AirMed and Rescue published an article in their Dec 2016 / Jan 2017 issue by Aerossurance’s Andy Evans on how to tender and contract for contracted Search and Rescue (SAR) and medevac services.
The Tender Trap: SAR and Medevac Contract Design Read Post »
It is vital for companies operating in the less stable of overseas locations to have pre-arranged evacuation arrangements in place.
Planning for Mass Evacuations Read Post »
The ORAG provides a framework to develop consistent and coherent aviation support strategies for the offshore energy industry.
Offshore Renewables Aviation Guidance (ORAG) Issued Read Post »
NHV Heliport Officially Opened in Aberdeen The official opening of the NHV facility at Aberdeen Airport in Scotland occurred today. Following opening comments by Eric Van Hal (NHV CEO) and Jamie John (Base Manager Aberdeen), the facility was officially opened by Deirdre Michie (CEO Oil & Gas UK) and Simon Gray (CEO EEEGR). Deirdre Michie commented on
NHV Heliport Officially Opened in Aberdeen Read Post »
The first 4.6t Leonardo AW169 for windfarm HHO support has been delivered to Heli Service International to support the Siemens Gemini wind energy project.
First AW169 for Offshore Wind Turbine Support Read Post »
Step Change in Safety: Helicopter Safety Update 2016 Step Change in Safety held a webinar on North Sea helicopter safety (covering CA-EBS, emergency egress, FCOMs and airworthiness matters) on 9 March 2016 (following on from a March 2015 event we have previously covered). Introduction Step Change is a tripartite UK offshore health and safety organisation combining companies,
Step Change in Safety: Helicopter Safety Update 2016 Read Post »
Inadequate preflight inspection of an un-refuelled aircraft resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a dramatic emergency landing.
Fuel Exhaustion Causes EMB-110 Emergency Landing Read Post »
An ATSB report on a fatal man overboard incident questions if blindly valuing compliance may create a culture that actually undermines safety.
Culpable Culture of Compliance? Read Post »
UK Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG) October 2015 Minutes The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has just published the minutes of the 16 October 2015 meeting of the Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG). This is the third and last of the year (compared to six in 2014), postponed from July 2015. The OHSAG was formed as a result of the ‘Civil
UK OHSAG Oct 2015 Minutes Read Post »
We look at some of the problems of error management and ask if we are still making the error management mistakes James Reason warned of in 1997 (spoiler: some organisations are). We also look at drift and how some have failed to grasp its more than poor compliance.
Back to the Future: Error Management Read Post »
PDG Helicopters Commence UK & Eire Lighthouse Support Contract On 1 December 2015 PDG Helicopters commenced a £13mn helicopter support contract for the three UK and Eire General Lighthouse Authorities (GLAs): The Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses, known as the Northern Lighthouse Board (Scotland and the Isle of Man) whose history goes back to 1768 The Corporation of Trinity House, known
PDG Helicopters Commence UK & Eire Lighthouse Support Contract Read Post »
New NHV Heliport Under Construction in Aberdeen At a time of low oil price it might be surprising to hear that a new heliport is being constructed at Aberdeen Airport in Scotland, but that is what is currently happening. Belgian operator NHV, the launch customer for the EC175 (now H175), has previously been reported to have been keen to establish
New NHV Heliport Under Construction in Aberdeen Read Post »
CHIRP Critical of an Oil Company’s Commercial Practices The CHIRP Charitable Trust, who run the UK’s Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme (CHIRP), has highlighted two “of the many” reports received relating to an oil company changing its North Sea helicopter operator for the second time in three years. CHIRP do not name the oil company.
