Starspeed MD Dr Simon Mitchell reports:

"For a management operator of VIP helicopters there are often fairly limited strategies regarding safety improvements. You are not able to design the aircraft; the aircraft are rarely designed to optimise VIP requirements as they are normally based on utility or oil and gas designs; and frequently you are not even involved in the choice and specification of the aircraft purchase. So this generally limits a strategy of technological improvements for safety enhancement and leaves you with training and procedures as potential sources for positive change. This is where Starspeed was very fortunate to have the full engagement and support of its insurers.

"Human factors, which are often associated with errors in accident reports, are implicitly regarded as a problem, whereas they are actually only a problem when things go wrong. Most of the time human factors should in fact be seen as an asset. As part of its safety improvement strategy Starspeed has long recognised that the people in an organisation are its greatest asset, in terms of delivering value and in terms of protecting it from harm, and so they should be the logical place for investment. Investment in training is the platform for continuous improvement, and that training is designed to improve the quality and resilience of human factors for each person and collectively within the team.

"Back in 2011, Starspeed Training was established to fill a gap in the helicopter instrument rating training market by simultaneously attacking the high costs of training and improving its quality through the use of FNPT II training devices; in this case an Elite S723T model based on the AS355 cockpit and flight characteristics. This was hugely successful, but it left a major door open: how do you capture the benefits of multi-crew procedures for an environment with complex variables and high demands on risk-based decision-making and pilot judgement?

"There is nothing in the current market that copes well with these demands, as all existing training is predicated on the assumption of a controlled environment and easily structured procedures, and this is a fundamental flaw if you wish to train for the real environment of onshore helicopter operations. The answer for the Starspeed team was clearly to train themselves, but this would require investment in simulation.

"So, the challenge was presented to the insurers and within a short period of time a plan for joint investment in safety improvement was formed. In June this year the Elite S723T trainer at Starspeed's facility at Kemble in Gloucestershire, UK, received hardware and software upgrades and it is now capable of conducting MCC training and also PBN training and testing. This means it can now do hours of training at minimal cost."