Once operations are underway, as a “belt and braces” precaution, when the helicopter flies to any particular job (and before going to the landing site) the bracken target area will be overflown with the operations manager on board and the pilot will compare the scene below with what is shown on the map and take note of any hazards, watercourses, NO SPRAY zones etc. Further bracken location data may at this point be entered into the on board GPS linked computer ensuring the correct area is sprayed thus adding to the environmental safety factor.
The helicopter is then flown to the landing site (LS), the Operations Manager disembarks and checks safety of LS e.g. unauthorised personnel in safe area, windsock (a vitally important item) correctly erected and pipe-work properly in place. Any further briefing from the client or his agent that might be required may be carried out at this point. The helicopter can then be loaded and the operation got underway.
At completion, and assuming no problems the Operations Manager re-embarks and the helicopter flies to next job where the whole process is repeated. In the meantime, the ground crew man packs up the site and (after checking that the landing site is left clean and tidy) departs for his next job (closing any gates behind him that he found closed on arrival).
In the meantime, the second ground support unit will have already been set up at the job the helicopter is now heading for.
As well as ensuring continuity we feel that this modus operandi offers a vital safety enhancement factor in that there will usually be two experienced personnel on site. Should there be an incident, two people are likely to cope with this more effectively than only one!