CEO Dorset helps 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing, Philippines Airforce

In June 2024, the Cadet Executive Officer (CEO) for Dorset Army Cadet Force was contacted by Integral Risk Global (IRG) who specialise in helicopter support training around the world. In the CEO’s previous career’s in the Royal Marines and The Royal New Zealand Airforce he was a Helicopter pilot and Fixed Wing pilot instructor and has over 4500 hrs experience.

IRG asked him if he was available at short notice to help out training up the 205th Tactical Helicopter Wing of the Philippines Airforce with Underslung Loads on their new S70i Blackhawk. Underslung Load flying in helicopters can be a precarious task with many variables effecting the aircrafts flight profile and limits to power available, all of which need to be managed with great care whilst delivering or recovering loads from precis locations.

After two days ground school tuition the first flight training began, starting with a 500lbs load on a 25ft ‘Strop’ (Rope) from a playing field. After two weeks and nearly 30hrs flying the crews were competent enough to deliver heavy loads on a 100ft Strop in to small confined areas in jungle clearings high up in the surrounding hills.

In all, four Pilots and eight Crewmen from the Philippines Airforce were trained up for underslung load missions and they will now cascade those lessons learnt down to other aircrew as the 42 Blackhawks on order arrive at the 205th Sqn. IRG also provide helicopter training with both fifteen person rescue cages

(Floods/Burning Tower Blocks etc) and large capacity airmobile fire buckets. With the frequency of natural disasters in the Philippines region both these pieces of equipment are of great interest to their Air Force and a possible return trip may be on the cards!