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Home My WebLink AboutSuWa300 Alaska Resources Library & Information Services Susitna‐Watana Hydroelectric Project Document ARLIS Uniform Cover Page TK 1425 .S8 S92 no.300 Title: SuWa 300 Instream Flow Study Program: helicopter safety procedures manual, 2012 - draft Author(s) – Personal: Michael R. Lilly, David Brailey Author(s) – Corporate: ABR, Inc.-Environmental Research Services R2 Resource Consultants Geo-Watersheds Scientific AEA‐identified category, if specified: AEA‐identified series, if specified: Health, safety, and environmental series Series (ARLIS‐assigned report number): Existing numbers on document: Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project document number 300 GWS.TR.12.02 Published by: Date published: [Anchorage, Alaska : Alaska Energy Authority?, 2012] May 30, 2012 Published for: Date or date range of report: Alaska Energy Authority Volume and/or Part numbers: Final or Draft status, as indicated: Draft Document type: Pagination: Procedure manual ix, 16, 1, 1 leaves Related work(s): Pages added/changed by ARLIS: Notes: All reports in the Susitna‐Watana Hydroelectric Project Document series include an ARLIS‐ produced cover page and an ARLIS‐assigned number for uniformity and citability. All reports are posted online at http://www.arlis.org/susitnadocfinder/ ~~ SUSITNA-WATANA HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT FERC No. P-14:!41 INSTREAM FLOW STUDY PROGRAM: HELICOPTER SAFETY PROCEDURES MANUAL, 2012-DRAFT Health, Safety, and Environmental Series R44 helicopter on Susitna River gravel bar, 512112, M . Lilly. by Michael R. Lilly and David Brailey May 2012 Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project FERC No. P-14241 Report GWS.TR.12 .02 INSTREAMFLOWSTUDYPROGRAM:HELICOPTERSAFETYPROCEDURESMANUAL,2012-DRAFTHealth,Safety,andEnvironmentalSeriesbyMichaelR.Lilly1,DavidBrailey2AnInstreamFlowStudyProgramProceduresManualPreparedFor:TheAlaskaEnergyAuthority813W.NorthernLightsBlvd.Anchorage,AK99503)byABR,lnc.—EnvironmentalResearch&ServicesP.O.Box80410Fairbanks,AK99708Q&R2ResourceConsultants15250N.E.95thStreetRedmond,Washington98052-25180&Geo-WatershedsScientificPOBox81538Fairbanks,Alaska,997080U0May30,2012Susitna-WatanaHydroelectricProjectReportNumberGWS.TR.12.02U003U1Geo-WatershedsScientific,Fairbanks,AK2BraileyHydrologic,Anchorage,AK))N ))DJ00))))))000)00000RecommendedCitation:OLilly,M.R.,Brailey,D.2012.InstreamFlowProgram:HelicopterSafetyProceduresOManual,2012—Draft:Health,Safety,andEnvironmentalSeries.Geo-WatershedsoScientific,ReportGWSJR.12.02.Fairbanks,Alaska.16pp(plusappendices).0Fairbanks,AlaskaOMay201200OForadditionalinformationwriteto:AlaskaEnergyAuthority)813W.NorthernLightsBlvd.0Anchorage,AK99503)))Hi) TABLEOFCONTENTSTABLEOFCONTENTSivLISTOFFIGURESivLISTOFTABLESivLISTOFAPPENDICESvDISCLAIMERviCONVERSIONFACTORS,UNITS,WATERQUALITYUNITS,VERTICALANDHORIZONTALDATUM,ABBREVIATIONSANDSYMBOLSviiACKNOWLEDGEMENTSix1.0INTRODUCTIONI2.0STUDYAREA23.0COMMUNICATIONS34.0GEARLOADING/UNLOADING54.1SlingLoads55.0SAFETYRESPONSIBILTY75.1GeneralHelicopterSafetyConsiderations75.2PassengerResponsibilities75.3PilotResponsibilities86.0SELECTEDHELICOPTERHAZARDS107.0GUIDELINESFORAVOIDINGNESTINGRAPTORS158.0SELECTEDREFERENCES16LISTOFFIGURESFigure1.MapofSusitnaWatershed.Helicopterflightoperationscanoccurwithinthisareaandfrompointsofto/fromflightorigins2Figure2.Helicopterclearancerequirements9Figure3.RailroadBridgecrossingtheSusitnaRivernearGoldCreek,lookingupstream11Figure4.ElectricalIntertiecrossingtheSusitnaRiverupstreamofGoldCreek,lookingnorthalongintertie11Figure5.ElectricallntertiecrossingtheSusitnaRiverupstreamofGoldCreek,lookingsouthalongintertie.Electricalcableorangemarkingballsinlowerrightofphoto.12Figure6.Railroadbridgeandelectricalintertie,GoogleEarthsatellitephoto12Figure7.Oldcablebridge,lookingdownstream13Figure8.Oldcablebridge,lookingupstream13Figure9.Oldcablebridgelookingdownward14Figure10.Oldcablebridge,GoogleEarthsatellitephoto14LISTOFTABLESTable1.KnownhelicopterhazardsinSusitnaRiverCorridorRM83toRM18410iv 