Bird Strike Safety Awareness for Pilots

By the end of the course, pilots should be able to:

1. Identify bird strike exposure areas during onshore, coastal, offshore and helideck operations. 
2. Explain why helicopters are particularly vulnerable to bird strikes, especially at low level and higher airspeed. 
3. Apply pre-flight risk controls using route, altitude, speed, time-of-day and habitat information. 
4. Recognise high-risk bird environments: wetlands, coastlines, cliffs, rivers, lakes, landfill sites, fishing vessels, offshore platforms, wind farms, airfields, agricultural areas and known roosting/nesting zones. 
5. Apply correct in-flight avoidance techniques without inducing excessive control inputs, low-g states or aircraft overstress. 
6. Manage aircraft control, cockpit shock, possible crew/passenger injury and systems degradation after a strike. 
7. Land as soon as practical after a known or suspected strike and ensure maintenance inspection before further flight. 
8. Report bird strike events accurately through company SMS, wildlife strike databases and regulatory systems.