Article

Guide to Helicopter/Ship Operations


published on 13 July 2021 208 -

The ICS Guide to Helicopter/Ship Operations is the industry standard best practice guide for shipping companies, ships’ crew and helicopter operators. Written for both those in the air and those at sea, this important interface document helps all those involved in helicopter/ship operations become familiar with the important technical aspects of these complex operations.

The fifth edition provides the latest guidance on standardised procedures and facilities for helicopter/ship operations worldwide, and encourages safe and efficient performance in the field. The Guide has been fully updated to reflect the most up-to-date advice from industry experts in both the maritime and aviation sectors. For ships to which the International Safety Management (ISM) Code applies, this Guide may also help in developing shipboard operating procedures and requirements for the various helicopter operations that may be undertaken on board.
New in the fifth edition:
  • Updated guidance on transferring marine pilots directly to the bridge wing by winch, including associated risk assessments.
  • A detailed list of abbreviations and definitions from the maritime and aviation industry.
  • Expanded information on the requirements specific to different ship types.
  • Revised layout and checklists to better reflect human factors.
The Guide should be carried on board every ship and should be accessible to ships’ Masters, officers and crew, helicopter pilots and operators.
What's your opinion on this?
Login or register to write comments and join the discussion!
Read more...

Article Sustainability Thinking in Maritime Pilotage Training: Barriers, Enablers, Drivers, and Risks

by Ship senior pilot Seyed Behbood Issazadeh - published on 15 June 2026

This study addresses that gap by examining sustainability thinking not simply as an issue of awareness, but as a problem of training integration in a safety-critical professional context.

1

Video Entrainement sur simulateur des pilotes maritimes du Havre-Fécamp

published on 18 August 2022

Entrainement sur simulateur des pilotes du Havre-Fécamp : pilotage des barges transportant les embases gravitaires du champ éolien offshore de Fécamp. Plus de 500 H de formation et de travail préparatoire ont été nécessaires pour préparer ces opérations de pilotage portuaire exceptionnelles

0

Article What is a pilot boat?

published on 9 January 2023

A pilot boat is a specialized vessel that is used to transport pilots to and from ships that are entering or leaving port. Pilot boats are typically small, fast vessels that are designed to operate in a variety of weather conditions and sea states.

0

Video Port of Los Angeles: Career RePORT - Port Pilots Edition

published on 8 May 2021

Career RePORT encourages all students and educators to submit questions you want to ask a Port of Los Angeles employee: what kind of job they do at the Port, how they entered their career field, who their favorite superhero is, or what they made for dinner last night. This episode features John Mayer, Port Pilot. In his role, John: - Drives the 400-meter container ships containing goods in and out of the Port every day. - Safely navigates the cruise ships that are transitioning to and...

0

Article The continuum of simulator-based maritime training and education

published on 23 November 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to the maritime supply chain and called for accelerated adoption of digital technologies in various aspects of maritime operations, including the area of maritime education and training (MET).

0

Video Pilot boarding via Helicopter in Melbourne, Australia

published on 4 October 2022

Video by Maksym Kunchev. Thank you!

0

Video “Harbor Pilot” 1960s Los Angeles Harbor Freighters & Ships Education Film

published on 25 June 2020

Harbor Pilot is a short film from 1967 that gives viewers a brief look at what a harbor pilot is and does. The film opens with footage of a sailboat sailing at sea, followed by a shot of a rocky coastline (01:10) and then an aerial view of a modern harbor — the Port of Los Angeles. A large freight ship, SS Gemstone, is out at sea. A harbor pilot stands on land at the Port of Los Angeles, looking out over the harbor. He walks into the pilot station at the entrance to the harbor to check the...

0

Video Oil Tanker Safety: Tug Escorts, Marine Pilots, and Partnership with Scia’new First Nation

published on 26 May 2026

Alberta's government is proposing to partner with Indigenous communities to build a new West Coast oil export project. In B.C. waters, oil tanker spill prevention depends on locally operated escort tugboats and expert local marine pilots, who safely guide tankers in and out of port. On the southern tip of Vancouver Island, escort tugboats are operated in partnership with the Scia’new First Nation in the community’s territorial waters.

0

Video Finnpilot boarding M/S Aurora Botnia. Cargoship Fiona Sea.

published on 4 September 2021

zero emission Ferry

0