THE UK'S THREE major offshore helicopter operators have voluntarily suspended flights in known lightning conditions over the North Sea.
Their move follows the successful ditching on 19 January, of a Bristow Helicopter Eurocopter AS.322L Super Puma, after a lightning strike in the tail area. Bristow, Bond Helicopter and British International Helicopters have agreed the suspension move.
Other anti-lightning measures are also being examined. Bristow is to take part in trials of BF Goodrich's storm-scope, although UK Offshore Operators Association aviation committee chairman, Peter Dawes, remarks that the device was designed for fixed-wing aircraft and may not work on helicopters. The storm-scope senses static-discharge potential difference, but there is concern that rotor-created static may produce charges which negate the device's effectiveness.
A system is also being prepared for transmitting data about areas of North Sea lightning activity from the UK Met Office at Bracknell direct to Aberdeen Airport's air traffic control centre.
Aberdeen, which has a new radar-display suite enabling it to cover the whole UK North Sea airspace sector below 8,500ft (2,600m), is working with Bracknell and the Civil Aviation Authority on software to generate lightning symbology on displays in near to real time.
Eurocopter says that it is studying the 19 January lightning strike incident, which destroyed the Puma's tail rotor, to determine what action can be taken.
Source: Flight International
