heliops issue 31
DESCRIPTION
Tsunami Cleanup, Protecting Your Head, A Touch Of Lime, Flying BlindTRANSCRIPT
Life after death
Sumatra’s Tsunami Clean Up
C O N T E N T S
i T ’ S a w r a p The Heli Ops team brings you the latest
developments and announcements
from the show. 12
L i F E a F T E r D E a T H In an exclusive personal report
Ned Dawson joins the helicopter
crews involved in the relief flights
following the Boxing Day Tsunami. 18
k E E p i N g y O u r H E a D Mark Ogden raises the question -
why does the civilian helicopter
industry not follow the military’s
lead in protecting their pilots heads. 30
a T O u C H O F L i m E Heli Ops meets one of Sweden’s
airborne assault teams struggling
to preserve the country’s 14,000
lakes and waterways. 40
F L y i N g b L i N D The North Sea experiences some
of the most atrocious weather
conditions possible, providing the
ultimate challenge for pilots flying
to the offshore oil rigs. 51
r E g u L a r F E a T u r E S
i S S u E 3 1
From the editor
New products and services
New deliveries and orders
Flight dynamics - Vortex ring state
Job opportunities
Personal profile - Ignatius Lindeque
3
5
9
16
60
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18 30 40 51
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this industry is full of contrasts
and there is no way we could ever call it
dull! In this issue, our publisher, Ned
Dawson, writes about his amazing
experiences, both good and bad, while
flying with the helicopters during the
Tsunami relief operations in Thailand and
Indonesia. In this exclusive story that few
aviation, let alone helicopter industry
magazines covered, he shows why
helicopters proved vital in reducing the
impact of one of the world’s worst natural
disasters, where eleven nations in
Asia and Africa were affected with over
250,000 of their people killed and millions
more displaced.
Military and civilian helicopters
working together, to save people, and help
reconstruct countries was an incredible
story. Ned worked with, and observed the
crews doing their jobs; he saw the
devastation and experienced the anguish.
His story is illuminating, not only in
highlighting the valuable work that
helicopters do, but for turning a spotlight
on the poor management practices many
aid agencies employ when working in
these areas. Spotlighting aid agency
deficiencies is not something the general
media does and in fact they seem to be a
bit of a sacred cow, but those of you who
know Ned will recognize his matter-of-
fact approach when reporting this subject.
The images he captured bring home the
devastating force of mother nature.
The Helicopter EMS industry has been
taking a bit of a hit in the past year or so.
As well as a series of accidents spoiling
the reputation of this essential industry,
particularly in the USA, there are some in
the medical fraternity questioning the
worth of helicopters as airborne
ambulances. Dr Susan Baker MPH at John
Hopkins Center for Injury Research and
Prevention quoted occupational death
rates for Aeromedical crews as being three
times higher than the miners and some
15 times higher than the norm.
In a recent Association of Air Medical
Services commentary by the
organisation’s president, he said, “…the
issue of safety is again paramount.
Regardless of debate about accident rates,
and the small overall numbers of
F r O m T H E E D i T O r
PUBLISHER Neville (Ned) Dawson
EDITOR mark Ogden
DEPUTy EDITOR rob Neil
PROJECT MANAGER Cathy Horton
PROOfREADER barbara mcintosh
DESIGN graphic Design Services Ltd
PRE-PRESS Crosspoint media Ltd
PRINTING print world
ITALIAN CORRESPONDENT Damiano gualdoni
SCANDINAvIAN CORRESPONDENT rickard gilberg
RUSSIAN CORRESPONDENT maxim kuzovkov
EDITORIAL ADDRESS Oceania group intl. p.O. box 37 978 parnell auckland New Zealand p H O N E : +64 21 757 747 Fa X : + 64 9 528 3172
EMAIL [email protected]
WEBSITE www.heliopsmag.com
is published by Oceania group intl. Contents are copyright and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. most articles are commisioned but quality contributions will be considered, whilst every care is taken Oceania group intl accept no responsability for submitted material. all views expressed in HeliOps are not necesssarily those of Oceania group intl.
accidents the increase in accident
numbers continues. What is the difference
between seeming safe and being safe?”
And this is probably the crux of the issues
facing the HEMS industry; it doesn’t
matter how low the accident rates may
be, one accident is one accident too many
to a public who expect sick people to get
to hospital safely.
In the US, it seems a significant aspect
to the problem is operating at night. On
that side of the Pacific, there are serious
proposals that will require the use of
Night Vision Goggles. Yet on the other side
of the ocean, the Helicopter Association of
Australia is struggling to get NVGs
accepted by CASA (Civil Aviation Safety
Authority), Australia’s aviation regulatory
body. But just across the pond in New
Zealand, the authority there is taking a
realistic and industry-consultative
approach to the issue. Making the issue
even more confusing was that CASA
actively lobbied to keep the Kiwis out of
the consultations and regulatory
development underway in Australia; it
was all rather bizarre. In Europe, while
some countries actively use NVGs in their
night operations in others, such as the UK,
civilian use of these devices face
bureaucratic stonewalling. Wouldn’t it be
nice to see some sensible coordination
across the world on technologies that may
improve the safety of helicopter
operations? HeliOps will be taking a look
at the advantages, and disadvantages of
NVGs in a future issue.
While the authority procrastinates on
the issue of NVGs, in Australia the EMS
and SAR helicopter operators are taking
other safety matters into their own hands.
In cooperation with an aviation risk
management company, several operators
including RACQ and NRMA CareFlight
have joined forces and resources to create
an aviation safety network and common
safety management systems. Is this
the way ahead? Time will tell I guess
but it is certainly something other
operators around the world should be
thinking about.
Enjoy this issue and as ever,
let me know what you think at Editor@
heliopsmag.com
mark Ogden
3
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bumpEr LigHTLife Support International has introduced a new improved ReflectGuard Hoist Hook Signal bumper, manufactured by Zephyr International. The ReflectGuard illuminates the hoist hook assembly for night or low visibility operations. Two bright LED rings, Green and Red can be used for signaling - the LED rings are switched off and on by sealed push-button switches located on the top of the assembly. The ReflectGuard is fully sealed for over-water operations, and has no adverse impact on night vision goggles. According to the company, the ReflectGuard is easily installed into existing hook bumper assemblies and is easily maintained in the field. Powered by two long-life 9-volt batteries which can be easily replaced, the ReflectGuard is compatible with hooks with swivel eyelets, and can be modified to incorporate onto Long Lines for Short Haul operations.
N E w p r O D u C T S a N D S E r v i C E S
NEw ENgiNEHoneywell has been selected to provide its new HTS900 turboshaft engine for future integration for Bell’s Model 407 helicopter. The HTS900 incorporates and features new compressor technology for improved performance, producing more than 925 Shaft horsepower at Take-off Power rating at sea level on a standard day. The engine is expected to deliver Specific Fuel Consumption levels of .54 lb per shaft horsepower or a 5% decrease from earlier Honeywell helicopter engines. The HTS900 has successfully completed the first engine to test (FETT), with a production version dual-channel full authority digital engine control (FADEC), achieving all designed power specifications. The dual-channel FADEC will ease pilot workload, provide reduced support cost and simplify maintenance procedures. The HTS900 is based on the LTS101 family of engines.
maiNTENaNCE maNagErConklin & de Decker has released the latest version of its maintenance management software, MxManager. The company claims that Version 7.0 continues its commitment of continually improving a tool that an increasing number of maintenance departments use in maintenance tracking, inventory, work orders and management reporting. For maintenance departments that deal with multiple currencies, MxManager has the ability to order parts and services in a variety of currencies while maintaining the organization’s inventory in one currency. This feature allows the maintenance department to communicate more clearly with its vendors, capture historical currency data, and eliminate potentially confusing inventory issues by using one primary currency. MxManager 7.0 has also improved the Discrepancy function in Maintenance Tracking. Maintenance personnel can track individual discrepancies and the respective corrective actions for each aircraft. Additionally, the new function allows technicians to view deferred as well as open and closed discrepancies. Reporting features allow the maintenance organization to view discrepancies by technician, aircraft system, and ATA code.
pOwEr by THE HOur mOvESTurbomeca has announced the introduction of SBH Mission, a modular maintenance program guaranteeing operators engine availability, maintenance support and close monitoring of maintenance costs. The new program expands Turbomeca’s current SBH program. Meanwhile, CHC has entered into an agreement with Turbomeca for SBH, Turbomeca’s support-by-the-hour contract. This worldwide contract covers all the Arriel engines operated by the CHC group; some 140 engines clocking up 90,000 flight hours per year. The SBH contract is based on a fixed price according to the number of flight hours carried out and provides the operators with Turbomeca technical assistance as well as the supply of spare parts or replacement engines within 24 hours. Nearly 84% of the 140 engines are Arriel1 and the remainder are Arriel 2.
NEw STCMeeker Aviation in partnership with Aeropacific have announced that they have received an FAA/STC for their new line of belly sensor mounts for the Bell 206A/B, 206L and 407. According to Meeker, the mounts are milled from solid billet aluminium for unparalleled corrosion resistance, strength and durability and they offer several distinct features, such as qualified payloads that include all popular brands of microwave downlink pods, mapping systems and FLIR sensors. Weighing approximately 12 lb, the system is qualified for 100 lb payloads. Optional adaptors are offered to allow for various payloads to be carried on the same mount.
SparES CONTraCTCanadian Helicopters has awarded Precision Heliparts (PHP) a one-year contract, plus a one-year option to provide overhaul services for CHL’s starter-generators. The contract provides for the replacement of older units with new APC starters on an attrition basis. PHP will also provide instrument overhaul services for CHL’s Bell 206 and 212 aircraft, or about 60% of their fleet of over 130 helicopters. CHL has also signed a one-year contact plus a one-year option with PHP Canada, Inc. (PHC) for Consignment Rotable Spares Packages to support CHL’s Sikorsky S76 EMS Contract and their Bell 212 Operations. These Consignment Packages will include Accessories, Hydraulics, Instrumentation, and Electrical Components.
429 LauNCHAt an unveiling at Heli-Expo, Bell Helicopter chief executive officer Michael Redenbaugh introduced the all-new Bell 429 light twin helicopter. Speaking of the newly introduced and named GlobalRanger, Redenbaugh said, "The new Bell 429 represents many things to the market place. First, it is simply the benchmark for the light twin segment. Second, it epitomizes the new Bell's dedication to listening to our customers. Third, it is the first of many Bell products that will begin incorporating new technologies we have been developing for the last several years." The Bell 429 contains nine new MAPL technologies including the MAPL cabin. Plans call for the first Bell 429 deliveries in the first half of 2007.
5
OFFSHOrE pLaTFOrmS ON DaTabaSEHoneywell also added the locations of approximately 5,000 Gulf of Mexico oil rigs and 4,000 land-based European structures to its latest terrain databases for helicopter Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning Systems (EGPWS). Honeywell’s EGPWS compares the aircraft’s location, which is constantly updated from a Global Positioning System, to a built-in database of terrain and obstacles and provides the flight crew with a moving map display. Also, if the aircraft approaches too close to an obstacle or terrain, the system displays a brightly colored warning icon and sounds an audio alert in the cockpit. The update is provided on a small data card.
N E w p r O D u C T S a N D S E r v i C E S
HummiNg aLONgHoneywell’s health and usage monitoring system (HUMS) has been selected by Sikorsky for the S-76 helicopter. Sikorsky will provide Honeywell’s VXP HUMS system as an option on current production S-76C+ helicopters. The system is also available from Honeywell for retrofitting on existing S-76C+ and previous models of S-76 helicopters.
T53 pOwErS ONHoneywell’s latest T5317BCV turboshaft engine, rated at 1,800 shaft horse power, has successfully powered the first flight of the Bell Medium Utility Helicopter. The T5317BCV is a production engine, providing 1,800 thermodynamic shaft horsepower at take-off on a standard day. It is based on the T53-L-703 engine, which currently powers the Bell Huey II helicopter providing 28% more take-off horsepower. Engine improvements include the new PM Astroloy turbine disc material, an improved reduction gearbox and accessory drive carrier design. The T5317BCV has a 5,000-hour Time Between Overhaul (TBO) and a four year or 2,000 hour warranty. The T53 family of engines currently powers the Bell UH-1H “Huey”and “Huey II”, the AH-1 “Cobra”, and the model 204/205 commercial helicopters.
HONEywELL aND SOLOyHoneywell has signed a teaming agreement with Soloy to develop a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for installation of Honeywell’s latest LTS101 turboshaft engine upgrade for the AS350B2 AStar helicopter. Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters will be the launch customer for the new conversion. “Honeywell’s LTS101-700D-2 turboshaft engine is designed to provide more than a 14 % take-off power improvement at sea level and 18 % more power in hot day conditions,” said Bob Miller, director, Honeywell Light Utility Helicopter programs. “The improved power is generated by a new cooled gas producer (GP) turbine assembly that also increases GP disk life from 6,300 cycles to 15,000 cycles, helping reduce our customers operating costs. The LTS101-700D-2 also incorporates an updated and proven reduction gear-set that reduces accumulated power turbine cycles by 35 %, and increases torque limits by 6 %.”The engine footprint is identical to existing versions of LTS101 engines so current LTS101 operators can take advantage of the growth capability with no significant change to the installation or mechanical interfaces. Soloy has already begun the new engine installation on a B2 AStar at its Washington facility.
SupEr puma aNTENNaFollowing successful installations on Ecureuil, Dauphin, and EC120 helicopters, the Super Puma has been equipped with Tramec Aero HF/SSB 2-m tubular antenna. According to the company, the installation has shown that all types of helicopters can be equipped with this antenna, which is installed easily and quickly, requiring no special maintenance.
SimuLaTOr SuCCESSFLYIT Simulators exhibited for their fifth year at Heli-Expo this year and according to the company, it was their best show ever, being visited non-stop by people from around the world. These included representatives from flight schools, EMS operators, Law enforcement and other helicopter operators who flew their two demonstration simulators, and as a result, the company gained orders exceeding more than US$1M in three days! The company will be at the Paris Airshow at Le Bourget in June and will have a simulator available for demonstration.
SimpLE rEaLLySimplex has made its first deliveries of the ANSAT systems including two Model 327 Fire Attack Systems for the Kazan ANSAT helicopter. Systems are being delivered to LG International of Seoul, Korea, for end use operation by the Forestry Aviation Office (FAO). The company has also received an order from LG in South Korea for the Model 328 Fire Attack System. The Model 328 is an upgrade to the existing Model
10900-050 Ka-32 Fire Attack System. The Model 328 upgrades are to include the replacement of the Hydraulic Hover Pumps to two 6_ AC Electric Hover Pumps with a refill rate of 1,000 gpm each. Removal of the hydraulic hover pumps from the system also eliminates the hydraulic power pack in the cabin, and installs a lightweight modular hydraulic power pack increasing useable floor space. The Model 328 will be designed to accept two additional exterior saddle-bag style tanks that would increase the system capacity to 4.5 tons. The company has sold a Model 314 Fire Attack System for the CH-54 helicopter to Siller Brothers Aviation in California. Siller Brothers is the second CH-54 operator to purchase the 2,000 gallon systems from Simplex and will use it in fire fighting operations this fire season with the US Forest Service and other fire fighting agencies.
briSTOw wiNSThe Aberdeen-based European division of Bristow Helicopters Ltd is celebrating the award of Talisman Energy’s (UK) five-year contract to provide helicopter services for its North Sea operations. Effective from 1st April 2005, the new deal includes an option to extend the contract by a further five years from 2010.
