Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/840553
operation. Compared to the "land" W-3, changes included installation of six inflatable emergency floats, a container for a life raft, a hoist of 272 kg lifting capacity, a set of additional search lights for the spaces below the hovering helicopter, and a set of pylons to carry three OMAB flash bombs. During maritime SAR operation a single helicopter may carry up to eight casualties in sitting position or two on stretchers. One of the first rescue missions involving the participation of W-3RM was saving the victims of the sinking of the Jan Heweliusz ferry on 14 January 1993, when the ship was on its way from Świnoujście to Ystad. It was then assumed that it was necessary to purchase 12 W-3RM, which were to be named Anakonda and distributed among two bases. The intention to form a third base was abandoned. The armed forces decided that twelve Anakondas were necessary to ensure the required operational continuity and cover the training needs. The plan was to support them with Mi14PS, which were to be kept until the financial means available were sufficient to purchase a new heavy helicopters. Unfortunately, further deliveries of W-3RM were suspended due to economic reasons. The fifth helicopter (number 0513) was delivered in 1996 – as a result of an agreement concluded between MOD and Petrobaltic. When the Polish naval aviation received the W-3RM, they had to get involved in transporting staff and equipment from the mainland to a drilling platform and the other way round. This was one of the reasons the helicopter was equipped with a night-vision compatible cabin. The helicopter was also used for tests: at the turn of the centuries, it was engaged in tests of a new system of folding of the blades of the main rotor – this was to become an introduction to adaptation of W-3 to on- board operations and storage. The cooperation kept on progressing until 2010 when the flights were ended, which was motivated by an analysis of the legal regulations governing the transportation of civil staff. Eventually, the W-3RM #0513 was "disbanded" in 2014 and returned to Petrobaltic, who started looking for a customer for the helicopter. In 2015 it turned out that it found its way to the Ukraine – it was bought by Motor Sich as a helicopter-demonstrator for a project of modernization of W-3 with the MS-500 engines. Polish naval aviation lost the remaining five W-3RM Anakonda soon after. On 12 March 1997, helicopter #0512 has crashed. On the night of March 11, the crew was called to evacuate a sick skipper from ŁEB-10 fishing boat. Despite the adverse weather conditions, the helicopter took off at 00:55. Not even four and a half minutes passed before it crashed about 11 kilometers away from the base, sinking in the Puck Bay. The whole four-man crew was killed. It was composed of: WO1 Zbigniew Palczyński (pilot), LT Arakdiusz Majer (co-pilot), CWO2 Stanisław Czaja (flight engineer) and CWO2 Wojciech Kulesza (rescue jumper). The accident was caused by a wrong setting of the radar altimeter, which, combined with the poor visibility conditions led to the helicopter hitting the water. Another fatal on-duty accident in naval aviation took place on 5 June 2010. PO1 Dariusz Szymański (rescue jumper) died when preparing for assuming his duty. In 1997, the helicopters were deployed in rescue operations during flood in southern Poland. The operations were carried out mainly in the area of the Lower Silesia and Wrocław. These were the events that triggered further purchases of three new helicopters delivered in 1998–2002. But this time these came in the form of a new version, i.e. the W-3WARM. The unit #0906 was equipped with the latest technological developments of the time – the machine featured a NightSun SX-16 searchlight with a diaphragm enabling the pilots to use night vision goggles, and a FLIR Systems STAR Safire II payload, which was was mounted on board of other two W-3WARM. In the following years, the #0511 was also equipped with surveillance payload. Moreover, by 2014, some of the helicopters receive AIS system that made tracking of ships requiring assistance quicker. But the fact that such a small number of helicopters featured different sets of on-board equipment made the process of training and keeping readiness quite difficult. www.fragoutmag.com