Lee on Solent Coastguard Helicopter Crew Honoured

[SARowl]

Helicopter crew honoured for Weymouth Jurassic Tower rescue http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-45886858
Well done guys! #LeeSAR

[Georg1na]

I found this quite interesting. Why did it take 4 hours for a relatively simple winching operation? I post below the Needles Lighthouse pre heli landing deck into which - if the weather was really ****ty and I mean really ****ty, we would winch on the new crew and lift off the old out of the two foot wide walkway around the outside of the light. All the while avoiding the long tall radio aerials and the lightning conductor and with almost no visual references! (in a Wessex) The most exciting part of this trip was picking up the new crew from the Coastguard station above the Needles as the wind was normally gale force and being into wind meant a very nose down landing on a very downward slope. Too much rear cyclic for comfort. This never took four hours!! I am sure they did a wonderful job and important details are missing from the account on the beeb - but I am intrigued to see what the problem was and perhaps one of the crew would post on here. Pip Pip.........................

[Fareastdriver]

Don't knock it. We old farts would fly missions that would be considered impossible by today's standards. Nowadays they get medals for doing the same things as we regarded as normal. More power to their elbow; it's about time things like that were recognised.

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I was part of a crew who did something similar from the top of Wells Cathedral a few years ago - whereas with a tricky cliff-sticker, where you can almost quickstop to the overhead and winch out - when you get all the other emergency services involved the timescale increases.

Add in the local council and HSE rep, by the time everyone has done all their 'dynamic' risk assessments and checked their insurances, I can well imagine a 4-hour timeline for a rescue like this where peoples lives aren't actually in danger.

Not the trickiest winching job in the world, especially in an aircraft as capable as the 139, but I should think the crew got their award for the number of people winched (using a Goodrich hoist) and as a testament to their patience.

[finalchecksplease]

Crab the picture shows it was an AW189

[3D CAM]

Crab...and throw in a trip to Bournemouth for fuel!! Where's Portland when you need it?? Oh yes, I remember?
3D

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Crab the picture shows it was an AW189

ah yes, forgot to count the windows - even more capable aircraft then

3DCam - yes, fuel had to figure in there somewhere since I don't believe it has 4 hours endurance...

[212man]

Originally Posted by 3D CAM

Crab...and throw in a trip to Bournemouth for fuel!! Where's Portland when you need it?? Oh yes, I remember?
3D

you would think they would have some kind of service agreement with Helioperations there.

[Hot_LZ]

Easily a 4.5 hours endurance if you want it. But due to launch fuels and power settings probably better to settle with the lower fuel state and accept the refuel.

LZ

[3D CAM]

212man. Helioperations are not 24hr ,no guarantee there would be anyone there so unplannable I would think.
3D

[Georg1na]

but I am intrigued to see what the problem was and perhaps one of the crew would post on here. Pip Pip.......................

..

That is all I was asking.......................I am sure they are reading this thread. Life was so simple all those years ago, if no less difficult. Pip Pip

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Easily a 4.5 hours endurance if you want it.

in the hover?????

[detgnome]

Max fuel a sniff under 2000kg, fuel burn in the hover (with that weight) probably around 500kg/hr, but decreasing as you burn it off. Would have to offload a bit of kit to get the 2 tonnes in though. So probably around 4 hours in the hover down to 130kg MLA.