27 Feb 2025
Powerline Detection Systems
East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) was tasked by air over 1,500 times in 2024 to people who were experiencing life-threatening medical emergencies across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. From the charity’s two bases in Norwich and Cambridge, our H145 helicopters, G-RESU and G-HEMC, can reach anywhere in the region within 25 minutes to bring critical care to patients as quickly as possible.
This speed is vital when bringing the advanced skills, equipment and medicine – normally only found in a specialist emergency department – directly to the patient’s side. However, nothing over-rides the safety considerations involved with operating a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS). Just one of those considerations is the maze of power lines and cables which stretch over our region and over potential helicopter landing sites.
We use a ‘layered’, combined approach to threats from wires which includes:
- Transit flight profiles above 500ft
- Map wire overlays
- Aircraft wire detectors systems
- Crew recce
The pilots with EAAA are highly skilled aviators with years of experience of flying to and landing at unsurveyed sites. This experience is essential when flying HEMS tasks, where the flying is dynamic, and the crew never know where they may be tasked to next.
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Captain Jamie from EAAA’s aviation partner, Babcock International Group (Babcock), offers an interesting insight into the pilots’ planning when EAAA is tasked by air, and explains how map overlays and specialist software support crew safety.
Pilots use iPads with satellite imaging to identify potential landing sites. This adds overlays to the satellite images to highlight hazards, such as electricity cables, and enables essential safety planning, as Captain Jamie explains.
“We always aim to identify locations of power lines and pylons before we even leave base and we use specialist mapping software on iPads to enable us to do this.”
There are primarily four different types of wires:
- Large pylon-to-pylon power lines, around 200ft high
- Three phase power cables, also pylon-to-pylon, approx. 50ft high
- Single phase power lines, property-to-property, around 30-50ft high
- Telephone cables, also property-to-property, up to 50ft high
The larger power lines are usually identified on aviation maps, and the overlays also mark the location of other power lines. This national powerline database is compiled by the military and shared with a number of organisations, including the emergency services.
Other potential obstacles like masts, antennae and water towers are also marked, further supporting pilots’ planning before they even leave the helipad.
“When we are tasked, we can immediately zoom into the location on the iPad to identify where the patient is, potential landing sites, and the location in relation to cables, masts and pylons,” Captain Jamie continues. “This means that we can be aware of some of the obstacles before leaving base, because it’s important for safety that we choose a landing site in accordance with the obstacle environment.”
Our two aircraft are also fitted with antennae, causing an alarm to sound in the cockpit if the helicopter is in proximity to power cables. This is tested and set before each HEMS landing. It’s especially good at detecting larger power cables, however Captain Jamie stresses that this technology shouldn’t be relied on in isolation.
“We always need to be mindful that it’s not perfect. There can be a real maze of wires to be aware of especially in urban areas. This means that it’s also essential to conduct an overhead visual recce when arriving at scene.”
If you see the helicopter performing figure of eight/racetrack patterns before landing, the pilots and clinicians will be performing this visual recce of a possible landing site to ensure it is safe for the helicopter and crew. Clinicians will also support the pilots with the visual checks, using night vision technology during the hours of darkness.
“We need to physically see the landing area and visually confirm that it is clear. The electronic aids help, but the entire crew check very carefully to ensure the landing site is suitable and wire-free,” Captain Jamie adds.
It’s thanks to your support that EAAA can continue to reach people by air and road to deliver outstanding 24/7 critical care.
