I used to work here:
https://midwesthelicopters.com/home/The company uses helicopters in lieu of cranes. They can lift up to 4,500 lbs. However, when loads reached near the max weight limit, we would drain most of the fuel, start the chopper, and remove the battery (yes, you read that correctly). Our choppers use the PT-6T turbine engines. If the H-34 has a square nose, then it has the turbine engines. If the nose is rounded, then it has the old piston engines.
When we flew, the crew was one pilot, one A&P mechanic (myself), and one non-A&P. One non-pilot sat in the cabin with the pilot while the other crew member sat in the cargo area. The non-pilots coordinated the ground crews/activities.
The job itself was fun & adventuresome, but the treatment of employees was subpar. I also had a conflict with one of the pilots. His safety was so poor that I refused to fly with him. We both ended up leaving. The company had a staff of around 14, yet I watched 17 employees come and go during my 10 (?) months there.
A year and two months later, my replacement was killed on the job. Another goof-ball pilot struck powerlines flying too low over a popular lake in Indiana. He tried to climb over the powerlines, but the tail wheel caught the cable and ripped the chopper in two. The replacement crew was in the cargo area.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2002-07-12-0207120256-story.htmlI'm the one who made the accident entry on the wiki page for the H-34.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_H-34In case you're wondering, I have about 15-20 minutes of 'hands on stick' in two of the choppers.
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