Written by SOURCE: www.competentaviators.com
The article by Alex Pollitt explores the sterile cockpit rule. Originally a fixed-wing regulation that prohibits non-essential activity and conversation during critical phases of flight, the author examines how it applies in helicopter operations, where flight profiles and workloads are much more variable.
The rule’s origin is explained, its regulatory basis, and why in helicopter flying it functions less as a strict rule and more as a judgement-based skill tied to workload management.
The author argues that recognising when to invoke a sterile cockpit requires interpreting changing task demands and that all crew members (not just the pilots) should be empowered to call for a sterile aircraft when cognitive workload is high, making it a broader crew resource management tool rather than just silence during certain flight phases.
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