Single Pilot Looking for CRM - Bell Helicopter

HELIcopter PROfessional Pilots Safety Program Volume 19 • Number 2 • 2007
Single Pilot Looking for CRM
MEET THE AUTHOR
BJ Lewis retired from the US Navy
after 20 years as an officer and
helicopter pilot. She flew five different
type helicopters and airplanes in the
service of our country. She spent her
last seven years in the Navy flying
Search and Rescue in the Bell UH-1N.
She holds a Certified Flight Instructor
Rotorcraft and Airline Transport Pilot
Multi Engine Land certificates from the
FAA. She started with Bell as a ground
and flight instructor in 2006 and
currently instructs in multiple models
at the Bell Training Academy, Alliance
Airport, Texas (KAFW).
BJ holds a Bachelor of Science degree
from the University of Utah and is a
graduate of the Navy’s Safety Officer
Course at the Naval Post Graduate
School.
INSIDE HELIPROPS
Single Pilot Looking for CRM 1-4
Snapshots of Interest 2
Telling It Like It Is 5-6
Pilot Recounts “Quick Wake-up Call” 7
Your Answers to Our Questions 7
Bell Helicopter Awards Program &
Notable Recognitions 8
Human A.D. Order Form 8
Sound like an ad in a singles column?
If you think because you are the pilot of
a single piloted aircraft that crew resource
management (CRM) doesn’t apply to you,
then this column might just be for you. For a
long time CRM studies and resources were
designed for and aimed at crews inside the
same aircraft. It was only within the past 15
years the concept was expanded to include
people outside your cockpit and aircraft.
It makes sense. People outside the flight
station can profoundly affect the success or
failure of the mission before, during, and
after the day is done.
Crew resource management (CRM) started
as a behavioral analysis program with
heavy psychological inputs and emphasis
on leadership behaviors. It has evolved, as
the scope of the study has slowly recognized
there are many more influences than just the
personality at the controls at the time of the
mishap. The particular rationale for CRM
is to reduce the frequency and potential
P.O. Box 482 • Fort Worth, Texas 76101
severity of crew-based errors. When we
talk about ‘crew’ here, we are talking
about every person who can influence the
outcome of your mission. We are talking
about your “team.”
Think about it. Who last worked on your
aircraft? Who checked the fuel in the fuel
truck? Who picked the landing zone in
Continued page 2
PRESORT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT 1859
FORT WORTH TX

RESTORED HELICOPTER
Paul Faltyn, a retired aerospace
executive living in Wheatfield, New
York took ten years to fully restore
this Bell 47 H model helicopter (serial
number 1362) back to a flying
condition. Paul is pictured hovering
at the Niagara Falls Airport on the
initial test flight.
DULLES AIRPORT (KIAD)
Photo was taken from the southeast
looking to the northwest at about
1530 hours. This unusual depiction
shows how a large airport can literally
be IFR in one sector of an airfield
then VFR at another. Police Pilot (and
photographer) Chuck Angel with
Fairfax County related how airliners
were touching down VFR, and then
going IFR during the run out due to
runway obscuration.
VOLUME 19 #2
The HELIPROPS HUMAN A.D. is published by
the Training Academy, Bell Helicopter Textron
Incorporated, and is distributed free of charge to
helicopter operators, owners, flight department
managers and pilots. The contents do not necessarily
reflect official policy and unless stated, should not
be construed as regulations or directives.
The primary objective of the HELIPROPS program
and the HUMAN A.D. is to help reduce human
error related accidents. This newsletter stresses
professionalism, safety and good aeronautical
decision-making.
Letters with constructive comments and suggestions
are invited. Correspondents should provide name,
address and telephone number to:
Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
John Williams, HELIPROPS Manager
P.O. Box 482, Fort Worth, Texas 76101
or e-mail:
HELIPROPS@bellhelicopter.textron.com
2 VOLUME 19 #2 • HELIPROPS
SNAPSHOTS OF INTEREST
Single Pilot continued
which you will land? Who gave you
vectors around a storm? Who is that
driving a fire truck near your aircraft?
