Helicopter Question

SkyHog

SkyHog

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Everything Offends Me
Lets say I have my PP - Rotorwing. Let's also say I own a helicopter.

My wife and I are flying around in the final week of her pregnancy (because I'm dumb, whatever). Suddenly, she goes into labor. Am I allowed to fly her to the hospital and land on their helipad to deliver her to them?

Let's take pregnancy out of the equation and just say I have a passenger that is very ill and needs immediate attention. Same question.

Finally, let's say we're bumming around the airport, over an hours drive away, but only 15 minutes by air. Would it be appropriate to do either of the above by loading them into the helicopter and flying to the hospital myself?
 
are you looking for an excuse to get your PP rotorwing

pretty sure a child being born is an emergency and you can use your emergency authority to land wherever you want.
 
Looking at the AFD information for a hospital heliport in my area, "private, medical use" is the type descriptor. I suppose you could contact the airport manager listed as the contact and ask if you could fly in to drop off non ambulatory patients.
 
Best excuse to buy a helicopter. Ever.

"But honey, what if you go into labor? I am just think of your well-being."
 
dell30rb said:
pretty sure a child being born is an emergency and you can use your emergency authority to land wherever you want.
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I would consider a child being born to be an emergency, especially if it's my child.
 
From the FAA's perspective, I do not believe there's any FAA regulation prohibiting landing on private property -- it's a local matter of trespass. As far as trespass laws are concerned, there's almost always an emergency exception. And unlike trespassing on a cattle ranch in Wyoming, you're not likely to be shot on sight for trespassing on a hospital helipad with a medical emergency on board. Only question is whether a woman in active labor is a medical emergency, and I don't think there's any question that if her water breaks in the cockpit, you've got a bona fide medical emergency. If nothing else, there is no way I could keep flying with all that hollering in the cockpit.
 
It is only okay if you don't get up in the controller's grill and you say 'rojaaaahhhhhh'
 
Ron Levy said:
From the FAA's perspective, I do not believe there's any FAA regulation prohibiting landing on private property -- it's a local matter of trespass. As far as trespass laws are concerned, there's almost always an emergency exception. And unlike trespassing on a cattle ranch in Wyoming, you're not likely to be shot on sight for trespassing on a hospital helipad with a medical emergency on board. Only question is whether a woman in active labor is a medical emergency, and I don't think there's any question that if her water breaks in the cockpit, you've got a bona fide medical emergency. If nothing else, there is no way I could keep flying with all that hollering in the cockpit.
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Hmmm... We ain't that unfriendly here...:no::no:

Now,,, if you are dressed like a wolf and happen to show up on ranchland here it is the>> S.S.S. policy.......... Shoot... Shovel.... Shut up..;):nono:
 
The only problem I see, is that the hospital's helicopter might be parked on the helipad. Makes for an unstable landing platform for you.
 
Since this is a what if question. What if you land with her screaming and hollering you might want to kick her out pretty quick and be on your way, you wouldn't want your helicopter in the way when the medivac comes back with a dying patient and his landing pad is blocked.
 
Bwing96 said:
Since this is a what if question. What if you land with her screaming and hollering you might want to kick her out pretty quick and be on your way, you wouldn't want your helicopter in the way when the medivac comes back with a dying patient and his landing pad is blocked.
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:yeahthat:

Could always land on the lawn next to their pad, or parking lot...but likely once she's out of the heli, you'll be staying with her until delivery and won't want to "re-park" your helicopter. Blocking the hospital's pad would be no bueno.
 
The EMS bird will land just fine on the lawn too, and they have lots of practice at it.
 
True, but their stretchers won't roll over the grass so easily...and if they're doing night ops to an unlighted lawn, obstructions are an issue! Not all EMS helicopters do scene calls or are prepared for landing at night in unprepared spots. It's not worth blocking their pad and restricting their operations, IMHO.
 
I hear ya. Just playing Devil's advocate. Doesn't matter which helo with an emergency lands on the grass. If someone needs to go to that hospital, they will. They'll have plenty of help to carry the stretcher at any hospital.
 
Realistically. Yes. You can land there. MOST helipads however, are not "attended" per se, and if the hospital doesn't know you are coming, won't have a stretcher up there waiting on you.

This notification usually happens over a medical channel, public safety frequency. Or by phone from the operators dispatch. Not over Unicom.

Some helipads are not actually close to the hospital and require EMS for short distance transport support. This also is not coordinated by aviation radio.

