Global rotorcraft safety organisation HeliOffshore has appointed industry veteran Duncan Trapp as its new chair-elect, to succeed incumbent Bill Chiles from April.
In fact, Trapp will only be the body’s second chair, former Bristow Group chief executive Chiles having held the post since its creation in 2014.
HeliOffshore was founded on the back of a string of offshore helicopter accidents, in which there were several fatalities, and was intended to encourage the development, sharing and implementation of safety best practice among companies that are also fierce commercial competitors.
Trapp, a former safety chief at CHC Helicopter and now director of aviation safety for insurance firm Willis, praises the work done by HeliOffshore to date, noting that the “benefits of knowing one another can’t be understated”.
“It’s incredibly important that the barriers have come down and now companies genuinely feel able to trust each other and work together on these issues,” he says.
Tim Rolfe, HeliOffshore chief executive, says: “We have a safety community now that extends across the leaders of all the stakeholder companies – that certainly wasn’t there 12 years ago.”
HeliOffshore how comprises around 15 members, including around 50 helicopter operators, alongside OEMs, energy firms and service providers.
While there has been a decline in the number of accidents since HeliOffshore’s inception, there remains more to do, says Rolfe.
“Can we get to a situation where there are zero accidents? The honest answer is I believe we can,” he says. However, he cautions against setting a deadline for this achievement.
Additionally, Trapp sees a requirement to close the gap in safety performance between the fixed- and rotary-wing sectors, which, while narrowing, “is still larger than we would like”.
HeliOffshore will continue to develop “recommended practice and guidance” that can be “can put into the hands of the people of the frontline to help them in their daily life”, says Trapp.
Notwithstanding the variations in operating conditions across the globe “2026 is about making sure those recommended practices are as embedded as they can be,” he adds.
Rolfe praises Chiles’ efforts at HeliOffshore since its foundation: “Bill’s leadership and personal conviction changed what this industry believes is possible.
“The collaboration he inspired has saved lives and built a community that puts safety above competition.”
Trapp promises to take on that responsibility and help drive the association forward. “It’s not a 10- or 15-year plan, it’s an ongoing piece that needs constant attention and a push for incremental improvements that will further drive down the safety data.”
