THE YEAR ON YEAR INCREASE IN THE WATERLINE length of Superyachts has afforded designers, clients and builders the opportunity to build ever more imaginative and challenging vessels. Thus enabling the provision of ever more exotic tenders of which the helicopter is no longer a rarity, especially in explorer yachts and support vessels. Commensurate with the growth of embarked aviation has been a gradual shift in emphasis towards the helicopter being viewed as much an integrated part of the Superyacht as a Gymnasium, Jacuzzi or the fire suppressant system. This change in emphasis has been brought about largely due to legislation which came into force to protect all those involved with embarked helicopter activity by ensuring that the operations are carried out in a safe manner to recognised standards and practices. The current legislation has drawn heavily on the experience of the offshore oil industry which in turn gained much its knowledge from the military who pioneered embarked helicopter operations. Both of these environments are harsh, unforgiving and demand high degrees of skill, reliability from the aircraft and high levels of cooperation from the ship or platform. I know from personal experience that safely recovering to a ship in a gale when miles away from land demands teamwork of the highest order. Of course, most current helicopter operations to Superyachts take place during daylight in relatively benign environments close to land in calm seas. However, with the advent of larger explorer yachts with ice class certification and hangarage, the temptation to push the boundaries of current practice is perfectly understandable and it will not benlong before night landings…

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