Flying concrete:
construction season with Air Zermatt
The construction season in Zermatt is two months long. During this time, everything has to run like clockwork in the various departments at Air Zermatt, with precise planning, perfect coordination and effective collaboration by everyone involved.
Zermatt is known for its breathtaking mountain scenery, its hospitality and the fact that there is never a car to be seen (or heard!). A memorable experience for visitors, but a challenging one for the locals – especially when it comes to construction projects. Anyone who has ever walked through Zermatt will have noticed that construction is by no means a year-round activity up there. The construction season is limited to the months of May and October, and this is the time when Air Zermatt and its helicopters play a crucial role.
A rare sight above the rooftops
Normally, there is one clear rule in Zermatt: no helicopters are to fly over the village, other than to save time in a crucial rescue mission where every second counts. Transport flights during the construction season are another exception, with materials being transported to the car-free village or to construction sites further up. With special permission from the local council, which the builders must obtain, helicopters are allowed to fly over the village.
This is a very busy period for Air Zermatt, and it can easily happen that up to two helicopters are on the move above the village at the same time. What is a spectacular sight for passers-by is a precisely planned procedure for the Air Zermatt crews.
“You can't afford to make a mistake. Everything has to be clear and fast, with signs and radio messages that everyone involved can understand. If our work on the ground isn’t perfect, the pilot can’t set the load down properly"
Planning is everything
The dispatchers are the first link in the chain when it comes to these transport flights. They receive orders from construction companies and private individuals, coordinate the assignments and keep a close eye on overall developments, even when things get hectic. The clock is ticking. “Especially when flying concrete, timing is everything. We have to schedule our helicopters to make sure that not a single minute is lost. Every flight is like a small puzzle that has to fit together perfectly,” explains dispatcher Sarah Pfaffen. Together with her team, she coordinates and plans every transport flight run by Air Zermatt.
Teamwork on the ground
To make sure everything goes smoothly in the air, strong support is needed on the ground. Task specialists guide the helicopters, take delivery of the material and at the same time ensure that the next loads are in place and ready. Every move has to be just right, with the procedures rehearsed to perfection. But whatever happens, safety always comes first.
“You can't afford to make a mistake. Everything has to be clear and fast, with signs and radio messages that everyone involved can understand. If our work on the ground isn’t perfect, the pilot can’t set the load down properly,” says task specialist Michael Lanz. A whole team of task specialists are on duty at the loading area at the entrance to Zermatt, as well as throughout the village.
Full concentration in the air
And then there are the pilots. They spend hours and hours transporting material from A to B, repeating the process with the utmost precision each time. Sometimes the loads to be transported are heavy, while other times more delicate elements have to be set down with pinpoint accuracy. Full concentration is crucial at all times, even after multiple flights. “The hardest part is not the individual flight itself, but the constant pressure to work with millimeter precision even after hours of loads and position changes. This demands full concentration, right through from the first transport flight to the last one of the day,” says pilot Daniel Riesen.
Transport flights like these, as well as sightseeing flights, are the best training for Air Zermatt pilots to make sure they can fly safely in the event of a rescue mission, even in the most difficult conditions in the mountains.
A joint effort
The transport flights in October are an especially busy time for Air Zermatt, calling for full concentration, coordination and teamwork. From the dispatcher to the task specialists to the pilots. Everyone plays a crucial role in making sure that residential buildings, hotels and holiday chalets in Zermatt can be renovated and kept in line with future requirements, even without the use of cars.
And the same goes for the Air Zermatt crews – even if this time can be stressful, the feeling of working together to make great things possible is worth every effort.
