Among the best of these helicopter operators is Chamonix Mont-Blanc Helicopteres (CMBH), founded by Pascal Brun in 1992.
The iconic sound of the CMBH’s SA 315B Lama over the legendary Chamonix Valley in the early days has given way to today’s H125 and AS350 B3e, both featuring beautiful artwork. One H125 painting is especially meaningful: a portrait in memory of Brun’s son Sébastien, who died in a 2011 helicopter crash.
CMBH’s experienced pilots get the opportunity to fly a wide variety of missions: load transport, rescue, avalanche control, aerial shots for movies, panoramic tourist flights, and passenger transport.
As an aerial load transport specialist, Brun has made significant contributions to the construction and maintenance of many high-altitude huts. His CMBH team was asked to help renovate the Vallot Hut, a famous refuge for climbers seeking to escape danger high on the Mont Blanc at 4,362 meters (14,311 feet). They’ve also worked on the Goûter Hut along a Mont Blanc route at 3,835 meters and the fabulous Aiguille du Midi, the world’s highest cable car that climbs more than 9.000 feet from Chamonix.
The CMBH rotorcraft carry people as well as materials to and from the huts, helping to stock them between seasons. When time is money, helicopters save both. Imagine how many days and people it would take to maintain remote, high-altitude huts without these flying machines.
Even better, helicopters help maintain the fresh-air majesty of the mountains by evacuating trash and septic tanks, as well as by removing outdated installations that destroy the pristine view.
Pascal Brun, CEO of CMBH and pilot What are the necessary qualities of a pilot for lifting and aerial work at high altitude?
“The most important quality is humility.”
Photo by Philippe Fragnol
58
Sep/Oct 2022
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