7
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Control the fire…
…protect your engine.
When wildfires are threatening, airborne assets can mean the difference
between safety and disaster. But while you’re battling the blaze — the smoke,
ash and debris are beating up your engine. Don’t let them. And don’t give up any
power to an inlet particle separator.
Fly with an inlet barrier filter from AFS and concentrate on your mission, not
on damage being done to your powerplant — there won’t be any. That’s because
our patented, FAA-approved systems will stop over 99 percent of the particulates,
dust and ash, that come its way. And that keeps your engine delivering peak power
when you need it.
Whether you carry the crews, spread the retardant, or direct the fire fight, your
job is to protect your corner of the world. Our job at AFS is to protect your engine,
and we do.
AFS 1P HO.indd 2 3/30/05 2:49:59 PM
N E w D E L i v E r i E S a N D O r D E r S
CHiLE HErEA third Chilean registered EC130 has arrived in the South American country. The machine, registered CC-CJM is privately owned by Aerofan S.A. of Santiago and will be used primarily for corporate work.
mETrO EC145 mOvESMetro Aviation added another Eurocopter product to their fleet with the addition of an EC145 at Florida Hospital in Orlando. This SPIFR machine is primarily used for inter-hospital transfers and carries around 850 patients per year. As well as being the fifth EC145 into North America it is also the first to be completed and operated by Metro Aviation.
NEw yOrk NEw yOrkMonmouth Helicopter Services has just been established at Monmouth Executive Airport south of New York City near the Jersey shore. Owner/Pilot Tim Orr and a partner have formed the company to obtain an aircraft for commuting to New York City, and for offering VIP charter services through New York-based charter firm Excelaire Services. Shunning older technology, the owners decided to buy an EC120 because, according to Monmouth, they wanted something new and state-of-the-art that would move the company into the future.
muSTEriNg rObiNSONSHeliflite has delivered a number of new and factory-overhauled Robinson helicopters recently to some of the country’s leading mustering operators. Mt. Isa and Katherine-based North Australian Helicopters took delivery of a new R22 Beta II in February, and Elrose Air, based in Cloncurry took delivery of a new R22 Beta II in December, after purchasing a pre-owned R22 Beta from Heliflite earlier in 2004. Charters Towers company Kane Helicopter Services, took delivery of their first new R22 Beta II from Heliflite in December and a new R22 Beta II helicopter to the Northern Territory’s Mark Sullivan of MS Stock Contracting in late February. Heliflite also delivered a factory-overhauled R22 Beta helicopter to mustering veteran John Armstrong and his son John Armstrong Jnr, in February.
139 NEwSThe AB139 received its FAA Transport Category IFR certification on December 20, 2004 and a type certificate handover ceremony was held in the Bell/Agusta’s booth during this year’s HAI Heli-Expo annual convention in Anaheim, California. The AB139 achieved Italian (ENAC) certification in 2003 and European EASA certification in 2004. An AB139 has embarked on an aggressive demonstration schedule for potential customers across the US throughout this year. Also at Heli-Expo, two aircraft were handed over to customers, Evergreen International Aviation and Chevron Texaco. Each company has ordered three AB139s with deliveries to be completed in 2006. It was also announced at Heli-Expo that SEACOR Holdings Inc. has placed an order for 20 AB139 medium-twin helicopters. This order, the largest received for the AB139 to date, raises the backlog to more than 100 helicopters for over 40 customers worldwide. Delivery of SEACOR's 20 AB139s will commence later this year and be completed by 2009. Initially, the helicopters will be used in support of offshore oil operations in the Gulf of Mexico, but could be deployed more widely in the future.
iTaLiaN airCraNECorpo Forestale recently took delivery of their second Aircrane, which will soon be on its way to Italy for the upcoming fire season. The first of the type is already in Italy undergoing pilot training. The official handover ceremony was at this year’s Heli Expo.
aLL aT SEaTo provide fast, efficient
transportation between shore
and their ocean-going ship, the
Washington Corporations relies
on helicopters. Needing a new
helicopter capable of shipboard
takeoffs and landings, and built
with enough range and fuel
capacity to do round-trip
flights, the company has
decided to purchase an EC130.
Operating helicopters as ship-
based transports off the west
coast of Canada, in the bush,
and sometimes in Mexico, the
company says that the quality
of fuel is sometimes a problem
and the EC130 can carry enough
fuel to fly round trips to the
ship. It also wanted a helicopter
with enough internal space for
passengers and freight. The
EC130 will be equipped with
factory-installed emergency
floats, air conditioning, the
upgraded Garmin GNS 530
integrated avionics package,
TAWS and TCAS.
aNaHEim pD gOES wiTH EurOCOpTErFor years, the Anaheim Police
Department Air Support Unit
has been aiding in suspect
pursuits, ferrying emergency
teams, and performing other
necessary duties using
MD500E helicopters. However,
when it came time to refresh
the Department’s fleet, the
department decided to switch
manufacturers and buy a
new Eurocopter A-Star B2
(AS350B2) instead. To
maximize its aerial
surveillance capabilities, the
Anaheim PD is buying the B2
equipped with a full law
enforcement package,
including a standard FLIR
camera package with lowlight
and infrared imaging, night
vision goggles, moving map,
and video downlink.
SpaNiSH baCkup 412Helisureste have added another 412SP to its fleet and is the 10th Bell 412 in their fleet. This aircraft is offshore equipped with a brand new interior and will initially be used a a backup aircraft for their scheduled operations in Spain and Malta.
9
N E w D E L i v E r i E S a N D O r D E r S
raLLy HELiCOpTErM Sport, based in Cumbria northwest England have purchased a new, EC 135 T2, for corporate duties with the BP Ford World Rally Team. Delivery will be in July and it will be painted blue externally with a suitably matched interior of blue and grey. Registration will be G-MSPT.
HuSH pOwErPapillon Helicopters has signed
for two more EC130s bringing the
130 fleet to 9. The EC130s will be
assigned to their Las Vegas
market, and will carry tourists
from Vegas to the Canyon. VP Lon
Halverson said, "The tourists love
the aircraft; in fact the EC130 is
the most requested aircraft we
operate," he added. "The quiet
technology carries through with
our commitment to fly friendly
and neighbourly."
ON air NEwSOn Air Helicopter Tours has acquired another EC130 B4 from Geneva, Switzerland, and this helicopter, with the call-sign ZS-RUY, will operate out of the V & A Waterfront in Cape Town. On Air is the largest private operator of Eurocopter products in Africa, and provides scenic flights to passengers visiting the Victoria Falls in Livingstone, Zambia, the Drakensberg mountains in Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Garden Route on the south eastern Cape coast. The new operation in Cape Town will enable On Air Helicopter Tours to provide scenic flights in most of the popular scenic areas of Southern Africa. The flights out of the waterfront include spectacular views of Table Mountain, coastal flights along exquisite beaches, flights to the Stellenbosch Winelands for wine-tasting, picnics and lunches and Robben Island tours. Passengers can also be transferred from Cape Town International airport to the ever-popular Waterfront hotels, which is a wonderful way of getting a quick orientation of Cape Town.
407 FOr CaNaDaCanadian company Yellowhead is expecting delivery of a new Bell 407 in May this year. Yellowhead already operates Bell JetRangers, LongRangers, 204s and a 205. The 407 will be used principally for fighting forest fires and mountain rescue work, where rangers are slung in to assist casualties, and both slung out. According to Terry Jones, the company’s operations manager, the 407 has proven its ability to out-deliver the bigger Bells (204, 205 and 212) for bucketing water on fires.
EC145 iN THE SOuTH paCiFiCAustralian Aerospace has delivered the first EC145 in the South Pacific to True North Helicopters. Jim Ryan, chief pilot of True North Helicopters, said that the delivery of the EC145 is an exciting step forward for his business and his customers: “True North operates luxurious wilderness tours in the Western Kimberleys and is heavily involved with fire agencies in NSW,” he said.
iTaLiaN kOaLaETI 2000 is bringing a new Agusta A119 Koala online and it is to be based in Quart, which is in the Italian Aosta province. It’s due to start operations late in March. ETI 2000 is currently operating three AS350B3 Ecureuils, two Lamas and one other Koala . This Koala will be replaced by the new machine, which will be operated for heli-skiing flights deep into the Alps and for aerial work operations in the surrounding area.
OraNgE COuNTyOrange County Sheriffs Department has selected the A-Star B2 helicopter to replace two helicopters in the Air Support Bureau that are starting to show their age after years of faithful service. The B2 has been fitted with some options to make it more mission-capable. The standard instrument panel has been replaced with a Geneva law enforcement half panel to provide more visibility, a high visibility observer’s window-door for improved visibility, a Wescam 12D200 infrared and daytime/lowlight camera system with video downlinking, Nightsun, and a moving map system.
Drug FigHTErSBell delivered three new Bell 407 helicopters to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Special Agent-in-Charge, William Brown accepted the aircraft on behalf of the agency. The Bell 407 was selected by the DEA in August 2004, to fulfill a pressing requirement for a new light utility helicopter. The requirement specified that the helicopter's airframe, power plant, and major components must be manufactured and assembled for rugged operation.
EmS EC135SDelta System-Air purchased three EC135s for its helicopter emergency medical service in the Czech Republic. The company began its air rescue service operations in 1993 and in 2000 became a member of the HEMS association of non-state-owned air rescue services. Purchased in December last year, the EC135s began operating in January and are based in Ostrava, Liberec, and Usti nad Labem.
11
paul
Sad
ler
‘Upbeat and positive’
best describes the general
atmosphere at the recent Heli Expo.
Mark Ogden wraps-up the biggest
news from the show.
this year’s heli expo attracted some 14,000 visitors – keeping more than 480 exhibitors busy during the three days. If recent shows reflected a subdued and downbeat industry, this year’s event saw plenty of willing customers for a range of new models released, and a flurry of new product launches answering market demand.
Jerry Mullins, CEO of Enstrom
commented that the consensus of
Enstrom employees was that it was the
best show as far as quality customers
showing sincere interest in their products.
“I personally feel that HAI indicated the
market is turning in a very positive
direction,” he said.
Even those who don’t derive direct
commercial benefit from the show
considered attendance essential. Jon
Lazzaretti, VP Marketing at Columbia Helicopters commented that he thought it
was a pretty good show. “For a specialized
operator like us there is really very little in
the way of operations business conducted
at this show, but our outside maintenance
sales staff get quite a lot out of it,” he said.
it’s wrap!
HELi EXpO‘05 - HELi EXpO‘05 - HELi EXpO‘05 - HELi EXpO‘05 - HELi EXpO‘05 - HELi EXpO‘05 - HELi EXpO‘05
a
12
ABOvE: Two versions of the 429
were displayed, a corporate version
and an EmS configured model.
TOP RIGHT: metro aviation delivered the
third EC145 into North america to
vanberbilt Lifeflight during Heli Expo.
RIGHT: mock up of the medical interior
being proposed for the new bell 429.
HELi EXpO‘05 - HELi EXpO‘05 - HELi EXpO‘05 - HELi EXpO‘05 - HELi EXpO‘05 - HELi EXpO‘05 - HELi EXpO‘05
13
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Firefighting system manufacturer
Simplex did well at the show,
receiving unplanned orders for five Fire
Attack Systems – a new show record for
Simplex. President, Steven P Daniels
commented, “Certainly, the quality
of the visitors to our booth was better
than in the past and we continue
to see the future of fire attack
technologies evolving”.
bELL rENaiSSaNCECEO Michael Redenbaugh, ‘Red’, is
seen by many as the amiable driving force
behind a rejuvenated. In a somewhat
theatrical entrance, ‘Red’ introduced the
new Bell 429, a twin-engine helicopter
that the company, in cooperation with its
South Korean partners, plans to fly by
year’s end.
The 429 promises to provide the
medium helicopter segment with an
alternative to Eurocopter and Agusta
products, especially in EMS, small
offshore and VIP markets. Bell
representatives were quick to stress that
while there may be some changes as a
result of the development program and
customer feedback, essentially the
helicopter would be ‘as is’.
By the end of the show they
had more than 100 confirmed orders,
suggesting the industry generally likes
what it sees.
aguSTa - a TruE FOrCEIn collaboration with Agusta, another
cooperative success for Bell is the AB139.
Agusta has done all the design and
manufacturing work on this machine
while Bell has taken on some of the
marketing and North American
manufacture. Agusta has quietly become
a true force in the helicopter business
with its 101, 109 and 139 product lines.
The AB139 is already a commercial
success for Agusta with US manufacture
expected to begin next year. The 139
promises huge performance margins with
very good Category A performance, and
during certification testing the helicopter
demonstrated 120 KIAS at 20,000 ft. At
around US$10 million, the large and
roomy AB139 has huge potential for
offshore, EMS and air transport
operations.
piSTON pOwErAt the ‘small’ end of the market,
Schweizer recently sold numbers of CBis
and 333 turbine models into the UK and
US and is delivering eight 333s to Mexico.
Recently taken over by Sikorsky,
Schweizer’s future seems assured and the
company and its many current and
potential customers are hoping the
buyout will enable an increase in
manufacturing capacity.
Robinson the manufacturer that
builds more helicopters than anyone else,
continues to go from strength to strength,
with Frank Robinson himself showing no
sign of giving up the reigns to his
company. With 2004’s production already
63% up on 2003 (much of the increase
attributable to the popularity of the
Raven II R44 model), Robinson aims to
boost production further and turn out
some 1,000 units – between 15 and 20
units a week in 2005!
LyCOmiNgOne company sharing Robinson’s
success is engine manufacturer,
Lycoming, which manufactured 2,500
new engines last year – over 1,000 of
which were supplied to the helicopter
market – mostly to Robinson. Lycoming
is relying on innovation to keep the
turbines from impinging on its market.
Product improvements presently in the
pipeline include roller tappets that are
expected to improve reliability and
produce cost savings. Future innovations
being examined include, new piston
designs (in cooperation with Toyota), a
move to electronic ignition, the
development of better monitoring and
recording technology, and alternative fuel
such as diesel.
Eurocopter’s presence in the US
continues to grow with increasing
numbers of its helicopters filling US EMS
and offshore roles. Offshore operator PHI
ordered 10 EC135P2 helicopters with
options for a further 10. Eurocopter also
announced a cooperative venture with
China to develop the EC175, a 22,000 lb
heavy lifter that will be positioned
between the EC155 and Super Puma.
Turbomeca is making a large investment
in the US to manufacture Arrius 2 and
Arriel 2 engines within the country.
A common complaint from operators
has been the high cost of overhauling
the French-designed engines,
which Turbomeca hopes to reduce
with US manufacture.
