SOP - Air Support Unit

Mission Statement

The San Andreas Air Support Unit (ASU) is a subdivision that consists of two different branches, the Law Enforcement Branch and the Fire Department Branch, both containing different divisions that play a role within the Air Support Unit. The branches are there to help Law Enforcement Agencies and the Fire Department with overview, rescue operations and aviation knowledge where needed.

ORganization

Rank Structure

The following positions are for internal use within the Air Support Unit and do not replace any departmental ranks. (See roles and responsibilities for explanations of each position, their duties and restrictions)

Chief Tactical Flight Officer CTFO	Unit/Division Lead / 2nd in command
Senior Flight Officer SFO	All duties of TFO Able to perform Aerial Overview Allowed to apply for trainer
Tactical Flight Officer TFO	All duties of FO Allowed to apply for ATSU division
Flight Officer FO	Cleared for operations of Air One / Medflight as Pilot / Camera Operator Cleared to Operate The Game Warden Eagle
Probationary Flight Officer PFO	Not allowed to operate aircraft Cleared for camera and co-piloting operations

Roles and Responsibilities

Probationary Flight Officer:

Probationary Flight Officers are Air Support Unit trained employees who are only trained for camera and co-piloting operations. Probationary Flight Officers should patrol as regular units until dispatched. They respond to the helipad when requested and respond with a Flight Officer or higher to the location where their presence is needed.

Flight Officer:

Flight officers are allowed to patrol as one of the branches within the Air Support Unit. They are NOT allowed to conduct flights without being requested (Including maintenance flights) UNLESS there is a TFO or higher available as the pilot. When a request comes in for additional ground units (LEO / Fire) and they are not involved in a scene or no longer needed on it they should break off and activate as said units.

Exceptions can be given by the CTFO.

Tactical Flight Officer:

The Tactical Flight Officer is allowed to patrol as one of the branches within the Air Support Unit. They are NOT allowed to conduct aerial overview but are allowed to do short maintenance flights. When a request comes in for additional ground units (LEO / Fire) and they are not involved in a scene or no longer needed on it they should break off and activate as said units.

Exceptions can be given by the CTFO.

Senior Flight Officer:

As an addition to the perks of the TFO, the SFO is allowed to conduct Aerial Overview and can apply to become a trainer within ASU. While conducting Aerial Overview, both the pilot and the copilot are required to be SFO trained. With the permission of the CTFO, probationary flight officers are allowed to act as the copilot.

Exceptions can be given by the CTFO.

Recruitment

ASU consists of different branches, the LEO branches are open to all LEOs (full-time and reserve) who have achieved the rank of Deputy / Officer / Trooper or higher. The Fire Branch is open for all ALS-trained firefighters and medical personnel (full-time and reserve). Eagle requires personnel to be game warden trained and to have a rank of conservation officer or higher.

Prospective candidates must be in good standing with OCRP (i.e. no active minor / major points) and should have demonstrated excellent role-playing skills during patrols. All members will enter as a Flight Officer / Probationary Flight Officer.

Promotion

ASU has divided its responsibilities into the tiers described above. These do not give any individual seniority over another, all personnel have the same voice within the unit.

Promotions will occur once the Chief Tactical Flight Officer or Deputy Chief Tactical Flight Officer has seen an ASU officer demonstrate great roleplay and professionalism and has been recommended by other members of COC or ASU.

Disciplinary Action

ASU members are held to a higher standard than regular officers and are expected to maintain an exemplary standard of roleplay. Disciplinary action will be conducted following Aspirant’s Administrative Policy.

When an ASU Member is removed from ASU they have a 30 day waiting period until they can apply again.

ASU has a zero-tolerance policy on CIV stalking. This means that all ASU members need to follow a set of strict rules. If proven and found that any ASU pilot/co-pilot is stalking in any way, the ASU pilot/co-pilot will be immediately removed from the subdivision.

At all times the CTFO has permission to review flight logs and conduct action on them where needed. This includes and is not limited to contract termination, disciplinary action, or removal of the subdivision.

Both pilot and co-pilot will be held responsible for all actions taken in the aircraft. All actions taken by the aircrew need to be considered safe and shouldn’t be putting both the public, yourself, or others in danger.

In-Game Improvement Sessions

Air Support Unit trainers + appointed personnel, are allowed to conduct aerial overview with a training purpose. This training helps the Flight Officer or Probationary Flight Officer to improve with different aspects of flight, such as comms, take-offs, landings, flight maneuvers, and also aspects of ASU work, such as callouts, object tracking, and more.

• When an in-game improvement session occurs the CTFO should be advised about the training.

• During the training, the trainee is allowed to both pilot and co-pilot the aircraft.

• While training you still act as an active unit, so when a call comes in you need to break off the training and assist the other units where needed.

• CTFO needs to be advised how the training went.

