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Nov
14
2025
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Posted by Admin
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RPMN: What is your current position?
B206 L3 pilot for JAARS in Papua New Guinea (South Pacific/Oceania)
RPMN: Tell me about your first experience with helicopters.
My first experience in helicopters was at Cairns Army Airfield in Daleville, Alabama. I remember it being a hot, humid, and sweaty day. I was an Army flight school student (Warrant Officer) going out for my first flight during the “contact” phase of initial training. My instructor easily picked the orange and white TH-67 Creek (Bell Jet Ranger) up to a hover and nudged through ETL. Next thing I knew he said “you have the flight controls”, and I had them!
I had to work hard to keep the airspeed, altitude and heading anywhere close to the minimum standard on our way to our assigned heliport, but overall I thought, “This isn’t so hard! I think I’ll get the hang of this pretty quickly.”
I was immediately brought back to reality when I attempted my first “execute approach and terminate to a hover” sequence. I could feel the joy radiating out of my IP as we watched the helicopter easily put me and my proud self back in our rightful place. Hovering became a reality a few flight hours later, and it was very sweet indeed!
[Read More...]
Tags:
Greg Raychard JAARS
Meet A Rotor Pro
Categories:
Human Interest
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Nov
13
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Who or what is Centum and why might you care? For over 15 years, Centum, headquartered in Vigo, Spain, has been designing and developing mission airborne systems that assist search and rescue (SAR), intelligence, surveillance and recognition (ISR), maritime surveillance, firefighting, emergency communications, and border-control missions.
So, why should you care? Well, if you’re ever lost in need of help, or are looking for the lost in a SAR mission, you jolly well will care! Let’s say you’re flying a SAR mission. Chances are very good that the person you’re seeking has some sort of cellphone and that’s very good for you—and them. Centum’s Lifeseeker airborne phone location system is based on the premise that the cell phone is the world’s most widespread beacon and it turns cellphones into emergency beacons capable of guiding rescue teams to a lost person’s exact location. The system also allows rescue teams to communicate with the missing person—without the need for that person to do anything—and has proven itself in thousands of successful missions over five continents.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Centum
Helicopter Search and Rescue
Lifeseeker
Categories:
Human Interest
Helicopter Sectors
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Nov
10
2025
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Posted by Admin
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This year’s Fire Blade exercise marked the third time Hungary has hosted the event, following previous editions in 2017 and 2022. The exercise was designed to offer helicopter operators from multiple European nations the opportunity to train together using common tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), and to plan and execute complex missions in a multinational environment. The training was conducted in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of the Multinational Helicopter Training Center’s (MHTC) Helicopter Exercise Program (HEP). The Fire Blade exercise primarily focuses on live firing, enabling aircrews to train and refine their proficiency in the effective use of their weapon systems. The goal is to enhance tactical-level interoperability between rotary- and fixed-wing aviation units through the Composite Air Operations (COMAO) concept. The exercise simulates a realistic and demanding joint and combined operational environment, integrating both air and land operations.
[Read More...]
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Nov
03
2025
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Posted by Admin
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The longevity of the growing international aerospace mission equipment company could be in their philosophy of “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Just ask their 600+ employees, many with decades at the company.
DART Aerospace, a worldwide company with over 600 employees, has provided helicopter mission equipment, parts, and accessories directly to operators, OEMs, MROs, and strategic partners for over 50 years. Their success has been a result of their vision in the design, manufacture, and installation of mission-critical helicopter equipment, as well as augmenting services through the acquisition of key partner companies. Now, they are looking to the future of the vertical lift industry, with not only innovative helicopter solutions but also drones, and vehicles like electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, a testament to their unwavering commitment to innovation.
Since its founding in June 1975, the company has been dedicated to solving customer challenges, according to Aerial Firefighting Business Unit Manager Michael Lee.
[Read More...]
