0 Comments
As a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society Rotorcraft Committee, I was given the task of organising this year's Alan Bristow Memorial Lecture which was held at the RAeS in London.
This years theme was The Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carrier, presented by Admiral Sir Simon Lister KCB OBE. Sir Simon has the responsibility of delivering our new aircraft carriers. What a presentation.....simply inspiring. The link below is a recording of the lecture which was lauded as one of the most memorable AB lectures to date. https://www.aerosociety.com/news/audio-alan-bristow-memorial-lecture-2018/ We recently delivered support services to Seaway Heavy Lift in preparation for the deployment of the Heavy Lift Vessel Oleg Strashnov to the UKCS where she will be working on several wind farm development projects. The Captain and crew were absolutely fantastic hosts and working with them on this "mighty machine" was a joy. They are ready in all respects for aviation!
Yet another hugely successful training session carried out in the UK, developing further the helideck environment and capabilities / restrictions for both aircrew and regulators from Canada. Students, from Cougar Helicopters, Canadian Helicopters and the Canadian Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board, great debates and interaction. This course is not about GDO talking for 2 days, it’s about working together to bring to the fore the fact that the helideck and its supporting infrastructure are key elements in the flight safety loop. Looking forward to seeing you all again in the near future, either in St John's or at the Aviation Seminar.
So far the reviews for this course have been outstanding...thank you! GDO had the privelidge of working with the Royal Netherlands Navy, operating from Den Helder assiting them in development of multi spot aviation operations. What a great team of people, from CO down, they all embraced avaition with such passion. Loved working with 7 Test and Standards Squadron as well as 300 Squadron Royal Netherlands Air Force, integrating Airbus Cougar and NH90 helicopters.
Well it was all at sea again, back to my roots with the Omani Navy conducting some quality assurance oversight of both Royal Omani Navy and Royal Navy Flight Deck Officer Instructors. A series of classroom evaluations followed by sea time with students and instructors on one of the Royal Omani Navy Offshore Patrol Vessels. We were supported by a Super Lynx from the Royal Omani Air Force.
A gruelling series of deck landing practice and refuelling scenarios operating in day, dusk and night operations meant the team were exposed to some awesome training. Well done everyone. It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money - that's all.
When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot - it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better. We had the privilege of working in Brunei previously in 2013 supporting the Brunei Navy with ship / air interface training. taking ship crews and training them in flight deck management and emergency response., culminating in 2 weeks at sea operating three aircraft types, including the BO105, B212 and the mighty S70A Blackhawk. This trip was a little different working as the UK CAA / CAAi Representative training a group from various backgrounds in heliport and offshore helideck management, using the Brunei’s newly developed standards, BAR14 and BDCAP437. Working with primarily the Brunei Department of Civil Aviation, additionally representatives from the Brunei Emergency Medical Services who manage the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital helipad, the Jerudong Park Medical Centre, Brunei Shell Petroleum and His Majesty’s Royal Flight attended the 5 days of training and familiarisation. The 5 days of training culminated in an inspection / survey of both onshore hospital helipads, bring all our classromm efforts togather to develop specific checklists for the unique operations in Brunei. Finally we had the opportunity to sit with the Director of Civil Aviation and the Head of Regulatory Compliance to discuss the offshore element of the tasking and more importantly the oversight management process for the offshore helidecks. All in all a great week in a beautiful country, Green Deck Ops is very much looking forward to working again with the Brunei DCA in the very near future. On a personal note, just some images from beautiful Brunei
