This Is What I Do

 For those who have wondered,

 this is what I do.

 I fly (commercial big fixed-wing) down to New Orleans, and then I drive to the Louisiana coast. From there, I fly (me at the controls of a "light" helicopter),

to platforms like these:

  I drop off people and boxes of stuff and big metal objects and other things on whichever platform they tell me to go to.  


The deep-water platforms actually have BLUE water, and I sometimes get to see these:

This is the actual BLUE of the water, photo NOT doctored...this is the Gulf of Mexico...can you believe it??

Sunrise is sometimes pretty spectacular from the air.  Sometimes I remember to bring my camera and have the guy next to me snap a photo.  I digress.


There are boats in the field too, doing the same thing as me...

 ...but they can carry bigger, heavier stuff than I can.  So they get to transport giant booms, crates, and other cargo, while I zip the people and tools to wherever they need to go.  An 5 hour boat ride equals a 15 minute helicopter flight for the guys, plus, when you have to ride the boat, you also have to ride one of these:

to get off the boat.  I think they're fun, but the 56 year olds are no longer exhilarated by them. Most of the guys are thrilled when they score a helicopter ride instead of having to ride the boat.  This one is Miss Debby...see?

It totally cracks me up when I hear the boat captains (picture big, burly mens here) call up on the radio in their big, burly voices, "This is Miss Debby," or "Lady Diane here."

 Remember how I explained that I work exclusively for one company...and another company, too?

This is the other company I work for now...Energy XXI.  I have a call sign and everything.  Makes me feel cool.

This is one field platform.

I'm standing on the helideck above the living quarters...the other sections are for production, so the guys don't have to sleep right next to the compressor.

This is on the helideck, painted up in the corner. 

 It means this deck has a 16,000lb load capacity and is 60' on one side.  My helicopter is only about 5,000lb.

    This was me on my first hitch.  I was shut down on one of the smaller platforms in this field (you can tell because it's covered in bird droppings...they keep the bigger ones cleaner than this).  I'm not sure why I took this photo, but now I'm glad I have it...as a reference point.  "Week #1".
  
This is me last hitch.  I think I look no different at all one year later...what do you think?

 So that's kinda It.  I realize I haven't shown many pictures of my work, and I thought y'all might be interested in getting a little run-down.  I have a plan in the back of my head to do a series on how I got to be doing what I do...maybe...one day.  Maybe I'll do Dave's "how I got to be doing what I do" first.  How bout it, hon?