The Air Charter Safety Foundation has welcomed five Helicopter Association International (HAI) members as participating companies in its Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP). They comprise US rotary operators Apollo MedFlight, CHI Aviation, HALO-Flight, Helimax Aviation and Idaho Helicopters.

The ASAP is a voluntary, self-reporting programme that enables ACSF member companies to identify and reduce possible flight safety concerns as well as to mitigate risk. In cooperation with the FAA, the ACSF serves as a third party manager of the ASAP for its members, including rotor wing operators, on demand charter operators, fractional operators and corporate flight departments. The ACSF's members represent more than 60 per cent of all participating organisations in the programme (including airlines).

“ASAP has provided confidence in our management and crew, such that we can be truly transparent with our FSDO [Flight Standards District Office],” says Idaho Helicopters director of operations Greg Mikel. “We're encouraged that safety issues can be reported and discussed within the committee without the threat of a violation.”

ASAP participation is a direct benefit of its membership in Alexandria, Virginia-based HAI, an organisation that provides support and safety-related services for the international helicopter community.

“Everyone makes mistakes,” says HALO-Flight CEO and director of operations Tom Klassen ATP, CMTE. “ASAP helps us identify and report our mistakes and then share that data within our company so we mitigate the risk of someone else making the same error. Plus, our pilots and mechanics have the added confidence of reporting errors without adverse outcomes to their jobs or certificates.”

ACSF president Bryan Burns is pleased that the ASAP is being extended to aviation organisations of all sizes and missions, including to helicopter operators. He says: “We're grateful to see this broadening level of regard and respect for what the ASAP programme can do for virtually all aircraft safety-related matters.”