|
CHP Helicopter
If you work even a short time in SAR, you'll see the CHP's helicopter, H-20. It's a versatile tool with a lot of special abilities.
FLIR System - One great boon for SAR operations is H20's FLIR system. FLIR stands for Forward Looking InfraRed. This system uses an infrared camera mounted underneath the aircraft to search for a person's body heat. The FLIR works best at night or whenever it's cool outside, but it can also "see" people who are camouflaged, covered with shadows, or hidden in tall grass. The image is displayed on a TV screen in the instrument panel. It has terrific sensitivity and resolution: if someone stands in front of the helicopter, the FLIR clearly distinguishes glasses and hairlines.
The FLIR has a few limitations. It cannot detect people completely hidden under heavy brush, trees, or more than a few inches of water or snow. It also detects anything that's warm, so animals and warm rocks show up as clearly as people do.
Selecting A Landing Zone - A minimum of 100 x 100 feet is preferred. The site should have less than a 10 degree slope. Choose a firm surface if possible: clouds of flying dirt will obscure the pilot's vision during the last few feet. Avoid loose debris that can fly up and hit the main rotor: the blades have to be replaced if they get the tiniest nick, and the aircraft has to stay on the ground until they are.
When you have to signal your location, the pilots say there is nothing like a mirror. The best ones are the Air Force type with the sighting arrangement in the center. They work for 50-60 miles sometimes. Don't be afraid to hold the beam on the helicopter; a hand-held mirror won't blind the crew because a it's not steady enough.
During a landing, the CHP pilots prefer to have nobody in the LZ. There is no need to guide the chopper in with hand signals. Do, however, advise the pilot of wind speed and direction. If you don't have radio contact, tieing streamers to fence posts, poles or bushes is good. If all else fails, the crew carries smoke bombs.
Loading a Patient - Everyone who has ever had helicopter safety training knows that you should never, ever go to the rear of a helicopter, because that's where the tail rotor is.
CHP Policies - H20 is available any time of the day or night. It is manned and ready to fly during day and swing shifts. Between midnight and 8 a.m. a crew is on call.
H20 will respond to a call from anyone, including anyone from SAR (although we normally go through the Sheriff's Office). They figure it's better to respond and not be needed, than to untangle a lot of red tape when there really might be a crisis.
Before a crew will fly into an area, however, they must be assured of minimum visibility. Minimums change depending on the time of day and the location:
Daytime: Ceiling at least 500 feet above ground and 1 mile visibility.
NIGHT (well-lit areas): ceiling at least 800 feet above ground and 2 miles visibility
Night (rural areas): Ceiling at least 1000 feet above ground and 3 miles visibility
Because of the hazards of flying in the mountains at night, H20 will not do SAR missions east of Highway 49 after dark. If it flies east of 49 at all at night, it will only be to a genuine and well-lighted helispot.
Alas, CHP policy offers little hope that anyone will be allowed to rappel out of their helicopter, now or in the future. |