AFTERMATH

D E L I V E R I N G G L O B A L C O V E R A G E O F T H E H E L I C O P T E R I N D U S T R Y

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I N T E R N A T I O N A L

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1218 34 44

ISSUE 34

C O N T E N T S

r E g U l a r f E a T U r E S

From the Editor 3

New Deliveries and Orders 5

New Products and Services 7

Subscription Page 53

Personal Profile - Francisco Torres 64

HElITECH UK – grOWINg WITH THE INDUSTrY

As a regular exhibitor at Helitech,

Heli Ops gives the run down on this year’s

successful event. 12

KaTrINa – IN THE EYE Of THE afTErmaTHDustin Black visits New Orleans in the wake

of the natural disaster that left the world’s

most powerful nation powerless to protect

its people. He writes of the area’s eventual

saviour – the helicopter. 18

pUTTINg THE bEST TO THE TESTHeli Ops joins the Alpine Rescue Unit of SAGF

and GdF air sections where their mountain

rescue techniques are put to the test in

the extreme northwest of Italy. 34

lEE COUNTY’S gUarDIaN aNgElSMedstar –the small but highly efficient air

operation of Lee County EMS has become an

indispensable name for the residents

of southwest Florida. 44

mD’S NEW HElmSWOmaN mEaNS bUSINESS

Lynn Tilton of Patriarch Partners earlier this

year became the new owner of MD Helicopters.

We ask her how she plans to make MD the

industry’s comeback story of the decade. 54

COvEr SHOT bY Petty Officer Kyle Niemi, UScG

THE ONLY THING IT LACKS IS AN EQUAL.

THE NEW BENCHMARK.

The AB139 is more than a new aircraft; it is the new benchmark for executive helicopters. Designed from the ground up to meet the rigorous standards of those who demand the best,the AB139 surpasses all other medium twin-engine helicopters in speed, performance, safety, ride quality, and passenger cabin space. From its sleek design to its state-of-the-artHoneywell avionics to its luxurious accommodations and low noise signature, the AB139 is setting new standards.

2301 Horizon Drive, Ft. Worth, TX 76177-5300, tel 817.278.9600, www.bellagusta.com

7649_2 Corp_VIP_HeliOps.indd 1 5/20/05 7:20:43 AM

THE ONLY THING IT LACKS IS AN EQUAL.

THE NEW BENCHMARK.

The AB139 is more than a new aircraft; it is the new benchmark for executive helicopters. Designed from the ground up to meet the rigorous standards of those who demand the best,the AB139 surpasses all other medium twin-engine helicopters in speed, performance, safety, ride quality, and passenger cabin space. From its sleek design to its state-of-the-artHoneywell avionics to its luxurious accommodations and low noise signature, the AB139 is setting new standards.

2301 Horizon Drive, Ft. Worth, TX 76177-5300, tel 817.278.9600, www.bellagusta.com

7649_2 Corp_VIP_HeliOps.indd 1 5/20/05 7:20:43 AM

It seems lately that every time I sit down to write the editorial, some disaster has struck somewhere in the world. In this case, devastating earthquakes appear to have destroyed over 100,000 lives in Pakistan, India and

Afghanistan. Millions have been left homeless and yet again the helicopter is being called on for its utility and life saving qualities. Many affected areas in Pakistan were inaccessible due to landslides and heavy rain that followed, and Pakistan’s President Musharraf called for cargo-carrying helicopters to help his nation. At the time of writing, 30 helicopters were being used to ferry supplies and people, but the UN said that at least three times that many were needed. But highlighting the sometimes hazardous nature of the helicopter work, Pakistan had lost a military helicopter and its six crew. Just a few months earlier, Australia had lost a Sea King and its crew during disaster support efforts in Indonesia.

In just a few short months we have witnessed disasters in South Asia (tsunami), USA (hurricanes) and the Indian sub-continent. The Paris-based International Council for Science says that the world will witness more deadly natural disasters as global warming accelerates and population growth goes on unchecked, putting large numbers of people at risk. In a report to its annual general assembly in Suzhou in China, the group said that there are now 2,800 natural disasters per decade and that last year, natural disasters cost around US$140 billion.

Although nations respond to these emergencies as each one occurs, there is a danger that the occurrence of these disasters will become so commonplace that the individual national efforts may

diminish over time; or that politics will play an even greater role in determining the level of response. Current efforts are, in general, reactive and take time to pull together and the responses can be disparate. For example, the UN Secretary General noted that three weeks after the quake, the UN had only received firm commitments for only 12 percent of the appeal to help Pakistan, whereas the tsunami appeal was more than 80 per cent funded within 10 days after the disaster. Anan said that the effort needed, among other things, more helicopters.

Is it time for the UN to establish self-contained helicopter response teams that can deploy anywhere and anytime? I know the UN is a bureaucratic behemoth but it may be the only organisation sufficiently neutral to pull such a concept together and have it work across national boundaries. Just a thought.

Since the last issue, the UK held its biennial Helitech event and according to organisers, it was the best yet. There was certainly some impressive machinery there and there’s a wrap-up report in this issue. Two things struck me though. First, companies are producing simulation products that address nearly every aspect of the industry. Low cost, fixed-base products for small operators up to the more complex and motion-based systems for bigger companies. Second, we had a chance to meet Lynn Tilton, the new owner of MD Helicopters. She certainly appears to have a serious commitment to the company and if anyone can bring MD back to life, she can. MD builds a good product but operators have been having troubles getting spares and support. I hope that things are turning around. We would like to hear from MD operators about how things are going and if they are seeing improvements. n

mark Ogden

PUBliSHerNeville (Ned) Dawson

eDitOrmark Ogden

DePUty eDitOrrob Neil

US eDitOrDustin black

UK eDitOrSarah bowen

itAliAN cOrreSPONDeNtDamiano gualdoni

ScANDiNAviAN cOrreSPONDeNtrickard gilberg

PrOJect mANAGerCathy Horton

PrOOfreADerbarbara mcIntosh

DeSiGNgraphic Design Services ltd

Pre-PreSSCrosspoint media ltd

PriNtiNGprint World

eDitOriAl ADDreSSOceania group Intl pO box 37 978, parnell auckland, New Zealand pHONE: + 64 21 757 747 faX: + 64 9 528 3172

emAilinfo@oceania-group.com

WeBSitewww.heliopsmag.com

is published by Oceania group Intl. Contents are copyright and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. most articles are commisioned but quality contributions will be considered. Whilst every care is taken Oceania group Intl accept no responsibility for submitted material. all views expressed in HeliOps are not necessarily those of Oceania group Intl.

f r O m T H E E D I T O r

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5

SpECIalIST SImSpecialist Aviation Services has introduced a new mobile Helicopter Flight Training Device. The company says that it is now able to undertake mandatory instrument flying training for Police Air Operations at a fraction of the cost of using its own aircraft and it is also able to offer significant savings on IR courses to other utility helicopter operators and pilots.The Flight Navigation Procedural Trainer is the first of its type in the UK and it has recently achieved a Level 2 qualification. This means that most of the flying can now be done in the simulator, rather than in the air. The company’s Full IR course previously required a minimum of 40 hours in the air but now, with the new simulator, this figure is down to only 15 hours.

bEll rINgS Up #5 TO TUCSONThe Tucson Police Department has been using Bell Helicopter’s 206B JetRangers for more than 20 years and 50,000 accident free flight hours. Continuing their connection with Bell, the Tucson Police recently took delivery of their fifth 206B-3, the first delivery in an order of two helicopters for the department. The JetRanger is used to respond to burglaries, armed robberies, serious auto accidents, missing person searches as well as providing aerial photo opportunities for investigators.

UK NEWSCOpTErThe second R44 Newscopter in the UK has entered service for ad-hoc filming work in North England with Hields Aviation.

EUrOCOpTEr 145 SUCCESSLaunched in 2002, orders for the twin-engine EC145 presently stand at 85, and more than 75 have already entered service. During the first eight months of 2005, new orders for 18 EC145s have been booked, mainly for EMS customers in North America (8) and Latin America (3). The London Metropolitan Police Authority is the latest law enforcement agency to have selected the EC145 with three due to be delivered in 2006.

fIrST 139 fOr NOrWaYNorwegian helicopter and fixed wing operator Lufttransport has accepted delivery of an AB139. Configured as a twelve passenger offshore aircraft it will be used for passenger transport operations in Northern Norway. According to Agusta/Westland, this AB139 is the first to be delivered for scheduled passenger transport operations and the first to start operations in Northern Europe.

IrISH EC135The Irish Air Corps, the air element of the Irish Defence Forces, has taken delivery of the first of two EC 135 P2 helicopters in late September. The second aircraft is due in October. As part of the Air Corps’ fleet upgrade programme, the EC135s will be used primarily for pilot training, EMS and Army support.

THE bIg frENCHmaNThe EC 725 has entered service with the French Air Force, and its civil brother the EC 225, has begun operations with Bristow Helicopters in the offshore market in the North Sea. A total of 30 orders for the EC 225/EC725 have been booked to date. The EC 225 first flew in November 2000 and the maiden flight of the first serial production helicopter took place on June 24, 2004.

mD ON THE marCHThe Huntington Beach Police Department has purchased a fourth MD 520N. The department, with one of the longest-running airborne law enforcement programs in the country, has operated MD 500 series helicopters for most of its 33 years in operation. The new MD 520N replaces a similar model that has accumulated more than 13,000 flight hours. Cumulatively, the department has flown more than 100,000 hours over its history, just over 22,000 hours in NOTAR-equipped aircraft.The Dortek Company, a leading Turkish industrial and commercial door manufacturer, has ordered an MD 600N for its operations in Istanbul. The company will use its aircraft for transporting personnel to various sites in and around Istanbul. Two individuals, Patrik Snajdr of Klatvoy in the Czech Republic , and Paul Davis, of Oregon have each ordered an MD 520N. It is the first MD product for Snajdr but is the second for Davis, who previously operated an MD 500D.

N E W D E l I v E r I E S a N D O r D E r S

109s TO aIrlIfTSeattle-based Airlift Northwest has taken delivery of two A109 Power EMS helicopters with four Agusta Grands to follow. Airlift also will be the EMS launch customer in the United States for the 109 Grand.

a KOala IN amErICaThe Phoenix Police Air Support Unit has decided to purchase two A119 Koala helicopters. This selection takes place just a few months after the Phoenix Police & Fire Departments took delivery of their first multi-role twin engine A109 Power helicopter. The Koala helicopters will be configured with new high technology mission specific electronic equipment for the law enforcement role. The Air Support Unit was established in 1973, with one helicopter and now operates a fleet of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. The Koalas will replace its ageing MD520Ns.

250 KEEpS ON KEEpINg ONRolls-Royce and PZL-Swidnik have signed an agreement for the supply of 10 Rolls-Royce Model 250-C20R engines to the Polish helicopter manufacturer. The engines will be delivered during 2006 in support of the SW-4 light-single helicopter programme. PZL-Swidnik is now investigating the potential development of a growth version of the SW-4, and has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Rolls-Royce to investigate powering the new variant with the 650 shp Model 250-C30.

N E W p r O D U C T S a N D S E r v I C E S

HElICOpTEr pUlSEThe new Pulselite 3060 Starlight recognition system has been introduced for helicopter use. This system allows pilots to pulse two lamps at up to 500 watts each, compared to the existing recognition systems at 250 watts per channel or 4 channels at 600 watts each. The Pulselite® 3060 has the patented TCAS/TCAD tie-in that gives the product great versatility by automatically activating the Pulselite when traffic advisories are issued by the TCAS system. The initial installation at Blue Hawaiian Helicopters has proved to be simple. According to Precise Flight, the 3060 encapsulates the latest in technology and reliability, as it was developed with the same technology used for large transport aircraft such as the Boeing 737. The Pulselite 3060 is available for shipment and installation and is priced under US$1,500.

avOIDINg ObSTaClESEADS and DRS Technologies have agreed to collaborate on US marketing and production of the EADS HELLAS laser-based obstacle warning system that offers protection for helicopters against difficult-to-detect obstacles, such as power lines.

