Helicopter pilots refer to certain operations as hot or cold.

A hot operation is one where the

engines are kept running during the procedure and cold is with everything shut down. The
arguments for and against hot operations center around safety vs. time savings.
For EMS operators, one of the more common hot operations is loading the helicopter. Many
times at an accident scene the pilot will keep the helicopter running while the medical crew
gets out to retrieve the patient. Since the idea of helicopter EMS, especially with trauma
patients, is to save time, the hot loading of patients is performed routinely. However, there
have been studies that have shown very little time difference between hot loading, shutting
down the helicopter, and then restarting it to depart. The argument for shutting down is that
maneuvering around a running helicopter can be hazardous. For example, people have walked
into tail rotors and objects have come in contact with the main rotor system. On the other
hand, helicopters are mechanical machines and there have been cases where the helicopter
failed to start. On an accident scene, this could shut down a highway for a much longer period
of time and delay getting the patient to a trauma center.
Another hot operation that is performed is refueling. Pilots trying to save time or an engine
start (turbine engines have start cycle TBOs) will ask to be hot refueled. For trained personnel
this can be preformed safely on most helicopters especially when the fueling point is low and
below the engine. A fueling port high up on the fuselage and above the engine increases the
possibility of a fire if fuel spills. Also, climbing on a ladder or other object to reach the fuel port
can place personnel dangerously close to a spinning rotor system.
The case for proper training was apparent several years ago when I was watching a Bell
JetRanger giving rides at an air show. When the pilot needed fuel, I watched someone drive a
pickup truck, with a fuel tank in the bed, up close to the helicopter. The driver climbed out, ran
around to the back, and jumped up into the bed. He stood completely up and then quickly
ducked. He obviously felted how close his head came to the spinning rotor system. I turned
away because I thought he was going to get hit. I remember thinking, wow, he was lucky!
Many times to save time or a start cycle on a turbine engine, pilots and operators will perform
hot refueling, or what is technically called Helicopter Rapid Refueling (HRR). The National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA) publishes document 407 titled Standard for Aircraft Fuel
Servicing which includes a section on HRR.
According to the NFPA only turbine engine helicopters fueled with Jet A or Jet A-1 fuels shall
be permitted to be fueled while an onboard engine is operating. All sources of ignition must be
located above the fuel inlet port(s), vents or tank openings. Ignition sources include engines,
exhausts, APUs and combustion-type cabin heater exhausts.
Some additional NFPA requirements for HRR are:
1. An FAA-licensed helicopter pilot shall be at the aircraft controls during the entire fuel
servicing process.
2. Passengers shall de-board to a safe location prior to rapid refueling operations.
3. Passengers shall not board or de-board during rapid refueling operations.
4. Only designated personnel, properly trained in rapid refueling operations, shall operate
the equipment.
5. All doors, windows, and access points allowing entry to the interior of the helicopter that
are adjacent to, or in the immediate vicinity of, the fuel inlet ports shall be closed and
shall remain closed during refueling operations.
6. Fuel shall be dispensed into an open port from approved dead-man type nozzles, with a
flow rate not to exceed 60 gpm or it shall be dispensed through close-coupled pressure
fueling ports.
7. When fuel is dispensed from fixed piping systems the hose cabinet shall not extend into
the rotor space.
8. A curb or other approved barrier shall be provided to restrict the fuel servicing vehicle
from coming closer than 10 ft from any helicopter rotating components. If a curb or
approved barrier cannot be provided, fuel servicing vehicles shall be kept 20 ft away
from any helicopter rotating components and a trained person shall direct the fuel
servicing vehicles approach and departure.
Even with these safety precautions I have talked to operators that will not hot refuel because of
the increased risk