A nice piece of flying; & excellent PR

[Low Flier]

Watch the nosegear.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8303567.stm

Well done, boys (& girls?).

[bigglesbutler]

OMG hats off to that man/woman, nice bit of flying.

Si

[west lakes]

For those that don't know the area Striding edge is so named as, in places it is only a stride wide particularly near the summit of Hellvelyan.
The views at about 00.33 show the summit and the path.
In high winds it is not unknown for people to be literally blown off the path

Taken this year at a local fly-in

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/west_lakes/kirkbride09/DSCF1886.jpg

[206 jock]

Nice bit of flying - reminds me of the Russian pilots when I was heliskiing there last year...they would bury the nosewheel in the snow while the rear wheels hang over the precipice, then you (skiers) would jump out the front door (MIL 8)!

Seeing that video, wouldn't skids be better for Air Ambulance work? (standing by for incoming...)

[FLY 7]

And, of course, if anyone wants to help support the great work the Air Ambulance Services carry out

The Association of Air Ambulances in the UK (http://www.airambulanceassociation.co.uk/find_your_air_ambulance.php)

[west lakes]

wouldn't skids be better for Air Ambulance work? (standing by for incoming...)

The other two have
Great North Air Ambulance Service - The Helicopters (http://www.greatnorthairambulance.co.uk/pages/aircraft)

But G-HEMS would have been the nearest

[SARREMF]

Well. that took me back! Stridding edge and nethermost cove. I did a job yards from where this was taken and came very close to killing my entire crew - as one of my old instructors used to say to all of us going through training " you ran out of skill!". Its a nasty place even on a nice day - so hat off and well done.

Skids/Wheels. Its subjective. I like wheels others will like skids. Depends what your used to and the aircraft your flying. If I had to do this job in those coditions or worse, I would rather have wheels. Go find a Police pilot who has flown skids for years and he will want skids - perhaps. Horses for courses.

If you look very closely on Scaffel Pike you will find some yellow paint and a few aerials from when it goes wrong doing exactly this type of rescue - my first one ever [I was co-pilot so I ran out of words rather than skill!!!]. A long, long time ago..........

[west lakes]

If you look very closely on Scaffel Pike

SARREMF

Look familiar

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/west_lakes/outandabout/DSCF1903.jpg

[ShyTorque]

Nice collective control. But I was surprised to see that it looked like if he'd been talked down a metre further back he could have put the nosewheel on

[minigundiplomat]

SOP in the more lumpy parts of Afghanistan. Well done to the crew though, at least we have a four man trained crew, whereas I have a feeling this guy did it with a bit of help from the paramedics.

[birrddog]

Anyone have a non-bbc link for the above video?

Can't seem to access it from the US (NY)..

I tried searching on youtube with no luck.

Thanks in advance.

[birrddog]

Never mind, worked from a different browser (Safari on Mac)..

[heli-cal]

Good work! :ok:

I have some photo's I took of that helicopter in 'Express' livery, landing in London Fields during an ambulance strike (some Royal Navy ambulance stand-ins also attended) many moons ago.

Express Newspapers sent a courier to collect the film and processed and printed it.

[SilsoeSid]

A woman who fell 30 feet from the top of Striding Edge on Helvellyn was airlifted to safety in one of the most daring and skilful rescues ever seen in the Lakes. (http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk/helicopter_lands_on_helvellyn_s_striding_edge_to_rescue_woma n_1_622568?referrerPath=haven/)

http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk/polopoly_fs/striding_edge_photo_1_622626!image/2813816205.jpg_gen/derivatives/halfColumn/2813816205.jpg

A woman who fell 30 feet from the top of Striding Edge on Helvellyn was airlifted to safety in one of the most daring and skilful rescues ever seen in the Lakes.


Eileen Garby was left bleeding from a head injury and just inches from a 300ft drop after she slipped from the danger ridge while walking.

But a crew from the Great North Air Ambulance was able to land a helicopter on Striding Edge so that paramedics could treat her.

Eye-witnesses described the rescue as ‘stunning’ as pilot Steve Graham landed on the ridge, lodging the back wheels of the craft on to a path just six feet wide – with the front wheel hanging off the edge as paramedics jumped out.

:ok: :D

[drugsdontwork]

Great stuff. I do think though, as I watch helicopter heroes or similar when casualties in stretchers are carried long/tricky distances to waiting helicopters, that we should be using the RAF/Navy/CG and their (admittedly aged and increasingly unserviceable) hoists to enable rapid/safer rescue.

[KNIEVEL77]

I wonder if it was the same pilot who landed the GNAA in the centre of Berwick upon Tweed a few weeks ago which gained worldwide coverage for his excellent piloting skills. The footage of the 'rescue' was the most viewed on You Tube for a while!

[stringfellow]

its great pr, great viewing but its nagged at me for ages... this is surely an raf job??? brilliant work all the same well done


second thought,,, i love watching helicopter heroes its great but i fear the air ambulance is called out FAR too routinely.. i thought it was only for instances where both time and accesibility were a premium. one called near my home recently and the guy was, in my limited opinion medical opinion granted... fine for a road transfer.

but love the shows and hugely admire the work they do.

[Moose Loadie]

Well done to the guys for getting the job done. However, in the wake of the numerous HEMS incidents where crews have been criticised for pushing the envelope to far is this not a case of "got away with it this time"? If this had not worked out so well I'm sure a lot of people on this forum would be blasting the guys for even attempting a landing when a winch equipped aircraft may have been available. I wait to be corrected on that, but Prestwick, Boulmer, Lec and Valley all cover that area. I know how frustrating it can be to arrive on scene and not be able to do anything, but sometimes one life has to be considered against the lives of three (four I'm guessing in this case with a cameraman) crew and a helicopter.

[GearDownFlaps]

StringF , The RAF SAR are actually there to Rescue downed pilots , that is their actual role , anythiing else they do , like this for example is done as a service and more of a favour if you like , it is not their specific remit , or at least it used to be I stand to be corrected but well done all

[Brilliant Stuff]

Top notch work by G-HEMS :ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok::ok:

This is how helicopters are meant to be used.:ok:

As for Moose Loadie I don't remember many incidents with British Air Ambulances except for the odd door going missing and the odd hoarding entering the disc.

And no I don't want to start a fight but the statistics speak for themselves don't they?

[Non-PC Plod]

Moose Loadie,

I dont know if I was watching the same video, but I didnt see any envelope-pushing or unnecessary risk-taking. Sure they werent operating Cat "A", but I guess there werent any fare-paying pasengers on board! A sensible risk-assessment (which is what it comes down to in police/HEMS/SAR -type operations) will tell you that the chance of an engine failure in the few crucial seconds in that position are minute. The chances of the patient croaking if you dont do it may be large. The crew makes the call based on the info they have, and their experience & judgement. You cant possibly know from watching that clip what factors may have been involved in that decision.

[Barshifter]

Yes every day will be different.Heres another one.Same crew different pilot.

Air Ambulance lands in Berwick town centre - Northumberland communities - Berwick (http://berwick.journallive.co.uk/2009/09/air-ambulance-lands-in-berwick.html)

Air Ambulance lands in Berwick town centre

Posted by The Journal (http://berwick.journallive.co.uk/the_journal) on Sep 9, 09 09:14 AM in News (http://berwick.journallive.co.uk/news.html)

Berwick town centre was brought to a dramatic standstill after an elderly man was found on the pavement.
Shoppers watched as a Great North Air Ambulance set down on Marygate in Berwick after a 91-year-old man suffered chest and leg injuries.
http://berwick.journallive.co.uk/news/helicopterlandingmarygate.jpg
With little margin for error and a large amount of skill, pilot Ross Wadham guided the helicopter down.

Last night, it remained unclear whether the pensioner was knocked down, tripped or fell.
The helicopter flew him to Wansbeck Hospital for treatment, at around 2.15pm yesterday.
Police cleared roads before the helicopter landed between buildings and an ambulance. Lamp posts, sign posts and street signs added to the hazards.
The aircraft is more often seen touching down on playing fields, parkland or open ground.
Hairdresser Gemma Robinson was working at the Brewer's Arms pub opposite the spot where the incident took place.
The 20 year old said: "A man was on the pavement in the street.
"I heard the ambulance and our boss told us no one was allowed to leave the pub. The street was cordoned off as the helicopter came down.
"It was pretty dramatic to watch. I'm not sure I have seen a helicopter land in the centre of town before. We haven't heard anything else, but I hope that the guy is alright."
Northumberland County councillor Isabel Hunter said she had never known an air ambulance to land in the centre of Berwick before.
"It was a fantastic feat by the air ambulance to actually land in Marygate and I have every admiration for the crew," she said.
"It is amazing where they have to land sometimes, as they need to get as close to the person they are helping as possible. My heart goes out to the Great North Air Ambulance everyday, to the amazing work they do when people are in need."
A Great North Air Ambulance spokesman said: "We were called at around 2.15pm yesterday to Berwick to help a 91 year old man who had fallen or been knocked over.
"Although it is unusual to land in a town centre, our pilots are all highly trained and it has to be the most appropriate decision for the patient."

[west lakes]

Forgive my ignorance, but where did they get airlifted from? Presumably a different spot (ie not on the ledge). And why didn't the pilot just land there in the first place?

MRT members were picked up from lower down the mountain. The landing shown was to drop them off and a paramedic. Helicopter returned to pick up (not filmed)

Injured party had fallen approx 30ft from the top of the ridge - its worth noting that both sides are a near vertical 300ft drop to te bottom. In other words that was the only place to land

[[email protected]]

Geardownflaps - technically military SAR's primary role is to rescue downed aircrew but the fact is that 95% of our jobs are rescuing civilians. These rescues are not done as favours - they are our job since the Govt exercises its responsibility to provide SAR in the UK SAR region by using the RAF at 6 flights, the RN at 2 flights and the MCA at 4 flights - all doing the same job.

Not quite sure why a SAR helicopter wasn't called to this one - they can't all have been U/S! As it seems to have turned out, all the brave flying and additional risk was to get a casualty who was only walking wounded - had she needed to be stretcher lifted then winching would have been the safest option rather than trying to carry her 30 feet up a very steep slope and load her into a helicopter balanced on only the rear wheels.

Unfortunately, different ambulance authorities have different ideas about SAR helicopters and when to use them - often to the detriment of the casualty who is left on a cold mountainside whilst a land ambulance crew discovers they can't get on scene, calls an air ambulance who then discovers they can't get the paramedic in or the casualty out and then a SAR aircraft is tasked instead of at the beginning of the process.

In this case it all worked but there would have been significant delay had a stretcher extraction been required.

It's not about willy-waving it's about casualty care.

[MightyGem]

pilot Steve Graham
Ex RN guy. He did a Lynx exchange with us in 654 Sqn AAC, in Germany back in the late 80s.

[fkelly]

It's not about willy-waving it's about casualty care.

Sadly not always the case.

[Moose Loadie]

Non pc plod, thanks for giving me an insight into how a HEMS/SAR Crew work. Good information that I should have known when pulling casualties from that very location. As several others have said time and time again in many threads it's about patient care!! I've been sat in the ops room many times listening to agencies trying to complete a job that quite clearly needs a winch equiped aircraft only to be called some time later when realize that they cannot actually extract the casualty. Let's remember it's the golden HOUR!!

As for envelope pushing. I wonder when Steve last practiced ridge approaches and landings? Qualified rear crew there to talk him down? Able to put down smoke for wind finding?

We know it worked out this time but I just hope next time we don't get the excuse "but we've done it before" and it ends up biting them.

[ShyTorque]

Don't criticise the piano player (pilot) too much in your political shenanigans. :=

It wasn't his fault that he was the best asset on scene!

Btw, of course our loadie contributor will know that putting down smoke isn't the only way for an experienced pilot to find the wind.

Any pilot on scene at the time will use all his skills to get the job done. In the circumstances I would probably have done exactly the same.

[craphat]

Have to agree with ShyTorque on both his posts.
One metre further back, and all wheels would have been on. Always found mirrors invaluable for these situations, but they are sadly lacking on most UK machines (except Scotland)

Canadian pilots do this sort of thing every day in the Rocks, unassisted, single engine, public transport and I've never heard of them chucking smoke grenades out the window to find the wind.
Same in other foreign mountainous regions around the world I'm sure. (Alps, NZ etc.)

Of course, these things should always be made as safe as possible, but I can't see that it is any safer dangling from the end of a winch line, from an ancient Sea King, with dubious single engine capability, than landing on in a 365.

Good bit of flying none the less, as safe as any other alternatives, and good use of the HEMS system in my opinion, otherwise, what's the point?
Inter-hospital transfers only?

[Scissorlink]

That would have to be the most outstanding piece of flying I have ever seen :eek: to think a helicopter hovering with only part of its wheels or skids touching the ground...hats off to you :ok:

[birrddog]

Like this?

(no intention to take away from the excellent job by the HEMS pilots to which this thread is attributed)

http://www.operationhooah.com/_/rsrc/1240264413675/Home/13405595_4YYbm-S.jpg?height=274&width=420

The even managed to shut down the engines and stop the rotor blades :p

[[email protected]]

Scissorlink - I can only assume you are being ironic:)

It was (as I expect Mr Graham would admit) not exactly the most challenging piece of flying in the world - he just did what was required to get the job done.

Craphat - dangling from a piece of wire underneath an ageing Sea King would at least have given everyone a chance in the event of an engine failure or worse since the aircraft would have had several hundred feet of fresh air to dive into - unlike the 365.

Coming back to casualty care (the important bit here), One would have to assume that a 30' fall would result in some major injuries (didn't in this case luckily) which would probably require a stretcher lift - time to call a SAR aircraft!

[griffothefog]

Don't wish to get bogged down in the old SAR versus Air ambulance rumble, but if the UK CAA wasn't run in such a draconian manner, there would be leeway for air rats to carry a winch for over land jobs only such as this one. With much respect to the forces, it's not rocket science given the correct training.
I guess in the UK size would be the main issue given the average charity budget.
Nice job anyway. By the way, I have done many a cliff rescue on the Cornish cliffs, putting a skid on a tight ledge to allow the paramedics to jump out and render first response aid. Then up to the top of the cliff to shut down and call 771 in. Fast response accomplished, everyone happy!! Does SAR take patient to hospital or us? WHO CARES...:ok:

[bast0n]

I preferred wheels - as long as you remembered to apply the brakes:ok:

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll301/tallbronzedgod/jsf_Wessex_Mountains.jpg

[oldbeefer]

The ridge landing looks pretty routine/mundane to me. Going into the street, now that looks to be something else!

[MightyGem]

Btw, of course our loadie contributor will know that putting down smoke isn't the only way for an experienced pilot to find the wind.

Yes, the bit of string on a Gazelle was ideal for that. Shame that it seems to have fallen out of favour these days.

[Bertie Thruster]

Presumably GNAA had to land on the roundabout in Berwick due to no land ambulance available?

Otherwise the patient could have been packaged up and driven 600m round the corner to the golf course for pick up.

[ShyTorque]

MG, What a strange idea - for me that piece of string on the Gazelle never deviated from straight up the windscreen. ;)

I was thinking more of a clover leaf, or similar flight path to find the wind.

[FloaterNorthWest]

Bits of string! How quaint.

Why not look at the wind vector on the EFIS :}

FNW

[MightyGem]

With the string, if you make an approach keeping the nose pointing at the landing site, ie not flying in balance, the string will indicate where the wind is coming from. Adjusting your approach path so that the nose is pointing at the landing site with the string straight will put you into wind.

It was equally useful when coming to a high hover in our old Squirrel. I always thought that the lack of string on the 135 was a poor decision. :( :)

[Flaxton Flyer]

Non-PC Plod -

Sure they werent operating Cat "A", but I guess there werent any fare-paying pasengers on board!

Technically, there was. The medical staff are classed as passengers and the "fare-payers" would be the Charity who hire the AOC operator (in this case PDG) to provide this (CAT) service.

Cat "A" not required (but surely attainable and the relevant profile flown to this LS) due to this being a HEMS landing site, performance exemptions apply.

Same goes for the Berwick centre landing site, only requirement for 2D landing area - provided it had been classed as a HEMS job by the relevant medical authorities.

[MightyGem]

Aren't you normally approaching to land at slow speeds?

[griffothefog]

Excuse my old world dinosaur type approach.... But WTF.. I remember flying into LZ's with the Air Rat that would get you reaching for the bog paper, but all in the good name of saving lives.. Wot's happened to the UK over the last 20 years? We seem to have become a bunch of left wing, politically correct, 3rd party conscious, tree hugging, don't upset anybody bunch of whimps. I love coming home for a visit, but will never repatriate. :{

Good luck to the lads at all HEMS bases in the UK :ok:

Try not to let all that political bull**** get to you on finals to your next fatal RTA (just in case its not fatal and you have to explain your decision making process to some spotty nosed 16 year old... :(

Rant never over.... :ugh:

[Bertie Thruster]

What happened was;

ACJ to Appendix 1 to JAR-OPS 3.005(d) “The HEMS philosophy”.