Will add that the type and style of Auxiliary Opfac will have some impact. Vinyle Upholstery/Sun Platforms and Polished Teak Deck/Rails don't mix well with Metal P6 Containers and Steel Stokes Stretchers.

I did helo hoists several years ago from a 17' CG Reserve boat. Lots of fun. We are inland and don't often see CG helos but we do try to do semi-annually NON-hoist training with the local EMS helos. This training consists of an exchange of info on capabilities, briefing on working with helos, setting up a landing zone, etc. By the way - when we did hoists I got hoisted. What a blast!

quote:

Didn't say it couldn't be done just that many Aux vessels wouldn't be appropriate platforms for such training exercises. I'm not sure anyone would want to try it from an 18' bass boat.

Actually, they are an EXCELLENT Training platform. MUCH more so than a standard CG Boat. CG AD Coxswains are only required to go through ONE evolution in their entire career. Aircrews have recuring training requirements. The hoist training is 99.6% for the aircrew. Good common sense and risk mitigation factors would prevent almost every hoist from a CG Standard vessel in actual cases. A ship to ship transfer is as dangerous and in many cases more dangerous to the 'victim' than a surface to air transfer. In intital training stages for an aircrew, a standard CG boat evolution is probably a good thing so that the 'newbie' has experienced people down below. Recurrency training with a standard boat has a high likelyhood to give the aircrew a false sense of reality when it comes to real life. The skills of working with an unfamiliar vessel are invaluable. Finding the right deck space, being able to judge what the seas and rotor wash may do to an unfamiliar boat and several other issues are not skills you want the aircrew to learn when you have a 'victim' needing to be hoisted. The entire aircrew (Pilots, Mechs and RS) needs to know & see what happens if they 'need' to get a victim off of a 18' bass boat.