The safety of helicopter operations onboard superyachts is something Safeguard Helideck’s Chris Wood knows all about, so it’s no surprise that he’s been asked to write about it in the Spring issue of Onboard Magazine’s Tenders & Toys. He is an ex-naval aviator with over 20 years of ship/air integration experience and has spent the last six years working with Safeguard Helidecks, moving into the role of Operations Manager where he engages with shipyards, owners and captains across the globe to assist with helideck design and certification. Superyacht designs are constantly evolving with many owners now specifying a requirement for multiple helidecks onboard. This requires a considerable level of expertise at the design stage to ensure the location of the helidecks will be safe and that the finished landing areas will pass the required Helicopter Landing Area Technical Certificate (HLATC) on completion of the build.
In addition, Chris and his team look after a number of superyachts that operate with commercial helicopter flights bringing paying passengers onboard the yachts. For this type of activity the yachts must have a certified helideck that has a current Helicopter Landing Area Certificate (HLAC). As an Aviation Inspection Body (AIB) Safeguard Helidecks is authorised to issue Helicopter Landing Area Certificates (HLAC), Helicopter Landing Area Inspection Reports (HLAIR) and Helicopter Landing Area Technical Certificates (HLATC) on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Malta and the Cayman Islands Registry.
Chris has shared his expertise in the Spring 2022 issue of Onboard Magazine’s Tenders & Toys.
