Disclaimer:
This is not Air Greenland’s official procedure.
It is based solely on my own experience as a Hoist Operator.
For fully accurate and updated information,
please contact Air Greenland directly through their official website.

Hoist Operator Requirements – Based on My Own Experience

Disclaimer:This is not Air Greenland’s official procedure. It is based solely on my own experience as a Hoist Operator. For fully accurate and updated information, please contact Air Greenland directly through their official website.

There are no officially published online documents describing the exact requirements for becoming a Hoist Operator/Rescue Specialist with Air Greenland. However, I can outline the general process as it has worked so far:

1. Language Requirements

Applicants must be able to speak:

  • Greenlandic – as we work directly with Greenlandic people in distress during SAR missions.

  • English – as our manuals are written in English, and it is the primary operational language in the helicopter and within aviation procedures.

2. Initial Application Screening

All applications are reviewed, and candidates who clearly do not match the basic requirements are screened out early.

This may include:

  • Residence issues

  • Missing information

  • Relevant history or background factors

  • Other obvious mismatches

3. Residency Requirement

  • The applicant must live in Greenland or be able to be physically present in Nuuk on the day they are required to report for duty.

4. Background & Security Checks

  • Applicants must have a clean criminal record.

  • They must also be eligible for a security clearance through PET (Danish Security and Intelligence Service), as SAR personnel operate in international airports and restricted areas.

5. Physical Test

6. Psychological Profiling

Candidates undergo a psychological profile evaluation conducted by an external psychologist hired by Air Greenland.

The psychologist’s feedback carries significant weight in determining who progresses.

7. Aviation Medical Class 2

Applicants must pass an Aviation Medical Class 2 examination.

This is typically covered by Air Greenland.

8. HUET Certification

Candidates must complete and pass HUET – Helicopter Underwater Escape Training, also generally funded by Air Greenland.

9. Interview Stage

Final-stage candidates attend individual interviews with:

  • A Hoist Operator Instructor

  • The Chief Pilot or Deputy Chief Pilot

  • The psychologist

Based on these interviews and the full application package, Air Greenland decides who is offered a position.

10. Education stage

The Hoist Operator / Rescue Specialist training is conducted after employment with Air Greenland and is carried out by Air Greenland’s Hoist Operator instructors.