Vertical Value
Time is a critical resource and given its critical nature, it can sometimes be challenging to find a reliable source to stay up to date with the latest safety information. While we recommend reading FAA Safety Briefing regularly, several other excellent sources are available.
The FAA provides the Helicopter Flying Handbook (HFH) — the agency’s official repository of basic knowledge on helicopter operations — and the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) provides helicopter safety enhancements for quickly accessing reliable information on key topics.
FAA Helicopter Flying Handbook
The HFH covers everything from the basic history and uses of helicopters to advanced flight maneuvers. The HFH is no replacement for effective ground training, but it can be a force multiplier. The handbook is a free, authoritative resource that you can use either before or as a part of your training. It’s a 200-page head-start that can help you identify areas to focus on in your time with your instructor. At the very least, a good grounding in helicopter anatomy will be an excellent time-saver, particularly if you’re coming from the fixed-wing world.
Note: The FAA recently reviewed the Helicopter Instructor’s Handbook (HIH), published in 2012. The HIH will no longer be revised or updated and will be removed from the list of available FAA handbooks. The concepts, topics, and information are already available in other FAA handbooks, such as the Helicopter Flying Handbook. Removing the HIH reduces unnecessary maintenance while allowing resources to be redirected to higher-impact efforts that better serve the aviation community.
Helicopter Safety Enhancements
As explained in “The USHST: Find Out What It Means for Helicopter Safety,” USHST is a volunteer group comprising government and industry stakeholders formed to enhance the safety of civil helicopter operations.
USHST employs a multifaceted approach to achieve that objective. That approach has generated a wealth of resources for the helicopter community, which are housed on their website. Given the varied nature of helicopter operations, not every resource or format will be best suited to any particular operator. That’s why USHST provides information on a range of topics in various formats to reach the widest possible audience.
The USHST produces helicopter safety enhancements (H-SEs) that address key safety issues for the rotorcraft community. These H-SEs are available in their normal report format but can also be explored as podcasts or short online videos — some even boasting their own mini-website. USHST also focuses on pilot mental health in the helicopter world. To help prioritize mental health in the community, USHST launched its Peer Pilot Program. It offers a confidential, non-punitive, and professionally supported system where helicopter pilots can speak freely with trained volunteers. By providing a peer to speak with, the hope is to remove barriers that might otherwise obstruct seeking help. All this and more is available at ushst.org.
These are just a couple resources available at no cost. We encourage you to look at them. Hopefully, these trusted resources can save you time and make all your helicopter adventures safer.
Learn More
Read more FAA Safety Briefing articles, and read more about how the FAA is improving aviation safety in our Cleared for Takeoff blog.
