Helicopter security rules
In a poorly-thought-out reaction to the concept of stealing a helicopter and doing some damage with it, the Powers That Be in Australia have enacted new rules to take effect in a few weeks.
In essence, they declare that door locks are not sufficient to deter a thief. New measures will have to involve locks and chains and flags and be visible from outside the aircraft. For a VIP machine with heavily tinted windows, this becomes tricky.
One idea was to put the blade tiedowns on with padlocks, but the Sikorsky design of the tiedown won't work like that. Wheel clamps won't stop it from flying, and we don't want something that will result in serious damage if some kid swings on it for fun.
So far, the best idea we can come up with is to apply the manual rotor brake, and with that lever fully down, loop a chain through the hole in the end of it, and attach the other end to the collective, which is way too hard to lift without hydraulics. A thief might get an engine started, but with the rotor brake on, no hydraulics, so no lift the collective to release it.
Attach big red flags (visible through the pilot window), cover the chain in red heat-seal to avoid scratching things, and I think we have covered the intention of the law.
What have other helo operators thought up to keep DOTARS and CASA off their backs? Are we going to see the security staff, normally employed to watch for baddies, spending all their time inspecting parked aircraft and trying to test their security?