The past few months have been really something else for little fledgling Green Deck Ops, heres a quick synopsis: Qualified Entity Status - Helideck Inspections Probably the greatest news for me personally was being accepted as Qualified Entity Status for Helideck Inspections in Malaysia. Having been up close and personal to the UK debate, politics and issues surrounding the UK helideck inspection regime / system, it was a joy to be awarded this privilege by the Malaysian Directorate of Civil Aviation and Petronas BHD. I have seen the Malaysian system flourish and always believed (and briefed) that the system they have in place was the example the UK CAA should at least look at as a base model for the UK system post the CAP1145 actions. Malaysia is above the UK with regards to offshore assets, with no sign of decommissioning in the region. Malaysia is a hard nut to crack.....however we did what others could not do. Our operations manual, quality system, experience, competence and above all our ability to go that extra mile for the client to ensure flight safety is not compromised in anyway shone through and I am personally very proud to be associated with the Malaysian DCA and Petronas. Helideck Inspection, Safety Case and Inspections All good on this front, gradually developing a client base both in North America, Asia, Middle East and Europe (Mediterranean). This is my passion and I love it, bringing a new dimension to the standard helideck inspection process. Our new approach to helideck and aviation facilities auditing and certification takes into consideration all aspects of aviation from the beach to the installation. Engaging and generally great fun (for me that is), our customer feedback is very much based on a "working together" concept and not the "take your money and run" concept, ie the pre-work, inspection and follow up is about being totally focused on the clients needs, working together to ensure flight safety and operationally capable is paramount. Helideck, HLS Training and Competency Building We have been carrying on with our program of education regarding helideck safety, providing bespoke training aimed a predominantly air and deck crews so they better understand the environment they operate in / to. This element has been hugely successful with training delivered for operations in the UK, Netherlands, Italy, Congo, UAE and Brazil. We worked with other stakeholders through OPITO to develop a new Helideck Operations Initial Training Standard. Again this has been great fun, bringing together several organisations from operations, drilling, training providers and regulators to ensure (and assure) a more robust training system for our people offshore. When I compare the new standard to other nations, we do still lead the world! The next big challenge is helicopter refuelling in the offshore environment a standardised approach to this flight safety critical task. On from offshore we have been working with various hospital trusts and overseas organisations who own and operate onshore helicopter landing sites to improve overall flight safety awareness. Green Deck Operations are now OPITO accredited to carry out Competency Assessments. After a series of evidence based submissions, it was another great moment to be awarded this accreditation. We have been accredited CAA ROCC Examiners for some 3 years now and have delivered training both in the UK and overseas to support oil and gas as well as superyacht operators who want to have that additional assurance for their helideck crews. We are now also working directly with the CAA ATS Section to develop the syllabus further to ensure the training actually reflects what goes on offshore in the “real environment”. Hospital Helipads An area that is really (excuse the pun), taking off for the company, we have been conducting several HLS surveys and studies in support of UK and UAE HEMS / SAR operations. Working with some of the most professional peope and organisations, we have joined forces with a CAA accredited UAS operation 3AXIS UAS to bring a new dimension to the survey process, it’s been a challange but very rewarding. UK Hospitals surveyed so far include Maidstone, Sheffield Children’s, Torbay and QA Portsmouth. Trials and tribulations We headed out to India as the Civil Aviation Authority delegated representative to oversee, report and certify a new helideck firefighting system. The basis of the work was inline with both CAP437 Ed8 and ICAO standards, that said we took the CAP437 requirement and enhanced to ensure the tests were above and beyond the standard. As an example, the CAP requires a system should operate effectively with at least one DIFFS nozzle inoperative, however in a real crash scenario, there maybe potentially more than one nozzle inoperative. Our final test made 5 nozzles inoperative, the results were outstanding and may set a new bar regarding helideck fire suppression system test standards. For our work, we received the India Institute of Fire Engineers award for innovation...very proud! Additionally we are developing an Apple based app so that during audits we have the ability to check foam stocks, application rates and manning levels based on H categories Lots more happening, and lots more to achieve, what does GDO want, we want to be recognised as a professionally credible offshore aviation company, promoting, engaging and developing people and process. Even though we are UK based, the UK to me is the biggest challenge. We have a great reputation, professionally credible and above all integrity, however what we are not is UK politically savvy! And finally...Family, none of this would have happened unless I had the backing of my awesome wife, daughters, their husbands and our grandchildren.
Description of Process: On approaching a Normally Unmanned Installation (NUI) one orbit was completed for HLO to clear the deck, he signaled "clear", and deck also seemed clear to both pilots.
