News from Downunder

[Ned-Air2Air]

Gotta have the kiwis and Aussies jump on the bandwagon with their own news thread :ok::ok::ok:


Woman gives birth in helicopter


A baby girl has made an adventurous start to life being born in the back of a rescue helicopter in central Queensland.

A rescue helicopter spokesman said they were flying the mother back to the mainland from Hamilton Island this morning when she was delivered.

''Flight paramedic Mel Bernas delivered the baby while the aircraft was on descent into Mackay airport only 14 minutes prior to landing,'' the spokesman said.

''The baby and mother were in good spirits and transported to Mackay Base Hospital.

''It is believed the Wollongong couple were married yesterday on Hamilton Island, so a very memorable wedding anniversary.''

It was the first ever birth inside the rescue helicopter, which celebrated its 14th birthday on September 1.

[Ned-Air2Air]

Rescue helicopter shifts base

The head of Palmerston North's rescue helicopter service is disappointed about being forced to move from the hospital-based hangar because of newly enforced aviation rules.

From today, the Civil Aviation Authority will strictly police regulations that ban helicopters from flying over built-up areas unless they can land safely during an engine failure.

The Square Trust rescue helicopter, which was renamed the Palmerston North rescue helicopter yesterday, will shift operations from the hospital helipad to the Fieldair base at the Palmerston North Airport.

The helicopter can still use the hospital pad to pick up or drop off patients in life-threatening conditions, but ambulances will have to transport less serious patients to and from the airport.

Philips Search and Rescue Trust chairman Errol Millar, who runs the organisation that oversees the Palmerston North helicopter, said he was "very sad" about the move, but pledged to continue providing the community with good service.

Mr Millar said he was "disgusted" with the CAA for not yet replying to a letter asking for an exemption.

CAA spokesman Bill Sommer said the exemption was still before the authority's director.

Operators could have their licences revoked for breaching the rule, but Mr Sommer said the CAA did not want things to go that far.

Philips Search and Rescue Trust secretary David Wickham said the service would return to the hospital pad if the exemption was granted.

"A move to the airport will remove any area of doubt because you can fly from the airport without the technical risk of being legit or illegit." The hospital hangar will lay dormant unless the exemption is granted, but its offices and training facilities may still be used. Stakeholders, such as MidCentral and St John, had been consulted about the move, and were satisfied patients would not be put at risk, he said.

"[It's] a little bit more inconvenient but in terms of the delivery to the customer or the patient, just as sound."

The changes were announced to about 100 people at a ceremony at the hospital hangar last night.

Cheques of $74,000 and $34,000 were presented to the helicopter from the Westpac Appeal and Horowhenua Community Trust respectively.

Mr Wickham said the name was changed because the Square Trust was disbanded four years ago.

The new name better represented the people the helicopter was serving, he said.

[MartinCh]

Ned, I believe it wasn't the 'World's first ever birth in heli'.
Woman gives birth in helicopter - The Times of India (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/mad-mad-world/Woman-gives-birth-in-helicopter-/articleshow/6286550.cms)

[Ned-Air2Air]

If you read the news item it says it was the first ever birth in THE rescue heli, which means their rescue heli, its not saying first ever in any heli :ok:

[fadecdegraded]

Where in Neds post does it say the worlds first baby born in a Helicopter:ugh:

[Ascend Charlie]

I've had proposals, transits to weddings, a couple of consummations, and an almost-birth in the back of my aircraft. But not on the same day.:8

[Motion Lotion]

Many years ago I flew an air ambulance. Part of our work was hospital transfers and the middle of the night jobs were nearly always maternity related.

We used a Squirrel and I was never keen to have a maternity patient facing forward in flight for obvious reasons, so, I modified a stretcher so that it fitted in the other way.

