Articles for category Safety
|
Aug
31
2026
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
Switzerland may appear small on a map, measuring barely 348 kilometers (216 miles) from east to west, yet it boasts a remarkably big, dramatic landscape. From a distance, the Swiss Alps appear as picturesque white summits, deep valleys and glaciers beneath the sky. In reality, the Alps are constantly changing, shaped by wind, snow, rockfall, avalanches, and the people who live, work and travel in them. Switzerland is home to 48 mountains rising above 4,000 metres; 41 of these mountain tops are concentrated in the Valais Alps and among them is the world-famous Matterhorn.
In 1968, Air Zermatt began operations with one helicopter, an Agusta-Bell 206A Jet Ranger, beneath the unmistakable silhouette of this majestic mountain. The company was founded by Beat H. Perren, a pharmacist who became vice-president of Zermatt.
From the early beginning, the mission of this company was practical – to provide fast medical access and rescue capability for people living in, working in, and visiting the high-alpine region.
Now, more than half a century later, Air Zermatt’s red aircraft have become inseparable from life in the high Swiss Alps. For a team operating in such demanding and unforgiving terrain, choosing the right helicopter is every bit as important as the skill and experience of the crews flying it. One aircraft that has become central to many of its missions is the Bell 429.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Air Zermatt Aviation Rescue
Categories:
Company Profiles
Safety
Helicopter Sectors
|
Jul
27
2026
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
The days of helicopter-only police units are coming to a close as drones play an increasingly important role in aerial law enforcement. It’s not only the addition of drones that is transforming this sector. “Air units are becoming far more data-driven and integrated,” said Mike Bucari, Leonardo Helicopters’ head of marketing for the Americas He said, “Aircraft are no longer standalone assets—they’re an integral part in a much broader network that includes ground units, drones, real-time operating centers, and AI-assisted analytics.”
As a result of this trend, law enforcement helicopters “must incorporate capabilities such as live video downlink, LTE/5G connectivity or Starlink-type solutions, and cloud-based evidence systems, which are becoming standard expectations,” Bucari told Rotor Pro. “There’s also a major shift toward a manned–unmanned teaming model. Drones are handling more routine, lower-risk missions—perimeter searches, accident reconstruction, overwatch—freeing helicopters to focus on high-speed pursuits, tactical insertions, and extended overwatch.”
[Read More...]
Tags:
Law Enforcement Aviation
law enforcement helicopter operations
law enforcement helicopters and drones
Categories:
Training
Safety
Helicopter Sectors
|
Apr
13
2026
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
As wildfires become faster, hotter and more unpredictable, the margin for error for aerial first responders shrinks every year.
To keep pace, the rotorcraft industry is turning to a new generation of technology—one designed to force-multiply human efforts while keeping pilots out of harm's way. Whether crewed, uncrewed, or a mix of both, here is how the latest-and-greatest tech is changing the face of aerial firefighting.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Aerial Firefighting
Blackhawk Helicopters Firefighting
Categories:
Company Profiles
Helicopter Sectors
Training
Safety
|
Mar
30
2026
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
To an outsider, it might appear that the leadership and training staff at Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC) work around the clock— in many ways, they do. Under the leadership of President and CEO David Smith and the steadfast dedication of Chief Flight Instructor Guillaume Mailet, the company continues to reach new heights in its training excellence. RHC’s long-standing Safety Course, now in its 42nd year, has been refreshed with a modern approach that emphasizes accident causation trends and contributing factors. Building on that foundation, the company recently added its Flight Instructor Standardization Course, which has already graduated more than 80 instructors worldwide since its introduction last year.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Robinson Helicopter Company
Categories:
Training
Safety
Company Profiles
|
Feb
16
2026
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
In aviation, visibility is everything. Whether you’re performing a detailed preflight inspection on a dark ramp or managing systems in the cockpit during a night approach, proper lighting can mean the difference between a smooth operation and a costly oversight. Pilots have long relied on flashlights, headlamps, and panel lighting—but each has its drawbacks. Enter the patented DEX FingerLight, a compact, wearable illumination tool that’s quickly becoming a pilot favorite and a piece of equipment that I don’t leave the ground without.
[Read More...]
Tags:
DEX Finger LIght
Categories:
Training
Safety
|
Feb
02
2026
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
The helicopter training community has long been built on mentorship, credibility, and shared experience. For generations, knowledge has been passed from one aviator to the next through hard-earned expertise and honest, practical instruction. Today, that tradition is threatened by a growing issue: false narratives, manufactured authority, and AI-generated content presented as fact. With a camera or an internet connection, anyone can publish training commentary, and because online platforms reward attention rather than accuracy, the newest and most impressionable members of our industry are increasingly exposed to misinformation with real-world consequences.
[Read More...]
Tags:
helicopter training ai generated content
Helicopter training social media
Categories:
Career Development
Safety
Opinion-Editorial
Training
|
Apr
21
2025
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
In the mid-1980s, during my first tour as a young and inexperienced U.S. Army AH-1F Cobra pilot in Germany, I went through a near-catastrophic event that forever changed my approach to cockpit safety. It happened during a routine but fun training mission where I was performing low-level flight maneuvers in a loose trail formation with several other Cobras. I was at the controls in the back seat, flying in the trail position, focused on terrain using the peaks and valleys to try to remain clear of a notional surface-to-air missile threat. It didn’t get much better than this for an easy day of flying.
I aggressively banked left and descended into an approaching valley. As I reached my desired heading, I attempted to return to wings-level. Nothing happened. Uh-oh. Despite my maximum effort to apply right-aft cyclic, the aircraft stubbornly continued a left roll and descent. I blurted out my problem to my front-seat copilot. No response. He had problems of his own.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Safety Sitrep
Securing the cockpit
Categories:
Safety
|
Sep
16
2024
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
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.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Evolution Helmets
Helicopter Helmet Painting
Helicopter Helmet Repair
Helmet Refurbishing
Categories:
Opinion-Editorial
Safety
|
Oct
09
2023
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
Nine years! That’s how long it’s been since the last major update to the National Weather Service Aviation Platform. And from the early beta testing results, the wait will have been worth it. A new AviationWeather.gov is coming soon!
Much has changed in the last decade regarding computer programming capabilities, and all of that technological prowess certainly shows in the new platform. The modernized code provides enhanced stability and improved supportability for users.
[Read More...]
Tags:
aviation weather center
weather.gov
Categories:
Safety
|
Aug
07
2023
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
Sweden is a gem among Europe’s nations and its the largest amongst the Scandinavian ones. It is a country with unique Nordic charm, an incredible archipelago made up of over 24,000 islands and a land with more than 100,000 lakes. Sweden is a unique blend of tradition and progress. Known for its high standard of living and its developed economy, it also has a strong commitment to social welfare, democracy, environmental sustainability, and nature preservation.
However, do not let the progressiveness of this culture fool you. They live by a special philosophy named Lagom. Translated that means “moderate”—not too little, not too much; just the right amount. Since the days of the Vikings this philosophy has existed. However, the Vikings of old have been replaced by today’s modern heroes – the pilots of the Swedish National Police (SNP) Air Support Unit. They are the team of expert pilots who keep Sweden a safe and wonderful place to live.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Patria Helicopters AB
Polisflyget
SNP Air Unit
SNP fleet Bell 429
Swedish National Police Aviation Unit
Categories:
Company Profiles
Human Interest
Safety
Training