Minimum Requirements for a

Helicopter Rescue Program Including

Hoist vs. Short Haul Rescue

Operations based on the South

African Red Cross Air Mercy Service

ModelPresented by Capt Iefan Blake

Senior Helicopter Pilot

Air Mercy Service

The AMS model works for our specific set of conditions and is subject to: Mandate given to us by our Provincial Partners Resources-Aircraft, Crew (volunteers), Equipment Geographical Location-Mountain Heights, Wx,

Terrain Nature of incidents-very few vertical face/cliff

rescues

May Not Be Applicable,

Insight-establish safe, efficient heli rescue serv.

Share thoughts, comments and experiences, all learn

AMS MODEL

AMS History and Helicopter Introduction

Progression to Fully Fledged Rescue Service

Minimum Requirements based on AMS Model

Considerations, Hoist vs. Short Haul AMS Model

Conclusion

CONTENTS

Established 1966 by Red Cross Society, non profit

basis, C205

Primary Focus transport critically ill & injured patients

Remote and under resourced areas

In collaboration with Prov. Dept of Health

Western Cape first to introduce Helicopter Service,

BO105-2000

AMS HISTORY AND HELICOPTER

INTRODUCTION

Now we operate a fleet of 15 Aircraft

7 X PC 12

3 X EC 130 B4

4 X AW119MKII

1 X A109S

Providing Flying Doctor, Air Ambulance, Rescue services

AMS HISTORY AND HELICOPTER

INTRODUCTION CONT.

PROGRESSION TO FULLY FLEDGED

RESCUE SERVICE

History

Catalyst for Change

Hoist Introduction

Short Haul Introduction

PROGRESSION TO FULLY FLEDGED

RESCUE SERVICE - HISTORY

Western Cape Dep. of Health

2000-BO105

MVA, IFT and ‘assist with rescue where possible’

PROGRESSION TO

FULLY FLEDGED

RESCUE SERVICE -

HISTORY

PROGRESSION TO FULLY FLEDGED RESCUE

SERVICE -

HISTORY

PROGRESSION TO FULLY FLEDGED

RESCUE SERVICE - HISTORY

Where landing not possible and due to not having a

hoist-toe in and single skid landings were carried out

PROGRESSION TO

FULLY FLEDGED

RESCUE SERVICE -

HISTORY

Dangers of toe in

and single skid

landings.

Proximity to

terrain and

rescuers/patients,

self induced

pressure, not

trained high error

rate

PROGRESSION TO FULLY FLEDGED

RESCUE SERVICE - CATALYST FOR

CHANGE

To Mitigate Risk

Improve rescue capability

Ultimately to try and save more lives

PROGRESSION TO FULLY FLEDGED

RESCUE SERVICE - HOIST INTRODUCTION

Introduce Alouette-2002 fitted with hoist

Provided the capability to access patients without the

high risk of toe in and single skid landings.

Patient could be hoisted in harness or stretcher

PROGRESSION TO FULLY FLEDGED

RESCUE SERVICE - HOIST INTRODUCTION

PROGRESSION TO FULLY FLEDGED

RESCUE SERVICE - HOIST INTRODUCTION

AMS MOUNTAIN RESCUE SERVICE-

SHORT HAUL INTRODUCTION

2004-AloIII replaced with AS350

Permitted HEMS and Rescue at same time

Hoist and Dual Cargo Hook fitted

Allowed development of Short Haul Rescue technique

Possible to extract patient with medic

Back up when hoist u/s

AMS MOUNTAIN RESCUE SERVICE -

SHORT HAUL INTRODUCTION

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AS PER

THE AMS MODEL Legal, Policy, Planning and Control Matters

Dispatch

Equipment

Crew Requirements

Currency System

Procedures (SOPS) Quality System

Safety System

LEGAL, POLICY, PLANNING &

CONTROL MATTERS Operator responsible-Licensing Local Regulatory

Body (CAA)

Flight Operations Manual (FOM) endorsed by CAA

Operator must be properly insured again aviation

risks under the hull and third party liability insurance

of the aircraft.