Early one morning the call came to take a maternity patient. The crew and patient arrived and she was a 'screamer..' So bad that I isolated them all while we got under way. Just after take off the flight nurse was tapping me on the shoulder, but I was busy so just smiled and kept on going. It wasn't until we were in the cruise that I got to talk to her. I asked her how it was going and she said "Good, look!" I turned around to see her holding a brand new baby... and that was what she was trying to tell me.. You gotta laugh..

So all ended up well for everyone. That would have been around 1995 - 1996

[PhilJ]

Motion did you contact whoever was holding your SAR to update the POB?

:ok:

[ricksheli]

"From today, the Civil Aviation Authority will strictly police regulations that ban helicopters from flying over built-up areas unless they can land safely during an engine failure."

The Rule doesn't state you have to be able to "land safely", it requires that you don't cause injury or damage to a 3rd party. The 3rd party being persons,or persons property, external to the helicopter.

Yes it's good practice to approach/depart over terrain that could allow an EOL. But how far do we take this, single engine helicopters operating in New Zealand will always be operating over terrain (Hostile Terrain) that will not allow a "Safe Landing" after a power failure. What the rule is doing is forcing some operators to conduct some very strange departure/arrival procedures, which they believe means they will only "end-up" on their helipads - or away from the built up area. This often means that the helicopter will spend an extended period inside the "avoid curve". This is hardy furthering "flight safety", but is probably not a surprising response in light of the fact that our CAA is determined not to enter into any discussion about adjusting the rule. If the rule was adjusted along the lines of " an operator must ensure that the approach or departure to/from a heliport located within a built up area, should be planned to minimize risk to the general public. With a note that in some cases the heliport will be considered unsuitable for non performance class 1 aircraft." With this in place certain heliports would end up " off limits" to singles, but others where it's only a few seconds of flight in which there may be exposure to 3rd party could be utilized. We all know engine failure is extremely unlikely for those few seconds of exposure and no more than another component failure.

[Al Fentanyl]

There was a birth in-flight on the Horn Is based Ambulance / Rescue B412 abot this time last year if my aging memory is correct ...........

[trimpot]

Two babies were born inflight during the time CHC operated in East Timor. One was in a venerable 212 (which will shake the guts out of anything) and the other in a Super Puma flow by the legendary “Trackless” Millson and “Pip” Turner (which will shake the guts out of anything). Am a bit sketchy the details of the 212 birth but I was lucky enough to be the Aircrewman on the Super Puma flight. It all went relatively smoothly, with the only minor hitch being that the Medics could not find any cord clamps in their birthing kit. I suggested that we use cable ties (is there anything they can’t do) which worked so well that they became standard equipment in the kits from then on. And yes, Pip promptly informed flight following that the POB had increased from 7 to 8 :ok:

[Ned-Air2Air]

It was the first ever birth inside the rescue helicopter, which celebrated its 14th birthday on September 1.

Just so everyone is aware the news item DOESNT say it was the first time a baby was born in ANY rescue helicopter, it said (text quoted above) that it was the first time a baby was born in THAT rescue helicopter.

Cheers

Ned

[spinwing]

Mmmm ...

Yep ... I'm surprised the baby was brave enough to make an appearance with Trackless in the same aircraft .... did the bub get an invite to the birthday party I wonder .... (and there WOULD have been a party I'm sure) ?


;)

[trimpot]

There was a birthbay party for the newborn that night and Trackless did indeed wet the babies head.. and neck..sholders.... arms.....waist.....pelvis.....legs.....ankles...and toes :}

[spinwing]

Mmmmm ...

Yep ... that sounds about right !!! :D

Well done Trakky !

[Te_Kahu]

@ ricksheli How are Taranaki dealing with CAA's clampdown?

I don't understand their obsession in staying at the hospital, why don't they move down to the port or somewhere like that?

TK

[ricksheli]

Te Kahu

The Rescue helicopter in Taranaki hasn't been back into the hospital, it is now out at the airport and does pick-up's / drop-off's from the port. There has been a Meeting this evening to try and put a plan forward for it's future operation.