One of the many great things about working as a Project Engineer for Atmos International is travelling to new and exciting places. I was very happy to receive a project in Alaska; a place I had long been keen to visit. Fortunately, my visit was in late September avoiding Alaska’s brutal winter conditions. I set off excited to meet the client representative with whom I had communicated during the project.
Flying in from Denver on a Boeing 737, the first thing I noticed was the vast, untouched, wild landscape below. I had never seen an area with no roads, buildings, or signs of human development; the vast majority of Alaska still belongs to nature. I recently read a book that detailed some history of Alaska and the bush pilots who helped shape it. Looking at the land, it made sense that planes were the preferred method of travel. The Kenai Peninsula is saturated with lakes, rivers, and snow-covered mountains. I was nervous knowing that I would be flying in a Twin Otter prop engine plane from Anchorage to Kenai.
It was just before sunrise when I boarded the Twin Otter bound for Kenai. I was shocked at how little runway the Twin Otter needed; the takeoff seemed almost vertical. During the flight, the landscape became more and more defined as the sun rose on an overcast morning. Our passage over the Cook Inlet was full of adrenaline pumping turbulence before the flight eventually grew smoother when we reached land on the other side of the inlet. It was very enjoyable to see the fall colors and details of the peninsula from the Twin Otter instead of a large commercial jet. After a peaceful landing, I set off to the client’s office to commission the Atmos Pipe leak detection systems.
Everyone I met was accommodating, helpful, and excited to learn and test the leak detection systems. Following some training on the principals of how the Atmos Pipe leak detection system worked, everyone was ready for the real leak tests. Alaska’s regulatory body requires a leak detection system to detect 1% of the pipeline’s nominal flow rate within 24 hours. The client was very happy to see the Atmos Pipe leak detection system beat these performances by an impressive margin. I am grateful to work with a proactive and knowledgeable project team, and I am happy knowing that Atmos is protecting the unblemished environment of Alaska.
Written by Matthew Savidge, a Project Manager in our Atmos San Antonio office.