Global warming leads to extreme climate changes and Taiwan is no exception. National airborne Service Corps has been working with several agencies in simulating the impacts of different types of combinations of accidents and disasters to predict the severity and range of damage, develop appropriate rescue equipment, take necessary preventive actions, strengthen mission combination training, and ultimate establish all-weather, 3-dimensional and highly mobile air rescue capacity.
The Corps is currently working to replace the old helicopter fleet with new, and very meticulous about the progress of the delivery of these new birds. A series of simulations are being conducted on receiving the new aircrafts and training qualified pilots and aircraft-related missions. A team is assembled for the receiving of aircrafts and prepares the crews for training, maneuver simulation and field simulation at seaports. Response solutions and improvement plans are prepared for aircraft receiving for “zero safety risk.”
The Corps received the 3rd delivery of one UH-60M Blackhawk, numbered NA-704, successfully on Aug 7 2017, and the Blackhawk was accompanied by another Blackhawk, numbered NA-703, and an AS-365 Dolphin, numbered NA-106 to fly from Xiaogang Airport, Kaohsiung to Chingchuankang Airport, Taichung. The NA-704 Blackhawk was left at a training facility in Florida, US for the training of seed instructors for the Corps. As the training mission came to an end, the Blackhawk was shipped from the US at the end of June and arrived at Kaohsiung on Aug 6. As soon as this Blackhawk is received, it is ready for air rescue mission and enhancement of flood control and prevention.
The Corps is operating 6 Blackhawks (3 received in 2015, 2 in Jul 2016, and 1 in Aug 2017) at the moment, and more will arrived including 3 by the end of 2017, 6 in 2020. That is to say, there will be 15 Blackhawks, 9 AS-365 Dolphins and a BE-200 airplane flying together for the 5 types of mission.
Apart from that, The Corps requested the Central Weather Bureau to customize a weather information service platform specifically for the Corps in order to promote and utilize digital information technology, in the hope to achieve longitudinal and lateral communications and respond to any situation. This platform provides an extreme weather monitoring system that allows for real-time access to sea states, weather forecasts and astronomic information. It allows the Corps to receive accurate weather information for flight route planning and search and rescue range when an emergency mission is called for to go “anytime, anywhere.”
The Corps always works as a team, particularly during the flood season, and continues to promote the receiving of new aircrafts, preparation of bases and improvement of digital information technology. All of these are done to provide better protection for people’s lives and properties.