The Model Maker

The lineup to get a peek inside of CTV Chopper 9 at the Abbotsford Airshow this past weekend

For the past 3 years we have had our helicopter on a static display as part of the Abbotsford International Airshow. It is a show that runs over three days during the first full weekend of every August. In past years, aircraft of every shape and description find their way to the ramps of Abbotsford Airport and Chopper 9 is no different.

During the past 3 shows we have met thousands of people and given them a tour of Western Canada's first news gathering helicopter. Some have questions, most are excited to get an up close look and a hands on attempt at operating the FLIR camera. It's all in good fun and it helps us make a personal connection to our viewers. We give away hats and tee shirts give the kids fridge magnets and this year we introduced tattoos. A big hit with the kids. By the end of the weekend our crew's voices sound a bit on the raspy side, but it is worth it.

Last season I met a gentleman who introduced himself as a model maker. His name is Duncan. During the course of our conversation he told me he had given up his career to follow his passion for building hi end aircraft desk models.

Duncan the Model Maker speaking to a potential client as he explains how he crafts his creations

Duncan was beginning his new business and was using the opportunity of having hundreds of aviation people in one place to make as many contacts as he could. He presented me with his card and asked me about the possibility of producing a scale model of our very own Chopper 9. I was of course interested. I gave him the VIP tour of the machine and he showed me photos of some of his work.
There were photos of Planes and helicopters all finely detailed and decaled. We shook hands and agreed to make contact after the Airshow weekend.
Over the next few months we had exchanged phone calls and emails. He came to the hangar to take some photos and some measurements. "There was no rush" I had told him, as he was making this one on spec. He had many paying clients that had deadlines and like any business you need to look after your clients.
Duncan would email and tell me of his progress. I know he wanted this one to be a one of a kind item. Eventually I get a call and it's done. He and I had agreed on a price and a pick up. He told me he had kept his molds and he would be able to make more if required.

The "Quality Scale Models" kiosk at the Abbotsford Airshow this past weekend

When I went to pick it up, he opened the box and there it was. An incredible scale model of Chopper 9. I could not wipe the grin off my face. He went and showed me some of the detail he worked into the piece. A FLIR camera that moved. Main and Tail rotors that turned. The tubing that went from each float on the skid to the underbelly tank. All that and it was mounted to look like it was flying. Not to mention the detailing of the decals. Wow.

Well I had hoped that when the brass saw this beautiful replica they would be jumping all over it, wanting one for clients or perhaps for themselves. But it was not to be. At least not then.

Duncan was at the Airshow again this year. This time with his own kiosk, many of his fine pieces on display for potential buyers. In his book of photos there's a model, yes my model of CTV Chopper 9. I own it with pride.

Our Model of THU Chopper 9 created by Duncan

If you would like more information about Duncan and his work you can drop me a line and I would be happy to hook you up.

Phoenix

It has taken me a couple of days to wrap my head around what happened in Phoenix on Friday. Two working News Gathering Helicopters collided mid-air, killing both crews. They had been covering a police chase on the ground below. Both going live at the time of the accident.

The crews, were not unlike the people who crew Chopper 9 or Global One. Although I did not know any of the victims personally or professionally, they no doubt loved doing what we love doing- hunting news stories from the sky. This sad event has left us all searching for answers. Answers of how could this happen, yet we all knew it was only a matter of time before it would happen somewhere in North America. Answers for why we do it with all the risks associated with helicopter flight.

I am sure when this accident is analyzed and investigated it will expose some of the weakness in the way news is gathered from the sky. No doubt there will be many recommendations when it is all said and done. Can the industry learn? I certainly hope so.

There have been several items posted about this horrible event. You can find them by following this link: News Choppers Down In Phoenix

Kenny

Wednesday, we learned of a story of great courage, sacrifice and sadness. It was about a man of unbelievable and unquestionable character. He and his family, were enjoying a pleasant day on vacation. Enjoying the water, cooling off on what was no doubt a typical summers day. But this day would be different.

The man's son found himself in some difficulty in the water. There was a strong current, the boy was in danger. With a father's instinct and without hesitation, he went to the boy's rescue. Dad couldn't swim a stroke. He saved the boy, but in doing so, gave his own life.

