Since the first practical helicopters were produced, hundreds of thousands of lives have been saved by their unique ability to hover as well as takeoff and land vertically. Today, more and more helicopters are being requested by local fire departments for medical transport. During a recent training event, members of the Castle Lake Ranch Volunteer Fire Department also learned helicopters are dangerous machines, with whirling, main rotor blades and nearly invisible, tail rotor blades. The training, conducted by Air Evac Lifeteam of Kerrville, focused on how to safely set up helicopter landing zones at emergency scenes. “Getting a helicopter on the ground and ...