Life in the old girl yet? (S61 merged threads)
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There is a lucrative market for them in parts of the world that does not have North Sea myopia. Most of the ones I flew that were sold off cheaply are re-employed and making loads of dosh for their new owners.
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Okay, it is the military version, not the S-61, but still...
BBC Two - The Sea King: Britain's Flying Past
• Thu 28 Feb 2013 21:00 BBC Two
• Sun 3 Mar 2013 18:30 BBC Two ENGLAND ONLY
Duration: 59 minutes
John
Sergeant presents a TV love letter to one of Britain's most iconic aircraft,
the Sea King helicopter.
An unsung hero of Britain's flying past, vital in
wartime and yet essential to the search and rescue work of the Royal Navy.
More through BBC 2 SEA KING: BRITAIN
BBC Two - The Sea King: Britain's Flying Past
• Thu 28 Feb 2013 21:00 BBC Two
• Sun 3 Mar 2013 18:30 BBC Two ENGLAND ONLY
Duration: 59 minutes
John
Sergeant presents a TV love letter to one of Britain's most iconic aircraft,
the Sea King helicopter.
An unsung hero of Britain's flying past, vital in
wartime and yet essential to the search and rescue work of the Royal Navy.
61T Certification Basis
Good basic question, Eric, and one which all the OEM's face from time to time. This typically occurs in sales to foreign operators/governments. The OEM sells a machine that a customer wants, but the machine has some equipment not in the basic military or civil qualified version. How does the OEM certify the machine?
SA finally took the following approach to this thorny issue in the early ?1990's as I recall. They already had an advisory group called a Quality Assurance Board, and they handed the responsibility to them. That Board established a simple guideline: if the buying country had qualification standards, then they would apply. If it was a straight military version machine, then the original US Military standards would apply. In the cases not covered above, FAA standard would apply.
Example: The Government of Brunei wanted a VIP S-70 version ( simple so far: the US Mil. qual applied to the basic airframe and basic systems ), but they needed a fully coupled autopilot. Oops, SA didn't have one. Well, it was about time we designed and put one in the S-70, so we did, and tested it, and put it through a qual program that met each and every requirement of the Part 29 Advisory Circular 29.2C, all the hardcovers, failure mode testing.
I'm not familiar with the details of the 61T, but unless they changed the way they do business, I'd assume something along this approach was done.
Very good question. ( those with some experience working for the OEM can appreciate that some QAB meetings deal with challenging and sometimes contradictory qual issues ).
SA finally took the following approach to this thorny issue in the early ?1990's as I recall. They already had an advisory group called a Quality Assurance Board, and they handed the responsibility to them. That Board established a simple guideline: if the buying country had qualification standards, then they would apply. If it was a straight military version machine, then the original US Military standards would apply. In the cases not covered above, FAA standard would apply.
Example: The Government of Brunei wanted a VIP S-70 version ( simple so far: the US Mil. qual applied to the basic airframe and basic systems ), but they needed a fully coupled autopilot. Oops, SA didn't have one. Well, it was about time we designed and put one in the S-70, so we did, and tested it, and put it through a qual program that met each and every requirement of the Part 29 Advisory Circular 29.2C, all the hardcovers, failure mode testing.
I'm not familiar with the details of the 61T, but unless they changed the way they do business, I'd assume something along this approach was done.
Very good question. ( those with some experience working for the OEM can appreciate that some QAB meetings deal with challenging and sometimes contradictory qual issues ).
In December 1971 BEAH (British European Airways Helicopters) were awarded a contract by the Department of Trade Maritime Division to provide an SAR service from Aberdeen. One S61 was on standby 24 hours a day, winch equipped with trained crewmen (6 ex-military crewmen were recruited as winchops/men).
Although this contract marks the formal start of UK SAR ops by the company, it is noted that in 1968 a S61 rescued the crew of the 'Sea Gem' 110 miles off Flamborough Head, when the rig broke its moorings in a force 10 gale.
For a fuller account of the BEAH SAR unit read 'A history of British Airways Helicopters and its predecessors since 1947' by Lo Bao, published 1985 by Air Britain
Although this contract marks the formal start of UK SAR ops by the company, it is noted that in 1968 a S61 rescued the crew of the 'Sea Gem' 110 miles off Flamborough Head, when the rig broke its moorings in a force 10 gale.
For a fuller account of the BEAH SAR unit read 'A history of British Airways Helicopters and its predecessors since 1947' by Lo Bao, published 1985 by Air Britain
Hompy: Have a read on this page of the http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/389...nd-era-10.html thread and you might happen upon some interesting info.
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BIH Rescue
This may not be what you are actually looking for but I seem to remember that BIH carried out a rescue just off the coast here at Balmedie or Blackdog many moons ago. If memory serves a picture appeared in the local "Press and Journal" newspaper. A boat, could have been a trawler, ran aground and the picture showed a BIH helicopter hovering over the ship. Might be worth contacting them to see if there is anything in their archive.
From 1971, The contract with BEAH (or BAH from 1974 onwards) required at least one of the company's fleet of S61N's to be on standby for rescue duty at one hour's notice. A small team of six former Navy and RAF winch crewmen was formed and detachable Lucas Aerospace compressed air winches were purchased which could be fitted to any available S61N in as little as ten minutes.
During the six years of this contract, more than 100 operational sorties were flown and 190 people 'uplifted'.
To summarise, Hompy, there was no single SAR aircraft, just the availability of any of the BEAH/BAH North Sea S61 fleet in Aberdeen and later in Sumburgh from where the 'Elinor Viking' rescue was launched.
As nessboy points out, the first dedicated S61N civilian service was that provided by Bristow in December 1983 with a slightly altered G-BBVA followed by the fully SAR modified G-BDOC (See the Sumburgh thread).
During the six years of this contract, more than 100 operational sorties were flown and 190 people 'uplifted'.
To summarise, Hompy, there was no single SAR aircraft, just the availability of any of the BEAH/BAH North Sea S61 fleet in Aberdeen and later in Sumburgh from where the 'Elinor Viking' rescue was launched.
As nessboy points out, the first dedicated S61N civilian service was that provided by Bristow in December 1983 with a slightly altered G-BBVA followed by the fully SAR modified G-BDOC (See the Sumburgh thread).
Bristow were using the Lucas Air Hoist in the Forties as around 1980 I was flown to one of the rigs to collect a cable that had failed and I took it to the Lucas factory in Birmingham for examination.