13CLISTOFAPPENDICESAPPENDIXA.CONTENTSOFPERSONALSAFETYKITSAPPENDIXB.CONTENTSOFOVERNIGHTSAFETYKIToa0000c.D00000ID000000000ID00Q0-V00C) DISCLAIMERThisdocumentwaspreparedtoaddressspecificsafetyissuesassociatedwithworksponsoredbytheAlaskaEnergyAuthority(AEA).NeithertheAEA,noranyoftheiremployees,makeanywarranty,orassumeanylegalliabilityorresponsibilityfortheaccuracy,completeness,orusefulnessofanyinformationdisclosed,orrepresentsthatitsusewouldnotinfringeprivatelyownedrights.Referencehereintoanyspecificcommercialproduct,process,orservicebytradename,trademark,manufacturer,orotherwisedoesnotnecessarilyconstituteorimplyitsendorsement,recommendation,orfavoringbyanyagency.Thecontentsofthisdocumentreflecttheviewsoftheauthors,whoareresponsiblefortheaccuracyofthedatapresentedherein.Thecontentsofthedocumentdonotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsorpoliciesoftheagencyoranylocalsponsor.Neitherthiswork,noritsassociateddocumentation,constitutesastandard,specification,orregulation.vi CONVERSIONFACTORS,UNITS,WATERQUALITYUNITS,VERTICALANDHORIZONTALDATUM,ABBREVIATIONSANDSYMBOLSConversionFactorsMultiplyByToobtainLengthinch(in.)25.4millimeter(mm)inch(in.)2.54centimeter(cm)foot(ft)0.3048meter(m)mile(ml)1.609kilometer(km)Areaacre43560squarefeet(ft2)acre0.4047hectare(ha)squarefoot(ft2)3.587X108squaremile(mi2)squaremile(mi2)2.590squarekilometer(km2)Volumegallon(gal)3.785liter(I)gallon(gal)3785milliliter(ml)cubicfoot(ft3)23.317liter(I)Acre-ft1233cubicmeter(m3))VelocityandDischargefootperday(Wd)0.3048meterperday(mid)Qsquarefootperday(ft2Id).0929squaremeterperday(m2Id)cubicfootpersecond(ft3Is)0.02832cubicmeterpersecond(m3/sec)HydraulicConductivityfootperday(Wd)0.3048meterperday(mid)footperday(Wd)0.00035centimeterpersecond(cmisec)meterperday(mid)0.00115centimeterpersecond(cm/sec)HydraulicGradient0footperfoot(ft/if)5280footpermile(ft/mi)Qfootpermile(ft/mi)0.1894meterperkilometer(mikm)Pressurepoundpersquareinch(lbiin2)6.895kilopascal(kPa)VII UnitsForthepurposesofthisdocument,bothUSCustomaryandMetricunitswereemployed.CommonregulationsrelatedtowateruseinAlaskausecombinationsofbothUSCustomaryandMetricunits.Thechoiceofuprimar.ylunitsemployeddependedoncommonreportingstandardsforaparticularpropertyorparametermeasured.Wheneverpossible,theapproximatevalueinthe“secondary”unitswasalsoprovidedinparentheses.PhysicalandChemicalWater-QualityUnits:Temperature:WaterandairtemperaturearegivenindegreesCelsius(°C)andindegreesFahrenheit(°F).DegreesCelsiuscanbeconvertedtodegreesFahrenheitbyuseofthefollowingequation:=1.8(°C)÷32VerticalDatum:“Sealevel”inthefollowingdocumentreferstotheNationalAmericanVerticalDatumof1988(NAVD88),ageodeticdatumderivedforUnitedStates,Canada,Mexico,andCentralAmerica.NAVD88isbasedonageocentricoriginandtheGeodeticReferenceSystem1980.TheverticaldatumfortheprojectwillbeNAVD88orthometricheightsbasedontheGeoidO9modelwhichwasbuiltfromNAD83CORS96epoch2002.00ellipsoidheights.HorizontalDatum:ThehorizontaldatumforalllocationsinthisdocumentistheWorldGeodeticSystem1984,otherwiseknownasWGS84.InmostAlaskalocations,thisisclosetotheNorthAmericanDatumof1983.viii ))Abbreviations,Acronyms,andSymbolsjACActualconductivity0ADOT&PFAlaskaDepartmentofTransportationandPublicFacilitiesADNRAlaskaDepartmentofNaturalResourcesAEAAlaskaEnergyAuthorityASTMAmericanSocietyforTestingandMaterialsatmAtmospheresCCelsius(°C)cmCentimetersDVMDigitalvoltagemulti-meterFFahrenheit(°F)ftFeetGWSGeo-WatershedsScientificinIncheskgKilogramskm2Squarekilometers)kPaKilopascallb/in2PoundspersquareinchmMetersmi2Squaremiles0mmMillimetersmVMillivoltNGVDNationalGeodeticVerticalDatumNRCSNaturalResourcesConservationService0QAQualityassuranceoQCQualitycontrolUSACEU.