Sikorsky was also active, and
despite its recent Marine One defeat,
the S-92 has continued to find customers
in the offshore sector sufficient to fill
order books for 2005. PHI chose
Sikorsky’s S76 and S92 to meet its
medium and heavy needs. As the S-92’s
market establishes and grows, demand
for the venerable S76 remains high. As a
result, Sikorsky Aircraft announced a
series of component upgrades for the new
S-76C++ and additional product
improvements that will launch the new
D model in 2008. Some of the changes
include new engines for both
models with significant noise reductions
in-and-outside the helicopter, new
cockpits and new rotor blades for
the D model.Last words on the HAI belong to Blue
Hawaiian’s Dave Chevalier who expressed a desire to see more international representation on HAI’s Board, noting that HAI is largely a US-based organization despite its ‘international’ tag. “The lack of representation on the Board from anyone outside of the United States was discussed at the Board of Directors meeting at Heli Expo.”
14
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HELi EXpO‘05 - HELi EXpO‘05 - HELi EXpO‘05 - HELi EXpO‘05 - HELi EXpO‘05 - HELi EXpO‘05 - HELi EXpO‘05
Manufacturer of over 250 diff erentFAA PMA parts for the MD500
Manufacturer of over 250 diff erentFAA PMA parts for the MD500
• AH Helicopter Service, United Kingdom
• AvMap Sri, Italy
• A&P Helicopters, California
• Bell Equipment Co, South Africa
• DHD Deutscher Helicopter, Germany
• Great Slave Helicopters, Canada
• Heli Technik, Germany
• Helicenter S. A., Argentina
• Hoffman Helicopters, Guam
• Jet Systems Helicopter Service, France
• Inter-Island Helicopter, Hawaii • Kern County Sheriffʼs Aero Unit, California
• LA County Sheriffʼs Aero Unit, California
• Las Vegas Metropolitan PD, Nevada
• March Helicopters, United Kingdom
• Norwegian Helicopter School, Norway
• Norsk Helicopterskoel AS, Norway
• Northern Air Support, Canada
• Tampa Police Dept., Florida
• Aeropower, Australia
Worldwide customers include:
3920 Sandstone Drive • El Dorado Hills, CA 95762phone: 916.939.6888 • fax: 916.939.6555
www.aerometals.aero
F L i g H T D y N a m i C S
the name belies the adversity that
the VRS may cause a pilot if allowed to
reach maturity. In my opinion, a matured
VRS is the most hazardous condition that
exists in the realm of helicopter
aeronautics.
I once gave a flight demo in Fort
Rucker, Alabama, to the commanding
general and staff. The demo was to end
with a precision autorotation to the
ground. During the last few feet, the ship
fell through the flare, even though the
flare and collective inputs were correct
and well coordinated. It was suspected
that a slight tail wind was responsible.
Couldn’t have been the pilot!
In that situation, VRS instantly formed
when a stable autorotative approach into
the flare passed a massive inflow of air up
through the rotor, coupled with the added
pitch increase. This is a formula for VRS,
the consequence of which was an
instantaneous partially stalled rotor
system. Such a phenomenon had never
happened to me before, nor has it
happened since, during many hundreds of
autorotations.
All airfoils create tip vortices as they
pass through the air. The rotor tip vortices
are present throughout powered flight
and form on the blade tips causing
aerodynamic losses in rotor tip lift
efficiencies. If the helicopter is brought to
a hover and the pilot initiates a vertical or
near vertical descent at an airspeed below
translational lift, the aircraft will be
descending into its own downwash,
causing enlargement of the tip vortices,
disrupting lift and increasing descent rate.
This is now a serious VRS.
As the descent rate continues to
increase, the natural instinct of
a pilot unfamiliar with VRS procedures is
to increase collective pitch. Increasing
collective pitch rapidly increases tip
vortices and descent rate. When the
descent rate reaches the point where the
descent air inflow exceeds the down flow
of the inboard rotor blade sections, a
second and expanding VRS is created.
With so much of the rotor stalled at
this point, cyclic control becomes less
effective. The only option remaining is to
lower the collective and enter into an
autorotation. The VRS is now reduced or
destroyed, and cyclic control is restored.
Once the airspeed is increased beyond
translational lift, the aircraft can return to
normal flight. Descent rates can range
upwards to 8,000 ft per minute.
The following excerpt is from emails
I received from Gary Arthur, a pilot flying
for the South African Power Company.
Gary is rightfully concerned about VRS.
All of the pilots working for South African
Power were well trained by the South
African Air Force. Their work requires
extensive hover out of ground effect
(HOGE) and steep to vertical descents
from altitudes around 300 ft AGL.
Gary says, “We have approval from our
Civil Aviation Authority to carry personnel
underslung (slingload). The total length of the
underslung is 80 ft. The heights of power lines
range from 80 ft to 100 ft.
There are times when we have to go live,
when a linesman sits on the skid next to us
and works on the live power line. This
sometimes necessitates hovering with the
blades between the ground wire and the
actual conductor.
The linesman will attach a wand to the
wire, which energizes the entire helicopter and
makes very impressive sparks next to you. It
certainly tends to grab your attention. The
chap on the skid who goes live wears a
liveline suit, which is composed of 25% steel.
This protects him to a certain extent
from the high-voltage corona, which feels like
bee stings. The lines we work on range from
132 kilovolts to 765 kilovolts. These tend to
hurt the live-line guys quite a bit.”
I have included this email as a useful
illustration, albeit an extreme one, of the
critical nature of maneuvering at low
airspeeds. Any rotor roughness and these
guys are out of there!
To avoid VRS, it helps to know what
conditions can lead to their formation.
1. Powered vertical or near-
vertical descents with airspeeds
below translational lift;
2. High altitudes near or beyond
the helicopters HOGE ceiling;
3. Autorotational flares during
power-on recoveries; or
4. Rarely, autorotational flares
during power-off recoveries.
These are some of the conditions
under which the VRS can establish itself.
It must be understood that once a VRS
is formed and matured no amount of
power will terminate or diminish it. Only
by reducing collective pitch and
increasing airspeed beyond translational
lift can there be successful VRS
termination and this takes sufficient
altitude to accomplish. Exceptional
attention should always be given to
approaches when airspeeds are near or
below translational lift. The pilot should,
under these conditions, immediately
address any abnormal rotor vibrations.
ring stateVortex ring state (VRS), sometimes inexactly referred to
as ‘settling with power’, is an insidious aerodynamic phenomenon
that can form rapidly when the helicopter is operating out of ground
effect and below effective translational lift airspeeds.
by Mot t Stanchf ie ldVortex
16
Boxing Day 2004 was a day that
literally changed the world. All around
the Indian Ocean rim, coastal villages
were obliterated from the face of the
earth by a giant tsunami that left more
than 273,000 people dead – or
missing, presumed dead – and many
thousands more struggling to come to
terms with the catastrophic event that
changed their lives forever.
Life after death
story and photos by Ned Dawson
Ned and their interpreter Ismawardy, standing in what was left of his family home, where he lost his mother, father and baby sister.
LEFT: One of the first aerial images seen of Meaulaboh - some 200km down the coast from Banda Aceh, was equally as hard hit, but because of inaccessibility was shielded from the world’s media coverage.
20
WAve Of destructIONThe massive tsunami had its origins
about 10 km (6 miles) below the surface of
the earth, deep beneath the Indian Ocean,
about 250 km (155 miles) off Sumatra's
coast where the India, Burma and
Australian tectonic plates meet. Normally
moving less than 10 cm (four inches)
per year, the plates grind slowly away at
each other unnoticed. On December 26,
that slow grind became a sudden slip
along 1,200 km (745 miles) of plate
boundary as the India plate subducted
beneath the Burma sub-plate – causing an
earthquake measuring an incredible 9 on
the Richter scale. As it wobbled the earth
on its axis, the quake changed the map of
the world, permanently altering the
region’s geology – shifting islands and
changing coastlines.
As the sea floor lifted between 10 and
15 meters, (32 to 49 ft), it displaced
millions of tonnes of water that became
waves, which spread from the epicentre
of the quake in all directions – racing
across the open ocean at up to 500 km
per hour (310 miles per hour). At sea
they were only a few cm high, but as the
waves neared the shore they slowed
and grew to a height of about 10 meters,
and when squeezed by the terrain grew
even higher.
PersONAl Odyssey As I discovered during visits to Phuket
in Thailand and Banda Aceh in Sumatra
soon after the tragedy, never more
comprehensively than in the aftermath of
that tidal cataclysm, have the roles of
helicopters and their crews as
humanitarian heroes been better
demonstrated.
I had the opportunity to join one of
MHS (Malaysian Helicopter Services)
Aviation’s AS355Fs which was working
from Phuket approximately a week after
the Tsunami devastated the Khao Lak
coastline and the tourist island of Phi Phi.
I worked closely with Captain Rahmat
Hussein, business manager for MHS,
who coordinated the operation of his
company’s two AS355s under the banner
of Eurocopter (EC) Malaysia and EADS.
As well as funding the AS355s for use by
the Thai Authorities, EC Malaysia also had
a Dauphin in Banda Aceh and was
developing plans to place an AS350 and a
remanufactured Puma there as well, with
20 flight hours on the Puma to be donated
to the French Red Cross. All this was on
21
top of a cash donation made by EADS.
When I arrived, Phuket International
Airport was a hive of activity with all air
operations being coordinated from a
conference room in the airport
management building. There were a
number of civilians working alongside the
Thai Air Force controllers and, despite
the presence of helicopters from all over
the world including the Tokyo Fire Dept
(2 x SA365N2s), Royal Thai Navy (S-76
and Bell 412), Thai Army (212 and
UH-1H) and Chinooks that came and
went periodically, everything went
remarkably smoothly.
On average MHS’s 355s flew two
sorties per day, one in the morning
and one in the afternoon, each
lasting anything up to three hours.
I accompanied MHS’s Captain Nazim on a
flight to search for bodies north of the
Khao Lak resort area – the most
heavily damaged area, apart from Phi Phi
Island itself. We were joined by a French
Armee Fennec and the other MHS 355,
which had just delivered a group
of Forensic Scientists to Taukapa to
identify bodies.
Nothing could have prepared me for
the devastation I witnessed as we flew
north along the resort coast; solid
concrete buildings simply gone, two and
three storey hotel buildings gutted – beds
and laundry strewn across rooftops. It
was impossible to appreciate that along
30 miles of coastline over 10,000 people
had died, and another 5,000 were still
missing, with little or no hope of their
ever being recovered.
The devastation was even worse at my
next destination, Banda Aceh in
Indonesia, which bore the brunt of the
tsunami’s impact.
MIlItAry AssIstANceFull credit must be given to the US
Navy and Marine Corps, and Australian
Army Aviation for the immediacy and
degree of aid supplied by air following the
tragedy. These units were some of the first
international units on the ground, and the
way they got things moving was
impressive. Time is crucial in such
circumstances; the US Agency for
International Development (USAID)
estimated that the support provided by
Navy and Marine Corps helicopters to
isolated villages along the west coast of
Sumatra saved nearly 20,000 lives.
Despite this, some ‘experts’ such as
the UN’s chief aid coordinator, Michael
Elmquist took a swipe at the US Navy
early in the operation for delivering
emergency aid to west coast survivors
rather than transporting UN assessment
teams, which he considered affected UN
aid operation plans. It is difficult to view
his apparent belief and subsequent
comments to the effect that the UN
knows better than local people, as
anything other than arrogant. “We had
22
The support provided by Navy and Marine Corps helicopters to isolated villages along the west coast of Sumatra saved nearly 20,000 lives.
ABOVE LEFT: Air serv chartered 3 Bell 407s
from south Africa to ferry aid workers up and
down the sumatran west coast. Note the boat
(in upper right of photo) - 5km inland.
LEFT: It may only have been noodles and bottled water but it was like it was christmas had come for these villagers, who had been without food for days.
TOP LEFT: A welcome sight of eurocopter
Malaysia’s Puma landing on what used to
be the main street of this fishing village -
bringing with it vital supplies.
ABOVE LEFT: this was one of the rare
occasions where villagers actually waited
for the blades to stop, before clambering
aboard the helicopter to get their hands on
supplies.
ABOVE righT: tom Mccready (from
Heli Harvest) and Ismarwardy, standing at
the base of a monument on the Banda
Aceh waterfront, which prior to the
tsunami had a big ball on top - showing
the height the waves reached.
brief contact with the Americans to try to
sort this out. They say they take their
advice from the Indonesians,” he said.
“The difficulty we've had with the US
helicopters is they do not actually stop on
the ground, they land and unload supplies
and take off again immediately. To be
frank, we would have liked to have had
better discussions at an earlier stage.”
Undeterred, Rear Admiral Thomas J
Kilcline, USN, said the US Navy’s tsunami
relief efforts in support of Operation
Unified Assistance dramatically
highlighted the capacity and flexibility of
carrier and expeditionary strike groups to
provide a wide range of capabilities in
rapid response to an immense
humanitarian crisis. Led by the USS
Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) Strike Group,
US naval forces were among the first to
respond to international requests for
humanitarian aid and disaster relief
missions.
US Navy planning for the tsunami
relief operations began on 28 December as
the Lincoln Strike Group sprinted toward
the Andaman Sea. Relief operations
commenced on 1 January when the group,
situated 15 miles northwest of Banda
Aceh, launched 13 of its 15 available H-60s
– 11 from Lincoln, two each from the
cruiser Shiloh (CG-67) and destroyer
Shoup (DDG-86) – to commence an
unprecedented carrier-based helicopter
airlift operation. The US Navy’s initial
efforts focused on providing humanitarian
23
24
aid and disaster relief operations by
delivering critical supplies and evacuating
the most critically injured victims,
although its helicopters did also fly
international relief agencies’
representatives to assess the magnitude
of the damage and the condition of
remote villages across the region.
As relief operations progressed, HS-2,
HSL-47 and HC-11 aircrews and several
air-wing volunteers developed a ground
communications and relief distribution
center at the Banda Aceh Airport. As
loading operations became increasingly
efficient and delivery more organized, the
combined efforts of all the Navy
helicopters began averaging more than
100,000 lb of aid material daily. The arrival
of the USS Essex and its MH-60S and
MH-53E helicopters resulted in the
movement of more than one million
pounds of relief aid to the most remote
and desperate areas of the region. Each
H-60 is capable of delivering from 1,000 to
6,000 lb of supplies or personnel, and each
MH-53E able to deliver more than 25,000
lb per mission. Such was the tempo of
operations, that within 15 days most of
the US Navy helicopter squadrons had
each exceeded 1,000 flight hours.
It was impressive to witness the
military effort first-hand. During any
spare time I had on the ground in Banda
Aceh I watched the Seahawks (H-60s) and
UH-1Hs coming and going from the
football field. A continuous line of aid
supplies flowed from a succession of
aircraft: RAF C-17s, USAF C-130s and
civilian cargo planes. The pallets unloaded
by Australian Army soldiers went straight
into trucks for the short drive to the
football oval where US sailors and
Australian soldiers formed chain gangs to
transfer supplies into the helicopters.
