As a tourism, utility and charter provider in Southcentral Alaska, serving all of Alaska, Outbound Heli Adventures consider it our responsibility to be at the forefront of safety. Understanding the stigma attached to aviation, especially in the realm of tourism, we pride ourselves on our safety practices, procedures and protocols.
The Fleet & Fleet Maintenance
Safety begins with the maintenance of our FAA 135 certified Robinson helicopter fleet. The maintenance of our Robinson R44 and R66 helicopters is performed “in house.” We are an authorized Robinson Helicopter Service Center and a FAR 145 Repair Station. Our helicopters are maintained by A & P and IA mechanics to FAR 135 standards in accordance with Robinson’s Technical Publications.
Regular 50-hour, 100-hour, as well as annual maintenance and inspection checks are performed on each insured helicopter. Daily flight and maintenance logs are updated and can be found in each helicopter. Thorough, daily, pre-flight checks are performed by each pilot for each aircraft flown.
As operators of the largest FAA 135 certified Robinson Helicopter fleet in the country, all our pilots are required to complete the Robinson Safety Course. Having our FAA 135 certification also means we are held to higher standards in overall aircraft safety including pilot qualifications & training, maintenance, and insurance of our fleet.
Pilot Experience & Training
Pilot experience and training matters in aviation. This is why Outbound Heli Adventure pilot applicants are required to have 1,000 hours minimum flight time to be considered for employment (there are some rare exceptions, for exceptional pilots). This is not the norm of other flight operators in the state of Alaska. Because pilots are hired with 1,000+ flight hours, they tend to be more experienced and versatile pilots, having multiple aircraft ratings, as well as experience in a multitude of flying environments.
Although not a requirement, most of our pilot hires are also Certified Flight Instructors as well as Certified A&P mechanics. This is important to note as this allows valuable ground based and air training opportunities “in house” to be available on a regular basis. We find that well rounded pilots make for better candidates in Alaska’s unique flying environment.
Newly hired pilots attend at least 80 hours of ground-based training as well as 15 hours of flight training with the Director of Operations and the Chief Pilot prior to completing their check ride. The check ride is the final stage for our pilots before flying our guests.
Safety is A Team Effort
Safety in the realm of helicopters is a team effort. Pilots are the stars, but there is a whole team on the ground back at base providing a variety of support. This team environment allows our pilots to focus on you and your safety while in the air.
The team back at base includes both ground crew and office staff. All are responsible for a variety of important tasks including: maintaining a safe landing zone, satellite communication with pilots, tracking flight paths and landing locations, monitoring weather and air traffic, welcoming & weighing in other guests, and providing a safety briefing for all guests prior to their flight.
All pilots, guides and other team members are Wilderness First Aid Responder Certified as well as Crevasse Rescue trained, and CPR certified, assuring any member of our staff can respond in the event of an emergency.
Guest Experience
What does all this safety talk mean for the Heli-adventure experience? Everything! Outbound Heli Adventures pilots are some of the most highly trained and skilled pilots in the state, allowing us to fly custom flight paths with unique landing locations based on our guests’ interests and bucket list items.
As owners/operators, we feel that operating under the highest safety standards is not a choice, it is our foundation. We absolutely love providing the services that we do and want to continue to do so for years to come.
For more information about our safety policies and procedures please visit our safety policy page here.
