Programme overview
Introduction:
Helicopter operations management for offshore, HEMS and utility missions is a 5-day course for rotary-wing operations managers, oil and gas aviation advisers and HEMS or police air unit managers, ending with a Helicopter Operations Control Plan for a case organisation. Helicopter users lose availability and expose crews when flight following is weak, helideck data is stale, night and weather decisions rest on habit and chartered operators go unaudited. Nominees already plan, dispatch or oversee helicopter flights and work through case studies on flight logs, helideck plates and charter terms. CoreConcept Training Center delivers this helicopter operations management course.
Course Objectives:
- Define operational control authority, flight release and flight following arrangements for offshore, HEMS, police and utility helicopter missions
- Apply IOGP Report 690 offshore helicopter recommended practices to performance class, terrain awareness, survival equipment and helideck interface decisions
- Run HEMS and air support tasking with dispatch triage, night and weather minima and a crew right to decline any flight
- Plan external load, firefighting bucket and aerial crane jobs with landing site, load and crew controls
- Monitor crew fatigue and helicopter flight data events and turn trends into rostering and briefing changes
- Structure helicopter charter contracts, size the fleet and audit contracted aircraft operators against the Basic Aviation Risk Standard
Target Audience:
- Managers responsible for operational control, dispatch and flight following at helicopter operators
- Aviation advisers who specify, contract and oversee chartered helicopter services for oil and gas operations
- Managers of air ambulance and police air units accountable for tasking, crew rostering and mission acceptance
- Managers of utility helicopter work such as aerial crane lifts, firefighting and survey flights
- Helideck and heliport managers responsible for landing site readiness, deck crews and refuelling
Course Outline:
Day 1: Rotary-Wing Mission Landscape and Operational Control Baseline
- Offshore, HEMS, Police and Utility Helicopter Mission Profiles
- Operator, Customer and Aviation Adviser Roles in Helicopter Services
- Operational Control Authority, Flight Release and Commander Decisions
- Flight Following Methods, Position Reporting and Overdue Aircraft Actions
- Operational Control Baseline Review Using Flight Logs and Dispatch Records
Day 2: Offshore Helicopter Recommended Practices and Helideck Interface
- IOGP Report 690 Offshore Helicopter Recommended Practices Structure
- Performance Class Selection and Terrain Awareness Warning Equipment
- Helideck Limitations List, Markings and Obstacle Clearance Review
- Helicopter Landing Officer Duties, Deck Crew Briefing and Refuelling
- Survival Equipment, Passenger Briefing Video and Offshore Sea State Limits
Day 3: HEMS Dispatch, Police Air Support and Utility Mission Control
- HEMS Tasking Criteria, Dispatch Triage and Ground Ambulance Comparison
- Three to Go One to Say No Crew Decision Rule
- Night Flying Weather Minima and Unprepared Landing Site Selection
- Police Air Unit Tasking, Thermal Sensor Use and Ground Coordination
- External Load, Firefighting Bucket and Aerial Crane Job Planning
Day 4: Crew Fatigue, Flight Data, Charter Contracting and Contractor Audit
- Flight and Duty Time Rosters With Fatigue Warning Indicators
- Helicopter Flight Data Monitoring Events, Trend Review and Crew Feedback
- Helicopter Charter Contract Models, Dedicated Versus Call-Off Hire
- Fleet Sizing, Aircraft Availability and Standby Coverage Planning
- Basic Aviation Risk Standard Audit of Contracted Aircraft Operators
Day 5: Case Study Work on the Helicopter Operations Control Plan
- Case Organisation Brief With Offshore, HEMS and Utility Tasking Data
- Case Operational Control and Flight Following Gap Review
- Case Helideck and Landing Site Risk Ranking With Controls
- Case Charter Terms, Fleet Plan and Contractor Audit Findings
- Helicopter Operations Control Plan Completion and Peer Challenge
Skills You Will Gain:
- Helicopter Operational Control
- Flight Following Design
- Helideck Interface Management
- HEMS Mission Acceptance
- Slung Load Job Planning
- Helicopter Flight Data Review
- Helicopter Charter Contracting
- Aviation Contractor Auditing
Why Attend This Course:
- Deliver a Helicopter Operations Control Plan to the aviation manager, head of air unit or contracting asset owner for approval
- Decide whether a flight, night tasking or helideck landing goes ahead using defined minima, crew agreement and current deck data
- Avoid lost aircraft availability, unmonitored flights, fatigued crews and charter terms that leave contractor performance unchecked
- Coach dispatchers, helideck crews and contract holders with the flight following checklist, deck readiness sheet and audit protocol
Conclusion:
Back at work, the participant presents the Helicopter Operations Control Plan to the aviation manager, head of air unit or the asset owner who buys helicopter services. Management uses it to confirm who releases and follows each flight, set mission acceptance and weather rules, agree helideck readiness checks and decide which charter terms and contractor audits to apply. After the first quarter of flying under the plan, the unit should compare overdue alerts, declined missions, flight data events and audit findings with the plan and adjust the controls that have not worked.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What should participants know before a helicopter operations management course for offshore, HEMS and utility missions?
Participants should already plan, dispatch, contract or oversee helicopter flights and be able to read a flight log and an operations manual extract. Bringing anonymised tasking records, helideck data or a charter scope from their own unit helps during the case study day.
How does helicopter operations management differ from a general aviation safety management course?
This course centres on running rotary-wing missions: operational control, flight following, helideck interface, HEMS tasking, slung load work, charter terms and contractor audit. General aviation safety management courses build hazard logs, safety reporting schemes and safety performance indicators across airlines, airports and maintenance organisations.
Why do helicopter operations management teams use a crew rule that any member can decline a flight?
HEMS and air support crews face pressure to launch at night or in poor weather to help a patient or ground unit. A rule that three agree to go and any one can say no removes that pressure from the decision and protects crew, patient and aircraft.
What do participants take back from the helicopter operations management course?
Participants take back a Helicopter Operations Control Plan with a flight following checklist, a helideck and landing site risk ranking, mission acceptance rules, a fleet and charter outline and contractor audit findings they can adapt to their own unit.