Quote:
Originally Posted by Thud_and_Blunder
Re the Chinook - a quick off-thread question: what are the requirements for lashing a heli on-deck prior to offloading pax?
I ask because - after the farce where an inexperienced-on-type Sqn Ldr tried lifting the back end of Invincible when he 'forgot' to do the after-landing checks prior to waving in the lashing party (AFCS - 'OFF') - we would have a non-stop badgering from FLYCO on every arrival about checks. I understand their point, as it was only the quick thinking of the No.1 crewman that saved at least one life. As for the now-potentially-damaged Chinook: where would you choose to divert if you were 12nm or so away from West Freugh? That's right - a farmer's field in N Ireland... couldn't make it up.
Back in the day, fhe basic principle was that nothing happenened the requisite number of nylon lashings had been fitted. Pilot and Marshaller/FDO would signal prior agreement to the lashing numbers moving in, the idea being that the pilot would have the aircraft in a state to be lashed down. Once lashed, Mum is then free to manoeuvre. The the FDO or marshaller might initiate pax off load by requesting in move of a guide or signal agreement to the pilot request for persons to transit under the disc from the a/c. Both pilot approval/ assent and marshaller/FDO approval assent were needed before movement.
N
The nervousness comes from Exercise Purple Warrior in 1987, when a Chinook arrived on Ark Royal and was lashed down. My understanding was that the autostab was left in and as the ship manoeuvred, the pilot felt the aircraft move and he thought "bugga this, I'm off". He put power on, broke all 4 nylon lashings and left his loady on the deck, taking one of the flight deck crew with him. I remember the bridge crew including me, looking up along with Flyco saying where the hell is he going? Next time they came back, they refused to be lashed and the ship was unable to change course. Very lucky the lashings broke and there were no chains or more lashings involved.