Mighty Blades Cut the Southern Italian Sky

Ricigliano, Italy — European Air-Crane, the European office of Erickson Air-Crane (Erickson) has participated with Vestas Wind Systems A/S of Denmark (www.vestas.com) towards construction of twelve new V90-3.0 three-megawatt wind turbine generators on windy ridgetops near the mountain village of Ricigliano, southeast of Salerno and Mount Vesuvius.

The S-64F Aircrane flew with a 400-foot (~125-meter) long line to deliver 36 blades along with 3 additional replacement blades, each measuring 144 feet (44 meters), that will attach to the twelve wind turbine generators. Narrow and steep cornering roads offered limited access to delivery of wind turbine sections but prohibited the long trailer sections needed to bring the blades to each site by ground vehicles. The S-64F carried the individual blades from a central staging yard approximately 9 miles (15 kilometers) to each construction site. The versatility, precision, and strength of the S-64 Aircrane were ideal capabilities that allowed the lifts of the thirty-nine 15,800-lb (7,110 kg) blades to be completed in less than 4 days.

"We worked closely with Vestas to craft a rigging system tailored to their individual blade type that provided a higher than expected level of stability and safety" Says Mark Lumry, Project Manager for Erickson Air-Crane. Mark worked alongside Joseph Barboni, longtime member of the European Air-Crane team and Project Manager who was instrumental in developing a key rigging component for the blade transport. "Sure, we have a strong and safe aerial platform, but it's just as important to have good people with good ideas collaborating before work begins. The job progresses faster and safer that way."

Doing business as Vestas since 1945, the company has been credited with development, in 1968, of the standard 3-blade wind turbine design used around the world today. Vestas currently offers several Wind turbine models from the 850-kilowatt V52, to the largest model, the V90 3-Megawatt wind turbine generator, which can generates power for approximately 3,400 households at an average wind speed of 9 m/s, according to the Vestas website.

Over 35 years Erickson Air-Crane has developed a safe, reliable, and efficient line construction system that offers valuable access to environmentally prohibitive or sensitive terrain. The effectiveness of this time-tested system has been demonstrated across the United States, Canada, and Alaska in over 8,000 miles (12,800 kilometers) of line construction.

The Aircrane Hauls Crushed Rock for Emergency Pipeline Restoration

Central Point Oregon - Erickson Air-Crane has participated with KLB Construction, a Washington based regional heavy highway civil contractor, to apply 400 tons (360,000 kg) of crushed rock and shore up a section of sewer pipeline exposed by erosion from record setting rainfall. Several sections of the 1,400 gpm (5,320 lpm) pipeline were exposed to the point of hanging in the air as heavy rains had eroded the soil underneath. "We realized the urgency of the situation and knew that, at any point, the pipeline was vulnerable to rupture and could possibly contaminate the Big Gulch waterway recognized by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife as a chum salmon spawning area." said Michael Krumpos, Project Engineer for KLB Construction. "We received notification Friday, December 1st and we were at work on the project Saturday, December 2nd."

The pipeline exposure lay within a large gully inaccessible by all ground methods of transportation. Hiking in with equipment and material delivery by air was the only option. "Our team was quick to formulate an action plan that included large scale equipment and material delivery by air and the Erickson S-64 Aircrane came up in discussion quite soon." Said Mr. Krumpos. KLB Construction contacted Erickson Air-Crane who brought an S-64E to start work on December 3rd. Once on site, the Aircrane hauled in a Caterpillar 308 excavator to clear a set site and a Bobcat Piledriver to move materials and drive pilings to shore up the pipeline. The Aircrane then hauled large steel box shaped containers specially designed by Erickson to haul riprap or other material and dump the load when 2 of the 4 suspension cables are electrically released. At the staging area, the buckets were loaded with crushed rock material. The helicopter brought the full buckets, averaging 16,000 lbs (7,200 kg) to the pipeline and brought back buckets filled with debris collected by the excavator. "We were all impressed by the efficiency of the (Aircrane) crew. The four-minute turn times figured remarkably well within our project timeline and contributed greatly to our project being finished a day ahead of schedule" Mr. Krumpos added. He also acknowledged the remarkable teamwork that made the quick and efficient restoration work possible: "Without the generous assistance of the Olympus Terrace Sewer District and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, this project would not have happened nearly as fast. Cherry Valley Logging did a great job clearing the operational area and McDowell Pile King drove the support piles. Combined with the big orange Aircrane flying in large amounts of material quickly and precisely, the whole project progressed with near-clockwork efficiency."

The Erickson S-64 Aircrane Places the "Peyton" Tour Boat Back In Crater Lake for the 2001 Tourist Season

On the morning of June 7th, 2001, Erickson Air-Crane pilots Paul Mavrinac and Frank Swisher flew an S-64F model Aircrane to place the Tour boat "Peyton" into the caldera in Crater Lake National Park.

The boat was staged at a landing zone staging area located along the north road access at the Pumice Desert.

The helicopter arrived shortly after 7:00a.m. and the crew conducted a safety briefing at 7:30a.m. After the briefing, the helicopter climbed into the sky and hovered as Erickson and Crater Lake Company Crews attached the rigging. When the hook up was completed, the Aircrane lifted the 10,500 pound (4,763 kg) boat, flew it up and over the Western edge of the caldera, and placed it at a staging area on the southern end of Wizard Island. The helicopter shortly returned to the "pick site" to transport a 14,500 pound (6,577 kg) palletized motor and transmission onto a platform at Wizard Island near the boat.

The entire transport operation lasted 30 minutes and when it was finished, the boat engine and transmission were installed to prepare the tour boat for another busy tourist season at Crater Lake National Park.

Hi-Definition TV in Australia, "Éthe Erickson Way"

Central Point, Oregon, Erickson Air-Crane Incorporated of Central Point, Oregon and Hevi Lift (PNG) Ltd. in Australia have worked together to provide fire suppression services with the S-64 F model Aircrane Helitanker to the Australian Department of Natural Resources and Environment during the fire season since 1998. Before every fire season, Erickson Air-Crane's Malaysian subsidiary company sends an S-64 Helitanker over by barge to prepare for duty under an operating certificate provided by Hevi Lift. During this trip, however, the S-64 would show the Australians its remarkable construction capability on a small detour operation and still arrive before scheduled fire suppression duty.

The detour would involve using the S-64 Aircrane helicopter with a fully activated aft pilot station and anti-rotation rigging. The Aircrane would remove and replace sections of 3 different broadcast television antenna towers in the Sydney / Melbourne vicinity and place 13 spools of 15 Kv cable along the largest ski resort in Australia. "We obtained this job literally as the (S-64) helicopter was floating over, (by barge), from Malaysia to participate in firefighting duties in (the State of Victoria) Australia. There was a significant logistical challenge in preparing this fire ship for construction duty on such short notice, but we took care of itÉ it's the Erickson Way." said Dave Horton, Construction Manager for Erickson Air-Crane.

When the S-64 arrived in Brisbane on December 17th, Crew Chief Leroy Rogers and Mechanic Frank Grooms assembled and made the helicopter airworthy and pilots; Mark Jones and Trevor Stevens ferried the helicopter to Essendon Airport. At the airport, Pilots; Max Evans and Eric VanDewalker, and mechanics quickly configured the S-64 with the patented anti-rotation rigging and made the necessary modifications to fully activate the rear-facing aft pilot station.

Work started on the morning of December 20th with the removal of the antenna and two sections of the first of two 550 foot (~168 meter) four-legged lattice broadcast towers. Later that day, the Aircrane, piloted by Max Evans, Eric VanDewalker, and Mark Jones, brought five additional steel reinforced sections and placed a new Hi-Definition Television antenna, designed and built by Radio Frequency Systems of Victoria. The S-64 then accomplished the removal of four steel sections and placement 5 new reinforced sections of the second broadcast tower. The Hi-Definition antenna for the second tower is scheduled for installation in March of this year.

