The Good Life – July-August 2018

ON THE COVER // CHAD ERICKSON
“I wouldn't be able to do my job if I just focused on the bad stuff.” – Chad Erickson
The mission tested his abilities as a pilot from the start.
From there, he was stationed at Fort Carson, Colo.; Fort
Wainwright, Alaska; Fort Riley, Kan.; and Fort Eustis, Va.
In Alaska, most calls came from passersby who witnessed
tragedies in secluded areas and called in with grid
coordinates.
"You were the first one on-scene for the guy who fell while
sheep hunting in the middle of the mountains,” Erickson
said.
After serving deployments in Somalia, Thailand and Iraq,
Erickson retired from the Army in 2008. He spent the next
four years at his dream job as a Department of the Army
Civilian (DAC) flying with his regular Army counterparts.
"I was flying VIPs around in D.C.,” he said. "Then I got the
call to come back home."
PREPARING FOR TAKEOFF
Meticulous planning is key to responding efficiently during
emergencies. In fact, part of the pre-flight check starts with
the pilots themselves.
20 / THE GOOD LIFE / urbantoadmedia.com
"I have a flight physical every year where they check
everything out,” Erickson said. “We have a limit on our crew
weights of 240 pounds (each).”
Thankfully, Erickson’s Army background – combined
with his calm demeanor – has equipped him to endure
high amounts of stress and react with poise in traumatic
situations.
The aircraft, however, requires a bit more preparation.
“I know who my crew is, I know the aircraft I'm flying and
I know how much gas it has in it – so I get a flight plan
together to know how much weight I can carry.”
Weather forecasts also play a vital role in Erickson’s job.
"I'll check the weather out to Jamestown, Grand Forks down
to the Twin Cities and Sioux Falls to see where problems
may arise,” he said. “Sioux Falls and the Twin Cities are
the longest flights we take at about an hour and a half. The
shortest flights I'd say are a 20-minute ring around Fargo.”
Between Fargo’s Sanford AirMed helicopter and airplane,
pilots respond to approximately two to three calls per day
out of Fargo (or 800 to 900 per year), on average.