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➤uses language familiar to pilots and encourages them to use every resource they have available. “A pilot’s approach to safety shouldn’t
mean they take the fastest, easiest method of assessing the risk of a flight,” says Viola. “Most pilots have years of training to rely on, developing their own safety culture along the way. When they combine knowl- edge and awareness from those two ele- ments, along with the appropriate use of technology, they’re taking a 360-degree approach to safety.” HAI’s safety program contains a variety of resources and tools to help pilots strengthen their safety culture and provide assistance and training where needed. These program elements include the following:
56 Seconds to Live
HAI is proud to support the recent release of 56 Seconds to Live. This video, produced by the US Helicopter Safety Team (USHST), portrays a fictional pilot’s rapid loss of con- trol over his aircraft after attempting to con- tinue VFR flight into IMC. Helicopter safety experts say the film doesn’t exaggerate the dangers of UIMC. The video is a core element of a training program that will be available in the coming months. That program will examine various
points in the video where the pilot could have made a different decision, resulting in a different outcome for the flight.
FRAT and ASAP Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT): HAI has partnered with a commercial provider, NGFT Solutions, to expand the scope and accessibility of its legacy FRAT program into an expansive suite of free, customiz- able safety tools optimized for mobile and offline use. A transition to the new applica- tion is planned for later this year.
Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP): A robust hazard reporting program is con- sidered essential to improving safety, and small helicopter operators with limited resources sometimes struggle to field these programs. In response, HAI has part- nered with the Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) to provide HAI mem- bers with an Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) that provides third-party support for the reporting of aviation hazards and events (see p. 38 to learn more).
A Lifetime of Training Because most accidents involve human error, improving safety in the helicopter industry often focuses on training. “We must continue to address safety training
through every opportunity, including recur- rent training,” Viola says. “That training must address every aspect of a pilot’s per- formance, from training for specific aircraft and procedures to learning better aeronau- tical decision-making processes. “For pilots, the development of a per-
sonal safety culture must begin on the first day of flight school and then never stop. Each flight is another test of our commit- ment to fly safely, which is our highest duty,” Viola continues. “Aviation operations, too, must build a
robust safety culture where each person is empowered and encouraged by manage- ment to take personal responsibility in improving operational safety by following policies and procedures and reporting iden- tified hazards.”
Safety Management Systems HAI strongly recommends that all aviation operations adopt a safety management system (SMS), a practice endorsed by avia- tion regulators and safety organizations around the world as the best way to sys- tematically manage aviation risk. An SMS addresses safety culture and also incorpo- rates an ongoing process to address identi- fied hazards, manage risk, and improve the organization’s safety performance.
Flight Data Monitoring Programs HAI supports the establishment of a flight data monitoring (FDM) program by helicop- ter operators conducting paying-passenger aviation activities, as that data can be used to reduce accidents and improve safety across that industry sector. However, the association doesn’t recommend mandating specific equipment across all missions and platforms.
WATCH
56 Seconds to Live
Helicopter pilots who continue VFR flight into IMC have, on average, 56 seconds to live; learn more at
ushst.org/56secs.
16 ROTOR MARCH 2021
Additional Information “Anyone who wants to know more about improving operational safety should visit the safety section on
rotor.org, our web- site,” says Viola.
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