Flying The Murphy Rebel & Avoiding Disaster

Cam Murch is a retired school teacher and private pilot, who enjoys the air above Parry Sound, and around Ontario Canada in his Murphy Rebel. When I'm lucky, he has an extra seat and invites me along. I don't think he realized that when I asked to bring a few cameras his flying would be picked apart bit by bit! As many pilots know, one line in your log book just isn't enough. Cam has enjoyed being able to watch and debrief this and other flights from these videos.
When I went back to the airport to film some b-roll for the film, I was able to capture a pretty tense and potentially disastrous situation involving a helicopter.
*DISCLAIMER*
I am NOT a pilot and this video is for entertainment only. If you want to comment, please offer your thoughts but be respectful and remember these pilots are people too!
Thank you to @speedbird203 and "HeavyDriver" for their insight into this, as well as Steve Thorne from FlightChops for the inspiration (I think I'll leave the film making to you, Steve!)
Check out FlightChops at / flightchops and Infinite Flight at infinite-flight.com
Thanks for watching!
Intro Music: Slow Motion - Bensound.com

[@frankforney8132]

Great video by a couple of naturals! Jason, I appreciate the editing and extra footage. You know how to tell a story and I learned a lot. And Cam, I encourage you to upload some videos of your own. Seeing you and your Rebel is an inspiration!

[@dwarwick1987]

Great video Jason, keep them coming!

[@philipprobertz215]

Awesome video Jason. The flight looked like so much fun :)

[@FlightCastaudio]

Thanks, Philipp!

[@birdwing98]

7:30 As they say, "Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing!"

[@stevemyers2092]

BS

[@dechod]

Excellent!!

[@autonomousindividual7780]

Please look for an article regarding vortex generators and the Murphy Rebel. It was written by a test pilot I believe that noticed this nasty drop on landing. Seems to be a characteristic. The VGs fixed it. I wish I could post a link but can't. Im sure I remember it though. He was checking out a builder in his newly completed Rebel and found that drop. Otherwise a great aircraft.

[@uavcreations678]

Great video, nicely put together. I am from Windsor/Essex Ontario and currently fly an Avid MK4 but am interested in starting a Murphy Rebel. Would love to take a walk around.

[@FlightCastaudio]

Uav Creations cool! Head to the contact page on our website and shoot me a message. flightcast.audio

[@pmvdv4844]

The landing was very similar to my first landing in a Murpy Rebel.

[@philipcraig956]

I find helicopter radio transmissions are hard to hear and understand as well. The Rebel is a great aircraft and I hope mine will be as nice as Cam's...when it is finally finished.

[@KGFlyer55]

Great video, the Rebel is a great looking aircraft. Seems like the help didn't follow circuit procedures at all.

[@birdwing98]

I have my powered airplane license and I find fault with the taildragger parking on the active runway with his back to incoming traffic. My stopwatch measured 35 seconds from when he stopped after entering runway until he began his roll for take-off. Proper procedure would be to back-taxi, then exit the runway onto run-up apron to complete checks, then check sky for traffic before announcing departure, then enter runway, line-up, and IMMEDIATE departure. Agree that chopper needs to check he mic and/or comm. Perhaps she does not speak with enough voice, or mic is too far from mouth. 12:27 Okay there is no "apron," but taildragger could exit runway onto the ramp area to perform checks.

[@scotabot7826]

Yes, the Rebel pilot was at fault here. You never start your takeoff roll with another aircraft on short final. He was even aware of the helicopter. Totally his mistake, that I hope he learned from!

[@dimasa5800]

Nicely filmed with excellent narration. The (thu) helicopter.....the (thee) airport......Correct grammar and pronunciation captures ones attention. I have an idea that Jason may have taught English language!!!!!

[@josesbox9555]

That’s a ton of room.

[@liquidfirecc434]

well done. wish it was me

[@kenfre02]

Parry Sound looks like a lovely place. ;)

[@JohnBobRoger]

Birth place of the Greatest Canadian of all time..Bobby Orr!

[@stevemyers2092]

it is 1/2 my family are buried all around there.

