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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Asante plans to build center for neuroscience services Camp and fish for free at Oregon state parks next weekend 10 things to know for Friday SOU launches arts institute for high school students It's a family affair for these trick riders at the Expo Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services Metal thieves ordered to pay $206,394 Police arrest repeat offender after 90-minute chase Report of shooting in Jacksonville was a hoax, police say Missing Ashland woman found dead Politics and Elections Case, Salmon leading in Central Point School Board race Lundberg, Mannenbach leading Eagle Point races Jackson County district election turnout under 17 percent Arthur I. Cyr: Camp David summit will not help Mideast stability Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection Education SOU launches arts institute for high school students SOU names new development, foundation leader Rogue River Chieftains not ready yet to drop team name Education Board again says tribal mascots must go Sen. Merkley talks 'Big Idea' with McLoughlin students Environment Bacteria plague parts of Bear, Neil creeks Drought may drop Lost Creek to near-record lows Mace Family Watchable Wildlife Area is a legacy project ODFW seeks big drawdown on Lost Creek Lake to protect chinook Crews will open hiking trails rarely explored off lower Rogue River State News Senate backs bill allowing Oregon workers to talk about pay Fifth Oregon marine reserve begins in January, off North Coast Rules aim to protect sage grouse habitat in 10 states Gary Goins takes deal, avoids death penalty in exchange for true life sentence Oregon Senate backs new regulations for medical marijuana Nation - World Uh oh .... Apple Watch demand is weak Obituaries Betty Deffley John Allen Anderson Dixie Delores (Stout-Brown) Hanley Lathan Carsee Brinkley Polly Bingham Arnold Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Check out top import and export for every U.S. state Patriots fan sets up GoFundMe page to help pay for team's Deflategate fine Sports Latest Stories UCLA stuns Oregon in WCWS American Pharoah faces tough test in Belmont Tebow off to so-so start for Eagles Bowditch shoots 62 to lead at Nelson And now, we wait: Cavs, Warriors get time to rest Varsity 541 College Sports UCLA stuns Oregon in WCWS SOU athletes earn academic honors Beavers overcome youth to reach regional Patience pays off for Ducks’ Heineman Rogues slide into action Pro Sports American Pharoah faces tough test in Belmont Tebow off to so-so start for Eagles Bowditch shoots 62 to lead at Nelson And now, we wait: Cavs, Warriors get time to rest Lightning, Rangers vie for trip to Cup finals Community Sports Adrenaline boys, 96G Red girls off to hot starts Business Latest Stories Asante plans to build center for neuroscience services One shopper at a time: Peach Street Market aims to offer organic produce for weekly pickup Erickson readies for severe fire season Willingness to spend means more local jobs The Beanery customers remember the better times Real Estate News Single-family home sales take off Never enough: New Starbucks proposed on Barnett Road in Medford People In Business People in Business Transportation Erickson readies for severe fire season Allegiant Air resumes flights to Arizona Tourism stronger than ever in Southern Oregon Medford airport still flying high with record passenger counts Agriculture One shopper at a time: Peach Street Market aims to offer organic produce for weekly pickup Opinion Latest Our View: State needs to speed up retail pot timeline Matthew T. Mangino: The promise of legal representation often not fulfilled Letters to the Editor, May 29 Michael Gerson: Religious conservatives' shifting role Granlund cartoon: FIFA corruption charges Editorials Our View: State needs to speed up retail pot timeline Our View: A fitting legacy for a wildlife champion Our View: Wine growers take note of climate change Our View: Don't siphon off prison savings just yet Other Views: PERS ruling leaves little room to maneuver Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, May 29 Letters to the Editor, May 28 Letters to the Editor, May 27 Letters to the Editor, May 26 Letters to the Editor, May 25 Columns Michael Gerson: Religious conservatives' shifting role George Will: The separation of campaign and state Dana Milbank: The decline of Rand Paul Kathleen Parker: It must not be easy being Bill Kristol We can reduce greenhouse gas emissions Guest Opinions We can reduce greenhouse gas emissions Guest Opinion: BLM management plans fail people and forests Guest Opinion: Medford needs SkyPark more than it needs parking Guest Opinion: Ample water? Think again Guest Opinion: Oregon mothers need much more than flowers Lifestyle Latest