This agreement covers the EADS Defence Electronics’ HELLAS-W (Warning) obstacle warning system, which already is in operation on Federal German Police helicopters, and the new HELLAS-A (Awareness) obstacle warning system, which is in development for the German Forces NH90 helicopters and has been identified for potential use with US military forces, following a US Foreign Comparative Test (FCT) evaluation of a HELLAS-W system in 2002-2003.

HELLAS is an early-warning laser radar-based device designed for helicopters that reliably detects obstacles in the flight path, such as power lines and poles, which are difficult to detect visually during flight. The system probes its surroundings with an eye-safe laser beam and can recognize even thin wires at significant distances with high precision. HELLAS also is effective in detecting obstacles, such as trees and wind turbines.

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TT ad HO2.indd 2 6/23/05 1:43:09 PM

COOl aIr fOr THE rObbIEAfter two years of design effort, working to maximize its efficiency and reduce its weight, Robinson is now offering air conditioning in the R44 Raven II. In the Robinson tradition, it is a simple, lightweight system designed to reduce humidity and provide air-conditioned comfort throughout the cabin. Each seat is equipped with individual overhead vents providing 250 CFM total airflow. The 33lb system uses the latest automotive refrigerant and has 12,000 BTU/hr cooling capacity. The evaporator and fan are mounted to the aft cabin bulkhead, preserving all four baggage compartments. During operation the system uses approximately 3 hp and is controlled by a toggle switch with off, low, and high fan settings. The compressor is engaged when the fan is switched on and automatically disengages when the engine is near full throttle to ensure maximum aircraft performance. The system is priced at US $18,000 and will be sold as optional equipment in the R44 Raven II only. It is not yet an option for the Clipper II and is not available for retrofit. Deliveries of new air conditioned ships will begin in 2006.

ClEvEr CamEraOakland County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit, based in Pontiac, Michigan, has recently purchased the Gyrocam IR for installation on their Astar 350 helicopter. The Gyrocam IR combines thermal imaging with a high resolution color camera in a single, lightweight gimbal. The 800-line, 3-chip color camera provides clear, crisp images, recording every detail in all weather conditions. The integrated 3 to 5 micron infrared sensor can capture differences in heat signatures in either traditional black and white, or as color enhanced images. The Gyrocam IR allows the operator to view images from both the thermal imager and color camera.

THUmbS Up fOr aIr ambUlaNCEThe residents of East San Gabriel Valley look to be getting an EMS helicopter with a dedicated crew to serve the east Valley’s calls for trauma care. The annual cost of the air ambulance with three staff positions will be about US$400,000. The service is to begin January 1 next year and all cases will be flown to Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center trauma unit.

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mObIlE SUrvEIllaNCEIntegrian, Inc.is extending its product reach to include mobile surveillance for police helicopters and motorcycles. Integrian develops and manufactures the DigitalPatroller mobile video surveillance system for police and other public safety vehicles. Integrian’s motorcycle system is programmed to record automatically using system triggers such as flashing lights, and is stopped by means of the same triggers, with an optional post-record buffer. Minimal user interaction is required so the officer can focus on the situation at hand which is particularly critical on a motorcycle. The camera is a compact, wide-angle, weatherproof unit. In the air, DigitalPatroller fully integrates with all existing gyro-stabilized cameras inside the helicopter. Likewise, the product captures incoming radio traffic from the chopper’s existing audio system, eliminating the need for a dedicated microphone. The pilot’s MDT becomes the client, server and burner all in one unit, so officers can capture incidents, download onto DVD and hand off critical evidence immediately in the field.

arDIDEN rUNTurbomeca’s latest engine, the Ardiden has successfully run and so the development and test phases can now proceed. Developed in cooperation with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) under an industrial partnership contract signed in February 2003, Turbomeca says that this engine is designed to be simple and robust using high levels of modern technology, with a cost of ownership much lower than that proposed by competitors. The Ardiden 1H turbo-shaft engine (called Shakti in India) will first be used to power the twin-engine Dhruv helicopter developed by HAL. This aircraft offers a take-off load of 5,500kg. Its entry into service is planned for March 2007. It will initially serve the Indian Armed Forces. For this purpose, several hundred engines will be produced in the next 10 years.

bEll gETS NEW SOfTWarERight Hemisphere’s flagship enterprise software, called ‘Deep Server’, addresses a new category of enterprise software called Product Graphics Management (PGM). PGM integrates CAD/PDM and publishing applications, automates 2D and 3D graphics publishing processes, and manages product graphics in all leading modelling and graphic formats. Bell has purchased Right Hemisphere’s PGM software suite, which is expected to support all Bell product and service lines, including the needs of its training, marketing, product support, technical publications, and virtual reality simulation teams based in the headquarters outside of Fort Worth, Texas. The PGM software will automate and integrate what were manual processes for generating 3D product graphics.

HONEYWEll SHIpS NEW ENgINEHoneywell has shipped the initial prototype HTS900 turboshaft engine to Bell Helicopter for design integration into the Model 407X helicopter. Honeywell says that the engine includes a newly designed dual-channel full authority digital engine control (FADEC) that is meant to reduce pilot workload and simplify maintenance. The HTS900 was selected by Bell Helicopter last February to power the Model 407X. The HTS900 produces more than 925 shaft horsepower at takeoff power rating at sea level on a standard day.

N E W p r O D U C T S a N D S E r v I C E S

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‘HOSTED-gUEST prOgrammE’ TOpS THE bIll aS DaTES fOr INTErNaTIONal HElI TraDE 2006 arE aNNOUNCED

Dates of the second International Heli Trade

(26 - 28 September 2006) have been confirmed along

with the announcement of several initiatives for the

next event designed to enhance the experience for both

attendees and exhibitors.

These include a ‘hosted-guest programme’ aimed at Europe’s

top specifiers and an extended social programme to provide

more opportunities for networking between attendees and

exhibitors.

Participants who qualify for the hosted-guest programme

will enjoy subsidised travel and accommodation,

complimentary attendance at the associated conferences

and a pre-arranged meeting schedule. The highlight of the

social programme will be the Gala Dinner which will take

place on the opening night.

Event director Moira Edwards comments, ‘The hosted-guest

programme has been very well received by both returning

and new customers. It shows our absolute commitment to

building on the quality audience

who came to the first event. With this and the other new

initiatives we’ll be introducing over the next few months,

everyone who participates in

2006 will get even more out

of International Heli Trade.’

Work is also underway on a

series of niche conferences

to take place alongside

International Heli Trade. The

first to

be announced is Airborne

Response Europe.

This will be a pan-European

version of the Airborne

Response UK conference

which took place at Oxford

Airport, UK in May this

year which was widely

acknowledged as a pivotal

event in the development

of a ‘joined-up’ UK airborne

response. More info can be

obtained from: http://www.

internationalhelitrade.com/

The UK’s premier helicopter event, Helitech was

held this year at the Imperial War Museum Duxford

near Cambridge north of London. Run by Spearhead

Exhibitions and managed by Sue Bradshaw, the

biennial event has been growing strongly over

recent years. “Helitech 05 was a great success, with

exhibitors reporting they had an excellent show,”

commented Bradshaw. “We had quite a few reports

of sore feet and being too busy, so it must have

been a good show!”

Helitech UKGrowing

indUstry thewith

story by mark ogden Photos by mark & rhys ogden

14

While still a small show compared to

Heli Expo in the USA, Helitech this year

had 263 exhibitors from 18 countries.

There was an increase in floor space of

almost 25% on 2003. Visitor figures were

7,600, an increase of 1,100 or 17% on the

2003 event. Big orders aren’t announced

here but it provides a gauge for how the

industry is doing in the UK.

Bradshaw says that as it is a niche

event for a fairly small industry, the

show does tend to follow the ups and

downturns in the industry. “For example,

if a manufacturer has a new model on

the go, then they might take a large

area in the hall to display a mock-up but

once it has been manufactured we lose

that space as the real helicopter will

be outside either in the static display

or flying!” There has been a noticeable

change in the UK industry. One operator

above: harrods Aviation had a

privately owned s-92 on display

which attracted a lot of attention.

above left: two potential

customers check out the interior

of starspeed’s EC155 prior to a

demonstration flight.

above right: bristow helicopter’s

brand new EC225 was bought

down from Aberdeen for the

day and conducted a couple of

demonstration flights.

When we changed to a

3-day event, the public

day went, as did the

flying display, and it is

now a far more business-

orientated show.

commented that because there are

more wealthy people in UK these days,

their time is money and one of the most

efficient ways of moving around the

country is by helicopter, especially as the

motorways at certain times of the day

around London are more like car parks.

Reflecting the economy, the corporate

and offshore sectors were certainly well

represented. Bristow was showing off its

new EC225, Lufttransport had its AB139,

(oil workers travelling to work in leather

seats; how the world has changed!), while

Air Harrods and Sikorsky had a private

S-92 on show along with some very well

equipped and exquisite EC155s, S-76s and

a Bell 430. Interestingly, one helicopter

that drew significant attention was a fully

restored UH-1H Huey. In a land not used

to seeing these incredible warhorses, the

attention it drew was quite remarkable.

MD Helicopter is back! The

importance of the UK market to MD was

shown when the new boss, Patriarch’s

CEO Lynn Tilton attended and made

herself available for interviews; gladly

espousing the return of the company. The

Explorer is popular with the police forces

in the UK and its local representative

appeared reinvigorated with the

involvement of the new MD owners.

Patriarch manages over US$5 billion in

investment funds and already put US$150

million into the company. According

16

Testfile-1.indd 1 16/5/05 9:18:47 am

to Tilton, she and her company are

determined to make MD succeed.

Simulation received a lot of attention

at this event, with everything from

motion and fixed-base to virtual reality

on show. One of the more interesting

products was a head mounted system

that permitted crewmen to practice

winching procedures without ever

leaving the ground! Because aircraft are

becoming so much more expensive to fly,

operators need to seriously incorporate

high and low fidelity simulation for initial

training and ongoing currency.

Helitech was launched in Aberdeen in

1986 by Spearhead Exhibitions and moved

to Redhill in Surrey in 1987. It ran every

two years and the last Redhill show was

1999 after which it moved to Duxford.

Bradshaw said that because Redhill was

quite a waterlogged site, the decision was

made to a more ‘weather-proof’ venue.

“Duxford has proved to be a very

popular venue with both exhibitors and

visitors so there are no plans to move

from this venue.”

Bradshaw says there are no plans to

change the current 3-day format. “It used

to be a 4-day show, with the final day

open to the public,” she said. “This was

back when we had flying displays. When

we changed to a 3-day event, the public

day went, as did the flying display, and

it is now a far more business-orientated

show. This has the exhibitors backing.”

“One of the things we’ve done

particularly well over the last two shows

is to encourage smaller companies to

exhibit by having a First Time Exhibitor

Zone. The small booths are carefully

priced to encourage these companies to

‘test the water’ in a show they might not

have previously considered.”

“We will continue to grow the show

to the best of our ability. We send out

questionnaires pre- and post-show to

both exhibitors and visitors to canvass

opinion on what they want to see, and

then try to arrange it!”

Helitech will return to Duxford in

2007 with planned dates for the event

being the 2nd to 4th October 2007, so

mark your calendars! n

Lufttransport had its AB139 on show, (oil workers travelling to work in leather seats; how the world has changed!).

right: Local Agusta dealer, sloane

helicopters, had the first UK

registered A109 Grand on display,

and was one of the most popular

aircraft at the show.

Dustin Black visited New Orleans in the wake of the natural

disaster that destroyed this modern city and left the world’s

most powerful nation powerless to protect its people.

He writes of the area’s eventual saviour – the helicopter.

AFtErMAtHEyE of the

k a t r i n ain

the

C O V e r F e a t U r e

story by dustin black

Photo courtesy Us Army reserve

20

in the early hOUrs of 28 August,

Katrina – a category-5 hurricane swept

the gulf coastal region of the United

States. Within hours she had left in her

deadly wake almost 100 miles of coastline

from Mobile, Alabama to the Barrier

Islands of Louisiana, and New Orleans,

under water.

The eye of the hurricane passed just

to the east of the city of New Orleans,

which sits in a cistern-like shallow bowl,

30 ft (10m) below sea level, with Lake

Pontchartrain at its northern border. Many

had feared the impact that a storm of this

magnitude (referred to as a ‘hundred-year

storm’), would have on the region.

