9/30/01
Like the day JFK was killed, Sept 11, 2001 will be a day that I will always remember. I will remember where I was and what I was doing, on that day, for the rest of my life.
Silvertip Helibase Management Service was managing the Oroville Helibase, supporting the "Poe Fire" BTU 10696. I had just opened my eyes, needing to get up early for a 0630 Pilot Briefing. I could hear someone outside my R.V. (We of Silvertip have given up the paper sleeping bags for R.V.'s) talking about the WTC being on fire. I got out of bed, and like everyone else who became aware of the news that was taking place on that day, I was in total shock and could not believe what I was seeing on T.V. Everything came to a stop for all of us assigned to the Oroville Helibase. All of us watched, on several TVs we set up under the shade tents, the news as it happened. I was very relieved to get the word from North Op's that morning that all aircraft were grounded till further notice. I don't think any of our pilots assigned to our helibase were in the proper mind-set to fly that day.
Things changed for CDF and Silvertip that day. To have the air space over our incident and the whole country restricted for all aircraft was something we had never heard of before. When we were given the word that we could again start flying, I as the Helibase Manager, had to call Oakland Center and get a different transponder identification code number for each of our assigned aircraft before they could fly to the incident. Our pilots reported that Oakland Center was not talking back to any of their radio traffic. I called Oakland Center to find out why they were not talking to any of our aircraft. They told me that they were restricting all of their radio traffic, but rest assured, they were watching each and every flight we made from the helibase. I made many calls to Oakland Center over the next few days. For each flight from our helibase a new transponder identification code number was needed. As the Oroville Helibase came to a close later that week and I gave the last departing helicopter its new transponder identification code number for the flight back to his home base. I watched as he departed our helibase. I remember thinking to myself how unbelievable the past few days were. I know that I will never forget 9-11. I don't think any of us will.
Ken Schleintz
Helibase Manager
Silvertip Helibase Management Service