08/31/2026
“CUT, CUT, CUT!”
The engine failure was simulated.
The cable cut was 100% real.
Three days of hoist emergency procedures with Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Air Rescue Unit.
Hoist extraction. No single-engine hover. Engine fails. The cable has to be cut, and the aircraft has to fly away.
HO hits the emergency cable-cut button the moment the failure is announced. Squib fires in the Onboard Systems hoist. Loaded cable is gone.
“Cable’s away. Clear to fly forward.”
Pilot flies away single-engine once the HO calls clear.
That cut is fast because it was pre-briefed. We brief possible emergencies as a standard checklist item before hoisting. There is no time to start the plan after the emergency happens.
SR3 CFI backing up the PIC. Training button in the H145. Extra safety margin while the crew actually flies the failure.
SR3 provides a CFI on every course as a standard, in addition to HO and RS instructors. Instruction for the whole crew. Cockpit included. Same standard as when we stood this program up.
The course also covered:
• Manual cuts with the Zephyr AxelCut, with and without tension
• LSC Quick Splice after a cable cut
• Onboard Systems on the ramp with spare cables and cartridges
• BSO mechanics inspecting, resetting, and returning the hoist to service after every live cut
Sharp crew. Serious work.
If your unit hoists and cable-cut EPs are still a classroom topic, let’s talk.
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