Tags:
DART 50th Anniversary
DART Aerospace
Categories:
Company Profiles
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Oct
27
2025
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Posted by Admin
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As we navigate the complexities of 2025, the European helicopter sector stands as a beacon of resilience and innovation amid global uncertainties. It’s a compelling, if complex, story defined by geopolitical tension on one side and sustainable innovation on the other.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Editor Lyn Burks
Rotor Pro Editor's Letter
Categories:
Opinion-Editorial
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Oct
19
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Many times, while flying a UH-60 Blackhawk while stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, I thought about how great this job is! There were also many times I thought about potential job prospects that would be available to me as a helicopter pilot in the civilian world if I decided to leave the military. To be honest, I overvalued my military experience and how it would transfer to the civilian aviation market. I thought: What company wouldn’t want to hire me? I flew one of the most advanced military helicopters at the time and I was well trained. I flew VIP’s, conducted many sling-load, firefighting, disaster relief, IFR and NVG operations. I was a catch! I would easily walk into one of those corporate aviation departments I heard so much about, and walk out with a job offer. I was wrong.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Michael Toth
Military to Civilian Aviation
Categories:
Career Development
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Oct
13
2025
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Posted by Admin
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The 2916th Aviation Battalion ‘Raptors’ at the United States Army National Training Center play a vital role in preparing combat units for tomorrow’s fight.
Located in San Bernardino County, California, and surrounded by the hills of the Mojave Desert, the National Training Center at Fort Irwin is one of the largest training areas in the U.S. Measuring roughly 1,000 square miles, the area has the approximate acreage of Rhode Island. The harsh environment with high temperatures, occasional strong winds, and rugged terrain makes this area the ideal setting for training Armored Brigade Combat Teams and units from other services and allies.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Raptors
The 2916th Aviation Battalion
United States Army National Training Center
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Oct
06
2025
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Posted by Admin
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The terms “air medical service” (AMS) and “cool” just seem to naturally go together when it comes to rotorcraft advances. Here’s what’s happening on the rotorcraft AMS front now…
Pivotal eVTOL: Proving Itself for AMS
Pivotal’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft (pivotal.aero) is an eight-motor, single-person vehicle that takes off and lands vertically yet flies horizontally like a fixed-wing aircraft. It has already impressed the general aircraft critics by winning the Gold 2025 Edison Award in The Future of Personal Flight & Drive. The Pivotal eVTOL has also impressed the San Bernardino County (Cal.) Fire District by showing off its skill during a public demonstration on 23 June 2025.
“The demonstration highlighted the potential of eVTOL technology to dramatically reduce response times and overcome traditional barriers like traffic congestion, natural terrain, or rural distances,” stated an SBCFD news release after the event. “Our goal was to evaluate if this aircraft could deliver a paramedic safely, with gear and whole blood, to improve patient outcomes in the real world. This aircraft represents a powerful new tool in time-sensitive trauma care.”
[Read More...]
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Sep
26
2025
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Posted by Admin
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RPMN: What is your current position?
I am the CEO of Aerotoscana, a Chilean helicopter company. I serve as the chief pilot, flying a Robinson R66 primarily for agricultural operations, including frost control and fruit drying, with a special focus on Chile’s cherry growers. I carry out this work alongside my wife, a team of engineers, and strong accounting support, allowing us to perform each operation with the highest level of dedication and professionalism.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Aerotoscana
Felipe Reitz Lobo
Helicopter Cherry Drying Chile
Helicopter tours Patagonia chile
Heliglamping chile
Categories:
Company Profiles
Human Interest
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Sep
22
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Air medical providers across the U.S. are united in their dedication to safe and reliable service for the communities they serve. Unfortunately, even highly dependable organizations are making compromises to their in-service rates, fleet composition, response times, and coverage areas as they face workforce instability, system fragmentation, and financial pressures. These are some of the operational challenges confronting the modern air medical system requiring attention. Fortunately, there are policy and practice opportunities that can help improve air medical operations.
Rotor Pro took the opportunity to seek the insights of three individuals in the industry with differing backgrounds and perspectives in order to learn more about the challenges and opportunities facing the air medical services industry. We jumped at the chance to learn more from:
Brett Reeder, president of the National EMS Pilots Association (NEMSPA)
Kyle Danielson, founder and principal consultant for Flightline Strategy
Steve Soliz, HEMS segment manager for Bell Flight
[Read More...]
Tags:
Air Medical Services Challenges
Air Medical Services Legistlation
Air Medical Services Opportunities
Air Medical Services Pilot Shortage
Categories:
Helicopter Sectors