RNLI Atlantic 85, Manual

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Activity 4 - SAR Unit Handling and Seamanship
B Class Atlantic 85 Manual – First Issue, June 2017
Activity 4 - SAR Unit Handling and Seamanship
Atlantic 85 working with helicopters
All Atlantic 85 crew need to be familiar with how to work
with helicopters safely.
As with all boat operations, safety is paramount so a
thorough brief by the helm of the Atlantic 85 must be
completed before any helicopter operations start. Once
the helicopter is directly overhead, the noise will make it
very difficult to communicate, even through the intercom
system.
The following should also be carried out BEFORE the
helicopter arrives:
• Crew should locate the highline gloves so that they are
ready to use if required.
• Clear the deck of loose objects.
• Place the radar into standby mode.
• Establish communications with the helicopter.
The technique for operating with the helicopter will be
decided between the helm and the helicopter pilot. It will
be chosen taking due regard to a number of factors:
• wind speed and direction
• sea state
• depth of water
• sea room available
• condition of casualty.
The two techniques for transferring between the Atlantic
85 and the helicopter are:
• static transfer
• underway/formatting.