U.S. Helicopter Safety Team to Participate in FAA Rotorcraft Conference

Safety experts from the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (www.USHST.org) plan to participate on Oct. 25-27 in the Federal Aviation Administration’s International Rotorcraft Safety Conference in Fort Worth, TX. The free conference (www.faahelisafety.org) gathers together rotorcraft pilots, mechanics, small company owners, industry executives, helicopter operators, students and government regulators from the United States and abroad.

USHST participants in the conference will include:

• Dennis Pierce, founder of Colorado Heli-Ops Flight School – “Flight Training Safety and the Bottom Line”
• Tim Tucker, chief instructor at Robinson Helicopters – “Basic Helicopter Safety Course”
• Bryan Smith, Safety Program manager for the Airborne Law Enforcement Association – “How to Avoid Inadvertent IMC.”

The following industry experts also are scheduled to attend:

• Gordon Jiroux, president, CEO & chief flight instructor for Universal Helicopters – “Culture of Safety”
• Bruce Webb, chief pilot for Airbus Helicopters – “Hope Is Not a Strategy: How to Improve Our Decisions.”

For a complete listing of participants and topics, see the conference web site at www.faahelisafety.org.

Since 2013, the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team has focused on safe operations and fatal accidents within the U.S. civil helicopter community. Through 2015, total accidents decreased for the second year in a row, and the helicopter accident rate has been cut by 26 percent compared to 2013. For the first six months of 2016, the accident rate has been reduced by 12 percent compared to 2015.

In addition, compared to three years ago, fatal accidents are down 43 percent, and the fatal accident rate is down 50 percent.