Here at Emergency Services News, we get to see some amazing videos of our airborne colleagues as they carry out some truly remarkable
Pilots who fly for the emergency services have earnt themselves a reputation for the amazing skills which they possess in relation to the tight positions they often have to operate in.
If you have ever flown in a helicopter, then you will know just how vulnerable you can feel when you are being rocked around all over the place.
But when we saw the video below, we could not believe just how amazing this police helicopter pilot in france was.
He/she managed to airlift an injured skier off the side of a steep cliff at an altitude of 7,000ft in windy conditions as the rotor blades of the helicopter got to within inches of the mountain.
In the video, the pilot manages to hold the aircraft against the side of the mountain whilst the aircrew pulled the casualty into the cabin.
Credit must also be given to the aircrew who managed to pull off a perfect extraction in minimal time.
The pilot then slowly edges the aircraft backwards before moving to the next casualty who is also successfully winched off of the mountain with another person before the aircraft flies off into the distance.
I have been snowboarding a few times in France and have seen french helicopter pilots in action and have always been truly awe-inspired by their flying skills.
I also flew in a few helicopters during my time in the armed forces, but never have I seen a helicopter rescue pilot pull off such a brave manoeuvre on the side of a mountain.
In my eyes, these pilots and air crews are true heroes – putting themselves in extreme danger in order to save peoples lives.
Being stuck on the side of a mountain with an injury can be an incredibly scary experience.
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