In the Gulf of Mexico the difference

between high and low tide is typically

around one to three feet (less than one

meter). During a storm these tides

can surge causing waves of up to 50 ft

(15 m). In the past, the city has survived

category-3 storms using systems put

in place by Civil and Army Corps of

Engineers to pump excess rain waters

from canals and run off ditches into Lake

Pontchartrain. However, these systems

just couldn’t cope with Hurricane Katrina–

neither it seemed could the authorities.

In New Orleans an evacuation plan

went into effect 24 hours before the storm

made landfall. While most people heeded

warnings and those with good sense (and

the capability to do so) joined the massive

exodus of the city, several thousand were

either unwilling, or unable to leave. As

Katrina’s torrential rains and fierce winds

destroyed everything in their path, those

who stayed behind soon realized their

mistake.

Remaining residents were instructed

by New Orleans Mayor, Ray Nagin to go

to the Superdome, a sports megaplex,

and wait out the storm there. Nearly

15,000 of New Orleans poorest residents

did just that. Few realized how grim

their situation would become in a

matter of days.

As Katrina’s torrential

rains and fierce winds

destroyed everything in

their path, those who

stayed behind soon

realized their mistake.

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As the storm hit, news teams

began reporting power outages almost

immediately. Although some facilities

such as hospitals and pumping stations

were equipped with backup generators,

these failed within hours as well. News

crews that had set up in advance to cover

the storm were soon forced to head for

areas away from the shores and seek

refuge where they could find it. With

roads flooded, transportation came to a

near standstill and local law enforcement

began limiting access. Bridges along

Interstate Highway 10 (the main east-west

highway) began to collapse, cutting off

coastal sections of Louisiana, Mississippi,

and Alabama.

City UNdEr siEGEStill the storm raged, but worse

was yet to come. New Orleans’ 17th

Street levee broke and water from Lake

Pontchartrain poured into the streets

flooding 85 % of the city – making it

inaccessible to all but helicopter or boat.

The situation at the Superdome was

dire. The ceiling of the stadium all but

blew off, allowing thousands of gallons

of water to pour into what was already

a hot steamy confinement for those

sheltering below. When the power went

out its backup generators only worked

for a short time. A lack of food and water

compounded the chronic overcrowding,

which, with no room to lie down and

flooded by an overloaded sewage system,

became almost unbearable and caused

tempers and violence to flare.

Food, water and sanitation were

becoming the immediate needs of those

in the streets as well. Roving gangs

began looting stores and shooting people.

Although ordered by Mayor Nagin to stem

the tide of looters, the New Orleans Police

would begin the practice themselves as

they tried to collect enough water and

food to survive.

Anarchy ensued as the system broke

above: two Us Navy crewmen

survey what’s left of one of the

many devastated towns along the

coast region of Alabama.

left: this Puma operated by

billings Flying service in Montana

suffered dynamic rollover during

relief operations and the crew was

quickly picked up by a CoastGuard

helo nearby.

bottom left: in some cases it was

impossible to get aircraft out of

the hurricanes way. this s-76 from

houston helicopters was a sorry

sight after undergoing maintenance

at the time the hurricane struck.

oPPosite Page: its hard to imagine

a large city like New orleans

literally underwater, but this is the

scene that greeted rescuers such as

the UsCG and military crews who

arrived in the days following.

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down completely and snipers even

began shooting at rescue personnel

and helicopters. A group of firefighters

and their families were trapped inside

a warehouse by a sniper for two days

as they waited for help to arrive. Mayor

Nagin sent a desperate SOS to the nation.

Within days the Federal Government

ordered troops of the 82nd Airborne

Division, stationed in North Carolina, to

New Orleans to secure the city and assist

state and local police as marshal law was

enacted.

ACross thE GULF CoAstAs Katrina moved further inland the

worst fears were being realized. Towns

such as Biloxi, Gulfport, Bayou La Batre,

Dauphin Island, Pascagoula, Bay St Louis,

Slidell, Port Sulphur, Buras, Venice, Grand

Isle, Fourchon, and Leeville were all

devastated. With Route 10 being the only

main highway running through these

towns it didn’t take long for them to

become isolated and cut off. The quickly

rising water reduced entire towns to

rubble, miles of timber and debris formed

a macabre line of demarcation along the

coast. Large sections of concrete pads,

where houses once provided shelter

against the elements, were now barren.

Reports began circulating of dead

bodies lying in the streets as small groups

of people began looking for lost loved

ones. Local police, though they worked

around the clock, were in reality initially

able to offer little more than a physical

presence.

hELiCoPtErs...ANGELs oF MErCyIn one of the largest rescue efforts

ever conducted by helicopters, 3,500

rescue lifts were executed, 9,197 tons

of supplies and equipment moved,

and medical attention given to over

5,500 people.

toP right: the Katrina rescues were

a team effort in more ways than one.

here a woman is removed from a Us

Coastguard Jayhawk by crewmembers

and emergency services personnel.

above: the look of despair on this

rescuer’s face says it all, as he heads

back to Coast Guard Air station New

orleans in a hh65 dolphin.

above middle: UsCG rescue swimmers

had their hands full – literally. here

patients are being prepared for

winching, including one hospital

patient, still with intravenous tubes

running from their arm.

above right: A Us Navy sh60

crewman assists a local resident from

the helicopter to waiting aid personnel.

At night they used

flashlights or

chem-light sticks, and

a few even set their

own houses on fire to

attract the attention of

passing aircrews.Pe

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The US Coast Guard began flying

missions immediately. Captain Bruce

Jones, commander of the Coast Guard Air

Station in New Orleans recalls, “Our main

focus in the early stages of the rescue

operations was saving lives and assisting

those in need .”

113 Department of Defense (DOD)

helicopters (around half National Guard

and half federal assets) flew 24 hours

a day along the coast and over the city

looking for stranded victims. During

the day victims waved towels, shirts or

painted distress signs on houses or large

pieces of plywood pleading for assistance;

“4 people here. Need food & water”; “Ice

for Medicine”; “Need medical assistance

for 2 people,” and so on. At night they

used flashlights or chem-light sticks, and

a few even set their own houses on fire to

attract the attention of passing aircrews.

Helicopter crews worked day and night

coordinating food and water runs.

USCG Air Crews trained in hoist

rescue procedures implemented their

disaster relief plans. Working 12 hour

above: the Ch-47s provided

continuous heavy lift capabilities

to rescuers. here groundcrew are

about to hook another load of

sandbags to the Chinook to help

plug the breached levee.

far left: in some cases all

that parents had left were their

children, and the clothes on

their backs.

left: the rescue basket is the most

common method used by the UsCG

to rescue people, seen here being

sent up the hoist by the rescue

swimmer who is standing in waist

deep water.

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shifts, flying H-65 Dauphins and HH-60

Jay Hawks, the crews lifted stranded

victims from rooftops, balconies, off

floating debris – often maneuvering

dangerously close to power lines and

between buildings to rescue victims.

The downtown heliport next to the

Superdome became the drop off point

for those rescued inside New Orleans.

As local hospitals reached capacity, the

evacuation soon necessitated moving

patients out of the area as well. Louis

Armstrong International Airport located

10 miles west of downtown New Orleans,

became the casualty evacuation point.

With no air traffic control available

(the result of power outages), military

aircrews flew 24-hour coverage in over

100 helicopters using only their training

and common sense.

National Guard helicopters from

other states soon arrived to assist the

USCG – their UH-60 Blackhawks, UH-1V

Hueys and CH-47 Chinooks all being put

to best use. The Chinooks began lifting

3,000 lb sandbags and concrete barriers,

dropping them into the breached areas

of the levee. Army Corps of engineers

constructed a makeshift road and used

heavy equipment to shore up breaks as Petty

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above: A haverfield helicopters Md500d

sits next to a power station which is

underwater. the company’s helicopters flew

teams around Alabama inspecting all the

power generating facilities.

right: When Lake Ponchartrain breached

the levees, all of downtown New orleans

became submerged, freeways included.

best they could to slow the flow of water.

A large challenge was clearing debris

away from the affected area. The US Air

Force flew CH-53s and C-17 transport

planes to carry supplies and personnel

into the area and established a tent city

at the airport for military personnel.

The 621st Contingency Response Team

from McGuire AFB in New Jersey was

responsible for setting up the airport base

operations.

The US Navy sent the carrier USS

Harry S Truman, the dock landing ship

USS Whidbey and the USNS Arctic,

to provide fuel and supplies for naval

support along with USNS Comfort, a

hospital ship capable of dealing with

some of the overflow from land-based

hospitals. The USS Grapple, with 31

navy divers aboard, was sent to assist

in underwater survey and maritime

operations. US Customs also assisted by

sending their black and gold UH-60s.

Louisiana State Police deployed

their BH 206B III, BH 206L4, two BH 430s

and three surplus Army OH-58A+s.

Their air detachment began flying at

05:00 hrs on the morning of the storm.

Within minutes of arriving in the New

Orleans area, the first official reports

AboVE: the majority of

coastal areas of Missisippi

and Alabama were completely

destroyed. hurricane Katrina

spared nothing in its path.

LEFt: roads into and out of

biloxi, Ms were cut. Large

concrete slabs making up

bridges were just torn off

as though they were made

of paper.

Ala

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of highway damage were relayed back

to HQ – the twin-span leading across

Lake Pontchartrain was destroyed. Brett

McCloud, deputy command pilot and

command pilot Bob Craigo encountered

winds in excess of 60 mph (52 knots) even

after the storm had passed.

Other state police across the country

sent helicopters to assist; California

Highway Patrol sent three Astars,

Los Angeles County Sheriff – an H3,

Virginia State Police sent a BK 117, and

the Kentucky Highway Patrol a 206L3.

Most of these machines were used for

surveillance and to move tactical teams

as well as state and local officials as

required. Though they lacked hoists or

slings, Louisiana State Police’s helicopters

flew many missions carrying internal

loads of food, water and medical supplies.

Alabama State Troopers used seven

government surplus OH-58A+s and one

Bell 206L1 in the southern part of the

state to conduct a myriad of operations

involving logistics and personnel.

Dauphin Island and sections

southwest of Mobile Bay were the primary

focus of areas hit by Katrina, where most

of the damage was due to the 25 ft storm

surge. After the second day, operations

in Alabama slowed and the state sent

60 Troopers and two helicopters to

neighboring Mississippi. Between 30

August and 6 September, pilots flew to

various isolated sections of the Gulf Coast

looking for signs of survivors.

On the civilian side, several companies

also contributed to the rescue and

logistical aid. At FEMA’s request, Bell

Helicopter sent six helicopters to Lafayette,

LA – a Bell 430, a 206 L4, and four 407s (one

of which was NVG-equipped).

Billings Flight Service of Montana

– which, notably, also provided

support during the Tsunami last year

in Indonesia, responded to Memorial

Hospital’s request for help by sending a

SA 330 J Super Puma and a UH-1H Huey

to help evacuate patients to North Shore

Memorial in Slidell. The company spent

five days evacuating two hospitals and

a geriatric-housing project. Pilot Almon

Blain was moved by the commitment of

the hospital staff; “My heart really goes

out to these folks left behind. There was

so much to do; those hospital workers

worked for 36 hours straight – they really

wanted to save those people...there was

even a doctor trying to save animals.”

The operational tempo of the area

took its toll on equipment and people.

Unfortunately a dynamic rollover

accident claimed Billings’ SA 330 J during

the course of the operation – though

thankfully resulting in no more serious

injuries than a few minor cuts and

bruises; the USCG was on the scene

within five minutes to carry the pilot and

crew to safety.

right: Crews from haverfield are

usually involved in working on

powerlines, however their first role

in Katrina relief ops was to fly

around law enforcement personnel

to control looting and disturbances.

beloW: As the relief efforts

continued, the number of

helicopters working in the region

grew, – the majority of them being

based at New orleans intl Airport.

beloW right: Flights were

conducted from dawn till dusk.

both Jayhawks and hh65s were

used to ferry people from their

homes to a downtown heliport in

New orleans.

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28

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role in restoration of the grid system in

Puerto Rico after Hurricane George in

1998, so its expertise and experience

were now called upon to do the same

on Katrina-ravaged home soil. Two

helicopters were dispatched to Entergy

for assessment and personnel transport

– which continued to be a priority.

