Author: Admin
Mar
18
2022
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Posted by Admin
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Combine a highly skilled pilot, a capable helicopter for the environment, and a skilled team of volunteers and you get Helihack. It’s an ambitious and challenging project, placing skilled chainsaw operators high-up by helicopter in otherwise inaccessible mountainous locations.
In late 2017, Cape Town was the first major city in the world to announce it was approaching “Day Zero” – a reference for the day its water supply would largely run dry.
Authorities say they will shut down the municipal water system when the city’s water reservoirs drop to 13.5 percent capacity.
The Helihack project offers one more way to help avoid or at least delay Day Zero by eradicating prolific non-native vegetation in the watersheds surrounding the reservoirs.
The Western Cape mountain ranges cover one of the Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs) for surface water in South Africa. SWSAs cover 8% of South Africa yet supply 50% of the mean annual runoff.
Among the biggest threats to SWSAs are invasive alien vegetation and drought exacerbated by climate change.
[Read More...]
Tags:
AS350
Helicopter Vegetation Eradication
Helihack South Africa
Rotorcraft Pro Airbus Helihack
Rotorcraft Pro Helicopter Vegetation Removal
Rotorcraft Pro Helihack
Utility Helicopter
Mar
14
2022
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Posted by Admin
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RPMN: What is your current position?
My wife, Alison and I own Jerry Trimble Helicopter Inc. We started the company in 2007 with one helicopter and one airplane. We provide primary and advanced flight training in both helicopters and airplanes. Our school is located in McMinnville, Oregon.
RPMN: Tell me about your first flight or experience with helicopters?
I flew with my dad, Robert Trimble, in one of his Bell 47s back in the ‘50s. He worked for Etna Helicopters along with his two partners – Bill Mathews and Erling Hertager.
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Tags:
Jerry Trimble Helicopters
Meet A Rotorcraft Pro
Categories:
Human Interest
Opinion-Editorial
Mar
07
2022
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Posted by Admin
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The air tour industry has been heavily scrutinized in recent years. Whether for safety concerns by the general public and legislators, noise complaints, or limiting access to National Parks, operators in this sector have been faced with challenging times. Intensify the situation with the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and these companies barely continued to keep the lights on this year. Fortunately, air tour operators are resilient and resourceful with helping to address these types of issues. They provide a valued service to passengers who eagerly seek out this mode of sightseeing and who might not otherwise have access to the unique and beautiful locations throughout the world.
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Tags:
Helicoper Tour Operators
TOPS
Tour Operators Program of Safety
Categories:
Helicopter Sectors
Safety
Feb
28
2022
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Posted by Admin
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The employee commitment at Erickson Inc. is like that of a great sports team. The employees are the athletes, the coaches, and even the fans. The term “bad ass” is thrown around amongst employees. They proudly display the company colors and act upon the company culture with personal commitment. In 50 years of business, Erickson has become legendary as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) operation, and as an aerial services company.
A common phrase heard among Erickson employees is “bleeding orange,” which demonstrates the team’s tenaciousness and drive for safety and service. With nearly 800 employees working worldwide, they strive to save both people and property through aerial firefighting and defense missions, while accomplishing civil aviation services with heavy-lift helicopters. They do this with capable hands and an eye on the mission.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Erickson Composite Rotor Blades
founder of Erickson Air-Crane
heli-logging
Jack Erickson
S-64 Air Crane
Sikorsky S-61
Skycrane
Feb
21
2022
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Posted by Admin
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Of course the headline above is a smidge spectacular and only a little dramatic. Although the helicopter industry was negatively impacted by the pandemic, it never really shut down.
Reflecting on this time last year, I remember when the Helicopter Association International made this announcement:
“Until the beginning of 2021, all signs had pointed toward a successful show. Over the past week, as second deposits became due for exhibitors, a large number either pulled out or expressed discomfort with attending or exhibiting. The Board of Directors looked at the numbers and made a difficult decision that continuing with HAI HELI-EXPO 2021 was not in the best interest of the industry.”
[Read More...]
Tags:
Lyn Burks Editor
Rotorcraft Pro
Categories:
Helicopter Sectors
Helicopter Event Coverage
Opinion-Editorial
Feb
14
2022
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Posted by Admin
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Last year may have been a tough year for the world in general due to COVID-19, but there was still lots of good news when it came to the latest and greatest in helicopter technology. Here's what the industry achieved in 2021.
