The Sikorsky Skycrane was conceived as a revolutionary heavy-lift helicopter capable of carrying massive external loads, initially seeing use with the U.S. Army.
Logging contractor Jack Erickson transformed its civilian utility by acquiring the design and innovating specialized applications, notably for demanding tasks like heavy-lift logging and effective firefighting.
Now operated and continually remanufactured by Erickson Air-Crane, these highly versatile aircraft are deployed globally for diverse roles including construction, disaster response, and their signature firefighting capabilities, often requiring intricate teamwork.
The phone rang — it was my dad, and it was bad news.
“I’m standing on the sand,” he said, using a phone borrowed from the resident of a Malibu beach house. “I’m looking up the hill and the fire’s heading right for our house. The guys fighting it on the ground can’t get in there. The only hope we’ve got is those big helicopters. One of them’s filling up right behind me.”
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