VALARD CONSTRUCTION PHOTO


Type 3 helicopters, such as this


AS350 B3, perform


myriad jobs on utility projects, including


carrying sling loads from staging areas.


the crews. With the scale of the Watay Project, working from multiple camps and staging sites is mandatory. “We’ve split the project into three work fronts, with 22


substations and switching stations,” says Brown. “We had about 800 people working on this project at the high point, and I think we’ve had 12 major camps. Te camp size changes depending on the location, but we’ve had a range of 100 to 300 people per camp.” As with any development of this size, logistics is one of


the biggest issues facing the crews. Many construction and utility projects have the benefit of roads wending their way through right-of-ways, but for the Watay Project, the only roads available are winter ice roads. “You might have seen the Ice Road Truckers show on the History Channel on television. Tose are the only kinds of


28 ROTOR SEPTEMBER 2022


roads we can use on this project,” says Brown. “We’re moving millions of pounds of steel into strategic positions, which requires advance planning. Even supplying fuel for the heli- copters is an issue, and it’s been hard to keep up with fuel demands throughout the project.”


A Helicopter for Every Role Large utility projects typically call for a variety of helicopters. From moving people to setting towers, using the appropriate aircraft saves time and money. A veritable air show of vertical lift aircraft supports the


Watay Project at different times of year. “We’ve used—or are using—the Airbus AS350 B3, Bell 206 LongRanger, Bell 407s, Bell 412s, Bell 214Bs, Bell 205s; and the heavy-lifter on this project is the Airbus H225 Super Puma,” says Brown.


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