• Needs to be logged in the flight log under notes (TRAINING)

Flight information

Flight Zones & Restrictions

During normal operations, there are two types of areas that you need to avoid. Those areas are marked with either red or blue on the map below:

Restricted Airspace - These are areas that you need to avoid during operations, when passing through or over restricted airspace permission needs to be given by ATC. While flying at an altitude higher than 1500 ft, you are allowed to fly over the following airspaces with just informing ATC:

• LSIA

• Grapeseed Airfield

• Sandy Shores Airfield

Limited Airspace - These are areas that you should avoid during normal operations. These areas include noise-sensitive areas or tall buildings. In the event of low flying being required the blue areas are to be avoided for any low flying under the hard deck (500ft height barrier).

Helipads

• Police/LSIA - No action required. Land and take-off freely, however, inform ATC you are doing so. At LSIA and Sandy Shores Helipad you are to follow taxiways and runways for takeoff and landing.

• Medical Centers - Inform ATC to make sure the pad is clear and medical personnel are on standby.

• Civilian - You need to make sure the ground is clear of any obstacles, persons, or other objects that can cause a hazard to the aircraft. Make sure you contact ATC before landing/taking off.

When taking off from or landing at one of the following locations it’s required that the pilot utilizes the taxiways and runway to take off and land:

• Los Santos International Airport

• Sandy Shores Airfield

• Zancudo Military Base { Military Only }

FLIGHT PROCEDURES

Communication

Communication is the one thing that can make an operation a success or a failure, due to this the communication between each other and the ground units must be clear and short.

Aviation terminology for helicopter operations:

• Port - Left.

• Starboard - Right.

• Come to - Turn to the given heading and direction.

• Translate - Slide in a given direction without change of heading.

Headings: In aviation, headings are all based around a 360-degrees:

(( Note: Headings are said as 3 separate numbers, for example (090): zero - nine - zero ))

• 000/360 - North

• 090 - East

• 180 - South

• 270 - West

Co-pilot responsibilities arriving at a hover or on landing approach:

• Calling distances to objects, obstacles, and ground for the pilot. - "Power cables 100ft off the tail."

Communication with the ground should happen often and should exist out of relevant information. Locations given by the Air Unit should be clear and give a good description of what is being looked for. Due to this, it’s important that both the pilot and co-pilot have a good understanding of the map.

Next to communication to the ground, there is also communication between ATSU and the Air Unit. Due to this, it's important that both the drone unit as Air One are in an agreement on altitude, area to cover and who is the primary source of information at that moment in time. Due to the possibility that a scene can change every second, both units should be in constant contact with each other and reconsider the usage of each other.

Startup

During the starting phase of the aircraft, you and your copilot go over the aircraft. Before entering the aircraft the pilot and/or copilot need to inspect it to ensure there is no damage. Pay special attention to the engine and rotary parts of the aircraft.

After you have checked over the aircraft also make sure the ground is cleared of loose objects that could cause a hazard during take-off.

Before starting the take-off procedure, you need to start the preflight checks. The preflight checks you need to check are stated below:

• Battery Level - Needs to be green

• Fuel Level - Fuel level cannot be below 25%

• RPM - Revolutions per minute

• Hydraulics - Needs to be green

• Auxiliaries (Pumps) - Needs to be green

• Instruments

• • Camera

  • Lighting

  • Radios

  • Flight Control instruments (free, easy to move)

Takeoff

After the initial starting phase, inform ATC that you are taking off. As an Air Support Unit, you are only operating according to VFR ( Visual Flight Rules). Before takeoff ensure a cleared starting area for the rotors. After a successful takeoff report to dispatch and ATC that the aircraft is airborne with the right designator.

Takeoff Profile:

Depending on the location of takeoff, there might be a need to have a different take-off profile. If the helicopter is not taking off from LSIA or Sandy Shores airfield they should follow the takeoff profile shown in the picture below. At one of the airfields, it’s the general rule of thumb to follow taxis and runways to take off and land. But there are some exceptions to this rule.

During emergencies, the pilot can request a direct takeoff from the helipad, under those situations fall, immediate activation of Medflight AFTER being in the air as Air One / Two. High priority call (All Call) that requires immediate assistance from the air unit.

In-Flight

As an aircraft operator, you are responsible for your passengers and your aircraft. During flight there are several important points that have to be observed at all times:

• Always maintain an appropriate altitude, this means that unless you are landing you should avoid going below the hard deck as much as possible.

(( NOTE: This means that you should not look through windows at 300 ft or lower, but can go below hard deck for foot pursuits if you otherwise don’t see the suspects ))

• Stay away from restricted or limited airspaces if possible. During certain operations, it is possible that the suspect or individual enters a flight zone with certain restrictions. Try to keep your distance from this area as much as possible unless absolutely necessary.

• Avoid noise-sensitive areas (schools, hospitals, retirement homes, etc.)

