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Old 18th Jul 2014, 10:47
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TorqueOfTheDevil
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
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The Dutch maritime hoisting procedure include a "left and back" cabin operator call to move helicopter away from hoisting site during cabin operator work inside the cabin (secure victim on seat prior next extraction) so that the pilot has the hoist spot in sight.
This call seems not appropriate at all during land operation especially in confined area's.
What's your opinion?
Is there not a slight contradiction between your description of the Dutch SOPs and your question?

In my experience, winching in a true confined area is not that frequent - much more often, you are very close to an obstacle on one side but there's nothing at all on the other. If the aircraft is in the confined area, then you may be able to land rather than winch in the first place...but if you're above the obstacles which are making the confined area, moving left may well be an option.

There should be no movement asked of the right hand seat handling pilot unless someone can check that that direction is clear - a pilot sitting on the right or a winch operator with a man below him on the wire cannot provide a clearance for something they cannot see
That's true in theory, but the terrain on the blind side is unlikely to have moved! Of course it's desirable to have someone check you're clear left, but I would strongly suspect (admittedly I missed this era myself) that in Whirlwind/Wessex days (ie single pilot), aircraft regularly moved left away from a cliff/crag/boat without clearance because the Winch Op would need to stay in the door to monitor the Winchman and survivor. Can any speak from direct experience?
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