The AHNA Training Center in Grand Prairie, Texas, has long been a USAIG Safety Bucks program participant. This program enables policyholders that operate turbine-powered helicopters to select US$2,500 in Safety Bucks to go toward helicopter pilot or maintenance technician training expenses in each year of policy coverage.

USAIG started the Safety Bucks program in the 1990s to assist and incentivize policyholders to make recurrent helicopter simulator training standard practice. It was later expanded to include helicopter maintenance technician training and some in-aircraft training activities. In 2015 it was integrated into USAIG’s broader Performance Vector safety initiative, which provides a portfolio of safety services from which eligible policyholders can make one annual selection.

Kevin Kovarik, USAIG Senior Vice-President and Lead for Rotary Wing Underwriting, said: “Safety Bucks is a great option as the annual safety benefit for many of our helicopter policyholders. We are proud to boost the reach and positive impact of our policyholders’ safety and training resources, and excited to continue expanding opportunities with Airbus Helicopters.”

USAIG and Airbus Helicopters recognize that IIMC training addresses a critical safety threat faced by the entire helicopter industry. This has triggered a discussion about how USAIG could encourage its policyholders to have pilots attend the IIMC course, and a limited-time opportunity was born.

USAIG and the AHNA Training Center will extend the value of a $2,500 USAIG Safety Bucks certificate to fully cover one pilot’s full IIMC course tuition (currently a $3,900 value) for courses booked within the remainder of calendar year 2020 and commenced before July 1, 2021. Safety Bucks will retain their standard face value when applied to any other AHNA Training Center courses.

“We believe the IIMC course is a must-have for any helicopter pilot,” said Lindsay Cunningham, Head of Customer Training for AHNA, “and this limited-time offer is a great way for operators who are USAIG policyholders to benefit from the course while deriving maximum advantage from their Safety Bucks.”

USAIG continually upgrades its popular Performance Vector suite of safety programs to keep pace with changes and improvements in aviation safety protocols.