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Issued:
August 15, 2001
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- Helicopter External Loads:
Traditional helicopter motion picture activities include
stunt persons transferring, air to air between helicopter
and airplane, air to ground between surface vehicles
or persons, Rappelling, Fast Roping and many other
scenarios where essential personnel and equipment
may be required outside the helicopter. Stunt persons
and cameramen are often called upon to stand upon
or hang from landing gear skids, cargo hooks, trapeze
devices, bungee cords, cables, ladders, long-lines,
etc.
Safe completion of these operations require the complete
understanding and coordination of all parties involved,
i.e. the Aerial Coordinator and/or Pilot in Command
the Designated Production Representative, Stunt Persons,
Helicopter Riggers, Special Effects and Grip Riggers
and essential ground crew.
- Pilot in Command:
The Pilot in Command is at all times the final authority
over his/her airplane and shall be in command over
his/hers flight operations and/or related activities.
The Pilot in Command and/or Aerial Coordinator shall
have the authority to abort any flight operation in
the interest of safety.
- Personnel Involved:
Aerial Coordinator and/or Pilot in Command, essential
personnel to be flown, helicopter rigging, safety
and production personnel.
- Briefing:
Briefings will be conducted by the Aerial Coordinator
and/or Pilot in Command, specific to the scheduled
helicopter external load operations and in compliance
with the approved Motion Picture Operations Manual,
briefing provisions.
- Risk Management:
Participants will conduct a thorough evaluation of
the operations to be conducted and the potential
risk to all personnel, if any.
- Communication:
Communication must exist at all times between the pilot,
the stunt person(s) and other essential personnel.
This can be accomplished utilizing radios, intercoms,
or pre-briefed visual signals.
Additionally, the pilot must be able to maintain visual
contact with the stunt person(s) and other essential
personnel in the event of lost communications. If visual
contact cannot be maintained a third party, who can
maintain visual contact, will be used. This person
may be on board the helicopter, on the ground, or in
another aircraft.
- Attaching Methods and Devices:
All personnel must be attached to the aircraft while
in flight, unless those persons are performing an
essential function outside the aircraft requiring
them to depart the aircraft in flight, e.g. parachuting
or transfers.
Seat belts, cables and safety lines will be attached
to existing helicopter hard points, seat belt attach
points, cargo tie down points, airframe bridles, or
other suitable airframe locations.
Attaching devices, i.e. cables, carabineers, braided
nylon climbing rope, nylon straps, steel clevises,
body harnesses, etc., are normally provided by the
special effects, grips and stunt personnel. All of
the above attaching devices must have load ratings
established by the manufacturer in compliance with
various industry and government specifications and
established Motion Picture safety guidelines.
NOTE: A person will never be attached to a load release
device.
- Parachutes:
If parachutes are to be utilized, they must be of an
FAA approved type, must have been packed and certified
within the preceding 120 days.
While wearing a parachute, the parachutist must not
be attached to the aircraft, except during takeoff
and landing! An accidental parachute opening while
attached to the Helicopter could have a serious negative
effect on the aircraft and parachutist.
- Rappelling:
A. Rappelling Pilot Qualifications:
1. Possess a letter of competency or an appropriate
logbook entry indicating compliance with the pilot
provisions of 14 CFR Part 133; or
2. Be qualified on the basis of previous experience
and safety record; or
3. An actual flight, demonstrating the pilot’s
knowledge and skill regarding repelling operations.
B. Rappeller Qualifications:
1. Rappellers (Stunt Persons) and Spotters, will be
required to demonstrate their rappelling ability during
required familiarization flights.
2. The Aerial Coordinator and / or Pilot in Command
will have the authority to withhold approval of any
rappeller (Stunt Person) or spotter.
- Rappelling Special Provisions:
The Aerial Coordinator or the Pilot in Command has
the authority to cancel or delete any activity or
event, if in their opinion, the safety of persons
or property on the ground, or in the air, is at risk
or if there is a contravention to the provisions
of their Motion Picture Waiver.
- Weight and Balance:
Due to the nature of helicopter, external loads involving
essential persons or equipment, diligent review and
compliance with the manufacturers weight and balance
data is required.
