Author: Admin
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Jun
05
2023
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Posted by Admin
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FlightSafety International trains pilots for anything, but the truest test of its efficacy is in the cockpit. In one helicopter pilot’s case, that training is the reason he believes he and his crew survived a dangerous situation.
Sgt. David Sizemore had seen a lot in his more than 13,000 flight hours. But during a December 2020 flight in his Ohio State Highway Patrol helicopter, he faced the biggest challenge as a pilot.
Encountering inadvertent instrument meteorological conditions (IIMC) – occurring suddenly after a successful mission assisting law enforcement – required Sizemore to react quickly to the emergency situation. His immediate actions would make the difference in he and his crewmember returning home safely.
[Read More...]
Tags:
flightsafety
Simulator Instructor
Simulator Training
Categories:
Safety
Training
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May
29
2023
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Posted by Admin
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There is no doubt that implementing safety management systems (SMS) leads to safer, more predictable flight operations for helicopter and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) owners/operators. Although larger helicopter operators have had the resources to launch in-house SMS for years, many smaller helicopter operators have found the implementation/maintenance of safety management to be outside their reach. (Note: UAS companies can learn about UAS-specific SMS through the International Civil Aviation’s website.)
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Tags:
helicopter operators
safety management systems
SMS
Categories:
Safety
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May
22
2023
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Posted by Admin
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RPMN: What is your current position?
My dream job: experimental test pilot and instructor pilot for The Boeing Company in Mesa, Arizona. I primarily fly the AH-64E Apache and AH-6 Little Bird but I get to fly other helicopters and airplanes too, which provides lots of variety. The flight tests we conduct range from benign testing (new radios, software upgrades, etc.) to exciting experimental tests including weapons firing, testing new rotor blades and things of that nature. I work with a great group of pilots and support staff, which truly makes this my dream job. Besides, I do not know many civilian pilots that get to shoot miniguns off helicopters; I consider myself fortunate. On the side, I am also an FAA designated pilot examiner (DPE) in helicopters for private pilot through initial CFI certificates. Arizona’s great weather makes this area perfect for year-round flying so naturally there is a concentration of flight schools. The other FAA authorizations I have allow me to do special medical flight tests, military competency activities, foreign pilot license conversions and a few other things. I am active in local aviation organizations including being an FAA Safety Team representative, I am a co-chair for the annual HAI Heli-Expo Military to Civilian Transition Workshop and I work as an expert witness for aircraft accident lawsuits.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Boeing Helicopters
helicopter experimental test pilot
helicopter instructor pilot
Meet A Rotor Pro
Scott Tinnesand
Categories:
Human Interest
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May
16
2023
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Posted by Admin
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On the side of a busy road on the way to Mount Rushmore in Custer, South Dakota, there’s a sign that reads, “Helicopter Tours, Walk-ins Welcome”. Curiosity and the pull of adventure brings many visitors off the road and into Black Hills Aerial Adventures (BHAA). Outside sits three helicopters with sharp new high contrast paint featuring some of the topography that surrounds the scenic setting. Inside, you’ll be greeted by friendly faces explaining the different tour options that they provide tourists, honeymooners, and families from all over the world. You’d be forgiven for thinking that this is just another tour operator in one of America’s most popular destinations, but behind the scenes there is so much more going on.
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Tags:
Black Hills Aerial Adventures
Helicopter tour Operations
Categories:
Company Profiles
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May
08
2023
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Posted by Admin
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When Todd Tetzlaff Talks… People Listen
“I’m really good at dumbing things down because I’m not that bright,” says the man who is now leading the revival of past-bankrupt Enstrom Helicopter Corporation, based in Menominee, Michigan. In a relaxed interview that spanned over an hour at this year’s recent HAI Expo in Atlanta, one gets the sense that Todd Tetzlaff is completely candid when he confesses his shortcoming. No, not because the aircraft engineering technology graduate from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is “not that bright.” After all, Tetzlaff has held FAA engineering designee privileges with flight analyst and structural authorities for over 20 years and is also a certified private fixed- and commercial rotary-wing pilot. He bilingually and fluently speaks the advanced languages of engineers and pilots. He also was the object of a decades long tug-of-war between Enstrom Helicopter and Gulfstream for his abilities, when he bounced back and forth between helicopters and jets until helicopters won. Of course, he humbly doesn’t see himself as an object of pursuit; he was the pursuer and just grateful to be working in aerospace.
[Read More...]
Tags:
President and CEO of Enstrom Helicopter Corp.
