Rotorcraft
More Safety Training For Primary Helo Students Urged
Safety tools should be incorporated in primary, recurrent helo pilot training, says professor.
Embry-Riddle associate professor and USHST member Scott Burgess believes a cultural shift is needed when it comes to primary helicopter flight training as currently conducted. (Photo: Mark Huber)
Embry-Riddle associate professor and USHST member Scott Burgess believes a cultural shift is needed when it comes to primary helicopter flight training as currently conducted. (Photo: Mark Huber)

A marked upshift in the U.S. fatal helicopter rate in recent months has prompted at least one member of the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) to advocate for incorporating the safety tools generated by the organization into initial and recurrent helicopter pilot training. Embry-Riddle associate professor Scott Burgess, a former U.S. Army helicopter pilot and current rotorcraft CFI, told a forum audience this morning at EAA Airventure that “We in the industry have to do our part to educate those who come behind us. We have to implement these things [safety tools] in training early on. It is important for flight schools in particular.”