Štěpán Kubeček
Name: Štěpán Kubeček
Nickname: Steps
Job: Rope access technician
Country: Czech Republic
What do you enjoy about working at heights?
I love system and order, and IRATA is all about that. What I enjoy most is when we arrive at a new machine we’ve never worked on before and have to figure it out from stopping the turbine and pitching the blades into the right position, all the way to the rigging.
Even though we try to keep the rigging as simple as possible, sometimes it’s a real challenge to get where you need to be. We’re racing against the clock, so we always try to set everything up to be both efficient and safe. Sometimes it’s just not possible, and in those cases, it’s "hands off." Over the years, you build a "No Go" list, and that’s how you make your work truly efficient.
How did you start with work at heights?
After I got my first IRATA, I only then started googling what I could actually do. I saw a guy on the tip of a turbine blade, and right then I told myself: 'That's exactly where I want to be.' My goal was 10 years; in the end, it took just 6 months.
Back in 2014, when my girlfriend was housesitting two chihuahuas in a luxury villa in New Zealand, I had no job and no money. A good friend stopped by to support me and brought a few beers. We hopped into the hot tub, and that’s when the topic of wind farms came up. I had nothing to lose... I sent in my CV, passed the interview, and got the job.
This job funded a seriously long trip for us. Since there were only 16 of us working on turbines in the whole of New Zealand back then, getting a work permit was easy. It turned into a beautiful 7 years that I’ll never forget."
What is your favourite workplace (or favourite type of work)?
Wind turbines, I’d be lying if I said I didn't love it; the view from the tip of a blade is just divine. Last season I wasn't on the blades as much as my partner Míra is the "blade machine" and I’ve got the technical side of the turbines down. Over our career together, we’ve worked with over 10 manufacturers and more than 30 types of wind turbines. We’re talking about over 1,200 machines that I’ve physically worked on.
I also enjoy the IRATA courses themselves. Assessments are always a massive nerve wracking, but the reward when you pass is just sweet.
Other interests?
Family – That goes without saying, no debate there.
Paragliding – I’m just drawn to the heights and the freedom. You’ve got your chute on your back, you climb a hill, and if the conditions allow, you fly… you might fly 100 meters or 100 kilometers, you never know. Even though I don't like uncertainty, this kind of uncertainty is amazing. The sound of the lines singing in the wind and the feeling of catching a thermal right up to the clouds… that calms me down.
Travel – Discovering new places, especially places you can fly from.
Snake Keeping, Yeah, snakes. My daughter wanted a corn snake, and once "Dad" saw it for the first time, a new hobby was born. Now I have a Green Tree Python from Indonesia, an amazing creature that can be with us for 20 years.
The most impressive working experience?
You’re hanging 80 meters up, suspended under the "belly" of a turbine, and suddenly you smell bacon and eggs. You climb up into the nacelle, and there’s a BBQ brunch waiting for you. But there are so many stories…
Like the time a grinder nicked my rope. My L3 at the time was incredibly nervous when he saw it. It didn't really hit me until later. Mistakes happen, the important thing is to learn from them. I still keep that piece of rope at home as a souvenir.
Once, while we were up there, a stray balloon from a kid’s party floated right past us talk about a random coincidence. On the worse side? Farmers spraying... well, "manure" all around the turbine. That was pure purgatory. We didn't stick around for lunch that day. The two seasons of offshore work in the Baltic Sea were an incredible experience working over the water, living on a boat, life at sea.
Plans for the future?
We’ve got a good thing going right now, so the plan is to keep doing what we’re good at for as long as possible. As for wind turbines and inspections, the goal is to land our first contract in the Czech Republic. I also want to get a drone license and expand my horizons. I believe that’s where the future is headed.
Work at heights in 100 years?
Well, I know for sure we won’t be here, so we won’t care much, but I think machines will take over.
More info about me:
The world is most beautiful from above, whether I’m hanging from a turbine blade or catching a thermal under the clouds. My philosophy is simple: keep order and system on the ropes so you can have peace and freedom in your mind. When I’m not at height, you’ll find me with my family, tending to my snakes, or on a hill with a paraglider on my back. Life is about the balance between adrenaline and silence and you have to earn both by being professional and safe in everything you do.
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