CHC Helicopter and Aberdeen University’s department of industrial psychology have been awarded £54,000 (US$71,198) to fund PhD research projects in crew resource management (CRM) and human factors training, commencing September 2019.
The award, made by the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science (SGSSS) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), will see Dr. Amy Irwin and her team working with the CHC flight training department in Aberdeen to study and develop the latest helicopter operations training methods and scientific evaluation techniques.
“I am delighted that my team can collaborate with Dr. Irwin on this cutting-edge research, which will raise standards within CRM, ensuring practical application of a science which has already improved aviation safety,” said Mark Abbey, CHC regional director for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). “Once again, CHC is at the forefront of developing global standards in helicopter safety.”
“CRM training and behaviours are a key element of helicopter flight safety,” explained Irwin. “This project will enable key aspects of training, the factors that might influence training and CRM effectiveness, to be evaluated. The results should enable future training programs to become even more effective.
“CRM/HF training is a mandatory European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) requirement for all pilots and engineers. This research will evaluate how non-technical factors, for example, how we behave as individuals and team members, may impact upon flight safety.”
The collaboration with Aberdeen University will see this research develop in an exciting direction, integrating many principles of Applied Psychology with the practical knowledge the CHC EMEA team has acquired through decades of North Sea Helicopter Operations.