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineers,AlaskaDistrictUSGSU.S.GeologicalSurvey0WVVVVWorldWideWebDACKNOWLEDGEMENTS-ThismaterialhasbeenpreparedforworksupportedbytheAlaskaEnergyAuthorityTechnicalreviewswereprovidedby]ayhawkAirstaffD00aaUU)-‘ixI InstreamFlowStudyProgram:HelicopterSafetyProceduresManual,2012—DraftHealth,Safety,andEnvironmentalSeries1.0INTRODUCTIONTheAlaskaEnergyAuthority(AEA)ispreparingaLicenseApplicationthatwillbesubmittedtotheFederalEnergyRegulatoryCommission(FERC)fortheSusitnaWatanaHydroelectricProject(Project)usingtheIntegratedLicensingProcess(ILP).TheProjectislocatedontheSusitnaRiver,whichdrainsa20,000square-milewatershedinsouthcentralAlaska(Figure1).TheProject’sdamsite(WatanaDam)willbelocatedatRiverMile(RM)184.TheresultsofthisstudyandofotherproposedstudieswillprovideinformationneededtosupporttheFERC’sNationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct(NEPA)analysisfortheProjectlicense.Avarietyofhydrologicandwater-qualitymodelswillbeneededtoassesstheProject’simpactonriverhydraulics,temperatures,iceprocesses,sedimenttransport,aquaticresources,andterrestrialresources.Ahydraulicflow-routingmodeloftheSusitnaRiverdownstreamofWatanaDamwillberequiredfortheProjectimpactassessment.USACE’sHEC-RAS(RiverAnalysisSystem)modelisbeingconsideredforthispurposebecauseofitsabilitytosimulatehourlyfluctuationsinwater-surfaceelevationcausedbyload-followingoperations.Resultsoftheroutingmodelwillbeusedasinputforothermodelsneededtosimulatevariousphysicalandbiologicalprocesses.Theflow-routingmodelingobjectiveswillrequirefielddata-collectionprograms.Manyoftheseeffortswillrequirevariousapplicationsofhelicoptersupportfortransportingfieldcrews,fieldgear,slingloadsofheavyequipment,andgenerallogisticalsupport.Safeuseofhelicopterresourcesandassociatedlogisticsisaprimaryobjectiveforthestudyandthestudyfieldstaff.ThisprocedureoperationsmanualispartoftheHealth,SafetyandEnvironmental(HSE)seriesofmanualstohelpthestudyfieldstaffconductsafeandeffectivefieldprograms.Allstudyfieldstaffwillreadthismanualatthebeginningofeachfieldtripandkeepacopyofthemanualateachcamplocation.Keyfrequencyandotherinformationwillbekeptinfieldbooksforreferenceduringallfieldwork.Helicopterpilotswillbegivenacopyofthemanualandaskedtoreviewandfollowitsrecommendationsandimplementsaferpracticeswheneverrequired.Acopyofthemanualwillbekeptinallhelicoptersusedforthestudyduringstudyoperations.I U0D2.OSTUDYAREATheprimarystudyareaincludestheSusitnaRivermainstemchannelbetweenRM75andRM184(Figure1).AdditionalmeasurementswillbeperformedatinactiveUSGSOstationsatRM26(SusitnaStation),RM223(SusitnaR.nearCantwell),andintheOSusitnadeltatohelpsupportotherstudiestakingplaceintheseregions.Cross-sectionQanddischargemeasurementswillonlybetakenattheSusitnaRiveratSusitnaStationgaugingstationinthelowerSusitnaWatershed.Thetwoadditionalstations0downstreamwillfocusonwater-levelmeasurementstohelpcharacterizetidaloinfluencesinthelowerriver.Thelocationsofthesestationsarepreliminaryatthistimeoandwillbefinalizedafterpermittingconditionsareidentifiedforthelowerriver.