Who last calibrated the fuel gauge? Who
will be on the other end of a radio call if
you have a problem? Can any of these
people affect your mission? Your life?
You better believe they can and will.
The idea you need to wrap your brain
around is how you can manage these
resources and ensure they work to your
advantage. The purpose of CRM is error
management. You don’t really manage
errors as much as manage risk and with
action prevent errors. If you can’t prevent
an error hopefully you have systems
in place to minimize the consequences
of that error. There are times in every
mission when the inherent risks are
higher. These are the places you need to
give additional thought and have a plan
to avoid potential problems before you
get into the cockpit. CRM begins well
before you ever set foot on the flight line.
It continues through the flight and while
in flight you will need to constantly
reevaluate the mission and the decisions
you have made up to that point. You need
to keep evaluating even after you return,
to learn all the lessons possible.
Human errors are inevitable. Humans
have limits to their abilities and attentions
and aviation is a complex practice on a
good day. On a bad day, look out, errors
seem to grow by an exponential factor.
Knowing that we, as humans, can and
will make mistakes, we need to be armed
with skills to attempt to avoid them. The

first step to avoiding errors is to avoid
the situations which encourage them.
This means we need to understand why
we make errors. So, we must identify
the underlying reason for mistakes. It
is rare someone will knowingly make
the wrong choice; something influences
that choice-good or bad. Fatigue, high
workload, harsh environmental factors,
inadequate training, loss of situational
awareness, and lack of communication
are just a few of the factors which lead
to “pilot error.” All of these factors
influence why we make the
decisions and the errors we
do.
Have you ever finished with a
flight and thought to yourself,
“Wow, that could have ended
very badly” ? If you’ve never
had this thought, you are
very lucky and very unique
in aviation. If this hasn’t
happened yet, it will. The
reason we sometimes survive
these flights is just dumb
luck, but more often than not
it’s much more. It is usually
training and experience and not just
ours but everyone who had a hand in the
successful mission outcome. Sharing
those types of experiences will help you
learn from them and you could save the
life of another crew by helping them not
repeat your mistakes.
Avoiding mishaps, errors, or accidents
begins well before actually flying. It
begins with more than just the pilot. It
is in the very fiber of aviation systems
and existing practices to avoid errors
and increase safety. For the purposes
of this discussion we will only look
at a few of the factors and attitudes
crews can change or affect about their
missions. If we covered all aspects of
training and maintenance practices,
we would exceed the space devoted to
this column. With that in mind, proper
preparation and attitudes for flight is
where we will begin. This is where each
crew needs to spend some time breaking
the error chain.
Integrity is near the top of the list
of attitudes which will help prevent
mishaps. No amount of tool control,
weather reporting, proper briefing, etc.
will preclude an error without integrity
from the people operating within the
systems. If someone didn’t do a fuel
sample, why would they sign it off as
being good? If someone didn’t account
for all their tools, why would they walk
away from the aircraft? If pilots don’t
For every mishap there were decisions made by the pilot.
He called upon the sum of all his knowledge and made a
judgment. He believed in it so strongly that he knowingly
bet his life on it. That his judgment was faulty was a
tragedy, not stupidity. Every person who came in contact
with him had an opportunity to influence his decisions, so a
little of all of us goes with every pilot we lose.
have the training to do a particular
mission, why would they accept it? And
still people do these things every day.
While these are examples of a glaring
lack of integrity, most of the time the
lapses are much smaller and more
insidious. They are things as simple as
rushing or cutting corners. You need to
work at never letting yourself get into
a position when you feel you can or
must cut a corner, and just as important
never putting someone else in a position
when they feel they must cut corners.
Knowingly violating regulations leads
to numerous mishaps and incidents
each year.
Which factors of your mission can
you control directly on the day of the
mission? Did you do a proper and
thorough preflight? Are you making
your launch decision based on outside
influences or your true ability to
complete the mission safely on this day?