FrOM TOP: MH53s from the uss essex were regularly called on to transport loads of up to 25,000 lbs between Banda Aceh and Meaulaboh.
Our first load from Banda Aceh to Meaulaboh was to deliver red cross supplies and drop off some french doctors to join a field hospital.
A constant procession of trucks would transport incoming supplies from military transport aircraft around to the tNI hangar - set up as a temporary warehouse before being flown further south by helicopters.
Parked one behind the other, two
Seahawks were loaded simultaneously in
as little as five minutes, while two more
hovered out in the middle of the oval. As
the loaded aircraft pulled pitch and
departed, the hovering pair would slide
over and set down. And so it went on –
non-stop, all day.
Even more impressive were the
MH-53Es. Normally working out of
Meaulaboh, they occasionally dropped
into Banda Aceh for passengers or
supplies. Back to back behind a C-130, and
with ramps down, the MH-53s could be
loaded in the same time as the Seahawks.
None of the helicopters shut down during
the day; according to Major James Brown
who was in charge of the Australian Army
Aviation contingent. It was not
uncommon for their UH-1H helicopters to
start up in the morning and not shut
down till late in the afternoon.
Flight times for helicopters moving
urgent supplies of water, food and
medical supplies varied between 15
minutes to, an hour and a half if they
operated down towards Chalang and
Meaulaboh. However, the helos working
the southern area primarily operated
from the two US Navy ships anchored off
the coast of Meaulaboh.
All the pilots had to be extra careful of
loose debris when landing at remote sites.
A number of pilots reported sheets of iron
sailing around as they were approaching
to land, forcing them to pull pitch and
look elsewhere. Another major concern
for all crew members was the local
villagers ignoring instructions to stand
back from the helicopter – they did
whatever they could to get their hands on
the things they had been without since
the tsunami hit – things like food and
water – sometimes for over a week.
On my first trip down the coast I was
absolutely ‘gob-smacked’. As we flew a
load of medical supplies to Meaulaboh for
the International Red Cross, the scenes
that unfolded before us were like
something out of Armageddon. Whole
25
villages wiped out, with not a living soul
left in sight. In one village, the only
‘building’ left was a Mosque; it too was
nothing but a gutted shell. In the one-
and-a-half hour flight down the coast we
saw only a handful of people; the rest
were gone, wiped from the face of the
earth, as though they never existed. Such
scenes of devastation would be repeated
on every flight I accompanied, no matter
which direction we headed. We saw a
concrete factory where 300 souls were
lost; a ship overturned in the harbour;
villagers – grateful to get even a bottle of
water and some chips; demolished roads;
bridges leading nowhere; beaches that
had disappeared as the ground beneath
them subsided by up to five meters;
children and families left with nothing
but the clothes on their backs – in some
cases less than that.
Captain Hussein had been unprepared
for the devastation during his first visit on
24 January when, as he tagged along on a
crew change flight to Banda Aceh, there
LEFT: the town of chalang was literally wiped out, with over 90% of its residents dead or missing. the white concrete squares seen in the photo are all that’s left of houses and buildings.
BELOw LEFT And BELOw righT: us Navy sailors and Australian Army soldiers formed chain gangs to load the sH-60s and uH1Hs in as little as 5 minutes, enabling over one hundred sorties a day to be flown.
though a giant bulldozer had just ripped
up 250 km of coastline in a band up to
five km wide. His ability to speak Bahasa
gave him a chance to talk to the victims
as they delivered food, medicine and
equipment to the people along the west
coast. “Everyone I met had lost family.
One middle-aged woman told me she lost
her husband, all her children, her parents,
her house, and all her worldly
possessions. She survived with just the
clothes she was wearing. She told how
survivors spent the first three days in the
hills with nothing to eat until the first
help arrived. Everyone was too afraid to
climb down for fear of another tsunami.
All they could do was pray, as they
helplessly watched the bodies of their
families and fellow villagers bloat and
decay. The woman slipped 1000 Rupiahs
(about 10 US cents) into my hand and
asked me to get her a torchlight and spare
batteries, telling me it got too dark at
night. I told her to keep her money, and
instead persuaded Janis, the helicopter
engineer, to part with his expensive
Maglite!”
Andrew Rice also had difficulty
comprehending the scale of the
were still body bags lined up along the
road – almost a month after the waves
had struck. “All of us in the group were
dumbstruck,” he said. During the flight
back to Kuala Lumpur, one of the
departing MHS crews told him that what
he had seen in Banda Aceh was nothing
compared to the devastation along the
west coast of Sumatra, where hundreds of
bodies lay trapped in the mud,
inaccessible and unfortunately having to
be left to rot.
Rahmat’s first flights were as co pilot
for Andrew Rice from Eurocopter Malaysia
in the 330J. He described the scene as
ABOVE: A luxury resort in Khao laok, the area hardest hit in
thailand by the tsunami. to date there are still 4900 people still
unaccounted for.
nEXT PAgE FrOM LEFT: People were swept from their rooms - even
on the second and third floors, showing the devastating force of
mother nature.
An MHs As355 delivers forensic scientists to the makeshift morgue at
taukapa, for body identification.
devastation on his first trip up the west
Sumatran coastline. “Seeing it from the
air was a bit like watching it on television,
it seemed surreal. It was not until I
walked through the streets and met the
people who had suffered this awful
disaster that it really struck home – the
great loss suffered by so many, as their
family and friends were killed all around
them. I was greatly saddened by their
plight, yet also uplifted to see the incredible
work being done by volunteers from
organizations such as Mercy Malaysia;
assembled in this Hell were some of the
very best and most generous people on the
planet helping those in need.”
From an operational standpoint,
Rahmat was impressed with the way
helicopter movements were so well
organized. Despite there being close to a
hundred helicopters buzzing all over the
place, every one strictly adhered to the
laid down procedures. “All helicopter
traffic in and out of Banda Aceh was
handled by the Aussies, and I take my hat
off to them for doing an excellent job.”
Rahmat commented.
As the international aid effort gained
momentum in Banda Aceh, more civilian
helicopters arrived from all over the globe.
Kiwi-based operator Heli Harvest
undertook an impressively long ferry
flight with its Mil-8 from New Zealand, via
Australia to Banda Aceh to work for
Oxfam. Air Serv arrived with two South
African-based Bell 407s in an IL76 to be
joined later by a Bell 204B from Tamarack
Helicopters in the US and an AS350 from
South Africa. By the time they got into full
swing, Air Serv were running three 407s, a
206L, AS350 and the 204B. Air Serv
provided air support services for a
number of aid agencies, a great concept
that should be encouraged. Unfortunately,
because of the huge amounts of money
hand to ‘keep an eye on’ the locals –
ostensibly so that aid was distributed
fairly. However, according to the villagers,
in reality, the TNI was there to ‘look after
its own’. With Achenese rebels starving, it
seemed the TNI was taking advantage of
the opportunity to gain the upper hand in
its ongoing battle against Achenese
independence. It seemed appalling that
people suffering so badly from the losses
of families, homes and livelihoods should
become helpless pawns in the power
struggle emanating from Jakarta. Little
wonder that the Indonesian Government
was in such a hurry to get all foreign aid
agencies out of the region.
PrOfOuNd syMBOlsPeople have since asked me if
anything I saw had a profound effect
on me. Without a doubt.
Two instances really stick in my mind.
The first was the mind-blowing extent of
the devastation; it was simply too much
to take in. Whole families – generations –
had been wiped out – gone. As I sat in
the open door of MHS’s S61, flying above
the devastated land, the image of the
empty Mosque seemed to symbolise this
gaping loss.
The other symbolic moment for me
was when I went with Heli Harvest’s
Tom McCready to where our interpreter
Mwady used to live with his
parents. I deliberately say ‘used to live’,
because his father, mother and sister
were swept away by the tsunami.
Trying to understand the heartache he
must have been going through was
difficult. What do you say? How do you
act? When we finally got to where his
house used to be, he told us, “Here is
where my mother’s and father’s
room used to be,” and, pointing to a
patch of broken tiles, “Here is where my
room was and the room of my sister.”
Though the tears welled in his eyes, he
somehow kept his composure.
He was one of the bravest individuals
I have ever met.
These are two of the many images
I have taken away from my time working
with the aid relief helicopters in Banda
Aceh, Indonesia.
sAcrIfIceAid helicopters, both military
and civilian, flew thousands of hours
in support of Tsunami relief – indeed
for some, work still continues.
Despite the hectic pace, incidents were
few and far between, one US Navy
Seahawk crashed just after takeoff from
Banda Aceh – luckily without serious
injury to the crew.
Not so lucky were the crew of a Royal
Australian Navy Seaking which crashed
near Gunung Sitoli on Nias Island while
supporting relief operations for a major
aftershock. Nine of the eleven crew
onboard died; four were naval aviators
from 817 Squadron. From all of us here
at Heli Ops, especially my editor, and
myself, our heartfelt condolences go out
to family, friends and crewmates. Having
been part of what you were involved in,
I know for sure that the Achenese people
deeply appreciate the fact that you gave
your lives to help them. There is no
bigger sacrifice.
28
raised by aid agencies, many decided they
would rather have their own helicopters –
simply because they could!
AId AgeNcy trOuBlesHowever one aspect of the relief
operation that left a sour taste in my
mouth was the elitism displayed by some
aid agencies when it came to requests
made by anyone outside their own
organizations for use of their helicopters.
In one instance, a group of French doctors
had to wait three days to join colleagues
at a distant field hospital. In the end, it
was MHS Aviation who came to the
rescue and moved the doctors to where
they could begin the ‘real’ task at hand of
helping to save lives. It was frustrating to
witness. The people of Sumatra had been
through enough, without having to put up
with the petty politics of aid agencies.
One agency though stood out from the
others – Mercy Malysia. Instead of telling
the Achenese people what they would to
to help, – they asked them what help they
needed. It was great to see an agency that
was there to assist, not dictate.
Another disturbing thing I witnessed
was the heavy-handed attitude of the TNI
(Indonesia Military). In a couple of villages
I visited, the TNI had armed soldiers on
TOP LEFT: An MH60s overflies a remote village where it has been tasked to pick up some injured Achenese villagers.
TOP righT: tNI soldiers were deployed to many of the villages to ‘keep an eye’ on the aid distribution.
BELOw: the inside of a rNZAf c-130 on its way to Jakarta from Banda Aceh, with a load of refugees, being evacuated to the capital.
SuBScriBe to
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using a wide range of options, including single
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by Mark Ogdenphotos by Ned Dawson
your
S A F E T Y F E A T U R E
The flight helmet has long been
accepted as an integral part of the
military helicopter crew’s
safety-equipment. With the wealth of
evidence available proving the
helmet’s effectiveness in increasing
crash survivability, perhaps
the civilian helicopter industry should
follow the military’s lead.
MiliTARY AviAToRS need no convincing
of a helmet’s value – yet in a world where
many countries mandate helmet wearing
for activities such as riding motorcycles
and even bicycles* and despite research
proving the manifold benefits of wearing
helmets in helicopters, aviation regulators
have been reluctant to force the issue in
the civilian helicopter industry.
Since World War One, few military
pilots have taken to the skies without the
protection of some kind of helmet. The
simple leather helmet of WWI that kept a
pilot’s head warm has developed into a
modern hard-shelled technological
masterpiece that fulfils a variety of
functions; noise attenuation,
communication, weapon-system
operation, mounting for flight
instrumentation and night-vision
equipment – and not the least, protection
against blast and impact.
According to Barry Vincent of
Integrated Helmet System (manufacturers
of the ALPHA Helmet), the acceptance of
head protection in the civilian helicopter
market has been extremely low. Less than
5% of commercial pilots wear helmets and
far fewer in the leisure sector of the
market. “Of the percentage wearing
helmets, most are search and rescue,
police air support, and other similar
‘quasi-military’ crews,” he says. Another
study found that only 13% of civilian EMS
operators used helmets. Reasons given for
not wearing them included ‘bad public
relations’, high costs and concerns about
their effectiveness.
researchA 1967 paper on a study by the United
States Board for Aviation Research,
covering four decades of crashes,
determined that 97% of US Army aircraft
accidents were theoretically survivable
(defined as survivable if crash forces were
within human tolerance: 50-150g
transverse to the spine). There is no
reason to expect a greatly differing
percentage in the civilian industry.
Regardless of why a helicopter hits the
ground, the laws of physics apply equally
to civil and military aircraft.
Helicopter helmet development began
seriously during the early 1960s when
researchers began examining ‘survivable’
accidents in military aircraft, particularly
helicopters. The US Army Aeromedical
Research laboratory has issued many
technical papers on the subject and in the
UK research is conducted at Farnborough.
Two studies examining US Army
* Head injuries are the primary cause of around 3,500 deaths from motorcycle crashes and 900 from bicycle crashes each year in the US.
Less than 5% of
commercial pilots
wear helmets and far
fewer in the leisure
sector of the market.
Of the percentage wearing
helmets, most are
search and rescue or
police air support.
32
accidents and flight helmet effectiveness
were conducted 30 years apart; the first in
1961, examining the APH-5 helmet and
the second in 1991 looking at the SPH-4.
In the 1961 study, fatal head injuries were
found to be 2.4 times more common
among those not wearing helmets. The
author of that report credited the APH-5
helmet with saving 265 lives over the
period the study examined. The 1991 study examined severe but
survivable accidents between 1972 and 1988 and found the risk of fatal head injury to be a massive 6.3 times greater for those not wearing helmets.
In the late ’50s, when the US Army
adopted the US Navy’s APH5 helmet, users
described it as being too hot, heavy and
tight. Later, when the Army determined
that the APH5 did not sufficiently
attenuate noise, especially in the low
frequency area of 75-2000Hz, it adopted
the Navy’s SPH-3 which was re-designated
the SPH-4.
The SPH-4 limited head deceleration
to 300g, which was below the 300-400g
threshold for concussive injury. Although
the SPH-4 was popular, wearers risked
concussion or basilar skull fracture due to
the lack of energy attenuation in the
earcup region, so the SPH-4B (which was
lighter than the SPH-4) was developed
using a reduced density and thicker
polystyrene liner. Energy produced by a
lateral blow to the helmet was dissipated
by having the helmet earcup fracture
during the blow. The SPH-5 is the civil
version of the SPH-4 but with a different
outer shell material. The SPH-5 provides
between 13dB attenuation at 125Hz, and
43dB at 4000Hz.
what did you say?Sound waves travel through the air,
creating minute changes in atmospheric
pressure. Sound pressure is perceived as
volume and ‘pitch’ is the frequency of its
cycle, the faster the cycle (or frequency)
the higher the pitch. The loudness or
volume, of sound is measured in decibels
(dB) and the dynamic range of human
hearing is from 0 to 120dB. Sound
becomes noise when it is unwanted,
bothersome, or painful.
The human eardrum is connected by
three small jointed bones in the air-filled
middle ear to the oval window of the
inner ear or cochlea. The cochlea is a
fluid-filled spiral coil with over 10,000 hair
cells rooted on its basilar membrane. The
movement of these hairs in response to
sound forms, nerve impulses which are
transmitted by the auditory nerve to the
hearing center of the brain.
