WA Radio Scanner Users' Group

VH-FOI Surf Life Saving WA new AgustaWestland A119 Koala

Nice shot, where is this one hangered?

At Fremantle near the wharfs

Matt

North Mole

its at rous head helipad, surf lifesaving rent the site off a private aviation company.

Just updated the pics they went missing.

Thanks Matt

Guessing it's for ariel recon only. Can't see a winch on it.

Its fitted on the right side now , this was when it was new and had not been fitted yet.

Thanks Matt

What are the grey bags on the skeds ?

For water landings in an emergency

I believe in the event of a water landing (aka crash) the pilot hits a button and the floatation bags inflate, keeping the aircraft near the top of the water to assist passenger evacuation and rescue efforts. I spot a bottle under the nose that *may* be connected to them to rapidly inflate them as well.

Although being top heavy, don't think for a second that the aircraft is right way up after a ditch (personnel would most likely go through a training exercise in a simulated crash in a pool where you go upside down and practice evacuating underwater).

And then finding a rescue chopper for the rescue chopper would be... interesting

SJANT wrote:Guessing it's for ariel recon only. Can't see a winch on it.

Here's VH-FOI with the winch fitted

Any ideas on who'd go to a water rescue. The SLSA chopper or rescue 65? Is there some sort of MOU as to who responds to what?

SJANT wrote:Any ideas on who'd go to a water rescue. The SLSA chopper or rescue 65? Is there some sort of MOU as to who responds to what?

Well, SLSA, Rescue 65 and WAPOL were all involved in the search I took the photo of. I only managed to get SLSA and Rescue 65 in shot at the same time. VH-FOI was there because the lifesavers were in the water looking for the missing fisherman, Rescue 65 was called there to respond to a possible drowning and the Police because it was a search I guess. So in this case, the answer is all of them. Whether there is a definate set of rules, I don't know.

yorky wrote:Although being top heavy, don't think for a second that the aircraft is right way up after a ditch (personnel would most likely go through a training exercise in a simulated crash in a pool where you go upside down and practice evacuating underwater).

I believe that there is a business located just down the road from where the chopper is hangered which specialises in this kind of training. Can't remember the name off the top of my head though.