A fire was discovered on August 20, 2020
On August 20, 2020, air training of the airborne fire group of the Ust-Kamenogorsk aviation department took place
Paratroopers-firefighters performed descents from the MI-8 helicopter to the ground using a special descent device (SRD). The descents were carried out from a height of 10, 20, 30 and 40 meters. From such a height, paratroopers-firefighters have to work directly when extinguishing forest fires.
The helicopter can get as close to the ground as the tree crowns allow. Some paratroopers-firefighters have more than 50 descents from a helicopter behind them. They put out fires in different regions of the country. Practical skills of the "forestry special forces” were practiced by experienced mentors - deputy director, head of the aviation fire service, heads of the aviation department and pilot-observers.
DESCENT DEVICE - a device that allows the descent of people and cargo to work sites from a helicopter hovering over a forest canopy or other natural object where landing of a helicopter is impossible. The first drum-type forest fire launching device (SCS) for delivering people and fire-fighting cargo to forest fires for the purpose of extinguishing them was developed by the production and technical laboratory of the Central Base of Aviation Forest Protection. The first descents from the Mi-4 helicopter were carried out in 1956. Later, in connection with the use of the Mi-8 helicopters by aviation forestry, a roller-type descender was developed and introduced in 1979.
It allows an autonomous descent from a paratrooper-firefighter helicopter or cargo weighing up to 100 kg at a speed of up to 3 m / s. It should be noted that it is not always possible to get to the area of an active forest fire by land transport, and when delivering forces and equipment by aviation, it is not always possible to select a site for a safe landing.
In such cases, a decision is made to land troops in the area of the fire using a helicopter. The pilot-observer from the air selects a platform suitable for the descent of paratroopers-firefighters, measuring at least 5x5 meters between the crowns of trees.
When making a decision to carry out descents and choosing a place for descent, the releasing officer asks the helicopter commander "Let me prepare for descent." Having received the answer "Allow", he gives the command to the paratroopers-firemen "Prepare for descents" and puts on a safety belt or a safety harness. The carabiner of the safety halyard or cable is attached to the power unit in the helicopter. The helicopter hovers over this "well" at a height of at least 10 meters above the tops of trees (while the height to the ground should not exceed 45 meters).
The pilot-observer opens the door and drops a particularly strong (900 kg for a break) 50-meter cord, along which paratroopers-firemen descend directly from the helicopter to the ground with the help of a trigger roller.
If the bay of the cord has blossomed and reached the ground, the release through the SPU reports to the helicopter commander: "the bay is dropped, dismissed to the ground, permit the descent of the first" and, having received the answer: "I allow," gives the command to the first: "to descend."
The release after the descent of the first paratrooper-fireman reports on the SPU to the commander of the helicopter: "The first one has landed, permit the descent of the second."
Having received permission, he launches the second paratrooper-firefighter, the descent is performed similarly to the first.
The leader of the group should descend first, who, having descended, is obliged to insure the next descending paratroopers.
After the end of the descent of the paratroopers-firefighters, the releaser unhooks the cord carbine from the earring and throws the cord down. The issuer reports to the commander of the helicopter on the SPU: "The descents are over, the cord has been dropped, the door is closed."
During the training, the interaction of the helicopter commander, pilot-observer and paratroopers-firefighters, the descent speed (average - three meters per second), correct landing and much more are monitored. The acquired skills will allow you to extinguish forest fires in hard-to-reach areas, coming to the aid of the forest from the air.
On the same day, aerial training was held on the use of the VSU-5A spillway device.
The observer pilots worked out the accuracy of the discharge and the procedure for interacting with the crews of the Mi-8 helicopter when extinguishing forest fires. It should be noted that working with a spillway device is difficult and dangerous and requires high training of flight personnel.
The use of helicopters with APU for extinguishing fires is carried out at the request of an observer pilot or head of forest fire extinguishing.
In the request for the direction of the helicopter from the APU to the fire site, its location, size and type, location features, wind speed and direction in the fire area, outside air temperature, distance from the fire to the nearest water body, taxation characteristics of forest plantations are indicated.
Upon receiving the instruction, the observer pilot marks the location of the fire on a patrol map and marks a suitable water body closest to the fire for water intake.
When moving to the places of work and back, the APU is transported in the cargo compartment of the helicopter. Preparation of the APU for operation consists in assembly, installation on a helicopter and adjustments in accordance with the requirements of the technical documentation of the manufacturer.
Before starting the work, the extinguishing leader conducts with the team workers working on extinguishing a forest fire, instructions on observing safety rules when draining water from an aircraft.
Before starting work on draining for a forest fire, the aircraft crew establishes communication with the head of the ground group, specifies the direction of the drains, the place where the first drain starts, the time required to take water and perform the next drain (cycle), and the time the first drain starts.
While flying around the fire, the observer pilot assesses the characteristics of the fire (area, intensity of development, etc.), specifies the location of people in order to avoid getting fire extinguishing solution on them, and determines the extinguishing tactics.
After contacting the aircraft crew, the fire extinguishing leader gives the command to move away from the edge of the forest fire (to which the discharge will be made) to a safe distance.
After draining to the edge, the head of forest fire extinguishing reports to the aircraft crew on the results of the draining, and, if necessary, makes adjustments to the direction of the next discharge.
The main methods of using a spillway device (APU) are:
1. processing the edge of a fire from a helicopter with water and chemical solutions;
2. laying of barrier strips;
3. using them as a reservoir for refueling forest fire extinguishers.
