Magazine Helicopter Industry #102

from missions. Some units have reinforced their measures,
such as Dragon 20 based in Ajaccio, which has installed
plastic protection to isolate the cockpit from the cargo, thus
helping to limit the risks of contamination during COVID-19
transfers. The disinfection protocol for both crews and
machines is particularly strict and can take several minutes.
maintain our crews’ condition, in order to preserve them as long
as possible.» An objective that we hope will be sustainable,
as we cannot forget those hidden units during the daily
national applause to say thank you.
Despite a spike in the epidemic, which does not seem to
have reached a peak point according to the authorities, the
Dragon 75 site at Issy Les Moulineaux could nevertheless
accommodate new machines. «But nothing is set in stone,»
said the spokesman. The daily management of helicopters
is being carried out by the SAMU, according to the needs
and regions, but also based on the availability of an aircraft,
whether it’s operated by the Sécurité Civile, the SAMU, the
ALAT – Light Aviation Army, or the Air Force. In order to
plan flights, the Sécurité Civile staff and the different
heliborne units, such as: the SAMU, the Army, and recently
the Air Force, should evaluate and determine the different
hypotheses concerning the distribution of helicopters, along
with the possible reinforcements needed at certain locations
throughout the hexagon, according to the spread of the virus.
The Dragons recorded their 100th mission on March 29th,
proving their effectiveness. And, the number of operations of
this type, across the across the territory, has not weakened.
According to the Sécurité Civile spokesman, an average of
eight to twelve flights a day are now conducted for patients
suffering from COVID-19 throughout the territory. In total,
more than 180 hours have been logged in the last 15 days
for this mission alone. And, the pace of crews is not slowing
down. In fact, the staff says, they have to «readjust the
workload of the crews and maintenance mechanics according
to their needs.» For the moment, according to the spokesman
of the entity, «The objective is to last throughout the period, and
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