People shocked after seeing what a doorless helicopter ride does to a passenger's leg

A video recently posted on Reddit has left viewers both fascinated and disturbed after it showed what a doorless helicopter ride can do to a person’s leg mid-flight.

The short clip, which quickly went viral, shows a passenger’s leg rippling in unnatural waves as intense air currents beat against it.

The wrinkling effect resembles slow-motion water or fabric flapping in the wind, except it’s human skin.

Many commenters were stunned, with some even questioning if the footage was real.

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The phenomenon can be explained with physics

The leg in the video appears to flutter and wrinkle in rhythmic pulses, and it looks pretty bizarre.

Interestingly, when the passenger moved her leg inside the helicopter, her leg is good as new.

Naturally, this lead some viewers to compare it to CGI and visual effects.

But pilots and experienced helicopter passengers chimed in on the Reddit thread to confirm this is a well-known (if rarely filmed) occurrence during doorless flights.

Apparently, there’s a simple explanation rooted in physics and anatomy.

In doorless helicopters, passengers are exposed to extremely fast, turbulent airflows that aren’t present in traditional closed aircraft.

As the helicopter moves forward, it creates powerful slipstreams that can exceed 100 mph, depending on flight speed and wind direction.

In fact, this high-speed Airbus helicopter can travel beyond 250mph, breaking the single-rotor speed record.

With nothing between the rider and the elements, this moving wall of air pushes directly against the skin.

The effect is similar to what happens when you drive with your window down, and stick your hand out.

Of course, doing it outside a helicopter is much more extreme, because of the prolonged exposure and the force of the wind at higher speeds.

And even though the cockpit windows of most commercial airplanes can be opened, you won’t catch most pilots sticking their hands out of the window mid-flight.

Wear snug clothing for doorless helicopter rides

Doorless helicopter tours are popular in locations like Hawaii and New York City, especially for aerial photography.

Riders are typically strapped in with full harnesses, but their limbs remain exposed to the elements.

While the wrinkling effect isn’t harmful, it’s a strong reminder of just how intense open-air flying can be.

For those planning to book a doorless ride, experts advise wearing snug clothing, and being prepared for a face-full of wind and, possibly, wobbly skin.

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