Zzz wrote:Justin, you ever have issues with static discharge after a long ride?

Yes you do. But it's worse if you are on the tower and they fly something metal to you

I and a few others know of some places in NV we all can meet up and have some fun with this! (Wink, wink)

this is what we are doing after/before the ride

one more. its a short ride

I've done the crane work on a dozen or so cell towers, 100' to 120' high. This helicopter setting of the tower section ratchets things up a bit, and I find it frigging amazing it obviously works so well! Great teamwork and some super precision flying, and you make it look so easy.

A neighbor who's son is a commercial heli pilot, told me about a new device that came about after last years 19 Arizona firefighter deaths. Called the Christmas Tree, it has multiple hooks and apparently can be lowered into an area where a quick egress is of the essence and a large number of people can quickly pile on. This also is amazing.

We've been doing that for a few years. It's called S.P.I.E.S. in the Army. I'm glad firefighters are making use of it for emergency extraction!!



(Not my picture!)

Looks cool - had many "rides" on McGuire Rig and Jungle penetrator home or to a safer place . Army used both but Air force used Jungle penetrator much more. Make sure pilot climbs above trees to keep from being dragged ,some times not possible - but oh well . looks like a meet ride working towers .

Two different choppers, second one bringing in the tower top was Huey, 205 or 212, judging from the blade slap (fill us in...). Buddy didn't wait too long for his partners to set the bolts before unhooking and clambering up the top. You guys work fast.

Time is money! I have some footage flying on the long line and the huey is flying right behind us bringing the tower top.

Not as glamorous as the chopper, but it pays well. I hate crawl spaces!

D. Class D External Loads. Class D allows the external carriage of a person other than a crewmember or a person who is essential to and directly connected with the external load operation, in an FAA-approved personnel lifting device with a transport Category A multiengine helicopter.

Thats where the twin engine helicopter comes in. To legally fly a person at the end of a line under part 91 or 135 regs the helicopter has to be able to hover on one engine in the event one fails.

Government agencies fly people under single engine helicopters under public use rules. Public use = The rules (FAA) are to restrictive for us (government) to operate under so there are no rules. Most of the agencies police them selfs well.

The power line job Im guessing is done under public use. Some of the power companies are government run corporations (example Bonneville Power) or they have a waiver from the FAA.

Something to think about, external loads are expendable cargo

One of my first helicopter rides was on a winch cable off the side of a 2000 ft cliff, it was a blast!

Erickson has come up with a way to set transmission towers without the guys up on the tower. Much safer no one gets squished.

Waterboy,
That's the first time I've seen the pilot in the back. Have heard about it but never seen it. When you drop water does the pilot in the back have the control?

tcj wrote:Waterboy,
That's the first time I've seen the pilot in the back. Have heard about it but never seen it. When you drop water does the pilot in the back have the control?

We don't use the back seat for water drops, or logging. The backseat is only used for precision external loads and construction work. When firefighting its just a two pilot crew up front. Either seat can drop water, but the visibility is better from the left.

CamTom12 wrote:We've been doing that for a few years. It's called S.P.I.E.S. in the Army. I'm glad firefighters are making use of it for emergency extraction!!



(Not my picture!)

SOP on Denali rescues as well:

https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=682633

-DP

Got some more footage from work

After the ride out

And one more for shits and giggles

Love the whistle while you work!

It's really interesting to watch you set that safety equipment up!

CamTom12 wrote:It's really interesting to watch you set that safety equipment up!

Your not from OSHA are you?