First responders utilizing helicopters make adjustments during California's heat wave
SACRAMENTO – Helicopters high in the sky can't hide from the heat as excessive heat impacts first responders who utilize helicopters during California's heat wave.
Two weeks of triple digits adds up for helicopter pilots who must make adjustments to the aircraft to continue to fly, but depending on the aircraft, some stay grounded.
"These aircraft have been deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan in high temperatures, high altitudes in Afghanistan. They've been tested in their tried and true and a lot of different theaters that have this kind of environment," said Cal Fire Helicopter Program Manager and Chief Pilot, Benjamin Berman.
Cal Fire's fleet is "tried and tested" in hot conditions, but it's the team flying the aircraft that Berman said can be impacted, too.
"We're extremely mindful of our hydration. We're always watching each other. We're always taking a certain amount of safety breaks so that we can get out of the elements," Berman said.
Cal Fire crews are mindful of the heat and its impact on flying.
"We just have to be a lot more mindful when it comes to our performance calculations and just ensuring that we're staying within the limitations of the aircraft and based off of aerodynamic limitations and power performance limitations," Berman said.
Depending on the aircraft, the heat impacts flights differently.
"At about from noon onwards we aren't able to do any training. Otherwise, we train the whole day normally," said Augustine Joseph, CEO and Owner of Advanced International Aviation Academy in Sacramento County.
The science behind the impacts: when it's hot the air is thinner which means there is less air for the helicopter wings to grab onto.
"When the temperatures go up, the performance of the engine has gone down, the performance of the wings of the blades of a helicopter, because it's pushing less molecules of air down," Joseph said.
This is why pilots have to adjust the weight on board the aircraft—to ensure they are able to take off.