Deck Winching Question
 

Yesterday, I attended an RYA First Aid course in which there was a film clip of an S61 doing a highline transfer to a lifeboat. The winchman was on the boat and off again pretty quickly. In the discussion that followed, I suggested to our instructor that in a real rescue from a boat, the helicopter would probably not remain in the hover but would rather stooge off for a bit until the winchman was ready for lift. Our instructor, however, was adamant that the helicopter would remain in the hover. (He was a doctor, not a pilot, BTW!)

It's over 20 years since I flew a yellow heli, and highlines were just coming into fashion - and I have never used one for real. Personally, I would rather be flying at endurance speed while waiting for the winchman to finish, rather than hovering, making a lot of noise and downdraft, and using more fuel.

What is the opinion of current SAR guys?

From an amatuer winchman (Bristows 70's) yes bugger off and come back later!!!, depends on circumstances of course, and for you professional chaps I mean amatuer I leave all comments to well respected chaps.

S

Stay or go?
 

Depends on the situation, if it was a dark and stormy night/fog/poor vis, then staying with the vessel might be preferable. In daylight then clearing off to leave the winchie in peace while saving fuel would be the preferred option. Casualties condition also comes into play, scoop and run or stay and play could affect the decision. It's a tricky old business and the Golden Rule is:"There is no Golden Rule":ok:

As above, flexibility is paramount;)

Speaking as an ex Lifeboat Coxwain that has done many deck transfers with the RN Seaking's from Prestwick every situation is differant. In general if the winchman was required to stabalise the patient or get him sorted into their own stretcher the cab would bugger off to loiter till called back in by the winchman ( less fuel is used that way than pulling high torque in the hover!! ) If the patient had been prepared and ready for transfer prior to the arrival of the cab then it would be winch down and straight back up.

In general we would not use a high line as the Arun lifeboat had a good clear aft deck and no real hazards......with a yacht a total differant ball game with a rolling high mast, in that situation the high line in general would be used to avoid hanging the winchman in the rigging!!!

Deck Winching
 

In my service, after placing the rescue swimer on the boat as standard procedure we always move the helicopter to what we call "Stand-off" possition that is a hover slightly away from the boat (few meters) but keeping the highline on the boat controlled by a sailor.
This is done for safety reasons, for us and for the people working on deck.

New Zealand hi-line training
 

A hi-line is also useful to save time if multiple lifts are required from a small vessel in very rough conditions.

But again, every situation is different.

In my seven odd years as an SAR S61N Commander, from what I remember, I always moved off from overhead the target to the extent of the hi-line if hi-lining on to a boat . Conditions could prevail that the hi-line had to be jettisoned and a new hi-line transfer done when the casualty and winchman were ready. At least, you would have someone on deck who knew what they were doing!! Hate to think the number of times the hi-line has been attached to the vessel by one of its crew but that was what the weak link was for.

If it was a simple deck winch then I would move off once the winchman was on deck due noise and downwash from the S61N and wait for him to call us back in when he was ready.

JohnW