SHIP-HELICOPTER OPERATING LIMIT TRIALS
The development of Ship–Helicopter Operating Limits (SHOL) is fundamental to the ability of a helicopter to operate safely from the ship.
A SHOL trial aims to measure the impact of ship airwake, motion and visual cueing on helicopter performance, controllability and pilot workload across a range of sea, wind and lighting conditions.
The collected data is then used to develop safe operating limits for each intended aircraft operation for given aircraft masses and centre of gravity envelopes.
The scope of aircraft operations to be included in the trial and analysis should cover all intended operations on and to the ship under normal and emergency conditions by day and night, including the use of night vision devices.
At Prism Defence, we provide a full SHOL trial service from planning and conducting though to formal reporting. We also provide training and support to develop an organisation’s own SHOL trials capability.
Prism Defence conducts SHOL trials on the customer’s ship and aircraft under environmental conditions that are representative of the intended operating environment. Prism Defence tailors SHOL trials to meet:
- operational requirements of customers
- ship and aircraft availability
- required assurance levels
Prism Defence’s flight test professionals and supporting engineers are familiar with the demands of operating on naval vessels at sea under the most challenging conditions. We closely cooperate with the operational aircrew and ship crew to achieve the best outcome—safely and in the most efficient manner.