(‘N/‘Ujt‘.o4o:4t__0t:o____-jVfoo___3___o__f,.o__o__oFigure1.MapofSusitnaWatershed.Helicopterflightoperationscanoccurwithinthis0areaandfrompointsoftolfromflightorigins.Avarietyofstationswillbeinstalledinthemainrivercorridoralongwithaseriesofdata-networkrepeaterstationsatvarioushighpointstohelpservedatanetworkneeds.Theinstallationofthesestationsmayrequireslingloadoperationsforstationinstallationactivities.TheprimarybaseofoperationsforthestudyfieldcrewswillbeinTalkeetna.2 U0003.0COMMUNICATIONSCommunicationisacriticalpartofanysafetyplan.Communicationbyprojectteamsandhelicopteroperatorsneedstooccuratseveraldifferentlevels.Projectteamsneedotocommunicatefieldplans,includinganticipatedschedules,locations,typeofwork,andoplannedhelicopterresourcestomultipleentities,includingAEA,otherprojectteamsOworkinginthearea,andanyAEAhelicopterlogisticscoordinatorsthatmaybeactiveduringfieldefforts.Helicopterpilotsneedtocommunicateoncommonfrequenciesusedointhestudyareastootherhelicoptersthatmaybeworkingfortheprojectorotheroentities,andtoairportflightserviceswhenworkinginthevicinityoflocalairportssuchoasTalkeetnaandWillow.oTheVeryHighFrequency(VHF)civilaviationbandextendsfrom108to136MHz.Theorangebetween118and136MHz(720channelsifforgeneralaviationcommunication.O123.1MHzisacommonSearchandRescue/CivilAirPatrolfrequency.Groundcrewshavetousedifferentfrequenciesforhandheldradiosthanairtoairfrequencies.oHelicoptersneedtobeabletomonitortheProjectground-to-airpreferredfrequenciesoovertheirheadsetcommunicationsystems.Planningandsafetymeetingswilloccuratthebeginningofeachdayandwillincludepilotbriefings,trip-planconfirmations,andevaluationofanysafetyconcerns.Thefollowingpracticesshouldbeconsideredbyhelicopterflightpilots;o•Monitorradiofrequency123.6MHzwhileworkinginthevicinityoftheTalkeetnaoAirport,coordinatingwithTalkeetnaFlightServiceswhenrequired;O•Monitorradiofrequency122.9MHzwhileworkinginthegeneralmiddleandupperbasinareas;O•Thepreferredfrequencyforgroundtoaircommunicationsis151.625or154.600oMHz;O•Anticipateotherhelicopteroperatorsinareaandreportlocationperiodicallyorwhencontactismadewithanotherhelicopter(s)workinginthesamearea;o•Whencomingintocontactwithotherhelicoptersnewtothearea,informpilotsofogeneralactivitiesandpotentialhazardsinthemainoperatingareas;Pilotswillcarryasatellitephonewiththehelicopterandcardstogiveoutwiththeosatellitephonenumbertofieldcrews.Thehelicoptersatellitephonewillbeusedoprimarilyforemergencycommunications.Pilotswillrecordthesatellitephoneonumbersoffieldcrewstheyaresupportingtohelpcommunicatewithgroundcrewsinemergencysituations;o•Pilotswillensurethehelicopteremergencylocationtransmitter(ELT)isofunctioningeachdayandthatallpassengersarebriefedonitslocationandOoperation;Fieldcrewswillbeusinghelicopterhelmets.Standardcommunicationportsoshouldbeavailableforeachpassengerseatandtestedtobefunctionaleachoday.0a0030() C-)000Thefollowingcommunicationpracticesshouldbeconsideredonbehalfofthehelicopter0passengers;0o•Monitorradiofrequency122.9MHzforhelicopterfrequencieswhileworkinginOthegeneralmiddleandupperbasinareas;•Thepreferredfrequencyforgroundtoaircommunicationsis151.625or154.600oMHz;oThepilotwillcontactfieldcrewsontheradiousingtheair-to-groundfruenciesOwhencominginforpickuporcheckingonstatusoffieldcrews,radiosshouldbekeptonandinalocationtoeasilyaccess;o•Onlyonepersonshouldcommunicatewiththeaircraft;o•Describelandingzones,whennewtothepilotinquestion;•Describeanyhazardssuchastrees,poles,wires,etc.;o•Givewinddirection.Notethatwinddirectionisreportedbythedirectionfromowhichthewindoriginates;Q•Notifypilotwhenaircraftisinsightofyourlocation;•Standwithbackfacingupwindwithhandsraisedoverhead;o•Leavelandingzonewhenhelicopterison%milefinalorwhendirectedbypilot;oApproachaircraftonlyunderthedirectionofthepilot;C.Never,underanycircumstances,approachfromtherearofthehelicopter,alwaysapproachfromfrontorside;o•Remainatlandingzoneuntilhelicopterdeparts;o•FieldcrewswillcarryasatellitephonewiththecrewandcardstogiveoutwithQthesatellitephonenumbertohelicopterpilots.Thefield-crewsatellitephonewillbeusedstudyrelatedandemergencycommunications.Fieldcrewswillrecordothesatellitephonenumbersofpilotstheyareusingtohelpcommunicatewithopilotsinemergencysituations;O•FieldcrewswillalsouseSpotemergencytransmitterdevicestoassistintrackingandcommunicationwithotherstudystafforemergencyrespondersasabackupotosatellitephonesandVHFradios.00000000000000040fl 4.0GEARLOADINGIUNLOADINGFieldcrewswilltypicallyhaveavarietyofgeartotakewiththemonpersonnelflights,orgearonlyflights.Gearshouldbepackedinsmallbundlesorpiecessoitcanbeeasilypackedinthehelicopterandhandledbyasingleindividual,suchasthepilot.Anysharpobjectsshouldhavesharpedgesorpointscoveredandprotected.Cardboardandducttapecanoftenservethispurpose.•Equipmentbulkweights/sizes(fordatastationcomponents,etc.)willbeenteredintoforms/spreadsheetsandwillbeavailabletoallpersonnelinvolvedinthetransportationandloadingoftheequipment.Weightswillalsobeplacedonallgearoverfivepounds,writtenonducttapewithpermanentmarkerssotheweightcanbeeasilyreadfromadistanceof10feet;•Loading/unloadingofgearonhelicopterrackswillbeconductedundertheexplicitdirectionofthepilot;•Bungeesorotherrigginggearneededforaffixinggeartothehelicopterrackswillbeprovidedbythehelicopterpilot;•NOTE:allhazardousorexplosiveitemswillbediscussedwiththepilotbeforeloadingandclearlymarked.BearSprayisacommonitemthatshouldneverbecarriedintheinsideofthehelicoptercrewcompartmentunlessinsideofanapprovedcontainmentdevice.Generally,bearspraywillbecarriedontheoutsideofthehelicoptercrewcompartment.Gasolineandotherfuelsshouldgenerallybecarriedoutsidethehelicoptercrewcompartment,unlessdirectedtobeinsidebythepilot.Shotgunsandotherfirearmsusedforbearprotectionshouldbeunloaded.4.1SlingLoadsSomeoftheequipmentrequiredforTask2(boats,motors,jetski)andTask5(batteryboxes,tripods)mustbetransportedasslingloads.Slingloadsaredangerousoperationsandshouldonlybecarriedoutaftercarefulpre-planningwiththepilotsactivelyusedfortheday.Slingloadgearcandevelopstaticdischargeswhichcanshockgroundstaffifcontactsaremadeinthewrongorder.Slingloadscanbedropped,eitherbyaccident,orintentionallyifthepilotdetectsadangertothehelicopter.Slingloadsmustbeunhookedbygroundstaffwiththehelicopterhoveringdirectlyoverhead.Radiocommunicationisnotpossibleundertheseconditions,yetthepilotmustbenotifiedwhentheloadreachestheground,whenthehookisfree,orwhenslingloadoperationsmustbeaborted.Slingloadtransfersshouldnotbeconductedunlesssignalprotocolshavebeendiscussedandareunderstoodbybothgroundstaffandpilot.•Slingloaditemsneedtobeweighedandclearlymarked(e.g.ducttapeandpermanentmarker)forsafeloading;•Riggingofslingloadswillbeconductedundertheexplicitdirectionofthepilot;•Nettingandrigginggearforslingloadswillbeprovidedbythehelicopterpilot;•Signalsfortheapproach,touch-down,unhooking,andemergencyjettisonoftheloadwillbeverballyreviewedbyboththegroundstaffandthepilot;•Fieldstaffshouldwearsafetyvestsorotherbrightclothingtohelpthepiloteasilyseethemontheground.Camouflageclothingandjacketsshouldnotbeused5 a0000whencoordinatingwithhelicopterpilots.Itisimportantthepilotseeallground0crewmembers.o‘SlingLoadLimitsooR44—TheweightlimitforgeneralslingloadsingoodweatherconditionsOis800pounds.Thismaychangebasedontypeofload,andhowwellittransportsthroughtheair.ooA-Stat—Theweightlimitforgeneralslingloadsingoodweatheroconditionsisxxxxpounds.Thismaychangebasedontypeofload,andhowwellittransportsthroughtheair.0000000000000000000000000000060tTh 5.0SAFETYRESPONSIBILTYSafetyisageneralresponsibilityofallstudystaffandpilots.Lookingoutforeachother,otherhazardsandusingthe“buddy”systemisimportantforsafehelicoptersupportoperations.Safetyisalwaysthefirstprioritybeforeworkactivities.Withgoodplanningandcommunication,thiswillneverresultinacompromiseinconductingstudyactivities.5.1GeneralHelicopterSafetyConsiderations•Neverholdanythingaboveeyelevel.Nosmokingorrunningwithin50feetofthehelicopter.•Largegroupsshouldbekept100feetfromthehelicopteratalltimes.•Assurethatallpersonalequipmentissecure(i.e.nohats,loosejackets,floatationvests,etc.thatcanbeblownawayorupintotherotorsystem).