The Alaska Miner Summer 2023 34 Profiles in Mining: TEMSCO Helicopters SPECIAL TO THE ALASKA MINER Alaskans are accustomed to seeing TEMSCO helicopters overhead. But how many know what TEMSCO means? TEMSCO is an acronym from the words: timber, exploration, mining, survey, and cargo operations, and was founded in 1958 in Ketchikan. Founder of TEMSCO and Alaska aviation pioneer Ken Eichner proved that helicopters were an invaluable tool for the rugged and remote terrain of Alaska. He became the president of the company in 1965. Eichner built the company into one of the most successful helicopter companies in Alaska. Flying mining support, forestry, radio repeater construction, powerline construction, crew transport, and cargo flights, Ken Eichner and the other pilots of TEMSCO Helicopters supported Southeast Alaska’s Communities with their fleet of aircraft. Eichner also initiated the development of the Ketchikan volunteer Rescue group. This volunteer organization was instrumental in many difficult rescues. TEMSCO Helicopters services tourism, hospital transport, firefighting, international, and other growing markets. Since Ken Eichner’s retirement in the early 1990s TEMSCO has continued his vision of service and dedication to the community. Ken Eichner’s grandson is now Chief Pilot at TEMSCO Helicopters ensuring the wisdom and practical knowledge is passed down to new generations of TEMSCO pilots and mechanics and making safety and job efficiency a priority for TEMSCO’s Customers. Joe Hicks is Senior VP and has been with the company 35 years, and director of maintenance Roy Hornbaker for 42 years. Craig Jennison is VP of Sales & Marketing at TEMSCO and has been with the company 21 years. “We work all over,” Jennison said. “For Alaskans we are a known quantity. “The TEMSCO acronym — timber, exploration, mining, survey, cargo, and operations — are the missions that the company was founded for, all with a need for aircraft, are all still part of the operation. “Timber is a lot less, especially around Ketchikan but we are still home in Ketchikan. “Today tourism is about half our business, and I oversee the tour side. Then the other half is utility work including mining. Mining fluctuates, as projects come and go. We are working now at Greens creek mine. They bring us in as needed for heavier lifts. “We do a lot of firefighting, EMS work and high mountain rescue for Denali.” Each job, each role, requires a distinct set of pilot skills and experience. “The evolution of our pilots starts with our tour operations. That’s our farm team, to make a baseball analogy. They get hired after one thousand commercial hours (of experience). Every pilot comes in as a tour pilot. After two or three years, they can then move into the contract side.” Within mining, TEMSCO works mostly with explorers in remote, inaccessible areas. “That is where helicopters come into play, in the exploration part. We’re pretty critical for the exploration phase.” Why is AMA important to your company? And to Alaska mining? “The mining business comes and goes but we are always a supporter of AMA. We show up to connect with customers of the past. It’s incredible to sit at the booth and have many people stop by, who have flown with you, wanting to check on certain pilots.” There’s a real connection that develops over time spent flying together in remote Alaska. “We have a real connection with the industry. What opportunities do you see for the future, for your company and for mining? Our future is about staying up on the latest equipment. We keep our fleet modern and safe. Right now, we operate across the state and are very Alaska-focused. I do not see that changing. “We are still an Alaska-owned business. There’s a real family feel, and our people enjoy getting in with a good outfit.” “The COVID years and 2020 was a low point. But at the same time there were still fires burning and we had lots of government contracts. And the utility work kept us afloat for sure. Now there’s an increase in mining projects. “When tourism closed for almost three years, that was the real bonus of being a diverse operation.” He knows the tourism industry well, this year as chairman of the Alaska Travel Industry Association. But he also sees the critical need for minerals that could be developed in Alaska and today are not. “Those critical minerals that are not getting to manufacturers, create real supply chain issues. Getting parts is our biggest factor these days for keeping aircraft in the air. There is a total disconnect from the reality of renewables to what we do in mining. It scrambles the brain! Providing a critical link to Alaska's vital industries
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