Articles for category Opinion-Editorial
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Jan
10
2022
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Posted by Admin
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Best of 2021 - Best of People Remembered
Brian Lacks
Harold Summers
Harry Robertson
Shawn Coyle
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Brian Lacks
Harold Summers
Harry Robertson
Rotorcraft Pro Best of 2021 People Remembered
Shawn Coyle
Categories:
Human Interest
Opinion-Editorial
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Dec
28
2021
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Posted by Admin
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The helicopter world is but a small niche industry in the worldwide economy, but in my short 30 years as a participant, I am always amazed at how it adapts to change and perseveres through challenging times.
On the subject of perseverance, renowned physicist Albert Einstein said, “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”
Looking back, the last six years have been a roller-coaster ride for our industry. From mid-2015 to early 2017, economic storms pounded our shores. Waves of crashing oil prices, military cutbacks, global economic slowdowns, VA funding cuts, political and policy shifts, and several other factors pummeled most of us including helicopter manufacturers, pilots, leasing companies, operators, and all the support sectors that connect us.
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Editor Lyn Burks
Rotorcraft Pro Editor
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Opinion-Editorial
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Dec
20
2021
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Posted by Admin
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If you have read my articles in recent months, you know I have talked a lot about character, integrity, and other such tools to have in your toolbox to help you have a successful career as an aircraft maintenance technician. Those are all essential. An often overlooked, but critical tool to have at your disposal is an experienced mentor.
Merriam and Webster’s dictionary defines a mentor as a trusted counselor or guide, a tutor or coach. Do you have a mentor in your life? Is there someone that you consider a coach, accountability partner or trusted advisor? If the answer is no, then you should look for one. A mentor could be someone that works with you, someone that has more experience doing what you do or even someone that can speak transparently into your life.
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Aircraft Maintenance Technician
Aircraft Mechanic Mentor Program
Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Mentorship
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Opinion-Editorial
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Nov
08
2021
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Posted by Admin
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Dwayne Charette has a surprising affinity for the president of a major OEM in Canada: he likes problems (and he even views failures as “learns”). Early in his operations career—an area prone to problems, a leader once told him, “Dwayne, if we didn’t have problems to deal with, there would be no need for our jobs.” Charette considers that perhaps the best business wisdom he’s received. “It sounds simplistic, but it’s true,” says Charette. “Problems and challenges are part of the job; once you accept them and view them as opportunities, the stress level kind of goes away.”
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Airbus Helicopters Canada
Airbus Helicopters North America
Dwayne Charette
Romain Trapp
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Opinion-Editorial
Human Interest
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Oct
25
2021
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Posted by Admin
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Helicopter training doesn’t necessarily give us the opportunity to live our life as a champion— but it can give us the opportunity to live the rest of our life. I was thinking the other day of all the training that I have received during my 35 years of work life. I have really only had four chapters in my career. U.S. Marine, firefighter, helicopter pilot, and business owner. The first three have required extensive amounts of training. I cannot help but wonder how much of it I took for granted.
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Helicopter Training
Rotorcraft Pro SepOct 2021 Issue
Categories:
Career Development
Human Interest
Opinion-Editorial
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Sep
10
2021
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Posted by Admin
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Flightcell’s founding CEO, John Wyllie, calls from the northern tip of his native town of Nelson, New Zealand, at the northern tip of South Island, perhaps the most majestically picturesque place on Earth. The island has been the location for epic fantasy/adventure movies like The Lord of the Rings and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. What Flightcell does seems magical too. They link and track aircraft around the globe, allowing pilots and their flying machines to communicate with a vast array of terrestrial and satellite systems. The Kiwi company of 21 employees punches far above its size and has built a global reputation as the go-to organization for avionic communication solutions. You may have heard of some of their approx. 4,000 customers: the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marines, California Highway Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety, Cal Fire, Royal Flying Doctors, Colombian Air Force, and U.S. Department of State. Yes, they have street—and air—cred.
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Flight Tracking
Flightcell
Flightcell DZM satcom
Categories:
Company Profiles
Opinion-Editorial
Human Interest
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Sep
06
2021
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Posted by Admin
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No matter what data set or latest editorial piece you refer to, the one common theme we see reminds us that the professional pilot is in high demand in today’s aviation market. The sculpting of a professional pilot has a myriad of challenges, both for the pilot in development and the educators that pave the way. Coupled with the fact that pilots “don't know what they don’t know” until they are introduced to a specific concept or technique (hopefully correctly), and the mere fact that helicopter operations are frequently operating in environments with numerous unknowns, having a properly equipped pilot with the necessary skill sets is apropos for success.
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Tags:
First Officers
Pilot Mentoring
Pilot Training
Categories:
Training
Opinion-Editorial
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Aug
30
2021
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Posted by Admin
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In February of this year, the United States Helicopter Safety Team, with support from Helicopter Association International, Airbus, and Frasca International produced a short video titled 56 Seconds to Live.
In this chilling video, the viewer is taken on a dramatized journey, which shows a pilot making all the wrong decisions during the process of accepting a flight, which then leads to an IIMC condition, culminating in his death. At the very end his spouse and child stand at his grave.
Given the challenging nature of helicopter air ambulance (HAA) work, IIMC accidents have always been a large part of HAA accident stats over the decades. I often wonder: are we getting better as an industry?
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Editors Letter
Rotorcraft Pro Editor Lyn Burks
Categories:
Safety
Opinion-Editorial
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Jun
28
2021
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Posted by Admin
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Ever since my daughter went into a high school criminal justice magnet program in the ninth grade, she wanted to work in law enforcement (LE).
She recently had several events come together, which kicked off the career that she has worked hard for. She finished an internship with a federal LE agency, graduated with her bachelor’s degree, and was accepted into another university’s graduate program for LE intelligence. Within two weeks of graduation, she was hired by an LE agency.
I’ve always been a fan of LE. Although not directly in it, I’ve been tied to that field for much of my career in more ways than one. Having said that, given the current political environment, and my own child’s entry into the field, I couldn’t help but wonder: Is now a good time to be entering LE?
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APSON 2021
Law Enforcement Helicopters
Rotorcraft Pro Editor Lyn Burks
Categories:
Opinion-Editorial
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May
24
2021
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Posted by Admin
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When I got my first job out of the military, I was just happy with getting a job and a pretty good salary. It wasn't until new hires that came after me, did I hear about the compensation packages that they got when they were hired. Compensation packages refer to the combination of wages, salaries, and benefits an employee receives in exchange for work. Compensation may include hourly wages or an annual salary, bonus payments, incentives, and benefits (such as group health care coverage, disability insurance, and contributions to a retirement savings account). A total compensation package can have several components and tend to vary by employer.
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Tags:
Civilian Aviation
Military to Civilian Helicopter Mechanics
Military to Civilian Pilots
Military to Civilian Transition Aviation
Categories:
Career Development
Opinion-Editorial