LEGAL, POLICY, PLANNING AND

CONTROL MATTERS Key Role Players and responsible persons involved

Regular meetings

Overall Policy

Control of Operations

Integrate helicopter in established EMS system

LEGAL, POLICY, PLANNING AND

CONTROL MATTERS Monthly Meeting

Training arrangements, Venue, Permissions, Team

Future Developments, Techniques, Equipment

Review and Debrief Rescue Missions

Unresolved, elevate to Policy & Control Meeting

DISPATCH Any organization can request through EMS Control

Delay in dispatch significantly impacts chances of survival/recovery.

Injury in Mountainous terrain, dispatch to:

Locate patient and assess

If safe, deploy Mountain Medic

Provide situation report to Control, inc Patient condition and additional resources required

Fly in additional support if required

Extract to Hospital expediently

EQUIPMENT – HELICOPTER Modern Helicopter with the following specifications Reliable and proven engine Engine, Gearbox and Main Rotor Exceedence

Monitoring and recording Dual Hydraulics Radar Alt Moving Map GPS Satellite tracking System Performance capabilities to provide sufficient payload to

accommodate Rescue Equipment, Pilot, Hoist Operator, Medic and Tech Rescuer and enough fuel to be operationally effective.

HOGE for the area the helicopter is based in

EQUIPMENT – HOIST

EQUIPMENT – HOIST Operational working load of at least 200kg’s (450Lbs)

Hoist cable length of at least 50m’s (164ft)

Useful to have hoist cable payout display for pilot and hoist operator

Ability to allow the pilot to hoist the cable in or out in case of an emergency, the pilot’s input must override the hoist operator’s input

Ability to allow the pilot to jettison the cable in case of emergency by use of a cable cut switch.

EQUIPMENT – HOIST Recommended that the operation of the hoist master

switch must activate an advisory on the aircraft indicating system so as to prevent inadvertent lowering of the cable during flight.

Hoist must have an over temperature sensor to inform operator when he/she needs to stop hoisting to allow the hoist motor to cool down to prevent hoist motor burn-out.

Hoist to have a cable foul sensor to prevent incorrect role up on hoist drum and possible failure of entire cable.

EQUIPMENT – DUAL CARGO HOOKS

EQUIPMENT – DUAL CARGO HOOKS

Dual Cargo hook load limit of at least 500kg’s.

Must have a dual cargo hook system installed

and certified by manufacturer consisting of a main

cargo hook and a safety cargo hook.

When Flying HEC dual cargo hooks must be

independently connected to separate release

mechanisms which require two separate

actions by the pilot to release the load.

EQUIPMENT – DUAL CARGO HOOKS

Preferably a mirror must be fitted to allow the pilot to see the cargo hooks and confirm that they are open and free of the load when the load is jettisoned.

The main cargo hook must have a load measuring system and readout indicator in the cockpit so that the pilot can check the weight being lifted by the hook and verify that it is within the hook loading limitations.

CREW REQUIREMENTS Rescue Pilots- Min Commercial Pilot, Hoist/Sling, Night,

recommend IR, 1500 Hours, Mountain experience

Hoist Operators- Have mountain rescue experience who have completed a Certified/CAA Endorsed Hoist Operator Course and passed the assessment.

Mountain Medic and Technical Rescuers-Appropriatleyskilled and experienced crews that have successfully undergone helicopter training and have been appointed to the helicopter program by the operator.

Note:

The total number of team members must not be

more than what can be kept current by the system

CURRENCY AND TRAINING SYSTEM

CURRENCY AND TRAINING SYSTEM One of the ways to mitigate some of the risk of Helicopter

Rescue operations is to carry out regular training sessions in line with accepted Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The principle here is to operate as you train, in other words whatever you do during training is what you do during rescues.

Training is to be prioritized over no urgent transfers Training is as important and requires a commitment from

operator/client Training needs to be completed in full, including attending the

briefing and debrief for currency to be awarded Pilots, Hoist Operators, Medics and Tech Rescuers are

required to regain currency every 6 Months. A record of all training and currency is to be kept by

the operator.

PROCEDURES (SOPS) AND QUALITY

SYSTEM SOP’s are there to provide the rescue team members with

the necessary information for them to safely and

successfully perform their specific function in the rescue

environment

The SOP's should be written using all the experience,

expertise and knowledge in the system.