stories Asante plans to build center for neuroscience services Cocktail Hour Community blog: Raise your glass to rhubarb before it's toast Atkinson film on Klamath Basin water wars to play at Varsity Get Out: Friday, May 29 Food Community blog: Raise your glass to rhubarb before it's toast Community blog: Scallions, scapes bring more savor to rhubarb Lavender in your larder Traveling in time with Grandma Skinner's Scottish Shortbread Andrea Honaker: Getting to know rhubarb Home and Garden Betty Montgomery: Clematis is a lovely, versatile flowering vine Make herbs part of your plant world Homeowner’s insurance: What it covers, what it excludes Monarchs are disappearing, but you can help with a wildflower garden Linda Cobb: Time to make a list of spring garden chores Health Asante plans to build center for neuroscience services Health Watch: Taking action, with skin cancer on the rise It Is What It Is: Come on body, stay with me! Community blog: It�s a Shame: How to Understand and Manage It Health Watch: How to avoid the diet rut Hiking Biking Faith Religion Briefs: Friday, May 22 Religion Briefs: Friday, May 15 Religion Briefs: Friday, May 8 Religion Briefs: Friday, May 1 Milestones and Achievements New rec program targets park events Prefontaine-style running trail proposed in south Medford Bukair-Hinkle Wedding: Stephanie Anne Obad and Mark Douglass Schmor Ashland water bills could go up to fund watershed protection Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories 5 picks for live entertainment Live Music in Local Clubs Cast of Clowns pays tribute to Grateful Dead at Brickroom in Ashland YSSO showcases Mozart, Jerry Su and Mark Jacobs 'Night Train to Memphis' Theater Oregon Cabaret Theatre stages gritty 'Cabaret' SOU presents Shakespeare's 'The Winter's Tale' OSF commissioned plays tour throughout country 'Cuckoo's Nest' is a big play, well presented 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' Music Live Music in Local Clubs Cast of Clowns pays tribute to Grateful Dead at Brickroom in Ashland YSSO showcases Mozart, Jerry Su and Mark Jacobs The Farr Side: ‘American Idol’ could have continued much longer 'Night Train to Memphis' Community Events Camp and fish for free at Oregon state parks next weekend Backstage tours give insider's look at Oregon Shakespeare Festival It's a family affair for these trick riders at the Expo Unleash your inner cowboy at the Wild Rogue Pro Rodeo May 28-30 in Central Point Memorial Day celebrates veterans Movies Movie review: ‘San Andreas’ has its faults, but it’s a fantastic-looking disaster film What the ‘Entourage’ gang has to say about the film The ‘Entourage’ movie: Catching up with Vince, E, Drama, Turtle and Ari Interview: ‘Good Kill’ offers blistering look at ‘battlefields and blackjack’ of drone warfare Review: ‘Tomorrowland’ feels like another Disneyland staple — Dopey Dining Teapot on Wheels an outpost for Anglophiles Lavender in your larder Upscale pub fare at The Point Wine by the keg, growler, box and ammo can 6 stars of the Rogue Valley food universe Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Jackson County run now an official qualifier for Boston Marathon ... Our View: State needs to speed up retail pot timeline ... SOU launches arts institute for high school students ... Jackson County run now an official qualifier for Boston Marathon ... Our View: State needs to speed up retail pot timeline ... SOU launches arts institute for high school students ... AVIATION Erickson readies for severe fire season By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted May. 27, 2015 @ 1:15 pm Updated May 28, 2015 at 11:22 AM By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted May. 27, 2015 @ 1:15 pm Updated May 28, 2015 at 11:22 AM » RELATED CONTENT --> While firefighting income is critical to Erickson's well-being as energy exploration has declined, Commercial Aviation Vice President Andy Mills said revenue from installation of power transmiss... » Read more X While firefighting income is critical to Erickson's well-being as energy exploration has declined, Commercial Aviation Vice President Andy Mills said revenue from installation of power transmission lines and doing precision set construction lift work is growing. "You don't stray too far from what you earn your bread and butter with," Mills said. "But we've got the trained crews, we know how to do it, the production teams, and what we have to do is broaden where that gets grown." Opportunity exists in emerging countries where infrastructure investment is expanding. "If you look at places like India and China, they have a huge chunk of their population that still doesn't have electricity," Mills said. "They are under a huge crunch to modernize their electrical grid and infrastructure — and they have money. There are a lot of poor countries that want electricity, but