One helicopter (and one airplane)

were dispatched to Alabama Power for

assessment while Mississippi Power

utilized the remaining helicopter for

back-up assessment.

While restoration of power was a

priority, Haverfield’s work was hampered

by the lack of communication and

inability to mobilize ground resources.

Nevertheless its preliminary assessments

assisted in the development of an

effective recovery plan.

Haverfield’s first scheduled mission

upon arrival was to have been a late

afternoon flight from Baton Rouge to

New Orleans Superdome. After several

delays the mission ultimately had to be

scrubbed as darkness made flying into an

un-lit New Orleans unsafe. The next day’s

planned flights to the Superdome were

likewise unsuccessful; its helicopters

and crew reached New Orleans metro

area, only to be advised by the airborne

ATC, OMAHA44, that gunfire had been

reported in the vicinity of the Superdome

and technicians made the prudent

decision to abort and reassess.

Haverfield flew an Entergy supervisor

to evaluate the condition of several New

Orleans substations, determining not

only their condition – whether they were

submerged or not, but also how best to

reach them for servicing, whether by boat

or road.

At one power plant, the entire area

had been completely cut off, stranding 18

workers inside. Haverfield’s helicopters

rescued all the workers, several of their

dogs and all their equipment. Half were

extracted late one evening and the

remainder the next morning. During the

last flight out, pilots and power workers

reported gunfire.

The company also flew General

Electric technicians to Port Fourchon,

located at the very southern tip of LA to

assess the feasibility of towing a barge

from TX, equipped with a huge generator

to restore power to the pumping system

used to off-load oil from supertankers;

the pumping station had limited power,

but the additional generator could increase

Haverfield Corporation, a

Pennsylvania helicopter contractor

servicing the electric utility industry,

mobilized four MD 500s to the Gulf region

on the day of the storm at the request

of Entergy in Louisiana – the southern

company which incorporates Mississippi

Power, Alabama Power, Georgia Power,

Gulf Power and Savannah Electric.

Haverfield’s helicopters played a key

Us

Arm

y Ph

oto

Why just FIGHT fire when you can ATTACK it?Fly more efficiently. Fill tanks more quickly. Fight fires more effectively. Do all this and more with the improved Fire Attack tank from Simplex. New composite materials are significantly reducing tank weights, and we’ll soon introduce a high-speed hover pump that will slash fill times.

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oil flow by 40,000 barrels per hour.

Another mission involved flying with

members of the Baton Rouge sheriff

department’s SWAT team assigned as

escorts; each member equipped with

a R-15 weapon and two 9mm pistols.

After picking up a technician at the

Transmission Operations Center (TOC)

in downtown New Orleans, the mission

included line assessments and landing at

a disabled power plant whose controlling

computers were still on-line and needed

to be shut down to prevent a dangerous

restart in the event of a premature

restoration of power.

Yet another mission required Haverfield

flying a line supervisor to coordinate a

Bell 212 in removing trees from a line that

powered a pump – critical to the effort of

pumping water from the city.

Evergreen Helicopters of McMinnville,

OR dispatched 20 helicopters to the Gulf,

including two Lamas all the way from

Alaska. Evergreen has an established

base in Galveston, TX, which it used

as the operations center for its relief

efforts. “Our goal was to send all

available assets not on contracts to the

area. We conducted everything from

rescue operations, flying food and water,

above: A Us Army reserve

crewman surveys a flooded

downtown New orleans

from the door of his Uh60

blackhawk.

left: this Jack-Up rig broke

free of its moorings and

jammed itself under the main

bridge into Mobile, Alabama.

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assisting in damage assessment and

evacuating and redeploying offshore

oilfield workers,” said Evergreen’s Jordan

Hanson. “Whatever was needed, if we

were capable of providing it, we did,”

he said. Evergreen’s parent company,

Evergreen International Aviation, has

a long history of helping those in need,

with a division devoted to humanitarian

relief projects – at home and abroad.

David Rath, President of Evergreen

said, “We are glad to be providing our

aircraft to act as angels of mercy in these

efforts...we plan to have our helicopters

helping with everything from rescues to

reconstruction.”

oFFshorE riG dAMAGELocal helicopter companies with

established bases in the disaster-affected

area began assessing their damage

immediately. With nearly 5,500 offshore

structures, it was some time before damage

was assessed to all those in Katrina’s

wake Petroleum Helicopters, Inc (PHI) headquartered in Lafayette, LA, suffered substantial damage to its brand new facility in Boothville, as well as its coastal bases in Grand Isle and Fourchon. The main focus of business was returning offshore oil field

workers to platforms in the Gulf.

Because platform procedures require

total shut-in during hurricane evacuation,

those helicopters requiring refueling

could not rely on offshore facilities to

supply fuel during re-deployment. What

was worse, because coastal bases were

without power, fueling at these locations

was not an option either, so aircrews

had to carry enough fuel for round-trip

operations, necessitating significantly

reduced internal payloads

Air Logistics suffered significant

damage – losing its base of operations on

Highway 23, the south road out of New

Orleans that services Port Sulphur, Buras,

Boothville, and Venice, LA. However,

when, on Sunday 28 August, a desperate

call was received from the Ensco

7500 drilling rig for help, Air Logistics

responded immediately – launching one

214 ST and two S-76 C+ helicopters. A

tug had been attempting to move the rig

from the hurricane’s path when the tow

cable broke and in 15 ft (4.5m) seas and 25

knot winds, the tug was unable to secure

another line, leaving the rig and 35 people

aboard it adrift in perilous seas.

The 214 ST, flown by John Liner and

his co-pilot flew 100 miles (160km) to

reach the rig. “It was very difficult to land

on the platform. The deck was pitching

and rolling and the rig was turning in

very slow circles,” Liner explained. “I’ve

been flying in the Gulf of Mexico for

over 30 years and this is by far the worst

storm I have ever seen.” With the help of

the two S-76s flown by Danny Platt and

Glen Gerard, Air Logistics helicopters

were able to get everyone off the rig

safely – each crew flying one and a half

hours. “I had guys coming up and hugging

my shoulders and shaking my hand

– they were that happy to get off of that

rig,” Liner said.

The following Thursday, crews were

flown back to the rig, which had drifted

some 35 miles (56km) southwest from

the evacuation point, and Air Logistics

repositioned its aircraft to New Iberia,

LA and all their medium-sized aircraft to

Galveston, TX.

As Katrina moved northward through

the offshore oilfields, she devastated

18 rigs and 34 platforms. Of these, five

rigs and 18 platforms were completely

destroyed and four rigs suffered loss

of ballast and were left listing. The

rig Deepwater Nautilus, owned by

Transocean, Inc, suffered significant

structural damage, drifting 80 miles

(128km) and lost 3,200 ft (975 m) of riser

and sub sea systems. In Mobile Bay, AL,

a jack-up rig broke free of the repair

docks and drifted into the Cochran Bridge

under Highway 10. As engineers tried to

come up with a plan to remove it, the

rig floated with the current freeing itself.

Chevron’s drill rig, Ocean Warwick,

broke off its 425 ft (129 m) legs drifting

60 miles (96 km) before beaching itself

near Dauphin Island, AL.

Damage to oil infrastructure may

not yet be fully realised and further

assessments are still underway. There

is still no information available on the

condition of underwater pipelines.

PoLitiCAL storM As the ramifications of the hurricane’s

devastation became apparent, citizens

naturally looked to their elected officials

for assistance – many of whom were far

away from the epicenter. President Bush

remained on vacation at his ranch in

Texas, although he did leave two days

earlier than scheduled and flew over the

affected area in Air Force One on his way

back to Washington, DC. After a briefing

by his cabinet and aides, he returned to

the Gulf States to see the destruction

first-hand, and to witness the desperate

plight of the people involved.

Local Governor, Kathleen Babineaux

Blanco looked like a deer caught

in headlights, unable to make

decisions in response to demands for

immediate action.

As problems intensified, many

officials resorted to blaming their

colleagues rather than focusing on

solutions. While US Senator Mary

Landrieu (LA Democrat) blamed the Bush

administration for cutting funding on

a proposed plan that would have given

Louisiana more money for flood control,

in favor of money for Homeland Security,

it is unlikely that the funding would

have prevented this disaster. What she

should have done was address the poor

performance of her own state officials in

executing the initial evacuation plan.

Senator Trent Lott from Mississippi

went for the jugular of Mike Brown,

director of Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA), for his poor

response time in taking nearly three

full days to set up a crisis center. “If he

helicopters came to the Gulf of Mexico from

all over the Us to assist in relief efforts.

they could all be seen on the tarmac in the

evening undergoing maintenance.

hav

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Michael Chertoff, relieved Brown of his

on-site position on 9 September, sending

him back to Washington, and Brown

resigned his position as FEMA Director on

12 September.

There was a serious breakdown

in leadership at all levels for which,

eventually, the President of the United

States assumed responsibility.

While there is never a shortage of

buses to drive people to the polls on

election day, one had to wonder why

– when a disaster of this scale hit the

State – were the hundreds of buses

parked in a city compound less than a

mile from the Superdome, not used to

transport residents from the overcrowded

Superdome to neighbouring states.

As politicians and officials pointed

the finger and looked for excuses, the Red

Cross arrived in its time-honored manner,

and after establishing a center point,

began distributing aid in the form of

water, blankets, and temporary shelters.

It took less than 24 hours for Jesse

Jackson, the American Civil Liberties

Union (ACLU) and local nay-sayers to

start shouting RACE! Dian Wilkerson, a

local Rep from Boston, MA said, “If they

had been white instead of black, those

people would not have been left there

– the Bush administration has committed

murders on these people.

Jesse Jackson, declared “Racism is

partly to blame for the deadly aftermath

of Hurricane Katrina...the news media

has criminalized the people of New

Orleans by focusing on violence in the

city.” Louis Farrakhan even stated that a

smart bomb had been placed in a certain

section of the levee to flood only the

black neighborhoods!

In a way, none of them were too far off

the mark... it was about race...the Human

Race but nature doesn’t discriminate.

Throughout the crisis, while

politicians dallied, the rest of the nation

proved that when a catastrophe like this

strikes, it does not matter what a person’s

race, religion, or economic background is,

people will rally together and risk their

own lives to save lives. As ever, helicopter

operators and helicopter crews were at

the forefront of rescue efforts. It is hard

to imagine how authorities could have

coped with a disaster on such magnitude

were it not for the unique abilities of these

machines and their dedicated crews. n

doesn’t solve a couple of problems that

we’ve got right now,’ Lott said, “he ain’t

going to be able to hold a job because

what I’m going to do to him ain’t going to

be pretty.” Homeland Security director,

“I had guys coming up and

hugging my shoulders and

shaking my hand – they were

that happy to get off of that rig.”

H E L I C O P T E R S Y S T E M S

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story and Photos by dino marcellino

to the

Putting the BEST

TEST

35

Soccorso Alpino Della Guardia di Finanza – to non-italians, may sound like

it’s straight off an Italian restaurant menu, but in fact, SAGF, as it is more

commonly known, is the highly effective Alpine Rescue Unit of the GdF

(Guardia di Finanza) that conducted over 2,908 successful mountain rescues

in Italy in one year, but even the best of the best have to be tested.

Heli Ops joins the crews of SAGF and GdF air section as they train in the

extreme north-west of Italy.

background Before looking at the SAGF in greater

detail, it is worth briefly outlining the

impressive history of its parent GdF. The

GdF is the oldest police force in Italy

whose origins date back to 1774 when

the King of Sardinia, Vittorio Amedeo III

created a lightly-armed force called the

Legione Truppe Leggere (Light Troops

Legion) specifically to monitor financial

matters and to defend the country’s

borders. In 1881 the Legione Truppe

Leggere became the Guardia di Finanza

and was declared an integral part of

Italy’s armed forces.

The GdF has since had a proud history

of serving its country; the GdF fought

in both world wars and has served the

community well in times of natural

disaster. The Corps’ flag, decorated with

18 military and 13 civil awards, reflects

the recognition of a grateful nation.

Today the GdF’s primary function is

that of an economic and financial police

force, with the roles of safeguarding

revenue and expenditure of European

Union, state and local authorities, and

combating national and international tax

evasion, money-laundering and all other

forms of financial crime including those

involving intellectual property.

In addition, the GdF carries out a

variety of collective tasks relating to

defending the nation’s frontiers and

public security – one of which includes

alpine rescue.

