Authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom, in unrelated actions, are taking a series of steps they say will strengthen safety requirements for helicopter operations.
In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a final rule in late February ordering operators of helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) flights and other operations to adopt stricter procedures, to install additional safety equipment and to improve communications and training. The FAA said the action represented “the most significant improvements to helicopter safety in decades” (ASW, 3/13).
In the United Kingdom, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) moved to prohibit helicopter flights over the North Sea when sea conditions are severe, to improve pilot training and checking, and to require the installation of new safety equipment to aid passengers in emergencies.
In announcing the FAA’s …
