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H1 Helipad Access


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And this is how that would read at the Tribunal,

'Freewheel did knowingly disregard a TC regulation after make a medical diagnosis that he acknowledges he is not competent to make'.

How do you think that will play out?

RD

If that turned out to be the case, then so be it. And it certainly wouldn't surprise me either. I would not sit by and watch someone die if I believed it was going to happen.

If the intent of the law is to ensure compliance with all regulations even when the result is denying someone critical medical care or leads to much more severe results, then there is a problem. Especially, if the pilot fully understands the risks associated with the deviance from the regulation, assesses the hazard and risks and does everything within his power to mitigate those risks.

I understand the purpose for the regulation is ensure safety of the public, however the likelihood of the requirement for an emergency landing due to engine failure in a turbine helicopter during 1 approach is miniscule to the point it is insignificant. Continued operation under those conditions could result in a "predictable surprise" and preventing these surprises should be the intent of the regulation...in my opinion of course.

How can you be so certain of the outcome of a hypothetical case before you even know any of the details?

Suppose, after the fact, the medical professionals determined that the pilot's efficient delivery of the patient to the hospital did indeed likely save the person's life or prevent further serious injury...

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You can't plan to do things Illegally. So the written medivac plan for logging support is to do a hover entry for an injured person, but really your just going to long-line with a standard non approved for class D line. The written medivac plan is to fly to the nearest airport to meet an ambulance, but really your just going straight the H1 pad at the hospital. The company covered themselves, no pressure on you of course. But really the actual plan is to shift liability to the PIC, instead of providing the PIC with the prober tools to do the job, because MONEY.

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Freewheel,

 

You're not getting it. You have to stop thinking like a pilot. The 'Hero Defence' doesn't fly anymore (pun intended).

 

Obviously TC, in their minds, has determined that the danger to the public is not insignificant hence the Cat A requirement. The delay in getting the patent to the hospital is acceptable to them when weighed against the danger to the public. You can argue turbine engine safety stats until the cows come home. They have already done their Risk Assessments and the Cat A requirement is the result.

 

Also if the patient survives his/her injuries a charge of endangering his/her safety would most likely be added to your charges.

 

 

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Oh come on. You're not going to just roll over and quit are you.

I'm not looking for a fight. Just stating my position and what I would do in a true emergency. This really doesn't affect my operations very much. At least not currently, anyway.

 

I've only ever run into the need to fly to a hospital helipad once. It was in Northern Ontario and the pad was not H1. I was flying a pilot who was injured when the compressor blew apart, he autorotated with 2 passengers onboard. Had to extend his glide to reach a forestry cut, landed with low rotor and rolled it on his side. The aircraft went up in flames, burned for 2 days and started a forest fire. I found him by flying to the plume of black smoke I saw from 30 miles back.

 

The pilot was the only one with serious injuries and I flew him direct to the hospital. Had it been an H1 pad I likely would have done the same. Just saying.

 

The fine would be worth the price of admission to Tribunal when they tried to charge me with endangering the patients life who I may have saved. That I'd like to see.

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No fight, just a spirited discussion.

 

I have had a lot of experience with dedicated and Ad Hoc medevac and ambulance flying and I have had a lot of discussions with regulators and customers about what they consider acceptable landing sites for those flights.

 

I'm sure I don't have to tell you that your responsibility as a pilot is the safe operation of your aircraft. Any medical considerations are outside your area of expertise and responsibility. Those are determined by the regulator/customer with regard to their greater responsibility to the general public.

 

Currently I am flying an S92 in Halifax. Now, in case of a medevac from offshore, I could physically do an ad-libbed GPS / Airborne Radar let down into the Halifax harbour area and land directly at the QEII hospital pad for all the good and noble reasons. However, doing that would break so many regulations and endanger so many people, starting with my crew, then the patient, the doctor, hospital personnel, the public. You get the idea.

 

I'm sure you would agree that it would be seriously irresponsible of me to do such a thing and that's the point of regulations. It is to protect the public from us making poor decisions in the heat of the moment. So I land my medevac flights at the airport and the patient gets transferred to an ambulance for a 40 minute ride to the hospital.

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