Advancements in Point-in-Space Flight Procedures for Air Rescue

Since the initial consultancy in spring 2023, airsight has continued developing a concept for low level instrument flights and Point-in-Space (PinS) flight procedures to support Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) in Schleswig-Holstein. These procedures aim to improve access to hospital heliports, HEMS bases, and emergency sites including those on the North Sea islands. 

Progress has been steady across multiple fronts and a series of coordination meetings have been held with multiple HEMS operators as well as with critical federal bodies such as the Federal Ministry for Transport (BMV), the Federal Supervisory Authority for Air Navigation Services (BAF), German Air Navigation Services (DFS) and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA).  An important technical aspect involved the analysis of existing heliports and helicopter landing sites for which the implementation of PinS procedures is planned.

In parallel, a major safety initiative involved the development of the concept of HEMS Minimum Area Altitudes as an alternative to a HEMS Low Flight Network. This was supported by the presentation and evaluation of possible measures to assess collision risk for both the route system and the approach/departure system. 
Based on these assessments, several safety improvements have been discussed; including:

•  The introduction of RMZ (Radio Mandatory Zones), 
•  TMZ (Transponder Mandatory Zones), 
•  Lowering of airspace class E, 
•  Mandatory collision warning systems in airspace class G (“Airspace G+”), 
•  Introduction of HTZ (Helicopter Traffic Zones), 
•  HPZ (Helicopter Protection Zones), 
•  and combinations of these measures. 

Environmental impact has also been a focus. As part of efforts to protect sensitive areas, an exemplary aircraft noise calculation as part of the consideration and balancing of protected interests was carried out. This analysis supports environmentally responsible route planning and community impact mitigation. 
With a concept for the implementation of HEMS Minimum Area Altitudes and PinS Flight Procedures developed, the project has resulted in a formal application. 

If your organization is also in need of support for planning or obtaining approval for flight procedures, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us via email or through our website for more information.