After Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Bell Helicopter began to
respond to requests for assistance with helicopters, but it was the company's
customers who came to the rescue with additional aircraft and crews.
None of the pilots and support personnel who participated
are likely to ever forget the experience. The NBAA Convention is providing an
opportunity for the company to say thanks to Anheuser-Busch, PHI, Air
Logistics, Greg Norman, Corman Railway, Carolina Helicopter, Great White Shark
and Helo Air.
Randy Rowles, senior flight instructor for Bell Helicopter
Training Academy, who flew on many of the missions, says the participation of
his company would not have been possible "without the generosity of our customers
and friends."
Rowles says the pioneering work Bell has done on night
vision goggle training paid off for him as he was operating over New Orleans at
night with 30 to 40 other aircraft in the area and unlighted towers lurking as
a hazard. He says he'll never forget the flashlights being shined up into the
sky from the dark city below and the searchlights peering down from helicopters
above.
He recalls discovering a warehouse that was sheltering 5,000
people, and relaying a message by cell phone to his wife in Texas so six more
helicopters could be dispatched with food and water.
Cell phone connections were not working for local officials
on the ground.
The helicopters used were Bell 407s, 430s and 206
LongRangers.
Whit Baldwin, president of HeloAir, who also flew his
company's 407 on rescue missions, said the TV coverage didn't do justice to the
extent of the destruction. He recalls flying for 30 minutes over territory that
was completely devastated. Nothing but foundations were left of most of the
buildings, railroad tracks were torn up for 30 miles, and concrete blocks used
to secure boats had been blown inland 2 miles, he says.
