emergency extraction
Joined: Sep 2002
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 4,721
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From: Great South East, tired and retired
If it was a big enough emergency ( advancing bushfire, surrounded by enraged koalas, attacked by poisonous kangaroos) I would be happy to use either way.
A long line would generally be used to lift the rescuee a short distance to a clear area and then be boarded, and i wouldn't want to travel far like a teabag.
A long line would generally be used to lift the rescuee a short distance to a clear area and then be boarded, and i wouldn't want to travel far like a teabag.
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,030
Likes: 0
From: Over here
Winch, obviously. With a winch you can get inside. With a longline, you're dangling way down there until the pilot slams you back into the ground, and you pray he doesn't hit anything else with you on the way.
Joined: May 2002
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 18,633
Likes: 1,072
From: Downeast
If it is an emergency....time is of the essence....but then I think of bullets flying and the prospects of leaving "rat now" versus "when ya'll git around tu-it"....either way would be fine...but a fixed line ala...Mr. McGuire will do nicely if you do not mind. In the civvie world....the winch should be the preferred method...with a very good cutter system.
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 420
Likes: 0
From: AB, Canada
Winch.
There may be a few instances where a long line would do fine, but given the choice definitely a winch.
In reality, the rescuers have to find you first. You might not be healthy enough to help them much. With a winch, the time from target sighted to rescue completed is about 3-5 minutes (plus time required on scene for medical) for a trained crew doing it very carefully. With a long line, I expect the time for the sequence to be similiar, but you have to add two way transit to the nearest area to set up for the rescue.
From a safety standpoint, neither is a good place to be, but if needed there are more options available when your load is on a winch than on a long line.
Of course, my choice is made assuming all other factors are equal. If I was rock climbing near Banff, I'd prefer to be rescued by Alpine's long line than my squadron's rescue hoist.
In reality, the rescuers have to find you first. You might not be healthy enough to help them much. With a winch, the time from target sighted to rescue completed is about 3-5 minutes (plus time required on scene for medical) for a trained crew doing it very carefully. With a long line, I expect the time for the sequence to be similiar, but you have to add two way transit to the nearest area to set up for the rescue.
From a safety standpoint, neither is a good place to be, but if needed there are more options available when your load is on a winch than on a long line.
Of course, my choice is made assuming all other factors are equal. If I was rock climbing near Banff, I'd prefer to be rescued by Alpine's long line than my squadron's rescue hoist.
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
From: In my skin, strapped to my Helo...
I recall a video clip I saw a while back when the victim and the medic went into an "uncotrolled spin" whilst being longlined during the rescue. The landing wasn't so hot either, so for me, WINCH please.
