Up there, a few hundred meters off the ground, the visual perspective is different than the usual high rise building. Up to a few hundred feet, the pilot of a helicopter has a relatively good visual reference to the ground. There are buildings and trees that gives a local perspective of approaching a high rise. But above 300 meters, the architectural structures for living are called super high-rises. Above 600 meters, they are called mega high-rises. Now at the top heights of the the tallest structures in the world things get quite interesting due to the height and almost no obstruction for the wind from other buildings, towers or tall trees system.  I know that form my own experience, being the first person in the world, who worked above 500 meters off the ground.

I was told many things that can happen before commencing this very first job in 2003, on the inaccessible exterior top areas of the CN Tower, but there is nothing that can prepare, when you are a pioneer at working at high altitude, above any height that even the top industry experts and experienced rope access techs have worked or had to deal with the unforeseen challenges. Even the construction and consulting engineers, who built the CN Tower, the Wonder of the Modern World, were curious what would have happened when such work has not been done for the last 27 years since the World;s Tallest Structure was built in 1976. Well guess what, the first thing you find out is that whatever you have calculated in your plan and timing, everything has to be multiplied by… amount of time. The winds are stronger, you get deasy from the long working hours on a platform that is designed to move with the direction of the wind. Your diet must be different and you have to get special pils that pilots use not to ger dizzy. And this is just the small stuff, you have to deal with…

Thanks God, I had to work in the worst time a job has to be done – in the freezing winter, with strong freezing winds that come from Lake Ontario and falling rain that freezes quickly like icicles on your face and equipment. And to make things worst, I had to work alone, making may own rules, because the well trained and experienced rope access tech that I hired to assist me, just got scared went things got hard and… But I was quite happy to work at the great scenery and amazing panoramic view. I would not say that any pilot would be so happy to hover over such a structure, with the expected turbulence around the spear of any Tower at that height and above. Neither he would have the luxury to enjoy the view, especially when so many things can go wrong up there.

I had the pleasure to fly and work on ropes with some of the bravest pilots, as Major General Zlatko ZLatev, Commander of Transport Airbase 16 and Helicopter Airbase 24, of the Bulgarian Air Forces, with Col Panaiot Kondev and Col. Alexander Alexandrov of the Bulgarian Police (Gendarmerie Air Unit, to name a few and we have discussed so many various ways and challenges that can be dealt with to do High Reference Vertical Ops on super high rise buildings. To, look down at my little visual perception to have an idea of what I will be talking at the Intersec 2018, and let’s have a good talk and fine coffee with us.

See you there,

Ivan Kristoff