Mobile aircrew who serve in rotary wing platforms must be mobile in all phases of flight to complete missions. In so doing, they are vulnerable to injury or fatality during crashes, evasive maneuvers, or mishap events. The Gunners Belt, in use for several decades, was designed to prevent aircrew from falling out of aircraft, and to provide additional stability when leaning out of the aircraft. However, it has serious limitations, including not offering crash protection and amplifying dangerous situations. Tool, Inc. and its extended team proposes to build off an existing fielded solution to offer a safer system that allows for utilization of existing mounting points and remote locking.
Benefit: The proposed solution would greatly improve aircrew safety. The existing fielded solution already offers superior crashworthiness protection, and conforms to nearly all requirements set forth in the proposal. The addition of a capability to utilize existing mounting points and provide remote locking only add to the product's usefulness and to aircrew safety. Our partners have fielded their solution across a variety of DOD and commercial platforms as described in the proposal. A modified version of their product will likely generate increased interest from those clients and others.
Keywords: Gunners Belt, Gunners Belt, inertia reel, restraint, Mobile Aircrew, tether, Fall Protection