Incredible.

That man was Kenny Lim. Kenny worked at my station as a Graphic Artist in our News Department. He was one of the original people who helped build and sign on this station 10 years ago. I regret that I was not as close to Kenny as some in the building. But Kenny always had a grin on his face when ever we spoke in the hall or in the elevator. During my all too few conversations with him, I learned he was a Boy Scout Leader and all round nice fellow. He was devoted to his three children and his wife.

Kenny Lim 1960-2007

I know that all of us at CTV Vancouver are richer having known a man, an artist, a father- Kenny Lim.

Flame Out!

My Vacation ended with a phone call on Saturday. I called to make arrangements to pick up my gear for Monday and lo and behold, the voice on the other end of the phone said " You know, you're on the sched for today."

"TODAY?????!!!!

Shit, what time was I supposed to start?"

Well the long and short of it was I began my first day back, a couple of hours late.

Monday brought a return to flight operations for me. Lately the breaking news factor has been a little lean as far as flight ops has been concerned. Surely it would have to change, and soon. With Kink away on holidays, I would be teamed with Kate for the week.

Sitting waiting , scanning, can ware you down. Monday was no different. It was hot and humid. The scanners were quiet and Kate was working the phones to dig something up to sell for the shows. It was looking like the TV News Gods would not smile on us that day.

On days like that, there can be little to pass the time except watch the activity on Runway 26 left as aircraft rolled for takeoff. And this is what I was doing as I listened to scanner chatter wishing for something that would involve flight and a slot in the 5 and the 6.

As I watched a Korean Airlines Boeing 777 position itself at the threshold of 26 left, the sound of Kate's fingers clicking on the laptop computer filled the room. Our office overlooks the runway and I was standing looking our the large picture window at the aircraft. The 777 is considered a "heavy" aircraft and the heavy's aways are fun to watch on takeoff. I know hard to believe after four years out here and I still get a kick out of watching a routine take off.

But this would not be a routine takeoff.

As the massive plane began to thunder down the runway. It was picking up speed to become airborne. Suddenly out of the left engine shoots a flame partway down towards it's tail. My first thought was "wow that's some afterburner".

Then a loud bang, which shook the windows of our hangar office. It got Kate's attention. Flames still shooting out of the engine, I thought"this is not right"

The plane began to break and slow. The entire event maybe lasted 5 seconds. I had seen it all. I grabbed my DSLR and banged off a few frames as the aircraft came to a stop on a taxi way just off of the runway.

This shot taken just seconds after I saw the flame shoot out the rear of the engine in the picture. The plane is at this moment trying to break and slow to get itself off the runway.

Wow. I told Kate I was going to the truck to grab my tripod. As I sprinted to the parking lot I called our desk.

This shot as the pilots steer the massive plane off the runway to an adjacent taxiway.

"Gregg, Murman" I said huffing and puffing.

"The scanners are about to light up, this is what's happening,,,," I told him what I saw and that I was going to roll from the ground. We had decided that if the passengers were to be evacuated where the plane now was stopped on the taxiway, then we would launch the chopper and do a fly over as we exited the airport.

When I returned to the office I set up and rolled on the stricken plane. There was no fire and emergency teams had not yet arrived.

When they did, they assessed the situation and since the fire was out, they inspected the engine on the taxiway. After several minutes the aircraft moved on it's own power to a gate for passenger egress.

Needless to say, I am sure there were some very grateful people glad to be off that particular plane.The jet as it comes to a full stop on the taxiway fortunately there were no injuries or further fire to the the aircraft.

It certainly gave us something to sell for the 5 and 6.

Nope I'm not Dead, Dead Tired Maybe.

Much time has pasted since I sat down to put thought to words. There has been much that has transpired, but inspiration has failed me. In that time I have marvelled at how photog scribes like Stuart Lenslinger Pittman have cranked it out day after day almost effortless. Yes they too run into those days of writers block, but manage to overcome and deliver.
It is done with practice and commitment. Both I have been lacking in recent weeks. Hopefully a well earned vacation away from everything has recharged and re-energized me.

