F Lynn Clough Venerable HSAC Chairman

F. Lynn Clough:
Venerable HSAC Chairman
by Andy Aastad
Lynn Clough was the first chairman
of the Houston-based
Helicopter Safety Advisory
Committee (HSAC), an HAI affiliate
member organization, formed
on February 8, 1978. He served continuously
as the chairman of the
Offshore Industry Association until
retirement on December 31, 1991.
This adds up to about 13 years of
meritorious service, which is an
unusually high mark in the business
of associations. Coincidently, he
retired as Manager of Helicopter
Operations at Tenneco on the same
date. To say his leadership at HSAC
and Tenneco was exemplary is an
understatement. The history of
commendable helicopter flight operations
at Tenneco and the spectacular
success of HSAC during his
tenure is a lasting testament to his
outstanding career.
Clough was born July 7, 1932, and
grew up on a farm near Thorp,
Missouri. Helping to work the farm
was probably instrumental in development
of the dependable discipline
that farming requires. From first
grade through the eighth grade, he
attended the local one-room schoolhouse,
and later went on to high
school in Marshal, Missouri.
Following this, he attended the
University of Missouri and graduated
with a degree in agriculture.
While at the university he joined
the Army ROTC, and after graduating
in 1954, he joined the active
Army and was assigned to an
artillery command. Shortly after he
arrived, he applied for flight school
and began spending his weekends at
the Flight Training School in Fort
Sill, Oklahoma. However, it took
several months before his orders to
flight school came through, and it
F. Lynn Clough gave 13
years of service to
HSAC and the Offshore
Industry Association. He
retired from HSAC and
Tenneco on December
31, 1991, but remains
active with the World
Gospel Outreach,
helping children in
Honduras.
was nip and tuck whether he would
be shipped to Korea with an
artillery unit or be assigned to flight
school. However, his orders to flight
school arrived in February of 1955,
and he was transferred to Fort
Rucker, Alabama.
At Fort Rucker he was checked out
in fixed-wing aircraft, and on completion
was ordered to the war-expanded
helicopter training program. He
got his wings in January 1956. He was
then transferred to Korea and served
about a year before being ordered
back to Fort Rucker in 1957. He was
released from active duty in February
of 1958.
Photo courtesy F. Lynn Clough
FALL 2006
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Bell Helicopter photo via Bob Petite
Clough’s early flying with Petroleum Helicopters gave him a unique appreciation of
the challenges met by pilots and crews traveling to and from oil platforms in the
Gulf of Mexico.
Not one to waste time, he applied
for a position at Petroleum
Helicopters in Louisiana, and was
hired in March of 1958. He began flying
offshore in a very early 47 J
model with wooden blades, and also
checked out in one of the early
Alouette II helicopters, which were
being introduced in the Gulf of
Mexico at that time. In September of
1958 PHI sent him to Bolivia, where
he flew a Helio Courier and later a
Dehaviland Beaver. His tour of duty
in Bolivia lasted about 26 months and
was highlighted by a most important
event in his life — he met his lovely
wife Sarita. They were married on
May 26, 1959, and returned to the
states in December 1960.
Back in the states, his family persuaded
him to return to the farm in
Missouri. He worked the farm with
his father for about two years, but his
love of aviation dominated, and he
opted to get back to Louisiana, flying
again for PHI in 1963. Then a friend
from Tennessee Gas Transmission,
which became Tenneco, called about
an opening for a helicopter pilot.
Clough applied and was hired on
October 25, 1965, reporting to Al
Hobson, who was Manager of
Helicopter Operations. At that time
Tenneco had only two helicopters,
one in Agawan, Massachusetts, for
pipeline patrol and one in Houma,
Louisiana, for offshore work, where
Clough was assigned.
In 1974, Clough became Manager
of Helicopter Operations after Al
Hobson retired. At that time, the
helicopter fleet was growing with the
addition of twin turbine BO 105 helicopters.
But to back up a little,
Clough tells the story that the fleet
really began to grow when Gardner
Symonds, then Chairman of
Tenneco, had flown in an early Bell
206A in 1964, and was impressed.
He later recommended that the 206
should be added to the fleet. I personally
remember the day that Tony
Zuma, Director of Flight
Operations, arrived at the Bell
offices in Hurst, Texas, unannounced
and asked for a salesman. I walked
him back to my desk and he seemed
a little reluctant as he told me “I’ve
got to buy a helicopter.” Their first
206A was assigned to the Tenneco
office in Houston. Later each of the
eight pipeline divisions had one. At
the end of Clough’s career, the
Tenneco helicopter fleet had grown
to about 12 BO 105 helicopters.
In 1979, the oil industry experienced
several disastrous offshore
accidents, resulting in the loss of
lives. The growing problem generated
widespread concern and substantial
discussion among the helicopter
operators and the oil industry.
Then, a major accident involving a
Penzoil operation occurred, resulting
in 19 fatalities, when an offshore
crane struck a large turbine helicopter.
