Surprise helicopter lift delivers equipment to 111 Wacker

31-Mar-14 – A helicopter lift on Saturday afternoon was planned and approved by the city but residents along the main branch of the Chicago River say they were not warned.

(Left) An Erickson S64F helicopter picks up its last load on Saturday afternoon from the Clark Street Bridge in downtown Chicago. (Photo by Steven Dahlman. Click on images to view larger versions.)

Early in the afternoon, a Sikorsky-designed S-64 Skycrane picked up 40,000 pounds of building maintenance equipment from the Clark Street Bridge and delivered it to the roof of 111 West Wacker.

The helicopter made 12 trips. The bridge was closed during the lift, as well as a short stretch of Wacker Drive.

According to Related Midwest, developer of 111 West Wacker, the lift was done “in coordination with multiple city agencies, including the Chicago Police Department, the Office of the Mayor, Department of Streets and Sanitation, as well as the Coast Guard.”

The noisy lift was a surprise to residents in the area. No alerts were issued by any city agency.

42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly, who normally alerts constituents of helicopter lifts, did not mention it in any recent weekly newsletter. Reached on Tuesday, Reilly’s office said some buildings in the area were notified but not all of them.

(Above) Another view of the helicopter, captured by Lynn Becker.

Originally made by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, the Skycrane has been manufactured by Erickson Air-Crane since 1992. The twin-engine S-64 weighs 19,234 pounds empty, has rotors 72 feet in diameter, a range of 230 miles, and can fly at 126 miles per hour.

On April 26, 2006, an S64F nicknamed “Shirley Jean,” working for European Air-Crane, crashed in Italy and was destroyed.