For all of you who have been dropping by to see if I am still alive,,,, I thank you. I return to Flight duty on Monday and with any luck there will be much to write about.

Butterscotch

This is a story about Butterscotch. Not the stuff you put on an ice cream sundae, but rather a bear. Not just any kinda bear, a Grizzley. It all began for me and the crew of Chopper 9 a couple of weeks ago in a town located at about the halfway point between Vancouver and the ski resort town of Whistler.
We had been called early to warn us of a possible mission to Squamish. It seems a bear had decided that after a long winters nap, some fixin's in the town was what a bear needed to get his "playin' weight up, so as the season progresses, he could play with the "lady" bears. The bear had wondered into town, and as it was garbage pickup day, scared the bejesus out of some poor schlep takin' out his trash. What made this unique was, this bear was a Grizzley Bear. There had not been a Grizzley sighting in the town for more that 10 years.

Our "mission" was to fly up to Squamish, and get some shots of this creature. The sighting was several hours old when we got the call, so seeing the beast would be slim at best. Kink and I did a couple of orbits around the directions we had been given, and decided to land at the airport and make some calls to the local Conservation Officer. We learned that we had been orbiting the wrong area,,, what else is new,,,,but were told that the officers were about to bait a live trap.
"Hold on" Kink said , "we'll be right there!"
We hopped a cab and went directly to the sight where the officers were getting the trap ready. I was able to get some good trap shots, the bait and of course the neighbourhood of which there was supposed to be much "fear and loathing". A quick clip with a Conservation Officer and we were on our way. It would make a quick buck thirty. (one minute, thirty seconds, for you who don't understand news-speak)

Chopper 9 at the Squamish Airport during our first Bear mission

As we flew off, I figured that this would be the last of my involvement in this story as the following day would demonstrate. A ground based crew was dispatched to do the follow up story.
The bear was sighted again on day two and just as our crew went to air, word that it had been hit by a tranquilizer dart from the business end of a Conservation Officer's rifle. Yes the town could breath easy now. Goldie Lockes would be safe. End of the story,,,,, No.

Again the call came early, another mission to the Squamish area. Seems the folks at the Conservation Office have invited us to see the release of the wayward bear into the wilderness. Damn, that would be cool. I have never in all the years of shooting had I seen the release of a bear. Hell, in all the years of shooting, I have never seen a bear let alone a Grizzley, in the wild. All I had to do now was to get to the airport as fast as I could as they were due to release the beast at around 10:30 am. It was now 8:40 and I was still 30 minutes away from the airport. To make the race even more interesting was four factors. One: The flight up to the release point would take more than an hour. Two: The only communication in the area we were going was by SAT phone. Three: Kink was taking a day off, so I would be working with our newly acquired flight reporter, Kate. And finally our pilot for the day was unfamiliar with the area. It could be a great story and a fun one to shoot to boot, or it could end in disappointment and well for lack of a better term, shame.

When we all had arrived at the hangar pretty much at the same moment, the situation looked good. We spooled up and we're on our way. The flight to our rendezvous was filled with a nervous excitement. We knew that we really, really wanted this. We also knew that our competitors didn't have it. Kate wanted to hit the long ball on one of her first missions. Guiv our pilot just wanted to get there without getting us lost. Yes there was tension that day my friends. I glanced at my watch, it would be close. We entered a valley with steep mountians on each side, following the river as directed. Guiv watching the GPS. We followed the road as far as it went, where were they? Had we passed them?
Another check of the watch, we are going to miss it, damn! I could sense Kate was on the edge of her seat. We turned around fuel was now a concern. We would have enough to get ourselves to the Squamish airport. I decided to call the desk and break the bad news when we landed.
Fergus our man on the desk and the person coordinating this mission told me that he had just got off the phone with the Conservation team. It seems they were delayed. He gives me their SAT phone number and we coordinate. After getting directions and comparing them to a topo map, it appears we had headed up the wrong valley where the river had split. On our second attempt we would not make that same mistake.