Are you tired? How’s the weather? Are
you listening to the other members of
your crew/team? Remember your safety
and mission success may come down to
your willingness to say no. Saying no is
sometimes the wisest decision you can
make. It could be the one that saves your
life and the lives of your crew/team.
Be prepared to change your decisions
as the day and the mission plays out.
You can only make decisions based
on what you know at that moment. As
you get more information,
you are always free to change
your course and improve your
plan and decisions. Don’t be
afraid to say “not today” after
you have launched and learned
more about conditions.
An attitude of personal
invulnerability can spell
disaster among aviation
professionals. When you read
about a crash or incident, do
you dismiss the crew as simply
unprofessional or do you
recognize how you could have,
under the same circumstances, gone
down that same road? Any error on any
given day can happen to any crew. Don’t
relearn lessons the hard way. Keep your
education up to date. There are no new
errors. There are sometimes spectacular
new ways of committing an error, but
they have all been done before. Learn
from someone else’s errors. Read
mishaps reports on the NTSB website,
have a subscription to a professional
publication that talks about incidents,
or get refresher training annually (more
often if you can afford it). Use these
resources to avoid the same old errors
when you fly.
You will not have all the answers yourself.
No one knows it all, (despite what some
pilots would have you believe). There
are loads of resources out there. If you
have an incident in flight, chances are,
Continued page 4
VOLUME 19 #2 • HELIPROPS 3

Single Pilot continued
People outside the flight station can
profoundly affect the success or failure of
the mission before, during, and after the
day is done.
you aren’t the first person to whom it has
happened. You can contact the local FAA
office, an AOPA group, the instructors or
customer service from the manufacturer
of your helicopter for assistance. Any of
these groups would be happy to a help
you learn from an incident. As much as
these folks will help you, you have a much
closer resource in the pilots from your
own company or the pilots in your local
flying area. Be willing to talk to others
in the industry and you can increase your
knowledge base immensely.
The essential skill we all learn in CRM
is situational awareness. Believe it or not
all of the items and attitudes discussed to
this point will aid your level of situational
awareness. They may not speak to a
particular mission, but they will add
to your situational awareness on all
missions. If everyone in aviation always
acted with integrity, you would be more
aware about the status of your aircraft,
yourself, your mission and outside
influences. Sharing your experiences
with others and learning from theirs will
help keep your awareness high. Reading
about past mishaps and the causal factors
involved will help you avoid becoming
another statistic and will continually
raise your situational awareness. These
are all things you can do before you ever
take off.
There are several other skills we have all
heard about in CRM, but their effective
use depends entirely on your accurate
situational awareness. Your decisions and
analysis of the mission are based on what
you think is true. Your communication is
4 VOLUME 19 #2 • HELIPROPS
fixed in a paradigm based on what you
think is accurate. Your willingness to
lead, be adaptable or assertive are directly
effected by how you are interpreting your
reality on that day. The point here is you
need to ensure you have done everything
you can before and during the flight to
make certain your situational awareness
is as good as it can be.
We have talked about things to do before
the flight to better prepare you and your
attitudes before you take flight, but what
are some of the simple things pilots often
forego in flight which can help develop
better situational awareness and CRM?
Flight following is something pilots
frequently do without. You just want to
get in your aircraft and fly from point A
to point B and speak to no one. Air traffic
controllers can help you with traffic
information, coordination, weather,
and tracking your location if you have
a problem. They can be a vital member
of your “crew.” How often do you ignore
that resource? It will certainly make for
faster communication in an emergency
if you are already tuned in and talking
to them. What about tuning up a CTAF,
even if you aren’t technically going into
their pattern? At a minimum, you can
learn about traffic coming into and out of
the area. Often times you can learn more
than that. Next time you fly, consider
what other resources (crew members) you
have at your disposal. Now ask yourself
why you aren’t taking advantage of them.
LOOKING AHEAD
Are there any good reasons?
