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Helicopter Ground Safety Course Outline
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This outline is a quick 10 minute refresher on staying safe around helicopters, especially our favorite, CHP's H-20. From the EDSAR Air Safety course; updated February 22, 1999.
I. Introduction
A. Welcome
B. Sign-in sheet (required for credit)
C. Schedule 7:00-9:00 2 hour course
D. Outline of course
1. Introduction
2. Air Resources Used by SAR
3. Mission Types
4. Ground to Air Communication
5. Landing Zones
6. Ground Safety
7. Loading
8. Review
9. Test
E. Housekeeping
F. Video clip from Fox 40 TV
G. Introductions
1. Name
2. Yrs. SAR
3. Helicopter SAR experience
H. Tomato Demo
II. Mission Types
A. Types of Aircraft
1. Planes
2. Helicopters
a) H-20
b) Cal-Star
c) Life Flight
d) Reach
e) Sacramento County
f) Placer County
g) Reno Air Ambulance
h) Reno Air National Guard
i) Forestry (costs?)
j) Media
B. Video Clip CHP I Mission Types
C. H-20 particulars
1. Cost $2.5M
2. Visual Flight Rules (usually day flights only)
3. FLIR first generation $125K (Forward Looking Infra Red)
4. Night Sun $15k (33M candle power)
5. Tail rotor 4-5 times faster, near speed of sound
6. Fuel (under normal conditions can fly over scene for about 1 hour)
7. No observers generally
D. Weather conditions
1. Hot air and High altitude lower the capacity and flight time
2. After 1400 in summer, air current are bad in the mountains
3. Minimum of 500' ceiling
4. 1 mile visibility
5. Steady breeze can improve performance 20%
6. On-site weather reports are great help since no reporting stations in El Dorado County
7. FLIR and flying best in early morning when temperatures are cool
III. Ground to Air Communication
A. CHP Video (Communication)
B. Radio
1. Plain English
2. Frequencies plus PL Tone (virtually any frequency)
3. Air to Air is usually 122.875 CHP 122.925 CDF
4. Don't initiate without CP approval
C. Command post will provide vital information to air crew
1. Search area
2. Subject information
3. Weather conditions
4. Terrain
5. LZ location
6. Obstacles
7. Other aircraft in the area
D. Hand signals (Be Alert handout)
E. Directions (o'clock)
1. Say you are at the pilot's 2 oclock
2. When circling your position they will hold you at 9:00
F. Bearings off landmarks
G. Navigation in Lat/Long
IV. Landing Zones
A. CHP Video (Landing Zones)
B. Refer to handout (Be Alert)
C. Size: 75x75 day, 100x100 night
D. Location
1. Ultimately up to the pilot
2. Obstacles (Trees, power lines)
3. Safe distance from scene (100 mph wind)
4. Level ground (5 degrees or less with 90% skid contact)
5. Consider surface conditions (dust/snow can cause Zero visibility)
E. Securing LZ
1. Remove bystanders
2. Secure loose objects (hats, branches, blankets, etc.)
3. No flares or scene tape
4. Don't shine spot lights at Helicopter (ruins night vision)
5. Once on the ground, a spotlight the tail rotor is OK.
F. Indicating wind direction
1. Lands into and takes off into the wind
2. Flag
3. Hand signal (wind at back with arms at shoulder level)
4. Radio estimate ("Winds about 5mph from the SW")
G. Departures lengthened due to weight
V. Ground Safety
A. CHP Video (Ground Safety)
B. Refer to handout (Be Alert)
C. Approach
1. Only from front in sight of the pilot (Repositioning)
2. Crouched position
3. Only when cleared by air crew
4. Depart along same route as approach
5. No loose clothing
6. Down hill side only
7. Carrying raised objects no higher than shoulder level
D. Never go aft of rear stabilizer (antennas)
E. Exhaust heat extremely dangerous
VI. Loading Patient
A. CHP Video (Patient Loading)
B. Flight crew leads
C. Place on Helicopter gurney, leave on backboard
D. Four to six carry plus flight crew
E. Hot loads vs 3 min cool down
F. O2 tanks (loosen hose to prepare to transfer to helicopter O2)
G. Load patient head first
H. Carry all object at shoulder level (IVs)
I. Shield rescuer and victim's eyes
VII. Review
A. CHP video (review)
B. Questions
VIII. Test
Handouts:
CHP Alert and Alive
CHP Landing Zone
CHP Training Video
Fox 40 News clip
Test
Take the exam!
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