Untitled - HFI Historical Archive - Helicopter Association International

(COn/illllet/from !JlI!W Ill)
McKeown pul experienced aircrafl
oper:non; on the task of allocating
aircraft for lhe appropriale missions.
He sel up an organizational schematic
based on aircnlft needs. manpower.
equipment and olhcr assels and assembled
a base support elcmenl 10 lake
cllre of fac ilities. life suppon equipment.
fuel and ramp management and
other mission-suPP0l1 OIeli vilies.
Specific Uses
Er:l's V:tldez b;lse manager Wall
Woodrow said the majority sharc of
hclicopler operations in thc sound and
surrounding oilcd areas have been dcdic:lted
10 movemenl of personnel ;lIld
equipment. For example. Era has two
Aerosp;lIiale Twin Sial'S on contract
with VECO. an oil proouclion servicing
company. to move its beach cleanup
force from thcirshipbo.ud accommodations
to the cleanup sites.
Smaller helicopters such as Bell Jet
Rangen; arc being uscd :IS observmioll
platforms and to direct boats in skimming
operations in the sound. 111C Jet
Ranger coordin:I1es the OIctions of two
ships with a line of booms (absorbent
material used to SD:lk up the oil) strung
between.
L;:lrger rotary aircraft are deployed in
various situ;ltions whcre large freight or
personnel loads dictate the expense of
Bell 212 or I;lrger cmf1. The 212 has
been used extcn.sively to move up to a
dozen employees al ;, lime to work or
supporl sites.
The 212's have also been deployed to
move marine mammals. birds and other
wildlife to rescue centers in Sew;lrd.
Horner. Kodiak and other local ions.
The 212'5 larger cargo area allows the
animal handlers to ride along with specially-designed
portable kennels filled
with Oilers. seals. seagulls and olher
creatures injured by Ihe spill.
The Aerospmiale Twin Stars have
filled the gap between the 212 and the
Jet Ranger. With a five-passenger
capacity. the Twin Star is tailor made for
dropping off slll;llIer loads of people or
gear. serving as a medical evacuation
appamtus and ferrying relief and work
crews back and forth.
Other rOlary wing aircraft have been
used in more specialized projects. In
Fall 1989
mid-July. Era moved a lOO-foot communications
tower 01110 a remote mountaintop
from Ihe Vnldez airport for oil
spill cleanup opemtions. Using ,I Super
Puma AS332L. Era transported the
8.000 pOllnd-plus tower and equipmell1
in one piece to the top of a nearby peak
Ul>illg a l,:u:-.IOIII III"dl,: Iillg ilppilr;llu.
Helicopters: A Cost Effective
Alternative
While the price of helicopter operations
is higher than fixed wing. the cost
is more than recoul>cd when considering
the speed and eflicicncy offered by
rotary wing aircraft. L;:\Ilding on top of
a mountain 01' rescuing a sick crewman
from the deck or ;m oil rig could take
hours longer using tmnsportlltion other
Ihan a helicO I )ter.
Years :lgo. oil companies used boms to
Ir;Ulsport oi I rig workers. However. llfter
;tssessing the cost and the time factor in
using that method oftmnsportlltion. the
industry quickly realized it would be
cheaper to get the workcrs 10 and from
Ihe job sitc using Ihe helicopler. Addilion;dly.
when critical parts were
nce(tcd. the hel icoptcrcould move those
parl. quickly to tcchnicians at a
moment's notice.
Commercial and mililUry helicoplcn;
are positioned to respond to any cmergency
anywhere in the world in a m;uter
of hours. In the C:lse of the Exxon V;lldez:
oil spill. Era Aviation. Inc. alone
went from one helicopter to 17 operat·
Cleanup crew boarding ERA's Bell 212·s.
ing out of Valdez in a m;lIIer of five
d;IYs. To do that. Era mobilized helicopters
from all over the nalion.
The next task for opcrators in the are;l
will be the expectcd ph;lse down program
in the face of adverse weather
conditions. The helicopter neel will be
an inlegml part of the work. :IS Exxon.
VECO ilnd other companies involved in
the spill scale down Ol:ler:ltions for the
willler. ECluipment. supplies ;tnd the
substantial work force will have 10 he
ferried to shore to wait out several
monlhs ofmargirwl wealhrCOlllmon to
the sound.
State Requires That
Contingency Plans Include
Helicopters
There is no doubt that the industry's
ability 10 respond immediately 10 a
major emergency was again proven
with the Prince William Sound oil spill.
The helicopter proved agnin to be the
workhorse for emergency airlift operations.
Every emergency contingency plan in
the Slate of Alaska requires rOlOr
aircraft sllPI>ort. whether the operation
is oil spill cleanup. forest fire ormedical
evacuation. Gelling the goods :md the
manpower on sile eXI>cdiently can mean
the difference between life or dellih
failure or success. and the industry ha
spent yean; fine-wning its helicopter
operation with that urgency in mind.
ROTOR 19