don't have the money to do it. These countries do have the money, so we see more and more room for us to having cranes there permanently. "We have our fingers in a lot of different aviation markets. Trying to pinpoint one area where we are going to grow more is difficult, but there is definitely room for growth for us in the transmission and power line market." • Erickson Helicopters firefighting demo » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Erickson expects to deploy three-fourths of its S-64 heavy-lift helicopter fleet on fires this summer. Founded as a logging support firm four decades ago, the aviation company with three locations in Jackson County now finds that fire suppression provides its largest revenue stream. Given the prolonged drought, Erickson anticipates the coming fire season easily will surpass last year's demand for its helicopters and support crews. On Tuesday, Erickson strutted its stuff at its Kirtland Road site near the Rogue River, demonstrating the breadth and speed of its tanker capabilities. "The crane is an amazing aircraft," Commercial Aviation Vice President Andy Mills said. "It's very unique. Nothing else sounds like it when it's flying. Nothing else has the capabilities it has. It's never been replicated in the helicopter world, even though the original design is quite a bit older." While airline pilots have the ability to use simulators to learn about the terrain at unfamiliar airports, Erickson pilots often have to do their own reconnaissance, Chief Pilot Dave Barnett said. "Quite often we'll get sent to a set of coordinates and we use our navigation maps and a GPS," he said. "Once we get there, the pilot conducts a high-recon, at an altitude 300 to 400 feet above the terrain. We're looking for wires, wind direction, obstructions such as snags or treetops on the ground, whether or not the terrain slopes. We evaluate that before we commit to the final approach." Pilot Eric Van De Walker has observed a variety of terrain in his 23 years with Erickson, flying in Greece and Australia, among other locales. But until last summer, he had never flown a firefighting mission in Southern Oregon. "There are just all kinds of different places to see and we usually hit them all," Van De Walker said. "I actually got to go out on the 790 fire and the Onion Mountain fire and that was kind of a treat." A helicopter's snorkel can suck up 2,500 gallons from a river or reservoir in less than a minute. "The trickiest part is just to make sure you're lined up," Van De Walker said. "If we're using a dip tank, we have a much smaller area to shoot for, versus a river or a lake. It's just being steady on the controls and making sure you're clear of the trees and other obstacles. In dropping the water, the hardest part is making sure you're lined up correctly and taking into account cross winds or any other factors like that." Erickson is repositioning much of its fleet from Southern Hemisphere fire season deployment. "It's a massive undertaking when we do move an aircraft internationally," Mills said. During the peak season, 16 of 20 aircraft are deployed for firefighting duty, including three in Greece and one in Turkey. The city of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County and San Diego County all have their own S-64s, while each of the helicopters assigned to the U.S. Forest Service has a designated base, primarily in the West. "But in reality they get moved to wherever the Forest Service needs them for fires," Mills said. "If we start getting big fires in California we might wind up with six of the eight cranes in California. Potentially, if they have bad fires, we might have as many as 11 cranes in California late in the season. It's unusual for them all to be there, but it's not impossible." While firefighting plans are detailed and thought out well in advance, Erickson aircraft and crews can respond as quickly as necessary. Maintenance pods with a million dollars' worth of spare parts and equipment are sent to service the helicopters in the field. "We're close to any action we need to take on," said Field Maintenance Director Blake Ironside. "We could be spur of the moment, where we would gather all the appropriate personnel. We launch our maintenance pods two days before the helicopters. Sometimes the aircraft may have to have support from a local airport fixed base operation or we utilize equipment from another aircraft." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GregMTBusiness , on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/greg.stiles.31 , and read his blog at www.mailtribune.com/EconomicEdge . By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted May. 27, 2015 @ 1:15 pm Updated May 28, 2015 at 11:22 AM » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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