Author: Admin
Apr
22
2015
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Posted by Admin
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In the 1989 movie Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner hears ghostly voices coming from his Iowa cornfield telling him, “If you build it they will come,” meaning he should build a baseball diamond and former members from the Chicago Black Sox would come. Each day for the two months that I worked building a crew resource management instructor’s course, a similar line kept replaying in my head: What if I build it and no one comes?
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Categories:
Training
Safety
Helicopter Sectors
Apr
20
2015
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Posted by Admin
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As a member of the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) Safety Management System (SMS) Working Group, we attempt to provide helicopter professionals with useful ideas and tools to help with their SMS implementation and sustainment. As you might imagine, the needs of aviation programs can vary widely depending on the size and scope of the operation. Despite the FAA’s reluctance to regulate SMS for other than Part 121 operators in the U.S., many proactive aviation companies and agencies have voluntarily begun their own implementation with varied results. By now, most of us in this industry are familiar with SMS and its four pillars: (1) safety policy (2) safety risk management (3) safety assurance (4) safety promotion. (If these four components aren’t familiar to you, it’s time to get out of the cave and see the light!) These items are interrelated and are the essential framework for an organization’s SMS program.
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Categories:
Safety
Training
Apr
20
2015
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Posted by Admin
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2015 promises to be an exciting year in helicopter development, as OEMs push the envelope on advanced technologies to deliver more speed, higher flight ceilings, and improved fuel efficiency. Here are some of the most exciting trends to watch for over the next 12 months, some of which will be seen at Heli-Expo 2015.
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Categories:
Helicopter Event Coverage
Company Profiles
Apr
06
2015
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Posted by Admin
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In today's safety culture, zeroing in on the “who and what” of unsafe acts has become the new priority—again. Companies have been working overtime to arrive at a common safety destination, or to target specific safety practices in an effort to reduce the number of incidents. Yet, injuries still occur and aircraft are still damaged.
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Categories:
Safety
Training
Mar
30
2015
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Posted by Admin
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In 1995, former U.S. Army helicopter pilot Greg Rochna, along with his wife Brenda, made a decision to try and build a better helicopter tour company in a very competitive market. It was a bold mission, considering that the Las Vegas/Grand Canyon helicopter tour market was well established and dominated by several mature players. As it turns out, the couple’s decision to start Maverick Helicopters was one of the best business decisions of their lives.
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Categories:
Career Development
Company Profiles
Helicopter Sectors
Mar
16
2015
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Posted by Admin
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RPMN: What is your current position?
After spending nearly several years in the HEMS industry, I just recently started flying for a sheriff’s office in southwest Ohio (Cincinnati). I came out of an EC145 in HEMS and am now in an MD500E and MD520N. I greatly enjoyed HEMS, however, it is nice wiggling the stick again and not just pushing buttons and turning knobs. My current position is never boring and allows me to fly much more than I did as a HEMS pilot.
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Categories:
Human Interest
Mar
09
2015
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Posted by Admin
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As an AH-64 Apache orbits overhead, the radio crackles to life as someone shouts, "Incoming!" A half second later, a rocket-propelled grenade impacts within yards of a military convoy. Fortunately, personnel on the ground have just enough time to dive for cover. The majority of shrapnel hits sand, with the rest spraying into rocks scattered along the far side of the road.
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Categories:
Training
Safety
Helicopter Sectors
Feb
23
2015
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Posted by Admin
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At HAI HELI-EXPO 2014, we all experienced the buzz of helicopter flight simulation. It is apparent that simulators are being seriously ogled for their technological advancements and safety benefits by primary flight training organizations and commercial operators alike. Just a few decades ago, only the military was able to utilize what was extraordinarily expensive training equipment. Today, computer science advancements and exponential growth in markets like offshore oil and gas exploration have seeded the proliferation of high-quality, affordable simulation technologies. Recently, I had the opportunity to fly one of the simulators that created so much buzz at last year’s Heli-Expo: X-Copter.
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Categories:
Training
Company Profiles
Feb
16
2015
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Posted by Admin
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Naval aviation has a long and rich history. But it was not until nearly 40 years after its birth
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Categories:
Helicopter Sectors
Company Profiles
Jan
26
2015
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Posted by Admin
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RPMN: What is your current position?I am the chief pilot for Western Helicopters, Inc. in
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Categories:
Training
Human Interest