Harbor pilots increasingly turn to helicopters for transfers because aviation offers significant advantages in both safety and efficiency. Unlike the traditional method of boarding ships via rope ladders from small pilot boats-often in rough seas and poor visibility-helicopter transfers eliminate many of the physical risks pilots face during vessel boarding.
Aviation is governed by strict safety standards, with tightly regulated procedures, trained crews, and aircraft maintained to the highest standards. Helicopter transfers also give pilots valuable time back by reducing transit and boarding durations, allowing them to support more vessel movements in less time. At high-volume, strategically important ports, this added productivity helps maintain fluid operations, minimizes costly delays, and ensures pilots arrive at their job fresh and ready to navigate!