Aircraft Servicing Ramp Attendants and Aircraft Servicing Personnel Passengers Safety in and Around Helicopters 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: 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. 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. 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. 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. When boarding— 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. 8-4 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  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.