The operators Quality Manager will ensure regular audits

are conducted to ensure that this SOP is adhered to.

SAFETY SYSTEM

The operator will need to implement a Safety

Management System to identify hazards and control

risks while maintaining assurance that these risk

controls are effective

CONSIDERATIONS:

HOIST VS SHORT HAUL

AMS MODEL

CONSIDERATIONS:

HOIST VS SHORT HAUL

AMS MODEL

General Information

Capabilities

Limitations

Reliability

Cost and Maintenance

Training of crews

GENERAL INFORMATION Almost always an installed hoist system on a helicopter will be

the fastest way to get rescuers to a patient side (dependent on hoist cable length)

The extraction time between the two methods is normally very similar, although the short haul allows the medic to remain at the side of the patient during the extraction. Most cases power margins allow the technical rescuer to be extracted at the same time.

Note:

Hoist and Cargo Hooks are manufactured by third

party vendors who sell them to Helicopter

Manufacturers and operators.

CAPABILITIES

Hoist

Short Haul

(Duel Cargo Hooks)

Load limit – 204 kgs

Cable Length – 50 m

Load Limit – 500 kgs

Rope Length – Limited

only by Pilot & Crew

capabilities and

organization’s SOP’s

LIMITATIONS

Hoist

Short Haul

(Duel Cargo Hooks) Aircraft stationary in hover during

hoisting in or out

Load limit of 204 kgs prevents Medic accompanying patient next to stretcher during hoisting

Limited access gorges and vertical cliff faces due to hoist length limit of 50 m

Hoist weighs 46 kgs – Increased aircraft weight for all missions, not just rescue

100 Knots but limited to 40

Knots for Rescuer Comfort

Duel cargo Hook weighs 20 kgs

– Increased aircraft weight for

all missions, not just rescue.

RELIABILITY

Hoist

Short Haul

(Duel Cargo Hooks)

In excess of 10 malfunction of some kind or another, since introduction of brand new hoist into the system. We have 2 spare hoists in the fleet.

Not one malfunction

recorded since

introduction of Short

Haul in 2004.

COST & MAINTENANCE

Hoist

Short Haul

(Duel Cargo Hooks)

New Hoist US$110000

Overhaul required every 5

years, US$40 000, sent

away to service centre

Hoist Cable US$3000

Cable Tensioner US$3000

New Duel Cargo Hooks

US$43000

Overhaul required after 5 years,

can be overhauled by the In-

House AMO

No repairs required so no price

available

COST & MAINTENANCE CONT.

Hoist

Short Haul

(Duel Cargo Hooks)

Maintenance required every 3 months / 200 cycles, 6 months / 400 cycles, annually, 1500 cycles, 5 years / 2000 cycles overhaul

Geneva Wheel failure requires hoist to be sent to service centre causing weeks of delays for overhaul

Annual inspection and

cleaning required

Overhaul required after 5

years, can be overhauled by

the In-House AMO

COST & MAINTENANCE CONT.

Hoist

Short Haul

(Duel Cargo Hooks)

Typical Failures: Bird caging

Milking Geneva Wheel Failures Self Tentioner

R1 500 per hoist as calculated by AMS finance (R42000/TrngSession for 8 Crew, 28 Hoist, no Short Haul)

Typical Failures: NIL

TRAINING OF CREWS

Hoist

Short Haul

(Duel Cargo Hooks)

18 flight hours for Hoist

Operator training

No exclusive training given

yet but estimate 10 hours

for crewman BUT if Pilot

trained in Vertical

Referencing no crewman

required

RECOMMENDATIONS:

HOIST VS SHORT HAUL

AMS MODEL If budget and helicopter performance allows – buy both!

The reliability of the Short Haul makes it a good backup for the hoist.

If budget/helicopter performance does not allow both but a rescue capability is required consider the following: Terrain, Crew Compliment, Altitude, Helicopter Capabilities - Vertical Face Rescues where a Hoist Cable cannot reach – Short Haul

High altitude, operating at engine limits – Short Haul and Vertical Reference

Low cloud base or excessively high winds – Hoist

Extracting more than 2 people at once – Short Haul

Medic required to treat patient during extraction – Short Haul

CONCLUSION

QUESTIONS