With great anticipation, I joined the TNPA aviation crew for a day of flying at the Port of Durban. Its 12-hour shift starts in the dark at 05:30. The day’s preparations begin with the aircraft preflight, fuel sampling, document checks, preflight planning, engineers inspecting the helicopter thoroughly, and an operational briefing for the day’s flying. I can hardly contain my excitement, as the weather is predicted to be warm and almost windless, and the flying schedule looks full.


My goal is to obtain images from the breakwater of a container ship and the helicopter operation, images of the marine pilots being hoisted onto vessels, and images of the helicopter hoist operator (HHO); as well as to experience myself what it’s like to be hoisted.


The first things I notice are the well-polished structures and processes of the operation from start to finish. The focus and depth of detail starts early in the morning, from the engineering team inspecting the helicopter at the start of the day to the helicopter being washed down at the end of the shift.


Once the safety briefing is complete, I attend an additional hoisting briefing. Then all necessary paperwork is signed, refueling is complete, and we are ready for flight. When the first call of the day comes through, we grab our life jackets with PLBs and HEED pockets and head to the helicopter.


70


Sep/Oct 2022


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