The delicate hair sensors on the
membrane vary in stiffness along the
cochlea’s length, and so respond to
different frequencies transmitted down
33
OppOsite page: auckland
helicopter rescue trust in new
zealand, is just one of 13% of
worldwide civil ems operators who
choose to use helmets.
abOve Left: a helmet must
provide the crewman with the ability
to hear the radio and to understand
what is said - while providing the
best noise protection.
abOve: in longline operations a
heavy or unbalanced helmet can
cause fatigue and/or pain, especially
if worn for extended periods.
the coil. The hair sensors are one of the
few cell types in the body that do not
regenerate and because they can be
irreparably damaged by loud noise,
damage to hearing from loud noise is
cumulative and is irreversible. Exposure to
high noise levels is also one of the main
causes of tinnitus.
The decibel scale is logarithmic, not
linear, so 90dB is ten times louder than
80dB and 100 times louder than 70dB. The
first standard for sound level meters was
published in 1936. It had two frequency
weighting curves, ‘A’ and ‘B’ which were
modeled on the ear's response to low and
high levels of sound.
Today, when there are multiple sound
sources and frequencies, as is the case of
in helicopter cockpits or cabins with
combinations of engine, transmission and
wind noise, decibels are ‘weighted’
according to various criteria, to
approximate the auditory sensitivity of
the human ear. This measurement, called
the A-weighted sound level (dBA), is very
similar to the 1936 defined ‘A’ Curve.
Sound pressures exceeding 120dB will
cause pain in humans. When general
sound pressure reaches levels over 65 to
70dB, ordinary speech communication
becomes difficult. Hearing protection
should be used in exposure to levels above
85dB, especially prolonged exposure – and
unprotected exposure to levels above
100dB should be avoided wherever
possible.
Typical sound levels range from
human breathing (around 0-10dB),
through the average office ambient (50dB),
busy restaurant (80dB) or lawn mower
(100dB) to a rock band (110 to 120dB).
Some helicopters in current use have
maximum sound levels exceeding 93dBA
and averaging over 90dBA. What the
available figures may not show are
the frequencies and the associated
noise levels.
The less noise a person is subjected to,
the lower the potential for fatigue or
permanent hearing damage - issues that
impact on both short and long term
health and safety. European authorities
(and US Air Force) accept that humans can
be subjected to 85dBA for up to eight
hours a day without detriment to health.
At 91dBA, the ‘safe’ exposure time is just
two hours. Basically, exposure times are
halved for each 3dBA increase. United
States occupational health and safety
limits are about 5dBA higher for
equivalent times.
Because ambient noise levels
experienced in helicopters vary
significantly among different types and
according to varying cabin sound
attenuation material fit, many helicopter
crews who just wear headsets while flying
are probably being exposed to noise levels
that exceed occupational health
guidelines or limits.
The frequency of sound is measured
in cycles per second or ‘Hertz’ (Hz). The
normal range of human hearing is from
125 to 4000Hz. There is a perception that it
is the high frequency noise that needs to
be attenuated in helicopters, but in reality,
the levels that most need attenuating are
the lower ranges (125 to about 2,000Hz),
which are also the hardest to reduce. Low
frequency noise causes permanent
hearing loss more quickly – although its
effect is loss of the ability to hear high
frequencies. In helicopters, it is also
important to negate the sonorous (sleep
inducing) effect of low frequency noise.
Although headsets provide some
hearing protection, their effectiveness can
vary and they provide no head protection.
Usually, the thicker the earcup the better,
and in general, headsets provide between
five and 28dBA attenuation depending on
the frequency.
Helicopter crews inevitably ‘ride out’ an entire cash sequence so their heads need significant and prolonged protection.
34
abOve: the less noise a
pilot is subjected to, the
lower the potential for
fatigue, especially critical
during a long day’s
heliskiing.
don
mct
ighe
New Zealand’s leading provider of helicopter heavy-lifting services
Timber extraction, fire-fighting,construction and general external
load work
Fleet of three Mil Mi-8MTV-1helicopters
External loads of up to 5,000kgInternal load capacity of 4,000kg
Specialising in the pick-up, rapidtransit and precision placement of
external loads
We position around Australasia andthe South Pacific
Heli Harvest LtdI8 Page Point, Howick
Auckland I704, New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 534 4803Fax: +64 9 534 4129
Email: [email protected]
www.heliharvest.co.nz
Correctly fitted soft earplugs provide
less attenuation than a correctly fitted
passive headset and should be kneaded
between the thumb and forefinger
sufficiently to warm and soften them;
often this is not done and their
effectiveness is reduced.
Combining earplugs with passive or
active hearing headsets improves
attenuation of ambient noise but their
cumulative effect also attenuates speech
communication. Increasing radio or
intercom volume to overcome attenuated
speech simply introduces a different
source of noise, entirely negating the
‘benefit’ of the plugs.
other noise reducersANR (Active Noise Reduction) is
offered as an option by most helmet
manufacturers. ANR utilizes a
microphone to detect sound levels in the
dome cavity and electronics to process
that signal and relay it to an anti-noise
speaker (also known as the ANR driver),
which then adds sound into the dome
cavity to combine with the existing
ambient noise to reduce the overall noise
level. It's the combination of those signals
that provides the active cancellation.
One disadvantage with ANR is that
when some noises are cancelled, so also
are some communication sounds.
Another is that there are only so many
noises that can be cancelled with one
ANR, which may sometimes just ‘shut
down’.
ANR is not as effective controlling
high frequency noise as it is with low
frequency. It may reduce low frequency
noise by about 15dBA, while its effect may
be negligible at higher frequencies.
However, this is preferable to the reverse,
as it is the low frequency noise that
mostly affects long-term hearing.
Another available noise reducer is the
CEP, or the communications earplug.
Developed by the US Army, the CEP uses
the significant hearing protection of an
expanding foam earplug while passing
speech signals to the ear through a
miniature transducer. Results show
reductions of more than 30dBA in the low
frequency noises prevalent in helicopters.
impactDeceleration is expressed in ‘g’, where
1g is equivalent to the force of gravity on
the surface of the earth. The g-force of an
impact is determined by the initial
velocity and available stopping distance.
Bone-break strength of the head from a
focussed impact varies from 30g at the
nose to 100-200g for one square inch of
frontal bone, while the head should
tolerate 300 to 400g in a more diffuse
impact. Early helmet designs aimed to
protect the head from a penetrating
impact and reduce overall head forces to
around 300g. The inner foam layer and
earcup design of a helmet generally
dictates the global force attenuating
capability of a helmet.
Over the years, helicopter
manufacturers have reduced the number
of controls that protrude into the cockpit,
and have improved seats and seat
restraints in an effort to lessen the
chances of head impact and improve
survivability during an accident.
Helmets are designed to protect the
wearer’s head from deceleration and
impact. The Gentex HGU-56/P, for
example, is built to a standard that
requires it to withstand single impacts of
4.8 meters/sec at the crown and 6.0
meters/sec at the headband. Headform
deceleration is limited to 175g at the
crown and 150g at the earcup. It meets an
impact protection standard of a 5kg (11lb)
weight dropped from 1.52m (nearly 60
inches).
According to Barry Vincent, ALPHA
aircrew helmets offer impact protection of
below 300g deceleration for a 122-Joule
(90ft/lb) impact energy, and will stop
penetration of a 1.8kg (4lb) Chisel Point
Striker dropped from 1m (39 inches).
buying a helmetAnyone looking to buy a helmet
should examine the specifications and the
standards that different helmets meet.
The US Army has established probably the
highest standard and specifications
(Product Specification FNS PD 96-18),
which some helmets do not meet in
either sound attenuation or impact
resistance. However, there is no one
standard that dictates whether a helmet
is safe for a particular purpose.
The ideal helmet weight should be
less than 4.4lb (2kg) (Crowley. Licina, and
Bruckart). A heavy or unbalanced helmet
can cause fatigue or pain and the helmet
should be free of extraneous or
unnecessary projections to avoid
entanglement in cockpit controls.
The ALPHA Helmet was developed by
Helmets Ltd (now Helmet Integrated
Systems). The company’s current offering
is the ALPHA Eagle. This light helmet can
be equipped with visors and options
include ANR and CEP. Noise attenuation
is subjective and dependant upon
individual helmet fit and noise source
direction. However, the mean attenuation
for the ALPHA ranges from 12.4dBA at
125Hz, through 23.4dBA at 500Hz and
50.8dBA at 4,000Hz.
MSA Gallet also produces flight
helmets, which are renowned for their light
weight – however Gallet does not publish
noise attenuation figures for its helmets.
Gentex’s HGU-56/P is very light, meets
the US Army’s latest standard and boasts
good noise attenuation at the low
frequencies; a 17dB reduction at 125Hz,
through 20dB at 500Hz and 37dB at
4,000Hz. This helmet can also be
equipped with visors, ANR and CEP.
Gentex’s Jerry Johnson flew helicopters
for many years and has seen many people
receive head injuries that a good helmet
would have prevented. He was actively
involved in over 200 accident
investigations in the Army and spent
seven years at USAARL before joining
Gentex in 1982 as an Aviation Life Support
Equipment Specialist. He has been actively
involved in the development and fielding
of the HGU-56/P helmet since 1978.
Johnson says that each aircraft has
different requirements when it comes to
selecting a helmet. “Some aircraft are very
loud, so I would look for a helmet to
reduce the noise levels as much as
possible; some are more subject to
multiple impacts. It is important to select
the best, safest, and most comfortable
helmet available that can accomplish the
mission.”
Fixed wing crews generally need
helmets to protect them during escape.
Helicopter crews, however, inevitably ‘ride
out’ an entire crash sequence, so their
heads need significant and prolonged
protection. According to Johnson,
helicopters often hit while moving
forwards and if they hit hard, tend to roll
over. “In such cases,” he says, “helmets
must provide multiple impact protection
and not come off during the accident
sequence.”
When it comes to noise, Johnson says
that many slower moving aircraft produce
more noise and a different noise from
faster aircraft. A helmet must provide a
pilot with the ability to hear the radios –
and to understand what is said – while
providing the best noise protection
possible. “It depends on the mission and
the aircraft – so crewmembers might even
need several helmets.” He says that the
selection should come down to which
helmet provides the most protection in all
areas. “I guess it just comes down to what
you want the helmet to do. A lot of people
just wear one because the requirement is
there; others want the helmet to protect
the head and ears. That is why there are
so many different helmets being made.”
fittingAccording to Johnson, the fitting of
helmets can be an art. The first thing to
decide – sometimes the hardest part of
the fitting – is the correct size. The HGU-
56/P comes in six sizes. “Some helmets
only come in a few sizes and you have to
use what you can get on your head.
Others come in lots of sizes and you need
to know which one is shaped like your
head and will fit properly.”
Vincent notes that the ALPHA comes
in up to five shell sizes to take account of
not only head size but also different
anthropometric forms. “Caucasians’ heads
are typically longer and narrower than
those of Asians and Afro-Caribbeans who
tend to be more round,” he says. So, in
addition to small, medium and large, the
Alphas come in medium-long and
medium-broad.
The helmet needs to sit on the head in
the right position. If a crewmember
requires a helmet-mounted display, night
vision goggles, or any other device
attached, then it must fit so that the
helmet sits on the head with the device in
the correct working position. Ear cups
must fit over the ears and be compressed
to block external noise as much as
possible and yet be comfortable enough
that the helmet can be worn continuously.
The helmet must not be able to rotate
forwards or sideways, and must be
secured tightly enough that it cannot
come off without loosening the chin strap.
Most complaints about a helmets comfort
result from poor fitting.
futureBarry Vincent believes that future
developments in the civilian sector will
depend on greater acceptance of helmets.
“There is a heck of a long way to go on
that one, and thereafter we’ll see
increased use of technologies such as ANR
and NVG, and even further into the future,
integrated Heads-Up Displays.”
Jerry Johnson says future technology
will make helmets even better, with
lighter, stronger, more durable and
more comfortable materials being
discovered daily. Better electronics, better
visors, different comfort-foams and
hybrid fabrics will make them safer and
more functional.
He also sees future regulation for the
wearing of helmets. “Both the NTSB and
FAA would like to see it become law that
everyone wear an appropriate helmet, but
I just do not see how they could control it.
To make people wear one, make sure that
it is the right one and that it is
maintained and worn properly will be a
24-hour-a-day job for a lot of people.”
38
dam
iano
gua
ldon
i
TOUCh LIME
Mention Sweden and people’s first
thoughts are of Volvo, IKEA – and
unspoilt natural beauty. The truth is
that an insidious, sinister threat
endangers the well-being of thousands
of beautiful lakes and waterways across
the country. HeliOps met one of the
airborne assault teams struggling to
preserve the country’s stunning natural
beauty for future generations.
a
Ofstory and photos by Rickard Gilberg
iT’S ThE hEighT of Sweden’s summer
and you’re fishing in a beautiful lake in
the middle of the forest. The sun is
shining and the only thing you can hear is
the soothing sound of birdsong in the
tree. Unfortunately, without significant
intervention, such a picture will be
banished forever, as fallout from
widespread combustion of fossil fuels
acidifies and destroys Sweden’s 14,000
lakes and natural wetlands.
In order to restore the health of its
ecosystem, Sweden undertakes a massive
annual limewash operation, spreading
approximately 200,000 tonnes of lime
each year – around 150,000 tonnes of
which are dropped from helicopters. The
operation is mainly the responsibility of
two large companies, Nordkalk and
Svenska Mineral. Experienced helicopter
operator, Laroy Flyg undertakes Nordkalk’s
entire airborne limewash operation in
southern Sweden – around 40,000 tonnes
worth!
Laroy Flyg currently operates two
Eurocopter AS 350B3s. The B3-version of
the Ecureuil can carry up to 3,086 lb (1,400
kg), which equates to approx 2,646 lb
(1,200 kg) of powder when using a 200 kg
bucket. Chief pilot Mattias Nilsson
explains that the Ecureuil was chosen for
its reliability and low maintenance
requirements compared to the volume of
lime it can spread. “More powerful
machines like the Bell 205 are undeniably
better when it comes to spreading large
loads of lime,” he says, “but such
helicopters need far more maintenance.”
Pilots are responsible for daily
inspections up to 100 flight hours, when
technicians conduct a more extensive
inspection. However, because the
helicopters are worked so hard, the
company still has its technicians inspect
42
abOve: the b3 was chosen for its
reliability and low maintenance, not how
much lime it can spread.
abOve MiddLe: each fleet consists of
a helicopter, a fuel truck and an off-
road van with a loading device.
abOve Right: the b3 carries
up to 1,200 kg of lime when using
a 200 kg bucket.
OppOsite page MiddLe Left: the loadmaster blows the powder from
the truck into the bucket with a
pneumatic system, which then weighs it.
them closely at least twice a week.
Nilsson says that it’s fortunate that the
technicians are used to working in the
bush because the helicopters rarely see
the inside of a hangar – or any other
shelter for that matter – and are often out
in the forest for several months.
