A better choice: It’s OK to STAY It’s not easy to tell a client that approaching bad weather means their flight won’t take off as scheduled. Facing the disappointment—often anger—that results can put the pilot in a compromised position, without the resources to respond appropriately. Too often in the past, the mindset has been: Success is measured only by taking off. Not anymore. At VERTICON on Mar. 11, the VAI Safety Industry Advisory Council (IAC) launched the It’s OK to STAY campaign, a new initiative built in partnership with the US Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) as part of an active Helicopter Safety Enhancement (H-SE) project. The new enhancement calls on the industry to strengthen pilot judgment, improve decision-making under pressure, and reduce accidents driven by weather, urgency, and external expectations. Rather than present the effort as just a call for more-conservative go/no-go decisions, the IAC worked to gather existing resources, develop practical tools, and share real-world examples in a more approachable way, recognizing that pilots are often skeptical of messaging framed solely around “being conservative” from the outset. It’s OK to STAY is a positive, action-oriented approach that, in addition to emphasizing sound judgment and improved decision-making, focuses on clear, effective communication and successful mission outcomes before takeoff. It’s OK to STAY promotes data-driven risk management and problem-solving techniques that keep both customers and crews safe. The client scenario is just one example of the central message of It’s OK to STAY: to make the smart choice to stay on the ground when conditions aren’t right. The campaign also addresses the ability to embrace a personal safety culture, accept the pilot’s role as the decision-making authority, and become proficient in communicating the no-go decision. By telling pilots, “It’s OK to STAY,” the USHST and VAI are redefining the concept of what makes a flight successful: It’s one that comes to a safe conclusion—even if that means the flight never left the ground. For more information, visit the It’s OK to STAY web page or read the March 2026 POWER UP article.
