July 2007 calendar

[John Eacott]

July’s photo is of a Chiltern Air Support Unit EC135 carrying out a casevac from the streets of Henley on Thames. The patient was an 80 year old woman who was severely injured by a dumper truck.

Wide screen:

http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/photos/pprune/Calendar/July%202007%20EC135%20thumb.jpg (http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/photos/pprune/Calendar/July%202007%20EC135.jpg)

Standard screen size:

http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/photos/pprune/Calendar/July%202007%20EC135%201280thumb.jpg (http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/photos/pprune/Calendar/July%202007%20EC135%201280.jpg)



As always, click on the thumbnail to open a higher resolution full picture, then right click to select "Set as Background" - for Windows users, that is.

[bell222]

excellent pic as always a real tonic :D

[scruggs]

Fantastic pic John. :ok:

S.

[verticalhold]

If I'm right the pilot was a venerable member of this community, now retired but still showing that old age and cunning will always overcome youth and enthusiasm:ok:

[SilsoeSid]

Lovely pic once more.

verticalhold - would that explain why he chose to land there and not on the playing fields just across the river 0.3 miles away?
Worried about the zimmer frame rubber feet wearing away perhaps! ;)

Sooo glad the bunting wasn't around, as shown on google earth!
(taking cover)

[verticalhold]

Sid;

He tends to worry more about overspill in his rubber pants. The only pilot I've met with a bladder endurance less than a 135 to dry tanks.

I've probably got the pilot totally wrong and libelled some poor b***er from Chiltern ASU! But I'm pretty sure the pic has appeared in the old age and retirement thread as flown by wassatboing.

VH

[Heliport]

Great calendar John. :ok:



would that explain why he chose to land there ....

No.
It was because a lady had lost both her legs and one of her arms and it was a case of land there or she'd die.
A crew decision was made to go ahead.
No damage, other than blossom being blown from the hanging baskets.
The lady survived for three weeks and had her family around her when she finally succumbed.

Good decision by wassatboing and the crew. :ok:

[SilsoeSid]

Nothing to do with the sound of running water then?

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g11/silsoesid/overbridge.jpg

Before we all get on our high horses about CRM, life or death, land ambulances to aircraft etc take a look at the same area when googles' pics were taken.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g11/silsoesid/bunting.jpg

As I said above, "Sooo glad the bunting wasn't around, as shown on google earth!"

[verticalhold]

One of the best aviators I've ever flown with, and one of the best ones to spend a long time with when you are waiting for the pax.

He once described the decision process for this pick up to me. Not a choice I would have wanted to make, he deserved the highest recognition for his efforts and so did all the crew.

Nice to see the pic as the calender.

[topcat28]

Although I would never wish to be in the same position as that poor lady, I would sincerely hope that, if I was, the pilot would make the same selfless decision.

I don't know the individual concerned, but from what I have gleaned from other posts it is a crying shame that such an obviously skilled and courageous pilot should be forced to retire.

Just my .015 euro...

[SilsoeSid]

I notice what has started as a mickey take (is that PC?) of the pilot in questions bladder capacity, has started a discussion on Police operations in a life or death situation.

For my tuppence on this, I would refer to the last comment by topcat28 (his first by the way! :suspect: )

Although I would never wish to be in the same position as that poor lady, I would sincerely hope that, if I was, the pilot would make the same selfless decision.

I would like to know what was meant by a 'selfless descision', because the way I read it, Selfless : Tending to consider the welfare of others before one's own, would mean a normally unacceptable risk to the pilot, his crew, the aircraft and those around the area including the casualty, the ambulance crews, police attending and of course the onlookers.

In fact it was clearly not a selfless descision, as Heliport tells us "A crew decision was made to go ahead", it was a calculated decision ultimately made by the pilot but with consultation with his crew.....which is the purpose of CRM courses.

Well done all, something the rest of us can learn by, as much as when it all goes wrong. :D

[John Eacott]

Wassatboing (who provided the piccie) was a few terms ahead of me at Dartmouth: I'm pleased to see that he is held in suitably high esteem by his peers :ok:

I was also impressed by the crew operation evident in this photo, with every one of them contributing to the manouevre. A tribute to the CASU, I would suggest :D

[SilsoeSid]

If thats the departure John, someone must have told them that they had better go back and take the casualty with them next time!! ;)

[John Eacott]

SS,

Good on you: I'm sure you know what I mean :p

[Whirlygig]

Ouch Sid :ouch:, that's a tad harsh; certainly not the way I read it! A "newcomer" has given praise whilst also touching on the age discrimination issue and I suspect that that was all that was meant by it with a possible poor choice of word. :ok:

Cheers

Whirls

[topcat28]

Apologies for my "poor choice" of word. Although I'm sure it was crew decision, my comment was based upon the fact that the pilot is ultimately responsible. If it had all gone horribly wrong - it would have been his career on the line. Someone less comitted might have been tempted to play safe and land in a field.

As has been pointed out, that was my first post. For some reason it seemed necessary for that to be made to sound like an insult. I've been lurking for a year or so. I think I'll go back to that, and keep my views to myself.

[Whirlygig]

As has been pointed out, that was my first post. For some reason it seemed necessary for that to be made to sound like an insult

Not an insult but a comment regarding being wary as it's not unknown for well-known rotorheads to have more than one login name for "mischief" purposes. I suspect SynicalSid was thinking more along those lines.

