Also commercial aviation….

Hi guys!

I had a long day at work yesterday, and figured I’d post a description. Mostly because I am bored right now, but also to maybe inspire someone out there to go for this kind of work…after all, it is worth it.

It all started the day before yesterday, when the police officer told me to take yesterday off. Because of what they call Christmas Winds, the turbulence around the island can get pretty extreme at times. Flying around in a somewhat flimsy looking helicopter in turbulence is not very high on my list. So, I had a late night…and get a phone call at 0830, with a police officer saying that I need to fly over to St. Eustatius immediately. Two guys from the SWAT team needs to be brought back to St. Maarten post haste. Alrighty…35nm over water…about 40mins each way…I could be back in bed in 2 hours. And flying over water is never that turbulent anyway. So I drive to the airport..walk over to my R-44, looking longingly at the Bell 206 and 222 parked next to it. During the preflight check I figure out that I have enough fuel for the trip plus a reserve, so no need to call Shell. I elect to keep the doors on..quieter that way. I get in and start it up, and call for clearance to take off to the south, crossing the runway. “Police 1, standby..landing traffic” is the answer from atc. I sit there and wait..trying to figure out what it can be..landing this early. Turns out to be a private jet…G4. Stops and turns around on the runway next to the helipad. As the temperature inside the cockpit is getting closer to 30 C I curse about the doors..and fantasize about the A/C probably running full blast in that G4 now backtracking the runway.
“Police 1, Cleared direct to the south, below 500ft, squawk 0174” Here we go!!
Pulling the collective smoothly up, getting light on the skids…and voila..airborne…feels great every single time. As I pass over the beach at about 50ft I can’t help but smile.
Tower hands me over to approach, and I ask for a climb to 3000ft heading south…got to get up high..warm in here. Its hard to wipe sweat from your eyes with the helmet visor down. Oh well..

After 25 minutes of enjoying the view it is time to get down. I land in St. Eustatius only to discover that the Swat guys have been called out on something or other…no one is sure when they get back.
Alrighty. I fold up the life vest, prop it up against the skid and fall asleep on the apron.
At noon I wake up, the guys are here and ready to go. They also have a letter that I need to bring over to Saba, another island. Eyeing my fuel gauges I decide that going there is not a good idea. So back to St. Maarten, drop off the guys in Philipsburg and then back to Juliana to get some fuel. As I cross the beach on the way in I can see the Shell truck close to the helipad..good timing I think as I land. When the blades stop turning he starts refueling right away. 15 minutes later I cross the beach southbound again, this time without doors on…the breeze feels good. I keep it at 500ft on the way to Saba. When I get there the tower tells me that I have to land in the harbor to hand over the envelope to someone there.
Alrighty. After landing in the harbor I start looking for someone that looks like he wants an envelope. After a while I call the police station, turns out that he was at the airport after all, but he’ll be there in 15 minutes. A milkshake later the envelope is handed over and I walk back to the helicopter. I start up and head back towards St. Maarten..halfway there I get a call on the police radio that I need to go to St. Eustatius to pick up the prosecutor and bring him to Saba. A look at the fuel, and I tell them thats ok, I’ll be there in 20 minutes. After landing in St. Eustatius I figure out that 20 means 80 in law speak..so an hour after landing the prosecutor arrives at the airport.
With him safely in Saba I head back to St. Maarten again. It is 1730 and the sun is starting to go down. That is always a sight to behold down here in the Caribbean.

After landing I refuel and wash the helicopter, and I am starting to get a little hungry..That milkshake was my food for the day so far.
As I start to walk away from the helicopter a police car comes down the ramp with blue lights and sirens…ah ****..here we go.
Apparently a car has driven off a cliff, and since it is dark, the rescue guys can’t find it. Well…off we go, with a police officer this time, to operate the searchlight. After about 30min we find the car, and provide lightsupport for 1 hour…thats hovering in turbulence for one hour. Not the funniest thing you can do for sure. At least the wind keeps the manifold pressure low.

Then, at 2130 we are released….and we go back to land.
After landing I rest me head in my hands and close my eyes…I feel drained. Looking up I see to kids outside the fence looking at the helicopter. I waive at them and they waive back.

As I walk back to the car they come running up to me. One of them asks if I do this every day. “No” I tell them, “only 5 days a week”. “Wow mister..you are lucky!!” As I am about to tell them luck has nothing to do with it…only hard work and perseverance, I realize that they are right…I am lucky.
Luckier than I could ever hope to be.

Fly safe..
Ken