Articles for category Opinion-Editorial
Feb
10
2025
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Posted by Admin
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A few weeks ago, a longtime friend and fellow flight instructor reached out to me regarding a regulatory issue surrounding logging night vision goggles (NVG) and night flight time consecutively. Many in the NVG industry, including FAA staff, believe they are to be logged independently. However, this is not correct. It is indeed permissible to log NVG and night flight time consecutively, but don’t take my word for it. Please follow this link and scroll down the pages to Section #29. You’ll find the answer around the third paragraph of that section: [https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2009/08/21/E9-19353/pilot-flight-instructor-and-pilot-school-certification]
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Tags:
FAR Preambles
Flight Instruction
NIght Flight Goggles
Categories:
Opinion-Editorial
Feb
03
2025
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Posted by Admin
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For units of the New York Army National Guard, the year could not have started busier. In early May, Bravo Company of the 3-142nd Assault Helicopter Brigade (B. Co 3-142 AHB) deployed four Sikorsky UH-60M Blackhawk helicopters to Gulfport, Mississippi, to participate in the MARSOC 24-4 exercise. Meanwhile, Alpha Company of the 3-142 Assault Helicopter Brigade (A. Co 3-142 AHB) was deployed with four UH-60M Blackhawk helicopters and 45 personnel to Barbados to take part in the multinational exercise named “Tradewinds 24.” This annual exercise, organized by the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), took place from May 4 to May 16 with the participation of 25 countries. The focus during this 39th iteration of the exercise was mainly on improving interoperability and effectively executing both maritime and land operations, but it also dealt with humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
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Tags:
Helicopter Bridage
MARSOC 24-4
New York Army National Guard Aviation Unit
Tradewinds 24
Categories:
Human Interest
Company Profiles
Opinion-Editorial
Jan
27
2025
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Posted by Admin
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A few weeks ago, a longtime friend and fellow flight instructor reached out to me regarding a regulatory issue surrounding logging night vision goggles (NVG) and night flight time consecutively. Many in the NVG industry, including FAA staff, believe they are to be logged independently. However, this is not correct. It is indeed permissible to log NVG and night flight time consecutively, but don’t take my word for it. Please follow this link and scroll down the pages to Section #29. You’ll find the answer around the third paragraph of that section: [https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2009/08/21/E9-19353/pilot-flight-instructor-and-pilot-school-certification]
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Tags:
My T wo Cents Worth
Categories:
Opinion-Editorial
Jan
07
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Helicopters play a pivotal role in the energy sector, offering unique advantages for construction, inspection, and maintenance tasks. Their versatility, speed, and ability to access hard-to-reach locations make them indispensable in supporting energy infrastructure projects, particularly in remote or challenging environments.
Winco Powerline Services (owned by parent company Quanta Services) bills itself as a power-line construction specialist. But before we dive into the details of this 33-year-old, highly specialized helicopter operator, let’s take a high-level look at how helicopters are used in the broader energy sector.
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Categories:
Opinion-Editorial
Company Profiles
Helicopter Sectors
Dec
23
2024
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Posted by Admin
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As we close another remarkable year, it’s clear that 2024 has been pivotal for the helicopter industry. From technological breakthroughs to shifts in market demands, this year has showcased the resilience and innovation that define our industry. In this Editor’s Letter, I’d like to highlight some of the key developments shaping the rotorcraft world today.
First and foremost, sustainability has taken center stage. With global aviation under increasing scrutiny for its environmental impact, the helicopter industry is accelerating its push toward greener technologies. Hybrid-electric propulsion systems and hydrogen fuel cells have moved beyond prototypes, with several manufacturers conducting successful test flights this year. These advancements promise to reduce carbon emissions significantly and align with international goals for sustainable aviation.