The day after Christmas, the S-64 Aircrane, transported and placed thirteen large reels of 15,000-volt (15 Kv) cable every 1,500 feet (450 meters) along a ~19,000-foot (5,850 meter) path at the Mount Hotham Ski Area, the largest and most popular ski area in Australia. The cable would later be spooled out and buried to provide more electrical transmission capability for the Ski Resort.

On December 28th, construction and helicopter crews relocated to Gore Hill, in the outskirts of Sydney. With the help of the S-64's 25,000 pound (~11,400 kilogram) lift capacity and pilot, Max Evans, bringing over 20 years of precision construction experience, the crew from Transfield removed two top sections of another 500 foot (~152 meter) lattice broadcast tower for the Australian Broadcast Company. This was followed by the placement of five new sections that weighed an average of 18,000 pounds (~8,200 kilograms). Placement of the Hi-Definition Television antenna was accomplished the morning of the 29th of December.

Minutes after the job was completed, Kenny Chapman and Mark Jones ferried the S-64 to Bankstown Airport in Sydney where the construction rigging was removed and the firefighting tank system installed. After modification, the two firefighting pilots ferried the fully configured Helitanker to Essendon Airport in Melbourne where it was parked to begin a firefighting assignment on January 1st, 2001.

"We can talk about how our S-64 is the most versatile high performance helicopter out there, but it's our people that make it that way." Says Dave Horton. "From our savvy, "moments notice" shipping department, to our motivated, highly trained pilots and field crews, to our "Chief Chick" Brenda Peterson who makes sure everyone is where they need to be. It's our organization that makes this helicopter great and, after 22 years, it's still a great source of pride for me to be working "the Erickson Way."

"Digital Television gets a boost from the Aircrane"

Chicago, IL — High Definition Digital Television moved closer to a reality in Chicago with the placement of four new digital transmission antennas atop the Sears Tower. The Antennas will be used to broadcast the new digital television signal to the Chicago area in time for the FCC deadline for all of the major networks in May of this year. One of the antennas will be used by WFLD, the local FOX affiliate station.

Frequent snow flurries and a nearby threatening fog bank did little to shake the iron nerves of the Erickson pilots and crew as the S-64F Aircrane lifted four 139-foot long antennas and flew them to their new home on top of the Sears Tower. The 1,454 high structure is the third tallest in the world and dwarfed only by the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia measured at 1,483 feet.

Using the nearby Sears Tower Parking Garage as a staging area, the Aircrane hauled each antenna with a 180-foot steel long-line up through a direct flight path to the top of the tower where Erickson loadmasters and Installation Services crews worked to guide each pole gently into place. The lifts were accomplished in the early hours of a Sunday morning to accommodate stringent FAA regulations concerning evacuation of the pick site, flight path(s), and set site.

The Erickson S-64F Aircrane helicopter that was used for this operation has a lift capacity of 25,000 lbs. at sea level, which equates to 12.5 tons or 5 Ford "Explorers" and some spare parts. The Aircrane is also one of two types of helicopters in the world with an aft-facing pilot station. The aft-seat pilot has a full view of the load being carried and a full set of flight controls for piloting the helicopter during precision installation operations such as the Sears Tower antenna placement.

"Working in a heavily congested area such as downtown Chicago always seems to present unique challenges, but our pilots and crew work year-round performing these types of jobs. It really is just another day at the office for them," said Erickson Air-Crane spokesman Dennis Hubbard.

In 1993, Erickson Air-Crane was contracted to remove and replace the Statue of Freedom that sits atop our nation's capitol in Washington D.C.

Based in Central Point, Oregon, Erickson Air-Crane has been performing heavylift construction services since 1971.

Erickson Air-Crane Helps GLF/Seli Solve Manila's Water Woes.

In an attempt to avert a potential water shortage for the Philippine City of Manila, GLF/Seli Corporation is constructing a concrete encased pipeline through 14 kilometers (8.4 miles) of mountain to connect and divert water from a nearby river into Angat Reservoir which serves as the primary water source for the City. The pipeline tunnel is to be the longest distance tunneled underground in one direction as the geography prohibited tunneling in the opposite direction. To expedite the operation, an effort is being made to create a dam at the tunnel exit site to the river that will divert a portion of the water through the tunnel and into Angat Reservoir.

