1 U.S. Department of the Interior

National Park Service



### Standard Helicopter Short

- Haul Rigging Systems

January 2009

National Park Service

3833 S. Development Avenue

Boise, ID 83705

- 53542 

## CONTENTS

Introduction...................................................... ...........3

Dena li National Park and Preserve

- SA 315B

...... .................. .. .4

Grand Canyon National Park

- MD900.............................. ....6

Grand Teton National Park

- AS350B3 .............................. ...7

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

- MD500 ........................... ...8

North Cascades National Park

- MD500...........................

... ..10

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

- AS350B2............ ..13

Yellowstone National Park

- SA 315B................................. .14

Yosemite National Park

- Bell 205..................................... .173 

### Introduction

This document contains examples of existing short

- haul rigging

system s employed by National Park Service units with approved

helicopter short

- haul program.

Helicopter short

- haul programs must be approved by the agency. New

program requests shall be forwarded to, and approved by, agency

Directors or their delegates and th en forwarded to the Director, DOI

AM. Requests shall include a copy of agency approval and the

proposed local short

- haul operations plan, describing when and how

short

- haul will be used. The operations plan must include a GO/NO

GO process for risk managem ent purposes

. Plans must comply with

agency and departmental policies and guidelines.4 

## Denali National Park

Short

- Haul Anchor attachment point

Pilot release location

Bracket / Hard Point mounting location5 

### Short

- haul Rope attached to the Three Ring Release

Primary load attachment:

God ring (1/2 “steel O

– ring 10,000 lbf)

to short

- haul rope Secondary load attachment:

Three Ring Release / Locking steel

carabiner to short

- haul rope6 

## MD

- 900 Helicopter Short

- Haul Anchor Point

Two nylon yoke bands rigged in

parallel serve as the short

- haul

anchor system on the MD

- 900.

The MD

- 900 compo site airframe

requires the use of a removable

harness system when employing

an external cargo hook. Due to

the potential for entanglement, the

short

- haul anchor system does

not rely on the presence of a

cargo hook as a feature or design

component

.

Yoke b ands are rigged

around the belly of the

aircraft through the aft

cabin doorway behind

the flight step. The quick

release mechanism

incorporated into the

yoke band design is a

three

- ring release , which

is commonly used within

the parachuting industry

. Rele ases are function

tested and positioned

within reach of the short

haul spotter, who is

seated in the aft cabin

.

The short

- haul line is attached to the forward of

the two yoke bands with two spring

- loaded

locking carabiners. A steel locking oval link

pro vides a connection to the rear yoke band as a

backup and redundant anchor point, in the event

the primary yoke band were to experience failure.7 Three

- Ring release cable running

through cable guides and into aircraft

cabin.

Cable r elease is attached to aft

facing panel behind collective

control and is accessible to pilot

and spotter.

Omega

- Pacific, steel, double twist

- lock,

captive eye carabiner. 

### 2008 GRTE Short

- Haul Anchor8 

### Short

- haul Anchor for MD500

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Attachments

The top of the 3

- ring release is

incorporated int o the Helicopter

Attachment Belt (belly

- band).

The bottom of the 3

- ring release is

attached to the top ring of the rope using

two steel carabiners.

The top ring of the rope is then attached

to the cargo hook.9 The emergency second

release is mounted betw een

the front seats of the

helicopter and is accessible

to both the spotter and pilot.10 

### Short

- haul Anchor for Hughes 500D (NOCA)

Primary Anchor: Cargo Hook attached to Aircraft

Secondary Anchor: Belly Band manufactured by Par agear with 3

- Ring

Release; Connected to Cargo Hook and Rope byCMC ProSeries 40kN

Carabiner (1)11 

### Outside view; Door

- On configuration with release cable from band

outside of door, enter air vent hole to pilots seat.12 

### The emergency belly

- band anchor rele ase is mounted on side of

Pilot’s seat near collective.13 

### SEKI AS350B2

Metal Bracket

Developed by

Rogers Helos

The emergency second

release mounted to

partition behind

collective. Attachments

The top of the Three Ring is

attached to the anchor with a

kador carabiner

The bottom of the Three Ring is

attached to the top ring of rope

with a kador carabiner.

The top ring of the rope is then

directly attached to the main

helicopter cargo hook.14 

### Yellowstone SA315B LAMA

Brackett for 3

ring mount.

Lama

3 ring in

stowed

position15 Rescue 8 on

hook

Figure 8 on a

bight knot

3 ring

attached to

rope with 2

locking

carabiners Location of release

handle. Lama

Pilot Preference16 2 quick lock aluminum

or steel carabiners.

2 woven omni slings

CMC Rescue full body

harnes s17 

### Short

- Haul Anchor fo r Bell 205 A++ (Yosemite National Park )

-- Current short

- haul system vendor: Air Rescue Systems (ARS)



## Belly

- band connection (spotters view).

Spotter Location Emergency system pull sheath (Velcro) “Secondary” release cable routed to belly of helicopter

Spotter Location Emergency rele ase

Pull

- handle Emergency release pull pin Belly

- band connection clip

Belly

- band (Heli

- Bridle), 9000lb rating18 “Three Ring” release system (back view), assuring

cable end (yellow) is visible. R ated at 9,000lbs,

limiting the 10:1 safety ratio to 900lbs (allowing 2

rescuers and patient/litter per loa d). 

### Cargo hook serves as “ primary ” (pilot ) release , 5,000lb rating

2 steel Autolock carabineers linking cargo hook

equalizer strap and belly

- band. Caribiners have a

minimum of 5,000lbs tensile strength (22.2 KN) and

meet OSHA & ANSI (American National Standards

Committee) standards. Steel Autolocks are utilized

for all attachements except short

- hauler to line.



### Short

- haul anchor ring and rope to external load. Spotter release cable (final system

release). Releases complete system

below helicopter keeping belly

- band

Cargo hook equalizer strap to prevent

shock

- load.19 

### Three ring release front side view.

Spotter attachement (4 points) for short

- haul & rappel.

Helitech STC (#SH261WE) has annual non

destructive testing requirem ents. All rappel airframes

are currently testing to meet OSHA 1926.502

(Personal Fall Arrest System) standards.