New hobby
I just set up a new blog to document my foundry/shop project. It can be found at http://helicoptermikeshobbyshop.blogspot.com/
I hope you take a look!
- posted by mike @ 11:22 PM 0 comments

 
The furnace

Here is the furnace as I am curing the refractory lining.
- posted by mike @ 1:36 PM 0 comments

 
A side Project
For the past few years, after reading a series of books on the subject, I have been toying with the idea of building myself a small metal foundry to do some sand casting. I finally got around to it and have begun the process by starting on the foundry. My plan is to start with a small, charcoal powered foundry that can melt aluminum and pot metal and if that goes well, build a bigger, waste oil powered furnace that can do cast iron.
I am on my way and we will see how it goes!
- posted by mike @ 1:34 PM 0 comments

 
Summer Work
I was out for a few weeks over the summer working part time. I was considering making a change and was out kind of testing the waters. I had always liked the Sky-Crane but I had never had the opportunity to get much time in one. This one is a 1969 Sikorsky CH-54B which has only 5,000 hours total time on it. I spent a few weeks in Bryce Canyon Utah and up in Washington state working fires with it as a co-pilot, with the invitation of getting typed and going to work full time for the company.
- posted by mike @ 1:29 PM 1 comments

 
San Diego City Fire Bell 212HP
Here is the Bell 212HP that the City purchased in 2005. It was overhauled and all components except the airframe were new or zero timed and several items were installed or upgraded. Among these items:
Engines upgraded from the PT-6-3-B to the PT-6-3-DF
Goodrich External Hoist
Night Vision compatible cockpit
Simplex Fire Attack Tank system
Hydraulic Snorkel system
BLR Tailboom Strake kit
Night Sun
FLIR (infra-red)
and a couple of GPS maapping systems
- posted by mike @ 6:01 PM 0 comments

 
Update
After so long I will get started by giving an update of what I have been doing all this time.
When I began this blog I had recently been sent to San Diego to fly on a contract to the City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. That contract was held by Heli-Jet/Kachina Aviation out of Boise Idaho. That was in 2003 and the contract came to an end in 2005 after the fire department purchased an aircraft of their own. As that was happening I was hired by the City as one of the first three pilots. Now in 2009 I am still working for the City.
I will get some photos updated and explain the changes soon.
- posted by mike @ 3:06 PM 0 comments

 
I'm Back
After 4+ years of being away from this, I am back
- posted by mike @ 2:34 PM 0 comments