Enjoying the NW helicopter history tcj

90% of my primary rotorcraft training was in Class “B” and all solo (pre-PPLR) cross country flights were over ocean inter island.

Chinook Pass in the Central Washington cascades is closed every winter due to numerous avalanches. The target date for opening the pass every spring is Memorial day, May 31. I took these photos April 7, 2016. The Washington DOT was doing avalanche control prior to the crews starting work opening it up.

Astar Hot Fueling at Morse Creek on the Normile Grade six miles east of the summit. This is where the gate is that closes the highway in the winter.


The pilot takes off with a long line attached. Note the little window in the belly.


The pilot hovering above the ground crew.




The ground grew attaches a bag of explosives.




The pilot will deliver the explosives to the avalanche control crew. They are on skies on the ridge top above the highway.


https://vimeo.com/162068463

Note the little window in the belly.

Here's a picture looking out of that belly window - oh lookee here, a Bushmaster with a tree tied to the tail.

Refuelling picture, that long-line is laid out like that on purpose - hook out the front of the helicopter where you can see it, and from the belly hook straight out front between the skids. Bad juju to land on your line, and when you lift you know it's not going to snag anything.

Thanks for posting the photos and info on the long line karmutzen!

Some trivia about avalanches in this area. In 1904 my Grandpa's brother was killed when an avalanche hit the bunkhouse at the mine he was working in about 2 miles up Morse creek from this location.

Looking out Mary's window. USARPAC General needed a ride to Schofield Barracks:

Karmutzen wrote:

Note the little window in the belly.

Here's a picture looking out of that belly window - oh lookee here, a Bushmaster with a tree tied to the tail.

Refuelling picture, that long-line is laid out like that on purpose - hook out the front of the helicopter where you can see it, and from the belly hook straight out front between the skids. Bad juju to land on your line, and when you lift you know it's not going to snag anything.

E4D24C69-F158-48DB-8F00-F9324F9E339E.jpeg

6BDB2ED2-BF72-444F-A34F-9C48492118D1.jpeg

Are you the guy I should call when I make a fool of myself? Is that the Bridge river? It looks like a spot I rejected.

Little busy in BC recently, this was the Hwy rebuild work right after the big floods.

I’m the dark grey machine departing at the beginning of the vid, following two others immediately ahead.

Busy times.

https://imgur.com/a/buV65sw

Ardent wrote:Little busy in BC recently, this was the Hwy rebuild work right after the big floods.

I’m the dark grey machine departing at the beginning of the vid, following two others immediately ahead.

Busy times.

https://imgur.com/a/buV65sw

Very intense and interesting helicopter assistance. Thank you.

This LZ reminds of the song:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Horse_with_No_Name

… I've been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain

Not me, woman pilot friend of mine, from last night at about 60N, -27C and blowing 30.

Yeah, it's idling. At those temps on an isolated frozen lake you would never shut down for risk of a no start.

And killing two birds with one stone I've asked them what kind of gloves are keeping their hands warm.

My place, a few weeks ago. I, not knowing any better, was a bit concerned about the 1/4" thick (so fairly heavy) aluminum sheet laying unsecured on the asphalt (it's there to make life easier on my Airstreaks when I lock one up and turn around prior to blast off) but apparently it was of no import. I didn't know they were coming in, so pretty much blew this fixed wing pilot's mind! Most visiting pilots think my strip is tight.....
https://youtu.be/d2egWvvppDw

In the aerial application world, helicopters are relatively expensive, slow and don't haul much, so we like to take the lz to the field.
It looks like this ;

Long Ranger on one of our trailers


Another angle, same ship


To add perspective, here is a clip of a friend in a 58 coming out of at spray run and on to the deck

Seen on the back roads of Kittitas County, in Central Washington.

My newest LZ lakebed is near Vidal, California (across the river). The last homestead of Wyatt Earp, the toughest and most storied lawman in the west and Alaska.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyatt_Earp

2022.01.09:

The Earps bought a small cottage in Vidal, the only home they ever owned. Beginning in 1911 and until Wyatt's health began to fail in 1928, Wyatt and Sadie Earp summered in Los Angeles and spent the rest of the year in the desert working their claims

Credit: Wikipedia

Lots of coyotes around, but I just couldn't get this one to budge. Doing it old school with a wooden bladed 47G2.

The TV news coverage of the Russian forces on the border.......shows some pretty cool looking co-axial helicopters. I've always wondered why we don't see more of the co-axial types.

Karmutzen wrote:Lots of coyotes around, but I just couldn't get this one to budge. Doing it old school with a wooden bladed 47G2.

5B736E52-D7DD-4213-9BDD-14465DE332DD.jpeg

And he’s a clever lad to keep his paws dry on that little plywood pad. Maybe bow hunting from a helo?

Courierguy, Russians have that coax tech down pretty good. We use their Ka-32 here for repetitive heavy lift, but they've got even little piston-powered two seaters for agricultural work.

Had a friend who's wife threw his lunchbox into the back yard. For the next four years he mowed the grass around it - the second video suggests the Ka226 hasn't flown in a while.

https://fb.watch/aJnQ2lQq3A/

https://youtu.be/Xy0GMyfGu6s