It's That Time of the Year Again!

This summer, I will be returning to Price Valley for one more season of firefighting. It's the greatest job in the world, and it pains me to think that this will, in all likelihood, be my final season. All good things must come to an end though; livin' the dream has been great, but I'm going to have to wake up sooner or later. Stay tuned for pictures from the '07 season; if you haven't seen photos from previous seasons, refer to the Archive Table of Contents.

For your viewing pleasure, I have uploaded a helmet cam video of a proficiency rappel I did last year, which is the closest one will come to experiencing it short of actually doing it. Unfortunately, the camera was taped somewhat askew on my flight helmet, so you don't necessarily see all that I wanted you to see. Also, my cranial movements are a bit awkward, which means that you miss even more of what I was actually seeing. My attempts to look up and capture the bottom of the helicopter as I was descending proved to be futile. Even worse, the rappel itself is sloppy; my feet come off the skid unevenly, which is why I seem to be spinning so much. If you get dizzy watching the video, imagine how I must have felt!!!

All in all, however, it's not bad for my first helmet cam experience.

Credits:

First stick: Bryce S. and Chris B.

Second stick: Sean R. and Elysia E

Spotter: Seth W.

Pilot: Mark M.

Heli: 69H, a Bell 205++ w. ultra high skid gear