Just curious about anyones thoughts on the best EMS/SAR helicopter and why.. .. .Ground rules: <5700kg MTOW, Twin engine, single pilot IFR, two patients and winch equipped.. .. .It's probably the aircraft you're flying at present and if so - you lucky bastard!!. .. .Be safe
heedm
23rd Mar 2002, 20:41
Sorry, too vague a question. I'd need to know size of area of responsibility, types of missions, terrain, etc.. .. .I fly SAR but our region of responsibility is just under 1,000,000 square miles. Normal mission has transit time of 1 to 3 hours each way, but longer trasits happen regularly. A 5700kg machine couldn't do this mission.. .. .If a bulk carrier is sinking 200 miles offshore, 2 patient capacity isn't very useful. Crash sites frequently have more than two patients. Just last week I evaced six firefighters from a remote community with smoke inhalation (those six were 10% of the communities population).. .. .Of course, our operating costs are a bit higher than that of a light twin.