Falklands Oil .......
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No that was not what I was saying.
Someone mentioned on a previous post that the Falklands were going to be the "new North Sea" and 50% of the NS pilots would eventually end up there...
Are the islands part of the UK and JAA/EASA?
P.S I like a good looking sheep after a few pints
Someone mentioned on a previous post that the Falklands were going to be the "new North Sea" and 50% of the NS pilots would eventually end up there...
Are the islands part of the UK and JAA/EASA?
P.S I like a good looking sheep after a few pints
They are not really part of the UK although they are an overseas territory (OT); they are not part of JAA/EASA and apply the Overseas Territories Aviation Regulations - an ICAO compliant set of rules.
There are few native OT licenses so most AOC holders employ pilots with validated licenses (FAA/TC/JAA/UK); the operator is responsible for ensuring that the Standards of the original State, the OT licensing regulations and the Operators Proficiency Checks are maintained.
Jim
There are few native OT licenses so most AOC holders employ pilots with validated licenses (FAA/TC/JAA/UK); the operator is responsible for ensuring that the Standards of the original State, the OT licensing regulations and the Operators Proficiency Checks are maintained.
Jim
Last edited by JimL; 10th Apr 2011 at 12:01.
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Totally correct on JimL's part. The L2s will be Cayman Islands registered (another British OT) and the pilots are CHC Global employees who will have their FAA and TC licences validated under Cayman regulations over the next few weeks.
With the operation being under Global's care the pilots are more likely to be Canadians or Americans.
With the operation being under Global's care the pilots are more likely to be Canadians or Americans.
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On the basis that the Falklands has an environment as hostile as the North Sea / Western Approaches (or worse), one assumes that operations in this British OT should be regulated to an equivalent level of safetry...
Do the OTARs really specifically cover offshore oil & gas helicopter operation in a hostile environment?
Do the OTARs really specifically cover offshore oil & gas helicopter operation in a hostile environment?
It really does depend upon what aspect of operations that you are referring to!
The performance regulations are not as sophisticated as they are for the North Sea but they do require the application of the Performance Classes. They don't have a system for exposure - on the other hand, they provide no alleviation from the requirement for a safe-forced-landing when operating in PC2.
As far as equipment goes, they are fully ICAO compliant (without the specific elements of JAR-OPS 3.837).
Jim
The performance regulations are not as sophisticated as they are for the North Sea but they do require the application of the Performance Classes. They don't have a system for exposure - on the other hand, they provide no alleviation from the requirement for a safe-forced-landing when operating in PC2.
As far as equipment goes, they are fully ICAO compliant (without the specific elements of JAR-OPS 3.837).
Jim
Good on him for leaving the feathered nest. FI isn't all that bad, it is a lot closer to the equator than Aberdeen. And he will be there in summer.
He seems hopeful to build hours, not easy to do there with the infrequent calls and the sub-50% dispatch reliability of the old Sea Kings. I hear CHC is covering SAR there with the L2 until something more reliable is provided by the UK.
He seems hopeful to build hours, not easy to do there with the infrequent calls and the sub-50% dispatch reliability of the old Sea Kings. I hear CHC is covering SAR there with the L2 until something more reliable is provided by the UK.
sub-50% dispatch reliability of the old Sea Kings
Just in case anyone is taken in by your post, I wonder if you could share the source of your 'stats'! And the comment about CHC providing SAR cover instead of the Sea King is hardly more accurate! Nice try though...
TOTD
I hear CHC is covering SAR there with the L2 until something more reliable is provided by the UK.
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Oh gee, here we go again.
Malabo, you're completely wrong both in your stats and assumption about CHC. Crab is closer, though, as usual, an implication creeps in that doesn't need to be there. The oil rig crew change-over in the Falklands is based on a once every 2 weeks charter flight. Hence, as many ducks as possible need to be in a row in that period. The oil company were not willing to accept even the small chance that no RAF SAR would ground the crew change flights, so they paid for a very limited SAR service to support the passenger Super Puma. It's day VMC, open water only because that's all that's needed and has been paid for. VMC works 95% of the time because of the limited approach facilities in the Falklands that limit IFR passenger flights, day and overwater are obvious.
The CHC limited offshore oil SAR service has absolutely nothing to do with the overall SAR cover for the Islands. That is provided by the RAF and the RAF only. Night medevacs or training trips to the rig are only launched if RAF cover is available - which it usually is.
