A Pilot’s Inspiring Journey to SCE
Former helicopter captain Bonnie Bello flew troops in Afghanistan, drug busts in California and now keeps Air Operations crews safe.
50 Years Keeping SCE Pilots, Crews Safe
When his helicopters are hovering hundreds of feet above the ground, perched just inches from high-voltage power lines, Southern California Edison senior aircraft technician Donald Southworth is reminded there’s no room for error.
Measuring the Impact of a Record Snowpack
The stillness stretches for miles in every direction at the highest peaks of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada. Back-to-back atmospheric rivers that pummeled California since the ...
Eyes in the Sky Help Fire Suppression Fleet Fly Around the Clock
At about noon on Aug. 26, 1996, the Marple Fire started between Interstate 5 and Castaic Lake in northwestern Los Angeles County. By midnight, it had spread to 10,000 acres, and by the time it was contained, nearly 20,000 acres had burned.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Bonnie Bello
Proving naysayers wrong, Bello became the captain of a Sikorski S-61, flying troops and supplies into Afghanistan as a contractor for the U.S. Air Force from 2012-13.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Bonnie Bello
Bello at the controls of her helicopter in Afghanistan, where she narrowly missed being hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.
Photo Credit: Ernesto Sanchez
Bonnie Bello, a former helicopter pilot who flew dangerous missions for the U.S. military and California law enforcement, now focuses on keeping SCE helicopters and their crews safe.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Bonnie Bello
In 2007, Bello piloted a Bell 206 helicopter as part of a California law enforcement task force working to eradicate illegal marijuana growing operations.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Bonnie Bello
Bello found out she was expecting her first child in 2008 while working with the U.S. Forest Service to fight fires in California.
Photo Credit: Casey Wian
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Bonnie Bello at SCE's Air Operations headquarters in Chino, where she now "flies a desk."
50 Years Keeping SCE Pilots, Crews Safe
When his helicopters are hovering hundreds of feet above the ground, perched just inches from high-voltage power lines, Southern California Edison senior aircraft technician Donald Southworth is reminded there’s no room for error.
Measuring the Impact of a Record Snowpack
The stillness stretches for miles in every direction at the highest peaks of the snow-capped Sierra Nevada. Back-to-back atmospheric rivers that pummeled California since the ...
Eyes in the Sky Help Fire Suppression Fleet Fly Around the Clock
At about noon on Aug. 26, 1996, the Marple Fire started between Interstate 5 and Castaic Lake in northwestern Los Angeles County. By midnight, it had spread to 10,000 acres, and by the time it was contained, nearly 20,000 acres had burned.
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A Pilot’s Inspiring Journey to SCE
Former helicopter captain Bonnie Bello flew troops in Afghanistan, drug busts in California and now keeps Air Operations crews safe.
Casey Wian
ENERGIZED by Edison Writer