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It’s Too Hot to Fly Helicopters and That’s Killing People (gizmodo.com)

submitted 5 months ago by FlyingSquid to c/news

53 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Six motorcyclists rode into Death Valley National Park on July 6. Only five came out alive. With temperatures reaching 128 degrees Fahrenheit in California, the cyclists faced extreme heat exposure that killed one and sent another to a local hospital, according to the National Park Service.

When there’s a medical emergency like this, helicopters are typically dispatched to get people to a hospital. However, the extreme heat made it impossible for the helicopters to fly.

The next day, an emergency helicopter pilot in Stanford, California had to cancel a flight because the tarmac near a patient was too hot for him to land. As reported by The Washington Post on Wednesday, the pilot said he’d never seen temperatures this bad in his 27-year career.

Extreme heat, as many across the U.S. are experiencing this summer, can cause computer and mechanical systems on board helicopters to overheat and malfunction. But it’s not just a mechanical issue as air pressure is also a factor. Air expands when it’s hot and contracts when it’s cold. As it gets hotter outside, air pressure plummets. The air literally gets thin which means that spinning helicopter blades have less air to cut through and it’s harder for them to achieve lift. That makes it dangerous, and sometimes impossible, to fly.

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 5 months ago (5 children)

“Six motorcyclists rode into Death Valley National Park on July 6. Only five came out alive.”

ffs gizmodo, five out of the six survived. That a bit over 83% as a survival rate.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 5 months ago

It's because "all but one survived" would melt their readers' brains

[–] FlyingSquid 9 points 5 months ago

You're right about the wording, but I'd say that a four out of five survival rate when it comes to a group of motorcyclists and heat death isn't really great odds.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago

My friends and I don't consider a ride successful unless at least all six of us die

[–] SkunkWorkz 3 points 5 months ago

Sounds like the beginning of a riddle.

[–] Malfeasant 1 points 5 months ago

Same as Russian roulette...