Taken from another site:
Mike Donovan. “Dennis” might be the first name listed on his pilot certificate, but everyone knew him as Mike. Mike and his three California Department of Fish and Game passengers died on Tuesday while conducting a deer census flight.
Mike knew a lot about flying helicopters. He started in the Navy, flying a Sikorsky in an ASW role, and continued as a civilian pilot for another 4 decades. Early on Mike lived for several years in Bishop, California where a primary responsibility was servicing the White Mountain High Altitude Research Station (12,500’ MSL) with his turbo-charged Bell 47. Most pilots never land even once at 12,500’, let alone a hundred times in something powered by pistons and sparkplugs. He was an accomplished fire and long-line pilot. Mike was among the first pilots hired by Mercy Air in 1989, and worked for Mercy/AMC for twenty years.
Mike had a long relationship with Landells Aviation and through them a long relationship with the California Department of Fish and Game. He had conducted numerous surveys of deer, elk and bighorn sheep throughout California. These surveys, which have been a tool of wildlife management for thirty years, require extended periods of low-level flight. To differentiate between a fawn and an adult deer the wildlife biologist might need to get a good look at the animal’s facial features, so low-level in this case means 40 – 70’ AGL. Mike had flown thousands of hours in this environment.
This is a sad day for Mike’s family, and the families of his passengers Clu Cotter, Kevin O’Connor and Tom Stolberg. This is a sad day for the good people at Landells Aviation and a sad day for aviation in general.
I personally did not know Mike, but like many, knew of him.
Later Mike..Shots facing West...
