Behind the Scenes of 56 Seconds to Live

Giving thanks to the amazing team that produced 56 Seconds to Live. Day One at Airbus Helicopters, Grand Prairie, Texas “Action!” On Sep. 21, 2020, videographer Sheldon Cohen of Cohen Pictures began filming the first take of 56 Seconds to Live, a short video depicting the fate of an errant helicopter pilot who continues VFR flight into poor weather. The US Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) based the film on the well-known 178 Seconds to Live video for airplane pilots. The intent was to dramatically illustrate how much more quickly a helicopter pilot can lose control than a fixed-wing pilot following unintended flight into instrument meteorological conditions (UIMC). Laurel Bowman, 56 Seconds Director “US accident statistics reveal that a helicopter pilot who unintentionally continues VFR flight into IMC will very likely lose control of their aircraft and be dead within a median time of 56 seconds,” says Nick Mayhew, USHST’s industry co-chair. “We must join industry stakeholders to do everything we can to reverse this alarming and unacceptable trend.” HAI answered the call. “When I learned about the 56 Seconds to Live concept, I was all in,” says HAI President and CEO Jim Viola.  “HAI, through its foundation, was pleased to