IMPROVING SAFETY
quiet, and everyone simply
sits and waits. However, they
don't often get a chance to
relax. At any given moment,
the radio can crackle, and a
call becomes urgent. In the
rescue business, there is no
time to be complacent.
Garner Shepard, who
also flies for Corporate
Helicopters, talked about the
dangers pilots sometimes
face with other helicopters
during an off-road race. "Most
of the time helicopter crashes
happen because of pilot error.
Keeping current with your
skills by flying a helicopter
through many flight hours of
experience is a huge factor.
In places like Baja, it's even
more important. There are
power lines, brown-outs,
trees and other dangers low
to the ground that can cause
a helicopter to go down," says
Shepard. "Radio controlled
AN INJURED RACER IS TREATED AND
EVACUATED TO A HOSPITAL.
071
SCORE JOURNAL
THANKS TO MODERN
SAFETY EQUIPMENT LIKE
THE HANS DEVICE, THERE
ARE LESS SERIOUS INJURIES
IN OFF-ROAD RACING THAN
EVER BEFORE, ACCORDING
TO DR. JEFF GRANGE.