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Tags:
4K cockpit video recording system
AW609 AC4 twin-engine tiltrotor
commercial S-70M
EDAT
electronically distributed anti-torque
helicopter electric motors
hybrid helicopters
S-70M Type Certificate
Vita Rescuer System
Categories:
Helicopter Sectors
Feb
07
2022
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Posted by Admin
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I remember the day my S1 (personnel officer) came into the standardization office and handed me my retirement orders. She asked if I was excited. I had been excited when I submitted for retirement, but now that the orders were in my hand, I was wondering what the hell I did!
It doesn’t matter how prepared you are for your transition; you will feel stress at some point during the process and it isn’t quickly relieved by getting some exercise and sleep. Transition stress is an increased feeling of pressure, anxiety, and/or loss of purpose and direction triggered by a significant period of change or adjustment. Specifically when talking about veterans, transition stress refers to the difficulty of adapting to life after discharge. It is a longing for the way service members lived while on active duty. Other symptoms include depression, loss of identity, difficulty finding meaningful employment, difficulty navigating relationships, and difficulty relating to civilians. Transitional stress is an “identity crisis.” Basically, when you are transitioning, you are losing your identity, and being forced to develop a new one without the support network you had while in the military. If there is anything positive about your transition, it is that everyone goes through it, so you are not alone.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Military to Civilian Transition Helicopters
Military to Civililan Aviation
Categories:
Career Development
Opinion-Editorial
Jan
31
2022
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Posted by Admin
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Since the 19th century, mountain huts high on the Arolla glacier have been maintained by the Swiss Alpine Club and its guardian/managers. These huts are an integral part of the Alps and local culture. For most of those decades the huts were supplied by people and animals. Beasts of burden and highly conditioned guides got the job done. The journey was long and dangerous because of uncertain, hostile weather. The extreme environment limited access to only a select, conditioned few.
Nowadays, restocking supplies and transporting people is done by helicopter. With a few minutes of flight, the helicopter delivers what would take days to do on foot. Up to 700 kilograms (approx. 1,500 pounds) of supplies are packed in bags big enough to give Santa envy. Helicopters make these mountain refuges surrounded by natural beauty accessible to more than the fitness elite. Food, gas, groceries, and wood are flown in a timely manner to serve adventurous travellers with an overnight, relaxing stay and hearty meal
[Read More...]
Tags:
Air-Glacier
Heli-Skiing
Swiss Helicopter Operators
Categories:
Company Profiles
Jan
24
2022
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Posted by Admin
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RPMN: What is your current position?
I am chief flight instructor at the University of North Dakota (UND) and a designated pilot examiner for the FAA. UND Aerospace has been training pilots since 1968 and currently has over one thousand active flight students in fixed-wing, helicopter, and UAS degree programs. As chief flight instructor, I have many responsibilities including the day-to-day operations of the helicopter department, hiring and standardizing instructors, conducting evaluations, and teaching academic classes. We flew a record 126,000 flight hours last year making our home airport of Grand Forks routinely one of the busiest in the country. We’ve operated a number of helicopters over the decades from MD500s to Bell 206s and have transitioned exclusively to the Robinson R44 Cadet this past year.
[Read More...]
Tags:
University of North Dakota Aviation
Wes Van Dell
Categories:
Career Development
Human Interest
Jan
17
2022
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Posted by Admin
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The American Helicopter Museum & Education Center (AHMEC) in West Chester, Pennsylvania, recently unveiled the crown jewel of its collection: the United States Coast Guard (USCG) HOS-1 that played a leading role in one of the most famous rescues in helicopter history. Also known as a Sikorsky R-6, AHMEC’s HOS-1 (#43-45531) and her crew received accolades for saving survivors of a downed Sabena Airlines DC-4 airliner near Gander, Newfoundland, in 1946, earning her the nickname, “The Gander Express.”
[Read More...]
Tags:
AHMEC’s HOS-1 (#43-45531)
Gander Express
Sikorsky R-6
United States Coast Guard (USCG) HOS-1
Categories:
Opinion-Editorial
Human Interest