Movies can be heartwarming or funny or motivational, but only a few take aim to save lives. Following are five videos that the International Helicopter Safety Team (www.IHST.org) encourages helicopter pilots to watch and take to heart in order to enhance helicopter safety and reduce accidents.
That Others May Live – This video is a case study by Airbus Helicopters and offers a pilot’s account of an actual inadvertent IMC encounter that occurred at night in a VFR equipped AS350 helicopter.
No Greater Burden – Much research has been done on the negative effects of stress on our physical and psychological well-being. The more stress we experience, whether we know it or not, the more inclined we are to lose concentration, forget things, and perform poorly on tasks that should be familiar and easy for us. More often than not, those effects have little impact upon our day-to-day life, however, such effects while flying could lead to a disastrous outcome. This video was developed by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).
178 Seconds to Live – This brief but frightening AOPA video warns us, “Don’t get lured into the trap.”
Degraded Visual Environment and Loss of Control – Experience demonstrates that disorientation is the largest single cause of fatal and serious injury helicopter accidents. This video was produced by the European Helicopter Safety Team.
Autorotations: Reality Exposed – The Helicopter Association International gathered helicopter safety experts for this video to help pilots gain a better understanding of the autorotation process.
