Republic of Singapore Air Force Helicopter Search-and-Rescue and Medical Evacuations: A 5-Year Review

A Consensus on Reporting Variables for Terrestrial Helicopter Search and Rescue Operations in South Africa: A Delphi Study

OBJECTIVE

Search and rescue (SAR) endeavors to locate distressed persons in remote, challenging environments. The global surge in outdoor activities has increased SAR demand, prompting the need for efficient terrestrial helicopter SAR operations. In South Africa, SAR practices face challenges due to a lack of standardization, governance, and clear guidelines, leading to communication and coordination issues. Standardized reporting and documenting frameworks are essential to ensure uniform practices, terminology, and documentation in helicopter SAR missions. This study focuses on the initial step of standardizing reporting and documenting terrestrial SAR to overcome these challenges and improve the quality of standardized report writing and documentation.

METHODS

A modified Delphi survey was conducted in 3 rounds to obtain a sample criterion of variables for reporting and documenting terrestrial helicopter SAR operations. The first round of the Delphi study was informed by a literature review. Purposive snowball sampling was used to recruit experts in terrestrial rescue. An online survey tool offered both binary and free-text options to participants. The consensus rate was set to 75%.

RESULTS

A panel of 28 participants agreed to participate in the study, and 16 (57%) completed all 3 rounds. A total of 65 items were proposed to the panel for review and were grouped into the following 5 categories: temporospatial, technical, operational, patient, and clinical. A consensus of 96.9% (63/65 items) was obtained during round 1, 77.5% (31/40 items) during round 2, and 33.3% (3/9 items) at the end of round 3. A total of 75 variables were included in the final list of items recommended for reporting terrestrial helicopter SAR operations.

CONCLUSION

Standardized reporting enhances the efficiency, communication, and effectiveness of terrestrial helicopter SAR missions in South Africa. This study presents a comprehensive list of essential variables for reporting terrestrial helicopter SAR operations in South Africa.

Multifunctional Integration of Optical Fibers and Nanomaterials for Aircraft Systems

Smart sensing for aeronautical applications is a multidisciplinary process that involves the development of various sensor elements and advancements in the nanomaterials field. The expansion of research has fueled the development of commercial and military aircrafts in the aeronautical field. Optical technology is one of the supporting pillars for this, as well as the fact that the unique high-tech qualities of aircrafts align with sustainability criteria. In this study, a multidisciplinary investigation of airplane monitoring systems employing optical technologies based on optical fiber and nanomaterials that are incorporated into essential systems is presented. This manuscript reports the multifunctional integration of optical fibers and nanomaterials for aircraft sector discussing topics, such as airframe monitoring, flight environment sensing (from temperature and humidity to pressure sensing), sensors for navigation (such as gyroscopes and displacement or position sensors), pilot vital health monitoring, and novel nanomaterials for aerospace applications. The primary objective of this review is to provide researchers with direction and motivation to design and fabricate the future of the aeronautical industry, based on the actual state of the art of such vital technology, thereby aiding their future research.