I took a bunch of pics of a Coast Guard Dolphin practicing rescues about 100 yards in front of my windshield the other day, but sadly I don't know how to post them either.

Interesting side note: a dummy had been placed on a bluff over the water, a rescuer, with horse collar, was lowered to the dummy three times, and came up empty handed each time. So the chopper landed, a talk went on for a few minutes, the chopper departed, the dummy was retrieved by the ground crew, and everyone went home, rescue not accomplished...

Hi Matt,

It is a AS365N1 DAUPHIN II.

You can go to the MSP Avaition web site for more information.
MSP Avaition Section

Right now they are spotlighting TRP 3, which is the helicopter we use most of the time for our rescue operations. There is also a link to "equipment" which has a link to the DAUPHINs. On the TRP 3 link the pilot David Delisio is ex-Coast Guard and was the pilot who flew the Raven Rock rescue mission. The Medic on board was TFC Carl Hardcastle.

Pete

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but since the people who should know will be reading this thread--

I have heard that the rotors of a helicopter can create a powerful static electricity charge. First, is this true? If so, what conditions most favor (or conversely, minimize) static charge from building up? In everyday experience, dry winter air is associated with getting shocked by doorknobs and such, but maybe it's different with helicopters? Just totally guessing, but maybe humid or rainy weather creates more static when those blades are slicing through the air?

Now, assuming that static can be a hazard and does build up, any advice to people getting rescued? For example, I'm thinking of the hundreds of people who were airlifted after Katrina. I never heard of anyone getting shocked, so maybe static is not generally a problem. But, for argument's sake, when that basket is being lowered, should I make sure to let it ground itself before making any attempt to touch it?

Hmm, come to think of it, thinking about various rescue videos I have seen on these TV shows, in many cases, the basket/harness is not lowered all the way to the ground first. Usually it's a few feet off the ground, swinging near the person getting rescued, and then the person grabs it and then it gets lowered further so the person can climb in or put the harness on. So, based on those few situations I have seen, there didn't seem to be any attempt to ground any built up static, but then again, the video does not show the entire extraction process. Again, I'm just totally using my imagination here, but I suppose the basket could've been grounded first, maybe away from the victim, and then the aircraft is positioned to attempt the rescue. Well, as you can see, sometimes I think too much about certain topics. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Think of this question as a Mythbusters topic. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Here is some (more then you probably want to know) information on hoist operations. Yes they can develop a static charge and occasionally do so. Low humidity generally will contribute to the build up of static electricity. I have been on 1 training operation in which my partner grabbed the basket prior to letting it ground and received a mild jolt.

Our team uses trail/tag lines to guide the basket down, the line itself is not a conductor, but the basket (attached to the metal cable) can hold and subsequently discharge. Whenever possible, we never touch the basket until it has made contact with the ground.

For the Maryland State Police (MSP), we use a Billy Pue net in the horizontal position for patients who are on a backboard or vacuum splint. We do not hoist patients in Stokes Litter Baskets with MSP (the one exception was the Raven Rock Rescue). For patients with minimal or no injuries, we use a standard Coast Guard Basket, generally with no trail/tag lines unless the wind is really up. The MSP trail/tag lines are weighted with lead/steel shot bag, which is lowered to us, allowing us to direct the deployment of the basket. Since most of time, we have very small area of operations either due to tree cover or are limited to the rocks on which we are working, directing the basket/net to us is critical. We then use the trail/tag lines to control the hoist, in the case of TRP 3, the Billy Pue net can not fit through the door of the aircraft, so the Medic will drop us the trail/tag line and attach a safety strap to the net and fly with the patient on the outside of the aircraft to an LZ, where they will transfer the patient to another MSP helicopter or ground unit.

For United States Park Police (USPP), we prefer to use a Stainless Steel Stokes Basket (does not catch the prop wash as much as a plastic Stokes Basket) with attached tag lines for all hoists. USPP will drop us their litter rig, which we will allow to ground. We then attach the rig to our basket with two trail/tag lines for the hoist. The Medic, once the basket is in the doorway will drop or cut the trail/tag lines free.

In the case of Katrina, I suspect the humidity levels were high enough, thus preventing the development of static electricity. If the situation should arise where you require hoisting, I would allow the basket to hit the ground before touching.

Pete

Thanks for the info Pete. What's the procedure when lowering a person from a helicopter?

zip line <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Yeah, the Dauphin is the original French name for what we in the Coast Guard call the Dolphin. I thought they looked the same...

When we land helos on the deck, the first person to touch it has some kind of electrical neutralization thing that does eliminate that static electricity risk that you refered too.

Guess that's why they practice.

I finally figured out how to post pictures again...

Here is one of our HH65 Dolphins as it just broke to port after a takeoff on our flight deck. The pilots were doing touch and gos to keep current on quals. I was on the USCGC VENTUROUS in the Gulf of Mexico at the time.

Somewhere I have an old photo Captain ( later commandant of New London) Nelson banned from publication. <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> Our old HH 52 amphibian was returning to Kodiak and the gear wouldn't lower. Chief Lonnie White is out there literally yanking on the wheels while Commander Brundage is hovering a few feet off the deck. Meanwhile this un named E3 with a brilliant career ahead of him grabbed the duty truck and stripped the hanger ready room bunks of mattresses and raced over. Chief White didn't say a word, but directed us to go to the barracks and strip the bunks there too. We quickly built a improvised cradle to set the helo down without tearing up the hull and effect hydraulic repairs. That E 3 was being slapped on the back until everybody started returning late from Liberty and walked into their rooms. After that it was all downhill. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Coast Guard never prints the fun pics <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />