## Aircraft Servicing 

The helicopter rotor blades are usually stopped, and both the aircraft and the refueling unit properly grounded prior to any refueling operation. The pilot should ensure that the proper grade of fuel and the proper additives, when required, are being dispensed. 

Refueling of a turbine aircraft while the blades are turning, known as “hot refueling,” may be practical for certain types of operation. However, this can be hazardous if not properly conducted. Pilots should remain at the flight controls; and refueling personnel should be knowledgeable about the proper refueling procedures and properly briefed for specific helicopter makes and models. 

The pilot may need to train the refueling personnel on proper hot refueling procedures for that specific helicopter. The pilot should explain communication signs or calls, normal servicing procedures, and emergency procedures as a minimum. At all times during the refueling process, the pilot should remain vigilant and ready to immediately shut down the engine(s) and egress the aircraft. Several accidents have occurred due to hot refueling performed by improperly trained personnel. 

Refueling units should be positioned to ensure adequate rotor blade clearance. Persons not involved with the refueling operation should keep clear of the area. Smoking must be prohibited in and around the aircraft during all refueling operations. 

If operations dictate that the pilot must leave the helicopter during refueling operations, the throttle should be rolled back to flight idle and flight control friction firmly applied to prevent uncommanded control movements. The pilot should be thoroughly trained on setting the controls and egressing/ ingressing the helicopter. 

## Safety in and Around Helicopters 

People have been injured, some fatally, in helicopter accidents that would not have occurred had they been informed of the proper method of boarding or deplaning. [Figure 8-3]  A properly briefed passenger should never be endangered by a spinning rotor. The simplest method of avoiding accidents of this sort is to stop the rotors before passengers are boarded or allowed to depart. Because this action is not always practicable, and to realize the vast and unique capabilities of the helicopter, it is often necessary to take on passengers or have them exit the helicopter while the engine and rotors are turning. To avoid accidents, it is essential that all persons associated with helicopter operations, including passengers, be made aware of all possible hazards and instructed how those hazards can be avoided. 

## Ramp Attendants and Aircraft Servicing Personnel 

These personnel should be instructed as to their specific duties and the proper method of fulfilling them. In addition, the ramp attendant should be taught to: 

1. Keep passengers and unauthorized persons out of the helicopter landing and takeoff area. 

2. Brief passengers on the best way to approach and board a helicopter with its rotors turning. 

Persons directly involved with boarding or deplaning passengers, aircraft servicing, rigging, or hooking up external loads, etc., should be instructed as to their duties. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to cover each and every type of operation related to helicopters. A few of the more obvious and common ones are covered below. 

## Passengers 

Passengers increase the responsibility, workload, and risk for the pilot. The workload and distractions seem magnified to inexperienced pilots while they are developing confidence and ability to operate in the aviation environment. Inexperienced pilots should consider building up their passenger carrying experience while remaining in good flying conditions and in a familiar area. 

All persons boarding a helicopter while its rotors are turning should be briefed on the safest means of doing so. The pilot in command (PIC) should always brief the passengers prior to engine start to ensure complete understanding of all procedures. The exact procedures may vary slightly from one helicopter model to another, but the following should suffice as a generic guide. 

When boarding— 

1. Stay away from the rear of the helicopter. 

2. Approach or leave the helicopter in a crouching manner. 

3. Approach from the side of the helicopter but never out of the pilot’s line of vision. Certain rotor system designs allow for rotor blades to pass closer to the ground towards the front of the helicopter. For that reason, it is generally accepted for personnel to approach from the side of the helicopter. Helicopters designed to be loaded from the rear require personnel to exercise extreme caution due to tailrotor hazards. 

4. Carry tools horizontally, below waist level—never upright or over the shoulder. 

5. Hold firmly onto hats and loose articles. 

6. Never reach up or dart after a hat or other object that might be blown off or away. 

7. Protect eyes by shielding them with a hand or by 

