Having an inadequate helicopter landing zone can lead to tragic results. That’s why Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University — Worldwide and Antipodean Aviation of Australia have teamed up to offer a helicopter landing zone course for ground personnel managing an incident.

The online course is designed for emergency personnel such as law enforcement, fire, ambulance and rescue units. Students will learn about a wide range of subjects, including helicopter identification, performance and limitations, environmental factors, selection of suitable landing zones and communications — in addition to normal and emergency operations and management procedures.

“This course is the most comprehensive online program of its kind,” said Al Astbury, interim director of Embry-Riddle Worldwide’s Office of Professional Education. “Working with Antipodean, we’re able to offer emergency personnel a high-quality course that’s affordable for an organization of any size. Students also have the opportunity to earn continuing education units from Embry-Riddle Worldwide.”

The Helicopter Landing Zone Coordinator course is one of more than 60 programs developed by Embry-Riddle Worldwide and Antipodean Aviation of Australia. Other courses include core pilot training in fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, non-pilot aircrew training, specialized training programs for pilots and aircrew and a number of safety awareness programs.

“This new, online course now provides an opportunity for standardization between emergency crews on the ground and the arriving medevac or rescue helicopters responding to the scene,” said Max Reidy, general manager for Antipodean Aviation. “Graduates will learn how to select the most appropriate landing zone, no matter what the helicopter type or scenario. Proper planning and preparation will reduce the time needed to extract casualties and obtain medical support.”

About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 40 baccalaureate, master’s and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business and Engineering. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., and through the Worldwide Campus with more than 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit www.proed.erau.edu, follow us on Twitter (@ERAUworldwide) and www.facebook.com/EmbryRiddleWorldwide, and find expert videos at http://www.YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv.

About Antipodean Aviation
Antipodean Aviation is a training and flight operations company based in Australia but with a global reach. It was established by a group of like-minded aviation professionals with the vision to train personnel for a variety of different sectors, providing an industry standard across core and specialized training that can be used as an industry benchmark. For more information, visit www.antipodeanaviation.com.