You are unique and so too is your helicourse. Whether it is basic helicopter awareness, flying in the wire environment, working as a unit using CRM (Crew Resource Management), or risk perception and management, this course is tailored to your operation and specific needs. Dynamic and interactive, the learning is engaging and retained, providing crews with tools to get the job done safely and efficiently.
Helicopter Awareness Training creates a mindset of action. While they are applicable to helicopter crew, the principles of HAT are relevant to all crew environments.
Learn the secrets of the pros.
The program provides an introduction to the skills necessary to use the helicopter is a safer, more efficient manner focusing on the fact that the passenger is a crew member and therefore makes important contributions to a safe and successful flight.
Helicopter Awareness Training (HAT) goes beyond the present method of incomplete planning, two minute briefings and education at the school of hard knocks.
What is the cost of not being proactive?
"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."
- Harry S. Truman
Course Booking
Class size suggested is 20 students per course given at the client's chosen location.
For further information or to schedule a course please contact
Tony Walker
Tony has done sessions for our pilots and guides on two occasions and the response has been universally positive from both aviation and guiding staff. Pilots and guides working together as crew is so important for risk management and efficiency in helicopter skiing operations. Tony has done a lot to help us develop these skills and our culture with his insightful approach and engaging teaching techniques. We look forward to having him back at our training and to continuing to develop with him our approach to working together as a team.
Jan Neuspiel
Assistant Mountain Operations Manager - Winter Mountain Safety.
Bella Coola Heli Sports
Paradigms of Professional Crew Training
Crew are part of a complex system. Individual failures have to line up. Are you part of the accident chain?
Why Crew don't crew - fear, indifference, ignorance.
What do you do to keep that from happening to you? To others?
Crew ask questions, express feelings, submit suggestions and are open and receptive to others who do.
Being Crew is the opposite of zero sum gain. It is Positive Sum Gain. Expedition behaviour is that which puts the success of the mission ahead of personal gain. What kind of ethic do you have when you crew?
The more complex the operations the more Crew are needed to accept the inevitability of error. Recognizing that an error will happen Crew have to be prepared to manage the consequences.
Safety measurement has to be positive- what have we done well to prevent the near hits from becoming accidents. Action not avoidance - proactive not reactive. Risk management detects oncoming threats focus on targets.
Safety = dynamic non-event - can't save up safety.
Safety Culture = sustained wariness.
Safety is a shared responsibility. All Crew play a part.
Where do you get the energy from to do all this? - teamwork from your crew members. There are few things that make you feel better than a job well done with a good crew.
Crew are special.
You are flying in a multimillion-dollar machine doing a job that very few other people understand, let alone get to do. You are doing unique and sometimes extreme work. You aren't stuck in a job that requires little of you. Others who are, look up to you.
Live up to their expectations.
"Professional and engaging."
-Tim Jones, North Shore Rescue
It is not a joke to say the mantra "lives are at stake" - you will live with the decisions you make for the rest of your life.
Crew always work together in flight
Even if you are a “sightseeing” passenger
Professionals use hearing defenders to not only protect their hearing but more importantly, their thinking.
If you can’t see you can’t go - the pilot will decide.
Training is serious business - the correct attitude will save you in the long run.
If the pilot is long lining his attention is focused on that. You as crew can help with the awareness of everything else (like other aircraft, trees, weather, wires, etc).
Even though the pilot can see, the crew uses hand signals to direct him.
You aren't going to see this even if you are paying attention - stay away from the tail.
Even a slight downslope can put the tail rotor away from hazards or deep into them. Keep that in mind when picking an landing zone (LZ).
Uphill can be dangerous too. If you can see the stripes on the blades, you are in mortal danger.
How clean is your helipad LZ? Hip Chain used by surveyors could bring down a helicopter.
Sometimes finding a landing spot takes creativity.
Notice the pros walk close to the helicopter, even when it is shut down, staying away from the rotor tip hazard.
A pro stays put while the machine takes off in case it has to come back for a landing - this ain't the army. No one is shooting at you.
Sometimes it is more efficient to be on the ground to make a new plan.
Sometimes the best fuel tank is on the outside - helicopters are pretty much always limited by weight rather than volume of the load.
You as crew are part of an extraordinary group. Don’t forget to remember how special that is.
" Love it! Team builder, confidence."
Roxanne Quock, Dease Lake, BC