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

64

18 30 40 51

1

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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 info@oceania-group.com

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

AEROSPACE FILTRATION SYSTEMS, INC. 1-636-300-5200 fax 1-636-300-5205 www.AFSfilters.com

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.

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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: info@heliharvest.co.nz

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: sales@isolairinc.com

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: sales@isolairinc.com

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 jobs@helicopter.com 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 CopterJohn@gmail.com

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: quicksilverair@gci.net

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: mkozloski@hillsboroaviation.com

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 attllchiefpilot@direcway.com 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: jobs@helicopter.com

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 bmills@calstar.org 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 fly@OldCityHelicopters.com

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 jobs@helicopterfly.co.uk

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: liberatorev@htshelicopters.com

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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: sue.bradshaw@spearhead.co.uk

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 hr@air-log.com

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 ghaas@omnienergy.com

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:

mholb61526@aol.com

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

oneaviationservices@yahoo.com

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 steve@jsfirm.com

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 chasrainierhelo@aol.com

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 resumes@phihelico.com 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

bob@bluehawaiian.com

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:

calstar@calstar.org

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: jean@firehawkhelicopters.com

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: russellg@airwork.co.nz

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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