Rotorhub
Going to an Oil Rig? - Watch out for kites!
Eurocontrol is warning helicopter operators to watch out for a new collision threat after ship operators began experimenting with large, high-flying kites for auxillary propulsion.
The concern follows an incident on September 15, over the Southern North Sea. According to Eurocontrol an aircraft, believed to be a CHC-operated helicopter, was in the descent when the crew spotted a large kite flying ahead of the vessel and at around 1000 ft just below the cloud level.
Eurocontrol said: “It was attached to the vessel and was in the flight path of the aircraft as it headed towards a nearby installation.
"The 'skysail' was extended on a long cable and was moving around the vessel in an erratic manner."
Research by Eurocontrol revealed that the ship was one of the first in a line of ‘experimental’ vessels using ‘skysails’ to supplement the traditional propulsion units.
Eurocontrol's Safety warning message can be found here.
Email this to a friend.