Flight International Magazine

[Special 25]

For anyone interested in Flight Safety Offshore (Hopefully all of us) there is quite an interesting section in the latest Flight International Magazine. Covers the three serious accidents in the industry this year, the issue with PLB's, Dacon Scoops, Multi-Lateration and the improvements to heli-deck lighting.

Also, there is an in-depth look (and cover story) at the EC225.

Anyway, worth a read.

[SafetyCase]

Also available at the FlightGlobal website: www.flightglobal.com (http://www.flightglobal.com)
Look under Safety.

[bondu]

The article mentions UK Oil & Gas as having set up a Helicopter Task Group (HTG) which includes the unions.

WRONG!

The unions are not included in the HTG and UK Oil & Gas refuse to allow BALPA a seat on the group.

How can a working group assessing the safety of offshore helicopter operations expect to reach worthwhile conclusions when they will not even listen to the very pilots who fly the helicopters?

Once again, a superb example of smoke and mirrors! And where is the national regulatory body in all this? The CAA, as always in offshore matters, is not even sitting on the fence - it takes its orders from the DfT, which in turn does what it is told by, you guessed it, UK Oil & Gas!

The multilateration system which will come into service next year, was ready almost three years ago. Why has it taken so long? UK Oil & Gas couldn't decide who would pay the massive, huge £5 million for it. That's why!!

When an oil company pompously states that safety is its first priority, don't believe a word of it! The first, (second and third) priority for oil companies is PROFIT!

bondu:mad:

[Scotsheli]

Bondu,

Whilst I agree with a number of your sentiments, a quick check in your own organization will reveal at least one pilot on the task group I think. Just because BALPA is'nt there its not quite right to say that pilots are not being represented!

Toodlepip

[finalchecksplease]

Bondu,

They do claim on their website BALPA is one of the participants: Oil & Gas UK - Industry Issues - Health, Safety, Social and Environment (http://www.oilandgasuk.co.uk/issues/heli_participants.cfm)
Maybe one of the Balpa people should get in touch with them to correct this.

Profit is the oilcompanies only priority in my experience, bunch of :mad:

[Algy]

There's no dispute - O&GUK and BALPA agree that BALPA is on the group. First hand info, from both parties.

[212man]

Ah Algy, now you've gone and spoiled it!
*

[Mars]

List of members at last meeting:

Attendees:

Alex Patrick (PSN)
Bob Keiller (PSN – Chair)
Chris Allen (Petrofac)
Chris Dixon (Sparrows)
Dave King (BP)
David Nicoll (Grampian Police)
Eric Potts (Weatherford)
Giles Porter (Civil Aviation Authority)
Jake Molloy (RMT)
Jessica Burton (Oil & Gas UK)
Jim House (Apache)
John Banks (Centrica)
John Taylor (TGWU/Unite)
Jon Hopkinson (Bond)
Malcolm Webb (Oil & Gas UK)
Robert Paterson (Oil & Gas UK)
Robin Davies (Subsea 7)
Steve Owen (NATS)
Trisha O’Reilly (Oil & Gas UK)

Apologies:

Alan Quirke (Expro)
Bernard Looney (BP)
Bill Munro (Bond)
Britta Hallbauer (Oil & Gas UK)
Dianne Wolfenden (Noble Drilling)
Ian McCartney (Weatherford)
John Cloggie (Bristow)
John Scrimgeour (PetroCanada)
Nick Mair (CHC Scotia)
Steve Haddock (HSE)
Stuart Martin (Petrofac)

[freeride]

The real problem is that the CFIT incidents are environmental i.e. flying low level over the sea with no references in very poor visibility at night will inevitably increase the chance of this type ofaccident. No matter how good the autopilot/procedure the last segment of flight will be flown manually. Will the oil companies sanction an increase in limits for these approaches? Will they look inwards and schedule their flights to avoid these situations as much as possible?

[Special 25]

I think its pretty unacceptable that there was only one helicopter company that bothered to send a representative. Come on CHC and Bristow, surely somebody in the organisation could have made it ???

[bondu]

For Scotsheli and finalcheckplease

Ref the list of attendees listed by Mars- where was the BALPA officer?

As I stated earlier, BALPA are not on the membership list.

bondu:mad: