Flying through storm to rescue people in distress PANO – Thanks to good flying skills, experience and expertise of the pilots, a tough mission in rescuing workers on a drifting drilling platform named GSF KEY HAWAI at high sea, has ended up with success. By order of the higher command, two crews of the North Helicopter Company under the Vietnam Helicopter Corporation flew helicopters in severe weather to the drifting drilling platform. The pilots had to struggle against strong wind, heavy rain and rough seas to take them ashore at 10.50 am on October 29th, successfully saving the lives of all 35 workers on the drilling platform.   Calling for help at high sea Landing on Gia Lam airport after successfully completing the rescue operations, Senior Colonel Tran Xuan Dinh, Director of the North Helicopter Company, said that this was one of the most difficult tasks he had accomplished so far in his career. He told the story about the rescue operations, as follows: At 7pm on October 28th, the Company received a call for help from the drilling platform. Workers on the platform said that the platform had been blown off by storm No 8 and was now drifting freely on the high seas. The lives of the workers were in danger. At that time, the weather in Hanoi was bad. It was raining and windy. Meanwhile, information about the weather at the location of the drilling platform showed that the weather conditions were exceeding the safety standards for helicopter operations. On one hand, leaders of the Company ordered involved parties to maintain communication with the drilling platform and on the other, pilots and mechanics carefully checked helicopters and actively prepared for rescue flights. The pilots and helicopters were ready to take off and implement the task when weather conditions permitted. Leaders and experienced pilots were summoned together to discuss plans on how to rescue the workers on the drilling platform. Finally,  a plan proposed by Senior Colonel Tran Xuan Dinh was agreed. Under the plan, several helicopters would fly to Cat Bi airport in Hai Phong, which could shorten the time flying to the platform. During the night of October 28th, the drilling platform kept drifting in strong winds towards Bach Long Vi Island with terrified workers on it that could only call for help. The situation on the platform became worse when the power went off and communication lines between the platform and the shore were disrupted. The only way to exchange information between the platform and the helicopter unit was via a hand phone of a worker on the platform. From the phone, workers on the platform continually called for help and that urged leaders and pilots of the helicopter unit to act. Landing on “sloping plate” At 5.30 am on October 29th, two helicopters left Gia Lam airport for Cat Bi airport. Senior Colonel Tran Xuan Dinh, the Director of the Company and Senior Colonel Do Xuan Hoa, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Company, flew helicopter EC-155B1 and Colonel Tran Quang Tuan and Colonel Chu Quang Minh were on another helicopter heading to Cat Bi airport. After landing on Cat Bi airport, the four experienced pilots actively digested the current meteorological information in the rescue zone and along the planned air route to the workers. According to weather forecasts, the weather might be improved. The two crews made a resolution to fulfil their task and immediately prepared for their rescue operations.  The flight plan was approved by the Vietnam Helicopter Corporation Command. The two helicopters took off and started their mission. On the way to the platform, it rained heavily and wind blew at 80km per hour. As clouds were thick and low, the helicopters flew completely in cloud cover. When the helicopters reached the platform location, the pilots had to pull all of their experience and skills to beat the cloud s and find a landing zone. The platform had drifted 100km away from the original location and it was now stuck in rocks, which made the platform slope dangerously by about 4 degrees. Additionally, high seas and strong wind swung the platform violently. Almost impossible for the pilots to land their helicopters But, bravery, high resolve and the expertise of the pilots won over the bad weather. The pilots selected a proper and suitable method in these circumstances and safely landed on the “sloping plate” on the top of the platform. Each helicopter had to conduct 4 flights to take all 35 workers from the platform to shore safely. The rescue mission was successful. With the iron will, resolve and bravery of soldiers, the pilots have saved 35 workers’ lives in an almost desperate situation. Translated by Thu Nguyen