• Maintain a decent distance from power lines, cable cars, and other objects that might be a danger to you or your aircraft.

• It’s not allowed to fly under bridges or power lines.

• Always make sure you are able to return to a refueling point. You should not activate with less than 25% of fuel or turn around if this target hits.

• Don’t fly any excessive maneuvers that could damage the aircraft.

When you are not currently involved in an Air Operation, the minimum altitude for the aircraft is 1500ft. This attitude is also required when flying towards or returning from an operation.

During Air Operations there is always a certain risk that something unexpected happens, you receive a request or something else happens. While in the air, it’s the job of both the pilot and co-pilot to always be prepared for the unexpected. When all comes to the worst, make sure you put your safety at first, when needed, break off from the scene.

• Supervisor / Scene Command Request:

It happens that either supervisors or scene commands request something from you. While often there is no risk involved in a scene like this, during certain situations it might be questionable if the request is safe to execute. Think for example landing at an unsecured location, transporting officers to a roof or hovering to look through a window.

All the examples above are situations where either pilot and/or co-pilot should refuse the request, this would put either you, other officers or members of the public in danger. When not sure if something is allowed, it's better to be safe than sorry.

• Weather Change:

When the weather suddenly changes, the pilot and co-pilot need to conduct a new risk assessment. Is it still safe to fly in the new conditions?

• Water Levels:

During water operations, wave height is an important factor. During the operation, this should at all times be taken into account. You also can’t see heat signatures below the water surface.

• Clear Flight Zone:

When there are other aircraft in the nearby vicinity (1000 ft) that can cause a potential obstruction for the operation you are performing, you can ask them to leave the area. This can be done by either putting in a message in OOC or contacting the helicopter directly by contacting the pilot.

(( This includes the drone and other law enforcement helicopters. ))

• Shots Fired:

During shots fired, there is always a chance that the suspects will open fire upon the aircraft. The pilot and co-pilot should always take enough distance to prevent this. When the aircraft does get shot at, try to put more distance between you and the suspects.

Listed below is a list of recommended actions based on different types of firearms used on a scene:

(( N.O.E. - Nap of Earth -> nose dive down to a safe location to get out of the range of the firearm. This is often a faster option than climbing to a certain altitude. If this occurs make sure to log it in your flight log. ))

Initial Action when taking fire, is to perform an N.O.E. When this either does not work, or an N.O.E. is not safe to perform, you can reference the table below for recommended actions.

Type Of Weapon:	Caliber Used:	Recommended Action:
Pistol	9mm, .40ACP, 45 Auto, 38 Special, 357 Mag, 44 Mag	Climb Above the HARD DECK, if you continue to take fire then Climb 600 FT.
Submachine Gun	.45 or 9mm	Climb Above the HARD DECK, if you continue to take fire then Climb to 700 FT.
Assault Rifles	5.45x39 (AK-74) 5.56x45 (NATO) 5.8x42 (QBZ-95) 7.62x39 (AK-47)	Climb to 700 FT
Machine Gun	7.62x54 (PKM) 7.62x51 (NATO)	Depends On Fire Rate, Climb Above 900 FT
Sniper Rifle	7.62x51 (NATO) 7.62x54	Dump Collective and Nose Down follow N.O.E. (Nap Of Earth) and Request Drone if possible
Unknown		1. Climb towards 700 ft and do a new risk assessment. 2. Dump Collective and Nose Down following N.O.E and do a new risk assessment

Landing

Landing the aircraft can happen at different locations, under normal circumstances, the pilot will choose to land at a designated helipad. When a landing needs to happen at an unmarked landing area it's important that during the landing procedure the pilot and copilot make a risk assessment. During this assessment, you would check for any possible hazards like loose objects, obstacles, or people. When the landing zone is deemed safe the pilot can land.

During landing always follow the approach profile, after the engines have been shut off, report to dispatch and ATC that the air unit is out of operation. If you are the pilot, make sure to fill in a flight log.

It's not allowed to land on any roofs or objects without there being a helipad.

Approach profile:

Before approaching an unmarked landing area you have to get in contact with ATC for approval.

Maintenance Flights (TFO+)

Maintenance flights are short flights that happen after maintenance is done on the aircraft. The flights are normally five to ten minutes long and are being used to check if everything on the aircraft is still functioning and working as intended. Those flights are to be logged the same as normal flights in the flight log.

air one operations and duties

When running as an Air One officer, there are two different ways to mark yourself as such: The first way is to put “Air One” after your name on TeamSpeak, this will let dispatch know you’re available for Air One. You can also sit at the station during a patrol as an Air One officer, this will be identified to dispatch at the beginning of your patrol. While active Air One put your main department identifier behind your name, together with "Air One".

Operating Procedures

Operating helicopters is hazardous and leaves little margin for error. However, the helicopter is extremely flexible and when used in coordination with ground assets can be a highly effective asset.