CRM isn’t a mechanism to eliminate
errors or accidents. It is a skill set to
help aviation professionals avoid errors,
recognize in evaluation they have made
an error or to reduce consequences if an
error is noticed too late to avoid. Human
errors will never be totally eradicated,
but we can help each other learn from
experience. We can also learn to be open
to reality and not the reality we create
in our own mind. We can increase our
awareness by taking advantage of all
available resources. We can also realize
we are just as likely to make mistakes
as anyone else. Learn from others errors
and help us learn from yours. Remember,
it really can happen to you on any given
day.
Here is a parting thought to consider
when you are inclined to judge someone
else too harshly after learning about
an accident; this is contributed to an
anonymous FAA inspector of long ago:
“For every mishap there were decisions
made by the pilot. He called upon the
sum of all his knowledge and made a
judgment. He believed in it so strongly
that he knowingly bet his life on it. That
his judgment was faulty was a tragedy,
not stupidity. Every person who came in
contact with him had an opportunity to
influence his decisions, so a little of all of
us goes with every pilot we lose.”
Keep each other safe.
Future issues of Heliprops will feature these upcoming articles:
LEAVE THE HELICOPTER RUNNING, NO PILOT?
Operations under Part 135
SPILT CONES – READER FEEDBACK
What to look for.
THE SAFETY CULTURE – MANAGEMENT BUY-IN
Does your management/owner pressure pilots to fly outside their
skill level or fly beyond the equipment’s capabilities?

Telling It Like It Is
By Jim Szymanski
The evidence is there, and can be seen
a lot more often than you would guess.
It can be found on many different types
of helicopters and is most often just aft
and beneath the passenger doors. The
evidence is the nicks and bruises on the
skin of the aircraft caused by a seat belt
buckle that dangled out the door and
then flapped in the air stream. The most
frequent cause is failure of a passenger
to properly place the seat belt inside after
disembarking from a running helicopter.
And, of course, the pilot’s failure to notice
the discrepancy before flying away.
Relatively speaking, this may not be
so bad when compared to other similar
evidence. That is the seat belt nicks and
bruises just aft and beneath the pilot’s
door. In those cases the cause is a lot
more serious. Why would any pilot fail
to secure his seat belt and shoulder
strap before taking flight? It could be
ordinary inattention during a hasty effort
to get started and taking off. It could be
forgetting to strap in during a routine
maintenance ground run that turns into a
maintenance check flight. It could be the
laziness and a conscious decision to not
buckle up for a short repositioning flight.
Or, it could be the result of a complacent
attitude that “It has never happened to me
in the past and it probably won’t happen
now.”
Pilot Complacency has a number of
symptoms. All of these symptoms, except
one, are invisible to a casual observer of
the Complacent Pilot. An observer would
not notice the Complacent Pilot’s mindset
and his thoughts such as his Feeling
of Invulnerability, or Overconfidence.
But the one symptom that is visible;
the Neglecting of Personal Safety
Equipment.
Many in the past have said failure to
use, or prepare for the use of, available
safety equipment such as Seat Belts
and Shoulder Straps, Gloves, Personal
Flotation Devices, Life Rafts, Helmets,
Flight Suits, Visors, etc. is just plain
ignorant.
Chief among these safety devices are
the crew and passenger restraint systems
– seat belts and shoulder straps. These
systems are designed to keep an occupant
within a survivable cabin in the event
of a crash. When used properly, and a
survivable cabin is maintained, these
restraint systems are effective. Today’s
helicopter pilot and copilot seat positions
are ordinarily equipped with seat belts
and shoulder straps. Many of these are
configured so the seat (lap) belt can be
fastened without the shoulder straps.
Some operations in certain types of
helicopters cannot be comfortably and
effectively performed with the shoulder
straps fastened in their normal way. For
instance, logging / long-lining is often
performed by a pilot in the left seat,
leaning to look down through a bubble
window. Normally, fastened shoulder
straps would not easily permit such a
pilot position. In cases like this, the pilots
and operators are aware of and apparently
choose to tolerate the risk. *
The risk involved with not having shoulder
straps can be readily seen by watching
crash testing videos. Amongst the many
developmental tests done for military
aircraft is one in which OH-58 airframes
suffered a sudden forward longitudinal
deceleration (a crash going forward at
various speeds). The window, door and
airframes were deformed, but the crash
dummies secured in the pilot’s seat with
standard seat belts and shoulder straps
were kept within a survivable cabin. The
deceleration caused the dummy arms,
legs and head to be thrown forward,
but the head and torso did not strike the
airframe, controls or instrument panel.