Prior to the initial flight of a new external load
configuration, hovering test shall be conducted to
verify the lateral and longitudinal centers of gravity
and maximum allowable helicopter weight.
- Rappelling Pilots Check List:
A. Aircraft:
1. Load bearing capacity and method of securing of
all attaching devices related to the external load.
2. Verification of load bearing capacity and anticipated
loads on the airframe attach points to be utilized.
3. Accomplish Weight and Balance of the external load,
including, if necessary, the possible release or departure
of the external load.
4. Verify operation of load release device, if any.
Note: A person will never be attached to a load release
device.
B. Personnel:
1. Verify that only essential personnel are onboard
the aircraft.
2. Confirm essential personnel specific duties and
responsibilities.
3. Communications check, audio and visual signals.
4. Review emergency procedures specific to the external
load operation with all essential personnel.
5. Review potential risk, if any, with the essential
personnel.
6. No essential personnel may participate in the helicopter
external load operation unless they have read, understood,
and agreed to comply with the conditions of the Waiver
Holders, Certificate of Waiver and its special provisions,
if any.
C. Rappel Equipment:
1. Rope size, appropriate to the rappel (friction)
device being used, will be required for all Rappel
operations.
2. Rope strength, for each specific load, a safety
factor of 10:1 between the strength of the weakest
piece of attaching equipment and the load to be carried,
will be utilized. The absolute minimum tensile strength
of any Rappel rope will be 5000 lbs. tested to NFPA
and/or other regulatory standards.
3. Ropes will have a rubber jacket or other appropriate
edge protection to give protection on door sills and
edges when using floor attach points.
4. Carabineers, steel, or aluminum must have a minimum
tensile strength of 5000 lbs. be a locking type, and
be tested to NFPA and/or other regulatory standards.
5. Cutting devices, knifes, cable cutters, etc. sufficient
to cut any attaching device will be provided to the
spotter or safety persons for use in an emergency.
6. Rappel ropes will have a minimum of two airframe
attach points per rope, with test strengths equal to
or greater than 5000 lbs. per rappeller.
- Fast Roping:
A. Fast Roping Pilot Qualifications:
1. Possess a letter of competency or an appropriate
logbook entry indicating compliance with the pilot
provisions of 14 CFR Part 133; or
2. Be qualified, based on previous experience and safety
record; or
3. An actual flight, demonstrating the pilot’s
knowledge and basic skills required to conduct Fast
Rope vertical reference type operations.
B. Fast Rope Personnel Qualifications:
1. Fast Ropers (Stunt Persons) and Spotters, will be
required to demonstrate their ability during required
familiarization flights.
2. The Aerial Coordinator and/or Pilot in Command will
have the authority to withhold approval of any Fast
Roper (Stunt Person) or spotter.
C. Fast Roping Special Provisions:
The Aerial Coordinator or the Pilot in Command has
the authority to cancel or delete any activity or event,
if in their opinion, the safety of persons or property
on the ground or in the air is at risk, or if there
is a contravention to the provisions of their Motion
Picture Waiver.
D. Fast Rope Equipment:
1. Airframe attach points must be of an FAA approved
type, providing sufficient lateral arm to extend beyond
the outermost portion of the helicopter airframe and
be certified for a 10:1 weight bearing capacity.
2. Rope size, appropriate to the rappel (friction)
device being used, will be required for all fast rope
operations.
3. Fast Rope strength, for each specific load, a safety
factor of 10:1 between the strength of the weakest
piece of attaching equipment and the load to be carried,
will be utilized. The absolute minimum tensile strength
of any Fast Rope will be 9000 lbs. and have a high
melting point as designed for fast rope/rappelling
operations.
4. Cutting devices, knifes, cable cutters, etc. sufficient
to cut any attaching device will be provided to the
spotter or safety persons for use in an emergency.
5. Fast Ropes will have a minimum of two airframe attach
points per rope and have the appropriate rated strength.
- Weight and Balance: See Paragraph 11
- Pilots Check List: See Paragraphs 12. A. B. C.
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