Helicopter Trials Report

Offshore Wind Farm Helicopter Search and Rescue Trials Undertaken at the North Hoyle Wind Farm

This work was carried out by the MCA, with funding from Shipping Policy Division of the Department for Transport, in co-operation with C Flight, 22 Squadron of the Royal Air Force.

List of contents

Section
Executive Summary
List of Figures
Abbreviations
1	Introduction
2	Radar cross section of turbines
3	Report of the original trials
4	Helicopter search and rescue trials
5	The aircraft’s SAR systems
6	General details
7	Vessels used in trials
8	Report of the Officer Commanding C Flight, 22 Squadron
9	Rescue by surface vessels in conjunction with helicopters
10	Training of lifeboat crews
11	Thermal imaging within the wind farm
12	Rotor control during SAR operations close to a turbine
13	Shore radar observations of the helicopter trials
14	Results of the radar observations
15	Configurations of wind farm layouts
References
Annex	Annex 4 of Marine Guidance Note 275 (M) “ Proposed UK Offshore Renewable Energy Installations – Guidance on Navigational Safety Issues”, MCA July 2004

This report was compiled and written under contract MSA 10/6/239 by :

Captain Colin Brown,
MCA Consultant,
‘The Moorings’,
Riverside Cottages,
Forder,
Saltash,
Cornwall PL12 4QS,
United Kingdom
e-mail : CCandCGBrown@aol.com

RAF report by:

Sqdn Ldr J.M. Stanley,
Officer Commanding C Flight 22 Squadron,
Royal Air Force Valley,
Holyhead,
Isle of Anglesey LL65 3NY
United Kingdom

Requests for further information should be sought from :

Captain J.P. Collins,
Head, Navigation Safety Branch,
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency,
Spring Place,
105 Commercial Road,
Southampton,
Hampshire SO151EG,
United Kingdom