Articles for category Career Development
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Jul
08
2024
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Posted by Admin
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One might think there have been many sleepless nights in Torrance, California. Well, maybe there was some sleep here and there, but you wouldn't know it from the amount of hard work the Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC) put into their new Instructor Standardization Course. Their Safety and Flight Training department has embarked on a new venture that will surely garner a lot of interest, and more importantly—reduce accidents. It is a unique project that has been in the works for some time but recently became a reality under the leadership of new RHC CEO Dave Smith.
I had the opportunity to personally experience the course recently, and an experience it was. I was fortunate to attend only the second iteration of the course. The first class consisted of eight highly experienced CFIs and DPEs from across the United States and internationally. My second iteration class was just as impressive, with six CFIs and one DPE (myself). Overall, the group brought a fantastic amount of experience ranging from 3,000 to more than 20,000 hours, much of that in an instructional setting. Regardless of the experience level, it became immediately apparent that those in attendance were there for the right reasons: "I have over 22,000 hours as a pilot, and I feel I have a lot to offer and have started to give back by doing flight instruction – I'm here because I want to do things right" said Alex Leal of Laredo, Texas.
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Categories:
Career Development
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Jun
10
2024
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Posted by Admin
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As the quality and cost of flight simulation decreases, the regulatory limitations on its use within the flight training industry remain stagnant. Looking much like it did decades ago, the credits offered on the use of simulation provide very little in the way of aeronautical decision-making (ADM) and focus on simulation versus flight-hour credits on limited aircraft-based maneuvers. Does this maneuver, credit-based simulation model truly capture the capabilities of the flight training simulation available today?
Many years ago, we acquired an FAA-approved flight training device (FTD) for use in our flight school. The acquisition model at the time was purely based upon the hours of flight training credit the FTD would provide back to the customer. Approved maneuvers were inclusive of both VFR and IFR training, however, the IFR training credits far outweighed those of VFR maneuvers. The ability to offset 20 hours of instrument flight training into the FTD was a tremendous savings to the customer, and the training quality was quite good.
My curiosity, though, caused me to seek out additional areas of training where the FTD would thrive, even if no FAA training credit was available. Our staff developed scenarios to include cross-country dual and solo flights, teaching our tour pilots routes and airspace checkpoints, as well as simple local area orientation flights to new pilots and instructor staff. Although we found success in these training events, the real benefit was found during flight instructor training.
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Tags:
Flight Training Devices FTD
Flight Training Simulation
Helicopter Flight Training
Categories:
Career Development
Opinion-Editorial
Training
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May
27
2024
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Posted by Admin
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RPMN: What is your current position?
I am the owner and president of Five-Alpha LLC. I also serve as the infrastructure advisor to the Vertical Flight Society and am the technical committee chair to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 418 Standard for Heliports and Vertiports. Some of the other volunteer hats I have worn during my career include board member and president of the National EMS Pilots Association (NEMSPA), board member and president of the Indiana Association of Air Medical Services (INAAMS), co-chair of the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team Infrastructure Working Group just to name a few.
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Tags:
Five-Alpha LLC
INAAMS
Meet A Rotor Pro
NEMSPA
Rex Alexander
USHST
Categories:
Career Development
Human Interest
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May
13
2024
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Posted by Admin
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“My promotion to the CEO role at Air Maestro came at a unique time - I was six months pregnant with my son—with no prior CEO experience,” Aleks Banas says to begin this profile of a working mother who has risen to CEO of not one, but two aviation technology companies: Air Maestro and Spidertracks. The Polish-born Australian, gives voice to what has become the unofficial anthem of her current country—the song sung by the folk band, The Seekers: “I am Australian.”
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Tags:
Air Maestro
Alex Banas
Executive Watch
Spidertracks
Categories:
Career Development
Company Profiles
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May
06
2024
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Posted by Admin
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On the personnel supply side of the equation, things seem to be getting slightly better, but not much!
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 published in previous salary survey reports, the factors impacting operators stem from many issues 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.
