Originally Posted by
Uplinker
As I say, I am not having a go - I am just trying to understand the risk assessment. I have good eyesight and look down on that carpark from a hill. I could see very clearly the heli, the public, their dogs etc. standing nearby. I could not see any heli markings such as the words 'Air Ambulance' because it was exactly tail-on to me and remained so.
I appreciate that any heli crew will obviously be very safety minded and will make an operational assessment of any landing site. It just the difference in what is allowed that intrigues me: Pilots of A320's etc at airports are not allowed to walk across a taxiway to the aircraft 'next door', even though we have a Hi Viz vest, we are trained pilots so we know and understand the movements of other aircraft and baggage trucks etc. We also have annual eyesight tests, hearing tests and medicals, On an airport ramp, there are no random, untrained loose public, dogs, cyclists or private cars moving about. When the passengers walk out to an aircraft, they are usually marshalled, to prevent them straying under the wing or away from the aircraft.
In an open public carpark, where nobody in the carpark is even expecting a helicopter to land, there are no such restrictions.
Uplinker I would suggest that an airport apron due to having multiple movements requires a greater duty of care as the use is not one time or limited. Also rather than having one hazard there are many at a busy airport some of which you may be unaware of because of noise and distraction. Having extra people on the apron even if qualified just gives more to manage for the ground crew. Regular operations to certified helipads require the same safety standards as an RPT apron
In an open car park a landing helicopter very quickly has everyone’s attention. The majority of people remain at a safe distance. If they are not you just stand off until they get the right idea often encouraged by hand gestures from the crew. Occasionally the plan has to change due to the “moron factor” but you just adjust if needed. As soon as you land the crew are in a position to intercept any wayward bystander. As others have mentioned it’s a dynamic assessment and one which is taken seriously. If something does go wrong it is pretty clear where the liability lays and most crews are very good at managing the risks appropriately.
One of the great things about being a Helicopter Pilot vs fixed is depending on your operation there is much more freedom to how you operate. This is a good example of where the pilot can use his grey matter to good effect.