They showed up less than 10 minutes later and the injured linemen were rushed away to the hospital. Both lived, and I am very thankful for the crew and everything that went right that day.
RP: Have you ever had an “oh, crap” moment involving helicopters? Can you summarize what happened?
I was performing a Class C external-load side pulling. We utilize this method to pull wire between structures so that a power line can be installed.
I was halfway through the pull when I heard the rotor rpm increasing. I stopped and also stopped the pull, and tried to beep the rpm down with the incr/dncr switch on the collective; this only slowed the increase slightly.
I gave out a radio
call that I was jettisoning the load; I then released the load and rolled off the throttle. I then slowly lowered the collective as the rpm was very high. It was like a hover auto from about 50 feet. The aircraft landed with no damage. The fuel control and the governor were changed the next day, and the aircraft was returned to service. Looking back, the aircraft was giving me signs that the governor was on its way out. For the previous three days, I was manipulating the governor with the incr/dncr switch a lot more than usual.
RP: If you could give only one piece of advice to new pilots, mechanics, or support personnel, what would it be?
This is a great industry. Get out there and get involved, meet people, always keep learning. Attend events like Verticon, as it’s a great place to meet people in the industry.
RP: In your view, what is the greatest challenge for the helicopter industry at this moment in time?
Workforce development: 10 years ago, a job advertisement for my particular field would have been a group-text message. The position would have been filled the next day. Now,
mouth; all companies must advertise job postings because pilots and mechanics are not available.
I tell people if you have three out of five of the listed requirements, go for it. What the companies want and what they get can be two very different things. We would much rather hire a trainable pilot with a great attitude versus a turnkey pilot with a questionable attitude.
It’s up to everyone, and it’s up to companies to train and mentor new hires. Invest in them, so you get a return on your investment.
Do you know someone who would be a good subject for Meet a Rotor Pro? Email your suggestion to the editor-in-chief:
lyn.burks@rotorpro.com
FIGHTING FIRES WITH
STRENGTH RELIABILITY
& AROUND THE GLOBE
it is more than word of
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