The busy season is here with boaters, aviators and hikers flocking to the area. This means the busy season is also here for those who help when there’s trouble.
Moose FM recently caught up with Search and Rescue pilot Major Chris Hill at the Bancroft Airport. Hill is the chief check pilot for the CH146 Griffon Helicopter and was there taking part in Search and Rescue’s daily training operations.
According to Hill, part of their mission out of 8 Wing Trenton is to provide search and rescue for emergency situations and having what he called ‘continued readiness’.
“Throughout the work week we conduct training in our area of operations and some of that involves being inland, coming up to Bancroft and using the terrain and the resources that are available here.” said Hill.
“During the summer months especially, that is our busiest time. Whether its hikers, marine incidents or just the increased aviation or general aviation activity.”
The day we met up with Major Hill was a bit unique, as he had someone new joining in the training exercise that day: Gliding Instructor Second Lieutenant Sarah Hill -who also happens to be his daughter.
I’m actually in the CIC (Cadet Instructor Cadre) working with the air cadet program. Because i am a member of the CAF now (Canadian Armed Forces) it’s a simpler approval process for me to come in and do a familiarization (famil) flight with him, so we’ve been trying to organize this for a while and I finally got to go up with him today.”
“It’s been a chance to conduct some training with her and just give her that experience and maybe boost our recruitment and bring somebody else into the Air Force.” added Major Hill.
Second Lieutenant Hill went on to describe some of her role in the training exercises that day:
“I got hoisted up into the helicopter by myself. There’s a cable that comes down from the helicopter and then I have a huge harness on, I’ll attach it, and then it will pull me up into the helicopter.”
Major Hill explained that one of the main ways that rescues are conducted is with the hoist:
“Today we’re using her as our patient , where we’re conducting a rescue of somebody who’s needing assistance… We have a large cable and we’re able to insert that cable into a very remote area that normally you wouldn’t be able to access.”
Often law enforcement can’t access that area because of the terrain and water features around it. And the only practical way to do that is with the helicopter with a hoist, explained Hill.
“With our SAR Techs, they’re able to go in and take that patient out of the area and take them to a safe place or to hospital.”
According to Hill, the Search and Rescue Technicians (SAR Techs), do not operationally parachute out of the Griffon Helicopter, but they can parachute out of the Hercules, as it is a fixed wing aircraft.
The CAF have approximately 140 SAR Techs. As Major Hill described them, when asked if they were paramedics, ‘They are paramedics plus plus plus’.
SAR Techs are trained to paramedic national standards with additional advanced skills. They specialize in all terrain rescues, including Arctic rescue, parachuting, diving, mountain climbing and helicopter rescue.
“That Others May Live” is a motto long-embraced by SAR Techs that serve in the RCAF.
For youth interested in learning more about aviation, Major and 2Lt Hill praised the cadet program.
“It gives you such a broad brush look at options available within the Canadian Armed Forces or in different areas throughout the Canadian workforce,” said Major Hill. “It gives you a very solid foundation in things like citizenship, leadership and just working with groups and working as a team. It’s a fantastic program for youth in Canada.” You can learn more about Air Cadets here:
Air Cadets – Canada.ca. For more information about the Royal Canadian Air Force visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/air-force.html
