|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Marine Operations with the Heli-Basket®
Introduction
The Heli-Basket can be deployed from land or, as
is shown in the photo on the right, from a ship
with a helipad--the U.S.S. Niagara Falls. Cargo Transport
The Heli-Basket can transport items to ships and smaller craft that do not have a helipad. Rescue From Ships in Distress
Extraction methods currently in use involve rescue personnel rappelling down to the ship and using a seat, stretcher or harness to winch the stranded persons up into the helicopter, one by one. This requires long hover times because of the slow operation of the winch. The HB3000 Heli-Basket can rescue more than 30 persons in less time that it takes to winch up a single person. The winch technique has the advantage of reaching ships that are a considerable distance from shore more quickly because there is no external drag. Rescued persons are in the helicopter and are not exposed to the cold as they are in the basket. If there is a nearby second ship, the Heli-Basket can rapidly ferry people from ship to ship. Rescue From Small Craft
 Optional
floatation is available as an accessory for the Heli-Basket.
Its usefulness depends on the circumstances. In calmer seas
a skillful long-line helicopter pilot can place a Heli-Basket with no floatation at or just below the surface of the water (as
shown in the photo on the right) so that swimmers can
easily enter the basket. Floating ropes are provided to help the swimmers reach the basket.
Floatation for the Heli-Basket
By carrying several self-inflatable life-rafts, personal floation devices, and other rescue gear to the disaster site, the
Heli-Basket can serve as a temporary rescue station, acting as a gathering point for people in the
water. Battery operated lights attached to the Heli-Basket are a necessary accessory for nighttime
operation. Marine-Grade Protective Coating for the Heli-Basket The Heli-Basket supplied for marine use has a superior protective coating that resists salt-water corrosion, fading, abrasion, and impacts. Additional Accessories for the Heli-Basket A redundant safety strap or belly strap, such as Precision Lift's Heli-Strap, is required by FAA Regulations when the external load is a "live load." Detachable netting is supplied to provide additional protection when transporting people in rougher weather. PLI can also supply self-inflating life-rafts, hypothermia bags, and the Res-Q-Air device for maintaining hypothermia victims. Useful Links to Other Sites Case Histories of Helicopter Rescue at Sea Army National Guard rescue Coast Guard rescue operations in storm Painting of Coast Guard night rescue
Search and Rescue Units U.S. Coast Guard, Astoria, Oregon U.S. Coast Guard, Clearwater, Florida (click on "History") Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Home Site Map Products Military Forest Fire High Rise Fire Contact Us Orders |
Helicopters are routinely used for transport to
ships and drilling platforms equipped with a
helipad so that the helicopter can land. The
Heli-Basket can transport cargo (and rescue
people) from places where the helicopter can not
land.
Cargo nets and slings are used to carry large and bulky items to drilling platforms during
construction before the helipad is built. The Heli-Basket can carry delicate
equipment that would be damaged using a cargo net and aerodynamically unstable items that otherwise would restrict the airspeed of the helicopter. [
The Heli-Basket is designed for rescue operations that are relatively near shore where the
primary concern is extraction of a large number of people as quickly as possible. The 
A large portion of calls for emergency rescues are from
small craft in distress, particularly in heavily traveled
coastal areas and large harbors. The Heli-Basket provides a
way of quickly rescuing a number of people from a small
craft that is capsized or otherwise in distress. The photo on the left shows a Heli-Basket in a rescue operation approaching 2 people in Cook Inlet near Anchorage, Alaska. (The two black dots in the water in the lower right corner are their heads.)
As shown in the photo on the right, floatation provides buoyancy that may be helpful in rougher seas. The photo illustrates why marine rescue is a challenging operation. The red life raft in front of the Heli-Basket is upside down. The helicopter pilot is in the process of moving the Heli-Basket closer to the 2 people in the water on the left side of the photo. The 2 are trying to get to the Heli-Basket. The water is choppy. There is a strong current. The wind is blowing and moving the liferaft. The rotor downwash is kicking up quite a spray. The water temperature is close to the freezing point. (Snow-covered peaks of the Alaska Range are seen in the background.) Hypothermia is a serious problem.
Floatation provides a measure of safety in many marine uses of the Heli-Basket. Two types of flotation can be supplied
as accessories: permanently sealed and
non-collapsible flotation (shown on the left) and collapsible self-inflating flotation.