Chopper 9 and crew off for a second attempt to rendezvous with the release team

Finally we make visual contact with the release team on the ground. Guiv skillfully positions the aircraft for my best shots. The team on the ground flashes their emergency lights, indicating the release is imminent. I just hope my tape is rolling. I double check, they are both rolling.

With the trap in position, Conservation Officer, Dave with bean bag rifle in hand prepares to open the trap.

Then all at once, the bear is released. At first the beast pokes it's head out from the trap and looks around.

The bear taking its first tentative steps and casing his surroundings

Then seeing the coast is clear begins to walk, then stops, lingering to look at his former captors.

The moment just before he gets hit in the butt with a bean bag shot

Suddenly a well placed bean bag shot to the ass, gets old Butterscotch in a full run away from the trap and the release team. He sprints up the mountain looking back to see what just hit him.

Haulin' ass up the mountian

The officers fire a "whiz bang" over his head and he continues to get the hell out of Dodge. In a post release interview, the officers told us that they wanted to make the release and the bears encounter with man as "unpleasant" as possible so as to deter the bear from future encounters with people.

The bear gives the Helicopter the evil eye as I continue to roll tape

Having become bored with flying machines and the tasty creatures within, Mr. Bear begins his search for a stiff drink

One of the last looks before he went into the woods for good, we can only hope he'll keep out of trouble

The biologist on the release team told us that this bear had been tagged before. This was it's second release. The first time had been a year or so ago. His colleague's daughter had named the bear at the time "Butterscotch". So instead of a number on an ear tag, this bear had a name. The biologist had also hoped that Butterscotch would not return to the town, as it would likely mean the bear would be destroyed. His hope was he would become more interested in the Lady bears than easy food in the town.

The Grizzley Biologist, Dave the Conservation Officer and Kate during the post release interview. We had landed on a sand bar on the Elaho River some miles away from the release site.

Guiv our pilot, happy to have delivered us to the story.

Newest crew member Kate Gajdosik poses on the sand bar with the machine

It has been almost three weeks since the release. I have not heard of a Grizzley back in Squamish. Lets hope that Butterscotch is livin' large with the girls in the mountians.

It was a cool shoot.

The Road Trip

I have just spent the last week on a road assignment. I had been in the northern part of our province covering a Coroners Inquest into the death of a young lad who had been in police custody. Houston is a small town on the Yellowhead Highway on the way, I suppose to Prince Rupert and Alaska. I had never been this far north before and as I always look forward to going to places I have never been, Houston would prove to be an adventure.

Covering Inquests are very similar to covering court trials. Lots of hurry up and wait for a witness, a family member or a lawyer to walk in or out of the building. In this case the building in question would be the Houston Community Center.

Covering one of these would be mighty lonesome if I had been the only camera laying in wait, but this Inquest has generated interest with most of the provincial media. We had our SNG Truck and our competitors from Global had theirs. There was also a TV Crew from the people's network, the CBC. So I would have lots of company during those long periods of waiting for my shots.

There was a good crew on hand for this one. Al from Global, Jim from CBC, both camera/ editors, good company to keep both have great stories, both have a sense of humour. Our SAT Truck op Gary, joined us as well as did Jamie, SAT Truck guy with Global. Rounding out the technical/ camera gathering was a stills photog from the Globe and Mail, John and a stringer for the provincial papers, a fellow I have never met before named Rolf.

Al, Jim and Jamie wait across the street for a break in the proceedings

Each morning at about 8 we would all begin to gather outside the hall, waiting for the key players to arrive. At about 9 everyone was inside, and so the banter would begin.

"Where did you eat last night?"
"What time did you guys arrive in town ?"
"Where are you staying?"

All the usual pleasantries.
As the morning wore on, out would come the first folding chair, it was usually mine, and the rest would follow. We would all sit across the street watching the front doors, cameras at the ready, by each of our chairs. Yes we were at a constant state of readiness.

Like a coiled spring, Al waits

Our reporters of course were inside, diligently taking notes and paying attention to the details of the testimony, formulating the stories that they would tell to the viewer later in the day.

