When Jordan White started the Flathead Emergency Aviation Resources (FEAR) nonprofit group last year, he knew two things for certain: there would always be people who need help finding their way in the Flathead, and a helicopter with a trained crew can be that help.
At first, the group relied on personal and leased aircraft services, with the goal of raising enough money to purchase its own helicopter to aid search and rescue efforts in the valley.
That dream has become a reality. According to White, FEAR has added a red, white, and blue Bell 407 helicopter specifically equipped for public safety efforts. The helicopter became a possibility after Whitefish philanthropist Mike Goguen pledged his support for the program.
White invested his time in building a helicopter rescue program through Goguen’s company, Two Bear Management.
Along with the helicopter, Goguen has an ongoing commitment to provide resources, equipment and pilots for the growing program, according to Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry.
Two Bear Management hired veteran pilot Jason Johnson as the director of operations and chief helicopter pilot, and the Bell 407 helicopter went into service this summer as “an interim resource in anticipation of adding a new, state-of-the-art rescue Bell 429 helicopter being completed in the spring of 2013,” Curry said.
The new helicopter was involved in an August rescue mission, just days after it arrived in the valley. Since then, it has been used as flight training and has participated in search and rescue operations in Flathead County, Glacier National Park, and the Bob Marshall Wilderness.
“When I first heard about the project from the Sheriff’s office, it sounded exciting and much needed,” Goguen said in a prepared statement. “Little did I know that within six months of my getting involved, this helicopter would be used to help these brave men and women save lives of folks in real danger.”
After it was founded, FEAR began training flight crewmembers and emergency responders how to safely and properly use in-flight resources. Training opportunities have also grown to include sheriff’s deputies and members of local search and rescue organizations, Curry said.
With the latest addition to the FEAR fleet, White, who is president of the program, is one step closer to being able to reach his other goal: to ensure those who get lost in the Flathead that there will be eyes in the sky looking for them.
“Stakeholders in FEAR believe this advancement in technology is an amazing opportunity to increase the safety of Montana residents, visitors, and first responders. Delivering this service free of charge to victims and local officials is just as exciting to philanthropist Michael Goguen as it is those who benefit from its services,” Jordan said in a prepared statement.