“IN 2024, WINCO AVERAGED OVER 800 HOURS PER HELICOPTER AND PULLED OVER 5,500 MILES OF LINES.”


Class A External Loads - Class A external load is one in which the external load cannot move freely, cannot be jettisoned, and does not extend below the landing gear. Carriage of supplies in an approved cargo rack/bin or seat affixed to the exterior of the aircraft, to be occupied by a power-line repairman or a cameraman, are examples of a Class A external load.


Class B HEC External Loads - Class B is an external cargo load that can be jettisoned and is lifted free of land and/ or water by a cargo hook or winch. An example of a Class B load operation would be human external cargo (HEC), or the placement of an air conditioning unit on the roof of a tall building.


Class C External Loads - Class C is an external cargo load that can be jettisoned and remains in contact with land or water. An example is a wire-stringing operation at a construction project.


Class D External Loads - Class D is an external cargo load other than Class A, B, or C and approved on an individual basis through the issuance of LOA A044. An example


would be an operation


involving the carriage of an individual in an FAA-approved personnel lifting device. Class D authorization has special considerations, especially in terms of operating rules.


Winco currently has approximately 64 team members with 22 pilots, 19 mechanics, and the remainder being linemen and administrative staff.


Pilots are trained in-house and at the MD factory training facility in Mesa, Arizona. Biennial flight reviews, which include emergency-procedures training for pilots, are performed by MD Helicopters factory instructors and include


full-touchdown


autorotations. There’s additional in-house training during the year to maintain proficiency and currency in


specific operations relative to performing power-line work.


One unique training course that is proprietary to Quanta Services (Winco’s parent company) is the “Barehand Awareness Course” given to all pilots at Quanta’s training facility in Texas called the Lazy Q Ranch. The three-day course gives pilots the opportunity to go hands- on with energized 345,000 V lines to gain a better understanding of how the voltage is impacting personnel and aircraft.


Winco’s helicopters are all maintained by the company. The highest-quality maintenance is what keeps Walker loyally remaining at Winco. He proudly points out that he believes Winco has the best maintenance in the industry; he attributes that to the company’s dedicated team of skilled mechanics and the leadership of Director of Maintenance Shane Lair.


56


Nov/Dec 2024


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78