Autumn is the most intense period for
liming, when the company operates two
machines full-time, while a single
machine – although busy – suffices
during late winter and spring. The
operation stops for two months between
April and July allowing much-needed
maintenance, like 500-hour services, and
various modifications to equipment to be
carried out. Depending on machine
availability, the company also accepts
various aerial work tasks as well. “We
have the knowledge, experience and
equipment,” says Nilsson, “why not
use it?”
Laroy Flyg was originally established
in 1976 by the legendary sportsman Laroy
Månsson who bought the business from
Gullviks Jordbruksflyg (est. 1952).
43
With 1,400 kg in the sling, a fully loaded helicopter can quickly become a death trap if not handled correctly.
H E L I C O P T E R S Y S T E M S
Isolair Helicopter Systems • 1620 N.W. Perimeter Way • Troutdale, Oregon 97060 Phone: 503-492-2105 • FAX: 503-492-2756
The Right Choice
www.isolairinc.com Email: [email protected]
Isolair Fire Fighting System’s can be found working throughout the world.
We have systems working in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America,
Australia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Russia, and
we are always looking for new markets and new designs for our customers.
Isolair has many different options for the job you require. We are always
working with the customer and the firemen to deliver new products and find
new ways to fight both forest and residential fires.
Principally an agricultural operation,
Laroy’s business initially had 30 airplanes
and several helicopters in service, but by
the time he sold the company to
Osterman Helicopter in 1988 he had
realised the advantages of rotary wings,
and his fleet consisted solely of Hughes
500s.
Laroy’s son, Leif Månsson, eventually
re-acquired the company and its facilities
in Landskrona, north of Malmö, from
Osterman. Together with two partners, he
restarted the company during the autumn
of 2003, and its new permits were issued
the day before Christmas Eve. A week
later Nordkalk awarded Laroy Flyg the
contract for aerial liming operations
throughout southern Sweden, giving it a
prompt – but well earned – rebirth.
The helicopter lime wash procedure is
a peculiar activity, both on the ground and
in the air, with many units needing to be
coordinated. Each ‘fleet’ consists of one
helicopter, a fuel truck and an off-road
van with a loading device called a ‘barr’,
mounted on a trailer linked to the van. In
addition, each team needs a daily average
of three fully loaded freight trucks, each
carrying 92,593 lb (42 tonnes) of lime to be
The first thing he had to do when learning to fly lime was to suppress his flight school training and accept as necessities, the realities of flying out-of-trim and at unfavorable altitudes.
Left: great precision is
needed when switching
buckets in confined areas.
H E L I C O P T E R S Y S T E M S
Isolair Helicopter Systems • 1620 N.W. Perimeter Way • Troutdale, Oregon 97060 Phone: 503-492-2105 • FAX: 503-492-2756
The Right Choice
www.isolairinc.com Email: [email protected]
Isolair Fire Fighting System’s can be found working throughout the world.
We have systems working in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, South America,
Australia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Russia, and
we are always looking for new markets and new designs for our customers.
Isolair has many different options for the job you require. We are always
working with the customer and the firemen to deliver new products and find
new ways to fight both forest and residential fires.
team with current maps and to choose
suitable landing spots and good roads for
transportation.
It goes without saying that the
helicopter is the core of the operation, so
any situation that might impair safe
flying, such as bad weather, immediately
halts all activity. However, in reality few
situations significantly affect the
operation. “The worst thing is the wind,”
Nilsson explains. “Since we constantly fly
at the same height as the treetops, we
always end up in the mechanical
turbulence as soon as the wind picks up a
delivered as close as possible to its
destination. Compounding this logistical
nightmare is the need to move the circus
seven to eight times on a normal day,
often on the narrowest and most distant
roads imaginable.
Although this kind of operation needs
to be well planned, the team has difficulty
planning a long way ahead as conditions
change from day-to-day, with the ever-
present possibility that the entire agenda
may need to be altered.
The most extensive hazard to the
operation is the thawing of frozen roads
during the spring. As frosts thaw, forest
roads become jellylike and the heavy
vehicles have difficulty reaching the
loading zones. “It’s an awful problem!”
says loadmaster Peter Lennartsson, who
describes having to co-ordinate the areas
being worked, with the ‘pass-ability’ of
various roads at different times of the day.
“Nobody wants a lime or fuel truck stuck
in the forest!”
In order to ease daily progress and the
selection of new loading zones, a
company scout travels ahead to talk to
landowners and examine the
surroundings; his job is to provide the
Compounding this logistical nightmare is the need to move the circus seven to eight times on a normal day.
bit.” Flying with a heavy bucket in such a
situation can tax even the most
experienced pilot.
The legendary pilot, Jan Sundberg of
SAAB Helicopters, who flew most of the
lime in the ‘old’ Laroy Flyg, trained
Mattias Nilsson. Nilsson explains that the
first thing he had to do when learning to
fly lime was to suppress his flight school
training and accept as necessities, the
realities of flying out-of-trim and at
unfavorable altitudes in order to complete
the mission thoroughly. High speed, sharp
bank angles and rapid maneuvering are
all daily ‘standard operating procedure’,
however, none of the maneuvres are
carried out unnecessarily. Nilsson
explains that the pilots know the
helicopter inside and out, and never put
themselves in positions they don’t want
to be in. “What we do in the air might
look breath-taking from the ground, but
“On a good day we can distribute a fully-loaded freight truck (42 tonnes!)
in an hour.”
Right: as the pilot
leaves with the bucket he
radios the loadmaster
with the desired weight
for the next bucket.
it’s all just done to enable us to increase
spreading capacity,” he says.
Although to bystanders the work
might appear easy, it certainly isn’t –
especially with 1,400 kg in the sling, a
fully loaded helicopter can quickly
become a death trap if not handled
correctly. Pilots must stay alert for sudden
wind changes and be able to make
prompt decisions at any time. According
to Nilsson, the magic key to a successful
operation is to simply fly the bucket,
rather than the helicopter. He describes it
as a state of mind that eases the flying
tremendously. “If you fly the bucket and
don’t let the flying become routine, you’ll
soon learn to conquer the lime.”
The amount of lime to be spread in
Sweden’s total of 14,000 acidified lakes
and wetlands each year is decided by local
municipalities based on information from
annual measurements. Customers pay
approximately 1,000 SEK ($140 USD) for
each 1,000 kg spread in their districts.
Boats and metering systems are also used
for spreading the lime, but helicopters
have proved superior in being able to
cover large confined areas in a short time.
For a helicopter to pick up a full
bucket, fly to a lake, release the powder,
return, change the bucket and take off
again takes only a couple of minutes –
providing that the scout has selected a
good loading zone. “On a good day we can
distribute a fully-loaded freight truck (42
tonnes!) in an hour,” says loader, Sten
Pedersen.
The tempo is high and the team needs
to work together for a good result.
Everybody knows his place and no
questions are needed. One person handles
the loading device, one the freight truck,
one is responsible for the hot-refuelling
(at least two refuellings are required per
sortie) and one flies the helicopter.
As the pilot leaves with a bucket he
radios the loadmaster with a desired
weight for the next bucket. The
loadmaster blows the powder from the
truck to the bucket with a pneumatic
system and weighs it. As the pilot returns
with an empty bucket, he exchanges it for
the full one on the loading device, and
takes off. This procedure is repeated over
and over again, truck after truck, loading-
zone after loading-zone.
This kind of operation is unlike other
sling load or aerial work tasks, where
gentle, precise flying and great care are
usually required to safeguard a slung load.
The requirements in lime flying are for
speed, sharp turns, and quick speed
reductions – however, great precision is
still needed when switching buckets.
The helicopter takes off at daybreak
and flies until sundown. After completing
a region it moves to the next spot, which
is when its pilot gets a chance to rest
since it takes a while for the vehicles to
move. However, as soon as they arrive the
pilot presses the button and is airborne
again. Nilsson says that he always takes a
few turns over drop zones when he gets
to a new area just to familiarize himself
with the surroundings. “I search for power
lines and other hazards that might
jeopardize a safe operation,” he explains.
For each new region the pilot is told
how many tonnes must be dropped in
each lake and he then tries to spread the
lime as evenly as possible on the sites.
“It’s easy to distribute lime in the winter
since the yellow jam reveals itself on
finished spots, but in the summer you
need to stay sharp,” he says.
The battle to preserve Sweden’s
environmental health will continue for
the foreseeable future, because as long as
the acidification continues so must the
aerial war against it!
Fog, rough seas and icing make the North Sea the offshore
helicopter pilot’s ultimate challenge. The instrument flying
and handling skills needed for ‘routine’ flying in this part
of the world far exceed those required of the average airline
pilot. Bristow Helicopter’s captain, Clive Roberts offers an
insight into routine offshore helicopter operations.
WiThin barely a minute of lifting our
eight-and-a half tonnes helicopter off the
runway, our perspective on the world
changes. The landscape of deep reds,
imperial purples and blues, and brilliant
yellows is replaced by a grey, angry sea. At
2,000 ft we turn northwest to the oil
fields, leaving behind this narrow, small
peninsula of North Holland.
The North Sea oilfields are divided
into sectors, and we advise Amsterdam
Information and other aircraft, which
sector we are working. There are dozens
of rigs in the Dutch sector in close
proximity (2 nm, 5 nm, 20 nm). The UK
Southern North Sea has several fields
flying blind
with the rigs almost as close together as
the Dutch, while the UK North Sea
(Northern) sector rigs are more widely
spaced. In this compact Dutch sector, we
work dozens of gas platforms and the
occasional itinerant jack-up drilling rig
with our AS 332L ‘Tiger’ and smaller
Sikorsky S76.
We expect low cloud offshore and
some of the oilrigs are going in and out of
fog. In this weather, the array of flight
instruments is our sole reference and any
inattention or confused interpretation
could swiftly lead to disaster –
considering that on an Airborne Radar
Approach (ARA) we may fly blind down to
a minimum descent height (MDH) of 200
ft above sea level, and to within 1,400
meters of the rig structure, using only
radio altimeter and on-board radar.
On an ARA, the MDH is either 200 ft
on radio altimeter (300 ft by night), or
helideck height plus 50 ft – whichever is
higher. We must be visual by three-
quarters of a nautical mile (radar
distance) from the platform, or we must
commence a ‘go-around’, which involves
a turn of at least 45 degrees away and a
climb to Minimum Safe Altitude (MSA).
MSA is 1,500 ft, assuming the maximum
height of installations is 500 ft above the
sea. However, if the massive platform-
54
The array of flight instruments is our sole reference and any inattention or confused interpretation could swiftly lead to disaster.
lifting barge ‘Tharos’ is in the area with
its cranes towering more than 500 ft, then
the MSA must be adjusted upwards to
ensure standard 1,000 ft height
separation.
Some clients specify a maximum
wave or swell height in which they will
fly, and we do not take off from the rigs in
steady winds of 70 kts or more because in
the event of a ditching – which would
itself be hazardous in such conditions –
rescue boats would have great difficulty
effecting a rescue.
Clients also close decks when the
average wind speed is 60 kts as a safety
consideration for those walking on deck.
If a particular platform’s superstructure or
derrick causes down-draughting and
turbulence over its helideck at particular
wind velocities, then that platform incurs
further limitations; either a weight limit
for approach and landing, or an outright
ban on approaches in such conditions.
Our Tiger and S76 aircraft use either
Bendix or Sperry weather radar, and the
giving precision ranges and angles when
close to limits on an ARA. As well as a
‘weather’ setting, we have a ‘MAP’ setting,
which more precisely defines the ‘blip’
giving accurate range when nearing the
target.
For IFR operations, the helicopters
have two attitude indicators and a
standby artificial horizon, twin VOR and
DME, ILS, NDB, GPS, onboard radar, twin
pilot/static systems, heated pilot
windscreens and a radio altimeter with
ground/sea proximity warning. The Tiger
also has a Leigh anti-icing indicator and
heated intake mats, and autopilot holds
for altitude or IAS, heading or GPS route.
While most of our S76 helicopters have
no holds – the S76 is a stable instrument
flying platform – one of our S76s has four
axis holds for single pilot IFR, although
the extra weight of this equipment
reduces its useful payload.
Icing is common in the North Sea and
while the Tiger copes well with moderate
levels of icing, the S76 has no icing
tolerance which is a bother in winter. It is
good that Holland is so flat and ATC
accepts that sometimes we may need to
return for instrument approaches below
formal MSA because of temperature and
cloud. Our major criterion for winter
operations is that there must be a layer of
air above 1oC, into which we can fly to
shed ice – although our main worry in
icing is that a passenger may slip on an
iced entrance step after landing and sue
Bristow 332 L2 SAR machine has a Bendix
1400 radar integrated with its electronic
cockpit. We select high scale ranges (80
nm) to find distant rigs and weather cells,
reducing the screen to 40, 25, 10, 5 and 2
nautical miles respectively – the latter
us for not reminding him to take care
on exiting!
radios and rescueThe large metal structures of rigs
often mask and degrade deck radio
performance. Without a dedicated
logistics frequency, there is only a single
offshore traffic frequency for weather
reports and landing clearances – as well
as chats about girlfriends and family.
Combined with occasional lapses in radio
discipline and unintentional simultaneous
transmissions (it is difficult to hear others
when low level or on a platform) it can
become a muddle. Add a little fog with
everyone wanting to speak at once
requesting the turning on and off of the
rig NDBs (many operating on the same
frequency), and it becomes quite
daunting.
Operating a rig’s radio will probably be
only one of a rig employee’s many tasks
so we must remember to pose our
questions clearly, because although
platform personnel try to express the
latest weather in aviation terms, they are
not all native English speakers and cannot
view the offshore environment as we do.
But pilots get used to reading between
the lines. For example, if we hear a
dedicated safety/rescue boat reporting
poor visibility we know our destination
must be a jack-up rig because in this
sector, only jack-ups require safety boats –
fixed platforms have none on patrol. In
the UK offshore sector, a safety boat is
required for each installation, or one is
shared between closely sited installations.
Bristow Helicopters was tasked with
the ‘Project JIGSAW’ – investigating the
feasibility of replacing some offshore
safety boats with dedicated SAR
helicopters at strategic locations. An AS
332 L2 was adapted for the role, equipped
with all the latest search tools; infra-red,
electronic cockpit, auto hover and rescue
equipment.
it’s a Jack-upA jack-up rig does exactly what it says;
it jacks itself up. Jack-ups are mobile
drilling rigs usually with four massive
square legs, one at each corner. Each leg
has a saw-tooth cogwheel running
vertically along its length. Many fixed
platforms/rigs are in position merely for
production, and call upon these mobile
jack-ups to do the drilling.
When the jack-up rig is in position to
drill, it uses cog drives to propel the legs
down to the shallow bed of the North Sea.
After it drives each leg into the seabed,
the platform stands firm but, depending
on the depth of water, some of the leg
may remain above the water. The legs are
about 500 ft high and when the jack-up is
sailing to a new location, the legs often
tower above the drilling gantry. When a
jack-up is drilling, it is often linked by
bridge to the fixed platform, which almost
always then makes the fixed platform’s
helideck unusable for helicopters. We
then land on the jack-up’s helideck where
they usually have helifuel installations for
us to tank up.
araThe current practical ARA procedure
resulted from a statistical safety case
analysis of various risks following an IFALPA
committee investigation some years ago.
