Enhancing Aviation Safety through Helideck Surface Friction Management and Maintenance for Safe Helicopter Operations

Abstract

In the Aviation industry, helicopters provide an important medium of transportation of passengers, cargo, and provision of specialized services especially to the oil and gas sector of the economy. Various operators exist within Nigeria, some of these key operators include Bristow helicopters, Caverton group, OAS helicopters, Nestav, Eastwind Aviation and a few other operators. These companies operate a variety of helicopter types like the SK 76, AW139, AW189, SK 92 etc. These aircrafts typically take off from Airports or client onshore bases to various locations including the offshore sites such as oil rigs, oil tankers, jack ups, semi submersibles, floating production and storage offloading (FPSO) vessels, seismic vessels etc. Many of the offshore sites have helicopter landing platforms-Helidecks, capable of serving different helicopter types based on their design and the dimensions of the aircraft. These helidecks play a critical role in offshore operations, serving as landing and take-offs structures on platforms for helicopters. Hence, the Surface friction, management, and maintenance are critical considerations in ensuring the safety and efficiency of personnel and aircraft. This paper presents an exploration of the challenges associated with helideck surfaces, the importance of friction management, strategies for effective maintenance, and a brief discussion of the benefits of graphene in significantly improving the characteristics of helideck surfaces, ensuring compliance to the provisions of the UK CAA Standards for offshore helicopter landing areas CAP 437 Edition 9. The paper will explore the importance of helideck surface friction, how friction values are determined, and the need for stakeholders to act on helideck surface degradation to mitigate risks, enhance safety, and optimize operational performance.