The GdF is a large arm around

67,000 strong. One of its main branches

left: the mountains of Italy

are extremely rugged so

crews have to ensure they

keep their skill levels high.

here two members practice

retrieving a patient from a

near-vertical cliff face.

36

central Italy, to Mount Etna in Sicily at the

extreme south. SAGF personnel –

all GdF volunteers – are trained in

highly advanced rescue techniques at the

Corps’ Alpine School in Pedrazzo.

Rescue teams are equipped with ground

vehicles, specialist mountain rescue

equipment and canine avalanche

search units.

Since SAGF’s inception, the helicopter,

as it has done in so many places around

the world, has increasingly become its

primary life-saving rescue tool with

its versatility, speed, load-carrying

ability and manoeuverability proving

indispensable in the race against time to

save lives, reducing rescue times from

many hours – or even days – to mere

minutes in most cases.

Along with the advent of a helicopter

rescue service came the requirement

for a new breed of professional – the

‘helicopter rescue technician’.

The statistics for 2003 highlight

the outstanding work done by the

SAGF whose workload has consistently

increased since its inception. During its

2,542 mountain rescues that year, (an

increase of 25 percent over the previous

year’s 2,027) the SAGF rescued 2,908

people – 40 percent more than the 2,066

people rescued in 2002.

None of this would be possible were it

not for regular intensive training carried

out by SAGF and the GdF’s Air Section

all year round. Heli Ops joined the crews

of the SAGF and GdF air section as they

trained in every possible environment in

the extreme north-west of Italy.

MountaIn rEscuE EXErcIsEsMay 2004: Arnad Village, Aosta Valley

On a little grass field the components

of the two Aosta Valley SAGF Stations,

Entreves and Cervinia, met prior to the

training session, and the commander,

Brigadier Delfino Viglione, outlined the

mission. The team comprises members

of varying experience, so it is important

that the standard of training remains

consistent (regardless of experience

level) to ensure procedures are consistent

across the board in actual rescue

situations.

As the Venegono Air Section’s AB-

412HP approached, Brigadier Viglione

fired a red smoke flare to facilitate

landing. The helicopter’s crew and

rescuers rapidly organized who was to

be embarked, how they were to be seated

and what equipment was to be carried.

The location of the rescue exercise

was discussed in detail – which was the

best way to approach the site; was it

possible to land; if so, was the landing

site free of obstacles such as trees or

bushes?

Briefings were given about the

procedures for embarking and

disembarking, fastening the winch and

operating around the helicopter with

the stretcher – all to ensure maximum

security and safety.

This particular exercise involved a

face-rescue which saw the SAGF

rescuers disembarking above the site,

climbing down the face to reach the

injured climber and placing him

on a stretcher before climbing down

is the Comando Aeronavale (Air-Naval

Command), which incorporates the

Corps’ Air Service whose headquarters

are at Pratica di Mare Air Base near Rome.

GdF’s extensive aerial fleet,

comprising more than 100 aircraft, is

deployed across 14 Italian territorial

bases to cover a multitude of tasks over

land and sea. The air service operates two

fixed-wing types; the Alenia ATR-42MP

and the Piaggio P-166 DL3, and three

different helicopter types; the Agusta A-

109, Agusta-Bell AB-412HP and the Nardi-

Hughes NH-500.

GdF aircraft are kept busy with daily

patrols of Italy’s extensive coastline and

surrounding seas and regularly engage in

often-spectacular missions detecting and

intercepting illegal traffic in weapons,

contraband, drugs and most commonly,

illegal immigration.

But as TV channels in Italy and abroad

often focus their attention on the daily

interceptions by GdF aircraft of illegal

immigrants crossing the Mediterranean

in overloaded small boats, another

important and valuable role of GdF’s

helicopters frequently goes unrecognized

– its Mountain Rescue service.

thE gdF In MountaIn rEscuEIn 1965, the GdF created the Soccorso

Alpino della Guardia di Finanza, or

simply SAGF (Guardia di Finanza Alpine

Rescue Unit), which rapidly became

Italy’s leading exponent in this highly

specialized activity. Today, 23 SAGF

stations extend from Italy’s northern

Alps, across Grand Sasso Massif in

From the helicopter,

which remained airborne

nearby in case the rescuers

required the winch – the

men on the face appeared

as distant moving specks

on the rock.

left: a thorough briefing is

conducted prior to every training

mission as working in the extreme

altitudes of a hostile environment

can easily turn a training mission

into a real mission.

opposite paGe: the agusta bell

412 is the mainstay of the guardia

di Finanza fleet, and is adorned

with numerous aerials and

radomes because of the terrain it

operates in.

with him to the base of the mountain.

From the helicopter – which remained

airborne nearby in case the rescuers

required the winch – the men on the

face appeared as distant moving specks

on the rock, nevertheless it was still

possible to appreciate the precision and

speed of their teamwork. This was only a

simple, routine exercise; bigger and more

exacting exercises were to follow.

august 2004: Aosta Valley – Exercise Mount Whitethe Location:

This exercise – ‘Esercitazione Monte

Bianco 2004’ – took place in Val Veny

38

(Veny Valley) in the vicinity of the

Monzino shelter, a favoured base for both

civil and military training exercises,

with a helipad capable of landing two

helicopters simultaneously. Situated

around 2,577m above sea level on one

of the wilder, less accessible sides of

Mount White, the terrain near the shelter

forms an ideal training environment for

mountain rescue specialists with few

tourists in the area.

It is from the Monzino shelter, built

on a rocky spur between two glaciers

(Glacier du Breuillat and Glacier du

Freney), that climbers set out for such

famous peaks as Aiguille Noire, Cresta

de Peuterey, Pilastri du Brouillard, the

Innominata and others, and many pages

of mountaineering history have been

written here.

the Participants:Organized by the Entreves Station,

the exercise comprised delegations

from all 22 SAGF stations as well as the

local Civil Protection, the Aosta Valley

Civil Alpine Rescue (named Soccorso

Alpino Valdostano) and even the French

Gendarmerie’s specialist PGHM – Peloton

Gendarmerie Haute Montagne, from

its Chamonix base on the other side of

Mount White.

Also present were observers from the

Italian Army’s Alpine Specialists, who

in the past played a vital role in rescues

when the army had helicopters based

in the valley. The importance of the

exercise was evident from the numbers

of reporters from many Italian magazines

and newspapers, and from Italian and

French TC broadcasting.

the Helicopters: The GdF Air Service component

comprised one NH-500 and one AB 412HP,

both from Venegono Air Section. The

Air Unit’s mountain rescue capability

was significantly enhanced by the

introduction in 2003, of the AB 412 to

the previously all-NH-500 fleet. The

radar normally fitted to the AB 412 was

removed from the GDF’s machines to

lighten them and thus further improve

their mountain rescue capability.

The third helicopter involved in the

exercise, a recently-delivered dazzling-

yellow A109 Power, nicknamed ‘Tweety’,

came from Soccorso Alpino Valdostani.

Both the AB-412 and A-109 were

equipped with external winches capable

of lifting 272kg (600 lb) on 72m (240 ft)

cables at up to 30m (100 ft) per minute;

should it ever be necessary, these cables

can be severed using an explosive

cartridge or dedicated cutter.

The inclusion of the A-109 Power was

probably no coincidence in that the type

is a potential contender to replace the

remaining NH 500s; it made sense for GdF

crews to fly it and assess its capabilities

in action.

the aims of the Exercise: Such exercises as this allow

refinements to a system that is already

well integrated, but because there are

significant differences, for example, in

the environment of the Aosta Valley and

its high altitude, terrain and temperature,

compared to what might be encountered

by specialists working around Mount

Etna, a main objective was to allow GdF

specialists from all over Italy to meet and

get the opportunity to work side-by-side,

comparing techniques, equipment and

experiences – and wherever possible, to

standardize methods.

Another aim of the exercise was to

enhance working relationships with

other civil and military organizations

currently operating around Mount White.

The Alpine environment is a place that

promotes a strong spirit of solidarity and

it is not at all unusual to see Chamonix-

based French Gendarmerie and Sécurité

Civile helicopters and their rescue teams

working in Italian territory or vice-versa.

This collaboration between Italian and

French agencies produces other benefits,

such as a new stretcher – a joint Italian/

French project that was tested during the

exercise. (The new device will incorporate

high-strength, light-weight materials and

winglets to prevent rotation during aerial

recovery). Though seemingly simple

in principle, the specialized qualities

necessary in a dedicated stretcher

combined with a limited production run,

would make its development extremely

expensive were it not for such joint

participation.

On the Field: At the bottom of the valley, (1550m

amsl) all the participants met early in

the morning – the approach of their three

helicopters was probably not welcomed

by visitors camping nearby. More than

70 people had to be transferred to the

shelter so the helicopters were kept busy,

shuttling the rescue specialists and their

equipment into place before uplifting the

spectating media personnel.

The exercise was split into two

components; a crevasse rescue and a

face rescue. The specialist destined

to be the crevasse ‘victim’ was flown

onto the Glacier du Breuillat while the

others prepared the equipment. The A-

109 flew the glacier mission, lowering

a French gendarme rescuer directly

down the crevasse attached to the

helicopter’s barycentre hook. He and the

‘rescued’ climber were then extracted

vertically from the crevasse and flown

to safety and a delicate landing on the

helipad to complete a very impressive

demonstration.

above: the trust between crew

members of a sar helicopter is

evidenced here as the winch operator

brings the patient and crewman

aboard, with nothing but air between

them and the ground, 2,000 ft below.

40

start the recovery mission immediately.

When the time came, the helicopter

hovered above the ridge and lowered

another rescuer to assist his colleagues

on the face; one rescuer joined the

stretcher patient as he was winched up

to the waiting helicopter while another

remained on the face stabilizing the

rising stretcher with a rope, preventing

its rotating in the downwash.

It was thanks to their regular training

that as the crew completed the final

difficult job of loading of the stretcher

aboard the hovering helicopter, they

made it appear easy. The large door and

spacious cabin of the AB-412 assist crews

greatly during this phase of the rescue.

Once the ‘rescued’ and rescuers

were safely off the mountain, everyone

met at the shelter for a well-deserved

meal and debrief, sharing impressions

of the morning’s work and cementing

professional relationships.

FEbruary 2005: Avalanche exercise – Monte Rosa (Mount Pink)

Each year, as spring approaches,

bringing with it longer days and warmer

temperatures, the danger of high alpine

avalanches increases. The climatic

conditions alone make the snowy mantle

increasingly unstable; the presence of

skiers and their skis – which literally cut

the already unstable surface – can easily

precipitate an avalanche. The skiers

are then often the first victims of their

actions and the time available to rescuers

to save them is very short, the first 20

minutes being vital in a race against time

for rescuers.

This avalanche rescue exercise

involved the Alagna, Domodossola and

Macugnaga SAGF Stations, the civil

Alpine and Speleologist Rescue, the Swiss

Border Guard and GdF Air Service from

Venegono. The location and nature of the

exercise might have been different with

the Swiss taking the place of the French,

but the philosophy and aims of this

exercise were the same – to standardize

methods and enhance working

relationships among agencies.

Surrounded by such famous peaks

as Gnifetti (4,554 m), Zumstein (4,563 m),

Dufour (4,634 m), and Nordend (4,609 m),

we were at the foot of Castelfranco Peak,

on homonym glacier at the site of a real

avalanche that occurred some days

earlier – forming the perfect basis for the

exercise, in which four SAGF volunteers,

various objects and a mannequin were

buried in the snow.

When the alert was sounded, the

various rescue units waiting in the

Macugnaga station moved rapidly to

the helicopter. Although time is life and

embarkation has to be rapid, personnel

must be mindful when loading long skis

and rescue equipment to keep everything

clear of the rotor; preparation and loading

were all carried out under the watchful

eye of the winch specialist who was

ready to intervene and help passengers if

required.

The downwash generated by the

helicopter blows significant quantities of

icy snow around that can be hazardous

to eyes, so personnel must remember

to stay low and cover their faces when

embarking and disembarking – a simple

precaution, but important when operating

in this environment.

Searching for survivors in an

avalanche is a very difficult and exacting

task, even for well-trained and well-

equipped teams. Under the command

of an SAGF officer, acting as operations

director, the search was organized

quickly and efficiently.

