Articles for category Human Interest
Nov
22
2013
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Posted by Admin
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Meet a Rotorcraft Pro – Lyn Burks
What is your current position?
I am fortunate to wear several hats, which keeps things interesting. I am the Owner / Developer of Justhelicopters.com and VerticalReference.com. I am the Co-Owner / Editor In Chief of Rotorcraft Pro Magazine. I also produce the HeliSuccess Career Development and NightCon Night Vision Conferences. Additionally, although I no longer fly full time, I still fly as a contract pilot several days per month. I am current in the Agusta A109E and the Sikorsky S76 C+.
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Categories:
Human Interest
Oct
17
2013
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Posted by Admin
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Meet a Rotorcraft Pro – Adam Aldous
RPMN: What is your current position?
I am the President and CEO for Night Flight Concepts, Inc. where I oversee operations for our company. I continuously set our corporate vision and business strategies that align with current and future business opportunities in NVG (Night Vision Goggles) related activities.
RPMN: What does Night Flight Concepts do?
Our company is a comprehensive NVG solution provider. We specialize in premier NVG training and maintenance capabilities for all sizes and types of aviation organizations around the world.
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Categories:
Human Interest
Aug
29
2013
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Posted by Admin
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CRM – The Last Line of Defense!
by Randy Mains
Imagine you’re an aviation doctor and you hold the cure to save lives in a deadly segment of helicopter aviation. One day you learn that the FAA has finally mandated that all Part 135 operators must be administered this cure, or they cannot fly. You gladly offer the cure, knowing it can save lives. However, you soon discover that the parent (the helicopter company) of the patient (the flight crew) doesn’t want to give the full dose because of the added time and expense it takes to administer it. So the helicopter company waters down the dose to near microscopic proportions, which satisfies the letter of the law, while successfully avoiding the spirit of the law. But in their effort to save time and money, they render the cure totally useless. It is my opinion that’s what’s happening in many HEMS programs.
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Categories:
Safety
Human Interest
Aug
15
2013
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Posted by Admin
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RPMN: Tell me about your first flight.
My first flight was in an R-22 in beautiful Bend, Oregon. I remember walking out to the helipad and being in utter shock at the size of these tiny helicopters! After working as mechanic and flying as aircrew on MH60-Jayhawk helicopters in the Coast Guard for seven years, the downsize was truly astounding. However, I was completely charmed… that is, until I found out I had to carry a cushion just to reach the yaw pedals. Needless to say, my ‘glory’ moment was comically diminished.
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Categories:
Human Interest
Aug
02
2013
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Posted by Admin
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On October 5, 2005, I was paired up with Parry Jameson in one of our patrol helicopters. It was a Wednesday afternoon, around 3:00. It was time for us to wind down and hand the baton to the night shift.
On our way back, Parry and I noticed that we were a little low on fuel. We were almost over our base at Gillespie Field in El Cajon, getting ready to land, when we got a radio call.
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Categories:
Human Interest
Jul
18
2013
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Posted by Admin
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Flying the V-22 Osprey is a dream I could not have imagined happening in my lifetime. However, through a serendipitous meeting with Dr. Kevin Hutton, CEO of MedEvac Foundation International (the organization that sponsored me to be the keynote speaker at the Association of Air Medical Services, Air Medical Transport Conference) Kevin said he could arrange for me to ‘fly’ the Osprey simulator. It was an invitation too good to pass up.
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Categories:
Human Interest
Jul
11
2013
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Posted by Admin
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RPMN: How did you get started transporting helicopters?
WARGO: Well the first airframe I, myself, transported was my sailplane. I’d land out; we’d put it on a trailer and bring it back to the airport. But as far as H. W. Farren goes, I started work here in 1989. We moved big machinery back then; we didn’t really specialize in helicopter transport.
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Categories:
Human Interest
Jun
28
2013
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Posted by Admin
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Badly thought-out ergonomics nearly got me killed in January 1969. As you may know, a segment of flight safety called ergonomics is the study of designing equipment and devices in the cockpit that fit the human body. The incident occurred three months into my one-year tour as a UH-1H Huey pilot in Vietnam. Ironically, it was my first real close brush with death over there, ironic because it didn’t come at the hand of a V.C. with an AK-47, or from an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade). Instead, I nearly lost my life at the hand of the company instructor pilot who was checking me out in the Bell 205 while giving me my aircraft commander check ride.
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Categories:
Human Interest
May
23
2013
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Posted by Admin
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RPMN: Tell me about your first flight.
VANDELAAR: My first flight in a helicopter was in an R22 out of Troy, Michigan. I went to take the age old intro-flight out of a local flight school in college. We hovered over the skylight of a nearby mall, and quite frankly, it scared me. It took me about two weeks to admit that, but I was really impressed with the machine, so I decided to take up training.
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Categories:
Human Interest
Apr
26
2013
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Posted by Admin
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RPMN: What is your current position?
I’ve been with a major Part 135 helicopter operator for more than 31 years and recently volunteered for transfer to our GOM operations as a field mechanic. Outside my day job, I also provide technical writing and research services through my side business, TEK Aviation LLC.
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Categories:
Human Interest