[@robklein2245]

Awsome

[@phillipmancini3305]

Being a new young pilot with only 270 hours I still have lots to learn but while I trained to achieve my commercial multi engine instrument ratings I heard many radio transmissions. If I ever heard a transmission that was hard to understand, and I believed that aircraft could be anywhere near my location I always asked for them to clarify. There is never a good reason to not clarify if anything is miss understood. I can make the assumption that the helicopter pilot was in training or a new pilot and the owner of the plane was new as well. One of the most important parts of safe flying is knowing where you are and properly informing others of your location and intention. Equally as important you must know the location and intention of all other aircraft in the area. Both pilots can be blamed here for not establishing positive communication with each other. Again I am a young/new pilot. This is only my opinion. Don’t take it as fact.

[@stevemyers2092]

prior to talk off we always asked for radio check...every new flight

[@evanwindom3265]

There's plenty of opportunity for better decisions here. The Murphy should have visually verified there was no one on final. With traffic on final, he should have cleared the runway. The helo pilot had said she'd stay out of the way but it seems like she continued straight in. Once the Murphy was on the runway and preparing to take off, whether he should have been there or not, she should have taken action to avoid the situation. Once the Murphy is facing upwind, he's completely blind to her. She can see what's going on. The Murphy may be in the wrong, but that's small comfort if you get killed. Work out the disagreement on the ground after everything is safely sorted.

[@kevinswanson3910]

What size engine 0 235 or 0320

[@philipritson8821]

I want to know that too!

[@bartgoins1782]

I hope you shared this video with the helicopter pilot as well.

[@scotabot7826]

Helicopter pilot did nothing wrong! The Rebel pilot was totally at fault here. Very simple!!

[@nancyjlawrence]

the Helicopter should cross midfield at 1500 ft so that this does not happen. inspect and announce. not in the circuit. not sure if their rules are different than fixed wing.

[@raybankes7668]

R-22 Pilot was very in the wrong to land over the plane . I would have made a left turn and followed her to parking and we would have had a chat right then and there... She said she would stay clear and should have. she is a helicopter and can do that quite easily.

[@kevinswanson3910]

You can put a single seat in the back of that plane

[@EmmanuelNyoni0505]

👌👌👌

[@blairwise3339]

Anytime you land with no casualties and no damage, you had a successful landing.

[@sblack48]

I think the bounces looked worse than they really were because the camera was hand held. With tailwheel the bounces don't matter as long as you keep the stick in your gut and keep it straight, both of which he did. Greasers will come with time. For now just focus on being in control. Nice plane.

[@stevemyers2092]

i sure hope you had a talk with her and the owner of the helicopter - it will save her life perhaps (and others). I am commercial.

[@scotabot7826]

Helicopter pilot was not at fault here. This was the Rebel pilots fault 100%. You NEVER start your takeoff roll with another aircraft on short final. He should have waited untillthe Helicopter had landed, or was out of the pattern, Period. Landing traffic has the right of way!!!!!!

[@Jerry10939]

We all have a bad landing. and get your pilots certificate.

[@theamerican383]

the only bad landing is the one you dont walk away from

[@stevemyers2092]

false be your own critic and be tough on yourself (mentally). You can do better and you will if you work on it. Strive for technical perfection.

[@scotabot7826]

Landing traffic always has the right of way. This is really very simple. The rebel pilot should have held his position until the helicopter had landed, or out of the pattern, or out of the airspace. If he was unsure of anything, you hold your position until the situation sorts itself out. Nothing hard about this at all, really very elementary. I mean, would you start you takeoff roll with another plane on short final, or almost on top of you?, no way! This is no different, same situation. Hopefully he learned a good lesson from this.

[@scotabot7826]

He also needs to stop that "aircraft is rolling" statement. He needs to say xyz is departing, or xyz is taking off. XYZ is rolling means noting! Rolling for what? Taxi testing, rolling from a landing, rolling to the fuel pumps, rolling to take off? State what your doing in CLEAR concise wording, Parry Sound Rebel XYZ departing rwy 33, closed traffic Parry Sound.

[@5635randy]

Her communication was very bad Cam did a good job and think he is practicing safe flight skills.

[@scotabot7826]

That landing was perfectly fine! Every landing is different, and never perfect in the real world. 20,000 hr pilots make landings like that all the time. You guys are being way too hard on yourselves. When you think your perfect and know it all, you better look out, because your getting ready to screw up.

[@tztz1949]

This is not a disaster avoided. It's typical. Enthusiasts, get your lisense then comment on avoided disasters. Bad coms are typical. Best to have multi dimensional awareness.