A helicopter landed not far from the

search site waiting to transport survivors

to the nearest hospital; within minutes

the first ‘survivor’ was located thanks to

his ARVA – a radio-locator transmitter

worn by skiers and climbers.

Rescue dogs located a second

‘victim’ only minutes after the radio

transmitter pinpointed the first. The

dogs sniff out buried victims whose

locations are immediately marked by

flags so that other rescuers can quickly

The scenario for the face-rescue

exercise was that of an injured climber in

difficulty on a projecting mountain face.

The SAGF specialists initially made a

rope descent to attend to the climber and

secured him on a stretcher in position on

the rock face. The difficulties inherent

in such rescues are obvious, as is the

need for a high degree of training for the

specialist personnel who carry them out.

The GdF AB-412 remained flying

nearby, ready to respond quickly, but

distant enough to ensure that the rotor

downwash did not interfere with the

rescue work below, the pilot constantly

considering the wind and the best

approach to the slope, ready to

above: the breda nardi 500c is used

as a support ship and is ideal becaue

of its manouverability. one is seen here

coming into landing at one of the high

altitude landing sites in the Italian alps.

As the crew completed

the final difficult job of

loading the stretcher

aboard the hovering

helicopter, they made

it appear easy.

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shovel away debris to uncover them; The

remaining two ‘victims’ took longer to

find – long enough that had this been a

real avalanche, their chances of survival

would have been slim.

For those victims that were not

easily located by radio transmitters or

dogs, search teams probed the area with

long rods.

consIdEratIonsHelicopter manufacturers pay close

attention to the rescue sector and

most offer dedicated rescue versions

of their helicopters. Agusta recently

demonstrated its new AB-139 to the

Aosta Region’s Soccorso Alpino and HEMS

organization (where its power, cabin

space and litter access impressed) and

the company is developing a new version

of its A-109 named Grand. Eurocopter’s

EC-145, which is entering service with

France’s Gendarmerie and Sécuritè Civile,

was also recently demonstrated to the

Aosta and Piedmont Sanitary Services.

The CNSAS’s statistics (Italian Alpine

Club’s Rescue Branch) highlight the value

of the helicopter in the mountain rescue

mission in terms of the lives saved. In

1985 40 percent of mountain rescues in

Italian territory were by helicopter. Ten

years later in 1995 this had risen to 65

percent, and by 2000 the total was 75

percent.

In 2003, 95 percent of all mountain

rescues in the Piedmont and Aosta areas

were carried out by helicopter.

Even more graphically illustrating the

value of helicopters are CNSAS figures

covering 45 years of mountain rescues

between 1955 and 2000. Rescues were

attempted for 153 people in 1955; of

those, 57 died – a tragic 37 percent. By

2000, while the number of people needing

rescue had risen dramatically to 22,729,

the widespread use of helicopters by then

allowed rescuers to save all but seven

percent of victims.

The helicopter’s speed has reduced

the time of rescue missions from many

hours – or even days – to mere minutes.

Statistics show that more than two thirds

of all rescues are now completed within

two hours and almost one third of them

within 60 minutes.

The only ‘problem’ with the helicopter

– as indispensable as it is as a rescue

tool – is its high cost. At present in Italy

and France the rescue service is free; in

other countries like Switzerland there is

hether it’s an impromptu

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a charge. As costs continue to increase,

only time will tell how agencies will deal

with this in the future.

What is certain today is the

effectiveness of the service provided by

a group of highly professional people to

whom a great number of others owe their

lives.

A special thanks to Captain

Alessandro Comitini, GdF Venegono Air

Section Commander, and all his staff for

their patience and hospitality. n

Statistics show that

more than two thirds

of all rescues are now

completed within two

hours and almost one

third of them within

60 minutes.

Lee County’sGuardian angelsMedstar – the air operation of Lee County EMS, based at

Southwest Florida International Airport, has a very simple mission

statement – “To provide the highest quality out-of-hospital

emergency medical care and transportation for the residents and

visitors of Lee County, Florida.” Dustin Black visits Lee County

EMS where he finds the Medstar team living up to its promise.

story by dustin black Photos by ned dawson

Guardian angels

46

In 2004, (26 years after adding its first

helicopter to its ground ambulance fleet)

Lee County EMS purchased a new EC145

– the first United States EMS operator

to do so. The EC145 joined Medstar’s

BO105 in covering a territory of almost

1,000 square miles including nearly 80

barrier islands. Lee County’s aircraft also

assist four adjoining counties: Glades,

Henry, Charlotte, and Collier, which also

uses an EC135.

An obvious advantage for Medstar in

operating two aircraft is the availability

of a backup in the event one helicopter

goes down for maintenance, as happened

prior to Heli Ops visit when the EC145

was down with a faulty fuel control,

leaving the BO105 to fill the gap during the

wait for the replacement part to show up.

The EC145 is obviously a much more

modern helicopter. It is substantially

larger than the BO105 at 3,585 kg

compared to 2,500 kg for the 105 and

in particular, with its flat, pillarless,

undivided cabin has more unobstructed

interior space than the older machine.

With a range of 370 nm (680 km),

the EC145 out-distances the old BO105

by a substantial margin; the 105 having a

range almost 100 nm less at 278 nm

(447 km).

Looking to the FutureMedstar had good forethought when

purchasing the EC145, because even

though it currently has neither a high-

performance hoist nor sling, it asked

Eurocopter to install the additional wiring

and structural supports necessary to

accommodate them during construction.

After building the airframe, Eurocopter

sent the EC145 to Metro Aviation in

Shreveport, LA to complete these

conversions and apply the desired paint

scheme. Having the conversions done

during the build was far cheaper than it

toP: the back of the

eC145 is spacious, and allows

medical crews plenty of room to

work on patients.

aboVe: Visibility from the cockpit

is extensive, giving the pilot plenty

of situational awareness.

aboVe RiGHt: Pilot Carmen trunk

fills out the flight log as the

medical crews transfer a patient

inside the hospital.

Most of Medstar’s

calls are trauma scene

calls so its crews

need to be familiar

with the kind of

specialized medical

equipment necessary

for such work.

47

would have been to retro-fit them later

and it will have the additional benefit of

keeping the helicopter in service when

the time comes, rather than having to

send it back to a maintenance facility for

extensive work.

In April 2005 Medstar obtained its

Part 135 certificate, which allowed Lee

County EMS to begin charging patients for

flights, reducing the burden on taxpayers.

A future goal is to expand operations

to incorporate single-pilot IFR, which

would then also allow Medstar to conduct

hospital patient transfers to other areas

of the state, such as Miami, Tampa,

Jacksonville, and Gainesville.

With the equipment installed in its

EC145, low workload man-machine-

interface (MMI) optimized cockpit and

MAX VIS (an IR system mounted below

the aircraft in a forward fixed position

integrated with a video screen in the

cockpit), a Category 2 approach with

approach minimums to 100 ft would

be a realistic proposition for Medstar

once its Part 135 certificate is amended

to incorporate the planned instrument

authorization.

The County has an annual budget

of between 30 and 35 million dollars to

operate its fleet of 24 ground ambulances

and 2 helicopters. Medstar has a staff

of 14; a chief pilot, four line pilots/EMT,

eight paramedics and a director of

maintenance/mechanic.

Chief pilot, Rick O’Neal, comes from

a diverse helicopter background. After

receiving his helicopter training with

the US Army, he went on to work for

Aerospatiale, Keystone, and ERA before

coming to Lee County. Energetic and well

spoken, O’Neal believes in producing

results, and with a firm focus on the

future of EMS pilots, he believes in a

strong training program.

O’Neal expresses concern at what

he perceives as a systemic problem

throughout the EMS industry; the

influence hospital staff exert over

contract pilots. He has seen numerous

pilots relieved or discharged from

contracts over personality issues rather

than safety concerns and feels it places a

tremendous burden on the industry – it is

an aspect he would like to see changed.

Medstar’s four line-pilots belong to

the International Firefighters Association,

Local 1826, and each is a trained

aboVe: being a coastal based

operation, Lee County eMs crews

spend much of their time flying

over some of the most spectacular

scenery south Florida has on offer.

48

Emergency Medical Technician. Because

state regulations defining hazardous

duty do not include helicopter pilots

– they only cover police, firefighters and

emergency medical technicians – a dual

qualification is required in order for the

pilots to fit the category and earn the pay

they deserve!

The pilots work 12-hour duties in

seven-days-on, seven-days-off cycles,

alternating day and night shifts. Each

pilot is rated in both the EC145 and the

secondary aircraft, the BO105. Annual

training encompasses two phases, the

first (on site) being emergency procedures

and local qualifications, while the second

phase takes place in West Palm Beach at

Flight Safety.

As part of its role in the emergency

service scene, Medstar undertakes

occasional training for local law

enforcement and fire department

personnel in basic helicopter safety and

procedures. (A feature of the new EC145

that staff and other emergency personnel

who may be familiar with the older BO105

need to be aware of is the lower position

of the EC145’s tail rotor in relation to that

of the older BO105). Training of other

emergency personnel even includes

teaching them how they would need to

deal with the helicopter in the unlikely

event of a crash.

Heli Ops spoke to pilot Arnold

McAllester, or ‘Mac’ as he is known

around the base – a no-nonsense

professional, Mac has a background in

military, instructing, firefighting, and

offshore operations prior to flying for

Lee County. Although he is not in the

industry for the love of flying – it is

simply the way he makes his living – Mac

is obviously proud of the unit’s safety

record, emphasizing that there has not

been a single accident or incident at

Medstar since its inception.

teaM eFFortWith such a small team, each

member assumes additional duties based

on previous experience in differing

backgrounds; Mac, for example, assists

with training other pilots and maintains

manuals and publications, Diana Tackett

(the only female pilot on the team,

and whose husband Rick Tackett also

flies for Medstar) is the ‘safety person’

– responsible for industry compliance at

Medstar, while Carmen Trunk, another of

the pilots, is the BO105 instructor.

Mac explains the call-out procedure

for their helicopters, which is to respond

to requests from attending ground

response teams after they have made

initial patient assessments. Even when on

standby for a specific call, crews keep the

helicopter inside the hangar and out of

the elements until it is needed; parked on

its dolly, it takes little time to tow to its

designated parking spot on the tarmac.

Once the call goes out, the pilot will get

in and begin the pre-flight checklist, so

that by the time the aircraft is towed

from the hangar and surrounding area

checked for obstacles, he or she will

already have begun the start sequence

aboVe: the stability of the

eC145 is an added bonus

for medical crews operating

in the back. inserting an

intravenous line into a

patient’s neck is not the

easiest task at the best of

times!

aboVe RiGHt: in a rare

occurence, we were able

to gather some of the Lee

County eMs flight crew

together for a group shot.

“While I don’t enjoy going

out on calls at two o’clock

in the morning for a cut

finger, or a three-day

old cold that someone is

fed up with, folks need

to know we are here for

them, and that we are

always available.”

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– the whole process taking no more than

a few minutes.

Most of Medstar’s calls are trauma

scene calls so its crews need to be

familiar with the kind of specialized

medical equipment necessary for such

work; incubators, airway intervention

devices, cardiac monitors, and the

like. Most of its patients are flown to

local hospital, Lee Memorial, and while

Medstar performs a variety of work

such as search and rescue and even fire

spotting, it seldom conducts hospital

patient transfers.

There are currently eight flight medics

at Medstar whose duty rotation differs

from that of the pilots. Each medic works

a 24-hour shift followed by two days off,

in rotational cycles; two months with

the helicopter and one month with the

ground ambulances. The flight medics

must renew their licenses every two

years and training is continuous with

programs in place at Edison Community

College that allow them to meet the

requirement of achieving 32 continuing

education units (CEUs) every three years

in order to remain qualified as critical

care emergency medical transport

personnel.

aboVe: the eC145 is fitted

with a Wire strike Protection

system because of the remote

landing sites they regularly go

in to pick up patients.

leFt: a construction worker is

stretchered into the back of the

helicopter after falling from a

ladder while renovating

a house on Captiva island.

June this year as a full time mechanic

and Director of Maintenance, previously

spent 15 years with Rocky Mountain

Helicopters, and was their go-to guy for

setting up new operations.

