Vertical Aviation Safety Team (VAST)

The USHST (United States Helicopter Safety Team) is actively seeking volunteers from the pilot and crew member community to become trained Peer Pilot Volunteers to support pilot mental health. Selected volunteers will undergo specialized training to equip them with the skills needed to provide meaningful support to their peers. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/epzN8TZZ

“Pilots shoulder an incredible responsibility every time they take to the air and must have focus to perform at their highest level—lives are at stake,” says Chris Baur, USHST Industry co-chairman "The Peer Pilot Program offers pilots and crewmembers a safe space to connect with peers who truly understand the unique challenges they face and access resources. It's about creating a culture where asking for help is seen as a strength, not a weakness." Read more and learn how to become a volunteer: https://lnkd.in/epzN8TZZ

US Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) Expands to Support Pilot Mental Fitness, Volunteers Needed for Peer Pilot Program Read more: https://lnkd.in/epzN8TZZ

Safety culture is shaped by employees’ trust in their ability to report potential safety issues without fear of retribution. But what about an organization’s trust in its employees? How does that affect safety culture? Effective safety reporting depends on listening to everyone in your operation, VAI Senior Director of Safety Christopher Hill explains in this month’s Spotlight on Safety. Fair use. Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended.

The long-anticipated Part 5 SMS rule expansion has arrived! In this month's VAI Spotlight on Safety video, VAI Senior Director of Safety Chris Hill provides tips and resources to help affected operators meet the new requirements. Visit rotor.org/sos to download your FREE copy of this month's poster and then read the accompanying article to learn more about who needs to meet the SMS mandate, the essential components of an SMS, and how VAI can help you meet the requirements by the 2027 deadline.

Here it is! The latest in our visual preflight series — a complete preflight walkthrough of the BK117 C-2.

In this new episode of Push to Talk, Chris Baur returns to the show to tell us about The Hughes App, a new all-in-one flight aid, complete with maps, charts,  camera feeds, weather data, risk assessment functions, and many more supplements intended to streamline the way pilots approach safety in flight.  

It's easy to accuse others of lacking "common sense" when doing something we find unreasonable...but is that always accurate? Here's the truth about common sense in aviation (and beyond!)

In this new episode of Push to Talk, I spoke with Dr. Marcus B. of about his pioneering work in aviation accident reconstruction. His work has helped authorities, manufacturers, and operators identify the root cause of accidents, so they might prevent similar ones in the future.

Those of us who have enjoyed a life in aviation need to face a simple truth; that all the safety knowledge in the world is useless if we don’t successfully pass it down. In this new episode of Push to Talk, I spoke with lifelong aviator J Heffernan about what he's learned in his illustrious career, and how to successfully inform the next generation.