Articles for category Helicopter Sectors
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Sep
14
2010
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Posted by Admin
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By William T. Winn - Anyone who has read Professor James Reason’s writings on human factors in accident causation is familiar with his well-known model of how causative factors can line up like the seemingly random holes in slices of Swiss cheese to result in a mishap or in a serious accident. Dr. Reason is professor of psychology at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom. He has published books on motion sickness, human factors in transportation accidents, absent-mindedness, human error, and on identifying and managing organizational risk factors.
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Categories:
Helicopter Sectors
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Aug
03
2010
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Posted by Admin
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In the world of public safety, there are few resources in the government and law enforcement toolkit that serve a more varied, impactful and “game-changing” role than the aviation division. Whether providing security for high profile events, performing search and rescue after natural disasters, covertly tracking the movements of suspects or protecting borders and coastlines, aircrews play an increasingly critical function in maintaining the public’s security.
At the heart of this growth is the ongoing development of new and more sophisticated aerial surveillance technologies that continually raise the bar for what air crews are able to accomplish. Yet even as capabilities that would have been unthinkable just a decade ago become more commonplace, police departments and government agencies find themselves facing a new challenge. Namely, how to successfully navigate the marketplace blizzard of complex options, technologies and device makers as they work to develop and/or maintain a robust solution.
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Categories:
Helicopter Sectors
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Jul
06
2010
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Posted by Admin
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It wasn’t too many years ago that most helicopter operators in the US conducting EMS operations would hire a pilot, then in company training validate that pilot to commercial standards per the Federal Aviation Regulations, and quickly send him to a field base to conduct EMS operations for a customer without so much as telling him what the EMS mission he was about to perform was all about. It wasn’t a FAA requirement to train to the mission, but it was a requirement to train the pilot to operate the aircraft safely while conducting the mission, whatever that mission might be. That is where a major problem lied and many operators didn’t realize it was an issue that needed to be dealt with.
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Categories:
Training
Safety
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