Buster Burns

Quite right boys, it dosen't seem like too much of a financial burden to buy some sat phones. As for the company I work for, never you mind, it dosen't matter. The pelican cases I've seen my customers using for both Iridium and Global Star are 8" by 4" so space is not an issue unless you're in a R22. Like some of the others have said, the batteries will last quite a long time if you only turn it on when needed. Yes, there are alot of guys who could screw up a free lunch, but that cannot be helped. It seems like most companies out there think sat phones are an asset for their crews to have and that is good to hear. Hopefully this will help to make some changes with the companies that don't.

Thanks for your responses. I agree with chocolates statement about technology. I've used those map things once or twice before I bought a GPS. Yes people got by for years without sat phones, cell phones and, ****, even helicopters. Fact is we have them now. I am fully aware of Arctic radio 1267 and other frequencies that can contact overflying jets but in half mile there probably won't be much VFR traffic and any IFR may be out of range. To those of you who are going to say, "what are you doing in half mile or under?", weather can move extremely fast in some situations and even the best planning can have its gliches. Anyway, point is, everyone has had to set down and camp out for one reason or another and these are the situations I'm talking about.

That sounds even better! What a novel idea; keeping your aircrew happy will pay off in the end.

I'm not talking about sat phones for personal use. Most bases and camps have some form of communication whether its a land line or internet. This is about situations like the one I stated above. It's about safety. I'm trying to see what the industry standard is so I can make a case to the company I work for. It seems ridiculous to send an aircraft to remote locations with just a couple of radios when sat phones are available.

lol! Nice dog! Yeah it seems like sat phones should be a standard issue thing. Arctic radio 1267 isn't so easy to get a hold of some times.

It's a safety thing. If I have to put down for weather in the middle of the tundra, would the company rather spring for a Herc to come find me or a sat phone so I could tell them I'll be camping for the night?

Right on the nose Krusty, the grass is always greener until you're ankle deep in a patty. There isn't one company on the planet that is politic free and hasn't had some former employee talk smack about them. When you're fed up with a company is it the company or the industry?

I'd like to find out about some different company policies on sat phones. Are they being provided by the companies or the individual pilot. I am of the opinion that if a pilot is operating outside of cell phone coverage, that pilot should be given a sat phone on the company's tab. This is not the case for myself and many others I've spoken with. What's the deal with the rest of you?

Has HTP gone missing now as well?

No sweat cap. Its always better to know.

Ouch! Can you tell me what I'm wearing?

It wasn't me eating the pork rinds, it was the pilot that greased on the auto in HTR. Now he's driving a 212.

apparetly the machine in question was sold to a company out of kelowna after the stove quit in ft. nelly....

Hey everybody. FHTR was a Ft Nelson base machine until late May 2004 when the second stage compressor blade departed the wheel and destroyed the rest of the compressor. The pilot, between a cigarette and a coffee, landed without damage in a cut line big enough for a R22 between YoYO and Kotcho lake. The aircraft was sold shortly after. I have this info because the pilot is sitting in his tighty whiteys across from me stuffing his face with pork rinds.