A program for You

Blue Care© is a unique program that improves:

  • Vigilance
  • Attention span

The Blue Care Aviation Program© is specifically designed for flight crew to fight:

  • Fatigue
  • Stress
  • Hypo-vigilance

This program consists of a wide range of simple and effective techniques such as:

  • Controlled breathing
  • Mental concentration
  • Specific exercises

The aim of Blue Care© is to achieve maximum efficiency with simple fast exercises that can be performed in a confined space.

Via E-learning, this program is:

  • Easy to learn
  • Easy to practice
  • Easy to do

The program responds to the FRM EASA regulations and ICAO FRMS.

For more information about how the Blue Care Program© corresponds to your specific needs, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Claire Duren.

The Blue Care Story

In designing and developing the Blue Care Program©, I have used everything I have learned during my long career as an osteopath and a yoga teacher. My drive for improving health care and wellbeing reached an exciting turning point in the year 2000. Since then, I have been privileged to accompany Isabelle, a Chief Purser for Air France, on numerous flights.

I have been able to witness first-hand the stress and fatigue which flight crews are routinely confronted with. Pilots, pursers and flight attendants have generously shared with me their experience with physical, physiological or psychological stressors. Their contributions have significantly helped my research to define and implement the most suitable and efficient Blue Care Techniques©.

Based on their testimonies and my personal observations, I gradually designed a program of specific exercises for each category of personnel in order to help them recognize, prevent and cope with stressful situations.

The techniques that I have developed have proved popular with flight crews. Positive feedback from staff members who practice the exercises prior to and during flight, confirm that they are able to handle fatigue and stressful situations better.

The development of the Blue Care Program© has also included extensive research with commercial airlines, military aviation, air traffic safety organizations, as well as with the medical world.

 

Timeline

Between 1995 and 2015: Exchange of views and observation phase of flight conditions with flight crews during medium and long haul flights.
January 2009: Flight experience in an Albatros L39 to assess flight conditions in fighter aircraft (position of the pilot in the cockpit, cockpit space, gravity effect).
During 2014: Interviews with cockpit and cabin crews of Brussels Airlines, Air France, Cargolux, British Airways, Qatar Airlines to assess their needs and evaluate different options for practising the techniques on board.
August 2014: Interview with the F-16 solo display pilot.
2012-2014: Interviews with Belgian and French fighter pilots.
August 2014: Exchange of views with Solar Impulse pilots, Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg. Instruction on Blue Care techniques specifically adapted to their flight conditions, i.e. long term flights aboard the SI2 during the Solar Impulse around-the-world flight (Payerne, Switzerland).
December 2014: Final designing phase of the Blue Care© techniques aimed specifically at the flight crew.
March 2015: Presentation of Blue Care© to the IATA Fatigue Risk Management (FRM) Representatives (Montréal, Canada).
April 2015: Exchange of views and assessment of the Blue Care© program with Belgocontrol (Brussels, Belgium).
April 2015: Assessment of the possibility of practising Blue Care© techniques at 2000m altitude in the department of Doctor Manu Cauchy, specialist in mountain health at the Cressy Medical Centre (Onex, Geneva, Switzerland).
August 2015: Immediate Vigilance Cognitive Test “Go – No Go”, when performed on 60 people confirmed substantially the efficiency of the “High Vigilance Blue Care Technique”.
Autumn 2015: Night session observation tests in A320 and A330 flight simulators with Brussels Airlines. Special focus on pilot reactions when confronted with difficult situations.
March 2016: Creation of Blue Care Productions Ltd.
April 2016: Agreement between Blue Care© and Brussels Airlines.
May 2016: Following the terrorist attacks on 22nd March at Brussels International Airport, Blue Care© presented a video to help Brussels Airlines ground personnel to alleviate their stress levels.
July, August, October, November 2016: Instruction on the Blue Care© techniques to F16 fighter pilots at the Kleine Brogel Air Base in Belgium.
October 2016: Blue Care© is in the air!
October 2016: The Blue Care© Program is available on the I.T. systems of Brussels Airlines flight crew.
September 2017: Introduction of personal Blue Care© sessions.
December 2019: Began training courses for medical staff at Chirec Hospital Group, Belgium.
January 2020: Creation of the world’s first Blue Care Space where medical staff can come to focus, breathe and relax. Chirec Delta, Brussels.
January 2020: Contribution as expert consultant to the Fatigue Safety Action Group meeting at Brussels Airlines.