Air One Pilot / Co-Pilot

When operating as Air One there are multiple reasons for you to get up in the air, those are examples and not limited to:

• Vehicle and Foot Pursuits: Deployed to follow a suspect in a safe manner to allow units to back off or keep eyes on the suspect in a manner that does not endanger others and utilizing tools such as thermal to follow the suspect where normal units cannot.

• Searches: Deployed to search for missing persons/suspects / stolen vehicles and more due to the fact that the helicopter can cover bigger areas quicker than ground units and can check some harder to reach areas easier than a ground unit.

• Surveillance: Deployed in order to serve as the “eye in the sky” for investigations units or regular units to overlook an area for ground units to have a better idea of what is happening in that area or what the person that they are interested in is doing. Will mainly be used for CIU operations, like warrant, drug busts, and drug transactions.

• Maintenance Flights: Go up in the air in order to check the readiness of the chopper for regular operations (Check if all parts of the helicopter are working properly).

Rules and Regulations Air One

• Self attaching: Self attaching to a call is not allowed unless the pilot or co-pilot are the rank of SFO. Then they need to follow the rules and regulations below. A TFO or FO can advise they are available to assist but need approval from scene command (primary) / supervisor.

• Spotlight Usage: The spotlight is only to be used with approval from ground units, due to the spotlight being a tool that can be useful in certain situations, but it can also give away your position or that of one of your officers. Also, it can be very bright and blind everyone on the ground including the officers which can be dangerous.

• Thermal Usage: Thermal is allowed to be utilized by Air One personnel. Keep in mind that with thermal vision you’re not able to look through any other materials than wood/plastic, etc. You’re also not able to tell how many heat signatures are inside of a vehicle or inside a closed area that is not made of hard materials like concrete, steel, etc. You also can’t see heat signatures below the water surface.

• Medevac: Air One is not able to do a medical evacuation or transport of an injured patient. This is due to the lack of medical supplies on board of the aircraft. This policy does not change when a medic is onboard the helicopter. Call for County Medflight when needed for medevac.

• Rescue Operations: Air One is not able to do rescue operations, the aircraft does not have the right equipment for this kind of operation. You’re able to assist the ground units or medflight with the search but you will need to get medflight up to do the rescue.

• Board Gunner: Board gunners in Air One are not allowed, due to the safety and risk involved with this it requires special training. If a board gunner is needed, a SWAT helicopter and marksman should be called.

• Tourist Transporting: It can happen that you are being requested to transport someone from location to location. This includes putting someone on a roof or relocating someone to another roof or area. The only time the air unit is allowed to have a passenger is either an additional (co)pilot (training / shadowing purpose) or a board gunner (rules above still apply).

• Unsecured Scenes: Air One is not allowed to land to assist ground units with securing suspects, scenes, or help with active scenes; we are neither equipped nor trained for this.

Aerial Overview (SFO+)

SFO trained personnel have the option to provide additional aerial overview. This means that the pilot and copilot have the option to get in the air at any time during their shift. The primary purpose of those units is to reduce the time to get to a certain location and be able to assist ground units faster.

While you are in the air and not attached to any call you are supposed to fly at an altitude of 1500 ft. This altitude is determined due to obstacles when flying closer to the ground, when in the air for fast response times there is no need to fly any lower due to your not being attached to a call. Next to the higher altitude then normal there is also the rule of self-attaching, this is allowed on certain occasions, but only as an advisory role of calls that may lead to a priority on traffic. (Robbery, active shots fired, pursuits, hostage situations etc.)

Aerial Overview is a privilege the pilot and co-pilot have, this means that this privilege can be taken away at any time when in breach with one of the rules. To perform Aerial Overview, both pilot and co-pilot are required to be of the rank SFO+. The CTFO is allowed to give exemptions on a case-by-case basis.

Eagle operations and duties

This division within the Law Enforcement Branch of the Air Support Unit gives Game Wardens the option to utilize a helicopter to conduct their duties. This division within ASU works closely and falls partially under the Game Wardens.

Game Wardens with the rank of Conservation Officer or higher are allowed to utilize the Game Warden helicopter when qualified by the Air Support Unit. The helicopter can be manned by only one individual and gives the Game Warden the option to be an eye in the sky. The helicopter is equipped with a winch that can be used to lift the Game Warden Gator to hard-to-reach locations.

The Helicopter does NOT contain a camera or spotlight and is NOT allowed to be used for Air One Duties and Responsibilities with an exception of searching for missing individuals in Game Warden territory.

SWAT AIR UNIT OPERATIONS AND DUTIES

When needed SWAT can request a helicopter to help them out with an operation. When this is requested, an SWAT Helicopter Crew will be called upon. To become a SWAT Helicopter Crew member you need to be the rank of TFO or higher, at minimum BLS trained and pass the SWAT Helicopter Training (Only available for senior SWAT officers).