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Tags:
Helicopter Pilot Salaries
Helicopter Salary Survey Report
Pilot Salaries
Categories:
Career Development
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Apr
22
2024
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Posted by Admin
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Deciding where in the world to do your helicopter flight training is highly complex and one that should not be taken lightly. Diligent research should be undertaken. I know as I asked myself this very question over 23 years ago. Like so many others I traveled from another country, England in my case, to the United States to accomplish it. Now, over two decades later I am a helicopter experimental test pilot and also the proud owner of a successful flight training school in Long Beach, California. I have been reflecting on this very subject and why I decided to come here. I thought it would be very useful to both highlight and explain my thought processes and how, should you agree with them, go about embarking on your own helicopter career in the USA. The following paragraphs discuss the various subject areas for why people come here and why, in my case, I did so.
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Tags:
Alex Chaunt
Anthelion Helicopters
Helicopter training in the USA
SEVIS
Categories:
Career Development
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Apr
22
2024
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Posted by Admin
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In case you have forgotten or haven't been bored enough to attend your local City Council meeting lately, "All in favor" is an idiom generally used to prompt the act of voting and typically exercised by either a voice response or a show of hands. And while it is just me writing this article, I will go out on a limb here and say "aye" for all three of us. That's how many (excluding friends and family) that want you to pass your Checkride! Obviously, you want to achieve that milestone, your CFI certainly has skin in the game, and designated pilot examiners want you to pass. Yes, you read that correctly! I, for one, and many of my other DPE colleagues I frequently network with, will agree that issuing a Notice of Disapproval is disappointing on our end as well. Remember, we are pilots too! We want to see you succeed! But first, a successful practical test stand upon three valid legs.
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Tags:
DPE
helicopter checkride
rotorcraft checkride
Categories:
Career Development
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Apr
08
2024
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Posted by Admin
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The true value of networking and forging meaningful connections is immeasurable. In the beginning of my career I believed I had a clear vision of my professional path, but as I progressed, numerous unforeseen opportunities presented themselves. I attribute a significant portion of my success to the individuals who offered guidance and illuminated new avenues for me. As an introvert, the prospect of reaching out, building networks, and seeking advice was initially overwhelming. Even now it presents its challenges, but I have come to realize that networking is more than a skill, but a crucial catalyst for growth and success unlocking doors to possibilities I never knew existed.
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Categories:
Career Development
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Jan
29
2024
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Posted by Admin
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RPMN: What is your current position?
I am currently a standardization pilot for the factory training department, as well as a production test pilot with MD Helicopters LLC in Mesa Arizona. We specialize in initial and recurrent advanced emergency procedure training in all MD airframes as well as maintenance test pilot courses. It’s the absolute dream job, as I get to work with pilots in such a multifaceted industry. There aren't a great number of MD Pilots in the world, but every single one of them brings something significant to the table and are absolute powerhouse in their career field and I'm lucky to get to fly and learn from a great number of them.
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Tags:
CJ Schneider
MD Helicopters
Meet A Rotor Pro
Categories:
Career Development
Opinion-Editorial
Human Interest
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Oct
16
2023
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Posted by Admin
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In recent months, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has joined forces with the Veterans Administration (VA) in a collaborative effort to identify pilots who, whether intentionally or unintentionally, have failed to accurately disclose receiving disability benefits.
In the early part of 2022, the FAA’s Office of Aerospace Medicine launched a ‘Special Project’ investigation aimed at identifying military veteran pilots who may not have properly disclosed their disability benefits to the FAA on their pilot medical applications. As Aviation Lawyer, Anthony Ison, explains in his AOPA article Airman Receiving VA Disability Benefits: A Time Sensitive Warning, it appears that the VA has granted the FAA access to their Veterans Disability Compensation records. Armed with this documentation, the FAA is, subsequently, cross referencing their own files in order to identify any pilot who may not have properly disclosed all of their VA Disability benefits.
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Tags:
Airman receiving VA Disability benefits
FAA Form 8500-8
MedXpress
Categories:
Career Development
Regulatory