Heavy Lift Helicopters, Inc. - Helicopter Association International

has worked with the United States
Forest Service (USFS) for many
seasons, providing support with
Sikorsky CH54A Skycranes
equipped as Helitankers. The
company has the ability to mobilize
and respond to wildfires anywhere
on the North American continent.
Another important focus of the
company is their construction and
utility work. The use of helicopters
as aerial cranes presents numerous
challenges. Each lift job is unique
and requires job-specific
assessments and techniques to
accomplish the mission safely and
efficiently. Sales personnel, pilots,
and engineers work closely with
customers to meet their individual
needs.
Heavy Lift, which is
appropriately named, uses CH54s
for aerial crane projects. The
airframe was specifically designed
by the Sikorsky factory to meet
external lift requirements. In many
cases, helicopter lift applications are
safer, less expensive than
conventional lift methods, and they
are capable of conducting a wider
range of construction and lift
operations, than the fixed-lift
operations, which are limited by
lack of mobility. The company's
experience and capabilities enable it
to give professional advice, and to
perform precise execution in its
many heavy lift missions.
The pilots and maintenance
technicians of Heavy Lift are some
of the most experienced helicopter
crews in the industry. Many have
military experience. Some in the
Korean War, as well as Vietnam,
with over 30 years experience flying
helicopters. Each of them has flight
time totaling between 15,000 and
20,000 hours. Add to that high level
of experience, 11 years of fire
suppression missions, and you have
the nucleus of a very professional
operation. Such experienced
personnel help to establish the
foundation for a great training
program that enables the company
to pass on this experience to their
new employees.
Mike Gilpin is the company
Chief Pilot, and he brings many
years of military instructor
experience and precision external
load flying to the organization. The
Chief of Maintenance is Richard
Proctor, a maintenance specialist
retired from the U.S. Air Force. Copilot
positions are filled with
talented pilots that are being
nurtured to fill a command seat.
They are learning the aircraft and
its systems, as well as other skills,
such as customer relations, fire
suppression, construction, logging,
and specific missions unique to the
heavy lift and external lift
environment.
Heavy Lift's fleet of aircraft
Photos courtesy of Mark Fisher
Roger’s Main Office at Fresno
Yosemite International Airport.
View of the flightline
at Rogers Helicopters
includes the CH54A and newly
acquired CH53D aircraft. Three
Heavy Lift CH54A aircraft are
currently on contract with the U.S.
Forest Service in California and
Arizona. They are configured with
a self-filling, 2,600-gallon external
tank, that can carry a payload of up
to 20,000 pounds. The tank can be
filled from a water source as
shallow as 18 inches, in less than a
minute. The aircraft was originally
designed and built by Sikorsky
Aircraft. They are redesigned and
rebuilt under FAA TCDS (Type
Certificate Data Sheet) Number
H16NM and certificated for civil use
in the Restricted Category.
Operations are authorized by the
FAA under FAR Part 133 and Part
137. This Type Certificate is
exclusive to the aircraft operated by
Heavy Lift Helicopters, Inc.
The CH53D aircraft are newly
acquired from excess Navy
equipment for humanitarian
purposes and are in the process of
certification and conversion to meet
the fire suppression mission. The
fleet of CH54s will continue to have
a firefighting role, but will also be
more readily available for timely
scheduling for heavy lift
construction projects.
As holder of an FAA Repair
Station certificate, Heavy Lift
Helicopters is able to maintain and
support it's unique fleet of Sikorsky
CH54A Skycranes. A new and wellequipped
service center has been
constructed in the dry and aircraft
friendly climate of the high
California desert. Heavy Lift
facilities include an FAA-approved
Certificated Repair Station, and
houses component and engine
overhaul and repair facilities. Their
parts supply warehouse is equipped
with millions of dollars worth of
spare engines, components, and
parts.
Skilled maintenance staff helps
to keep the company's aircraft in
excellent condition. The experience
and lessons they have learned,
combine to form many of their
maintenance policies and
procedures. The aircraft crew chiefs
have spent many seasons in the field
supporting the company's aircraft.
Their leadership position enables
them to coordinate their crew's
efforts and to groom the crew chiefs
of tomorrow.
The company plans to slowly and
carefully expand its capabilities in
the industrial market. It is expected
that this expansion will strengthen
the company's maintenance support
capabilities, both internally, and to
support other operators.
There is more. Heavy Lift's
parent company is Rogers
Helicopters, an HAI member since
Summer 2005
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