I had 20+ years of being aboard rotary photo and filming missions in dozens of countries and the only consistent feature I could point to was inconsistency itself.
Charter operators’ procedures and equipment always varied. Always. So much so, that the only reliable way to have some oversight of one’s crew safety was to bring our own equipment (harnesses etc) and do our own briefings.
The ad hoc nature of helicopter operations and capabilities are their greatest asset. But you risk all if you forget that these same factors pose some of the most serious threats.
It will be most tragic indeed if we discover that members of the public have been ‘upsold’ a professional experience designed simply to circumvent local noise / planning legislation.
Our thoughts go out to all of those tangled in this awful mess.
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