Old helicopters get new safety rules for their rescue hoists

The US aviation regulator has issued new safety rules for older Sikorsky S-61 helicopters that have been modified with a new type of rescue hoist. These rules ensure the hoist's overload protection device meets modern safety standards, even though the helicopters themselves are decades old.

The US aviation regulator usually writes safety rules for new aircraft designs. But sometimes, older aircraft get new parts that the original rules never considered. This document means that even very old helicopters, like the S-61 models first flown in the 1960s, can be updated with new technology, as long as the new parts meet specific, updated safety standards.