News & Technology
Cincinnati Helicopter Safety Summit
On Tuesday March 22nd, multiple helicopter operators and pilots from every facet of the industry in and around the Cincinnati metro area got together to participate in an open dis‐ cussion on helicopter safety as it per‐ tains to Cincinnati. The meeting was a joint venture put together by the National EMS Pilots Association (NEMSPA) and the FAA’s Safety Team (FAASTeam).
Additional sponsors of the event included; Helicopter Association International, FEC Heliports and the Federal Aviation Administration. Over 26 individuals were in attendance with representation from the following pro‐ grams and operations; ABX Air, Air Evac Lifeteam, Air Methods, Cardinal Helicopter, D & M Aviation Inc., Hamilton County Sheriffs Department, Irish Air, MedFlight of Ohio, Omniflight Helicopters Inc., PHI Air Medical, PHI Dove Flight, Signature Helicopter, Stratus Helicopters, University Air Care
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and Vertical Advantage Helicopter. Rex Alexander, President of NEMSPA and George Ballard, FAASTeam program manager, teamed up to facilitate the three hour summit and open safety discussion. The meet‐ ing included an overview of a number of NTSB accident investigations with lessons learned. A short review and discussion of the recent NTSB alert bul‐ letin concerning Meteorological Evaluation Towers and their potential impact on safety in the region was facil‐ itated by Mr. Ballard. But the chief focus of the meeting was for the atten‐ dees to discuss and hammer out a framework for common radio commu‐ nications and operations that would enhance safety for all helicopter opera‐ tors in the Cincinnati Metro area. This Letter of agreement is currently under review and will be made public very soon.
Many voiced their opinion that this same type of open safety forum should
take place at all large metropolitan areas which have a high volume of heli‐ copter operators and traffic. Everyone in attendance participated greatly in all of the discussions held and seemed to feel that the meeting was an overall success. EMS
About NEMSPA
The National EMS Pilots Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional pilot organization dedicated to serving rotary wing and fixed wing pilots involved in the air-medical transport industry. Formed in 1984, NEMSPA enjoys a rich history of innovation and excellence spanning over 27 years and is synonymous with professionalism and safety. NEMSPA works very closely with the FAA, DOT, NTSB, HAI, National, State & Local Politicians, hospitals, health care systems, air medical providers, air medical organizations and many others to promote quality and safety in the industry.
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