Oh, "only one pilot who has actually done SAR" is, of course, Crab's code for "only one ex-RAF Sea King pilot". The rest don't count, I suppose
Malabo, you're completely wrong both in your stats and assumption about CHC. Crab is closer, though, as usual, an implication creeps in that doesn't need to be there. The oil rig crew change-over in the Falklands is based on a once every 2 weeks charter flight. Hence, as many ducks as possible need to be in a row in that period. The oil company were not willing to accept even the small chance that no RAF SAR would ground the crew change flights, so they paid for a very limited SAR service to support the passenger Super Puma. It's day VMC, open water only because that's all that's needed and has been paid for. VMC works 95% of the time because of the limited approach facilities in the Falklands that limit IFR passenger flights, day and overwater are obvious.
The CHC limited offshore oil SAR service has absolutely nothing to do with the overall SAR cover for the Islands. That is provided by the RAF and the RAF only. Night medevacs or training trips to the rig are only launched if RAF cover is available - which it usually is.
Oh, "only one pilot who has actually done SAR" is, of course, Crab's code for "only one ex-RAF Sea King pilot". The rest don't count, I suppose
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Plain sense
Inputshaft, thanks for clearing that up.
I thought only the RAF pilots could do SAR! Nobody else could possibly have the skills to do it especially those civvy pilots.
I thought only the RAF pilots could do SAR! Nobody else could possibly have the skills to do it especially those civvy pilots.
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I thought only the RAF pilots could do SAR! Nobody else could possibly have the skills to do it
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I don't think so. I'm well aware of the friendly rivalry so was just indulging in a little gentle stirring.
An ex-RAF person of my aquaintance was, to his eternal shame, once rescued by Gannet's Sea King a fact which he has not been allowed to forget. Besides which, ALL Military helicopter pilots do exactly the same basic training, in exactly the same place (EGOS) and in mixed groups.
An ex-RAF person of my aquaintance was, to his eternal shame, once rescued by Gannet's Sea King a fact which he has not been allowed to forget. Besides which, ALL Military helicopter pilots do exactly the same basic training, in exactly the same place (EGOS) and in mixed groups.
Inputshaft - the term SAR is widely misused to describe the sort of operation that CHC have in the Falklands - it implies that the aircraft and crew are fully capable of all SAR operations in all weathers - that is what the RAF have there as you know.
Would you like to detail the SAR experience of the other CHC pilots there? Yes there is one ex-RAF SAR pilot which helps and they have recruited ex-RAF and RN SAR rearcrew but they do next to no training (because it is expensive) and the average sea state in the Falklands is sufficiently rough to make wet winching difficult for current and experienced crews.
The ditching in the N Sea of the super puma showed the weaknesses of SAR on the cheap (Jigsaw) as they couldn't get the job done - chances are the CHC operation will have similar problems - it is not real SAR, it is cheap compliance with regulations that have no real rigour applied in terms of proving actual capability compared to advertised capability.
Would you like to detail the SAR experience of the other CHC pilots there? Yes there is one ex-RAF SAR pilot which helps and they have recruited ex-RAF and RN SAR rearcrew but they do next to no training (because it is expensive) and the average sea state in the Falklands is sufficiently rough to make wet winching difficult for current and experienced crews.
The ditching in the N Sea of the super puma showed the weaknesses of SAR on the cheap (Jigsaw) as they couldn't get the job done - chances are the CHC operation will have similar problems - it is not real SAR, it is cheap compliance with regulations that have no real rigour applied in terms of proving actual capability compared to advertised capability.
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As JIGSAW was being introduced, how was the capability being brought into service described? I would put money on the fact that the PR push did not say it would take a while to get up to speed and that initially there might be some problems carrying out the first rescues. Perhaps someone could clear that one up.
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Every service has it's price.
Every service has it's budget and therefore price.
The Jigsaw program may not have been set up as an all singing and dancing SAR service for cost reasons. We all know that you get what you pay for in this business.
If this is the case then one cannot slate the service if they provided it within their remit albeit it may not have been enough in this instance. I am not saying this is what happened in the Bond rescue because I was not there and I do not work on the Jigsaw program.
Let's face it even the Mil SAR could be better I am sure but they work with the kit they have and within the guidelines they have.
It is harsh reality to some that every service has it's budget and it's simply not feasible to always offer the 'golden standard' every time. If we could then perhaps we would have 100 SAR aircraft based around the country.
The Jigsaw program may not have been set up as an all singing and dancing SAR service for cost reasons. We all know that you get what you pay for in this business.
If this is the case then one cannot slate the service if they provided it within their remit albeit it may not have been enough in this instance. I am not saying this is what happened in the Bond rescue because I was not there and I do not work on the Jigsaw program.
Let's face it even the Mil SAR could be better I am sure but they work with the kit they have and within the guidelines they have.
It is harsh reality to some that every service has it's budget and it's simply not feasible to always offer the 'golden standard' every time. If we could then perhaps we would have 100 SAR aircraft based around the country.