History of Helicopter Search and Rescue Operations - Term Paper Example

List abbreviations FLIR -Forward-looking infrared GPS - Global Positioning system IAFC -International Association of Fire Chiefs, NFPA -National Fire Protection Association RCC -Rescue Coordination Center SAR - Search and rescue History of helicopter search and rescue (SAR) operations People get stranded and are exposed to a number of imminent life threatening dangers. Dangers are caused by violent storms, fires, snow, high tides, and rain. A cruise ship can get fire and sink in waters; an airliner (aircrafts) can get down; and building may burn. Search and Rescue (SAR) refer to searching for or providing aid to people, ships or other craft in imminent or actual danger or distress. Through SAR, people in distress or danger are identified and retrieved, provided with first aid or other needs and delivered to a place of safety. SAR is further subdivided on the basis of terrain considerations. They include ground search and rescue, mountain rescue as well as combat search and rescue and air rescue above the water. In the United States, SAR is undertaken by Rescue Coordination Center (RCC).Example of well documented SAR efforts includes Dutch Merchant Ship called Vergulde Draeck wreck in 1656 in off West Coast Australia, Korean Air Lines Flight 007 that was shot by Soviet aircraft in 1983. However, no survivors were found in both rescue missions. Helicopters are the most important aircrafts used in search and rescue (SAR) missions both on land and waters. The use of aircrafts during SARs operations is traced back to early 1940’s when helicopters were introduced into the airspace. It was intensively used during World War II. During the World War II, Sikorsky helicopter were used in combat rescue missions and airmen forced down by enemies during war. The rescues were done by landing the helicopters. However, the first documented civilian helicopter hoist rescue in the aviation industry was on November 29, 1945 using Sikorsky R-5 helicopter. Two men were stranded in Fairfield, Connecticut on an oil barge and faced the imminent danger of being washed overboard following a violent storm, high tides, snow and rain that afflicted East Coast of the United States of America. Landing for the helicopter was impossible. Luckily, luck smiled on them and they were hoist to safety by Sikorsky R-5 helicopter (Sikorsky n .d.). The idea of pulling a person out of danger by hoist or cable was new in 1945 but become a reality when the two stranded persons were hoist to safety in 1945. Unlike in 1940’s when helicopters were only able to rescue one person at a time, today’s helicopters like the HH-60J Jayhawk has the ability to rescuer about 26 people including the rescue crew. Helicopters that were used in 1940’s were low powered and could evacuate one man at a time such as the Sikorsky R-4. In 1950’s Piasecki H-21 helicopters that were able to rescue more than one person at a time were introduced. In 1960’s long- range Sikorsky HH-3F Pelican was introduced to enhance rescue operations. In 1980, SARs helicopters were fitted with highly sophisticated sensors like thermal imaging equipment and night vision to increase the chances of finding survivors. In 1990’s, SARs Helicopters were mounted with Global Positioning system (GPS) to help identify precise location of stricken. The latest are the Amphibians helicopters that offer more safety and success during the operations. Use of helicopters in SARs The rescue take the form of landing the helicopter on the location of disaster or using hoists, where rescue airmen and crew lower rescue baskets, and survivors are raised one by one. Rescue helicopters have main and tail rotor while others have two large main rotors. Helicopters are controlled by the pilot from the cockpit. Rescue helicopters have either the wheels or landing skids to touch the ground. Mountain rescue refers to identifying, retrieving, providing first aid and transporting someone to safety in rugged and mountainous terrain. Ground search and rescue refers to searching people and helping people who are in distress or lost in inland waterways or on land. Cause of SAR operations includes earthquakes, terrorists’ attacks, tornadoes, hurricanes, wild fires and floods. Helicopters are preferred to other aircrafts to search, rescue, and deliver injured people to hospitals or other emergency medical facilities. This is because of their ease of use in different geographical situations. Helicopters fly in harsher weather conditions and can be landed on smaller and cruder grounds as compared to other aircrafts such as fixed-wing aircraft. Furthermore, helicopters are flexible and can hover above the scene of an accident or land on the accident scene or taxi towards the scene of accidents. According to Collins (2005), helicopters carry survivors faster than ambulances. Helicopters are modified and fitted with parts or equipments that enable search and rescue operations. For example, Bell 47 and Bell 48 helicopters were fitted with supportive floats to enabled it rest on both land and water and rescue the stranded or injured. Although helicopters are considered better to use in rescue operations, strong down draft caused by hovering increases wind chills that may be dangerous to survivors who are already soaked in water and hypothermic. In addition, loud helicopter noises cause communication difficulties between the rescue crew and the survivors. Types of helicopters used in SARs According to IAFC and NFPA (2009, p. 102), different helicopters are used for different operations. Helicopters used in SAR rescue operations are designed to transport one or two medical evacuees while others can carry many members of the rescue teams. SARs helicopters have winch capacities than enabled them to search and rescue in waters. Other helicopter can lift heavy equipments. SARs helicopters need to be long range and carry first aid equipments. They must be able to mount strong winch or hoist that is used to lift a survivor who is being rescued to safety. SARs helicopters are fitted with sophisticated equipments to aid in search and rescue missions. They are mounted with night vision, thermal imaging, marking and signaling equipments like smoke bombs and powerful dyes to stain water near floating survivors. Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) system is installed to assist pilots see warm and a life human against a colder background like mountains and the forest. They are also fitted with Global Positioning system (GPS) satellite s to enable the helicopter to identify the location of a stricken ship (vessel). SARs helicopters are connected to long steel wire or strong twisted ropes that are 300 feet long with a rescue sling, a rescue basket or a stretcher. The aircrafts models used search and rescue include Sikorsky R-5, Sikorsky R-6As, Sikorsky H-19, Sikorsky H-34, Sikorsky HH-52A, Sikorsky CH-53 Stallion, Sikorsky S-55s, Sikorsky S-61A, Sikorsky HH-3F Pelican, Sikorsky CH-3C Jolly Green Giant, Piasecki H-21, Sikorsky HSS-2 Sea King, Sikorsky S-70 Black Hawk, Sikorsky S-76, Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone, Westland Lynx, Pembroke, Aérospatiale HH-65A Dolphin, HH-60J Jayhawk , AgustaWestland A109E, AgustaWestland EH101 Merlin, AgustaWestland AW101, EH-101, BAe Jetstream 41Eurocopter , AgustaWestland AW109, AgustaWestland AW139, Eurocopter Super Puma, Eurocopter AS-365N Dauphin 2, SeaKing, W-3 Sokół, Bell UH-1 Iroquois, Westland Sea King, Super Puma (Super Puma L2) and Eurocopter EC155 B1 others. Special skills that a pilot need to fly SARs operation The purpose of the SARs pilot is to get rescuers to the scene of disaster and position so that they are able to rescue. They fly under very challenging situations and perform challenging operations. A pilot who fly SARs operations need to be technically and emotionally competent. In addition, according to Benson (2007), SARs pilot requires skill and ability to listen to other rescue crew and the victims The SARs pilot need to be alert and confident at all times. Therefore, he or she must possess technical skills and right personality make up. The technical skills refer to excellent helicopter skills. SARs pilot must have a firm grip on all the systems of the helicopter. When a warning light signals, the pilot must established whether to land at a nearest safe flat ground or continue the flight to the hospital. This means that SARs pilot must be competent with above average skills to on how to handle the helicopter under all situations to avoid accidents. The SARs pilot must know hoist work, confined area landing and take-offs, high and hot operations as well as one-skid landings. Secondly, SARs pilot must have above average personality make up. The pilots must be driven by the passion to help fellow humans to safety above their comfort. The pilot should be emotionally intelligently in the sense that he or she should be able to be objective and non-judgmental about survivors who make choices contrary to their personal values. In addition, SARs pilot should not allow sense of mission to cloud his or her good aeronautical decision making. He or she should make good and safe decisions and stick by them regardless of pressure from other people. He or she should avoid pressure to complete a rescue mission and should not be too concern as to whether a survivor will die or not, lose the respect of crew and other pilots or have his abilities questioned above his or her ability to ensure that the helicopter is safe. Perry (2011) revealed that a poor pilot decision occasioned and induced by self induced stress and fatigue led to fatal crash of AgustaWestland A109E Power helicopter. The pilot was unable to make sober decision and took off from remote landing site without assessing the weather and night condition thoroughly and ended up crashing the helicopter. Problems plaguing helicopter (SARs) There are a number of problems facing SARs helicopter rescues. The problems include pilot stress, incompetency and poor communication. Pilot stress and fatigue is caused by overworking, especially with insufficient staffing levels. Incompetency is occasioned by lack of adequate technical knowhow on how to handle the helicopter, SAR controllers, the rescue team and survivors adequately. The pilots and rescue team face high heat and humidity levels, which reduces performances. The other problems are mechanical in nature. A helicopter relies on many moving parts that work in simultaneously and in unison. Mechanical dangers cannot be ignored. Hoist cable may fail and rope may separate (Olien and Olien, 2011). Survivors and rescuers suspended below the helicopter are like any other loads that could be jettisoned incase of hoist failure to avert a possible crash. In May 2002, Pavehawk helicopter crashed into the mountain seconds immediately the flight engineer cut-off the hoist cable. There are also dangers from helicopter getting entangled in power lines or vegetation; and helicopter may collide with other flying objects or debris. If helicopter get entangled in a power line, it may fall free and pilot may make an escape move that can drag rescuer through trees, into water or over rocks. Furthermore, heavy winds, fog and darkness may cause helicopter accidents. Finally, unsecured objects such as carabines, medical boxes and rescue blankets may fall off the open cabin doors during hosting and may injure the survivors or the rescuers. References Benson, L. (2007). Helicopter Training: Search and Rescue: Dedication and Perseverance. Retrieved from http://www.aviationtoday.com/regions/sa/Helicopter-Training-Search-and-Rescue-Dedication-and-Perseverance_16864.html Collins, L. (2005). Technical Rescue Operations: Common Emergencies. Oklahoma, USA: PennWell IAFC and NFPA (2009). Fundamentals of Technical Rescue. Publisher London: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Olien, R. & Olien, B. (2011). Rescue Helicopters in Action. Oxford: Capstone Press. Perry, D. (2011). Safety: Fatal SAR crash due to pilot error: NTSB . Flight International. Sikorsky, I. (n.d.). First Helicopter Civilian Rescue November 29, 1945. Retrieved from http://www.sikorskyarchives.com/first.html Read More