HAC Oil & Gas IBP - Helicopter Association of Canada

6. BASE CAMP GROUND INFRASTRUCTURE AND EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS6.1. Location6.1.1. Where possible, the location of a base camp should allow for the bulk delivery of largequantities of aviation fuel; sites located adjacent to arterial infrastructure such as roads, orrivers navigable by barges, are ideal.6.1.2. The alignment of landing strips and aircraft operating areas must take account of theprevailing wind and the need to avoid over-flying populated areas during take-off andapproach to landing. Government and private airstrips can be used to good effect;6.1.3. Local topography affects the aviation aspects of base camp selection and for this reason thefollowing locations should be avoided:1. Valley and bowl locations, which present obstacles on take-off and unacceptably steepapproaches. Early morning mist is slow to clear from such sites in jungle areas and may,especially in mountainous areas, give rise to excessive turbulence.2. Un-grassed areas that are likely to give rise to excessive dust during dry periods.3. Sites close to population centres, which could cause undue nuisance to local populationand/or risk exposure.4. Sites which cannot easily and economically be made secure. The local security situationshould be fully assessed. While this aspect affects the entire seismic operation, aircraftand Flight crew are particularly sensitive to threats such as sabotage and hijacking andtampering with fuel supplies.5. Low lying areas susceptible to flooding which can affect aviation fuel storage, aviation fuelquality control and aircraft maintenance. Mosquito nuisance may affect evening and nightmaintenance.6. Power lines and other high obstacles such as towers, are a particular hazard, especiallynear the heavily utilised base camp helipad. Therefore and depending on the proximity ofthese cables, the position of the base camp helipad must be considered with regard toapproach and departure routes. Where power lines or high obstacles are present in anyseismic area the following is recommended:6.2. General layouta) All power lines and other high obstacles such as towers etc. (or at least those within500m of any helipad) should be clearly marked on hazards map.b) Every pilot joining an operation for the first time should be fully briefed and areaairborne familiarization checked on the position of overhead cables and otherhazards, with pilots' topographical maps marked accordingly in conjunction withannex A should be posted for ease of use by flight crew.c) Where appropriate and in particular for power lines / high obstacles close to the basecamp, efforts should be made to get these marked (marker balls, flashing lights) bythe owner of these installations.6.2.1. A prime requirement is that pedestrian and vehicular traffic should be separated fromhelicopters when they are parked, being refueled, maneuvered or operated. Helicopterlanding, parking and refueling areas should be declared “Restricted Area”, with authorizedaccess only. Warning notices, advising personnel not to proceed beyond appropriate pointsshould be prominently displayed and, if necessary, a traffic-flow control system introduced tohalt vehicles during helicopter arrivals and departures.6.2.2. An area adjacent to the Party Chief or flight planner office should be allocated to a logisticsoffice/radio room.6.2.3. It is strongly recommended that the flight planner’s/Coordinators Shack office should belocated so as to have a clear view of the helicopter dispatching area.OGC IBP | Revision Date: Sept 2009 DRAFT17