To accomplish the dam, GLF/Seli contracted Erickson Air-Crane of Central Point, Oregon for use of the Erickson S-64 Aircrane helicopter to transport the necessary construction equipment over a mountain measuring 900 meters (3,000 feet) in elevation to the riverside job site. This came after successful use of the aircrane in October of 1997 to transport over 1,000 metric tons (2.2 million pounds) of construction equipment that would begin the tunneling operation.

349 metric tons (770,300 pounds) of Bulldozers, excavators, rock crushers, cement batch plants, and miscellaneous equipment were delivered in 53 lifts. The Aircrane delivered loads weighing up to 10,454 kilograms (23,000 pounds) with average load weights of 6,364 kilograms (14,000 pounds)

The tempestuous "Orographic" weather conditions that actually feed the river halted operations periodically with sometimes violent tantrums of wind and rain. However, GLF/Seli project managers were very satisfied to learn that the efficiency of the Aircrane not only made up for the lost time, but did indeed advance the project ahead of schedule.

"High-Tech Telescope System Delivered From the Air"

Erickson Air-Crane of Central Point, Oregon teamed up with Sea West Enterprises, Inc. of San Dimas, CA to install an array of state-of-the-art telescope enclosures that would function as part of the largest optical interferometer (mirror) in the world.

This telescope array would offer visual resolution up to 100 times better than the Hubble Telescope and would be able to see the astronauts' footprints on the moon or focus on a nickel in New York City. The array will be placed near the Mt. Wilson Observatory on Mt. Wilson and will be used to search for planets around other stars, study spots on distant stars, and witness the birth of new stars.

The operation is part of a multi-year project being conducted by the University of Georgia's Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) with matching funds from the National Science Foundation.

The seven-ton structures were designed and built for GSU by Eric Simison, President of Sea West Enterprises, Inc., as part of a new generation computer controlled optical array system. The system will gather light from the target object from the six locations and will send the information through vacuum tubes to a central brain facility recombining the data with "near perfect" clarity.

Larry Pravecek, Senior Pilot for Erickson Air-Crane, flew the S-64E model Aircrane helicopter with a lift capacity of 20,000 pounds (9,072 kg) to place the six 10,000 pound enclosures. At each set site, an Erickson loadmaster radioed the position of the load as Larry controlled the helicopter from the unique aft facing pilot station and placed each enclosure in an average of 4 minutes.

With the Aft-facing pilot station, the Aircrane is ideally suited for precision installation of delicate machinery. Erickson has been contracted by "Fortune 500" companies for over 30 years involving specialized lifts such as HVAC air handling units. In 1993, the Government of the United States contracted Erickson Air-Crane to remove and replace the "Statue of Freedom" which sits atop the capitol Dome in Washington, D.C. The versatility of the Aircrane also lends itself to a wide variety of lifts requiring precision placement. Payloads have included delicate pieces of artwork, radio and television antennas, over 7,000 miles of powerline transmission towers, and high profile sculptures such as the"Statue Commonwealth" which sits atop the capitol Dome in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Environmental issues prompted Sea West to choose the Aircrane for transport of the enclosures since the helicopter eliminates the need for costly and damaging roads to be carved out to each individual site.

Sea West Enterprises, Inc., manufacturer of the telescope enclosures, has been in the general contracting and engineering business since 1977. Eric Simison, owner of Sea West, is serving as Project Manager on this project, and has been involved with the Mt. Wilson/ CHARA project since it's beginnings in July of 1996.

"The Aircrane Gives the Lady a Lift"

Erickson Air Crane, working with Wohlsen Construction Co., of Pennsylvania, participated in a critical phase of the Harrisburg Capitol Dome renovation project with the removal of the "Statue Commonwealth" for gold plating and repairs, followed 9 months later by the successful replacement of the statue back to its original resting place atop the Capitol Dome.

