Columbia Helicopter's Chinook Is In Our Area

[slowp]

Hours you can work are 8PM to 1PM. There's a total shutdown of yarders using blocks (haulback) and falling on yarder ground. You can yard with a shotgun system, fall in a skidder unit, use skidders, work on a landing, or use a feller buncher during the above hours.

Shotgun: Uses gravity to get the carriage down the hill. No haulback or corner blocks needed

 

[bullbuck]

in our area in hoot owl conditions after 1pm shutdown they would even require a 3 hr "firewatch"so whoever the rookie was at the time could get a 3 hr. paid nap,thats what it equated to

 

[slowp]

It is still there today, and the smaller helicopters are multiplying. There are now 3 of them.

The fire camp was getting set up today. It is in the hayfield next to our office. We're not used to sharing our bathrooms with so many people. We hope they use the porta potties instead!

I'm doing my normal thing of staying out in the woods all I can.

 

[kkottemann]

thanks!

 

[Roy M]

We are having the busiest fire season in recent memory. Drove back from Kamloops yesterday and watched a Bell medium bucketing the Brookmere fire. The tv news shows lots of footage from the fires, the crews are throwing everything they got but given the size and speed it seems an exercise in futility. IMHO, the air crews are nuts flying in that smoke.

 

[HS Climber]

There not nuts. there just doing there job

 

[oregoncutter]

There not nuts. there just doing there job

That's right, I think it would take some balls to fly into some of the situations these pilots do on a fire. Most of them I have met seem to have good common sense, and a good sense of humor, I know we have a fire about 12 miles from me, that's around 4,500 acres a couple of days ago they quit flying due to the smoke being too thick, and started working on a bunch of little lightning strike fires nearby. My hat goes off to those guys.

 

[HS Climber]

well dont get me wrong they have to be a little crazy to do that.
just like smoke jumpers.
Those guys are all great.

 

[bullbuck]

in o1 i watched a chinook,just my guess?but hit an air pocket or something?they were probably 2 miles away and were getting lined up for a drop as i watched the nose fell almost vertical they simultaneously dropped the load and powered out basically staring down the tree stems,it scared me just watching it!if you are gonna pilot you cant be one that "freezes up"also my hats off to the pilots

 

[jimbo@stn23]

Back in 2003 with the Lost Creek fire we watched some impressive air shows. Wish I would have taken a camera for the flight I was on to check fire conditions. We got to watch a 212 come in and bucket to a couple of porta-ponds to refill them as they had a couple of mark 3's pumping out of them. Very impressive skill and graceful as he dropped the bucket to just over the pond and filled it.

One thing I never got to see was the Canadair ducks refilling off the lakes, but managed to see alot of drops from them and the big conairs.

 

[Greystoke]

in o1 i watched a chinook,just my guess?but hit an air pocket or something?they were probably 2 miles away and were getting lined up for a drop as i watched the nose fell almost vertical they simultaneously dropped the load and powered out basically staring down the tree stems,it scared me just watching it!if you are gonna pilot you cant be one that "freezes up"also my hats off to the pilots

Thought you might appreciate this picture:

Cool story behind it here if you are interested:http://www.colheli.com/colheli.htmlGo to that website and click on "the hover barge photo" under "news and events".

 

[bullbuck]

thanks cody,yup thats just what it looked like!except he was maybe 200'up in the air?but as he hauled ars outta there to regain lift,his bucket looked awful close to the treeline,i love watchin helis fly ecspecially the big uns!

 

[slowp]

The Chinook is still in the hayfield. I think they want to go to the Morton Loggers Jubilee. Perhaps give some competition to the ultra light who flie around while the announcer says it is Morton's own Blue Angels.

I heard a good one today. On the 28 acre fire, which was a priority to get out, the guy in charge told the crews, throw away your fog nozzles, this is a straight stream show, and whatever you do, don't turn your nozzle off.

Kind of a "Welcome to firefighting in Western Warshington!"

We have water nearby, usually.

He said that his fire was out and very muddy.

 

[bullbuck]

sounds like a good time that mortons jubilee,do they have an open mod lawnmower class?

 

[slowp]

The lawnmower races are hard to understand. We like to watch the crashes.
Nobody gets hurt, we hope.

One year a mower caught on fire and a beer drinker ran out and poured his beer on it. It was OK, they either have Miller or Bud.

But they have time trials before the race. I think the time trials are to find out if the mower can make it around the track. Every mower that survives the time trials goes into the races. They race and race and finally, the last race has everybody in it.

There's a competition for the best looking mower too.

They have a big log in front of the beer garden so the crowd is protected.
Before the mowers would hit the log, they have to crash through bales of hay.

Time trials start Friday evening at 6 PM. Salmon burgers to follow.

 

[bullbuck]

sounds alot like a race back to the beer cooler,maybe if you where lucky overcook the beergarden turn and make a early pitstop for fuel

 

[RavensRoost]

Morton

I was in Morton this past Thursday and saw them starting to set things up. Too bad we could not have hung around, but had to get back to Chehalis and fly out of Portland Friday.

 

[Roy M]

I got a kick while watching Heliloggers last night. They were filming a Helifor Chinook and showed a brief clip of one of the pilots. I worked with him in 1988, he is a great guy and very professional.

 

[bullbuck]

The Chinook is still in the hayfield. I think they want to go to the Morton Loggers Jubilee. Perhaps give some competition to the ultra light who flie around while the announcer says it is Morton's own Blue Angels.

I heard a good one today. On the 28 acre fire, which was a priority to get out, the guy in charge told the crews, throw away your fog nozzles, this is a straight stream show, and whatever you do, don't turn your nozzle off.

Kind of a "Welcome to firefighting in Western Warshington!"

We have water nearby, usually.

He said that his fire was out and very muddy.

they ever fly that chinook?or was it just for show?just curious

 

[Jumper]

Worked with them many times, and have about 20 jumps out of them as well both static line and freefall.

Pic is one I took in Afghanistan in June.