Red Card Aerial Operations & Aviation Safety — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When approaching a helicopter that has its rotors turning, ground personnel should always approach from:
- The rear of the aircraft, staying low to avoid the tail rotor
- The uphill side only, regardless of rotor configuration
- The front of the aircraft, within the pilot's field of view, staying low (Correct answer)
- Either side at a 90-degree angle to the fuselage once signaled by ground crew
Correct answer: The front of the aircraft, within the pilot's field of view, staying low
Personnel must approach a helicopter from the front — within the pilot's direct line of sight — so the pilot can see them and signal when it is safe to approach. The tail rotor is the most lethal hazard; it spins nearly invisibly and is at or below head height on many helicopters. Never approach from the rear.
Question 2: The 'hazard area' around a hovering helicopter that personnel must avoid unless directed by the pilot is known as the:
- Rotor wash zone
- Exclusion perimeter
- Danger arc
- Rotor disk (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Rotor disk
The rotor disk is the circular plane swept by the main rotor blades. On sloped terrain, the low side of the rotor disk can descend to ground level, creating a deadly strike hazard. Ground personnel must stay clear of the entire rotor disk area until given an all-clear signal.
Question 3: When an air tanker drops retardant near ground crews, the primary immediate hazard to personnel is:
- Chemical burns from the ammonium phosphate fertilizer in the retardant
- The physical impact force and turbulence from a low-altitude, high-speed drop (Correct answer)
- Temporary loss of radio communications due to aircraft interference
- Inhalation of retardant mist, which exceeds OSHA airborne exposure limits
Correct answer: The physical impact force and turbulence from a low-altitude, high-speed drop
The greatest immediate risk during an air tanker drop is the physical force — retardant delivered at speed from low altitude can knock personnel off their feet, drive them into terrain, or pin them under debris. The blast of turbulence from the aircraft itself compounds this risk. Ground crews must be in a safe location before any air tanker makes its run.
Question 4: A helicopter landing zone (LZ) set up in the field should be a minimum of how large to safely land a Type 1 (heavy) helicopter?
- 60 × 60 feet, with no obstructions within 100 feet
- 100 × 100 feet, clear of obstructions and with a slope of less than 7 degrees (Correct answer)
- 150 × 150 feet, with a clear approach and departure corridor
- 200 × 200 feet, with a foam-treated perimeter to reduce rotor wash ignition risk
Correct answer: 100 × 100 feet, clear of obstructions and with a slope of less than 7 degrees
NWCG standards for a Type 1 helicopter LZ call for a minimum 100 × 100 foot cleared area with slopes no greater than 7 degrees. The area must be free of loose debris that rotor wash could turn into projectiles. Approach and departure paths must also be clear of obstacles for at least 200 feet.
Question 5: When communicating with an aircraft via radio on the fireline, ground personnel should use which radio frequency protocol?
- The local dispatch frequency assigned to the incident, shared with all ground resources
- The aircraft's dedicated air-to-ground frequency as listed in the Incident Action Plan (Correct answer)
- National Guard aviation channels reserved exclusively for military aircraft
- Any open VHF frequency to avoid congesting the primary incident channel
Correct answer: The aircraft's dedicated air-to-ground frequency as listed in the Incident Action Plan
Air-to-ground communications must use the specific frequency designated in the Incident Action Plan (IAP) for aviation coordination. Using the wrong frequency creates confusion, delays critical instructions, and can result in aircraft and ground personnel operating with incomplete information about each other's positions.
Question 6: Which of the following actions is PROHIBITED when loading cargo in or around a helicopter?
- Securing all loose equipment in approved bags or cargo nets before loading
- Removing your hard hat and replacing it with a flight helmet provided by the pilot
- Fueling a helicopter while personnel are seated inside with rotors turning (Correct answer)
- Using hand signals when radio communication with the pilot is not possible
Correct answer: Fueling a helicopter while personnel are seated inside with rotors turning
Fueling a helicopter (hot fueling) while personnel are on board with the engine running is strictly prohibited by aviation safety regulations. A fuel spill or static discharge near ignition sources while passengers are aboard creates a catastrophic fire/explosion risk with no safe egress path.
Red Card Aerial Operations & Aviation Safety
When approaching a helicopter that has its rotors turning, ground personnel should always approach from: