I'm an active-duty helo flight mechanic at air station Miami. What is the general feeling of Aux members toward helicopter ops? I started my career at a boat station and have been under the helo on a small boat, tending trail lines and baskets and litters and pump cans delivered from H-3's and H-52's so I understand & have experienced the ops from both aspects (on the boat and in the helo). What I did not have to worry about while underway on a 41-footer was the costs of damage, etc., to the vessel from the helo ops. However, I've had a widely-varying level of support experience at the different air stations in regard to Aux boat / helo ops support evolutions. Some flotillas are routinely underway to work with helos with any device while other flotillas have emplaced significant restrictions on what devices may be delivered to an Aux boat. For instance, in one location it was not permitted to hoist up/down anything except a rescue strop to the Aux boat. Yet, in another location, any device and/or the Rescue Swimmer could be hoisted up/down to the Aux boat. I'm trying to determine if this is a uniformity issue within the Auxiliary or if there is a disconnect between the aviation community and the Auxiliary.

My Flotilla has been quite active with helo ops in the past. Every summer a group of cadets from the CG Academy comes down to P'cola for aviation orientation. This includes getting tossed into the water and hoisted by a helo. We've always been eager and willing to assist and the gold-side has always been appreciative for the use of our facilities.

I believe some Flotillas over in the Mobile area have been utilized for helo ops in conjunction with Air Training Center Mobile. However, I've also been told there is a paid contractor that does a bunch since they have such a high volume of hoist ops training needs.

Helo ops were fun. However, check the latest edition of the BCQP check-off manuals for crew and coxswain. I beleive that helo ops were removed. Since they are no longer part of the training and Auxies aren't trained to do them - then they probably shouldn't be done anymore. Something about liability and 'exceeding your training and qualifications' comes to mind.

One more fun thing tossed overboard.

We'll be hearing it's too dangerous for us to leave the pier one day.

quote:

Originally posted by FL51D7:
Helo ops were fun. However, check the latest edition of the BCQP check-off manuals for crew and coxswain. I beleive that helo ops were removed. Since they are no longer part of the training and Auxies aren't trained to do them - then they probably shouldn't be done anymore. Something about liability and 'exceeding your training and qualifications' comes to mind.

One more fun thing tossed overboard.

removed because not everybody does it. The crew and especially the coxswains attend safety training at the air station above and beyond the BCQP. Coxwswains failing to attend are not used. Seems to me that all crew should be capable of, and trained for, the possibility of one day being needed to do it, just like towing. But that's just me.


--
William Baldwin, Jr
MBA HCM program Univ of Phoenix
Ground below Zero, City of New Orleans, La
on the web: www.coastguardauxiliaryslidell8cr.us

Dave, i believe it all depends on SOU. Shoot me an email at work, so I will remember. I know somebody that can give the definitive answer.

Coxwswains failing to attend are not used. Seems to me that all crew should be capable of, and trained for, the possibility of one day being needed to do it, just like towing.

The issue may be bigger then just training. I was on a few helo ops on a 41'er as an observer. Most Auxie boats do not carry the necessary PPE gear (helmets, gloves, other PPE, static electricity stick) etc that CG boats do. Without that stuff the hazard factor goes way up - if not off the charts.

You've got to remember that almost every Aux facility is unique and many probably aren't suited for helo ops in the first place. I know my flotilla would jump at the chance to do hoisting and stuff, but probably don't have a boat you could do it from.

Using non-standard surface vessels for hoist training/helo ops is an excellent opportunity for the aircrews...

When they conduct actual SAR hoists at sea -- it will not usually be from a standardized USCG 41' vessel, but virtually every type of craft known to man.

As said earlier, it the Auxiliary crews are properly trained and the vessels equipped with the necessary PPE, it is valuable training for all involved.

Amen to that. We had a blast training with AIRSTA recently. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

--Mark

quote:

Originally posted by flyandscuba:
Using non-standard surface vessels for hoist training/helo ops is an excellent opportunity for the aircrews...

When they conduct actual SAR hoists at sea -- it will not usually be from a standardized USCG 41' vessel, but virtually every type of craft known to man.

As said earlier, it the Auxiliary crews are properly trained and the vessels equipped with the necessary PPE, it is valuable training for all involved.

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.

quote:

Using non-standard surface vessels for hoist training/helo ops is an excellent opportunity for the aircrews...

When they conduct actual SAR hoists at sea -- it will not usually be from a standardized USCG 41' vessel, but virtually every type of craft known to man.

Thats actually big on the gold side agenda here, not with Air Crews unfortunately but with their boat crews. They came to the local flotillas asking us to play boat in distress for their towing practice. They had found that after training only on other 41's and 25's all the crews knew to tow was a 41 or 25. They were looking for the cleats to be in the same places they were assuming they were backed, etc.

Not a good situation to be in when real life hits.

Last week one our OPFACs went off-shore to act as safety boat for a helo evolution,i.e., dropping and picking up rescue swimmers. After the evolution the helo came over the OPFAC to give them some idea of the down wash from the blades and blew out the OPFAC's venturi. An expensive lesson for all parties.

Just how close was the helo to the OPFAC deck? To tie into another ongoing thread, I assume the OPFAC owner had no trouble proving a direct cause and effect and got his damages claim approved.

quote:

Originally posted by FL51D7:
Coxwswains failing to attend are not used. Seems to me that all crew should be capable of, and trained for, the possibility of one day being needed to do it, just like towing.

The issue may be bigger then just training. I was on a few helo ops on a 41'er as an observer. Most Auxie boats do not carry the necessary PPE gear (helmets, gloves, other PPE, static electricity stick) etc that CG boats do. Without that stuff the hazard factor goes way up - if not off the charts.

If you're even thinking of doing any task without the required equipment, (including PPE), then you weren't trained very well. As documented at http://coastguardauxiliaryfc61.org/USCG_AUX_8cr_04_08_mirrorsite/Helo_Ops.htm
we do a good bit of Helo Ops on a regular basis. And, yes, we have proper grounding rods, PPE, and etc. It's possible to do without the grounding rod if the proper technique is used, and recreational boaters wouldn't have it anyways. But we practice it both ways. We do not impose any restrictions on what the helos can hoist down. We've had baskets, divers, and even cookies hoisted down...


--
William Baldwin, Jr
MBA HCM program Univ of Phoenix
Ground below Zero, City of New Orleans, La
on the web: www.coastguardauxiliaryslidell8cr.us

blew out the OPFAC's venturi

Dumb question: What is an OpFac's venturi?

quote:

Originally posted by FL51D7:
blew out the OPFAC's venturi

Dumb question: What is an OpFac's venturi?

I am scratching my head on that one too...

quote:

Originally posted by 7555925:

quote:

Originally posted by FL51D7:
blew out the OPFAC's venturi

Dumb question: What is an OpFac's venturi?

I am scratching my head on that one too...

Venturi as in a deck vent? I can't imaging that being too terribly costly though.

Venturi as in a deck vent? I can't imaging that being too terribly costly though.

I asked because I had always associated 'venturi' with valves. However, with your post it also lead to venturi windshields, as in:

quote:

Our test boat had the standard venturi windshield, which is a low-cut shield with a reverse flair designed to push air over the heads of those at the helm. It worked well enough for air flow but not for salt spray.

So it remains unknown what got ripped off the boat - vent, windshield or something else ... Inquiring minds still want to know.

The plastic venturi windshield on the fly-bridge
was broken from the prop down wash.