So what is a helicopter Safety Pilot?

[Phrogman]

I have some questions I am hoping my fellow rotorheads can help me with regarding the position or rather title of "Safety Pilot", particularly since we all do a large variety of jobs in helos:

First, does anyone have something in writing within their organization or their country's regulations that actually define the responsibilities of a safety pilot? (If so can you please share it:)

Please note that I am aware of only the couple of US FAR's that simply refer to this as someone who is on board during simulated instrument flight (fixed or rotary wing) and really not much else.

Second, if you incorporate a pilot into your operation as a "safety pilot" (regardless of experience) and your organization's culture does not use the title interchangeably with the term "copilot", how do you train those acting as safety pilots to take action, and how often do you do it to maintain proficiency in the role?
Thanks,
Phrogman

[Curtis E Carr]

This (http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/49/SRG_Med_SafetyPilotInformationSheetToPilotWithOSL.pdf) issued by the UK CAA goes someway towards dealing with the matter though concentrates on a safety pilot covering someone who has a medical limitation.

IEM FCL 2.035 (http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/175/Section%202%20Subpart%20A%20-%20Amdt%202%20&%203%20_JAR-FCL%202_.pdf) also offers some information.

Hope this helps.

[Helinut]

It may be there is not a single definition of safety pilot because there is not just one role or purpose.

Sometimes you might use one for simulated IMC, sometimes because of the medical status of the "pilot". Sometimes you send a professional pilot to accompany an inexperienced PPL or one who is busy with his business and who does not have time to properly pre-flight plan. How could you have one definition or role description for such a variety of different roles?

[Phrogman]

Curtiss, thanks for the links, they were helpful.

Helinut, your final question is a bit to macroscopic and I am sorry if I mislead you to think I wanted an all encompassing definition. My intent was to see what folks do use as definitions to gauge the variety of those definitions out there in our industry. You are quite correct that it would be very difficult to have one encompassing definition considering all the ways one might think a Safety pilot should do. In the US, I think the term is thrown around a little to loosely and often misunderstood, especially with junior pilots. Already though, for example, the medical aspect described in the regs Curtiss sent was one angle I had never seen before. I should think that there are more variations living in company SOP's or organizational OPS manuals out there if you consider say winching ops, or offshore operations. So anything is game here, the more info the better. Thanks.