Yellowhead Helicopters Chief Pilot Dale Brady gets to see more of the Rockies than most people can ever dream of. 

Brady’s work consists of a number of jobs in and around Valemount, where the company is based. On any given day he can be helping Parks Canada with heli-slinging operations, doing harrowing rescues on the side of mountain peaks, dropping supplies and ferrying equipment around for the oil and gas industry, bringing geologists into remote areas, helping to dump water on intense forest fires in B.C. and all over Canada or just dropping off skiers and snowboarders for a day of heli-skiing.

“It’s great,” Brady said of his job. “We do get to see a lot of stuff that most people don’t. We’re just fortunate to live and work in this part of the country.”

When it comes to summer, Yellowhead does a lot of forest fire related work. Brady said heli-skiing is one of his favourite things to do, but rescues can be great as well. 

“The rescue work is challenging and very rewarding,” he said. 

With so many different jobs to do, Brady said there’s one thing that keeps him in the office when he’d rather be out flying. 

“There’s no end to the paper work.” 

During the summer months, Parks Canada uses a company out of Golden, B.C. for helicopter work. That season is over and Yellowhead Helicopters is now the first call in the event of a rescue that requires a fly-in. To prepare for rescues, Brady spends a lot of time doing training. This summer he has spent time with Parks, going through rescue scenarios in locations such as the Jasper Tramway and more. Yellowhead’s pilots have to stay current on other rescue operations as well. 

Brady has been a pilot for 17 years out of Valemount and says getting into his line of work can be tough. 

“Nowadays it’s very difficult,” he said. 

Potential pilots can spend a considerable amount of money to get their helicopter license.

“They’re basically burning up four years of university tuition in 10 months,” Brady said, adding that after the license is obtained, there’s no guarantee a pilot will even find a job. It takes at least a year or two in training to be certified to fly a helicopter. 

Brady has a hard time deciding where his favourite places to fly are with so many destinations and beautiful mountains to explore with tourists on sightseeing tours. 

“The whole park really,” he said of his favourite destination. 

Brady has spent time in the Coast Mountains and has done a few shifts in other locations.