There's no need to keep your views to yourself and return to lurking; just learn to give the grumpy ones a slap occassionally!

Cheers

Whirls

[SilsoeSid]

You are quite correct Whirlygig, some of us need discipline once in a while http://www.party107.com/forum/images/smilies/contributed/smiley_abxh.gif
Thank you ! :E

Please continue to contribute topcat, after all as I said earlier, we all learn from when things go right as much as when they go wrong and we all have something to learn from each other.

However, when you say "Someone less comitted might have been tempted to play safe and land in a field." I think you step on dodgy ground.

I am sure all of us in this business are comitted to provide the best service possible. When we get the life or death call (which is when a police helicopter undertakes a casevac role) and find ourselves in the position Wassatboing was in, we are probably high on fuel, working ad-hoc and in a grey area as far as the CAA are possibly concerned.
'Playing Safe' is the game we are in.

So, when we get the call, turn out for the job and play safe by landing in a nearby field as opposed to the centre of a town, after weighing up all the risks, please don't say we are not comitted.

[Whirlygig]

Now. Who shall I give this spade to? :}

Cheers

Whirls

[SilsoeSid]

I'm not quite sure you can say that sort of thing these days WG :eek:

However, I hope it is one that has a ladder integral to it in order to climb out at the end of this thread...

...like this one,

http://www.oli.tudelft.nl/uselog/pictures/Ergonomic_spade2.jpg

[Whirlygig]

I'm not quite sure you can say that sort of thing these days WG

Such an insinuation would probably cost me my job given I work for the Govermint!

However, yes re: piccie... that's the sort of spade to which I was referring! Do you want it or does Topcat!? Honestly Sidney, I think his heart was in the right place and his intentions were honourable! :p:D

What would be the best way of giving Wassatboing a compliment? I know Henley quite well and have frequented The Catherine Wheel on the odd occassion so appreciate "the thoughts" that went into that landing!

Cheers

Whirls

[SilsoeSid]

I normally require the use of a JCB, so perhaps we could save the spade for another occasion! :oh:

I know you mean well topcat, just the choice of words and a weekend maketh a thread longer. ;)

As for Mr Wassatboing and his crew, :D:D:D

http://www.customerservicepoint.com/images/ecard6.jpg

[Whirlygig]

I'm not familiar at all with Police/HEMS but I would guess

1. Busy town in Oxfordshire
2. Major crossroads in said town
3. Narrow roads and hence small space in which to land
4. Potential presence of bunting across street
5. Traffic lights
6. Locals, feckwits and ijits
7. Bollards, road humps and sleeping policemen

Cheers

Whirls

[skadi]

I think, this situation shows routine operation for a HEMS-Mission within a city. In Germany, most of the HEMS-Bases near or in the big cities doing it almost every day. Well done!!
No problem with a well trained crew and good cooperation with the forces on the ground ( p. e. for stopping the traffic etc )
The tele-lens of the camera suggest a more narrow landingspot as it is in real ( > 2D ).

By the way, whats in the container mounted below the belly behind the FLIR/TV Turret? Never seen that before.

skadi

[Brilliant Stuff]

Skadi thats the mission pod. It's a McAlpine's special this holds most of the Police equipment like the P.A. Tracker, Nightsun extra swivel landinglight etc. This keeps the boot and cabin free for casualties,dogs, fire arms etc. when the need arises. You do need high skids though even then you only have a 9inch ground clearance under the nightsun.
But it does slow us down sadly.
http://www.heiermann.co.uk/pod.jpg

[skadi]

Many Thank BS

skadi

[IHL]

To comment on Wirlygig's comments:
Busy town in Oxfordshire
3. Narrow roads and hence small space in which to land
Viewing the google earth picture. There is tons of room to land and I'm sure the streets were closed.
4. Potential presence of bunting across street
I'm not familiar with the term bunting; What's a bunting?

[skadi]

4. Potential presence of bunting across street
I'm not familiar with the term bunting; What's a bunting?


Wires with little flags crisscross the streets for decoration, as seen in the google-image.
If someone is familiar with such city-landing-areas, he will be well aware of small telefone wires ( these are not markes with colorfull flags ) and similar obstructions.

skadi

[rotorfan]

I don't fly professionally, but know quite a few police and EMS pilots in my area (mid-USA). Typically, an off-airport LZ already has emergency personnel on-site before the aircraft arrives. The ground folks are trained to close the road to traffic, check for wires and other obstructions, wind direction, etc., and they have a freq to talk to the aircrew directly. All this is, of course, to minimize the risk to the crew and aircraft. I assumed this was common practice everywhere in these types of ops. Some of the comments above now make me think otherwise. How about it, pros, can you enlighten me? :confused:

[scotair]

I thought the condition of the patients was restricted from the flight crew to prevent "mission oriented flying" instead of "operations oriented flying." In other words, the PIC pushes a bad situation they would not normally because one person's life is in the balance. Unfortunately, now 5 lives are in the balance. Risking 4 to save 1 is a bad exchange.

[SilsoeSid]

That may well be the case in some places scotair, however as a police helicopter, as opossed to an air ambulance or joint police/air ambo heli, only attends in a life or death situation, it kind of gives the game away.

Good flight safety point highlighted nevertheless and that is what CRM tries to avoid.

[skadi]

flungdung, that was a hit direct into the bullseye. Very good comment.


skadi

[Heli-phile]

Its doing what its designed to do, by a pilot and crew trained to do it.

:ok: