Tasmanian Rescue Helicopter

[Overlandman]

Story from Todays Advocate

Chopper's budget blowout set to get bigger
BY CHRIS PIPPOS
27 Jun, 2012 12:00 AM
TASMANIA'S police rescue helicopter budget is on track for another demand-driven blowout, likely to exceed overruns in previous years.
Taxpayers have been forced to top up its budget, while a new funding model "has seen a substantial contribution by Ambulance Tasmania".
The police chopper cost $3,178,778 in 2010, $3,602,302 in 2011 and has so far cost $1,845,865 to June this year.
Under the terms of the State Government's Rescue Helicopter Service contract with Rotor-Lift Pty Ltd, it pays $3.3 million for the aircraft and equipment, and in return is allowed 30 operational flying hours a month, or 360 hours a year. In the 2010-11 financial year the chopper flew 523.5 hours - up from 389.2 the previous year.
Police blamed two major search and rescue missions on Flinders and Bruny islands for the massive increase.
However, the over-spend has continued in 2012.
The State Government, in its response to questions without notice from the Liberals in the Legislative Council, says it has ruled out a user-pays model.
"During 2011-12, the Department of Police and Emergency Management, Ambulance Tasmania and the Department of Treasury and Finance have been developing a funding model for the service, which has seen a substantial contribution by Ambulance Tasmania to the cost of the service," the government says.
"As part of the development of a funding model a number of considerations concerning funding alternatives have been considered. A generic user-pays model has not been considered."

Regards Overlandman

[Ent]

Hi

Thanks for posting this. Makes interesting reading.

Cheers

[sthughes]

Sounds like 3 or 4 million well spent. Makes me think that at about $10,000 an hour you'd think free PLB rental would pay for itself to avoid searches.

[stepbystep]

Pity it's a useless chopper unable to fly when the temp plummets and when it is most crucial. The dollar issue seems insignificant to me. Still it'd be nice to see the service have a public education campaign so button pushing punters have a good understanding of what constitutes an emergency.

[corvus]

Pity it's a useless chopper unable to fly when the temp plummets and when it is most crucial. snip

Can you elucidate on this please because if we pay top dollar we should have top service and I am very curious.
corvus

[tastrax]

I am not sure its the temperature that stops it flying - I suspect its more the wind speed or visibility (although it can also night fly - Night VFR and IFR)

http://www.tasmanianairrescuetrust.org/our-aircraft
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MBB/Kawasaki_BK_117

[tastrax]

http://www.planet-helicopter.com/E/BK11 ... istory.php

BK117 Cold Weather Tests

Within the frame of the type certification process “cold-weather tests” have to be performed. This programme has been conducted by KHI with BK117 P3. The below mentioned systems have been tested:

Heating- and ventilation system
Engine starts under cold weather conditions
Fuel tests

The programme took 30 days. 30 ground runs and test flights up to 15,000 ft, with outside temperature of -42°C, have successfully been performed.

[stepbystep]

Something to do with the rotor blades not being equipped for extreme cold/ice forming? I was told this by the guy that owns the choppers that service Antarctica and Macquarie Island. I don't have specific info but was told a similar thing by a guy that had to sit with an injured walker that couldn't be rescued due to the limitations of the chopper. I'll see if I can find the specifics tomorrow.

[tastrax]

Interesting - I can imagine an iced up chopper might be a tad dangerous on start up.... imagine all that ice slowly getting flung off the rotors!

<edit> Some interesting facts here re ice and choppers - http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/dfs-ds ... p?id=10309

[tasadam]

imagine all that ice slowly getting flung off the rotors!

Somehow I doubt "slowly"...

[stepbystep]

A google search under 'helicopter blade icing' provides heaps of info.

Basically rotor blades have to be equipped with an expensive de-icing system. Our rescue chopper does not have this system. The effect of ice on the blades include a loss of lift and control. This is obviously not an ideal arrangement for Tasmania with so much need for help in mountainous terrain.

The only solution is a chopperload of cash.

[Overlandman]

I have heard that Rotor Lift may have an EC 145 coming on line as the State Rescue Chopper mid 2013
Similar to the 117 in size with the latest technology.

http://www.eurocopter.com/site/en/ref/Overview_92.html

Regards Overlandman

[MrWalker]

Sounds like 3 or 4 million well spent. Makes me think that at about $10,000 an hour you'd think free PLB rental would pay for itself to avoid searches.

I would expect that even without the de-icing equipment the use of the helicopter will increase as more people carry PLBs or phones with better coverage. This will dramatically reduce the costs of searches, involving dozens of people wandering over the relevant area. But bean counters can easily calculate the helicopter cost but can't easily count the cost of searchers. So expect complaints about the cost rather than how much the helicopter saves in manpower.

[Overlandman]

From ABC News Tasmania website

Rescue helicopter deal reached

Posted July 21, 2012 10:16:31

Tasmania Police will no longer have to foot the entire bill for the state's rescue helicopter.
Last year the helicopter cost about $4 million to run.
Despite almost half of the flights being used by Ambulance Tasmania it only contributed about $1.3 million with the remainder coming from the police budget.
Commissioner Darren Hine says the new agreement will see Ambulance Tasmania pay for all its own flights.
"We are now sharing the cost of the helicopter with Ambulance Tasmania for its usage.
"So it is less of a burden to us in relation to some of the costs," Mr Hine said.

Regards Overlandman

[tasadam]

Strange. Isn't it all Gov't money? And, whether the cost of the helicopter goes over budget or not, it still has to be paid? So why not remove the "burden" from Police and Ambulance budgets, and get the Gov't to pay for it totally and directly? It's all taxpayer money anyway so we all pay for it (which is fine, of course).
I thought I heard that if the helicopter was called as a result of an EPIRB or PLB, it was paid for by federal money, but if emergency services were contacted by phone, then State Gov't pays. Anyone verify that?

[tastrax]

This page gives a bit of a hint but not the fine detail

http://www.amsa.gov.au/search_and_rescue/

Seems that AMSA can "pass coordination" to a local authority but still doesn't say who pays for what.

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

An anti-ice/de-ice equipped chopper would be better, but is not an "all weather" solution.

No aircraft is certified to operate in icing conditions defined as "severe" (freezing rain and freezing drizzle). I would expect these conditions to be quite prevalent in the Tasmanian high country in winter.