Hi all,
I am wondering if there is in any published literature discussing or concluding on a minimum acceptable level of flying hours per annum for a professional civilian helicopter pilot before the onset of skill atrophy? I am particulalry intrested in any indications or investigation into sustained low rates.
I am trying to consider beyond subjective assessment any risks posed by sustained low flight hours in a IFR HEMS setting in terms of
published data. If possible.
I know we will all have our opinion on this but I would love to find anything definitive. I have often heard 180 hours p.a. in my military time, but I never got a hold of anything beyond people "saying" that was the minimum - i.e. there was no published rule, or study to back up the rumour.
Now I know there is no way this topic will gain concensus here on the 'prune (why else do we read it??) and I suspect we all have a different opinion on this, so please: people with published results at hand shout louder! Others, lets hear your opinions and reasons. I am not talking simply minimum mandated currency periods, but maintenance of recency and skill sets.
HEMS and SAR operation (we call them the same thing down here in Oz). IFR, NVG, winch ops.
Lets hear it, thanks, hf
