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“ I WENT FOR A SPIN !” Here I was, 54 years old, (I had cut most of my baby
teeth, on helicopter antics), and was looking ahead to
It was about 5 P.M., July 3rd, 1983, (on the Dreger River
turning 55, in a few months! “Glubb, Glubb”, went
system, 30 miles N.W. of Pine House, Saskatchewan); I the bucket, as it sank into the river and I pulled in the
was flying a Sikorsky S-55 Turbine powered helicopter,
power!! “BANG”, (went something)?
on an Initial Forest Fire Attack Mission. There had
been an unusual amount of fire starts from the large
number of lightning strikes, the previous evening, so we
were the sole attack crew, sent to provide Initial Attack
on this particular fire, from the Lac la Ronge Fire Base.
Back-up fire crews were being flown into our site from
Isle La Crosse, by float equipped Beaver aircraft. My
crew on board that particular day, consisted of Peter
Vis, (Helicopter Engineer) and the Initial Attack fire crew,
led by Foreman and competent fire fighter, Bill
Mahoney, of La Ronge.
The Pilot’s seat in a Sikorsky 55, is up rather high,
(compared to the rest of the fuselage of many
medium helicopters), which not only gives the pilot
excellent visibility, but it allows him to stick his head
out of the side window, (much like the old steam
locomotive engineer, that used to shunt by our
house), but “believe me”, when I say, I could really
see… a lot! As I pulled in the power and watched the
bucket come up out of the water, there was a very
loud “BANG”, (and by the time I had looked up, the
Little, did I know, that on that day, I would take, helicopter had already turned 90 degrees to the right),
(another ride for my life), and would be “elevated” by and was starting to spin, (as it also, proceeded on up
“Peter”, my trusty Engineer. What an appropriate name, the river!. Helicopters, (at low speed), have a mind of
he had, as he stood about 6 ft. 6”, in big stocking feet, their own, particularly when the Little Fan at the back:
(which was considerably higher above ground level, than either disappears or decides to quit turning !
my much shorter dimensions! Some say, (“Oh That’s The Fan That Keeps The Pilot
I had dropped Peter off, with the fire crew, while I Cool, ‘Cause When That Quits, The Pilot Really Starts
dropped many buckets of river water onto the fire line, To Sweat”)! Well I didn’t have much time to sweat or
which was close to the river’s edge. When a “water even fret, so after about 3 or 4 spins, (it was time for
source” is within a short distance, (eg. ½ mile), of a fire; me to “roll-off the power”), and do my best to stay
a bucket equipped helicopter becomes an extremely right side up. All I had to do now was to land a wheel-
effective tool in fighting a forest or grass fire. based helicopter, “into the wet river” !
Bill called me on the radio and said, “One more bucket “Glubb, Glubb”, went the Sikorsky, as it settled into
and every things looking good and we can head home, the cold running water. “Spark, Spark”, went all the
to La Ronge!” “Great! Roger,” says I, as I swung back batteries and electronics that were way down, (deep
into the river for one “last” bucket. (What a poor choice within the 55’s Tummy), as “She” leaned way over, as
of words!) “She” sank.
