After two years of training, more than 200 flight hours, dozens of exams, and training in Montenegro and the United States, Adnan Salihagić, Kerim Habibović, Fuad Brčić, and Amir Bajrović are today the first generation of pilots of the newly formed Helicopter Unit of the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton (MUP KS). They are qualified as co-pilots for the Bell 412 EPX – an aircraft from whose cockpit they will have to make quick decisions during police interventions, search and rescue missions, medical evacuations, and firefighting, often on challenging terrain and in situations where time can be crucial.
For Kerim Habibović, flying didn’t start with the Bell, or with training for the new unit. His father took him to an airplane for the first time, telling him that he, too, would be a pilot one day.
From the age of fourteen, Habibović flew gliders, and later airplanes, confident that he knew the feeling of flying very well. And then, for the first time, he sat at the controls of a helicopter.
“I never thought that a helicopter would leave such an impression on me. It was very different from everything I had learned and gotten used to up until then. I had to apply a completely different mindset and build a new operating habit,” Habibović recalled in an interview with Fena.
He describes the first flight as both demanding and exciting. Operating a helicopter required a completely new coordination of hands and feet. Moving one control requires a reaction from the others, and it took hours of flight time to adopt this new way of flying.
Today he says he has fulfilled his childhood dream, but the job he is preparing for is far from a romantic notion of flying. The pilots of the Helicopter Unit will have to respond to situations that don’t always come with a pre-planned route, fixed departure and landing times, or a calm flight plan. Amir Bajrović sees this as one of the key differences between civil and police aviation.
“Most tasks come out of nowhere and require an urgent response, often within a short timeframe,” he says.
This can mean flying over urban areas, mountains, or hard-to-reach terrain, by day or night, and in changing weather conditions. That is why, Bajrović says, flying knowledge and the ability to control the helicopter alone are not enough for a pilot.
“Making quick decisions, remaining calm, and the ability to assess risks are of paramount importance,” he emphasizes.
A pilot is not alone. They are part of an operational team that, depending on the intervention, can include police and special units, mountain rescuers, medical personnel, and other emergency services. Therefore, trust among the people entering such a mission together is just as important as technical readiness. For Fuad Brčić, some of the toughest situations will be those where the speed of the intervention puts the most pressure on the pilots. He highlights firefighting and urgent medical evacuations. Above a fire, a pilot can simultaneously face smoke, high temperatures, turbulence, strong winds, and challenging terrain, all while monitoring the helicopter’s status, altitude, and position, and coordinating with the crew and teams on the ground. Circumstances are different during a medical evacuation, but the responsibility is no less severe. Time can decide the outcome for a patient, while the pilot must find a location they can safely approach or land on.
“Every minute can count, but the safety of the crew and patients always comes first. The goal is to be as fast and efficient as possible, but never to compromise flight safety,” Brčić said.
That exact line between the need to react as quickly as possible and the duty not to make an unsafe move is one of the greatest responsibilities they carry. For Adnan Salihagić, that responsibility begins even before stepping into the helicopter. The first pre-flight check, he says, is not of the aircraft, but of the pilot himself.
“A pilot must be completely healthy, well-rested, and mentally prepared. Any fatigue, a cold, stress, or dehydration means the pilot is not fit to fly,” Salihagić emphasized in an interview with Fena.
Only then comes the briefing, mission analysis, checking wind, visibility, cloud base, routes, potential landing spots, and alternative airports or helipads in case of an unforeseen situation. The aircraft’s weight and balance, fuel quantity, and performance are calculated, followed by a detailed inspection of the helicopter. The main and tail rotors, transmission, hydraulic fluids and oils, joints, and fuselage are all checked for any signs of leaks or damage. After that, cockpit checks, engine startup, and systems controls take place.
“Real, critical system checks on such a complex aircraft are conducted only after engine startup,” Salihagić says.
Pilots adopted this way of thinking through intensive schooling that started at the Flight Academy Montenegro in Podgorica. They first completed training for the private pilot helicopter license, and after more than 200 flight hours and a practical exam, they earned their professional CPL(H) license. They also passed the theoretical ATPL(H) training in line with EASA standards, which covers 14 subjects, including meteorology, navigation, air law, aircraft general knowledge, performance, mass and balance, communications, and human performance and limitations. For Salihagić, the next stage represented the biggest change: going to Texas for the Initial Type Rating for the Bell 412 EPX. Until then, most of his training had been conducted on the Robinson R44. He describes the difference between the two aircraft not through technical specifications, but with a visual comparison.
“Transitioning from the R44 to the Bell 412 EPX is literally like switching from driving a small city car to the cockpit of a state-of-the-art jet. The difference in size, power, and performance is huge,” says Salihagić.
He was especially impressed by the Bell’s power reserve and responsiveness, as well as its digital avionics, which allow the pilot to maintain an overview of key information during complex flights. Fuad Brčić describes the Bell 412 EPX as a stable and predictable aircraft, which is especially valuable to pilots in challenging circumstances. The helicopter features two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T-9 engines and a modern digital cockpit, while its performance and payload capacity allow it to be used for a wide range of operations.
However, when speaking about the helicopter, the pilots quickly return to what is expected of the people inside it. The terrain of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of those challenges that technology alone cannot overcome. Habibović emphasizes that the mountains, forests, and terrain layout require pilots to know the area well and be extra prepared, while fog, wind, and other weather conditions can further complicate any mission. The Bell is equipped with weather radar and navigation systems that offer great assistance to the crew, but the final decisions are still made by the people in the cockpit.
For the four of them, a special burden—and a professional challenge—is the fact that they are not joining a unit with decades-old rules and the experience of predecessors to rely on. They are the first generation.
“Few pilots get the opportunity to participate in building a completely new unit,” Bajrović said.
For this reason, their job is much more than just flying.
“We are not only building an operational team, but also operational standards, procedures, training methods, and a safety culture that will be left for future generations of pilots and crew members,” he emphasized.
This is where he sees one of the greatest responsibilities of his generation—to one day be able to pass on to others what they are learning now. The pilots are currently qualified as co-pilots on the Bell 412 EPX, and in the coming period, they will gain additional experience alongside instructors before independently executing all operational missions. Bajrović says he would like them to be the ones who, after years of experience, will train new generations of flight crew, technical, and operational personnel in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Habibović shares a similar view, seeing the unit’s future in further development and creating opportunities for new pilots to one day train and advance their skills in their own country, Fena writes.
