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Safety Management Systems for Helicopter Operators

Safety4 daysIntermediate

Helicopter operations carry their own risk picture: confined landing sites, low-level flight, wire strikes, inadvertent entry into cloud and mountainous terrain like the Caucasus. This course sizes an SMS for small and medium helicopter operators so that it stays proportionate and usable rather than becoming a paper exercise. Case studies come from HEMS, offshore, firefighting and aerial work.

Who it is for

Safety managers, chief pilots, operations and maintenance managers of helicopter operators (HEMS, offshore, aerial work, charter, utility)

Learning outcomes

  • Scale SMS processes to the size and operating profile of a helicopter operator
  • Identify the main helicopter hazard categories and build site- and task-specific risk assessments
  • Use pre-flight and mission risk assessment tools with crews
  • Set practical safety indicators for low-volume operations
  • Integrate maintenance and flight operations safety data in one SMS

Course outline

  • SMS essentials for helicopter operators
  • Helicopter hazard landscape and accident patterns
  • Mission and landing-site risk assessment
  • Proportionate SPIs for small fleets
  • Reporting culture in small teams
  • Building the SMS manual and implementation plan

Topics follow public standards: ICAO Annex 19; ICAO Doc 9859; ICAO Annex 6 Part III; EU Regulation 965/2012 (ORO.GEN.200, Part-SPO).

Frequently asked questions

How long is the course?

The course runs 4 days.

Who is the course for?

Safety managers, chief pilots, operations and maintenance managers of helicopter operators (HEMS, offshore, aerial work, charter, utility)

What delivery modes are available and what does it cost?

Classroom in Tbilisi €1,170, online classroom (live virtual) €870; prices per participant, excluding VAT. Group and in-company prices on request.

Where does the course take place?

Classroom sessions are held at Ana Politkovskaya Street N14, Tbilisi, Georgia. The course is also available online or in-company in Georgia or abroad.

Will I receive a certificate?

Yes. This is a certification training. Participants who complete the course receive a Certificate of Completion in Georgian and English. The certificate lists the course title, topics, training hours, dates and instructor. The certificate confirms the training you completed; it is not an aviation licence or rating. Our training process follows ISO 9001 quality management principles, and course content draws on published ICAO and EASA material. Whether the certificate meets your organisation's or regulator's training requirements is decided by your employer or the relevant authority. On request, we send the course syllabus and the instructor's CV in advance.

Who teaches the courses?

Training is led by Davit Mazmishvili, Head of the Training Center, who personally holds teacher licences from the Georgian Civil Aviation Agency and airline transport pilot licences (aeroplane and helicopter). On request, we send the CV of the instructor assigned to your course. These are personal qualifications, not an approval of the centre's courses by any authority.

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