FAA Safety Briefing Magazine of March 2026

FAA Safety Briefing Magazine, March 3, 2026

The FAA Safety Policy Voice of Non-commercial General Aviation

The FAA Safety Briefing Magazine is packed with great content for the non‑commercial General Aviation community.

Although the magazine usually focuses on fixed‑wing GA topics, the March 2026 issue takes a different direction: it’s entirely dedicated to rotorcraft.

This makes it a great opportunity to explore rotorcraft‑specific safety risks, operations, and maintenance.

While the articles are primarily written for a U.S. audience, most of the topics naturally translate to a European context and will be useful to readers here as well.

You’ll find a strong lineup of rotorcraft‑focused articles, all highlighted below:

Table of Content

Safety By Segment
Navigating the Diverse Risks in the Rotorcraft Community
By Lee Roskop, FAA’s Aircraft Certification Service

A Virtual Approach to the Real Future
Researching Virtual Reality to Make Helicopter Training Better
By James Williams, FAA Safety Briefing Magazine

High Stakes at Low Altitudes
FAA Oversight in the Demanding World of Medical Helicopter Operations
By Jahrod Coates, FAA’s Office of Aviation Safety

From Fixed-wing to Whirlybird
Lift Your Flying Career with a Helicopter Rating
By Rebekah Waters, FAA Safety Briefing Magazine

Vertical Value
Checklist: FAA resources and safety reminders
By James Williams, FAA Safety Briefing Magazine

The U-S-H-S-T
Find Out What It Means for Helicopter Safety
By Nicole Hartman, FAA Safety Briefing Magazine

A Beginner’s Guide to Rotorcraft Terminology
On Final: an editor’s perspective
By Tom Hoffman, FAA Safety Briefing Magazine

Procedural Pitfalls
Nuts, Bolts, and Electrons: GA maintenance issues
By Rebekah Waters, FAA Safety Briefing Magazine

Watch Out for Bad Vibes
Aeromedical Advisory: a checkup on all things aeromedical
By Dr. Susan Northrup, FAA Federal Air Surgeon

Brian Seibel, FAA’s General Aviation and Commercial Division
Faces: FAA employee profile
By Tom Hoffmann, FAA Safety Briefing Magazine

References

FAA Safety Briefing Magazine – Medium, March 2026 articles

Note: The European equivalent to the US Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) is the European Safety Promotion Network Rotorcraft (ESPN-R).
Both regional teams are members of the Vertical Aviation Safety Team (VAST):

European Safety Promotion Network Rotorcraft (ESPN-R) | EASA
USHST – U.S. Helicopter Safety Team
Vertical Aviation Safety Team: Home - VAST