To view this page ensure that Adobe Flash Player version
9.0.124 or greater is installed.
When passengers on a special operation need their weapons handy, hand weapons and spare ammunition for them may be carried in readily accessible boxes or holsters, with the ammunition in pockets. Rifles and shotguns may be stowed securely within the cabin, with spare ammunition in body belts or readily accessible boxes. Gas/smoke canisters must be in boxes but these may be readily accessible. Boxes must be strongly constructed, fire resistant and have an “explosives” label.
Hover Emplaning and Deplaning
Defined as allowing trained persons to enter or leave the helicopter without its full weight on the ground, and done where you can’t land properly:
There should be no danger to third parties and minimal risk to the aircraft, crew, seated passengers and those carrying out the activity. The major consideration is engine failure.
You should be able to hover at least at 4 ft, in day VFR, although the actual height should be a lot less than that, with one skid or wheel in contact with the ground to get rid of static. One passenger should be seated before the next gets on board. To give you a decent power margin, the maximum weight should not greater than 95% of the maximum, and you should have at least a 15% power reserve in the low hover anyway. The time in the hover should not be more than the time limit for take-off power. Cargo should not shift.
Your safety briefings should include the effects of C of G changes.
Deplaning Procedure
Seat belts must be unbuckled as instructed, then rebuckled. Only one person or item of cargo should leave the helicopter at a time, from the left side, with the weights gently transferred to the ground. One person should ensure that all doors (passenger and cargo) are closed after everything has been unloaded. Persons and cargo should remain grouped ahead of the passenger door until the helicopter has departed.
Emplaning Procedure
Seat positions should be determined beforehand, with persons and cargo grouped in one location beside the intended arrival area.
People must only approach when signalled (either thumbs up, or an exaggerated head nod), from the left side, with only one person or item entering the helicopter at a time. Weights should be gently transferred from the ground to the helicopter.
Seat belts should be immediately fastened once persons are seated, and doors closed.
Formation Flying
Used when chasing another aircraft, but not at night, in cloud, or when the cloud base is below 500 ft or visibility below 3 km. As the pilot of the other machine may not be aware of your intentions, and might not even wish to be identified, you shouldn’t do this too closely. In other words, spend the shortest possible time at the minimum permitted distance from the other machine, and shadow from the maximum range consistent with getting photographs, or other evidence, and maintaining visual contact. Remember one official definition, which is "flight by sole reference to another aircraft"
|