EDITOR’S NOTE
There is historic Bell film footage narrated by
Bart Kelley, a pioneering Bell Helicopter chief
engineer, describing an accident in 1943 where
a Bell pilot “elected not to wear his seat belt
and hold-on by means of the flight controls”
on a tethered ground and hover run. After the
helicopter experienced some hover instability,
the pilot was ejected through the main rotor, and
knocked into a snow bank behind the helicopter.
Luckily, his only injury was a broken arm.
That was in 1943 Gardenville, New York. You
might believe in today’s world no one would even
think of not wearing their seat belt or shoulder
restraint while flying. Think again, there are
some pilots and crewmembers who don’t wear
belts when airborne. From unbuckling in flight
after take off to unbuckling during the engine
cool down period during shut down, some are
still making risky and bad judgment decisions.
Any time the rotor is turning, the pilot should be
fastened in properly and at the flight controls.
Awareness of the continuing practice triggered
the following article written by our own Jim
Szymanski, long time HELIPROPS Manager and
Editor of the Human AD newsletter, now “retired”
except from the golf course.
Other similar aircraft crash testing with
dummies restrained only by a lap belt
shows the torso and head pivoting rapidly
around the lap belt with the potential
of striking anything within that arc. It
doesn’t take much imagination to think
what a helicopter pilot would strike in a
crash with only a lap belt secured.
There has been a significant amount
of science, engineering, and testing
behind the various seats, lap belts and
shoulder harness systems installed in
Continued page 6
VOLUME 19 #2 • HELIPROPS 5

Telling It Like It Is continued
helicopters. On numerous occasions
these systems have been found to be lifesavers
for crew and passengers. Failure to
use them properly can prove to be fatal.
NTSB Report NYC73AN072
In this mishap the 11,164-hour, noninstrument
rated pilot of a Bell 212
departed a Pennsylvania airport during
daylight and continued VFR flight in
adverse weather conditions. Rain/snow,
fog, low ceiling, sky obscured. The
aircraft was flown into trees on obscured,
rising terrain. As the pilot was not
wearing the aircraft’s shoulder straps his
chest struck the cyclic stick on impact.
He survived the crash, and was able to
get out of the cockpit, enter the cabin,
and use the medical kit to bandage his
wounds. But before the weather permitted
searchers to locate him the next day, his
injuries proved fatal. In this mishap the
aircraft maintained a survivable cabin in
the crash. But the pilot’s failure to use his
shoulder straps did not allow the restraint
system to do its job. This mishap occurred
in November 1972. Back then there was a
certain attitude amongst some pilots that
shoulder straps were unnecessary and the
straps would be a bother in the event a
pilot wished to speedily exit the cockpit.
There is current anecdotal data
indicating some pilots and crewmembers
– particularly EMS crewmembers –
today choose not to use their shoulder
straps. The rationale for failing to use
the shoulder straps varies – comfort,
efficiency, freedom of movement, etc.
Seat belts and shoulder straps are like
many other items of safety equipment.
We see them, we touch them, we are
aware of them; but these things are rarely
called upon to perform their duties.
The examples abound. Life rafts are
carried by many offshore operators, but
only handfuls are ever inflated after a
forced water landing. Personal flotation
devices (life jacket and the various
6 VOLUME 19 #2 • HELIPROPS
attached pieces of equipment) are worn
by pilots for thousands of hours with few
ever used in actual need. An Emergency
Locator Transmitter (ELT) is installed on
all helicopters; but few pilots check if it
is armed or if it even functions. Survival
gear gets flown over rugged cold country
without ever being deployed. Helmet
visors are routinely lowered but very few
windshields are ever penetrated by a bird
strike.
