I have worked for an organisation that had ballistic cable cutters removed as well as organisations with both electric & manual cutters. I would never return to the organisation which had the ballistic cutter removed from the breeze hoist which it was utilising at the time, over concerns for my own safety. It is simply a matter of risk versus gain. There are a number of circumstances where both ballistic & manual cutters may have their practical uses, as has been described by posters to this forum.
Another area that is often over looked is the ability of the crewman on the wire to remove himself at his own discretion. Some groups in Australia use a cable winch release (basically a parachute release system) attached to the crewman down the wire. I wouldn't think to operate ever again without this system. There are numerous scenarios where I would consider banging myself off the wire before the pilot or crewman upstairs could even think about ( or perhaps be unable too) reaching for the cutters.
Sarbe