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Tags:
Helicopter Industry 2025
Rotorcraft Industry 2025
Categories:
Opinion-Editorial
Dec
09
2024
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Posted by Admin
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The aviation industry has consistently been a beacon of technological innovation that leads to greater safety, efficiency, and capabilities in air travel. Helicopter aviation, a crucial branch of this industry, is now experiencing a profound transformation thanks to artificial intelligence (AI). From predictive maintenance to autonomous navigation, AI is revolutionizing operations in ways that would have been considered science fiction only a decade ago.
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Tags:
AI and helicopters
Categories:
Opinion-Editorial
Oct
25
2024
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Posted by Admin
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The European helicopter market not only represents a large portion of the global industry, but has always been a vital region for our industry, serving diverse industries such as emergency medical services (EMS), offshore energy, defense, and corporate aviation. As 2024 unfolds, the landscape of the helicopter market in Europe is evolving rapidly, with a mix of both challenges and growth opportunities shaping the future.
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Tags:
European helicopter market
Categories:
Opinion-Editorial
Sep
16
2024
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Posted by Admin
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When it comes to flight helmets, Steve Mifsud has seen it all.
“I’ve seen helmets that were picked up by tornadoes and thrown a ways away,” Mifsud related. “Dogs have torn them up. They’ve even been used as bowling balls in Antarctica (by bored researchers). And one was burned on one side in a wildfire.”
Mifsud has seen all this damage on various helmets because people chose to repair them. So they sent their headgear to Evolution Helmets in Melbourne, Florida to get them restored to mint condition. “You see some crazy things,” concluded Mifsud, a helmet tech at Evolution Helmets.
Mifsud recalls totally refurbishing a 1990s-era Army helmet for one customer. About six months later, the pilot called Mifsud from the hospital to ask him to restore his helmet again – after he was a passenger in a rotorcraft that spun out and crashed. Luckily he walked away with a concussion and a dented helmet but nothing worse. “The helmet was up to OEM standards...and that definitely could have helped,” Mifsud said. The new styrofoam likely softened the impact when the g-force shoved the passenger’s head against the machine, he added.
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Tags:
Evolution Helmets
Helicopter Helmet Painting
Helicopter Helmet Repair
Helmet Refurbishing
Categories:
Opinion-Editorial
Safety
Aug
26
2024
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Posted by Admin
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Back in 1999, I became an air ambulance pilot at a busy program flying an S76C+. We flew about 900 patients per year, 80% scene calls, and a large portion of our flights were after midnight. I was 32 years old and in the best shape of my life. I was training for and running 10k races, half-marathons, and triathlons for fun.
Specific to our operation, there were several factors that lended themselves to a slow decline in health and energy levels. Pilots and crew members had to bunk together so getting rest when not busy was very difficult. We worked a random rotation of nights and days in a four-on and four-off cycle, which kept the circadian rhythm out of sync. Also, intentional to our operation, as a benefit for the pilots, management kept the pilot pool a pilot or two short, which created overtime shifts for those wishing to earn extra money.
Fast-forward five years to 2004, and after working many extra shifts and busy nights, I found myself in a constant and chronic state of fatigue. I would spend most of my days off recovering, rather than enjoying my family or other activities. In five years, I went from being able to run 26 miles to barely being able to run one.
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Tags:
Editor's Letter
HAA Pilot retention
HAA Pilots
Pilot fatigue
Categories:
Opinion-Editorial
Jul
15
2024
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Posted by Admin
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RPMN: What is your current position?
I’m a helicopter air ambulance (HAA) pilot for Metro Aviation, assigned to the Tampa General Hospital Program in Punta Gorda, Florida. Our base operates an EC135P2+ as our primary aircraft and a Bell407GX as our backup.
RPMN: Tell me about your first experience with helicopters.
I was around 15 years old, sitting in the backseat of my parent's car, which was at a standstill in a line of traffic, due to a major car accident. I vividly recall observing a helicopter landing on the highway to airlift a patient. As the helicopter ascended and departed the scene, I was struck by a profound sense of purpose, realizing at that exact moment that my future ambition was to become a medical helicopter pilot.
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Tags:
Danielle Fuller
Meet A Rotor Pro
Categories:
Opinion-Editorial