Rotor Pro Executive Watch
Todd Tetzlaff
Categories:
Career Development
Human Interest
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May
01
2023
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Posted by Admin
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Unfortunately for the industry, the recurring theme is that there are still many external forces impacting the supply of working helicopter pilots. These forces are not only keeping the supply lines short of personnel, but stifling the growth of the base pilot pool as well.
As previously published in the 2021-2022 Salary Survey Report, the forces creating havoc for industry operators stem from many factors to include; aging pilots retiring en-mass, aggressive airline recruitment of helicopter pilots, and the retraction of pilot training pipelines from traditional sources like civilian academies and the U.S. Military. But don’t just take it from us, operators from every sector are feeling the pinch.Tony Bonham, VP of Aviation for Air Evac Lifeteam, one of the largest operators in the U.S., reflected on the situation, "Due to pilot shortages, helicopter air ambulance operators in general are struggling to fill positions at bases all over the U.S. It has become critical in some areas to the degree that some bases are being run part-time. Not only is this not good for business, but it provides less service to the communities we serve.”
[Read More...]
Tags:
Helicopter Industry Salaries
Helicopter Pilots Salaries
Helicopter Pilots Salary Survey Report
Pilot Pay
Pilot Salaries
Rotor Pro Salary Survey Report
Categories:
Career Development
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Apr
24
2023
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Posted by Admin
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Despite a volatile global economy, the vertical lift industry seems to be holding its own. At Heli-Expo 2023 in Atlanta, one of the common themes from the manufacturers was that sales and production was back above pre-pandemic levels.
At one Heli-Expo briefing, CEO Bruno Even and President Romain Trapp of Airbus Helicopters provided a market forecast. Even indicated that the helicopter market is strong and over 20 years they expect to deliver 16,200 helicopters worth 120 billion euros (approx. $130 billion). He said the helicopter market is recovering and that private and business aviation is growing, with the civil market exceeding pre-pandemic levels. To learn more, see on page 66 the article titled, “Airbus Helicopters, Fresh News for Spring.”
[Read More...]
Tags:
Airbus Helicopters
Aviation Magazine
Aviation News
Helicopter Magazine
Helicopters News
Rotor Pro
Categories:
Opinion-Editorial
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Apr
17
2023
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Posted by Admin
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The rotorcraft industry is expanding its embrace beyond helicopters to include electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) and unmanned aerial systems (UAS or unmanned aerial vehicles/UAVs), as reflected by this magazine’s rebranding to Rotor Pro.
This is a change with wide-ranging implications for the entire helicopter industry, including maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) service providers. Just like helicopters, eVTOL and UAS aircraft will need to be maintained and repaired over time.
So what does this mean to the helicopter MRO sector? To find out, Rotor Pro queried a variety of MRO-related service providers.
Three uniquely different service providers shared their insights on the subject: Airbus Urban Air Mobility (UAM), the Lee County (Florida) Mosquito Control District, and Precision Integrated Programs. Here’s what they had to say about the impact of eVTOLs and UAS on the helicopter MRO market.
[Read More...]
Categories:
Helicopter Sectors
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Apr
10
2023
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Posted by Admin
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Whether you enjoyed the 1980s Tom Selleck or the 2018 Jay Hernandez version of Magnum P.I., the opening credits with the actors, Ferrari, MD 500E helicopter, and the pulsing music are memorable. The agile brown, yellow, and red striped helicopter glides over the Hawaiian Islands and has been compared to the red Ferrari car that Magnum drives in the helicopter’s handling.
In the show, the helicopter belongs to T.C.’s Island Hopper business. T.C. is often roped into helping Magnum solve crimes using the agile helicopter. The aircraft and other models of MD Helicopter products have been in the rotor world since Howard Hughes first invested in helicopter manufacturing in the 1950s with the aviation division of the Hughes Tool Company.
While the business has come a long way in over 70 years, one thing remains certain, MD Helicopters is made up of passionate people who exude pride in their products. And, to the credit of the TV show’s private investigator slant and the brand, a key customer includes law enforcement.
[Read More...]
Categories:
Company Profiles
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Apr
10
2023
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Posted by Admin
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Skilled helicopter pilots know there’s no substitute for effective flight training. For the most impactful training, there’s only one decision that makes the most sense for its effectiveness, indirect costs and range of training, and that’s simulator training at FlightSafety International.
Fixed-wing pilots and the airlines have used simulator training to their advantage for years. While helicopter pilots have had the tools available to them, there has recently been a culture shift to simulator training over training in the aircraft, and for good reasons.
[Read More...]
Tags:
flight training devices
FlightSafety Level D Simulator
FTD
Helicopter Simulator Training
Simulator Training
Categories:
Career Development
Training
Safety