An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 25 The versatility of the Air Corps' h135 and AW139 helicopters is demonstrated with their ability to transport cargo or equipment in an underslung capacity. To enable this capability 3 Op- erations Wing train personnel to be able to select, prepare, mark and operate unprepared in the Defence Forces helicopter landing sites. These landing sites may be used to transport personnel, vehicles and combat supplies using the crite- ria given in the uK Armed Forces JADTEu (Joint Air Delivery Test and Evaluation unit) regulation using the appropriate black and white light systems. recent operations In March 2016 the OPW made a request through the Department of Defence to assist in transporting repair material up to Dún Aonghusa on the island of Inis Mór. Due to the inaccessible nature of the Dún the request came to 3 Operations Wing. The AW139 with the support of a H135 transported the ground person- nel to the island where approximately 5000kg of gravel, 500kg of construc- tion material and a 1300kg container were awaiting transport into the Dún. All the material and equipment was underslung by the AW139 in Single-Use- Lift-Bags (SULBs), cargo nets and using a 4-legged sling. The operation was cap- tured by the Irish Times photographer Bred Fitzsimon and her photograph won 2nd place in the PPAI Press Photographer Nature and the Environment category. personnel As well as pilots being trained in the particular skill set ground crew are also trained to various levels. Each level has its own set of capabilities and responsibilities. The initial ground crew qualification with- in the Irish Defence Forces is the Landing Point Commander (LPC) qualification. The qualification is open to all personnel of the minimum rank of Cpl. In the last 3 years 3 Operations Wing have qualified over 150 personnel across the Defence Forces as LPC's. The course qualifies LPC's to: • Lay a single Landing point by day and night for use by day and night. • Select, prepare and mark an Emergen- cy Helicopter Landing Site with a sin- gle Landing Point by day and night for CASEVAC and Emergency extraction. • Operate a Landing Point by day and night. • Identify, use and carry out before and after use checks on Helicopter Underslung Load Equipment (HUSLE) • Prepare internal and external loads, including the identification of danger- ous goods for carriage by helicopter. The qualification is valid for an unlimited period provided a formal annual check is carried out by a Helicopter Handling Instructor (HHI). The next qualification available to LPC's is the Defence Heli- copter Landing Site Manager (DHLSM) qualification. The training is currently provided by JADTEU personnel. The DHLSM qualification allows personnel to: • Take responsibility for the scal- ing and husbandry of HUSLE. • Select, prepare and mark a Heli- copter Landing Site (HLS) by day • Select, prepare and mark a HLS by night • The safe conduct of all operations on a Helicopter Landing Site. • Maintain radio communications for local control of a HLS (Helicop- ter Landing site) to unit/formation headquarters and the helicopter. • Check the preparation of external and internal loads in accordance with the approved Underslung Load Clearances or Tie-Down Schemes that have been prepared by LPCs. Once DHLSM's have had suitable ex- perience they may be eligible to be- come Helicopter Handling Instructors (HHI), which then allows them to: • Train, supervise and revalidate LPCs. • Supervise and revalidate DHLSMs. The DHLSM and HHI qualification is valid for 5 years but must be revali- dated annually by a HHI Specialist. By CAPT AOnghuS Ó hALMhAIn

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