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Safety Management Systems for Helicopter Operators

Safety4 daysIntermediate

Helicopter operations carry their own risk picture: confined landing sites, low-level flight, wire strikes, inadvertent entry into cloud and mountainous terrain like the Caucasus. This course sizes an SMS for small and medium helicopter operators so that it stays proportionate and usable rather than becoming a paper exercise. Case studies come from HEMS, offshore, firefighting and aerial work.

Who it is for

Safety managers, chief pilots, operations and maintenance managers of helicopter operators (HEMS, offshore, aerial work, charter, utility)

Learning outcomes

  • Scale SMS processes to the size and operating profile of a helicopter operator
  • Identify the main helicopter hazard categories and build site- and task-specific risk assessments
  • Use pre-flight and mission risk assessment tools with crews
  • Set practical safety indicators for low-volume operations
  • Integrate maintenance and flight operations safety data in one SMS

Course outline

  • SMS essentials for helicopter operators
  • Helicopter hazard landscape and accident patterns
  • Mission and landing-site risk assessment
  • Proportionate SPIs for small fleets
  • Reporting culture in small teams
  • Building the SMS manual and implementation plan

Topics follow public standards: ICAO Annex 19; ICAO Doc 9859; ICAO Annex 6 Part III; EU Regulation 965/2012 (ORO.GEN.200, Part-SPO).

Frequently asked questions

How long is the course?

The course runs 4 days.

Who is the course for?

Safety managers, chief pilots, operations and maintenance managers of helicopter operators (HEMS, offshore, aerial work, charter, utility)

What delivery modes are available and what does it cost?

Classroom in Tbilisi €1,170, online classroom (live virtual) €870, self-paced online €110; prices per participant, excluding VAT. Group and in-company prices on request.

Where does the course take place?

Classroom sessions are held at Ana Politkovskaya Street N14, Tbilisi, Georgia. The course is also available online or in-company in Georgia or abroad.

Will I receive a certificate?

On successful completion you receive a Certificate of Completion from the Aviation Training Center of Safety Academia, listing the course title, topics, training hours, dates and instructor. Our instructors are certified aviation professionals, holding GCAA teacher licences, ATPL licences and IATA certificates. All training is designed, delivered and reviewed under our internal quality management system, which follows ISO 9001 principles. Our courses support the training requirements organisations meet under ICAO, EASA and national rules. As with all such regulatory training, each organisation accepts training through its own quality or training system, and on request we provide the syllabus and instructor's CV for your Quality or Safety Manager to review.

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