Utility Helicopter Crew Servicing Tension Wires in St. Charles Area This Week

By Carmelo Turdo

A flight and ground crew from HLH Aviation, a utility helicopter company operating out of Calhoun, GA, will be temporarily based at Creve Coeur Airport this week and next week to service tower powerlines in St. Charles and surrounding areas. The company's MD-500D (Hughes 369D series) is shown here being fitted with a work platform that extends from the left side just below the pilot's position prior to takeoff on Monday morning. The aircraft was then flown to an area along the Mississippi River west of St. Charles County Airport to install visibility marker balls on the towered lines. This and related work will continue in the coming days.

HLH Aviation operates a fleet of MD-500 helicopters for powerline maintenance and right-of-way vegetation management using saws attached to the center cargo hook. Larger Bell helicopters are also available for medium lift duty missions as well. A well-equipped ground support team accompanies flight operations when deployed outside of the home base.   

Here we view the setup and takeoff for Monday's first sortie.

Utility Helicopters Stage in Eastern Missouri

By The Aero Experience Team

Utility helicopters were once again staging in eastern Missouri this week. On one end of the size scale, we feature two MD-500Ds at Farmington, MO Regional Airport used by Air2 to transport crews performing live power line inspection and repair services. The power and maneuverability of this small helicopter are ideal for this mission. On the other side of the scale, this Erickson S-64F Skycrane heavy lift helicopter, seen at Washington, MO Regional Airport, is capable of lifting up to a 25,000 lb. external load. It is configured with the anti-rotation rigging system that keeps the cargo from spinning under the rotor wash in flight and a cargo pod. 

Helicopters Used for Tree Trimming Near Wires in Southeast Missouri

By Fred Harl

A helicopter crew from Aerial Solutions was working in the Farmington, MO area last week performing a necessary specialized service: trimming trees along main power lines from the air. The MD Helicopters MD-500E is the ideal utility platform for these missions, offering the lifting power and agility to maneuver along the narrow tree lines. Aerial Solutions designs, manufactures and operates their own air saw equipment from their Tabor City, NC base. Below are some views of the trimming operations from a nearby field.

St. Louis Metro Air Support Unit Serves Three Law Enforcement Agencies

By Carmelo Turdo

The St. Louis Regional Helicopter Safety Seminar featured several helicopters on static display, including an MD-500E from the St. Louis Metro Air Support Unit. The Metro Air Support unit is a model for medium-sized metropolitan areas using aircraft to assist ground units in apprehending suspects, performing search and rescue and transporting critical personnel and items in the shortest possible time across three jurisdictions: City of St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County.

The St. Louis County aviation support services were initiated in 1971 using three Bell 47 helicopters. Air operations continued, making their current home at Spirit of St. Louis Airport in 1981.  In the mid 1980s, budget cuts reduced the air support unit to two pilots flying the MD-500 (Model 369) as the standard aircraft type. Federal block grants following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks helped in the purchase of additional MD-500 aircraft and systems upgrades including night vision, FLIR and 30 million candlepower search light. Today, the unit trains its own pilots, flies 3,000+ hours per year and has several aircraft flying pro-active patrols within the 1500 square mile area.  Each pilot and observer flies at least four hours per day/night shift and are fully qualified law enforcement officers from one of the three sponsoring agencies on a mixed crew basis.

Here are some views of the aircraft on display during Saturday's safety seminar: