Helicopters - The Multi Utility Machines

The vertical lift technology of helicopters has far more utilitarian aspects to its credit than only being an effective mode of transport. With international aviation and domestic aviation getting global, it's time we understand that helicopters are the connecting links towards its success. Helicopters can reach where nothing else can. Helicopters can perform EMS (Emergency Medical Service), Law Enforcement, Power Line Survey, Fire Fighting, SAR (Search and Rescue), ENG (Electronic News Gathering) at the same time as connecting the remotest places to the centre.

While effort is on to improvise our country's infrastructure by introducing metro rail, building expressways, modernizing railways, building better airports, it is time to incorporate helicopter services as well. Heliports along the expressways and railway tracks will enable timely rescue services in case of accidents.

We will need to understand that there's a difference between getting there and getting there fast. There's a distinction between encouraging lives and lifestyle support. In the western states EMS is a really common service where in case of any medical condition or accident, helicopters provide air ambulance services. It's likely to have a hotline to connect to this service and make EMS helicopter available wherever required. It's a fantastic idea for insurance companies to integrate with the management of EMS by integrating with various agencies. By way of example, the toll tax collected at expressways can incorporate a small amount of insurance money to insure passengers of availing EMS in case of any mishap. Credit card companies can also receive their customers insured with this support. Hospitals can provide this support to the corporates who wouldn't mind insuring their workers for EMS in case demanded. Options can be researched. The government should integrate with all of the relevant industries to make this happen. EMS is extremely common in the developed nations and it can be performed as well. It's definitely required to manage the next largest population of earth.

Another very important section where vertical lift technology makes its existence almost inevitable is homeland security or law enforcement. The helicopter is often known as a"Force Multiplier." Studies have demonstrated that helicopter teams have a felony arrest rate as large as six to ten times that of car teams alone. The helicopter has also been shown to encourage, or"back up", as many as twenty-six floor vehicles within its geographical area of responsibility. The aerial vantage provides the helicopter about 15 times the surveillance capacity of a floor unit. This vantage point in addition to the speed where a helicopter can find a trained police officer over a crime scene (usually less than two minutes), provides the containment that essentially assures an arrest. A police helicopter can also be shared between public service agencies for duties such as traffic survey, fire management, EMS, environmental surveys, zoning and other public service assignments. In 1948, NYPD (New York Police Department) placed its first helicopter to service, a Bell 47 D and since then there has been a significant advancement in Air Borne law enforcement. The first step in this regard is to look beyond that the helicopter is an expensive luxury. The helicopter has been demonstrated by police departments around the world to be quite cost effective means of increasing the efficacy of a department's existing resources, when properly utilized.

Other utility functions, which can be done by a helicopter, are fire fighting, Electronic information gathering, power line poll, offshore oil and gas support, aerial application and air tourism. While heli tourism, offshore support and to some extent ENG has become possible in India, we have to research their use in India into fire fighting, power line survey and aerial application.

Helicopters play a leading role in fire fighting support. It offers observers a platform to assess a situation and supply floor units and other aircraft a clear description of the problem and how to combat it. Pinpointing location, moving gear, finding water resources and rescuing victims from high tech buildings can also be achieved much faster.

Digital newsgathering is another major area of thrust for helicopter usage these days. As our society becomes media savvy everyday, new agencies and media groups will need to get information faster and crispier. Thus, helicopters are utilized to reach the place of incident faster and report from that point on. Already, some news agencies are utilizing helicopters for ENG but with information channels multiplying everyday, using helicopters can be manipulated much more.

A helicopter finest performs power line, pipeline, and fibre optic line patrol. Its excellent visibility and the ability to fly low and slow, or hover and land make the helicopter the best patrol aircraft. Cathode protection surveys using a helicopter at the remote access areas can actually save companies money over the conventional procedures. Surveys can be accomplished 4-5 times faster with a helicopter.

Helicopter Missions are endless. They react to accidents, coordinate disaster relief, make traffic surveys, fly Air Medical assignments, track suspects and stem the growth and distribution of narcotics.