Jan Becker, CEO of Becker Helicopters Pilot Academy and a member of the HAI Board of Directors, last year implemented a clever way to increase safety awareness throughout her company, co-owned with her husband Mike, the chief flight instructor. Now the idea is gaining interest among participants in the Rotor Safety Challenge taking place at Heli-Expo 2016.
According to Michael Yip, Becker’s director of maintenance, the prize of the initiative was attendance at Heli-Expo for two winners, one a maintenance technician and the other a flight instructor. These are, respectively, Craig Beardsmore and Jesse Marshall. Their main purpose in coming to the convention is to complete the Rotor Safety Challenge.
Last year all Becker Helicopters Pilot Academy employees were encouraged to accumulate 1,500 minutes of safety-oriented activities, which included doing safety challenge courses, giving presentations, holding safety meetings, mentoring others and creating, showing or otherwise using safety videos. The goal for this year is to accumulate 2,016 “safety” minutes.
Selection of the two “winners” was done by peer recommendations, Yip told AIN. Beardsmore and Marshall said they are very impressed with the Rotor Safety Challenge Courses they had completed as of Wednesday morning.