Open door media photograhy trip in Helicopter. Any other ideas for inclusion into RA? Induction - Safety Brief; Control of camera equipment via lanyards; Other equipment secured; Communications; Supervision; Harnesses; wander leads / tether system; Weather monitoring; Individual capability / health; No mobile phones; PPE - Ear / Full body / Hands etc; Imdemnity letter?? Any other ideas?? G

An indemnity letter .... what purpose does that serve. DOn't worry if the chopper pancakes the AAIB will be very interested in working out what happened.

For situations where helicopters arrive by air to collect/discharge passengers and don't stop their rotors, passengers need to know that they should duck when approaching or leaving the helicopter because their rotors tend to droop when idling and pose a risk of decapitation. This was an important element of a briefing I attended with other members of an auxiliary mountain rescue team a few evenings before a joint training exercise involving several rescue teams and an RAF helicopter. Unfortunately I succumbed to a bout of 'flu so wasn't able to attend the actual exercise. Also, as this was back in my student days in the mid 1970s, it's possible that helicopter rotors are made of different materials nowadays and perhaps have a lesser tendency to droop.

Spooky- Thread started around 10am and then this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-18020646 Local radio bulletin says they are all safe thank goodness!

Also, think about refulling if they need to do it; spill kits & fire.

The helicopter operator should have all of the points covered in their SOP (Standard Operating Procedures), get them to cover it all for you and with you.

As already mentioned, the prime source of advice/information before the activity will be from the helicopter operator who should be dealing with aspects like proposed flight paths and prohibited or restricted flying areas, etc. Also, the pilot will or should be in strict overall charge during the activity. Over the years I had a number of requests from schools for advice in connection with proposed or expected visits by helicopters (e.g. flown by former pupils who had become military or civilian pilots). In all cases, my advice was to liaise with the operators - the experts - about precautions and requirements. These would always include pre-agreeing a defined landing/take-off zone of suitable size and how people would be excluded from it, e.g. pre-briefing for spectators, adult supervision and perhaps temporary posts and tape. This is relatively easy to ensure at school sites with fenced playing fields. By contrast it's harder at publicly accessible locations: About a year ago I was asked to advise about a request by a couple who were planning their wedding and wished to travel from the church to their reception venue by helicopter. This depended on consent from my employer, a local authority, for the helicopter to use a public playing field/open space adjacent to the church. As ever, my advice was to liaise with the prospective helicopter operator/s about the practicalities or otherwise of using the space and being able to keep people, stray dogs, etc., away from the landing zone. I heard no more about the matter, so never knew if the couple did travel by helicopter after their nuptials!