•Thinkbeforeyouact,communicatewiththepilotactively5.2PassengerResponsibilities1.Payattentiontothepilot’sbriefing.Beforeyoufly,it’simportanttoknowwhatisexpectedofyou.Thepilotwilltellyouwhentoenterandexitthehelicopteralongwithhowtowearyourseatbeltafterboarding.Hewillletyouknowifyouneedtostayinyourseatorifyoucanmovearound.2.Donotapproachthehelicopteruntilyoureceiveapositiveindicationfromthepilottoapproach.Alwaysmakeeyecontactwiththepilotandawaitclearsignalthatyouaresafetoapproach.3.Watchtherotors.Alwaysapproachthehelicopterfromthefrontrightorleft,neverapproachthehelicopterfromtherearandneverapproachthereartailrotor.litherotorsareturning,onlyapproachthehelicopteronsignalfromthepilotandalwaysremaininthepilot’sdirectlineofsite.Standlowinacrouchasyouapproachahelicopteronlevelgroundforthisallowsforextraspacebetweenyouandtherotors.Ifyouareable,walkupahilltowardsthehelicopterfromthefront.Approachingthehelicopterthiswaygivesthepilotaclearvantagepoint;heorshecanseewhereyouare.Neverapproachahelicopterfromuphillorabove,orfrombehindthehelicopter.Waitforthepilot’ssignalbeforemovingtowardtheaircraft.4.Keeptrackoflightandlooseitems.Securingyourpersonalbelongingsisimportantaslightweightitemscanquicklyblowawayasyounearthehelicopter.Lettheitemgoifitisalreadyflyingoutofyourhands.Youcouldgethurtifyoutrytochaseit.5.Keeplongcargohorizontalwhenapproachingandloadingarunninghelicopter.Longitems,suchaspolesorrods,areasafetyhazardthatcouldaccidentallybemovedintotherotorzones.Neverholdanythinghigherthaneyelevelwhenworkingbeneaththemainrotors.6.Understandthehelicopter’ssafetyzones.Thefrontattherightortheleftofthehelicopteristhemostacceptableplacetoapproachit.Walkingupdirectlyinfrontofthehelicopterisok,but,thepilotwillalwayspreferthatyouarrivefromthefrontleftorrightangles.Thebackofthehelicopteristhemostdangerousplace7 tostandorwalk.Thepilotcan’tseeyoufrombehindandthisisarestrictedaccessroute.Neverapproachfromthebackofahelicopter.7ExitwithsafetyinmindWhendepartingahelicopterwiththerotorsrunning,moveslowlyandmethodically,carryingyourpersonalequipmenttothefrontleft-orrightofthehelicoptertoapointwellclearofthemainrotor,ifpossible-3Maintaincontrolofyourbelongingsintherotorwashand,whenyouareclearoftherotorsorinasafelocation,crouchandremainstationaryuntilthehelicopterhasdepartedthearea.TheremaycomeatimewhenyouhavetoleavethehelicopterwhileitisstillhoveringjustabovethegroundWaitforthepilot’ssignal)andthenexitthehelicopterslowlyandwithoutmakinganysuddenmovements.8.Bevisible.Toensuresafeandpromptsightingsofpersonnelonthegroundby-helicopterpilots,appropriatemeasuresshouldbetaken.Wearingcamouflagedclothingisdiscouragedandbrightsafetyvestsshouldbeavailableatalltimesandusedasappropriate.)9.PersonalProtectiveEquipment(PPE)isimportant.Studyteamsshouldwear-helicopterhelmets(helmetswillbeprovidedbyGWSforTasks2and5,allothertasksevaluatetheirneedsandresourcesasnecessary)Allpersonnelmust)wearsomeformofhearingprotection.Personnelwhoareflyingsurveysinthe)helicopterarerequiredtowearPPE(Nomexclothing),personnelwhoareworkingoutdoorsandferriedbyhelicoptershouldevaluatetheirPPEneeds.Safetyglassesshouldbeusedasappropriate,particularlywhenpreparingforahelicopterpickuporothersituationwhereloosedirtanddebriscouldbeagitated.)10.BePrepared.Passengersareencouragedtobringasmallsurvivalkitthatcanbestoredinapocketintheclothingtheyarewearingonthematalltimeswhiletravelingbyhelicopter.AppendixAcontainsalistofitemsthatshouldbeUincludedinpersonalsafetykits.FieldcrewsthataredroppedoffinthefieldQshouldhaveasafetybagthatcontainsfireandsheltersupplies.AppendixB-containsalistofsuggesteditemsThisistoensurethatifaquickdeparturefromahelicopterisnecessary,asinanemergencysituation,thatfieldmembersstill0havebasicsurvivalgearavailable.Weatherandhelicoptermechanicalproblemscanresultinfieldcrewsnotbeingpickedupandspendinganightinthefield.ItisalsosuggestedthatappropriateattirebeevaluatedbeforeflightLayersofnonsynthetic,orNomex,clothingaresuggestedtopreventpersonalinjuryifheator0fireisencounteredinanemergency.Passengerswillbefamiliarizedwithbasichelicoptersafetyprecautionsduringpre-flightbriefings(includingthelocationsof)emergencyshutoffs,fireextinguishers,andcommunicationsystems)5.3PilotResponsibilities1.Staywithyourhelicopterunlessitisinasecurearea.Ifyouleaveyourhelicopterinavisiblelocation,animals(bears)maytamperwithitanddamagehelicopterparts.2.Inspectthehelicopterbeforeflying.Verifyingthateverythingonyouraircraftisinworkingorderiscriticalbecauseyouwillavoidpotentialproblemswhileflying.8 DD00CheckaroundthehelicopternotingiftheswitchesareworkingproperlyandOconfirmthatyouhaveenoughfuel.Q3.Takenoteofanystrangevibrationsounds.Thesenoisechangesareanoindicationofpossibleabruptenginefailure.Findasafeplacetolandifyouhearanythingstrangewiththevibrationlevelsofthehelicopter.Inspecteveryaspectoofthehelicopterafteryouhavelandedbeforeresumingyourflightplan.O4.Avoidmakingtakeoffsorlandingsdownwind.Youcouldlosecontrolofyourhelicopter.Takingofforlandingdownwindisanespeciallydangerousmaneuverathighaltitudes,o5.KeeprotorRPM’sabovetheircriticallowreadings.Youcanavoidseriouslyoinjuringotherpassengersoryourselfifyoukeeptherotorsmoving,evenduringacrashlanding,accordingtotheRobinsonHelicopterCompany.oLandingZone(LZ)Requirements0o.100’xlOO’minimumpreferred.Obstruction-free:Nowires,trees,poles,etc.o.2pathsofapproach/departureo.MarkremoteLZwithbrightflaggingtohelpindicatewinddirectionandanyohazards.DiscussmarkingsofLZzoneswithyourhelicopterpilotsO.Areashouldbelevelandfreeofloosedebris,suchasbrushthathasbeenclearedo.Illuminatenearbyobstructionsatnighto.HavefieldstaffwaitattheedgeoftheLZinapositionthatwillplacethemontheoupwindsideandinclearsiteofthepilot.7iiH70_—Anime——150Figure2.Helicopterclearancerequirements.9 6.0SELECTEDHELICOPTERHAZARDSThereareanumberofknownhelicopterhazardsinthemainSusitnamiddleandupperwatershedareas.Thesemaynotbetheonlyhazards,asotherhelicopters,smallplanes,flocksofbirdsorotherhazardsmayexist.ThefollowinghazardsshowninTableIshouldbereviewedbypilotsandfieldstafftohelpidentifytheminthefieldwhenconductinghelicopteroperations.Inclementweather,lowsunangles,otherdistractionsmakeitajointresponsibilitybetweenpilotsandpassengerstobeawareofandonthelook-outfortheseandotherhazards.Table1.KnownhelicopterhazardsinSusitnaRiverCorridorRM83toRM184.ApproximateNorthWestHazardFeatureElevationLatitudeLongitudeFtWGS84WGS84WillowAirport,—3mileradius200N6i.75482°Wi50.05188°N61°45.289’W61°03.113’ParksHighwayBridge,UtilityLines300N62.17676°Wi50.17357°N62°10.605’Wi50°10.414’TalkeetnaAirport,—5mileradius360N62.32157°Wi50.09272°_____N62°19.294’Wi50°05.563’RailroadBridge700N62.76825°Wi49.69134°N62°46.095’Ni49°41.480’ElectricalIntertie1,030N62.82046°W149.56735°N62°49.227’N149°34.041’OldCableBridge1,055N62.81842°Wi49.30360°N62°49.105’W149°18.216’10 Figure3.upstream.Figure4.ElectricalIntertiecrossingtheSusitnaRiverupstreamofGoldCreek,lookingnorthalongintertie.11 3COOOOCOOOOODOQOOCOOOOOOOQOOOOOOOCOOOOCOQC1\)-n0=--p1.00D DD000000000U])))))))cablebridge,downstream.Figure8.Oldcablebridge,lookingupstream.13 —.3/‘dtW’it‘S.—...—--cHeI-aaCabéBndg-•d.—••.,,*.‘:.;‘l•t4_1i“/Coogleeartha22N,*g’oa..O55LFigure10.Oldcablebridge,GoogleEarthsatellitephoto.,../rFigure9.Oldcablebridgelookingdownward.14 7.0GUIDELINESFORAVOIDINGNESTINGRAPTORSNumerousspeciesofbirdsofpreynestintheWatanastudyarea.Cliff-nestingraptorsincludeGoldenEagles,Gyrfalcons,andPeregrineFalcons.Tree-nestingraptorsincludeBaldEagles,Ospreys,andNorthernGoshawks.•Precautionsshouldbeexercisedfromnow(May)through31Augustnearcliffandwoodlandhabitatswhereraptornestsareoccupied.•Knownraptornestlocationshavebeenprovidedtoallfieldpersonnel.Allhelicopterandgroundactivitiesareprohibitedwithin1,000feetlateralandverticaldistancefromallknownraptornests.Rivertravelcanpasswithinthe1,000footradius,butstoppingisnotallowed.•Nestlocationinformationisconfidentialandextremelysensitiveandnottobesharedoutsideofprojectpersonnel.•AnypreviouslyunrecordedraptornestlocationsthatmaybelocatedbyfieldpersonnelwillbeimmediatelyreportedtoAEA.•Donotapproachknowntaptornests.Donotapproachcliffnestsfrombehind;thisincreasesthechancesforsevereresponsesofincubatingbirds(e.g.,surpriseddeparturefromnestsandpotentialinjurytoeggsoryoung).•Donotlandaircraftonthebrinkortopofcliffsorriverbluffswitheitherhistoricoroccupiedraptornests.Iflandingsmustoccurathistoricandunoccupiedraptornests,landandtakeoff>1,000ftawayandrestricttheamountoftimeonthegroundatthesesites.Landingsarenotallowedwithin1,000feetofactiveraptornests.•Camp>1,000feetfromoccupiedandhistoricsites.•Generally,peopleonthegroundcausesomeofthemostseveredisturbancetoraptors(e.g.,missedfeedings,attractingpredators,exposeeggandyoung,adultsandyoungabandoningnests).Leavenestingareasifanoccupiednestisdiscovered.Quicklymoveallpersonnelandequipmentatleast1,000feetfromthesite.Ifraptorsaredisturbed(e.g.,adultsscreaming,divingatpeopleoraircraft),moveawayfromthesitequickly.Again,activitiesabovenestsoftenaremoredisturbing.Pleasereportanyevidenceofraptorsnesting(e.g.,sticknests,vocalnestlings)toJohnShook(ishooktabrinc.com)orBobRitchie(britchie(1abrinc.com).ABRInc.—EnvironmentalResearch&Services,P.O.Box80410,Fairbanks,AK99709.907-455-6777.15 8.0SELECTEDREFERENCESCommonHelicopterModels,RobinsonRavenR44:)htti://www.robinsonheli.com/rhcr44ravenserieshtml0RescueDynamics-NewandRecentArticlesoftheMonthhttp:/Iwww.rescuedynamics.ca/articles/articlenew.htm0OUSForestServiceFireandAviationManagementhttp://www.fs.fed.us/flre/avsafety!OUniversityofAlberta)http://safety.eas.ualberta.ca/node/67)))000000000000000000000016) APPENDIXA.CONTENTSOFPERSONALSAFETYKITSIndividualPersonalSafetyKit*Allcontentsarecarriedinalightweight/waterproofbagandwillbeonallpersonnelinthefield.•Personalmedicalkit(enclosedinwaterproofbags:gauzepads,bandages,alcoholpads,whistle)ProjectTeamPersonalSafetyKit*Allcontentsarecarriedinalightweightbagandwillaccompanyeveryteamofpersonnelinthefield.•Reflectivevests(1perindividual)•Fieldsupplykit(enclosedinwaterproofbag:matches,fishingsupplies,compass,mirror,whistle,ducttape,firetinder)•Fieldmedicalkit(enclosedinwaterproofbags:compass,whistle,waterpurifiertablets,bandages,tape,footdressing,antibioticointment,hydrocortisone,alcoholpads,tweezers,antidiarrheal,painrelievers)•Fieldemergencykit(emergencypressuredressing,burnwounddressing,tape,alcoholpads,tweezers,hemostats,scissors,firestarter,aerialflare,steri-strips,superglue,alcoholpads,nitrilegloves,allergytablets,chapstick,miscellaneousmedications/ointments/bandages)•Outdoorrepairkit(tape,patches,buckles,sewingkit,glue,cord,safetypins)•Glowsticks•Emergencyblankets(1perindividual)•Earplugs•Ducttape•Tarp•Twineandparachutecord•Bugrepellant•Whistles•Mirror•Firestartingpasteandtinder•Firestarter•FlaggingTapeA-i APPENDIXB.CONTENTSOFOVERNIGHTSAFETYKIT2-PersonOvernightSafetyKit*Allcontentsarecarriedinalightweight/waterproofbagandwillaccompanyeverypairofpersonnelinthefield.•1tent(withextratentstakes)•2sleepingbags•2sleepingmats•Waterpurifiertablets•2emergencyblankets•Survivaltabs(emergencyfoodrations,approximately15daysofnutritiontobesplitbetween2people)•Fieldsupplykit(enclosedinwaterproofbag:matches,fishingsupplies,compass,mirror,whistle,ducttape,firetinder)•Fieldmedicalkit(enclosedinwaterproofbags:gauzepads,dressing,syringe,nitrilegloves,bandages,tape,footdressing,antibioticointment,alcoholpads,ducttape,tweezers,antidiarrheal,painrelievers)B-i