Saturday 13 March 2010

Working with Helicopters


Next Tuesday and weather and incidents permitting its ‘Helicopter Training’, with Rescue Helicopter 106!

We had a seesion last May which allowed the team to practice setting up for landing. The helicopter lands into the wind and needs a large clear area without any loose debris. Vehicles are parking to the rear of the helicopter so that at night the headlights illuminate the area without dazzling the pilot (See photo above with vehicles 45 degrees to the landing area). No radio comms are allowed in the landing phase and no waving your arms like an idiot at the pilot. That’s it really....


Training last May.

We'll see if they have enough fuel and time to allow us to undertake some winching, fingers crossed. Sounds like a jolly but not really given that last year our Cliffman Austen had to be winched off Ballard with a dog. I'm not sure who was more worried the dog or Austen.

1 comment:

Joe said...

Wednesday was also Helicopter training for all of us RNLI Lifeguards in East Devon. We were lucky enough to get the coastguard helicopter landing in Exmouth then lift off again and practice winching a few people. Exmouth Coastguard were kind enough to secured the landing site for us.

I put a few pictures on www.lifeguarding.wordpress.com

The helicopter is an amazing resource to us all.