Then all at once the three of us would leap out of our chairs, grabbing our cameras and powering them up almost instantaneously. We all would roll. slightly different angles of basically the same shot. People going in, people coming out. Only at the end of any given day would we collect clips from family, friends, a lawyer or a witness.

Clips now collected, I head back to the truck to prepare to edit

Each of our reporters would then head to the trucks and begin to write. Before long each of us would be editing and then feeding. Then live hits. After all of that it was finally time to pack up and head to the motel. Supper, then bed.

And we do it all over again, tomorrow.

The road trip.

Uplink Refresher

The last few weeks haven't been all bad. During my non flight weeks I was given the opportunity to get some refresher training on our SNG Truck. You see, the skill of operating an uplink had been something I had wanted to acquire for several years. I had pursued it back in the Maritimes, but since our Uplink was based in Halifax and me five hours drive away in New Brunswick, well you see it was not a viable option from the employer's perspective.
Year later I would get my chance, but due to my responsibilities in the office I would not get out in the truck for any extended period.
My first real opportunity came quite by chance during the end of a Vacation period when one of the primary Uplinkers was boarding a plane to get some much needed vacation.
That was the weekend in the fall of 2004 when Mount St. Helens began to get restless.
My assignment was to travel down to St. Helens and meet up with Toby, another one of the primary Ops and team up with him. The truck was already parked and set up for the most part and I would provide relief for young Toby who had been burning the wick at both ends for the better part of 4 days. We had demands for content and hits into our network shows back east which meant crew calls of 3 am as well as providing hits and content into our own shows both at suppertime and late night.
I was essentially booking and babysitting the truck. And that was my first quasi real SNG assignment. Not bad either, an assignment and an exploding volcano, this would be one to remember. You can check out the photos on my flickr site.

Of course anyone who uplinks knows you need to keep your skills fresh. It is not something that you can do without using skills acquired on a semi regular basis. In my case, almost three years would pass before I would find myself searching the "Clark Belt" looking for F1.

With the advent of digital encoders, and decoders since my initial time on the Truck, getting fimilar with the equipment all over again would be good for me. I do love to learn new things and spending a week assigned to training was time well spent indeed.
Now hopefully, it won't take another four years for me to get some time on the SNG beat.

The Slump

As I sit and put thoughts to words, I find myself in quite the slump. As a photog, you want to contribute everyday to the greater good of the show. It involves giving your best for your 2 minutes of story that ends up on the cast. I feel the same when I am on a week of Air Operations as well. And herein lies the problem.

My last several rotations have dealt with bad weather, maintenance and the lack of a flight reporter. These three factors have to say the least limited both flight time and air time.

Now I do know that these things happen, yes and they do come to an end. I am sure that this slump will to come to pass. But as a particularly impatient kinda person, it cannot end quick enough for me.

It might be the time of year and that coupled with the fact we only have so many flight hours in the contract and that we had an exceptional March, a slow down was in the cards.

Add to the mix, the reassignment of our flight reporter to ground duties this very morning, and I find myself wondering what the hell I'm doin' sittin here listening to the blair of the scanners that have yielded nothing in the past several flight rotations. Oh the humanity,,,,,

Yes sir, a slump indeed.

The Off Season

There are two seasons in Murman's world. They are not heralded by a change in temperature or the color of leaves, but rather the sound of metal on ice and wood striking rubber. Yes there are two seasons in my world: The Hockey season and the Off season.
The Hockey season usually begins during those first days of any given October. The Off season, well it is a much more difficult season to predict. Last year it came early, not because of any "global warming" or "green house gasses" but because the playoff winds were not favorable to Vancouver's Canucks.

It looked like the off season would come late this year, we had all hoped it would be maybe sometime in June. But as fate would have it, a sudden high pressure wind from Southern California brought migrating birds north. Ducks to be precise and just like that the season changed. The off season began with the flash of red light from behind the Vancouver goal, in Overtime period #2 from a shot that should have been stopped, but wasn't,,,,,

Yep the ride is over. No Stanley Cup, no parade.

But is was fun while it lasted. Lets hope that the "Off Season" comes late next year.

And finally to borrow a picture and statement from another blog:

HEY DUCK FAN!!

Just kidding, rock on.