Bird Strike

Swinging slower and slower overhead, all four blades were nearly stopped. "Time to find out how bad it is." Jose pulled off his headset slipping it on his shoulder and opened the sliding door. Awkwardly he climbed the side of the helicopter to the hydraulic deck, climbing past Chewy who gave him the thumbs up from the pilot's chair. He slung his tool pouch over his shoulder.

Terrance climbed up deftly behind him, "That bird came out of nowhere!"

Following the blood streak to the engine, Jose hopped onto the cowling and popped the two tabs, using his leg to slowly open the compartment out. A few birds cawed from the tree line a few hundred feet south. Blood was everywhere and there was a hole in the IPS blower the size of his fist.

"I said that bird came out of nowhere!"

"Yeah, I heard you! Take a look at the crossbleed line, I heard it screaming after the bird strike. Maybe the sleeve clamp came loose."

"Is the engine hard broke?"

"Better hope not. That bird went straight through and out there." Jose gestured to the IPS blower. "Do you know why?"

"IPS clears any large objects that might get into the engine. I'm not playing these stump the chump games!"

"Yeah? Why don't you just focus on that line that you put in a few weeks ago then?"

Grumbling Terrance popped open the main hatches by the oil cooler, just behind the main rotor. "What are you trying to say? I didn't install it right?" He reached into the compartment and felt the lines. "Hot!" He ripped his hand out from behind the compartment housing the oil cooler.

Jose grunted and slid across the top of the UH-60 to look at the tube they needed to reconnect, a long screwdriver in hand from his pouch. "Of course it's hot! It's been blowing exhaust air for a few hours, did you think it'd be nicely chilled? Give me the flashlight!"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm paid to show you the ropes kid, not coddle you. How long have you worked this airframe?" Jose saw the tube that had come loose. Nothing else looked damaged, the clamp was hanging on the tube loosely.

Terrance didn't answer, just looked into the compartment and muttered to himself.

"I'm going to look over the engine, get that sleeve reinstalled, we can't stay here long." Jose glanced at the jungle around the clearing they'd put down in. He was pretty sure he saw a farm in the distance, but couldn't quite tell.

"Why don't you take care of this? It's hot, how am I supposed to get it reinstalled right now?"

"Get off! I've had it with your whining. Get off and send Chewy up here!"

Staring blankly at him, Terrance didn't move.

"I said get off this helicopter!" Jose shouted.

Terrance made a rude gesture and slid to the side, climbing down quickly. Jose looked over the engine, nothing looked damaged externally. Hopefully the vanes hadn't been damaged and they could swap out the blower when they got back.

"Eh! You firing people, grandpa?" Chewy popped her head over the edge of the bird, climbing up slowly.

Jose grunted and motioned her over. "It looks ok from the outside. The crossbleed system got jostled and that blower will need to be replaced."

"What about the engine drive shaft?"

"Won't know till we get it started back up!"

Chewy nodded and moved over to the crossbleed system. "It's still pretty hot."

Jose looked up at the cloudy sky and sighed, "Yeah, we've got gloves!"

"I'm just messing with you! Geez, relax old timer." She pulled out her gloves and rolled her eyes. After a few minutes she moved over so he could try to work it back into place. "Going to give him another go? Or leave him to bother Ricky?" Chewy had sat in the engine cowling unwrapping an RX bar. She jabbed a thumb at Terrance who was sitting on a log a few meters away next to the co-pilot.

"Those bars are disgusting."

"Are they?" She took another bite, "You just never had anything like this in your day." There was a breeze developing and it blew a piece of her wrapper up and into the air. She made a grab at it and then shrugged. "Feel bad to litter out here, it's beautiful."

Jose rolled his eyes. "Yeah and locals aren't super friendly." He tried to jam the tubing sleeve back over the exhaust line.

"You're done soon, right? Getting out of the company I mean?" Chewy chewed methodically. "Isn't your pay package tied to getting him trained up?"

"Yeah."

"He doesn't look trained to me."

"Cause he's an idiot!" Jose grunted and the sleeve popped off. "COME ON!"

"That's because YOU haven't trained him."

"He's supposed to have his license and a few years under his belt from the military." Jose sat back a minute and stared down the compartment, his chubby hands lacerated from the sharp edges. "But he can't troubleshoot his way out of a cardboard box."

Chewy snorted, her hair catching the breeze that was blowing south. "Yeah, but YOU haven't trained him. Besides you're full of it, the company wouldn't have brought him on..."

"Have you worked with him?"

She shrugged, "Once, he's a real gem. Asks too many questions." Holding up a hand she pointed at Jose, "But! But, hear me out, that's a tight spot and he hasn't put on as much weight as you have!"

Jose barked out a laugh, his gut shaking, "What are you saying?!"

"Nothing, I just think you should let the young buck do the work and you start relaxing for your retirement." A raised eye and a half smile.

"I hate you." Jose leaned against the engine firewall and sighed. He shot a glare at her, "Fine."

He shouted down to the two of them, waving his hand.

Terrance walked back slowly to the bird, the long stick he had been playing with still in hand. Climbing carefully up the side, he pulled himself into the engine cowling.

"You going to wack it into place?" Jose pointed to the stick.

"Maybe." Terrance sourly grabbed the stick and slid it into place behind the tube.

*Idiot* "It'll just break." Jose gave Chewy a look.

"Maybe" With a bit of pressure he pushed against the tube and slipped his hand down into the compartment and gripped the sleeve, slowly wrenching it back and forth. His face dripped sweat as he slowly worked it until he finally grunted and stepped back. "It's on, I need the socket wrench to tighten down the clamp."

Chewy laughed and Jose frowned, pulling himself to the compartment. "Lucky."

Terrance muttered and then opened his mouth, "Why do they use this only sleeve style, I think there..."

"Shut up!" Jose handed him the wrench with an extension, "Don't ruin a good thing."

"Ok, old man, I'm going back down to start this puppy back up. Let me know when you're clear." Chewy descended quickly.

Terrance made sure the sleeve was tight and then they popped the panels closed. Sliding across the top of the bird, they climbed back into the cabin, slipping on their comms, "Looks good! Let's go before any locals show up!"

Chewy gave a thumbs up, "Let's start it up!.

"It's clear!" Terrance said over the speakers.

The small turbine spun up, a plume of smoke bursting out then clearing as it roared loader. "Engine Two?"

"Clear." Jose clicked said into his mic. She pushed the throttle up and Jose stuck his head out the window, watching another plume of exhaust, then the familiar hum. "It seems good!"

"I've got power, let's get airborne!" Chewy ran through the startup with Ricky fast and blades started to turn, spinning up quickly.

"Droops out!" Terrance keyed the mic, "Ground is on board." The shocks lifting as the helicopter reached full power, finally pulling itself back into the air.

"You did alright kid." Jose gave him a thumbs up as they settled into the seats.

Terrance turned and glanced at him, surprised. "You know, we should probably make an SOP modification for another..."

"Shut up!" Chewy's mic clicked before Jose had a chance.

He smiled.