Aviation - NEMSA Heliport Advisory Circular Update

Modesto, August 15th 2011: In its continuing pursuit to enhance industry safety and to help insure the appropriateness of the recommendations set forth in its recently released white paper on heliport infrastructure, the National EMS Pilots Association initiated an online pilot survey on heliports. Since its release on Friday August 5th the survey has garnered more than 1,000 responses from helicopter pilots nationwide. This survey will remain open for three full weeks with a cutoff date of August 26. We are asking all helicopter pilots to take a few minutes out of their busy day and make their opinions on heliports known by taking the NEMSPA online heliport survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HeliportSurvey . NEMSPA plans a follow on addendum to its original white paper in the very near future based in large part on the data that is obtained from this survey.

The recent efforts to rewrite the FAA's heliport advisory circular (AC 150/5390-2B) have gone through a significant metamorphosis since the initial draft was released this past April. The meetings hosted by the Helicopter Association International (HAI) in Alexandria, Virginia July 12, 13 & 14 for the joint FAA/Industry task force were a huge positive first step in incorporating the pilots' perspective into the overall process. HAI's leadership in this process has allowed both the industry and the FAA to refocus its combined efforts on the overall process.

The primary goals of NEMSPA's original white paper on heliport infrastructure and the advisory circular revision process were two-fold. First was to bring attention to the process itself and to get the FAA and the helicopter industry mutually engaged. In this regard NEMSPA believes it was successful. Second was to make recommendations on ways to improve the design and usage of the nation's heliports in a manner that recognizes how heliports can be part of a larger operational infrastructure for helicopter operations. While this second goal remains a work in progress, NEMSPA is confident that there will be a successful conclusion which is beneficial to everyone.