He has extensive experience with

Eurocopter products and says the support

from Eurocopter is excellent; he utilizes

the manufacturer’s recommendations and

inspections for his maintenance program

at Lee County. Demonstrating support

for his company’s products, Eurocopter’s

South East technical representative,

Cambren Davis was on hand during

Heli Ops’ visit to assist Tony during

run-up checks on the EC145 following

replacement of its fuel control unit.

Tony works closely with chief pilot,

Rick O’Neal to make sure things are up to

par and he welcomes Rick’s ability to deal

with political aspects of the operation,

which allows him to focus more on what

he needs to do. With Rick as his ‘buffer’

Tony has the ability to make decisions on

maintenance issues without having his

hands tied by restrictive County policies,

which makes his job a lot easier.

Life for a single mechanic does get

a little busy at times with two twin-

engined aircraft to look after, and Lee

County is currently looking for another

mechanic with the necessary skills to fit

into the team – someone with the ability

to work largely unsupervised.

Medstar appreciates the importance of

its role in the community and maintains

a continuing public relations program

to raise awareness that it exists to

serve the public. As medic Dan Ceresa

explained, “While I don’t enjoy going out

on calls at two o’clock in the morning for

a cut finger, or a three-day old cold that

someone is fed up with, folks need to

know we are here for them, and that we

are always available.”

The organization sees the potential

future outfitting with night vision goggles

as one way it could further increase the

level of service offered to its community.

The hoist and sling-load capabilities

of the EC145 are other ways in which

Medstar has the potential to increase

support for the County.

Despite the fact that Lee County’s

EMS personnel, as local government

employees, are unlikely to lose the

EMS contract to another operator, they

are all fully committed to meeting the

highest professional standards required

of this demanding industry – which is all

pretty good news for the residents of Lee

County. n

MaintenanCeLee County’s maintenance

incorporates an approved aircraft

inspection program (AAIP) in a computer

generated format, which groups

inspections together, simplifying and

consolidating aircraft logbook entries.

Tony Bagley, who joined Lee County in

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MD’s NEW HelmswomanMEANS businessAsk most owners and operators of an MD product worldwide

who Lynn Tilton and Patriarch Partners are and you will

probably be met by a blank look. Tell them that in July this

year they become the new owners of MD Helicopters and that

Lynn Tilton plans to make MD the industry’s comeback story of

the decade, and their look will change to disbelief.

STORY BY Ned dawsoN & Mark ogdeN

PhOTOS BY BoB FergussoN

56

Do a google search on Tilton

and Patriarch and you wont find

much, even though Tilton manages 60

companies. Interviews with Tilton are

few-and-far between. At the recent Heli

Tech convention in the United Kingdom,

however, Heli Ops had the opportunity

to sit down and have a one-on-one

conversation with the CEO, founder and

principal of Patriarch Partners - Lynn

Tilton. We get some straight forward,

honest answers on why Patriarch bought

MD from near collapse, what plans they

have for the new company, and why she

has taken such a personal interest in this

once, ‘bastard child’ of the helicopter

industry.

According to the Dow Jones Newswire

service, recent comments by management

of Kaman Aerospace and Rolls-Royce,

show that the company is well on its way

to mending ties with alienated suppliers

and repairing its reputation. From her

actions so far it would seem that they

have the resources and talent to restore

the company to prominence in the

industry.

Even since our interview, things have

been changing dramatically at MD. With

a new sense of direction at their Mesa

Arizona facility, morale has turned the

corner. MD make a great product, and

now with a dedicated team on board

and Tilton with her finger directly on

the pulse, only time will tell if they

can rebuild the company’s customer

confidence and turn MD into the

industry’s poster child.

Who are Patriarch Partners and what is your background?

Patriarch Partners, LLC – is an

investment fund with approximately

$US5 billion of assets under its

Now with a dedicated

team on board and

Tilton with her finger

directly on the pulse,

only time will tell if

they can rebuild the

company’s customer

confidence and turn

MD into the industry’s

poster child.

management, including equity positions

in more than 65 companies. Patriarch

aims to be a proactive partner to

companies during periods of operational,

industry and economic transformation,

rebuilding them by providing liquidity,

time and strategic support.

I earned a BA in American Studies

from Yale University and an MBA in

Finance from Columbia University.

I have 24 years of Wall Street investment

banking and portfolio management

experience. I also served as executive

managing director of Papillon Partners,

a firm that I founded to offer customized

research, valuation, and execution

services to sellers of distressed bank

loans and high yield securities.

QueSTiOnSWhat experiences or beliefs do you have that encourages you to seek to save companies

rather than break them up and sell off the assets as others do?

My ability to touch the lives of so

many people by way of providing capital

to them and restructuring companies

that others might liquidate, mandates

my honor and responsibility. I am of

the strong belief that providing second

chances to companies during periods of

operational turmoil and thereby saving

jobs brings additional light into the world.

Loss of a job to an income provider can

be devastating to the employees’ family.

At Patriarch, we believe we can transcend boundaries that provide substantial returns for our investors while still working towards enhancing the lives and

prosperity of the constituents we touch.

In your experience, has there been a common reason(s) why companies fail?

Companies fail for a myriad of reasons; some fall short based on one underlying frailty and others on the confluence of many. The absence of sufficient working capital, the conflict of

purpose between warring constituencies,

the demands of a capital structure

heavily burdened by debt, operational

inefficiencies as well as the inability to

spend dollars on R&D and innovation, are

all catalysts to failure.

Are there any basic principles that help assure a company to survive and prosper?

At Patriarch, we maintain that companies must travel the dual paths of building efficiency as well as sustaining innovation. We also maintain that our portfolio companies must work from serving the needs of its customer back towards the manufacture, assembly and/or distribution of its products. Companies need sufficient working capital and the ability to stay flexible, fluid and have the access to rapid decisions in the face of important issues. By providing both the debt and equity capital to our portfolio companies, we attempt to insure that no other constituency can obstruct the clear path of movement towards prosperity, in spite of needs that might arise but that can be rapidly addressed by the clarity of

our corporate structures and governance.

How many hours a day do you work and what drives you to spend so much of your time devoted to business?

As of late, I appear to be working

every waking hour—on average 18-20

hours each day. seven days each week. I

am driven and compelled by my ability to

support and drive companies with great

products, people and potential, from the

precipice of destruction towards success

and prosperity. At Patriarch, our risk

profile and the tenure of our investment

funds enable us to take a long-term

view and to venture upon a 180 degree

rebuild of the company with its flaws

and frailties as we see it today. There is

no greater satisfaction for me than the

appreciation from those people whose

lives Patriarch has improved by belief in

their individual and collective potential.

What part of the business do you most

enjoy? Is it for example, the ‘deal’ or working

towards it? Or is it, for example, seeing the

company recover? There is little about the Patriarch

platform that I do not feel great passion

for, nor relish in each day. My favourite

aspects, however, are the design and

execution of the transaction itself and the

conception of the innovative strategies

that drive our portfolio companies to

their rightful places in their respective

markets. I am always of the belief

that with great management and the

execution of our platform initiatives that

we can endeavour, in every situation and

circumstance, to build the spectacular.

What good and bad experiences did you have in the early years of business? Did you for example, experience the ‘glass ceiling’ that other female executives have commented about?

58

always with the perspective that each

hardship and experience has made me

the leader I am today. I believe the pain of

the past has caused me to be sufficiently

courageous to confront opportunities that

others might view as unpalatable.

Do you still find any reluctance by men to work with you?

Actually, if there is reluctance I am

now oblivious to the tendency. I find that

with age, my ‘femaleness’ has transcended

from detriment to advantage. I believe

my accomplishments and apparent desire

to transact with honor, integrity and

commitment, is appreciated by all those

with whom I come into contact. However,

there is always a good chance that male

reluctance exists, but for me it passes

unnoticed.

Have you had experience in the aerospace industry? Are there any differences in working with the aerospace industry as compared to working with the other companies you redevelop?

MD is my first venture or ‘adventure’

in the aerospace arena. The industry,

more than many others, is a very small

world where everyone seems to know

each other and the barriers to entry are

high. However, Patriarch approaches

each investment with the same passion

and with the intent to provide solutions

to the issues and problems that plague

our individual portfolio company or

the industry as a whole. As many in

the industry have already noticed, we

work ‘outside the box’ in terms of the

development of strategies and how we

expand our relationships with customers,

suppliers and our peers.

Was MD in trouble? What were its immediate problems?

When we arrived, MD’s production

capacity had been restricted by limited

components. The absence of working

capital, the inability to serve its customer

base with spare parts and new deliveries,

as well as large unpaid debts had forced

the Company into a place where survival

had been its only noble cause.

How did you come to know about MD and its troubles? When?

Wachovia Bank, the asset-based

lender to MD, conveyed the Company to

our attention in late May and suggested

that we delve into the prospect of

purchase. There has never been any

derision amongst anyone that knows

MD that its products and its potential for

success are ‘cult like,’ and ‘enormous’,

respectively. Wachovia, often a partner

to Patriarch, believed that with our

palmbeach.indd 2/5/2004, 7:47 AM1

I think the path to the top of the

corporate hierarchy is fraught with

obstacles for women for many reasons,

including the obvious choices with which

women are faced as the gender that bears

children. As a single mother on Wall

Street for 22 years, I have faced many

tough choices and decisions that rendered

me less than perfect as both mother

and executive. However, at each place of

employment I embraced the perspective

that ultimately the knowledge and

experience I could absorb would never

be taken from me. I choose only to look

back at the past in order to learn from

my mistakes and to venture forward

capital and our commitment to difficult

turnaround situations, that MD might

be a prospect for acquisition and they

believed that the demise or liquidation of

MD would be an unnecessary shame.

When did you take over the company? Was the takeover ‘friendly’ or was it driven by certain other factors?

We first met with the shareholder

in early June and closed the transaction

on July 8, 2005. The transaction was

more than friendly; it was a joint effort

between buyer and seller to use the

purchase capital to settle the debts of

the Company, provide sufficient working

capital for the future and to insure

that the Company would recover its

own individual identity. Both Sikorsky

and Boeing, who had lent money to

the Company at earlier dates, were

paid in full by our transaction. The old

shareholders continue to own a minority

economic interest with no control

or advisory rights pro forma for the

transaction. Nevertheless, the mutual

intent and desire to give new life and

breadth to MD has promoted a strong

relationship between the Patriarch and

the minority shareholders.

What experience had you with helicopters before the MD takeover? Did you ever holiday

or travel on business by helicopter? What

were your impressions as a non-aviator

about these machines?

I have travelled on helicopters both

for business and on explorative journeys

in interesting places I had visited.

Actually, before learning more about

our industry, I had often been unnerved

by the safety factor as well as the noise

level during travel. I think my interest in

MD was, in part, enhanced by the Notar

technology which mitigates the noise

element and substantially enhances the

safety factor. The views from helicopters

and the convenience for short journeys,

especially when moderated by ‘how the

crow flies’ is unsurpassed by any other

vehicle of travel.

What were the qualities of MD Helicopters

that attracted and made you believe that it

was a company worth saving?

MD’s products are ‘cult like’ in

the manner that they are valued and

appreciated by operators. Once I was able

to discern the apparent level of import

for the product and the technology, I was

rapidly convinced that MD was worth the

time and the capital investment to raise

the Company to its rightful place in the

helicopter market.

60

How much money has been paid to date and how much more do you think will need to be spent to get the company on its feet?

We have invested over $US150

million of fresh capital to pay past due

payables, restart production, hire new

management, add labor, and revitalize

the procurement and logistics of a spare

part business. As most know, we are also

bidding on the Army’s new $1.3 billion

LUH contract so that, too, has been a

capital-intensive project. We anticipate

at least another $US50 million of fresh

capital investment to put the business

in ‘full court press’ status to fully

serve and satisfy the installed and new

customer base.

What are your priorities in re-establishing MD?

Our single most important priority

is our duty of care and loyalty to our

installed customer base. Many of our

customers have experienced hardship

and down-time due to the inability to

avail themselves of spare parts. Our new

business model segregates the Logistics

Business—spare parts, customization

and completion, and flight training

from assembly and new deliveries. We

are focused, first and foremost, on the

provision of spare parts and insuring that

our installed base is flying.

What sort of changes can we expect to see in the immediate future?

