Heavy Snow Hobbles Flood Fighters
March 25, 2009
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/128033524To the west, swelling tributaries of the Missouri River prompted state officials to urge evacuations along the river as they considered using helicopters to dynamite an ice jam to ease flooding around Bismarck.
Blasting avalanches
for fun and profit
http://www.designfax.net/news/archive/03-07-2006/stories/feature_4.asp?rid={{{emailaddress}}}
Alibre Design user finds new way to move mountains.
“As we were throwing dynamite out of the helicopter’s side door, it was always a little touchy,” says Werner Greipl, a helicopter engineer, pilot, and alpine rescue instructor based in Ottobrunn, Germany, who also runs missions to mitigate snow buildup that has deadly potential. "Having 50 kilograms of dynamite or more in the cabin and some guy sitting in the back with a lighter or some matches always made me feel a little nervous."
The inspiration for Avalanche Blast came through conversations in 2003 with Greipl’s pilot colleagues, Gabriel and Marco Kostner from the Italian helicopter firm EliKos. In this case, nervousness was the mother of invention. Greipl and the Kostners had previously relied on conventional explosives when flying avalanche management missions.
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/012509/loc_381347062.shtmlSunday, January 25, 2009
"The common wisdom has us lighting dynamite and throwing it out the door of the helicopter," said Bill Glude.
His company, Alaska Avalanche Specialists, is running avalanche analysis and safety programs for Alaska Electric Light & Power Co. this winter. He'll drop 20 charges on a typical mission and as many as 60 in a day. But in reality, it's not so risky.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
