Risk Management Magazine

Cargo helicopter pilots look forward to performing external load operations that challenge their abilities. As exciting and fulfilling as it is to accomplish a mission, there is the inherent risk of having to jettison a heavy external load in the event of an emergency.

Outside my windscreen looked like a scene from Star Wars when the Millennium Falcon travels through hyperspace. There was snow everywhere!

Flying offshore can be dangerous, and I heard horror stories from folks I knew who’d done the job. They shared tales of helicopters being blown off platforms and pilots having to perform emergency landings “in the drink.”