A first-hand insight into field operations
Kevin Jacobs, CEO of NM Group
I recently spent some time with our operational team, while they were working on capturing the final section of data for a UK utility. The flight had to be conducted at night, due to flight restrictions around the busy airspace of Gatwick airport. Work started late in the evening, and continued through the night. Here is an account of my time with them:
When I arrived at the airfield, the crew had already pushed the helicopter from the hanger and carried out the daily checks. The pilot was checking the weather and was making his own visual assessment, watching the passenger jets arriving and departing Gatwick.
Cup of tea in hand, I listened to the pilot and operator go through the plan and discuss any safety and operational issues. The pilot had previously filed the requisite special flight permissions and at midnight called Gatwick to activate these plans and get provisional authorisation to enter the controlled airspace.
We waited before taking off, while the air ambulance and police helicopter got airborne. Both were operating from the same airfield. The plan was to operate to the West of Gatwick as the landing aircraft were coming from the East. (At this time of night there are very few, if any, departures.)
The survey commenced flying parallel 12-mile North to South lines, each time getting closer to the actual runway at Gatwick. The pilot was in constant communication with the controller at Gatwick, who would hold us due to traffic if required. Each hold required us to make a large orbit before getting back on our flight line.
We returned to the airfield to re-fuel. This was specially arranged and the fuel truck was waiting when we arrived. It was like a Formula 1 pit stop: everyone knew what they were doing, and did it efficiently, safely, and in a calm manner.
Off again: the second flight took us directly over Gatwick where there were, by now, very few aircraft movements.
After flying more lines, the first wisps of daylight appeared on the horizon. Gatwick started to wake up; all those excited families heading off on their holidays! The controller informed the pilot that the first jets would be pushing off their stands and we would no longer be able to access the zone.
On return to the airfield, the data was downloaded and the helicopter returned to the hanger. The pilot and operator held a post mission de-brief and with a handshake headed off to get some rest.
My thanks to the team in the field
Every year I clear my diary and spend at least one full day (in this case a night) on field operations. Without fail, I am impressed with the dedication and professionalism shown by everyone involved. In this instance, the Gatwick controller, pilot, ground handlers and fuel providers, all from different organisations, worked seamlessly with our operations team to complete the project. The team answered my questions and even made me a cup of tea!
I get to sleep at home tonight, however my session in the field reminds me of the challenges our field team face on a daily basis. Without the data they capture, we would not be able to offer the services we do; supporting power utilities to improve safety and reliability on the network. Just today, we have field teams operating in England, Scotland, New South Wales Australia, Western Australia and Utah USA and I thank them all for their efforts.