Description of Incident: Once A/C slowly made contact with the deck with the port main gear it lurched forward, sideways, and rolled left and possibly right also. There was no cyclic movement to cause this to occur. The slide forward (several feet) and roll was significant enough for the captain to come on the controls. The A/C settled on all three landing gear and landing checks were made. On inspection of the helideck it was found that whilst the hard surface underneath the netting was fairly abrasive, the netting was extremely slippery, it was a hazard to even walk on. The net was covered in a green slime, itself was fairly elastic, and also seemed to be beginning to fall apart. The left wheel had dragged a considerable amount of net with it across the deck, and there seemed to be two slight rubber drag marks on the deck where the right wheel had made contact. The deck was wet on this occasion, later in the day when returning to the platform and when dry the netting was far more effective. Good Practice Guidance: All helidecks, particularly Normally Unmanned Installaitions (NUIs) should be maintained and regularly checked Causes and consequences of incident or accident: Moving, flying or falling object Moving vehicle or vessel Contact with something fixed or stationary Slip, trip or fall on same level Contributing factor: Change management Communication Complacency Control of work Competence Culture Commitment I know it’s potentially irrelevant, however for me, it’s exciting. Our new student notebooks just arrived and we absolutely love them! Back cover photo supplied by yours truly, operating a Bell 214 SP to the Transocean Discovery Seven Seas a few years back off Sri Lanka. And of course credit to the “Boss” for the company logo.
The team won’t mind me posting this photo of the mighty Seabed Constructor as she heads out of my home port of Portsmouth, Hampshire (UK that is!). Great inspection, wonderful crew, although not much avaition going one with her, what a passionate, pro-active team. Safe trip!
The UK and Norwegian aviation authorities have today set out plans for the lifting of operating restrictions on H225LP and AS332L2 helicopters. The restrictions were imposed following the fatal accident of a H225 near Turøy in Norway in April 2016. The two helicopter types, popularly known as Super Pumas, were restricted from being used commercially by UK and Norwegian operators.
Both the UK Civil Aviation Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority of Norway have remained in close contact with the European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA); UK and Norwegian operators; and with the manufacturer, Airbus Helicopters which has developed the modifications and enhanced safety measures for the type. Despite the helicopter being released back in to service by EASA in October 2016, the restrictions remain in place in the UK and Norway until these further enhancements have been made. Changes and modifications made to the helicopter and its maintenance by Airbus Helicopters include:
Explaining the decision John McColl, Head of Airworthiness at the UK CAA, said: “This is not a decision we have taken lightly. It has only been made after receiving extensive information from the Norwegian accident investigators and being satisfied with the subsequent changes introduced by Airbus Helicopters through detailed assessment and analysis. “The safety of those who travel on offshore helicopter flights is a key priority for both the UK and Norwegian aviation authorities. We would not have made this decision unless we were convinced that the changes to the helicopters and their maintenance restore the required airworthiness standards. “We continue to work with the helicopter operators, the offshore industries, international regulators, unions and pilot representatives to enhance offshore safety standards still further and all these parties are actively involved in ongoing discussions.” Helicopter Operations in an Increasingly Complex Environment 5 July 2017 - 6 July 2017. No.4 Hamilton Place, London 09:00-17:00
Conference Highlight This conference will build upon the 2014 and 2016 automation conferences and, in addition, consider the impact of the changes that will result from SESAR, UAS in the lower airspace and the potential introduction of Performance Based Navigation to rotorcraft operations. The primary aim of the conference will be to engender a dialogue aimed at ensuring the continuation of a healthy onshore rotorcraft industry that plays its part in a fast-changing industrial landscape. The full programme is available below. Following the first day there will be a lecture entitled 'Urban Mobility by Airbus, an Innovation Challenge' Why should you attend? To assess the potential, and challenges, of the introduction of automation in Para-public and General Aviation operations. To discuss the future integration of UAS and rotorcraft in an increasingly crowded lower airspace – can we practically, and safely, ‘sense and avoid’? To examine how States have leveraged Performance Based Navigation to improve their coverage in Degraded Visual Environments. To hear how manufacturers intend to support future operations in challenging environments with varied scenarios. Registration Non-Member. £625 + VAT RAeS Corporate Partner. £525 + VAT RAeS Member. £450 + VAT BHA/EHA Rate*. £250 +VAT RAeS Baseline Member. £190 + VAT *Please contact the Conference and Events Team to book at this rate on conference@aerosociety.com or call +44 (0)20 7670 4345 Accommodation Take advantage of preferential hotel rates offered to RAeS Delegates, make a reservation at the Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel Speaker Details Air Marshall Sir Christopher Coville, KCB Simon Mitchell, Chief Pilot, Starspeed Jaap Groeneweg, NLR Dan Martin, Strategy, Risk Management and Operations Consultant to The Children's Air Ambulance Heinz Leibundgut, Chief Pilot, Helicopter REGA Nick Rogers, CTRO, Sky-Futures June edition of Airway now published and online. Check it out below.
