COPTERSAFETY PRODUCED “FROM THE GROUND UP” A DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM ABOUT HELICOPTER PILOTS

HELSINKI, Finland – Coptersafety is proud to announce ”From the Ground Up”, a captivating documentary short film about helicopter pilots created by Isabella Presnal and No-Office Films.

“I grew up moving around the world for my father’s career in aviation, and helicopters have been part of my life since I was a baby. I was tired of the false narrative Hollywood movies paint about helicopters,” says Isabella Presnal, Coptersafety’s Marketing Manager. “Creating documentaries that educate and evoke emotional responses is my passion, and I knew I needed to make a film about the rotor industry’s most important factor – safety – with the actual lives of helicopter pilots.”

Most Hollywood movies don’t paint a realistic picture of the helicopter industry. The short film “From the Ground Up” debunks misconceptions about helicopter safety and features stories of seasoned pilots.

Andreas Hjert is an air ambulance pilot for Norwegian Air Ambulance working in northern Norway. Flying different mission types, particularly sling-load operations, Kristian Krog works as an aerial work pilot for Pegasus Helicopter. Marthijn over de Linden operates in the wind energy sector with HeliService, flying and hoisting wind turbine technicians in the North Sea. While flying helicopters is their primary job, they also oversee training their crews in and out of the simulator at Coptersafety.

“As training and safety are core of our being, it has been rewarding to be able to produce this documentary about our customers to share the stories of their day-to-day life as a helicopter pilot,” states Hannu Marjoniemi, Coptersafety’s Commercial Director.

Coptersafety is the largest independent helicopter simulator training center, aiming to improve helicopter safety. They provide world-class helicopter simulator training, which effectively and safely educates pilots. The film features Coptersafety’s impressive fleet of TRU Simulation full-flight simulators designed for H125, H145, AW139, and AW169 licensed pilots.

“TRU is proud to be a part of this documentary and we’re honored to know that our training devices help ensure pilots get home to their families safely at the end of every trip,” shared TRU Simulation’s General Manager, Gerald Messaris. “We strive to offer the most realistic and immersive training experience possible so pilots are prepared for any situation they may face.”

“From the Ground Up” is for the rotor industry, to accurately represent the industry on the big screen, but it’s also for audiences unfamiliar with the industry to gain a new perspective.

As Hannu Marjoniemi shared “We would hope this film encourages aspiring pilots to seek career opportunities in this unique industry where the safety and wellbeing of pilots, their families, and the rest of the crews and customers are not just essential, but the core of their operations.”

There will be a preview screening of From the Ground Up, in Helsinki, Finland, on November 10th, 2023 held at Epicenter Helsinki. The industry premiere of the film will be at HAI Heli-Expo 2024 in Anaheim, California.

Join the screening event in Helsinki to see the documentary film: https://from-the-ground-up.confetti.events

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND PRESS IMAGES

Isabella Presnal, Customer Experience and Marketing Manager, Coptersafety Ltd.

isabella.presnal@coptersafety.com

Hannu Marjoniemi, Commercial Director, Coptersafety Ltd.

hannu.marjoniemi@coptersafety.com

About Coptersafety

Coptersafety is an independent helicopter pilot training provider for commercial, government and private organizations. The company provides simulator training for helicopter pilots around the world at its training facility next to Helsinki Airport. Coptersafety has taken the initiative to genuinely improve pilot training to ensure the safety performance of the operators.

MAINTENANCE TEAM SAFETY TRAINING

SAFETY IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. FOR EVERYTHING.

At Coptersafety, safety is our priority. Our entire business is built around making a safer helicopter industry. Our focus for safety expands beyond pilot training, to act as a function of every part of our business and base. We are committed to developing, implementing, and constantly improving the strategies and processes to ensure all our activities meet all applicable standards of safety.