Because of the variables such as wind
53
Our major criterion for winter operations is that there must be a
layer of air above 1oC, into which we can fly to shed ice.
direction and rigs being mobile, plates are
not published for each rig. However, a
standard Bristow plate stipulates our
limits of equipment and procedure.
Compared to the rigid procedures for ILS
approaches at fixed airfields (all
monitored by radar), it is a lonely business
at night, 150 nm east of Aberdeen, taking
a helicopter down to 200 ft above the sea
in blackness!
Our typical approach commences from
a 1,500 ft (MSA) cruising altitude as the
NDB needle indicates an ‘overhead’ and
confirms the platform’s position in the
GPS, which of course we don’t use for
primary navigation. We turn downwind,
descending to 1,000 ft. At four miles, a
level turn-back puts us nicely into wind,
ready for final descent. With the target
painting on radar, we check both the path
ahead and the potential go-around area
for obstructions. Passengers are briefed,
final checks completed and a landing
clearance obtained so we can then give
our full attention to the ‘very-near-the-
invisible-sea-with-loadsametal-to-
concentrate-the-mind’ bit.
The instrument flying speed for the
Tiger is 110kts. When inbound to the rig,
we reduce airspeed to give a manageable
groundspeed closure, usually around 80kts
IAS. Our minimum instrument flying
speed is 70kts and Rate 1 is the standard
for turns.
The wind information provided by the
rigs is occasionally inaccurate, so we tend
to assess the wind based on readouts
from the Trimble GPS, but even this can be
misleading! Provided we are roughly into
wind though, we can cope by observing
the radar blip’s drift on the final run. If
the helicopter is into wind, then there will
be no lateral drift. The approach is nearly
always orientated into wind except when
an obstruction is observed on the radar
near our approach path. Sometimes, such
as when two rigs are close together, the
ARA is flown to the nearest obstruction
from which we fly visually to our
destination rig.
Because of the helideck orientation,
the right seat pilot often has the best view
to land, so my colleague in the left seat
flies the instrument approach. I act as his
final controller, advising headings, rates of
descent and the progress of the radar
return, while attempting to control any
note of rising panic in my voice.
Until we reach one-and-a-half nautical
miles from the rig, we point straight at it –
there is no drift. If the wind shifts we tend
to stick with the profiles of the approach
as there is simply too much margin for
error if casual changes are made to the
procedure.
Watching the radio altimeter like two
nervous hawks, we descend towards an
invisible sea from 1,000 to 200 ft at four
miles, terminating the descent at a
maximum of three and a quarter miles
later, at a groundspeed of about 80 kts.
Theoretically, it should take about two
and a half minutes to lose 800 ft – just
over 300 ft per minute – but we prefer to
be at 200 ft (considerably before minimum
range), and so tend to descend at about
500 ft per minute.
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In practice, most of us tend to let the
GPS fly us to the rig overhead, then take
over for the descent and turns. Because
the airspeed reduces significantly
throughout the procedure, speed hold is
rarely used. Although the Tiger autopilot
is very stable, the holds do not react fast
enough for the ARA procedure. As a
result, the final parameters of the
approach are so precise that we tend to
fly manually, avoiding the need to ‘revert’
to manual at low level.
If we do not wish to start the
approach from the rig ‘overhead’, we
start from a GPS final approach fix five
miles downwind.
For a final, long-stop warning (the
phrase ‘last-ditch’ seems uncomfortably
appropriate), the handling pilot sets the
audio voice-alerting device (AVAD) on his
radio altimeter at 200 ft (or 50 ft above the
helideck). I set mine 20 ft lower. If we
impinge the lower setting, the audio says,
“check height” in a loud, admonitory, ‘Miss
Marple’ voice. We continue to gauge
headwind by comparing GPS groundspeed
with airspeed.
The Tiger is limited to 30 degrees of
bank at high weights, and 40 degrees at
medium weights, and we are
understandably nervous of excess
bank angles at low level especially in
poor visibility and at night. Large pitch
(or bank) changes and angles usually
indicate that the handling pilot is
struggling or even unaware of his
input, and will precipitate an immediate
comment from his minder in the
other seat.
For passenger comfort we avoid
descent rates greater than 1,000 ft
per minute. Below 1,000 ft above the
sea, and certainly at low speeds
on the final approach, a descent rate
greater than 500 ft per minute will
precipitate comment from one’s colleague,
which turns increasingly
uncomplimentary if there is no reaction
from the handling pilot!
At one-and-a-half miles we make a 10
degree turn away from the rig to make the
radar blip ‘progress’ safely to the side of
our screen. As today’s visual landing will
be flown from the right seat, our safety
procedure turn is to the left. I can now
peer out to my side, seeking the rig, while
still monitoring attitude, speed, height
and radar position, and talking my
colleague down to instrument minima.
The NDB needle also points reassuringly
to the right, confirming that, should we be
distracted at the decision point, this final
track would now take us safely into a
clear area.
So here we are just above the sea, me
peering hopefully out into the gloom,
whilst my colleague sits glued to his
gauges, carefully maintaining 200 ft and
80 kts, awaiting my guiding calls of,
“height is good at 200 ft, approaching
three quarters of a mile”, followed by
either, “I have control” or “Nothing seen.
Go-around.”
the landingThe decision to land from an ARA is a
different kettle of fish. The criteria for the
landing decision are explicit and objective,
but when the rig emerges from the murk,
the subsequent handling technique can
be ragingly subjective. On taking control
on a murky day, I may see the vertical
outline of the platform, but have little or
no peripheral texture to judge my rate of
closure. I must turn towards my landing
point, just about level with me, and which
may be hardly distinguishable from the
mass of the platform. My colleague will
monitor the artificial horizon for me,
calling out airspeed, radio altimeter
height, and – crucially – any rate of
descent and angle of bank.
In closing with the rig, straining for
visual clues, it is very easy to allow a rate
of descent to build up, because power has
been reduced to slow the groundspeed.
There is little attitude information from
outside the cockpit where my eyes are.
The murky, two-dimensional view of the
platform, together with any visible sea
surface irregularities, now constitute my
only visual reference – the sea is not
always nicely horizontal, and is often
invisible at night – so I must judge the
aircraft’s attitude by comparing these
minimal cues with my accumulated
mental templates of ‘a safe picture should
look thus’. Perhaps experience can be
adequately defined as acquiring,
evaluating and storing such mental
templates for later use.
In marginal visibility, it is much easier
to fly the final distance to the rig if there
is a relatively strong wind blowing. Strong
wind gives a comfortably slow
groundspeed, and an abundance of
translational lift that makes any
unintentional descent less likely, and
easier to correct if it occurs.
Calm wind during the final stages of a
poor-visibility approach necessitates
hovering – literally and figuratively –
between two extremes. On one hand,
flying too slowly reduces translational lift
and forces expenditure of available power,
making an unintentional descent with no
indicated airspeed (and fewer reserves to
arrest it) much more likely. On the other
hand, trying to preserve translational lift
by maintaining airspeed may necessitate
a late, coarse flare in order to slow down
very close to the deck with no horizon to
judge attitude – while surrounded by lots
of threatening metal. It’s really hard work,
visually flying the correct parameters to a
safe offshore landing at low level in poor
weather and it is even worse at night. The
margin for error is zero, and it is
relentlessly ‘real time’.
safe arrivalWith our safe arrival onto the deck
in poor conditions, the relief is almost
as tangible as a plunge into ice-cold
water – a treat we’ve been careful to
avoid! As we later pace the deck,
monitoring refuelling and passenger
changeover, we gaze out into the
surrounding goldfish bowl of cloud and
fog, and a feeling of pride wells up
inside. Did we really find this little
landing spot in amongst that?
Yes we bloody well did!
But nobody applauds, for nobody else
knows – as long as it all goes right,
that is. We’ll settle for that!
J o b o p p o r t u n i t i e s
Bell 205A-1/AS-350B3 pilots needed for 2005
wildland fire season. Previous vertical reference
and wildland fire experience preferred.
You must be USFS carded or cardable.
Please send resume to [email protected] or
fax to 770-963-7636.
TEMSCO Helicopters is looking for medium pilots
for the 2005 contract season. Seasonal contract
positions available May through September.
Contract pilots fly throughout all of Alaska and
the lower 48 using H500Ds, EC-135 (EMS), AStars
and Bell Mediums. All applicants must be
commercially rated, have 1500 hrs. PIC Helicopter
and meet all FAR Part 135 requirements. VTR
external load experience preferable, as well as
being OAS cardable.
Contact: Chief Pilot, TEMSCO Helicopters, Inc.,
P.O. Box 5057 Ketchikan, Alaska 99901, (907)225-
5141, FAX (907)225-2340
TEMSCO also need tour pilots for the 2005 Tour
Season. Must be commercially rated, have 1000
hrs. PIC Helicopter. Meet all FAR Part 135
requirements. Housing provided, food allowance,
completion bonus, flying in beautiful Southeast
Alaska. Higher pay for pilots with previous Astar
experience. Tour bases are in Juneau and
Skagway, Alaska. Contact our main base in
Ketchikan for more information or applications:
(907)225-5141, FAX: (907)225-2340
Looking for a young, energetic pilot with a
minimum of 2000 hours. AP/IA would be nice but
not required. Must be Longline/Bambi bucket
qualified. Located in Montana. Must be able to
qual 135, 133, 137 for OAS-FS carding. 206BIII-IR
A/C / 206L3 Helitac A/C. Employment for this
fire season... if we like each other there is a
permanent position available.
Ted Beck, Phone: 406-443-3518
We need two B212 ATPL(H) offshore experienced
people who are willing to relocate to Dubai with
their families (if they have them). If they don't it
is still a full-time job in this location. If you apply
for this job please make sure that you have a
minimum of 250 hours on type and over 2,000
hours rotary. Check out Aerogulf’s website at
www.aerogulfservices.com David Butler, Phone:
009714 2200331, FAX: 009714 2200828
I am looking for the best young JetRanger pilots
I can find, who will be able to cope in a very
client-friendly manner with the huge numbers of
tourists visiting this city. I would want this pilot
to not only fly, but to be very good with his/her
public relations. In return we will give a fairly
basic salary (approx. US$45,000 per annum), but
will provide all accommodation and utilities,
medical insurance, a trip home a year for you
and your family, a car allowance AND, if you are
our guy or girl, upgrade and training onto the 212
and instrument and offshore work after one year.
David Butler: Phone: +9714 2200331.
FAX: +9714 2200828
A part-time CFI is needed in Central Iowa for a
very small operation. The operator owns a R44
astro and R22 BII. Right now average flight time is
around 25 hrs a month but students are still
enrolling. There will also be opportunities for R22
and R44 commercial work as the Operator is
bidding on numerous contracts. A minimum of
300 TT hours is required with the current
Robinson factory school. R44 time is a plus as you
will be able to fly some commercial operations.
Please contact John at [email protected]
Police Helicopter Pilots wanted- Baltimore City
Police Department is accepting resumes for the
position of FLIGHT OFFICER. Must be a US citizen,
pass police background check, willing to attend
police academy. Minimum 1400 hours Total Time;
800 hours PIC; 700 Turbine Helicopter; Commercial
Instrument Helicopter Certificate. Class II Flight
Physical. Competitive salary, excellent benefits.
For additional information call 443-984-7042 or
send resume to: Baltimore Police Department
Aviation Unit 701 Wilson Point Road Box 31
Baltimore, MD 21220
Alaska-based, Part 135/133 company doing utility
work with Raven IIs is accepting resumes for a
helicopter pilot position. Applicant needs min.
2000 hrs TT rotorcraft with R-44 time. Most work
is in remote locations, involves mountain flying
and confined area landings. OAS carded, animal
capture experience, sling load experience a plus.
We are a small but successful company.
Contact: Sharon Swisher, Quicksilver Air Inc.
Phone: (907) 457-1941, Fax: (907)457-1075,
Email: [email protected]
Hillsboro Aviation is accepting resumes for the
upcoming 2005 fire season. We operate Bell 206 B
& L and 205 model helicopters. Applicants must
be OAS/DOI/USFS cardable (requirements here-
http://www.oas.gov/library/opm/05-21.PDF), have
previous experience in long-line operations and
be able to meet FAR 135 requirements. Company
will assist successful candidates with long line
recurrency. The available positions are contract
based, with the possibility of developing into full-
time employment. Additionally, pilots with land
seismic and/or Dynanav experience are
encouraged to apply. Resumes will be accepted via
e-mail or fax. Emailed resumes must contain
the word "resume" in the subject line.
Contact: Stu Taft or Morgan Kozloski,
Phone: 503 648-2831 Fax: 503 648-1886,
Email: [email protected]
Pilot wanted for West Coast FAR 135 Operations.
Timberland is located in Ashland, OR.
We operate 2 BHT-206B3s and 1 MD500E
throughout the Western US. We perform many
different duties from Powerline Patrol, Fire
fighting, Wildlife Census, HVAC, and Prescribed
Burning both PSD and Helitorch. Due to
recent changes, we have an immediate opening
for a Pilot and/or Chief Pilot (Chief Pilot MUST
have 3 years of 135 work experience). This is
full-time year-round employment. Must be able
to relocate to the Southern Oregon area,
preferably within 30 minutes from Ashland).
Competitive salary based on experience, standard
benefits package (Health, Dental, Life, 401K no
company matching). Interested candidates should
send resume in MS Word format to
Ryan [email protected] or
FAX to (541) 488-4044.
Fire Fighting Pilot Needed. Bell 205/AS-350B3
pilots needed for the 2005 fire season. USFS
carded/cardable. Vertical reference longline and
previous fire experience desired.
Please e-mail or fax a resume to Helicopter
Expresss Inc at: Fax: 770-963-7636 and
Email: [email protected]
Helinet has an opening for an ENG pilot in
the Cleveland area. Minimum requirements are
1500 total helicopter, 500 turbine. ENG, local area
and B206 time preferred. Please Fax /email a
resume to Fax: 818 902 9278 or Email: jhorsman@
helinet.com
Socal Los Angeles-based company is looking for a
multifaceted individual to fill a full-time ENG/Fire
Fighting Position. Fly news during the winter and
fight fires in the summer. You must be previously
135 qualified in the AS350 in the last 5 years, and
preferably you have been carded by DOI/DOA
sometime in the last 4 years (preferred but not
required). ENG Experience is also a plus. If you
don’t have at least 2,500 hours total rotor wing
and at least 1000 hours of turbine experience,
please don’t apply. Competitive package offered
with benefits and 401K plan. You must be in the
Los Angeles area or ready to move here for this
job. Please fax or email resumes to patrick@
coastlaviation.com
CALSTAR, Based in Northern and Central California,
has immediate openings for EMS Pilots. Positions
are available in the beautiful Lake Tahoe area as
well as other locations. CALSTAR operates BO-105s
at VFR bases as well as BH-222s at our SPIFR bases.