I believe the changes are already

readily apparent. Senior management,

but for our general counsel, is all new and

highly creative and qualified. Operators

who had not been able to procure

spare parts are in receipt of deliveries.

Sufficiency of working capital is [not an

issue]. Any delay in deliveries for spare

parts is a product of our inability to

procure due to timing and the need for

reintroduction to production lines or the

inability to access raw materials such

as titanium. We have already moved

two helicopters from the production

line to freight for delivery to the Turkish

National Police and we anticipate bidding

on the Army’s $1.3 billion LUH contract as

the prime contractor on Tuesday of this

week. Need I say more???

What successes have you had in the time that Patriarch has been running MD?

See above...in addition, we have

inspired Andy Logan, patent holder on

the Notar technology, to work with us

to upgrade and innovate our technology

beginning with the MD Explorer. We

begin flight testing this week and are

highly encouraged that the systematic

modifications recommended by Andy

will allow the MD Explorer to meet much

higher standards of weight/flight altitude

with much greater thrust than was

previously attainable.

What strategies do you have to turn the company around? What are the more immediate issues and what are the longer-term goals?

We strongly believe that MD produces

the archetype of the safest and most

economically efficient helicopter in

the market. We understand that the

helicopters have been unavailable to the

customer and a high-risk purchase, in

light of the financial uncertainty that has

enveloped the Company in recent years.

In short, we want to insure that operators

have access to our ‘birds,’ with the

assurance of on-time delivery, and timely

access to spare parts and service for the

long-term.

What sort of new management strategies do you intend bringing to MD?

We believe that companies must walk

the dual paths of efficiency building and

continuing innovation. We are building

process and efficiency with new systems

and supply chain management so that

we better understand the metrics of our

business and how to most efficiently and

economically serve our customer base.

We intend to upgrade out helicopter fleet

by bringing back to MD the engineer

who gave life to Notar technology. We

have accomplished all this and more

in less than 90 days of ownership and

management.

Although you manage over 60 companies, we understand that you taking a very personal interest in MD...why?

I am certain, in part, my appreciation

and devotion to this Company is rooted

in the same addiction that all you

devotees of the helicopter world suffer

under. Most importantly, I perceive the

enormous [importance] of bringing the

‘safest’ helicopter back to the market as

an option for all those operators whose

lives are dependent upon the safety of

the helicopter in which he/she flies. I am

also intrigued and excited by the infinite

potential for growth at MD: I am indelibly

devoted to helping this management

team build the ‘spectacular’!

What are the strengths of the MD?Its products and technology!!!

In taking over MD, you obviously believed the company was worth saving. Why? What risks for Patriarch have been identified in taking-over MD?

The Company was undoubtedly

worthy of salvation as a consequence

of the demand for its products and the

The Helicopter Association of Australasia is inviting non-for-profit associations from around the world to join us and share technical innovations, operational experience, some good fun and peer group networking at this exhibition and conference.

It is anticipated this will be the biggest helicopter event ever held in the Southern Hemisphere. In fact, we are confident we will have twice as many delegates than the number who recently attended the helicopter conferences at the Hyatt Resort and Surfair Hotel on the Sunshine Coast. Expressions of interest are requested as we anticipate capping the delegate and exhibition numbers if early feedback is any indication. It looks like being sold out in a few months!

Rotor Tech 2006 is conducted by Helicopter Association of Australasia Limited: ABN 80 002 579 580. It is supported by Aviation Development Australia Limited, a non-profit subsidiary of Aerospace Maritime and Defence Foundation of Australia Limited, in the interest of promoting the development of aviation.

phone: +61 7 3511 1066 email: president@haa.net.auwebsite: www.haa.net.au

Following the 2005

HAA Industry

Conferences

at SurfAir the

Helicopter

Association of

Australasia is now

planning the biggest

ever helicopter event

in Australasia.

Sydney Convention and Exhibition CentreDarling Harbour, Sydney, NSW, Australia

.

Monday 30 January Civilian Conferences

Tuesday 31 January Military Conferences

Untitled-1 1 20/10/05 8:32:36 AM

61

The Helicopter Association of Australasia is inviting non-for-profit associations from around the world to join us and share technical innovations, operational experience, some good fun and peer group networking at this exhibition and conference.

It is anticipated this will be the biggest helicopter event ever held in the Southern Hemisphere. In fact, we are confident we will have twice as many delegates than the number who recently attended the helicopter conferences at the Hyatt Resort and Surfair Hotel on the Sunshine Coast. Expressions of interest are requested as we anticipate capping the delegate and exhibition numbers if early feedback is any indication. It looks like being sold out in a few months!

Rotor Tech 2006 is conducted by Helicopter Association of Australasia Limited: ABN 80 002 579 580. It is supported by Aviation Development Australia Limited, a non-profit subsidiary of Aerospace Maritime and Defence Foundation of Australia Limited, in the interest of promoting the development of aviation.

phone: +61 7 3511 1066 email: president@haa.net.auwebsite: www.haa.net.au

Following the 2005

HAA Industry

Conferences

at SurfAir the

Helicopter

Association of

Australasia is now

planning the biggest

ever helicopter event

in Australasia.

Sydney Convention and Exhibition CentreDarling Harbour, Sydney, NSW, Australia

.

Monday 30 January Civilian Conferences

Tuesday 31 January Military Conferences

Untitled-1 1 20/10/05 8:32:36 AM

indelible support of operators in spite

of the disappointing performance of

recent years. We moved with great

force and rapidity to acquire MD as its

orderly liquidation had commenced. We

were unaware of how deep were the

inefficiencies, the obstacles to re-starting

full production and the breadth of

unfilled orders for spare parts. In spite of

the enhanced risk profile unearthed, the

unrealized potential more than offset that

uncertainty and we are more optimistic

and idealistic about the new MD than we

had been prior to Closing.

Will R&D gain some impetus now and if so, where would the focus of that R&D lie?

R&D has already commenced with

the new Explorer upgrade project led by

Andy Logan. I believe our next project

will be to address the performance issues

with the MD 600 that have most recently

been brought to my attention. However,

in light of the Patriarch commitment to

innovation, one could anticipate that R&D

dollars will be spent on all products, and

where agreements allow – new products.

Do you have any plans for new or improved products in the next five to ten years?

Improved products are on the way.

I am forever thinking of new products

but as only recently taking the role of

‘Helicopter Girl,’ I will have to better grasp

the restrictions of previous Purchase and

Sale agreements as well as the possible

transcendence of my creative thoughts

into the reality of products. From what I

hear, anything and everything is possible

in the world of helicopters.

Some commentators have linked LUH with the decision to purchase MD...how do you respond to that?

The link is easily unchained by

the reality that the commitment

letter to purchase MD was signed

prior to Patriarch’s knowledge of the

opportunity to bid the LUH program.

Lockheed approached Patriarch and MD

after they had heard of our decision to

purchase; they needed comfort with our

commitment and financial support of

the Company. As I am certain you have

heard or read, MD has decided, ultimately

to bid as the Prime on LUH. However,

the purchase was consummated with

the understanding and belief that MD is

a commercial helicopter company and

with a duty of loyalty to its commercial

customer base. We will not sacrifice our

commercial customer for LUH. Rather we

believe a ‘win’ on LUH will only allow us

to better serve our commercial operator

with natural upgrades to our helicopters

and a surplus of spare parts in production

and available.

If there is one thing you could say to the current MD operators, what would it be?

You have MD’s and Patriarch’s

commitment that we will serve you

well. We hope that our actions are

already apparent. In the end, you have

our commitment and our word, but the

onus is upon us to prove that to you in

our actions and in our on-time delivery

of spare parts and new commercial

helicopters. We are back...and we are

planning for the long-term future. We

want you to be proud to be operators of

MD products.

What sort of feedback have you had from operators so far?

Feedback thus far has been the relief

at seeing spare parts flowing and they

are rooting for our comeback. In the end,

however, they all await with bated

breath for the validity of our promises

and commitments in our actions.

And we can’t expect nor ask for more

than that.

When are you going heli-fishing in New Zealand?

I hope in the very near future!!! n

WE-2368HeliOps9_05_OL.fh11 9/12/05 10:09 AM Page 1

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Helicopter SupportSolution Providers

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Avionics / Electrical / Instruments / Component Overhaul / Maintenance / Project & Modification Manufacturing /

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Airwork (NZ) Ltd, PO Box 72-516, Papakura, Auckland, New ZealandPh: 64-9-298-7202 Fax: 64-9-298-1455 Email: russellg@airwork.co.nz

www.airwork.co.nz

Specialists inModifications,

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Airworks ad 4/1/03 11:40 AM Page 1

64

I would probably never walk again. I thought that my career as a helicopter pilot would be finished. After extensive surgery, and three months in bed, I finally walked again. My recovery was excellent and five months later I was back flying.

WhAT DO YOu LiKe ABOuT The heLiCOPTeR inDuSTRY in ChiLe?The best thing about flying helicopters in Chile is the different locations you can find yourself in. From the driest deserts, hot and high altiplano, the extremely high Andes Mountains, rain forests, Patagonian fields, fiords, glaciers and even Antarctica - all this in the same country. I have been very lucky to experience all types of flying - including filming, fire fighting, external loads, heliskiing, tourism, etc. There is never the opportunity to become bored.

WhAT DO YOu nOT LiKe ABOuT The heLiCOPTeR inDuSTRY in ChiLe?The lack of new helicopters and technology. The main commercial flying here in Chile is done with helicopters that are around 30 years old. Most of them are surplus Hueys.

iS TheRe AnY ADViCe YOu WOuLD GiVe TO YOunG PiLOTS STARTinG OuT TODAY?Try to obtain the best from your instructors. Once you are out in the field you will be primarily on your own. It’s up to you and your helicopter to do the job well.

WheRe DO YOu ThinK The heLiCOPTeR inDuSTRY in ChiLe iS heADeD?In Chile the use of corporate helicopters is developing at a rapid pace, as is the tourism industry’s use of helicopters. Each year there are more and more tourists coming to Chile, wanting to go to remote locations for fishing, trekking, mountain climbing etc. The helicopter is now being accepted as the best way to get to these places, as well as providing a great way to view the spectacular scenery on the way there. n

hOW DiD YOu START fLYinG? I joined the Chilean Air Force Academy in 1986. I started flying fixed wings in 1987, and then in 1991 I converted to helicopters with the Brazilian Air Force. Ever since then I’ve been flying helicopters. I retired from the Air Force in 1995 and it was then that I started my commercial career.

hOW MAnY hOuRS DO YOu hAVe, AnD in WhAT heLiCOPTeRS?I have 4,900 hrs in helicopters. I have flown: UH-1H/B, SA- 315, SA-316, AS 350, EC 130 B4 and Bell 407.

WhAT hAS Been YOuR GReATeST LeARninG eVenT in YOuR heLiCOPTeR CAReeR?During 1993 we had a big flood here in Santiago. I had the chance to fly a real SAR mission. I flew about eight hours, rescuing people from the roofs of their houses, children from the mud, people floating down the streams. I was a young pilot and in this sad event I had the opportunity to realize that helicopters above all, save lives.

WhAT iS The CLOSeST CALL YOu hAVe hAD?I have unfortunately hit wires twice while flying helicopters, with no substantial damage to either helicopter or crew. The first was with a Huey during an NOE flight on military training, and the other during a water drop while on a fire-fighting mission. There is nothing worse than having a wirestrike in your helicopter.

WhAT hAS Been YOuR GReATeST AChieVeMenT OR PLeASuRe in The heLiCOPTeR inDuSTRY?In 1998 I had a very bad accident while flying a paraglider. I crashed into a mountain and broke my back. I was rescued by helicopter, and the biggest surprise was to find out that the pilot was one of my students, and he performed exceptionally.

WhAT hAS Been YOuR WORST MOMenT? On the same accident the doctor said that

Francisco TorresOperations Manager EcoCopter Santiago, Chile

Imagine landing at

14,500 ft in the Andes

mountains in an EC130,

then hours later skimming

across Patagonian fields in

an AS350B3. For Francisco

Torres, operations

manager at Santiago-based

EcoCopter it’s just another

day in the office.

Although his role includes

a lot of paperwork,

Francisco still enjoys the

challenges of mountain

flying through the Andes.

P e R S O n A L P R O f i L e