When an SWAT Helicopter is airborne and is operating in the same location as other aerial vehicles, it can contact those aircraft to leave the area (Air One / Medflight / ATSU included).

This additional training is required due to the high-risk situations the crew can face, below are operations that the Helicopter crew can be called for, those are examples and not limited to:

• Insertion of SWAT Personnel: On certain calls, SWAT Personnel can require an airdrop, when this is the case the helicopter will be used to insert the SWAT Officers into the designated location. Often, insertions will take place in locations where there is a chance of armed subjects, therefore the SWAT Helicopter Crew can be in the direct line of fire.

• Extraction of SWAT Personnel: While most extractions will happen by vehicle, it can happen that SWAT Officers need extraction by helicopter. This can, for example, happen when an officer gets injured during the operation, and is in a hard to reach location.

• Flying Sniper’s Nest: At certain locations, it can happen that there is not a good location to post an SWAT sniper. In those cases, it might happen that the helicopter crew is being called upon to operate as a “flying sniper nest”. It can also happen that this happens while the subjects are in a moving vehicle.

AERIAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY UNIT OPERATIONS AND DUTIES

The Aerial Transportation Safety Unit (ATSU) is a division within the Air Support Unit. This division’s main tasks are aircraft accident investigation and intelligence gathering. The biggest difference between a normal ASU officer and an ATSU agent is that the ATSU agent mostly works from the ground. ATSU agents have the option to utilize a police drone.

When active as an Aerial Transportation Safety Unit, put the Hotel ( H ) identifier after your name and call yourself 10-8.

ATSU is based out of the hangar at LSIA.

Roles and Responsibilities

Aerial Transportation Safety Units should activate as Air One or Medflight if requested and no one is available / responding. The main responsibility of ATSU is to assist main departments and other subdivisions with their responsibilities and to investigate incidents involving aircrafts.

Restrictions

The Aerial Transportation Safety Unit has some restrictions it needs to follow, below is a list will the restrictions of ATSU:

• ATSU cannot conduct or assist in any routine traffic stops.

• ATSU is not allowed to enter any active runway.

• ATSU is not transport capable unless using the charger as the investigating party.

• ATSU is allowed to patrol the street for aviation/aerial needs only and can self-attach to priority calls to provide drone support. A priority call is not a pursuit. This means barricaded suspect, active shooter, or for example an S&R

• When encountering a crime, ATSU should call for a marked unit to deal with the crime, and should not engage the subject(s).

• ATSU is only equipped with a pistol, so they should be cautious with their response to calls and always have normal marked units for backup to any scene.

• Ride Alongs are only allowed with ATSU trained personnel.

• While ATSU is allowed to engage in a pursuit, ATSU should drop back to the tertiary spot and drop out when a third unit arrives.

((The agent can monitor the pursuit for the termination point in case a foot bail occurs.))

• Military Incidents do not fall under our jurisdiction and would be handled by other agencies.

Aerial Accident Investigator

When arriving at a crashed aircraft, the Aerial Accident Investigator (AAI) shall ensure the scene is secure. If the scene has not been secured satisfactorily, the unit should request additional marked units to provide security and crowd control. Once the scene has been secured, process the scene for evidence and conduct interviews where needed. Use of /ooc messages is the best way to go about this unless the victim is on the scene to use /me with.

AAI should, when possible, secure the following items/statements:

• Blackbox (Flight Data Recorder, FDR and Cockpit Voice Recorder, CVR)

• Manifest

• Paperwork

• Flight Logs

• Identification

• Personal belongings

• Statements of the occupants of the aircraft / witnesses.

• Illegal Items

• Anything else that can be helpful for the investigation.

When an AAI encounters criminal activity, the officer should call for immediate assistance from either Law Enforcement Officers, Port Authority and/or Criminal Investigations Unit. Otherwise, stand down from the scene until it is secured properly.

AAI will work alongside other law enforcement units in San Andres. Any AAI units on the scene of an aircraft crash will be in charge of the investigation of the incident unless the incident involving the aircraft is criminal in nature, at which point it will be handed over to CIU. In the case of CIU taking over an investigation, AAI is to stay on the scene to provide their expertise in the assistance of the investigation. When an investigation happens in the jurisdiction of Port Authority, a PA unit should be on the scene of the investigation (if available).

While investigating a crashed aircraft there are some important things that need to be looked at. The purpose of the investigation is to determine the reason for the crash, you are to look at many factors, as an aircraft crash is often a string of mishaps that all lead to disaster. Pilot error is the leading cause of aircraft crashes, and it is important to gather data from the FDR and CVR (If available) to see what the pilot(s) was(were) doing. Mechanical issues are another common factor to consider when looking at an aircraft crash. You are to examine different possible problem areas of the aircraft and examine the FDR for irregularities that could point to a mechanical issue. Another major factor to be looked at would be the weather at the time of the incident, to see if high winds, hail, or a plethora of other weather factors had an effect on the crash.

