Articles for category Opinion-Editorial
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Jun
24
2024
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Posted by Admin
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“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” - Mahatma Gandhi
As a result of a confluence of events, I recently found myself reflecting on the concept of serving others. Whether it be family, community, country, God, or even a mere stranger, in my own personal experience, there’s something very fulfilling about helping someone in need.
I never really thought about it, but my entire family has dedicated most of their working lives to service-related careers and efforts. I myself served as a U.S. Marine, then a decade with Fire Rescue, then worked as an EMS helicopter pilot. Heck, I am such a sucker for service, I even serve on the board of my homeowners association. My wife was a math teacher for much of her professional career. Our daughter is a deputy sheriff. As a family we have all served others through missionary work in Haiti and in Central America.
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Tags:
Air Rescue
EMS Helicopters
Law Enforcement Aviation
Categories:
Opinion-Editorial
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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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Apr
29
2024
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Posted by Admin
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Everywhere I turn, I see nothing but change. Rapid change. In fact, almost every feature in this issue has an underlying theme of change.
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Tags:
Changes in the helicopter industry
Rotor Pro Editor's Letter
Categories:
Helicopter Sectors
Opinion-Editorial