This, along with previous accidents,
caused the International
Association of Drilling Contractors
(IADC) to call for a meeting of
applicable helicopter operators and
other parties for a discussion of the
problem and possible action. The
meeting was sponsored by the
Safety Committee of the IADC,
and was held in Houston on
February 8, 1978.
The original participants of that
first meeting, who would become
members of the committee, included:
Jack Piehl (Shell Oil Co.),
Chuck Setzer (Gulf Oil), Clough
Clough (Tenneco, Inc.), Lonnie Nail
(Tenneco Oil Co.), Owen Guidry
(Petroleum Helicopters), John
Brown (Evergreen Helicopters,
Inc.), Jim Grant (Evergreen
Helicopters, Inc.), Don
Groenemann (Evergreen
Helicopters, Inc.), Thomas H.
Marlow (Evergreen Helicopters,
Inc.), James L. Culpepper (Air
Logistics), Ed Seymour (Tenneco,
Inc.), E.E. Rhodes (Mobil Oil),
Herman Moore (Chevron Oil), Park
Jones (Houston Helicopters),
Thomas Howarth (Offshore
Helicopters, Inc.), and James Jay
(Marlin Drilling Co.).
The result of this meeting was an
agreement to work together to promote
improved safety in offshore
helicopter operations, to evaluate
procedures and address specific
operational problems. They also
unanimously agreed to become the
Helicopter Safety Advisory
Committee, affiliated with IADC.
Additionally, recognizing the need
for leadership, Clough was elected
chairman of the committee.
Shortly thereafter, a follow-up
meeting was scheduled to set direction
and procedures. For the first six
months of its existence, the dedicated
committee met monthly. After
that, the schedule was changed to
meeting bimonthly, and finally, after
about a year, the quarterly schedule
was adopted and continues today.
Participation in HSAC has grown to
about 115 members, including oil
companies, drilling contractors,
service companies, helicopter manufacturers,
and helicopter operators.
Additionally, several branches of the
U.S. government and the U.S. mili-
44 FALL 2006

Photo courtesy F. Lynn Clough
tary participate. HSAC also cooperates
with several professional organizations,
including Helicopter
Association International, American
Petroleum Institute, the Offshore
Operations Committee, the
National Fire Protection
Association, and others.
HSAC’s accomplishments over
the years are far too numerous to
itemize here. However, they can be
viewed on the HSAC Web site, at
www.hsac.org.
As an interesting example of the
hundreds of problems encountered,
there was a startling incident related
by Clough. An Air Force B-52
bomber flew under an Evergreen
212, operating in the Gulf of Mexico,
which got everyone’s attention. Then
an Air Force T-38 trainer made a
playful pass at one of the Transco
helicopters. These incidents quickly
prompted an HSAC meeting with
the Strategic Air Command, which
resulted in significant operational
procedural changes for the U.S. Air
Force. Suffice it to say that HSAC is
alert and responsive to problems offshore,
and is a positive influence for
safe helicopter operations for the oil
industry, not only in the Gulf of
Mexico but also worldwide.
To comment briefly on the scope
of helicopter operations in the Gulf
of Mexico, HSAC annually produces
a report on safety statistics, which
can also be seen on www.hsac.org.
Clough’s chairmanship at HSAC has done much to make flying operations safer in
the Gulf of Mexico. His leadership has been a benefit for everyone involved in flying
operations.
In the latest report on 2005 operations,
it is estimated that a total of
589 helicopters flew about 389,500
hours, carrying 2,625,322 passengers
in the ever-growing offshore Gulf of
Mexico. The report is based on
response from 21 participating helicopter
operators. Helicopter operations
in the Gulf represent a major
slice of total helicopter operations in
the United States.
So, back to Clough, who is retired
and living in Conroe, Texas. What is
going on? Well, first Clough and
Sarita raised four children, who have
produced 10 grandchildren to date.
That’s enough to keep any grandparent
busy. But Clough spends a considerable
amount of time with World
Gospel Outreach. Working primarily
in Honduras, he has made 13 trips to
that country since 1992 in a successful
effort of cooperation with the
organization to improve the lives of
children. They have established an
orphanage, medical, and dental facilities
and a bilingual language school.
They have also arranged for a
halfway house to assist boys and girls
reaching the age of 18, in finding a
job or advanced education. Clough’s
primary function with Outreach is
expediting the flow of goods from
the United States to Honduras. He
loads two 40-foot containers a year
for export to the needy. That’s a fulltime
retirement job.
Clough has always operated with
a high level of integrity and concern
for his employees and peers. He is
noted for his sincerity, dedication,
and professional approach in both
personal and business endeavors.
Today those attributes are regularly
benefiting hundreds of children and
young people in Honduras.
HAI archives photo
Clough is as active today as ever with his efforts reaching out to children in
Honduras. This is typical of his commitment to make things better.
FALL 2006
Andy Aastad is the former Editor of
the Helicopter Market Letters and a
market consultant to the helicopter
industry. He can be reached at 252-
635-5015 or aastad@cox.net.
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