D2D Entry

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• Collapsible cooler bags and plenty of cooler blocks were purchased. Bubble wrap was used to line the under-seat compartments so that it effectively insulated the perishable produce

• The pilots anticipated on the weight and balance calculations that they could safely handle up to an extra 110 kgs, of freight, but packaging had to be kept to a minimum

• Other equipment needed by Mission Control, was a personal satellite tracker, manufactured by GS Trak. This device would output their lat and long co-ordinates (as well as speed and altitude) every thirty seconds and beam them to a dedicated website www.onaround.com. Producers were able to monitor the track in near real-time so they would know (together with phone calls from Mission Control) exactly when to expect the helicopter

• The pilots had to calculate adjusted weight over fuel burn, as the helicopter got heavy with the produce they would pick up

• They decided on “Call Off Rules”, where one of the pilots would make the break off decision, if there was a confined

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area that was too confined. This was actually needed during the flown mission when a supplier wanted to film the helicopter landing in the office car park – it was just too dangerous so they aborted and chose a nearby field that the supplier owned

• The mission had to be flown exactly as planned. For example, two extra minutes spent on each confined area, translated into almost an hour of extra time, which translates into fuel burn


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