As I walked out of my house yesterday morning for work, the unmistakeable sound of blades cutting through the air got intensely loud. I looked up as I locked the door only to see a larger helicopter fly quite low over my house - one that was a bit larger than the typical news or police helicopters I have pretty much learned to tune out.
As I looked over the rooftops and walked out towards Twelve Mile, I saw it landing - in a nearby school parking lot - that of Warren Woods Middle School. Naturally, I went back in and got my camera, taking advantage of flex time at work to go in a little later. I didn't get home until almost 6:30pm though, but it was still interesting to watch - and so thought many others who pulled in the strip mall parking lot across the street.
The chopper was lifting many pieces of what appeared to be heating and cooling equipment. The school is undergoing major renovations. This all happened between 8:00am and 9:00am and he made more trips than I can count. In just about 1 hours time, all was completed. I pondered how long it would have taken to set up a crane and lift it all that way - probably much of the day. It must actually be cheaper to have it air-lifted in such a short time. Heavy cost for one or two hours may have outcompeted the cost of using a crane for many hours.
The sound was deafening so any residents who were not up, especially with windows open probably sat straight up in bed with hair standing on end when it came in and started to work.
WORLD'S LARGEST HELICOPTER?
My dad got me interested in aircraft when I was very small. I especially have been fascinated with helicopters and love to stop and watch the unusual one when they fly by. As a sidenote, if you have ever wondered how big a helicopter can be, check out the photos at Aerospace.org of the Largest Helicopter in the World.