Home

Galleries

News/Blog

Technology

Media

Bio

Links

Avalanche Control - Helicopter Bombing

Revelstoke, British Columbia - Feb, 2007

On location filming an episode of Angry Planet featuring avalanches and avalanche control.

The department of Transportation In British Columbia has many different ways that they use to control avalanches...And they all seem to include blowing things up!

Loading up a helicopter with numerous 12kg explosive charges that will be dropped into avalanche start zones.
Avalanche_15 Avalanche_16

Bombs away! Bruce Allen drops the charges onto the slopes as the helicopter pilot shows off some fancy flying just above the treetops. A couple of minutes later...Kaboom! The snow slides down the mountain and onto the closed off roadway. Cleanup crews are standing by to plow up the mess.
Avalanche_17 Avalanche_18

Some of the other control methods require a trip up the mountainside by helicopter into some very deep snow packs. This makes for some interesting landings in the deep snow.
Avalanche_19 Avalanche_22

The Avalanche Guard is a remote station that contains mortar-like rounds of explosives that are fired by a laptop with a secure radio link. The operators can fire the device from a truck parked along the highway.
Avalanche_21 Avalanche_20

The Rocky Mountains.
Avalanche_23 Avalanche_24