Public service helicopters
Rotary-wing aircraft manufacturers tout their offerings as force multipliers for law enforcement, EMS, and SAR agencies.
By Owen Davies
Contributing Writer
Nothing is better at fighting fires in flat country than a big fixed-wing aircraft. However, no one can land one halfway up a mountain to rescue an injured climber or hover it over a riot in progress. For most special missions, the only way to go is straight up.
Helicopter makers supply aircraft for missions from short-distance law enforcement (LE) patrols to long-range, all-weather search-and-rescue (SAR). Airbus and Leonardo offer 8 models in parapublic configurations, Bell has 5, and Robinson outfits 3 of its aircraft for LE.
Special-missions operators expect some standard equipment for their work. Here is some of the equipment likely to be available in configurations for various missions.
Emergency medical services (EMS). Medium and heavy models carry fully equipped medical suites, while smaller helicopters come as close as they can. Some larger helicopters contain a full hospital intensive care unit (ICU). Others may be set up with maternal and neonatal care equipment.
SAR. There is a lot of mission equipment, and much of it is heavy. We have all seen the hoists, winches, rescue slings, and baskets. Many carry extensive surveillance hardware to help with the search, secure communications systems, and even Lidar for damage assessments in disaster relief operations. Medical equipment for injured rescuees is common.
Firefighting. Expect Bambi buckets to scoop up water, fixed tanks that may hold thousands of gallons, thermal imaging to monitor the fire through smoke, rescue equipment, and communications systems to coordinate with ground crews and other aircraft.
LE. Police helicopters require surveillance equipment, downlinks to send live video to ground units, and secure communications to coordinate with ground units and other agencies. These often are united in a substantial workstation. Add safety and tactical hardware and sometimes water buckets for firefighting support.
Airbus
This company offers 8 models for civilian use, all routinely outfitted for EMS and LE, with some also suited to SAR and even firefighting. See the table below. Here are a few highlights.
H125. Previously designated the AS350 B3e, it has carried out the world’s highest-altitude rescue missions, including 3 from the summit of Mt. Everest at 29,029 ft.
H145. Rated for single-pilot IFR, in EMS mode it carries 2 stretcher, up to 4 medics, and a medical suite that can be configured as an ICU. For SAR, it gets a rescue winch that can lift 600 lb about 300 ft and a variety of medical equipment. In single-pilot LE operations, the H145 can carry up to 11 officers or 8 with a multi-screen operator’s console.
H175. With more than 30 certified cabin layouts, it can be outfitted for EMS, LE, and even firefighting. However, the H175 has scored its most spectacular successes in SAR.
H225. Carrying nearly 12,000 lb 450 nm through severe icing, the H225 flies SAR missions for 22 countries. It can load up to 11 stretchers plus 5 attendants, perform search patterns automatically, and hover within 1 m of the chosen altitude for hoist operations.
Bell
This company makes special-mission helicopters for every military need. Its civilian line is less extensive, with 5 models available for special missions. Here are two in wide use.
407. In EMS mode, it holds 1 pilot, 2 or 3 medics, and 1 stretcher, carrying typical equipment for everything from patient monitoring to advanced cardiac support or neonatal transport equipment. Iridium sat-com is optional. For LE, it carries 1 pilot and 5 officers in configurations for tactical officers, surveillance and patrol, SAR, crime scene overwatch, or K-9 units.
412. In EMS configuration it has room for up to 2 pilots, 4 medics, and 6 patients or 2 on stretchers, plus medical equipment. For LE, configurations are available for patrol flights, tactical support, and counter-terror operations carrying 1 or 2 pilots and up to 5 additional crew.
Firefighting configurations can carry up to 13 firefighters and their equipment. The 412 also can lift a belly-mounted tank holding 375 gallons of water or 30 gallons of foam retardant and a hover refill system.
Leonardo
This company offers nearly its entire line in versions for EMS, SAR, and law enforcement. Even the AW609 TiltRotor is available in parapublic configurations. Here are some examples.
AW109 Trekker and AW109 GrandNew. In EMS roles, both can carry either 1 stretcher and 3 to 4 medics or 2 stretchers and 2 medics.
From this size up, a full suite of advanced life-support equipment can be taken for granted. For LE, both models have space for mission consoles and carrying capacity for 1/2+6. I the AW109 GrandNew also can be fitted with 6 seats for medevac operations.
AW169. For EMS, it can hold 2 stretchers and up to 5 medics. SAR features include advanced day and night avionics, heavy-duty landing gear, and high-altitude hover. For LE, it carries up to 8 officers and a full suite of surveillance equipment managed from a dedicated console.
AW139. Accommodating a mission console in addition to its medical suite, up to 5 medics and 2 stretchers for EMS work or up to 4 stretchers for medevac. Optional ice protection makes this an all-weather craft. For LE, it offers a full surveillance and communications suite and room for 15 pax or 10 deployable officers.
AW101. This is a fast, long-range, all-weather SAR vehicle. It mounts active electronically scanned array radar and an electro-optical sensor. Operating with a crew of 4 to 6, it can evacuate 50+ people from a natural disaster or rescue more than 20 while a medical team delivers trauma care.
MD
MD has been building helicopters for law enforcement since the 1960s. Its current models specialize in that market. Modular designs make them easy to reconfigure for various LE roles.
MD 500E. Carrying 5, including 1 or 2 pilots and some tactical flight officers, this aircraft can be set up for missions such as surveillance, scene management, tactical support, supporting SWAT teams, and searching for missing persons.
MD 530F. Slightly larger and more powerful, it carries 1 or 2 pilots and up to 5 additional personnel.
Typical missions include tactical support, surveillance, SAR, and emergency response. Equipment for them may include a tactical mapping system, FLIR, surveillance equipment and a video downlink, and even a 50-cal FN M3P machine gun.
Robinson Helicopter
This company believes not all special missions require big airframes and high horsepower. They may have a point.
R44 Raven police helicopter typically carries 2 crew and 1 observer. Range is about 300 nm.
R66 turbine, outfitted for police work, typically carries 2+1 observer for a little over 325 nm.
Both are used for surveillance and utility missions where reasonable speed, maneuverability, and minimal cost are important. Equipment can include FLIR, searchlight, PA system, moving map, and police radios.
R44 Clipper II police helicopter seats 4, including the pilot. It is designed to operate over water, carrying pop-out floats for emergency landings.
Sikorsky
No one comes to the world’s oldest helicopter maker for little aircraft, cost cutting, or half measures. Sikorsky does not supply them. Oddly, though, side doors are optional.
S-76. Its EMS role is as an air ambulance, carrying 1 or 2 pilots, 2 stretchers, and up to 4 medical personnel with advanced life-saving equipment, sometimes a full ICU or setups for maternal and neonatal care and respiratory therapy support.
For SAR, it typically carries 4 to 6 crew members, with room for 12 in all. An emergency flotation system deploys automatically. Icing protection is optional.
S-92. An SAR specialist, this aircraft carries 1 or 2 pilots, 4 to 6 crew members, and up to 12 rescuees. It can be configured for mission profiles from hoist rescue to medevac.
Firehawk. The only purpose-built firefighting and rescue helicopter available, it can insert up to 11 firefighters near a back-country fire. A 1000-gallon water tank with refill siphon can drop water with high accuracy. For disaster relief, it can carry 9000 lb of supplies internally or as a sling load. The Firehawk can maneuver at 4G when fully loaded.