One of the biggest challenges in oil spill response is the quantification and observation of the spilled oil. Both aspects are important from an operational and a regulatory perspective. Over the years various tools have been used to achieve this goal, but there are limitations in capability. Experience has shown that the failure to quantify a spill, quickly with some degree of accuracy can lead to an immense problem of an operational, regulatory and even legal nature. The task of surveillance is not a simple one; skilled observers are needed to identify oil from false targets. Mission planning and data capture in different spectrums are required, but most importantly the data is only of value when back in the command centre, not on the aircraft, so an effective means of high speed data transfer is needed. Communication plays a crucial part in the operations, an ability to communicate directly with the pilot to direct the aircraft is an important asset to the operation. This paper will consider some of the problems of conducting aerial surveillance and demonstrate how one solution has been implemented in the United Kingdom Continental Shelf.
The ASIST (Aircraft Ship Integrated Secure and Traverse) system is a second generation shipborne helicopter handling system developed by Indal Technologies Inc. (Ill). The first generation of the RAST (Recovery Assist, Securing and Traversing) system has established itself as the most successful shipborne helicopter handling system in the world, with more than 150 shipsets delivered or on order to naval forces sailing all the world's oceans. ASIST completed sea trials by July 3 1, 1992 and production units are in operation with the Chilean Navy.A significant feature of ASIST is the incorporation of a Helicopter Position Sensing Subsystem (HPSS) which is based on an automatic target detection technique developed at m. The HPSS will detect a laser beacon equipped helicopter within one second (usually 0.25 second) of it appearing in the field ofview ofthe system cameras. The system then will track the helicopter and provide real time helicopter position relative to the landing area updated every 1/30 second until it is landed. A Rapid Securing Device (RSD) will also be driven by the position data to track the helicopter at low hover.Once the system has detected that the helicopter has landed on the deck, the RSD automatically approaches the helicopter and secures it. This occurs within two seconds. The RSD and traversing system are then used to align the helicopter with the deck tracks and manoeuvre it into a hangar, all without the need for manned intervention.
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