June 29, 2015

Okay, Everybody Remember Where We Parked

If you can remember seeing this on television.... you might be a boomer.

Backstory:

According to the book "From Those Wonderful People Who Brought You Pearl Harbor," a book about advertising, a Bell 206 was used to sling parts of a stripped down Chevy to the top of Castleton Tower, also known as Castle Rock, part of the Fisher Rock formation in Moab, Utah. A mechanic was dropped to assemble the automobile.

SHIRLEY-IN-HELO.jpg

Then a pretty young model, Shirley Rumsey, was air lifted to the re-assembled vehicle atop the 2,000-foot spire. Rather than leave Ms. Rumsey alone in that precarious location during the helicopter filming runs, it was decided the mechanic would stay behind to provide moral support. He was hidden on the backseat floor beneath her full dress.

The 206 landed at base camp, to have the camera installed, then proceeded with the camera crew to film the commercial. Once filming was finished, the 206 landed to have the camera crew and gear removed before returning to pick up the mechanic and model.

Problem was, the winds had become so strong that landing on the pinnacle was out of the question. And by the time the wind had died down, it was too dark to fly!

It was a cold night for the hapless mechanic and young model. Oil-Electric: Into the Wild!

Not if they bundled up.

Posted by gerardvanderleun at June 29, 2015 10:29 AM
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Comments:

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"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.

I do remember this, and this post (and the last line) is one of the most wonderful I've ever seen on American Digest!

Posted by: Paul Homchick at June 29, 2015 2:02 PM

Castleton Tower is a famous rock climbing destination. It was first ascended in 1961 by Layton Kor and Huntley Ingalls. Today, there are climbing routes on every face and it has been successfully climbed over 40,000 times.

In 1959 I had the job of being a geologist doing field work in Utah that required helicopter landings on sandstone pinnacles much smaller than Castleton. Nerve wracking aviating for the pilot, a crazy Canadian bush pilot with nerves of steel. White knuckle time for his passengers.

Ah, the good old days.

Posted by: Jimmy J. at June 29, 2015 4:11 PM

A cold night waiting... I've not endured what many of our military men/women have done in a cold night out, but have done some serious camping in cold weather. Nothing like a couple very cold nights in hunting camp to build a man's character! At least this dude had a model caliber female to help keep warm with!

Posted by: Snakepit Kansas at June 29, 2015 7:40 PM

I'm sure that mechanic did what had to be done.
Full-service, in the line of duty.
How come things like that never happened to me?
Hmph.

Posted by: chasmatic at June 29, 2015 11:15 PM

How much can a Bell 206 lift in a sling at that altitude?

Posted by: Monty James at June 30, 2015 9:32 AM

In 1964?, I can't remember now, but we sure didn't see it in color! Wonder if the tank had gas in it, and they had the keys? Could have put the top up and listened to the radio all night, while the 283 purred...and what was the mechanics view like? She probably wore pants underneath, but mebbe not...

Posted by: Will at June 30, 2015 1:36 PM

The helicopter used was a Bell 47 J, Ranger. The 206 JetRanger was introduced in 1967. History is fun, it is more fun if it is accurate.

Posted by: Roger in Republic at June 30, 2015 6:42 PM

Yes, I remember the TV spot, along with the herd of Corvairs, Novas, pickups and Impalas cruising around The Ponderosa around the same time...
In living color at the nextdoor neighbors who was an RCA executive.

Posted by: tomw at July 1, 2015 11:02 AM

The helicopter in the picture is Not a Bell 206. It is a piston powered Bell 47 J model

Posted by: Tom Zelley at July 1, 2015 2:58 PM