UK helicopter operator Starspeed is introducing an automation course for pilots, to equip them with the appropriate skills for flying the latest generation helicopters. Modern rotorcraft are increasingly sophisticated and have a high level of automation, but the company says that while it is easy to get carried away by technological advances, the 'human element' also needs to be considered.

"The interesting discovery resulting from all the scientific research and years of accident investigation is that automated aircraft are not just different in the design of flying and engine management controls, there are differences in the way a pilot approaches the task of flying too," says director Simon Mitchell.

"In an automated aircraft, not only is the pilot not sending control inputs directly to flying controls, but these controls can be coupled together in ways unseen by and not obvious to the pilot. Additionally, the pilot's inputs may be subject to evaluation by the software, and then be modified or even countermanded by the automatic flight control systems. It is also possible that these systems can initiate entirely independent and autonomous actions to recover or change the flight path of the aircraft, such as upset recovery and approach go-around.

"Broadly speaking, the course we have developed is to provide pilots with a new mindset in approaching cockpit management and a better understanding of the science behind automated flight."

Believing that the pace of regulatory change 'lags' by around 13 years in the aviation world, Starspeed has decided that it needs to address this gap in current pilot training in order to meet its own stringent safety plan as well as to meet the safety concerns of the helicopter industry as a whole.

The first course will take place in 2016 and has the support of the UK CAA. All Starspeed pilots will attend as part of their line training and continued professional development, and the course will also be made available to other operators and pilots. It will consist of advanced ground instruction followed by practical demonstration and training in the high fidelity FNPT II simulator based at Starspeed Training's facility at Kemble Airfield.