Articles for category Helicopter Sectors
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Apr
27
2010
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Posted by Admin
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By Jenna Shepard - There are two main threats to EMS helicopter pilots – weather and darkness, but this really shouldn’t come as a surprise. In 1988, the National Transportation Safety Board investigated 59 helicopter emergency medical services accidents and concluded that low visibility, often caused by poor weather conditions accounted for 61% of all crashes. Since then, little has changed.Although the commercial aviation industry requires that an aircraft be outfitted with everything from weather tracking technologies like onboard radar and GPS to collision avoidance tools, these same requirements are not made of the medical helicopter industry. Furthermore, at a time when air medical companies are being scrutinized due to the sheer number of EMS helicopter crashes and a lack of critical onboard technologies not yet mandated by the FAA, one company is making big strides in the right direction by focusing on weather safety.
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Categories:
Company Profiles
Safety
Helicopter Sectors
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Apr
20
2010
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Posted by Admin
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By Kerry Sullivan - The article by Susan Parson in the March issue titled “Personal Minimums: A Development Guide” provides a systematic way for pilots to determine realistic safety margins for weather. The EMS operator I fly for requires its pilots to develop their own personal weather minimums which are to be more restrictive than those contained in the Operations Specifications. I have found more restrictive minimums necessary because I do not believe the generally used weather minimums are adequate to keep me out of Inadvertent Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IIMC). Despite strict weather minimums, detailed weather products and annual training in weather and pilot decision making we still have all too-frequent incidents of IIMC. As we are all painfully aware, some of these IIMC occurrences result in fatal accidents.
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Categories:
Career Development
Safety
Helicopter Sectors
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Feb
23
2010
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Posted by Admin
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While a number of members of the National EMS Pilots Association have been involved and have made contributions to NEMSPA’s activities through years, the strength of numbers continues to be a challenge for this EMS pilot’s professional organization.Regardless of the number of awards obtained, initiatives launched and regulatory actions influenced, we believe we that our effectiveness will not rise to the level that we all need and desire so long as there are so many EMS pilots who choose not to be involved, in some way or another, with the workings of the association that represents them on a daily basis.
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Categories:
Helicopter Sectors
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Jan
05
2010
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Posted by Admin
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For those law enforcement agencies that operate in cold weather environments, winter adds dangers we must consider before launching.
Winter brings a combination of high moisture content and cold temperatures that pose a threat of engine, airframe, and blade icing. During day and night operations, snow and ice become significant threats in many ways.
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Categories:
Training
Safety
Helicopter Sectors
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Dec
28
2009
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Posted by Admin
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Water Drops By Ken Carlton
Dropping water on a fire is nothing new. I'm sure the cave men knew how to do it; it's just that fire fighting with a helicopter has elevated and complicated the art. Water gets expensive when picked and dropped by a helicopter. Fighting a large fire is more expensive yet.
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Categories:
Helicopter Sectors
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Dec
28
2009
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Posted by Admin
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The Life of an EMS Pilot (emergency medical services) By Dan Lassner
I became an EMS pilot last July. This is a short story of what I went through.
I was trained to fly helicopters in the Army at Fort Wolters , Texas (Hillers) and Fort Rucker Alabama in 1971. I learned to fly helicopters in Viet Nam in 1972 (C Troop(AIR)/ 16th Cavalry/Darkhorse11). I learned I didn't care for the peace-time Army at Fort Knox in 1973.
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Categories:
Helicopter Sectors
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Dec
28
2009
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Posted by Admin
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The Life of an Army Helicopter Pilot by CW3 BERNIE SMITH, US ARMY
I offer this article as an Army UH-60 Blackhawk pilot since 1990, therefore my views are that of the Army and not any other Service. I will give information as accurate as I can. Pilots of other Army aircraft may disagree on some details, such as the Blackhawk being the finest helicopter ever produced. Thanks Igor.
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Categories:
Becoming A Pilot
Helicopter Sectors
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Dec
28
2009
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Posted by Admin
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The Life of a Test Pilot by SHAWN COYLE
Test Pilot Background
The first thing that has to be made clear is that Test Pilot refers to Research and Development, Certification or Engineering flight testing. The US Army has a course they call the Test Pilot course, but it should be more properly called the 'Post Maintenance Check Pilot (PMCF) course. The two are completely different.
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Categories:
Becoming A Pilot
Training
Helicopter Sectors
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Dec
28
2009
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Posted by Admin
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Offshore Flying in the Gulf of Mexico by Stan Grossman
What We Do
Helicopters have been serving the oil industry for over fifty years. From humble beginnings they've become an indispensible component in the support of offshore oil and gas production. At last count the Gulf of Mexico oil field employed some 600 helicopters. The great majority of offshore flying involves transporting personnel and cargo to and from the specialized vessels, drilling rigs, production platforms, and pipeline terminals where the work of producing oil and natural gas is done. We're also often tasked to patrol pipelines for signs of leaks or damage. There's an occasional requirement to sling a load, but very infrequently and almost never with a long line.
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Categories:
Helicopter Sectors
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Dec
28
2009
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Posted by Admin
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The in's and out's of becoming a Firefighting Pilot
So, you're interested in flying fires? You want to know how to go about it, and what to expect, but all the different terms, requirements, and conditions are confusing. This article is meant to help answer your questions. It applies specifically to pilots, but you can find references and requirements for maintenance personnel and fuel truck drivers in the Interagency Call-When-Needed (CWN) Contract reference shown below.
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Categories:
Helicopter Sectors