Drone Operator

In certain situations, a drone can be more useful than Air One, stated below are some examples of reasons for activating as a drone operator.

• Assisting LEO Ground Units: - Able to assist in intel gathering operations in areas where air one may be either too noisy, large, or restricted to operate in to be completely effective.

  • Hostage Situations

  • Barricaded Subjects

  • SWAT Operations

  • CIU Operations

• Assisting Fire Ground Units: - Able to use its thermal camera to locate different hotspots that may not be seen from ground level, also able to use said camera in finding heat signatures in areas where medflight can’t go.

  • Structure Fires

  • Search and Rescue

• ATSU Investigations: - Able to locate debris from the accident that may be scattered further away from the hotspot of a crash site, will be able to get a general overview of an entire crash site from the air, to gather more data to help find the cause of an accident.

  • Aircraft Accident Investigations

The drone comes with some restrictions. As a drone operator you always need to be aware of your surroundings, due to you flying at a low altitude there are more obstacles and other hazards around the drone.

Next to the surroundings there is also the limitation of the height. The drone is not allowed to cross paths with any other aircrafts and so needs to stay below the hard deck of 500ft.

The distance of the drone needs to be realistic, this means you can not fly across the whole city. Try to stay within 1 mile / 1.6 km from the launch position, as beyond that you will start to lose signal to the drone. The drone has a battery capable of 20 minutes of flight.

When operating the drone, you are not allowed to enter any active airfields or be in the direct flight path of an aircraft.

Other Duties

ASU or Medflight can request an ATSU on the scene when available, this is optional and not required, the ATSU will help the pilots with certain tasks such as:

• Marking landing zones in difficult locations

• Communication between ground and air, and making sure the aircraft can land and take off safely.

Due to the fact that all ATSU officers are trained in piloting helicopters, they are capable of taking over the role of pilot or copilot when the situation asks for this, next to this, when an ASU helicopter needs to make an emergency landing. The ATSU is able to transport smaller parts towards the chopper for quick repairs.

Casework & Documentation

When a scene occurs where the AAI agent needs to conduct investigations a case file should be created in the drive. When a case is concluded, it should have CLOSED added to the folder name and moved to the CLOSED folder.

When a case goes cold, due to either the civilian losing interest, or evidence and investigation angles dry up, or the member leaves. The case should be marked as COLD and moved to the respective folder.

AAI Report

Once a case is opened, a new folder will be created in the ATSU investigations archive google drive folder titled as follows:

Case Number - Case Name - Agent Unit Number(s)

Files within the folder should have the following title:

Case Number - Document Title (Example Image 2) - Date

All information that is gathered, or steps taken to gather certain information should be logged in the files, for the different case files the ‘mockup file’ should be copied, the name changed, and filled out.

MEDFLIGHT OPERATIONS AND DUTIES

When logging in as FD, you will sign yourself in as your respective apparatus as well as put “MF” in TeamSpeak so fire comms knows you are available for MF Operations. When on a call with medflight you will continue with your normal duties until fire comms contacts you.

Note: At all times there is to only be one medflight chopper in the air unless other directions are given by Supervisors or Senior Admins. While active as Medflight, put the fire identifier (F) behind your name, together with "AirMed (Number)".

Medflight requires that both pilot and copilot are ALS trained. An ALS-trained medic is allowed to be picked up at the scene to provide patient care in the back of the helicopter.

Air Operations

Operating helicopters is hazardous and leaves little margin for error. However, the helicopter is extremely flexible and when used in coordination with ground assets most SAR tasks, though not all, can be completed with a reduction in time. This, in turn, reduces the time taken to get the casualty to definitive care. By observing the safety precautions and procedures outlined in this SOP, risks will be reduced to a minimum. Listed below are the main reasons to go on a medflight activation. There is to be no patrolling from the air in any way.

• Transporting critically ill patients to care facilities.

• Transporting medics to a critical incident.

• SAR water/land operations.

• Port Authority Assistance.

Rescue Operations

When helicopter crews reach a landing or hovering site they are to use the five ‘S’s and discuss the wind, and when on open waters, the waves:

• Wind - Direction and strength, remember that *wind direction* is the direction the wind is coming from.

• Size - Ideally as big as a football pitch but may be as small as a tennis court.

• Shape - Note the shape.

• Surroundings - Ideally, no wires, pylons, trees or buildings, including on the approach or overshoot.

• Surfaces - The landing surface should be firm (a large SUV type vehicle should be able to stop and move off again without difficulty). Check for loose articles including personal kit and clothing.

• Slope - Always ensure the landing area is as level as possible.

• Waves - When flying above open waters, you need to take the height, strength of the waves, and water current into account. This may affect the performance of the aircraft or the difficulty of the rescue.

• The above diagram shows how a full landing with available emergency crews should be operated, no individuals on the ground should approach the helo until the pilot/co-pilot has given the all-clear.

• When landing on a slope, the rotor blades/ground clearance can be reduced on the upslope side.

• Once you have landed you can decide to either keep the engine running and the rotors spinning, or you can decide to shut off the engine, depending on the situation. If the rotors are still spinning, any persons around the area of the helicopter should be crouching and carefully approaching or stepping away from the helicopter. Under no circumstance are you to approach or step away from the helicopter on the tail rotor side.

• With any helicopter, it is important to protect the patient and secure all loose equipment including that of the rescuers.

Winching Procedures

For reasons of speed and fuel economy, the pilot may prefer to land, to drop off, or pick up team members. However, due to the terrain or lack of suitable landing sites, the crew may decide to use the helicopter winch for this purpose (Bear in mind this will be the rappel script and thus the following should be treated as using this in conjunction with IG safety procedures). Either a single or a double rescue strap may be used for winching. When winching the following points should be noted:

• Obey the crew’s signals/instructions at all times.

• Make sure you have all your equipment with you - rucksack, ice axe, crampons, medkit, flares. Other equipment that might be needed: Ropes, climbing equipment, flotation device, stretcher, “bucket”, second harness and blankets.

• Once you (the medflight medic) have ascertained the method of recovery for the patient (Be it by ground or air recovery) you will then have the option of winching back up to the helo (This will be done by the pilot lowering safely to within grabbing distance and us using the commands to tp into the aircraft)

• Be advised if the above is too impractical to reload into the helo due to safety concerns then you MUST find an alternate way to move the patient to a safer location for pickup. Under no circumstances must the pilot be in a position to put you, the patient or the aircraft in danger. Any “hotshot” pilot attempts successful or not will result in the immediate grounding of the said pilot.

Onboard Equipment

When transporting and treating patients, all equipment that you would find in an ambulance is at your disposal in the aircraft. The medflight helicopter is designed for critical situations and treatment. So, therefore, you have all the equipment needed to perform such tasks. The downside is that there are limited quantities of each resource. Realistically, there will not be multiple kits and equipment for trial and error. The purpose of this is that the medical equipment, especially the stretcher, is very heavy. Along with the flight crew’s weight, the aircraft can get extremely heavy, hence why limited quantities of equipment and resources. This is also done for the event of an emergency situation, where extra room is and will be needed to conduct emergency safety procedures. If there is a lot of equipment around the aircraft, it will make evacuation near impossible. It is recommended that after every flight, the crew restocks the aircraft, for the purpose of realistic roleplay.

Onboard Treatment

When transporting a patient to the hospital the patient should be in a stable enough state to be accustomed to the altitude of the aircraft. The altitude of the aircraft can cause extra pressure for the patient. It is ideal for the patient to be stable enough so that they can breathe on their own. Requiring equipment to assist with breathing, can cause more issues to the patient and to the oxygen due to the pressure in altitude.

Because it is a medical chopper you have a lot of room to work with and a lot of equipment that you can utilize to treat the patient to the best of your abilities until you arrive at the hospital or land.

Water Operations

When a helicopter crew is operating in the water, it must adhere to some additional guidelines. The height of the waves or wind speeds needs to be taken into account at all times. When one of these endangers the helicopter or occupants, one has to adjust or abort the mission, depending on the circumstances.

Water Operations require you to be more aware of your surroundings, this is due to waves, marine life, and the water’s current. Those factors will also play a role when rappelling on a boat. As the waves can make the vessel conduct unpredictable manoeuvres.

Medflight is able to assist LEO divisions like Port Authority with deploying its personnel to certain locations. This can be particularly useful for water rescue, where the dive teams provided by Port Authority are a required asset.

Events

During certain events certain assets from ASU might be requested or want to participate in this event. When this kind of situation arrives the CTFO needs to approve this event, during the event, there are a few rules and regulations that need to be taken into account. The CTFO might change rules and regulations depending on the event.

• Having others take a look in and out of the aircraft is allowed

• A clear landing zone must be available

• When available an ATSU officer must be on scene

• The crew should still be ready for any situations, you are still on duty / active.

CAMERA / AIRCRAFT OPERATION

Aircraft Buttons:

• Ctrl + 1 - Startup

• Ctrl + 2 - Battery

• Ctrl + 3 - Hydraulics

• Ctrl + 4 - Fuel Pump

• Ctrl + 5 - Lights

• Ctrl + 6 - Shutdown

Battery / Hydraulics and Fuel Pump must be on before starting the aircraft. If the lights button is turned off the spotlight together with all other lightning will not work.

Keybinds Mouse / Keyboard:

• • E - Enter / exit camera view.

• Q - Change display

• • Mouse Scroll Wheel - Camera zoom.

  • Right Click - Switch to a different camera view (Normal / Night vision / Thermal).