This recognition “I know I use it, I have it,
or it is there; but I have never needed it to
perform in all the years I have been flying
helicopters” can lead to complacency
and some silly methods of handling or
ignoring this equipment.
Personal flotation device. Because
of the discomfort of its weight and fit,
many a personal flotation device rides
in the cabin while the comfortable (and
vulnerable) pilot sits in the cockpit.
Helmet. Some pilots, who are provided
with helmets, choose not to wear them
because the helmets are hot, heavy, and
uncomfortable, don’t look good, and
presumably scare the passengers.
Flight Suit. Fashionable, smart-looking,
fire retardant flight suits are provided
by certain operators to their pilots and
crews. The protection these flight suits
can provide is diminished by those who
roll up the sleeves for the neat look and
feel.
Wet Suit. Some offshore operators have
their pilots (and for some operators,
their passengers) wear a wet suit that
would prevent or delay water immersion
hypothermia in the event of a forced
landing. For some, the criterion for the use
of a wet suit is a combination of the air and
water temperature. If the sum of the two
temperatures is less than a certain number,
a wet suit is required. When spring arrives
and the air temperature increases but the
water temperature is still low, a wet suit
may be required; but wearing one quickly
makes a pilot awfully hot. Consequently,
a knowing pilot will not wear the wet
suit but store it somewhere in the cabin
or baggage compartment where it would
be practically inaccessible after a forced
water landing.
The vast majorities of helicopter pilots
go through their entire careers and never
have an incident or accident – and that
is good. But when that unwanted crash
landing is about to happen, the wet suit in
the baggage compartment, the personal
flotation device in the cabin, the helmet
in the locker room, and the shoulder
straps behind your back are worthless.
Ignoring the safety equipment provided
to you is, pardon the word, stupid. Your
life, and those of your passengers, may
depend on it.
While we are visiting this safety
equipment topic here are a few other
comments.
Do you ever check the condition and
operation of your seat belts/shoulder
straps/inertia lock?
Do you ascertain that your passengers are
strapped in/stay strapped in/know how to
exit?
Do you appreciate that you, your
helicopter, and your safety equipment
are a safety system. Your pilot skills, and
knowledge of how to use the helicopter
and all of your equipment may be
essential to the survival of you and your
passengers.
Fly Smart, and Buckle Up!
* There is a certificated pilot seat available on the
market that allow a pilot to lean over and look
down while being securely strapped in with the
normal seat belt and shoulder straps.
Human AD Newsletter Online
As a convenience to our readers,
the Human AD newsletter can be
accessed in Spanish and English
versions at the following web link:
http://www.heliprops.com

Pilot Recounts “Quick Wake-up Call”
By John Meyer
Here’s an interesting little story about
something that happened to me during
my first year of flying, after leaving the
Army, for a large FAR 135 operator
in the Gulf of Mexico. One afternoon,
on an offshore platform I received word
to go to a near by platform and pick up
one passenger for a drop off back to the
shore base. I headed over to the platform
solo and landed without incident. When
my passenger came up, he asked if it was
okay if he sat in the back of the aircraft.
I was flying a B206L3 at the time. Sure
I told him and off he climbed into the
rear back seat. Take off was normal and
I was enjoying the sights of the Gulf as
I headed north bound to our shore base
located approximately 80 miles away.
Q&A:
While utilizing the checklist to perform cockpit procedures,
physically touch the switch or gauge as it comes up in the
checklist, don’t just glance at it and say “Checked.” This
would ensure that the switch is in the correct position, or
the gauge is reading properly. – David Gray
One statement that has stayed with me for many years
primarily has to do with bad weather. I don’t know if we
made it up or it has been around forever! “It is better
to be on the ground wishing you were in the air, than
being in the air and wishing you were on the ground.”
– Brett Fiora, Helicopter Pilot H-12, Asheville
There are two things I think are most important to consider:
First, think safety all of the time. As a professional it is
your job to be aware of situations that place you in danger.
Second, diagnosing the problem when it comes is half the
battle. Regardless, fly the aircraft FIRST! – Victor Kirel
The best advice that I have been given is: Always
between two high things (two trees, two mountains)
someone crossed a cable. Pay special attention
when flying or landing in between two obstacles,
because for sure you are going to find a cable.
– Gustavo C. Bottaro, Argentina
During my commercial pilot course, my instructor said to
avoid antennas, but one thing we can forget is the fact
that antennas can have almost invisible wires all over its
sides, connecting the mast toward the ground.
Proceeding north, I was flying level at
approximately 1,500 MSL. Everything
was going smoothly and I found myself
beginning to day dream somewhat
when all of a sudden a loud boom was
heard followed shortly by a very loud and
I mean very loud blood curling scream.
Instantly I received that quick wake up call
of adrenalin into my bloodstream.
With my eyes popped wide open I
immediately began to look over my
instruments and flight controls because
surely something had definitely gone
wrong with the aircraft and I was sure a
May-Day was soon in order. After a few
seconds, and my situational awareness
returned to me, I made contact with the
rear passenger who didn’t have a headset
About three bits of advice that I thought were excellent:
It is always better to be on the ground wishing you were
in the air than, being in the air wishing you were on the
ground. Particularly good advice if you are deciding to
launch in marginal weather.
At the first indication of a problem or potential problem,
land as soon as you can; don’t wait until you have to
refer to the first line of advice. Very good advice when
you see a flickering caution light, or you hear, feel or
see something unusual.
Just before strapping in and starting your aircraft, take a
few seconds to walk completely around the aircraft one
last time. A good final check for something you forgot
on preflight and it gives you a few seconds to clear away
distractions that may be dancing in your head.
In 37 years of being a professional helicopter pilot, I
would say that the best safety advice I ever received was
the material I learned while attending a CRM course. It
was a 3 day course and I learned a lot. At the end of the
course, one of the first things I thought about was why
couldn’t I have had this course at the beginning of my
career. I think it would have saved me a lot of grief and
probably would have prevented me from making many of
the mistakes that I did make. Also, I think it would have
helped me out a great deal if I could have had a refresher
course in CRM every 2 or 3 years. That also may have
helped me not make some of the mistakes that I made.
on; then determined what the problem
was. Basically, the passenger I was flying
was a fairly large individual who propped
his head up against the door window and
had fallen into a deep sleep. Well needless
to say, as he fell into a deep sleep, he began
to unconsciously push against the window
with his head. Next thing, the window
completely blows out and exits the aircraft,
(thank God it did not hit the tail rotor).
The passengers head popped out into the
slipstream of the helicopter. Now image
for a second being in a sound deep sleep
and your head is suddenly pushed into a
110 knot rush of wind in your face! Talk
about scaring the c*#p out of him. Well
to this day, I still include that story in my
passenger briefings.
“What is the best safety advice you’ve
ever received?”
CRM training is some of the most valuable training I
ever received. I think everybody could benefit from it
and everybody should have at least a 4 hour class on it
and a refresher course every year or two. – T. Strong,
ATP/CFII Helicopter
I think in-flight decision making would be the single
most important issue that affects flight safety and should
be given the greatest priority when discussing reducing
helicopter accidents by 80% over the next ten years.
– John Fagan, Director of Operations, US
Helicopter Corporation
The single issue that I would recommend as the one
that should receive the greatest priority is complacency.
Complacency is not talked about much. It is denied
among pilots for the most part. I see it as a silent killer.
Complacency sneaks up on you. You don’t realize you
are complacent. That’s why it is so dangerous. As an EMS
pilot I am constantly combating complacency. I am very
aware of its dangers yet I still fall prey to it. I see pilots
get complacent about the weather and then they fly into
weather when they should stay on the ground. Pilots get
complacent about inadvertent IMC and then don’t have
a plan when it happens to them. I would like to see
Complacency discussed in detail. What is Complacency?
