Aerossurance Joins HeliOffshore

Aerossurance Joins HeliOffshore

 

heli_offshore_2015

HeliOffshore is a global safety-focused organisation formed by major offshore helicopter operators. They state:

We enable helicopter operators to develop, share and apply best practices, create and use advanced technology, and advocate for harmonised flight standards.

HeliOffshore is dedicated to achieving the highest levels of safety, in the air and on the ground. Its activities will benefit the millions of oil and gas workers who depend upon the industry to get them to work and back home safely, as well as the crews who fly the helicopters and the teams who maintain them.

Aerossurance first covered the plan to evolve the former European Helicopter Operators’ Committee (EHOC) into HeliOffshore last June.  In October the five founding members Avincis (now Babcock), Bristow Group, CHC Helicopter, Era and PHI Inc launched HeliOffshore in London (which we covered here).

The CEO of HeliOffshore is Gretchen Haskins, the former Group Director Safety Regulation of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and Group Director of Safety at NATS.  Bill Chiles, the former CEO of Bristow, who was awarded the Flight Safety Foundation‘s Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award last year, is the first chairman of HeliOffshore’s board.

As a result of the UK Joint Operators Review started in 2013 by Avincis, Bristow and CHC, plus reviews of the data, and consultation with stakeholders, these areas formed the initial focus for the HeliOffshore (all areas that Aerossurance has published past articles):

  • Automation
  • Pilot monitoring
  • Stabilised approaches
  • Accident survivability
  • Application of health and usage monitoring systems (HUMS)
  • Information exchange

Aerossurance is an Aberdeen based aviation consultancy, with extensive experience of offshore helicopter operations.