  • B - Turn the spotlight on / off.

  • Left Mouse Button + Mouse Scroll Wheel - Change the size of the spotlight.

• PageUp - Increase brightness

• PageDown - Decrease brightness

• Hold X - Rappel from aircraft (Need to be in the correct seat).

Keybinds Xbox Controller: Not all controls have a controller version, keep this in mind while operating the aircraft.

• • Dpad Right - Enter / exit camera view.

  • Q - Change display

  • Mouse Scroll Wheel - Camera zoom.

  • LT - Switch to a different camera view (Normal / Night vision / Thermal).

  • Right Stick - Turn the spotlight on / off.

  • Left Mouse Button + Mouse Scroll Wheel - Change the size of the spotlight.

• PageUp - Increase brightness

• PageDown - Decrease brightness

Hold A - Rappel from aircraft (Need to be in the correct seat).

Commands:

• • /asupatient - (Used by medic) Moves patient into the helicopter (ONLY WORKS WITH MH65c).

  • /asumedic - (Used by medic) Moves you back into the helicopter (ONLY WORKS WITH MH65c).

  • /asurappel - Moves you to rappel seat if it's free. (ONLY WORKS WITH MH65c AND AS350)

EQUIPMENT / CALLSIGNS

Air Vehicles

Vehicle Name	AS350 Helicopter	MH65C Helicopter	Bell UH-1	RcMavic Drone
Spawn Code	AS350	MH65C		/asudrone
Purpose	Air One	Medflight	Game Warden	ATSU Drone
Equipment	Built-in Camera Night-vision and Thermal Modes Flares Basic Medical Supplies Life Jackets	Built-in Camera Night-vision and Thermal Modes Flares LifeJackets Rappelling Gear Stretcher Water Suits Advanced Medical Supplies		Built-in Camera Night-vision and Thermal Modes
Aesthetics	Air One Livery	Medflight Livery	Game Warden Livery

Ground Vehicles

Vehicle Name	Unmarked Suburban	Unmarked 14 Charger	Fly Car
Spawn Code	UM3	UM	FIRE3
Purpose	ATSU Main Vehicle	ATSU Secondary Vehicle ( NOT to be used for drone operations / on-scene crash investigation OR for normal patrol duties)	Responding from and to the helipad/hangar. ( FIRE PERSONNEL ONLY + ALS TRAINED )
Equipment	Camera Evidence Collection Kit Radio Basic Medical Kit Scene Tape Fire Extinguisher Cones RcMavic Drone Downed Aircraft (ELT) RadioNavigation ATC Radio ---------------------------- Can pick up from airport: Small reserve parts for Air One / Medflight	Camera Evidence Collection Kit Radio Basic Medical Kit Scene Tape Fire Extinguisher Cones	2x - ALS Medical Kits 1x - ALS Medicine safe 20x - IV Lines 20x - 1000ml Saline Bag 1x - AED 20x IV Needles 20x 25ml Bags of Saline 2x - Collapsible Spinal Boards 8x - Canvas Stretchers (Rolled) 1x - Fire Axe 1x - Halligan Bar 2x - Kendrick Extrication Devices 1x - Class A Fire Extinguisher 3x - Traffic Vests
Aesthetics	Dark Colored Exempt LP Extras 1,2,3,4,5 REQUIRED Light/Medium Window tint - Optional	Dark Colored Exempt LP Extras 2,10 REQUIRED Extras 4,11 OPTIONAL Extras 1,3,5,6,7 BANNED Light/Medium Window tint - Optional	Fly Car Livery Exempt LP Extras 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,10,12 REQUIRED Extras 4,8,9 OPTIONAL Extras 5,11 BANNED Window tint - banned

Callsigns

Below are the callsigns for the different units. (Number) will be filled with the appropriate aircraft number.

Law Enforcement Air Branch	(S/Y/P) - Air (Number)
Medflight	F - AirMed (Number)
Game Warden	R - Eagle (Number)
SWAT	Z - Hawk (Number)
ATSU	H (Hotel)

Uniform

ASU Personnel is to use multiplayer peds while active within the unit. Refer to the Division Uniform Structure Document for full details.

Weapons

ATSU personnel can carry a Combat Pistol with a Flashlight only (/asu). Air One personnel have two firearms inside a closed and locked container inside the cockpit, those firearms are only for emergency situations and should not be used under normal circumstances.

Medflight personnel carry a Flashlight, Flares and a Flare Gun. No other weapons and equipment are authorized unless specified by command for specific operations, or by the branch’s SOP.

FLIGHT LOG

Every flight has to be logged by the pilot through the Flight Log without exception. The flight log keeps track of the pilots’ flight hours as well as the aircraft’s usage.

When a pilot is found to be not keeping track of his/her flight log they will be grounded for an amount of time determined by the CTFO and may receive disciplinary action.