BOOM - BOOM!

This by way of an admission of incompetence and pure fun, all at my expense. No metal things were hurt during the production of this saga.

During 1986 I was fortunate to get a posting to NW Australia to work on the offshore operation to the Rankin Field, based at Karratha. Now if you have never been there imagine Dodge in 1986. Getting the picture. Brilliant fun, fantastic people and country.

One bright day I was tasked to take a down-hole tool to the Rankin. These "Tools" are huge and are used for various tasks within the drilling pipe, for example blasting a hole sideways to check the strata or create a hole for a new drill direction. This particular tool was the size of a telegraph pole, made of virtually solid metal and approx 20 metres long. So it?s quite a large piece to have dangling outside on a wire. The pendulum effect created by such a large weight can make it feel as if somebody outside the aircraft has control. In which case the gentle application of power and gentle turns tend to damp out the imbalance.

IF that doesn't work then the little gizmo in the picture comes into play if and when things get desperate. It is designed for an electrical switch to be made, this in turn cause a teensy "Bang" which makes the widget cut the hook safety open. Short version, Press button, kiss metal bye-bye.

The aircraft we were using was a French Aerospatiale Puma, but in recent years I had done my underslung and winch work with a upgraded version, the Tiger. I forgot that the older version did not have a test faciltiy for the emergency switch, so reverted to normal as I was chatting to the Australian engineer, and told him, "Hook closed, making the switch and pressing test..........Bang" .................."Oh"

He was rolling around outside in the dust dying with laughter. Ran inside and dug around to find the only spare part in Oz that would do the job. I could have kissed his ugly mug. JC saved my bottom. We fitted it. Fired up everything, had a party getting the tool to the Rankin and left it for them to play with.

When we got back I showered, changed and wandered into the bar to be met by huge smiles and the whole lot in unison chanted, "BOOM-BOOM." I had sealed my fate and been happily adopted by the team. JC presented me with the dead part suitably inscribed. He still chuckles and ends emails with Boom-Boom.