One aspect of safety we practice, is safety training for our maintenance team. Our team of simulator engineers are responsible for maintaining our five full flight simulators, so that we can keep training pilots. Sometimes, that means the crew needs to work on the simulator projectors situated on the top of our full flight simulators. Which is 8 meters (or 26 feet) above the ground. That is why it is vital that our team knows the right and safest practices.

Photo of a maintenance team member practicing the proper safety attachments with the rope and clips.

MAINTENANCE TEAM SAFETY TRAINING

In early December, we were visited by Alexander Heinonen from Safeguard Engineering. A company solely specialized in working at high heights and fall protection. They offer comprehensive height services from trainings, installations, and other products.

Alexander gave a short and basic but simulator-specific training on the safe practices for working at high heights. Due to the specifications of the space, it was important to focus and practice on top of the simulator to ensure the safest practices are met. As our crew said after the training;

It was a good reminder of what you’re supposed to keep in mind to stay safe.

A maintenance team member and the instructor looking at the various attachment points

View from below the simulator and the maintenance team with the safety instructor

We pride ourselves in providing high-quality training and outstanding services. That’s why we chose to work with Alexander and Safeguard Engineering, because they also understand and provide qualified training where trainees learn valuable skills. At the same time, trainees are training and asking questions based on their own experiences and environment.

This is not a training that is mandatory by Finnish law but is a Coptersafety rule; that all maintenance team members must take a training of the safe practices for working on top of the simulator at one point, typically when they start at Coptersafety. While the maintenance crew may only need to go on top of the simulators a few times a year, safety is not something we’ll ever compromise on.

Safety comes first. Here at Coptersafety we are committed to implementing and constantly improving the strategies and processes to maintain the highest levels of safety, in and out of the simulator. Join us in making the helicopter industry safer.

COPTERSAFETY’S AW139 SIMULATOR QUALIFIED BY FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA)

HELSINKI, FINLAND, October 21, 2022 – Coptersafety’s CAE AW139 full flight simulator has been qualified to Level-D by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Simulator Program. Level-D qualification is only assigned to full-flight-simulators that meet the highest standards of the FAA.

“We at Coptersafety are excited to expand our training capabilities, and with the addition of FAA qualified full flight simulators, customers can focus on pilot training in a simulator with the highest level of qualification and capabilities,” states Matthew Presnal, Regulatory Compliance and Engineering Services Manager responsible for Coptersafety’s FAA programs.

Coptersafety’s CAE AW139 Level-D full flight simulator is currently equipped with Phase 5 avionics, that can be easily configured precisely to customer needs, regardless of mission type or weather scenario. It offers immersive and realistic training features such as cockpit vibration, smoke generation, 3D clouds, night and NVIS/NVG visual scenes. Scenarios can be taken from known geographical locations and landing sites by creating scenes in a wide variety of gaming areas and fields of operation. Different visual environments in known geographic locations and landing sites can be customized by our in-house visual model team based on customer requests.

Pilots and crews can now book to train in an FAA qualified Level-D AW139 full flight simulator for tasks such as Airborne Radar Approaches, Offshore Standard Approach Procedures, and NVG training tasks, among others. Additionally, pilots can attend one of Coptersafety’s FAA Part 142 approved AW139 Type Rating, ATP, or Recurrent training courses.

Coptersafety’s Training Center is easily accessible from North America, Asia, and the Middle East with its convenient location only four minutes from Helsinki International Airport in Finland. Coptersafety is an FAA Part 142 Training Center, an EASA Approved Training Organization (ATO), and a GACA approved Training Center, among others.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND PRESS IMAGES

Isabella Presnal, Customer Experience and Marketing Manager, Coptersafety Ltd.

tel. +358 45 249 8339, isabella.presnal@coptersafety.com

Hannu Marjoniemi, Commercial Director, Coptersafety Ltd.

Tel. +358 50 338 3838, hannu.marjoniemi@coptersafety.com

About Coptersafety

For more information, visit www.coptersafety.com.

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