Author Topic: Marking Helispots  (Read 3596 times)

Offline piet03

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Marking Helispots
« on: May 18, 2009, 01:00:50 PM »
Yall: I have been tasked with acquiring markers for a LZ/helispot. I can't find the Bean bag lights we used in the army 30+ years ago. I have come to the conclusion that necessity is the mother of invention. For us ground pounders the system has to be light and easily transported. What do you stick jockeys need/want? (in an  LZ/ Helispot marking system)

Piet 03

Offline Mike

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Re: Marking Helispots
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2009, 03:21:59 PM »
What do you stick jockeys need/want? (in an  LZ/ Helispot marking system)

What is it for, Piet? Is it for night VFR?
During the day all I need is a windsock (or somebody confriming where the wind is coming from), somebody to point out the flat spot where to put the skids, and maybe somebody to point out nearby wires.
One guy with a radio on the ground and we could safely land everywhere. That's what we do for our utility work.

I have also seen some battery powered orange (or blue, don't remember) lights to mark 4 edges. Each light has the battery pack on the bottom, and the light on top and weighs about 2 lbs I remember. Just saw one guy have them, never used them though. What we did at night a few times is park a car, tailend into the wind and the helo lands facing the headlights (but you have to make sure you don't park it underneath a powerline)
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Offline Chopper Doc

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Re: Marking Helispots
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2009, 04:22:29 PM »
For day VFR and a bush pad, take surveyor's flagging to mark any tall hazards (standing dead trees, etc, which will also act as your wind indicators.  Take a rock and wrap more tape around it to mark the spot where you want the pilot to put the toe of the skid if space is tight.  If only one dircetion of approach will work, then make sure you have communicated this to the driver and be prepared to marshall the arriving aircraft.  A couple of logs laid on the ground at right angles to the desired landing direction, and spaced a little wider than the crosstubes, will aid the pilot in finding the desired spot as well as supporting the machine on soft ground.

In the end all you need is comms, a folding saw, and flagging tape: all very friendly to those traveling on LPCs (Leather Personnel Carriers).
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Offline piet03

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Re: Marking Helispots
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2009, 06:13:13 PM »
Thanks Guys, I guess we're talking day/night VFR  although medivacs sometimes have a hard time estimating ceilings and visibility, God bless them.

piet 03