Introduction Michael J. Sagely Senior Pilot/Safety Manager michael.sagely@fire.lacounty.gov 1
MISSION STATEMENT Protect Lives, the Environment, and Property by Providing Prompt, Skillful, and Cost Effective Fire Protection and Life Saving Services 2
Aircraft Assigned to Air Operations 6 B-412 s (360 gal tank MGW 11,900) 3 S-70 Fire hawks (1,000 gal tank MGW 23,500) Multi-mission configuration Hoist capable IAW L.A. County DHS defined as Air Ambulance 3 person Crew (2 FFPM, 1 Pilot) 3 Air Squads daily Augmented staffing during fire season 3
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Personnel Assigned to Air Operations Air Operations Chief Director of maintenance 3 Shift Captains 3 Senior Pilots 9 Pilots 18 Firefighter Paramedics 3 Lead mechanics 9 Mechanics Qualified relief Additional support staff 6
FLIGHT MISSIONS Emergency Medical transport Vegetation Fires that Threaten Lives or Property Night Searches for Lost Hikers with Mountain Search and Rescue Teams Los Angeles International Off Shore Crash Rescue Backup Crash Rescue to Edwards Air Force Base 7
Flight Operations 24 hours a day Los Angeles County Demographics: Population 10,393,185 Most of Population Lives on the Coastal Plain Between the Pacific Ocean and the San Gabriel Mountains 4081 Square Miles 75 Miles of Coastline plus Catalina & San Clemente Islands 50% of County is Mountainous Terrain Highest Point Mount Baldy at 10,064 feet Northern Third of County is Part of the Mojave Desert Total Hours Flown: 2,700-3,000 annually NVG Hours flown: average 300-400 hrs annually Hoist Rescues: average 80-100 annually Trauma calls: average 900-1,000 annually Vegetation Fires: 300-400 annually 8
Air Operations NVG History 1976- Generation II Night Vision Goggles utilized through a joint program with the USFS 1977- Mid-Air collision with a USFS contract helicopter at night on the Middle Fire, LAC stopped our NVG program test 2001- Restarted our NVG program using the latest Generation III NVG s for night time aerial firefighting and all risk operations 9
Air Operations NVG History 2005 Tovey Fire 2006 Topanga Fire 2007 Canyon Fire Corral Fire 2008 Merek Fire Sesnon Fire Sepulveda Fire Tea Fire Sayre Fire 2009 Jesusita Fire Palos Verdes Fire Station Fire 2012 Crown Fire 2013 Powerhouse Fire Silver Fire 10
Which one looks better to you? 11
Advantages of NVG s Dramatic improvement in flight crew safety Ability to see terrain and hazards Ability to see limited light sources aiding in victim location Ability to see through light obscuration Ability to see other aircraft in limited visibility Tactical advantage on wildfires since burning indexes are generally lower at night Life saving time frames for medical incidents 12
NVG Disadvantages Cost of startup (Cockpit Lights, Goggles and Training) Cost of maintaining pilot currency if not used frequently in routine operations Field of view is 40 degrees Limited depth perception and visual acuity The dynamic range of handling bright lights in a dark background is limited. High end military grade NVG s have superior dynamic range 13
NVG Disadvantages Low time pilots may exceed their skill level attempting to combine flying on fires in the mountains at night Loss of situational awareness or spatial disorientation Inability to identify significant weather change Potential CFIT Fatigue or injury 14
LAC NVG PROGRAM TRAINING Three Department Pilots are Qualified NVG Instructors Aircrew Qualifications Training Manual Syllabus Training Standards Aero-Medical factors NVG Operations Night Terrain Interpretation Crew Resource Management 15
Night Vision Goggle Program Equipment NVG s 29 sets 7 sets of Ultras 13 sets of Pinnacles 9 sets of Infinity s Aircraft cockpit lighting systems STC for B-412 MIL-SPEC lighting for S-70 16
NVG Maintenance and care 6 Month/180 inspection Maintenance records Common deficiencies Crew care and pre flight checks Test set TS-2 Hoffman 20/20 test unit Annual cockpit lighting check Avionics compatibility check Common problems/damage 17
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NVG Aircraft Lighting External lighting Mission specific lighting Flashers Night sun Hoist light Search light Chem. lights Internal lighting Cockpit and avionics Lip lights Finger lights 20
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NVG Operational Considerations Night Flying Guidelines Water dropping criteria 1 st Alarm response Dispatched resources Initial Attack vs. Extended Attack Helispot set-up Communications 27
NIGHT FLYING RISK ASSESMENT (Per Firescope Night Flying Guidelines) Lives are or will be threatened. Structures are or will be threatened. Resources of significant economic value are, or will be threatened. Excessively high suppression cost will be prevented. Night Flying Guidelines located at www.firescope.org 28
NVG Flight Considerations Hazard reconnaissance Visibility Moon illumination Turbulence Flame length/intensity Smoke Wind Number of aircraft!!!! 29
NVG Flight Considerations Geographical boundaries Use of gates and fences Helispot location reference to fire Routes to and from fire Location of fire personnel Physically locate and identify Airspace control Risk Assessment 30
ATGS ALT. ALTITUDE 2,500 AGL TANKER ENTRY ALTITUDE Minimum 1,500 AGL TANKER MANEUVERING ALTITUDE 500 below orbit min 1,000 AGL 3 C S: COMMUNICATIONS CLEARANCE COMPLY 500 AGL NOCOM IF COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT ESTABLISHED, HOLD AT THE 7NM RING UNTIL THEY ARE ESTABLISHED!!! 7nm NOCOM HOLDING RING DO NOT PENETRATE THE FTA IF YOU CANNOT COMPLY WITH A CLEARANCE 31
Fatigue factor? Environmental Factor? Maximum number of flight hours? Training? Proficiency? Time of event Number of shifts worked Fitness Environmental conditions Personal/family issues Health Single pilot operations 32
USFS Contract NVG aircraft Based at Fox Field, CA Assigned to the Angeles National Forrest Established 2013 in response to recommendations after the Station Fire Program first to follow Firescope Night Flying Guidelines Bell 205A++ Two pilot crew with support personnel Night qualified ATGS/Air Attack 33
Multi-Agency NVG Operations Carding Authority- Cal Fire Multi-Agency Drills: Annual NVG drill sponsored by OCFA Firescope committee meetings Tea Fire, Jesusita Fire, Powerhouse Fire, Silver Fire SRA, Federal, IAZ/MTZ 34
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The End Thank You 37