Training/Helicopter

Helicopter Operations for Ground SAR is proposed course (not yet developed). An industry partner is encouraging this training and offering to fund it.

Compare with the shorter training provided in SAR Fundamentals:
 * Helicopter orientation
 * Air observer

Course description
SAR members currently go through a 1.5 hour helicopter orientation as part of their basic training, but it's all classroom. We're talking about augmenting this previous training with hands-on training.

Below are some potential skills/subjects that might be covered by this course. We want to confirm with subject matter experts, the appropriateness of this material and whether other subjects should be included.


 * identifying which helicopters and pilots are right for which jobs
 * This skill would likely be used by members of the overhead team to source the right helicopter and pilot for the incident, and to evaluate the spontaneous offers of a private helicopter that sometimes occur in high media incidents.
 * types and capabilities of helicopters
 * aircraft flight characteristics
 * skills and certifications of pilots
 * safety (heli-safety talk from pilot)
 * safe approach/exit
 * what not to touch, not to approach
 * bringing hazardous equipment (bear spray, flares)
 * passenger communicating with the pilot during flight
 * crash procedures
 * use of equipment
 * headsets
 * spotting from air (the search component)
 * strategies
 * grids
 * where items would end up based on the terrain
 * gaze management
 * fist out at arms length
 * keep focus at an infinity, tendency is too close
 * point to point in fixed pattern
 * how long a spotter can effectively work before becoming fatigued and not a good resource
 * ground-to-air communications (e.g. helicopter directs teams on the ground to the subject)
 * Landing Zone / helispot support (e.g. team on ground preps for extracting subject by air)
 * Landing Zone Officer duties
 * selecting and preparing a helicopter landing site
 * hand signals
 * another organization says: we don't have staff near the machine when it lands-as you may see fire department staff do with STARS. Pilots   are very familiar with landing in open areas so we let them do that without us and just pass on appropriate information such as winds out of the west and steady.  When you land you will be slightly right side skid high
 * hover exits
 * some SAR groups train for this
 * another organization says: we don't do these as we perceive them as being high risk with high consequence
 * sling loading gear
 * ground support of HETS (Helicopter External Transport System / Class "D" Human External Cargo)

Runnings

 * probably fall 2013, possibly September
 * most likely a Saturday or Sunday
 * anticipating 10 PCSAR students, 4-5 corporate sponsor students

Suppliers
none yet confirmed available Recommenders:
 * CASARA considering
 * can supply helicopter, trainer for all but spotting - although training is not their focus
 * can supply helicopter, trainer for all but spotting - although training is not their focus. Has done something similar for Sparwood SAR
 * SRD approached
 * Waterton Park approached
 * approached
 * Kananaskis Country: supplied
 * Rossland SAR: supplied
 * Sparwood SAR: requested
 * Foothills SAR: requested
 * CNP SAR: requested
 * RCMP : requested