The U.K. AAIB Annual Safety Review for 2016 contains information on the activity during 2016 and includes an overview of the 57 Safety Recommendations and Safety Actions published in the 36 field and 208 correspondence investigation reports during the year. It also includes information on the occurrence factors established from the AAIB investigations including G-WNSB AS332L2 . Additionally there are some very intersting articles on the AAIB’s use of simulators and drones in accident investigation.
A helicopter has crashed into the sea with three people aboard while attempting to land on 60-meter Bacarella. The accident occurred at 9pm yesterday evening in Sandviken, Norway, where the superyacht was anchored. Three people were rushed to the hospital as a result with one of them seriously injured.
Incident yesterday offshore onboard the Sevan Brasil The HM Coastguard search and rescue (SAR) helicopter base in Lee-On-Solent will start flying the new Leonardo AW189 helicopter for SAR operations from 1 pm on Friday 31st March. The new £20 million AW189 helicopters are painted in red and white HM Coastguard colours, and operated by Bristow Helicopters Limited on behalf of HM Coastguard. The Coastguard base at Lee-on-Solent is the first in the UK to fly this new model of helicopter for SAR missions. The transition to Bristow from the current operator at Lee-on-Solent marks the penultimate step in a staged transition from a mix of 12 military and civilian bases to ten Coastguard SAR helicopter bases in the UK. Damien Oliver, Assistant Director for Aviation at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said: “We are excited to add these new AW189 helicopters to our Coastguard helicopter fleet. These are some of the most technologically advanced helicopters providing lifesaving services in the world today. The crews that will fly the new helicopters, and the engineers that maintain them, will continue to demonstrate the utmost professionalism and dedication to the work of saving lives here in the south of England.” Russell Torbet, director of UK SAR at Bristow Helicopters Ltd. said: “We are very pleased that Bristow is returning to Lee-On-Solent which we previously operated on behalf of the Coastguard from 1988 until 2007. Our transition team has been at Lee-On-Solent since January continuing their training on the AW189 and preparing for this handover. They are ready to go. “The existing Lee-On-Solent crews will commence induction and training with Bristow from the start of April to transition onto the AW189 aircraft type over the coming months. This has been a lot of work for everyone involved and we’re looking forward to introducing the AW189 and continuing this life-saving service in the region.” The Leonardo AW189 is a larger, more advanced and capable aircraft than the AW139 version currently in operation at Lee-On-Solent. It is the latest generation helicopter in its category and is designed to meet long-range, high endurance requirements for search and rescue missions in the most demanding operational and environmental conditions. Over the next 18 months the AW189 helicopter will be introduced at Coastguard SAR helicopter bases at Prestwick, St Athan, Lydd and Inverness, as part of the £1.9 billion investment by the UK Government in this vital frontline emergency service that rescues or assists around 2,000 people a year. In 2013, Bristow won the UK Government national contract to deliver SAR operations on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Seven of 10 strategically located bases took over the helicopter civilian SAR responsibility from the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy in a phased approach throughout 2015 and 2016. The Coastguard bases at Lee-On-Solent, Stornoway and Sumburgh are set to become part of the UK contract by July 2017. Safety alert details of an incident and lessons learned related to managing newspapers as freight during helideck operations.
The examination pass mark for the above has now been increased to 75%.
For information regarding OCS and ROCC as well as approved examiners (including GDO), see the link below: Two UK air ambulance charities have recently collaborated to create a new post – under the title of Head of Operations, the candidate will be responsible to the CEOs off both organisations. The person taking up this role “will act as a senior member of the charities’ management teams with specific responsibilities for the delivery and ongoing development of the air ambulance operations”.
Thames Valley Air Ambulance and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance retained Greys Search and Selection to find a candidate to cover the new role. The two are geographically adjacent, and already have ties with each other – it was no coincidence that each upgraded to new EC135T3s (ahead of the type being renamed H135) around the same time, and both contract with Babcock MCS Onshore for the provision of pilots, maintenance spare aircraft etc. The charities have a long and successful history of cooperation and operationally they work very closely together. Both their aircraft and operating patterns are the same and both services work within the NHS Ambulance Service region (South Central) As a result of this partnership, having one Head of Operations, to oversee both operations and speak with “one voice” to the ambulance service stakeholder, is key. In the past the charities covering Essex and Hertfordshire combined into a single organisation, but what other possibilities does this raise? Yes, this is just one role, but with the two organisations operating closer together, what other jobs could be merged? Will it one day translate into the two charities merging into one? Courtesy of the HELP Appeal Work has started on a £1m helipad at Aintree University Hospital funded by the HELP Appeal, which will give seriously injured patients arriving by air ambulances immediate access to the Emergency Department and specialist treatment .
This new helipad will serve patients from across Cheshire and Merseyside, and will reduce transfer time for patients in critical care; at present air ambulances must land on local playing fields, which can increase transfer times by 30 minutes. The HELP Appeal is the only charity in the UK providing funding for life-saving helipad from Devon to Scotland and the new Aintree Hospital helipad, will ensure patients are quickly transferred to Aintree’s new state of the art Urgent Care and Trauma Centre. Specialists at the regional major trauma centre, which brings together teams from Aintree and neuro-surgery experts from The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, say the new helipad will save vital minutes when transferring trauma patients from air ambulance into the hospital. Robert Bertram, CEO of the HELP Appeal, said: “It is very satisfying to see that work is now starting on this life-saving helipad at Aintree University Hospital, and to see this project get off the ground. As the only charity in the UK providing funding for hospital helipads, we are delighted to be able to donate the full £1 million needed to fund its construction.” Mrs Sharon Scott, Divisional Medical Director of Surgery and Anaesthesia at Aintree, said: “The new helipad is fantastic news for our patients. It will make a tremendous difference to them and their families, and it is all possible thanks to the generosity of the HELP Appeal.” Ms Catherine McMahon, Consultant Neurosurgeon at The Walton Centre, said: “We are excited about the completion of the helipad on the Aintree site which will help cut crucial minutes from the transfer time of patients to the Major Trauma Centre. When you have been the victim of a severe head injury, every minute counts and this new development will help us to reduce morbidity and save lives.” Mark Evans, Clinical Service Manager at the North West Air Ambulance Charity, said: “Every second counts in matters of severe trauma, which makes helipads like this one so critically important for patients across the region. Its close proximity to the hospital will enhance the lifesaving service we provide, as we will no longer have to rely on a land ambulance to transfer patients to the emergency department. “Overall, we anticipate that this new addition at Aintree will save around 10-12 minutes per patient – enough to save a life.” The HELP Appeal has been providing significant grants to fund life-saving helipads around England and Scotland since 2009. The helipad at Aintree, which is being built by BAM Construction, is expected to be fully operational in summer. Rob Bailey, Construction Manager for BAM, said: “The construction of the helipad at Aintree will bring huge benefits and we are proud to be part of the team to make this happen.” |
|