RE: Drilling20 Sep 2022 09:50
7.2.2 Limiting Factors
Not withstanding the ability of modern helicopters to operate safely in extreme
weather conditions, the limiting factors for normal flight operations to offshore
Installations and vessels during adverse weather (such as high winds, poor
visibility and heavy seas) are:
• The ability of personnel to use external walkways and access the helideck
safely
• In the event of a helicopter ditching near an Installation, the ability to provide
a good prospect for the rescue and recovery of its passengers and crew
• The ability of a helicopter to tolerate the predicted and prevailing
environmental conditions and vessel motions (eg roll, pitch and heave
accelerations) in order to land, remain on helideck and take off safely from a
floating Installation or vessel
Guidelines for the Management of Offshore Helideck Operations
Helicopter and Helideck Operations
7.2.3 Procedures
Adverse weather procedures should be promulgated by the Dutyholder to
provide effective guidance for OIMs, Masters and flight crews to undertake
routine and prudent decision making prior to the onset, and during deteriorating
weather conditions.
The Dutyholder may choose to combine the Installation procedures for adverse
weather operations, covering and cross-referencing the weather effects and
prescribed activities for helicopter, marine and onboard operations.
The essence of these procedures should be their simplicity, ease of reference
and use. They should also offer sufficient flexibility for OIMs, Masters and
helicopter flight crews to make reasoned judgements in the light of actual and
predicted weather conditions at the point of departure, en route and at the
destination.
The combinations of factors to be considered when preparing procedures are:
• Consider dividing the procedure into clearly defined phases, each with a
series of decision points. Each phase should set out the flying rules that
should apply for a given set of weather conditions
• For practical and comparative purposes, refer observed weather conditions
to the Beaufort Scale
• Establish a mean wind speed measured at the helideck (eg 45 knots), above
which passenger movements on the helideck require additional safety
precautions to be put into effect (eg safety lines)
• Consider the ability and likely time taken to provide a good prospect for the
rescue and recovery, to a safe location, of passengers and crew from a
ditched helicopter
• Establish the helicopter wind speed limitations for shutting down and starting
rotors (depends on aircraft type in use)
• For the Installation location, establish the availability and predicted time of
arrival ‘onscene’ of SAR helicopters
• Establish the maximum mean and gusting wind speeds (eg 50 and 60 knots
respectively) measured at the helideck where crew change and shuttle
flights may only proceed if SAR helicopters are available and sea conditions
are such that a standby boat and its Fast Rescue Craft (FRC) rem
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