CHIRP Critical of an Oil Company’s Commercial Practices Read Post »
French Skyscraper HESLO: Helicopter Underslung Load A stunning video, from Bouygues Construction, shows the construction of the the tower on top of the €124 million Incity building in Lyon, the third highest in France. The last two components of the tower were lifted into place by an Airbus Helicopters AS332C helicopter on Sunday 21 June 2015 as a Helicopter External Sling Load Operation (HESLO). The spire,
French Skyscraper HESLO: Helicopter Underslung Load Read Post »
What the HEC?! – Human External Cargo Winching (or hoisting), used for Search & Rescue (SAR) or for personnel transfer to and from otherwise difficult to access locations, is the most widely known form of what is known as Human External Cargo. Some operators however transfer personnel by harnesses on long-lines. Here Southern California Edison
What the HEC?! – Human External Cargo Read Post »
Inadequately Secured Cargo Caused B747F Crash at Bagram, Afghanistan The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that a National Airlines Boeing 747 Freighter N949CA that crashed on take-off on 29 April 2013 did so because the five armoured military vehicles (2x12t and 3x18t) on-board were inadequately restrained. As the NTSB explain: These vehicles were considered a special
Inadequately Secured Cargo Caused B747F Crash at Bagram, Afghanistan Read Post »
Helicopter Underslung Load: TV Transmitter HESLO In 2014, RF communication infrastructure specialists, The Bridge Network North (now merged into Virtua), undertook a major engineering project at Arqiva’s Croydon TV Transmitter in South London, UK. Arqiva operate much of the UK TV and radio broadcast infrastructure. The project included the replacement of the 10 tonne, 16m, top antenna
Helicopter Underslung Load: TV Transmitter Read Post »
UK Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG) April 2015 Minutes The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has just published the minutes of the 28 April 2015 meeting of the Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG), the second of the year. The OHSAG was formed as a result of the ‘Civil Aviation Authority Safety Review of Offshore Public Transport Helicopter Operations in
UK OHSAG April 2015 Minutes Read Post »
UK Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG) Jan 2015 Minutes The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has just published the minutes of the latest, 27 Jan 2015, meeting of the Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG). The OHSAG was formed as a result of the ‘Civil Aviation Authority Safety Review of Offshore Public Transport Helicopter Operations in Support of
UK OHSAG Jan 2015 Minutes Read Post »
Wait to Weight & Balance – Lessons from a PC-12 Loss of Control On take off, pitch control of a Pilatus PC-12 was lost resulting in a series of pitch oscillations and stall warnings. Fortuitously the pilot was able to abort the take off with only damage to one main wheel. The incident could have been
Wait to Weight & Balance – Lessons from a Loss of Control Read Post »
New Helicopter Survival Suits in Canada Survitec Group design engineer Alice Cannon presented to SAFE Europe symposium in Bristol in March 2014 on the company’s development of a new helicopter passenger survival suit for use in Canada. In November 2014, Gaelle Halliday of oil company Husky Energy presented more information at the first safety conference of the Canada-Newfoundland
New Helicopter Survival Suits in Canada Read Post »
James Reason’s 12 Principles of Error Management James Reason, Professor Emeritus, University of Manchester, set out 12 systemic human factors centric principles of error management in his book Managing Maintenance Error: A Practical Guide (co-written with Alan Hobbs and published in 2003). These principles are valid beyond aviation maintenance and are well worth re-visiting: Human error is both universal
James Reason’s 12 Principles of Error Management Read Post »
UK Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG) Oct 2014 Minutes The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published the minutes of the latest, 28 Oct 2014, meeting of the Offshore Helicopter Safety Action Group (OHSAG). The OHSAG was formed as a result of the ‘Civil Aviation Authority Safety Review of Offshore Public Transport Helicopter Operations in Support of
UK OHSAG Oct 2014 Minutes Read Post »
OGP Issue Revised Land Transport Safety Recommended Practice OGP, the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers, has issued a revised recommended practice on land transportation safety. There are improvements throughout, including additional guidance on distracted driving and journey management. New guidance notes are also issued that cover: Vehicle specification and upfitting Bus and coach safety
OGP Land Transport Safety Recommended Practice Read Post »
Insights from Bristow CEO Jonathan Baliff at Helitech On 14t October 2014 at Helitech in Amsterdam, Jonathan Baliff, discussed an objective of reducing the range of types in the company fleet and an approach of increasing risk sharing with more availability focused contracts with the helicopter manufacturers: We will purchase our aircraft in larger numbers, so we
Insights from Bristow CEO at Helitech Read Post »
