When is it OK to rescue someone?
On January 13th in the midst of flood chaos in Sth Queensland, and after no response from Emergency Services or SES, Mr Clive Palmer with the best intentions sent his Augusta Koala A119 from Caloundra to Moore to rescue his staff. On the way back newspaper reports point to the helicopter pilot also rescuing 16 more from a local school. Some papers report total number as high as 60 people. Images of people stuck on car roof tops, with raging torrents around them, with maybe only minutes from certain death, was on the news every night for a week. My question is; If I am overhead in my as350 and I go down to pick them up and get them to safety, is that ok? What if I blow them off the car roof and they drown? What if they grab the skids of my R44 and it all rolls over? Is it a case of, if it all ends well then great, if it turns to !!!!! then your on your own? Whats the difference if you are a private pilot, commercial, rescue trained, AOC holder, AOC holder with rescue on the ticket? I have heard, but unsubstansiated that Mr Palmers' pilot has had a please explain from CASA, but this is rumor only.