Call For Papers For First International Helicopter Safety Symposium

"Safety comes from the knowledge of our craft," say the organizers of the International Helicopter Safety Symposium 2005 (IHSS),which will take place September 26-29 at the Omni Mont-Royal Hotel in Montreal, Quebec. The symposium will be presented by the American Helicopter Society International and the AHS's Montreal/Ottawa chapter, and it promises to be highly educational for helicopter professionals from all sides of the industry -- from conceptual designers and manufacturing engineers, to operators, managers, pilots and mechanics, all the way to accident investigators.

The symposium will look at all aspects of safety in what it calls "the global vertical flight industry," military and civilian alike. If you have expertise in this field, this is your chance to share it. The organizers are looking for twenty minute presentations with a 10 minute Q&A session, and they can be bare presentations, or presentations accompanied by a formal paper. Details on form and format, and submission procedures, can be found at the FMI link. But act quickly, because the deadline for submission of the presentation abstract is February 18, 2005.

An amazing variety of people are involved in the development of what promises to be a very significant safety summit. For example, we learned of the Symposium from a Transport Canada official who is involved in the preparations. Others who plan to attend or make presentations come from across the spectrum of helicopter operations.

The organizers hope to have a wide range of presentations, covering these areas:

1. Helicopter Design and Maintenance Issues
2. Training for Safety 
3. Pilot/Crew Safety Issues 
4. Management and the Economics of Safety 
5. Safety Regulations & Infrastructure 
6. Mission Impact on Safety

The IHSS website (linked below) contains examples of the sorts of subjects that might be encompassed in each these areas, although the list is suggestive, not inclusive. The website also allows those interested in attending to register, whether they intend to make a presentation or learn from those of other professionals.

FMI: www.ihss2005.com