More importantly, if you land, the property owner does not have to allow you access back to the aircraft to take off again. The local private non profit hospital once prevented an aeromedical crew from returning to their aircraft because the operator had not provided proof of insurance to the hospital (a condition of using their pad). The aircraft sat there a few hours until the request was filled (this was after multiple reminders and "polite" attempts on prior occasions to obtain POI).
 
N801BH said:
Hmmm... We ain't that unfriendly here...:no::no:

Now,,, if you are dressed like a wolf and happen to show up on ranchland here it is the>> S.S.S. policy.......... Shoot... Shovel.... Shut up..;):nono:
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Maybe it was Montana where they could shoot trespassers on sight (rustling issue).
 
Bwing96 said:
Since this is a what if question. What if you land with her screaming and hollering you might want to kick her out pretty quick and be on your way, you wouldn't want your helicopter in the way when the medivac comes back with a dying patient and his landing pad is blocked.
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you could say that about any medevac helipad. You will have to drop and scoot. However, when you start landing in the parking lot or the lawn, you start risking FAA criticism for compromising safety. If you're in this situation, land on the helipad, give her to the docs, launch for an airport, and grab a cab back to the hospital.
 
Tha FAA cares not where you land as long as it isn't somewhere they specified don't land. Beyond that it's local/state law that governs and enforces where you may and may not land on public or private property. IOW, you aren't in violation of anything with the FAA, so no reason to declare. The only thing of possible violation is trespass laws and I doubt they'd complain if you bring an emergent case to their pad.

The time I landed at the Flying J in TX, I got a call from the FAA asking about what happened and if the plane had a Mogas STC, after some lady (customer) called them. That was all they cared about and told the lady there was nothing they had against what I did, and that was just to prevent running out of fuel.
 
Henning said:
Tha FAA cares not where you land as long as it isn't somewhere they specified don't land.
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Mostly true, but not entirely, as that guy who landed his helo in the parking lot of a convenience store in Hawaii found out the hard way. Safety is still a concern for them, especially regarding crowd control for the landing site, and that could be an issue in the parking lot or on the lawn of a hospital.
 
The other thing to consider is, in this hypothetical situation, did your wife go into labor THEN you endeavored in the flight? If so, you for one can't really declare an emergency or use the provisions of 91.3 to break any rules since the flight was optional. The main concern though would be that the wife's labor would seriously cloud aeronautical decision making. Would your weather minimums change, and would you stick to them? EMS pilots mentally remain detached from the patients they carry, and from the medical team they carry, for that reason.
 
There probably would be ample room on the lawn. I probably watch too much tv as I was thinking about the roof top that may not accomodate more than one helo.
 
There are enough wires, poles and pedestrians around Hospitals you'd be a fool not to use the helipad.
 
Ah, finally I can contribute. Doggtyred is correct. If they don't know you're there, they can't help you. Many hospital helipads are on the roof and there are no phones there to let them know you are there. Also there may be an incoming helicopter and now you blocked their access with a critical patient on board.

The best option would be to land someplace appropriate and call 911 and let a properly trained person care for your wife and newborn baby. Think about the baby being born on the floor of your helicopter. Then what?

As for putting someone in your helicopter that is already sick because you think it would save time....Bad idea IF there is EMS available. A paramedic can stabilize a critical patient in less time it takes you to fly to the hospital. Now, in the event you are hours away from any help at all, then it may be your only option to fly. Otherwise, leave it to the professionals.
 
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flightmedic said:
Ah, finally I can contribute. Doggtyred is correct. If they don't know you're there, they can't help you. Many hospital helipads are on the roof and there are no phones there to let them know you are there. Also there may be an incoming helicopter and now you blocked their access with a critical patient on board.

The best option would be to land someplace appropriate and call 911 and let a properly trained person care for your wife and newborn baby. Think about the baby being born on the floor of your helicopter. Then what?

As for putting someone in your helicopter that is already sick because you think it would save time....Bad idea IF there is EMS available. A paramedic can stabilize a critical patient in less time it takes you to fly to the hospital. Now, in the event you are hours away from any help at all, then it may be your only option to fly. Otherwise, leave it to the professionals.
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Give em the stick and a view, wow, what a way to enter the world.
 
The only problem FAA has with landing "out" is if it's done recklessly. Landing in a schoolyard at recess (with no ground staff) would be an example. Otherwise it's between you, the property owner, and the local gendarmes.

I love the R-22, but taking up a nearly full-term preggo in one or something similar would probably induce labor.
 
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