Frequently Asked Questions
Why it is necessary to earth a man when descending from the helicopter to the deck of a ship that is made of reinforced plastic ?
All aircraft generate large amounts of static electricity; it's caused by friction of the air moving over the wings and other surfaces. If you check the trailing edges of commercial airliners, you will see what look like small antennas or small ropes attached that allow these charges to dissipate. Helicopters are huge static generators; the larger the helicopter, the larger the charge. Even if the deck of a ship were made of non-conducting plastic, that static charge has to drain off somewhere, and it usually drains right into the shoes of whichever unlucky fool is the first one to grab the external cargo.
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