Jonathon Long, whose experience includes the 1993 "Statue of Freedom" lift, made use of the Aircrane's unique aft pilot station to fly the aircraft during the critical hook up and placement phases of each operation. The aft-facing pilot station gives the pilot an unobstructed view of the load being carried while maintaining full control of the aircraft during precision operations.

The "Statue Commonwealth," rumored to have been modeled after the daughter of founder and statesman William Penn, was originally placed on top of the Capitol Dome complex in 1906 using a progressive lattice of scaffolding that brought the statue into place over a period of weeks. It took the S-64F Aircrane helicopter, with twin Pratt & Whitney jet engines and a 25,000 lb. lift capacity, only 7 minutes to bring the 8,500 lb. statue safely to the ground, and even less time to take it back to the top of the dome. The Aircrane uses a patented anti-rotation rigging system that keeps all loads from twisting due to rotorwash winds from the helicopter.

Erickson brings the "fighting falcon" home

Erickson Air-Crane, of Central Point, Oregon employed an S-64E Aircrane helicopter to transport an F-16 "Fighting Falcon" from Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls to its final resting place as a static display at the Rogue Valley International Airport in Medford.

The Aircrane arrived at Kingsley field at approximately 7:00 a.m. and Erickson operations crew attached the rigging and secured the F-16 for the transport. Shortly after, the Aircrane departed with the F-16 and flew West arriving at Rogue Valley Int'l Airport at approximately 7:30 a.m.

The transport operation took advantage of the three lifting hard-points of the F-16 to suspend the jet under the Aircrane as it transported the 10,500 lb. Load. To keep the F-16 from flying on its own during the 90-knot transport speeds, the landing gear was extended and all airfoils on the fuselage were spoiled with wooden beams.

Historically, the Aircrane is no stranger to aircraft transport operations. In Vietnam, under the military designation of CH54A, the helicopter retrieved more than 320 damaged aircraft and demonstrated an outstanding service record in support of the Army's First Cavalry Division Airmobile.

The S-64 is powered by two Pratt and Whitney turbine jet engines which generate a combined maximum of 9,000 horsepower. When the aircraft was designed, a major section of the airframe was cut out of the construction to trade aircraft weight for a greater external load capacity. The result is an aircraft specifically designed as a "Flying Crane."

In decades of service with Erickson Air-Crane, the S-64 has lifted over a dozen aircraft ranging from a small Cessna 172, to the bulky DC-3 passenger transport plane. From remote mountain plateaus to bayou swamps, the 20,000 lb. lifting capacity of the S-64 Aircrane has been used to rescue downed or damaged aircraft from a variety of prohibitive environments.

Manila Gets Help from the S-64 to Solve its Water Problem

The Seli Corporation of Italy and Erickson Air-Crane of Central Point, Oregon recently teamed together to complete a significant helicopter air lift operation in the vicinity of Angat Lake, north of Manila.

To avert the potential water shortage at the principal source for the city of Manila, the Municipal Water and Sewage Service contracted the Seli Corporation to bore an underground tunnel to create a diversion of water from a nearby river into Angat Lake. Time was the greatest challenge of the project. A concrete encased pipeline needed to be constructed through 14 Kilometers (8.4 miles) of mountain terrain to carry the water to the lake before Manila's primary water supply dried up.

After developing unanticipated project delays that eliminated the option of slower ground transportation, Seli turned to Erickson Air-Crane, owner of a fleet of S-64 Helicopters, to conduct an air lift of the tunnel boring machine and supplies needed for the tunnel project. An Erickson Aircrane helicopter involved in timber harvesting operations in Malaysia was quickly dispatched and a plan was developed to make up for the lost time.

In 107 lifts over a period of three days, carrying weights of up to 10.9 Metric Tons (24,000 lbs.,) the S-64 helicopter moved over 1,000 metric tons (2.2 Million pounds) of the required equipment to the operational area, a distance of 10 Kilometers (6.2 miles) from the staging area. This included all segments of the tunnel bore machine, 2 dump trucks, 7 generators, and a tractor truck. It was one of the largest air lift operations in the history of the Philippine construction industry, and the project was put back on schedule to the delight of the project managers overseeing the operation.