We are also in the process of implementing NVGs
company wide. We offer competitive pay, 7 on/7 off
work schedules and a very good benefit package
including medical, vision, dental and life insurance,
vacation and sick time accrual, holiday pay, long-
term disability insurance and a 403b plan with
employer contributions. Applicants should have
3000 hrs. Helicopter PIC time, 200 hrs. night and a
Commercial-Helicopter Instrument rating.
Please e-mail resumes to [email protected] or
fax to 916-921-4058
Full time pilot sought for helicopter tours in the
R44 based at the St. Augustine Airport in Florida.
Requirements: 200 hours total time in helicopters,
20 hours PIC in the R44, RHC Factory Safety
Course. Part time back up pilots also sought. CFI
rating preferred. Please fax or email resume to:
Fax: 904 824 5518 or [email protected]
We require a QFI for a new venture in the North
East of England. R22 rating is essential and R44 a
benefit. Experience of using computers and a
familiarity with the internet also an advantage.
Would suit a newly qualified ambitious person
with a keen eye for new business opportunities
who is eager to grow and progress along with the
company. Candidates must be smart, polite,
friendly and professional and willing to go the
extra mile to ensure success for the individual
and the operation. Additionally, an ability to work
on own initiative and be proactive is a definite
must. This is an excellent opportunity for the
right person with great potential for the future.
Please only apply if you are a UK resident or able
to work legally in the UK and are available to start
immediately. Temporary reduced rate
accommodation is available if required. Preferred
method of initial contact is via email. Contact
John at [email protected]
Helicopter Transport Services, Inc. is currently
accepting resumes for an ENG pilot position at
our Maryland base. This is a two pilot operation
flying an AS350BA. Minimum 2,000 hours
rotorcraft required. Please fax resumes to 630-771-
9805 or email to: [email protected]
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Helitech:05w w w . h e l i t e c h . c o . u k
The largest helicopter exhibition in Europe
27-29 September 2005Imperial War Museum. Duxford. Cambridge. UK.
Contact:Sue Bradshaw
T: +44 (0) 20 8439 8886E: [email protected]
Spearhead ExhibitionsOriel House, 26 The Quadrant
Richmond TW9 1DL
4277 Vertolet Ad 22/10/04 10:42 am Page 1
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J o b o p p o r t u n i t i e s
Immediate openings for tour pilots. 1,000 hours
helicopter PIC & helicopter Instrument Rating
minimums. Pilots must have permanent resident
card or be a US citizen. 4 on/4 off schedule,
Medical benefits, dental and 401k and vacation,
plus jump seat privileges with Jet Blue and Air
Tran. Starting salary $45,000. Email resume
to the Chief Pilot Rich Carozza at CarozzaR@
Libertyhelicopters.com
Air Logistics, LLC has immediate openings for
Contract Helicopter Pilots for day VFR operations
in the BH 206 Series, BH407 and EC120
helicopters throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
Minimum qualifications include: 1,500/Hr. plus
Helicopter Total Time – 1000/Hr. PIC Helicopter
Time, FAA Commercial Rotorcraft & FAA
Helicopter Instrument Rating, Off-shore
experience preferred. 200/Hr. helicopter
flight time within preceding 12 Months and
second class FAA Medical. These contract
positions have a projected term of 3-6 months
with possibility of full-time permanent
employment upon completion.
Work schedule will be 28-Days on (30 calendar
days) with option of 7, 14, 21 or 28 days off.
Compensation will be $500 daily rate; training
pay will be $250 daily rate (7-12 days) and lodging
will be provided. Contract Pilots will be
responsible for their meals and transportation to
and from all assignments. Interested candidates
should submit a resume outlining your
qualifications. Email to [email protected]
CFII needed to teach CFII course in
West Palm Beach or Ft Lauderdale, Florida.
You'll work as an independent contractor and
can keep your current job if you like as
we can fly you in from elsewhere for a
couple of days, and we'll pick up your airplane
ticket, and supply great accommodation.
Our current CFII since 1996 is now flying a jet
and asks for a little help. Compensation is
commensurate with ability. Must be legal to
work in the United States. Contact: Manager@
HelicopterAcademy.com
Commercial Helicopter Pilots needed. 206/407
experience. GOM Oilfield support. 7&7/14&14
schedule. Chief Pilot position available.
Contact [email protected]
Helicopter CFI/IA/AP wanted. Flight school
in southern WV. Using Schweizer 300C.
Also do fire fighting with a UH-1B Huey.
Good opportunity to build time in a variety
of aircraft. Schweizer 300C, UH-1B Huey, Bell 47,
Eurocopter 350D, Sikorsky S55-BT, and fixed-wing.
Will train for long line and bucket work.
Salary plus hourly for outside IA/AP work.
Fixed-wing CFI a plus. Joe Altizer,
MARPAT Aviation, Fax: 304-752-0097 and Email:
EIC, an international training company, is
accepting resumes for qualified UH-1H
bilingual (Spanish/English) instructor
pilots (IPs) to support training contracts in
Central and South America. Candidates
MUST have one year of documented IP
experience at Fort Rucker, Alabama. NVG IP
qualification is a must and have a current FAA
Commercial Instrument License. Please send
your resume in WORD format at
m e c h a n i c s
Hawker Pacific New Zealand has vacancies for
permanent positions of Licenced Helicopter
Engineers, at our facilities at Ardmore Aerodrome,
Auckland. Applicants with ratings and experience
on Sikorsky S76A will be highly regarded, as well
as Bell, MD, BK117, AS350, Schweizer, and
Robinson. General Manager, Phone: +64 9 2980580,
FAX : +64 9 2980588
I have a job opening for a Bell Component
Overhaul Technician. Candidate must have an FAA
Airframe license, 3 years of experience in Bell
Component Overhaul, and be able to relocate to
Phoenix, AZ. A great salary and excellent benefits
await you. NDT II Cert. a plus, but not required.
Please contact Steve Korenek @ 817-560-0300
Email resumes to [email protected]
Two Licensed Engineers Required. Must Have Bell
206/212/412 Coverage. One Full-Time Married
Accompanied Position. One touring position,
(Six Week Rotation). Both positions are based in
and out of Dubai, UAE. Excellent expat
renumeration package offered. Director of
Maintenance, Phone: 00971 4 2200331
FAX : 00971 4 2200828
Helicopter Mechanic Needed. 5 yrs exp. in
helicopter maintenance, including 3 yrs
maintaining MD500 Series. Notar exp. desired.
Valid FAA Airframe & Power Plant Certificates.
$4082 - $5338/mo plus benefits. Apply
immediately. City of Glendale, 613 E. Broadway,
Room 100, Glendale, CA 91206. 818 548-2100 or
visit our website: www.ci.glendale.ca.us/job.asp
Sarasota County Sheriff's Office in Sarasota,
Florida is seeking an experienced mechanic
for a new Bell 407 Helicopter and a Beech Baron
58P. This mechanic will be responsible for
performing all scheduled/unscheduled
maintenance and servicing in accordance with
manufacturer's specifications consistent with
agency air support unit policies and procedures
and in compliance with FAA requirements.
The mechanic will maintain accurate and up-to-
date aircraft maintenance log books as well
as an accurate library of all federal aviation
authority directives and factory bulletins.
Additionally, the mechanic will provide all
appropriate air support personnel with adequate
training and information regarding all new or
modified FAA directives, and will oversee the
environmental integrity of the air unit premises.
Minimum requirements: FAA A&P/IA License
including Bell 407 maintenance experience.
Excellent benefits including paid state
retirement. For additional information call
Sgt. Roger Jernigan, Chief Pilot at (941) 915-0044.
Grand Canyon Helicopters has immediate
openings at Grand Canyon National Park Airport
in Northern Arizona for 3 A&P Aircraft
Technicians. AS350B, EC130B4, and 206 L
experience preferred, but not mandatory. Pay
dependent on experience. 4 and 3 work schedule,
with possible travel allowance. Contact Charlie
Bassett at [email protected]
Looking for experienced AS350/AS355 and 205A-
1++ mechanics who hold a class C License with
Tank and Hazmat endorsements. The position is
contract and may turn into a full-time permanent
position. Crew Concepts Inc. offers benefits to
full-time employees. Mihir Mirajkar at mihir@
cciheli.com or Fax: 208 463 1307
On-site mechanic for the California Highway
Patrol in Sacramento. The position is maintaining
an AS350B3. A&P and I/A are required but they
will allow you time to obtain the I/A. We will
provide the factory schooling for the aircraft to
the qualified individual. This is a three year
contract that begins in April. Please e-mail or fax
your resume. The salary will be set according to
the candidate’s qualifications. Brenda Kemper at
Fax: 209 234 4854 or email at bkemper@
bigvalleyaviation.com
Petroleum Helicopters Inc. (PHI), Air Evac Services
is seeking to fill BH 412 Mechanic positions in
Manassas and EC-135 Mechanic positions in
Richmond, Virginia. A 5&2 schedule is available in
Richmond and a 7&7 schedule is available in
Manassas. Applicants are required to have an
A&P license, five (5) years helicopter experience
and two (2) years of field experience. EMS,
BH 412 and Ec-135 experience is preferred.
Successful applicants will be required to live
within a 1 hour drive of base location. Interested
individuals should fax resume to: PHI ATTN:
Human Resources 337-272-4232 or Email resume
to [email protected] PHI offers a
competitive salary plus: 401K Plan, Safety Bonus,
Life Insurance, Medical Insurance, Long-Term
Disability Insurance, Dental Insurance, Paid
Vacation, Sick Leave, Vision Plan, Holiday Pay,
Prescription Cards, Emergency and Bereavement
Leave, Employee Assistance Program, Relocation,
and more.
Blue Hawaiian Helicopters has immediate
openings for FAA-Certificated Airframe and
Powerplant Mechanics with AS350 experience.
We are Hawaii's largest helicopter operator and
recognized worldwide as a first class
helicopter tour company. We fly Eurocopter
AS350B2 and EC130B4 helicopters. All aircraft
have air-conditioning and our custom
audio/video recording system. We offer attractive
wages, 401(k) retirement with profit-sharing
program and an excellent medical/dental
package. Send resume and history of work
experience to Robert Pistorino at
CALSTAR has immediate opening for South Lake
Tahoe Location. Needs A&P technician with BO105
or BK117 experience. Min 2 yrs on type. Prefer
EMS exp. Must be capable of working
autonomously. We offer competitive benefit and
compensation packages. Send resumes to:
We have immediate openings for A&P mechanics.
Astar and UH60 experience a plus, but not
essential. Class A CDL with Hazmat endorsement
is required, but can be attained after
employment for experienced applicants. Having a
USFS card is a plus. Expect extended travel with
generous amounts of overtime during the
summer season. We are looking for applicants
who want full-time employment, but have
openings for seasonal as well, if that's what you
are looking for. Give us a call with questions,
and fax in your resume. Phone: 352 365 9077
and Fax: 352 365 0077 or
Email: [email protected]
Helicopter SupportSolution Providers
Kawasaki MBBBK 117, BO 105
EurocopterAS 350, AS 355, EC 120, EC 135
Bell206, 205, 222
• Avionics Installations• Radome Design, Manufacture, Installation• Police Airborne Support Equipment• Seating Design, Layout, Manufacture• Medivac Equipment Design, Installation• EMS Interior Stretcher Mounts• Cargo Hook System Design, Manufacture• Nightsun Mount Design, Manufacture• Specialised Test Equipment Design, Manufacture• Long Range Fuel Systems Design, Manufacture
DISTRIBUTOR,INSTALLATION & SERVICE for
FDC Aero Filters &Altair Engine Monitoring Products
Avionics / Electrical / Instruments / Component Overhaul / Maintenance / Project & Modification Manufacturing /
Parts Sales / Tooling / Turbine Repair, Maintenance, Overhaul
Contact: Russell GouldenHelicopter Projects / Support Manager
Airwork (NZ) Ltd, PO Box 72-516, Papakura, Auckland, New ZealandPh: 64-9-298-7202 Fax: 64-9-298-1455 Email: [email protected]
www.airwork.co.nz
Specialists inModifications,
Repairs,PMA & STC’s
Airworks ad 4/1/03 11:40 AM Page 1
p e r s o n a l p r o f i l e
Ignatius LindequeLivingstone, Zambia
Life couldn’t be better -
flying over Victoria Falls,
one of the seven wonders
of the world one minute,
and then chasing elephants,
rhinos, hippos and giraffe
the next. As managing
director of On Air
Helicopter Tours in Zambia,
Ignatius has the world at
his feet – literally.how many hours do you have, and in what types? My total flying time is 4,500 hours – 3,500 of these in helicopters. I’ve flown: Alouette 3, Oryx/Super Puma, Mi8MTV, Puma, Bell 212, AS350B, BA, B2, EC120 and the EC130B4.
do you have a favorite? Yes - the EC130B4, because it is a combination of technology and performance – which makes it a leader in its class.
have you ever had any ‘eye opening’ moments? Every day in Africa is an eye-opening moment – either good, or not so good! The most recent moment was caused as a result of manufacturer support - the lack of it! Let’s just say, a big company like Eurocopter cannot support an EC130B4 in South Africa - and we are talking something small like a hydraulic filter. I don’t even want to mention the rest - and Eurocopter claim they are the leaders in the helicopter industry! Unfortunately they still design and build the best helicopters as far as I am concerned.
what was your biggest ‘break’ in the helicopter industry? The opportunity to start up my own scenic flight operation in Zambia at the Victoria Falls.
what’s been the biggest highlight in your flying career? Going ‘solo’ in a helicopter for the first time. The feeling is awesome.
are there any goals you still wish to achieve? To provide a one-stop scenic helicopter experience for the individual who wants
to experience Southern Africa from a helicopter.
what’s your view on the south african helicopter industry? There are operators that do things the correct way and are an asset to the industry in South Africa, and there are enough helicopter opportunities here if you do it the proper way. But, unfortunately there are some fly-by-night operators that can have a negative effect on the whole industry. The saga with the Huey that is flying off the Capetown waterfront is a classic example of the ineffectiveness of the South African CAA, and it will probably go on until there is an accident. The whole saga can be read on the Professional Pilots Rumour Network in their African forum - www.pprune.org
what do you think is the biggest challenge facing the helicopter industry? Co-operation between manufacturers and operators.
what is your view on crm in a single pilot helicopter? The single pilot is never alone wherever he operates. If it is a news crew, a passenger, a ground crew, etc, it’s all about relationships, and interacting with other people directly or indirectly when you’re flying. If you don’t have the tool ‘CRM’ to deal with that, it can directly affect your flying as a single pilot. Yes, I think it is necessary.
how do you keep up-to-date with trends and technology in the helicopter industry? Internet, magazines and interacting with people in the industry.
are there any advances in technology that have made your Job easier? Composite materials have enabled helicopters to require less maintenance, and electronics like the VEMD have been great for maintenance, as well as reducing the workload for the pilot.
what advice do you have for anyone wanting to start out in the helicopter industry? Do things the correct way. Accidents DO happen, and if you don’t have everything in place, it can close you down. Also, focus on your own business and don't get sidetracked by the competition.
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