The International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST), a worldwide organization leading a multi-year effort to enhance safety and reduce the civil helicopter accident rate, has added Robinson Helicopter Company President Kurt Robinson to its Executive Committee.

Kurt Robinson heads the Robinson Helicopter Company, which is the world’s leading manufacturer of civil helicopters.  The company of nearly 1,300 employees has its headquarters and factory located in Southern California, plus a network of more than 400 service centers that provide world-wide service and support.  Kurt Robinson has been a member of the company for more than 25 years and has been president since 2010.  He is a commercial-rated helicopter pilot and he holds an MBA and a law degree from the University of San Diego.

The International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) was formed to lead a government and industry cooperative effort to address factors that were affecting an unacceptable helicopter accident rate.
The group’s mission is to reduce the international civil helicopter accident rate by 80 percent.

This effort is co-chaired by a government member (the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration) and by an industry member, Helicopter Association International.  Other major industry participants include AgustaWestland, the American Helicopter Society International, Bell Helicopter, The Boeing Co., Bristow Group, CHC Helicopter, Eurocopter, the Flight Safety Foundation, the Helicopter Association of Canada, Robinson Helicopter, Shell Aircraft, and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation.

IHST members also establish international partnerships in countries with significant helicopter operations and work to encourage the overseas industries to carry out accident analysis and develop safety interventions.  Worldwide partners now supporting the work of the IHST include government and industry participants from the United States, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Australia, India, Russia, and multiple countries in Europe and in the Middle East/North Africa region.

More information about the IHST, its reports, its safety tools, and presentations from its 2011 safety symposium can be obtained at its web site: (www.IHST.org).