New Air Rescue Concept for the aviation
Imagine if lives can be saved in midair emergency situations. It sounds like science fiction, but it is not!
This is a new air rescue concept, developed by Ivan Kristoff. It and the specialized equipment, training and methodology will enable to conduct air to air rescue/transfer in the air. It may be called the ultimate air rescue challenge.
“I was interested in improving the efficiency of rescue since I felt down from a cliff, when climbing solo, with no ropes and no safety in 1988. I was in a coma and survived. But on Helios Airways Flight 522, the 121 passengers did not survive, when their airplane felt down from the sky. It is a tribute to them. I believe in the concept of air to air rescue: to save lives at high speed and high altitude. Once the theoretical part and the real-life test are conducted, aviators will be able to preserve lives 24 hours a day. Once it is adopted by the Air Forces it will provide midair rescue and emergency response to flying aircraft.”, says Ivan
At the Dubai Helishow 2012, Ivan Kristoff officially announced a new concept that can open a new chapter in the aviation, helicopter safety and aerial rescue history. This is the concept of Air-to-Air Rescue – (conducting airborne rescue in mid air). In the history of aviation no one has conducted air to air rescue in the way Ivan Kristoff proposes. In other words, no one has saved a life or evacuated people from one aircraft to another aircraft while flying. Now, at the new millennium and available aircraft in the Middle East, this scenario of mid-air-rescue is possible to happen here in UAE.
After seeing the aftermath of the tragedy of Helios Airways Flight 522 (HCY 522 or ZU522), in which all 121 on board were killed, I brought my idea to jet pilots, generals, commanders of Airbases, Chief pilots of Police and Military Air Wings, the idea that people can be saved in the air and lives, as in the case of Flight 522, could be saved. I received a call from a pilot who is involved with the official investigation of this tragedy, and he shared with me that even he has thought of the possibility of saving any one on board of the Boeing 737–31S , which crashed into a mountain on 14 August 2005 at 12:04 EEST, north of Marathon and Varnavas, Greece. one has conducted air to air rescue from one aircraft to another. In other words, no one has saved a life or evacuated people by means of rope access transfer of emergency rescue personnel from one aircraft to another while flying. Now, at the new millennium and available light (recreational, civilian and military aircraft in the Middle East, this scenario of mid-air-rescue is possible to happen.
In this fatal accident, at least one person could have been saved by a quick air emergency response, when two F-16 fighter aircraft from the Hellenic Air Force 111th Combat Wing, scrambled from Nea Anchialos Air Base to establish visual contact.[16], sew an individual in the cockpit, apparently trying to regain control of aircraft.
Kristoff’s concept of Air to Air Rescue will be divided in two steps of testing:
1. Air to Air transfer from one aircraft to another aircraft:
- From a motorized paraglider to a balloon
- From a motorized hang glider to a balloon
- From a helicopter to a balloon
- From a helicopter to an airplainе
- From airplane to airplane
2. Air to Air rescue from one aircraft to another aircraft:
- From a helicopter to a balloon
- From a helicopter to an airplane
- From a helicopter to a helicopter (now this is very, very tricky)
- From airplane to airplane
The final stage of the overall concepts was shared with the office of the NASA Search and Rescue Mission Office and the representatives of the USA government and USAF.
Articles:
flickr.com/ivankristoff
Video of the step by step progress of presenting new ideas for aerial operations, during Dubai Helishow 2010-2012-2014:
Meeting the Crown Prince of Dubai, His Highness Shaikh Mansoor bin Mohammed – DUBAI TV
Ivan Kristoff meets His Highness Sheikh Mansoor during Dubai Helishow
Ivan Kristoff meets His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori, the UAE Minister of Economy