Mr Casey Drum1, Mr Ati Wynyard
1Northern rescue helicopter limited (NRHL)
Biography:
Ati Wynyard – Aircrew Officer (ACO) NRHL.
Casey Drum – Critical care flight paramedic, Deputy clinical operations manager NRHL.
Abstract:
The development of a Helicopter Winch Simulator addresses several challenges inherent in traditional winch operation training.
The absence of a dedicated simulator caused a reliance on static training in our operational helicopters. This limited opportunities for realistic sensory and physical feedback in training scenarios and made it difficult to provide comprehensive, safe, and cost-effective training. Additionally, the wear and tear on winches and operational helicopters, coupled with the intermittent availability of training platforms, further complicated our winch training. The inability to simulate full emergency situations or offer a 24/7 training platform further hindered the training process.
The benefits of a helicopter winch simulator are significant. It provides a risk-free, controlled environment for operators to practice winching operations, eliminating the dangers and high costs associated with live missions. Simulators allow for repetitive training in complex, high-stress scenarios such as extreme weather, winch failures, and cable malfunctions, which are difficult or unsafe to replicate in real life. Moreover, they offer flexibility in training schedules, real-time feedback, and the ability to practice multi-crew coordination without disrupting operational tasks. By offering customisable training programmes and performance tracking, simulators facilitate targeted skill development while promoting sustainability by reducing environmental impact. The introduction of a winch simulator enhances operator safety, confidence, and competence, ultimately improving the efficiency and effectiveness of helicopter rescue missions.
In this talk we will discuss our process of designing and building a winch simulator detailing the challenges of a growing organisation, a changing fleet and a budget.