‘Shakedown period’ precedes full operational status
Cornwall Air Ambulance’s recently acquired second helicopter is going through its final test flights before going into full service over the course of the next few weeks.
The charity explains the AW169 helicopter is undergoing a ‘shakedown’ period before going into operation. This’ll involve the pilot team carrying out around 20 hours of flying time on the aircraft.
Their goal is to check that everything is working in the expected parameters before being used for emergency work.
‘We are delighted that our supporters have come together to raise the funds needed during our Heli2 appeal, putting us in this fantastic position of owning two state of the art AW169 helicopters which will help us save many more lives for years to come,’ says Adam Smith, Unit Chief Pilot.
‘With the arrival of your new aircraft having taken place, we’re now entering a period known as ‘shakedown’, which is an important part of the process as we need to test the aircraft as close as we can to its operational requirements.’
‘A great way to be able to utilise the aircraft’
‘We must make sure that it is capable of being started up quickly, flown hard, at speed, to scene and shut down again, consistently and for back-to-back missions if required. It is also a great way to be able to utilise the aircraft before it goes into service.’
‘We’ll be using the flying hours to capture some great content of your new helicopter, including shots of the Cornish coast from the air, some photography opportunities for our marketing team and also the potential for some pre-surveyed landings out in the community.’
‘So not only can we test the aircraft in line with its operational use, we can also make the most of having an additional helicopter at our disposal.’
During the shakedown period, the crew will be able to check that the updated medical fit in the rear cabin, which has been ergonomically designed by the clinical team, is configured correctly.
Each piece of equipment is specifically positioned to allow the crew rapid access to kit on scene, so loading and unloading is important to test.