaching.com.au/senwen

http://ideology.geocaching.com.au/endurance

http://ideology.geocaching.com.au/yerranderie

http://ideology.geocaching.com.au/comin

[The Beacher]

Not a bad idea, but extremly specialized!

 

If you placed it in a large metro area and specifically knew there were a large number of helecopter pilots interested in geocaching it might get a visitor or two. In Los Angeles/Orange county in CA there are a couple hundred helecopters run by sheriff/police, fire, city, television, search and rescue, tour groups, and a very select few private birds. If you placed your cache near a landing pad frequented by pilots for recertification, you might get some visits.

 

The exclusivity and cost of operating and having access to a helecopter will definately impact the number of visitors your cache will see.

 

I think you will get more visitors if you made a cache specifically for UFO pilots, in a location in the fifth dimension.

[+McMurdo1]

Ahh but is it the actual finding of such caches or the dreaming and scheming on reaching that special one that is the object?

[+Yerocrg]

Seems like a great idea! I agree with Renegade Knight's post.

 

Yerocrg