How does it manifest itself in your flight program? What
do you do to combat it? – Pete, Retired US Navy
Helicopter Pilot
VOLUME 19 #2 • HELIPROPS 7

Many Bell pilots and operators have requested information on what type of Bell Heli-
copter wings and safety awards are available to them. There are two ways to obtain
recognition for pilots who fly Bell helicopters. The first recognition is a Pilot Safety
Award issued on the basis of safe flying hours in Bells. The second is a wings award
based on the pilot’s flight hours in Bell helicopters. It is possible for a pilot to obtain
both awards.
Bell FlIght tIme WIngS AWArD
The second recognition is for a pilot’s flight time in Bell Helicopters. The Bell Training
Academy issues this Certificate of Achievement and a Wings Lapel Pin in the following
flight time hours:
3,000 hours plain wings pin + certificate
8 VOLUME 19 #2 • HELIPROPS
Bell helIcoPter AWArD ProgrAmS
5,000 hours 5,000 hr. wings pin + certificate
10,000 hours 10,000 hr. wings pin + certificate
15,000 hours 15,000 hr. wings + certificate
20,000 hours 20,000 hr. wings + certificate
Example: If a person had 6,500 hours in Bells he would receive a 5,000 hour pin,
although the certificate would read 6,500 hours. Their next opportunity for a higher
hour level pin would be at the 10,000 hour level.
For the hour level recognition to be awarded, the pilot (or company) must provide the
following: Name of pilot as they would like it printed on a certificate, a verified flight
time in Bells by either the Chief Pilot or a Company Administrative Official. In the case
of an individual pilot making the request, a signed copy of the page in the pilot’s log
book that verifies the hour level for the wings requested. Mail or email the information
(including copy of documentation) to Rosalind Larmer at: rlarmer@bellhelicopter.
textron.com.
Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
P.O. Box 482,
Rosalind Larmer, Dept. 9S • Bldg. 61
Fort Worth, TX 76101 • USA
SUBSCRIPTION FORM
PIlot SAFety AWArD
Recognizing an individual pilot for flying safely is far too rare. Most pilots only hear
of mistakes made by another pilot in an accident. Bell provides a Pilot Safety Award
certificate for hours flown without an accident in a Bell helicopter. This can be achieved
in either military or commercial aircraft. The award is given in thousand hour increments
to recognize those pilots with a proven commitment and history of safe flying. To apply
for this recognition certificate, please send a request letter from the chief pilot, CEO,
military commander, or other individual who can confirm how many accident-free flight
hours you have flown in Bell helicopters. If you are an individual pilot / owner, you can
write the statement yourself. Let us know how you would like the name to appear on
the certificate. If you want to include a military rank, you need to indicate that.
The award is maintained through the Bell’s Flight Safety Department within Bell Engineering;
Lee Roskop (ldroskop@bellhelicopter.textron.com) is the Bell point of contact.
His mailing address is:
Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
Attn: Lee Roskop
Dept. 81, Group 60 • P.O. Box 482
Fort Worth, TX 76101 • USA
The pilot’s name and safe flight hours are posted on Bell’s Flight Safety web page
www.heliprops.com. Follow the link to the Heliprops Pilot Safety Award Program.
notABle recognItIonS
Lt. Nick Saunders – (with
Bell Regional Sales Manager Dave
Peterson presenting), received a
Bell Helicopter Certificate of Recognition
for his military time and
service to the Commonwealth of
Virginia. He additionally received
a 10,000 Flight Hour Certificate
at VSP Headquarters Office
located at the Chesterfield Airport,
south of Richmond, Virginia.
I would like to request a free subscription of the HELIPROPS HUMAN A.D.
I would like to renew my free subscription of the HELIPROPS HUMAN A.D.
NAME ___________________________________________________TITLE_________________________
Subscribe online at
www.heliprops.com
COMPANY_____________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS_____________________________________________________________________________
CITY______________________________STATE_____________ZIP__________COUNTRY_________________
MAIL, FAX, OR EMAIL TO: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., John Williams, HELIPROPS Manager P.O. Box 482 • Fort Worth, Texas 76101
Fax 817-278-3688 or e-mail: HELIPROPS@bellhelicopter.textron.com