Articles for category Company Profiles
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May
02
2016
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Posted by Admin
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Many of the greatest adventure stories begin with three simple words: There I was…. This tale of a pioneering aviation company in the setting of insanely turquoise blue waters, white sandy beaches, cascading waterfalls, and lush mountain jungles deserves an adventurous introduction. So ...
THERE I WAS sitting in a car wash parking lot at a busy intersection in downtown Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic on the island of Hispaniola. (We’ll get to the water and jungles later.) I’m knocking back a frosty Presidente beer and chili dog empanada.
After four days in this country, I am starting to feel “Dominicanized.” I’m thinking I could live in this paradise and frequently nurse a cold beer. But the nagging question is: Where would I work?
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Categories:
Career Development
Company Profiles
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Apr
04
2016
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Posted by Admin
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For those not familiar with Metro Aviation, HFTC’s parent company, it has two main facets to its business. First and foremost, it is an EMS helicopter operator with over 130 aircraft in operation. Second, it’s also a Part 145 maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility, as well as a helicopter completion center.
According to Palmer and Mike Stanberry, Metro’s CEO, the impetus for creating HFTC was two-fold. Twelve years ago, Metro Aviation saw value in using simulation when it began using FlightSafety simulators for certain aspects of its Part 135 training programs. Not only is simulation training less expensive, but it also reduces the risk of damaging aircraft in training. However, as Metro Aviation’s teams grew, the cost of paying retail prices for training from a variety of third-party vendors began to grow as well. So the initial idea for creating HFTC was born out of necessity. It was a way to bring both pilot training and mechanic training back in-house, allowing for cost effective improvements in quality and standardization.
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Categories:
Company Profiles
Training
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Mar
07
2016
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Posted by Admin
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Rotorcraft Pro predicted last year that 2015 would be an exciting time for helicopter development as new helicopters and rotorcraft-related products hit the market. Our prediction proved true. Now, based on what the industry’s leading helicopter OEMs have revealed to us, 2016 promises to be just as innovative. While some new models and updates will be on display later this year at Heli-Expo 2016, you don’t have to wait until then. Here’s an OEM recap of 2015 and a preview of what’s coming.
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Categories:
Company Profiles
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Feb
29
2016
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Posted by Admin
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Erickson Air-Crane Inc. is known in the helicopter world not only for its iconic orange Aircranes, but also for its iconic reputation. With a varied fleet of rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft, and employees who have won numerous industry awards, the Portland, Oregon, company has operations not only in North America, but also South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and Australia.
Erickson is not only engaged in vertical flight, but is also vertically integrated and diversified through three divisions: Commercial Aviation Services, Government Aviation Services, and Manufacturing & MRO. There are few missions beyond Erickson’s capabilities, or as the company says: If we can’t do it, it can’t be done.
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Categories:
Career Development
Company Profiles
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Feb
16
2016
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Posted by Admin
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As you stand next to your spotless Airbus H130, giving the same briefing you have given hundreds of times, you are surrounded by a gaggle of passengers. For most of them, this flight will be their very first experience in a helicopter.
As you pilot the helicopter along the tour route, diligently performing all your pilot-related duties, you entertain and educate your guests as well. Upon landing back at the base, your measurement of success may be measured in big smiles, high fives, compliments, tips, and if you’re lucky … all the above.
For some pilots, the flight may be viewed as a monotonous exercise, nothing more than a means to build turbine time and earn a paycheck. However, why not think of it this way: In addition to earning a paycheck, you most likely just created and shared a "Top 10” memorable moment in someone's life. How many people get to do that in their job?
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Categories:
Career Development
Company Profiles
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Dec
21
2015
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Posted by Admin
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In 1999, I was an EMS pilot flying a brand new Sikorsky S76C+. I truly felt privileged to have an all-glass cockpit, with the exception of the standby airspeed, altimeter, and attitude indicator dials. With EFIS displays showing my primary flight data, and multi-function displays (MFDs) showing aircraft performance data and a moving map display . . . well, I kind of felt we were on the “bleeding edge” of technology in helicopter aviation.
I will not lie; transitioning from traditional round flight instruments to all digital displays was not easy. Although I considered myself as someone who embraced technology, years of scanning habits were very hard to break. This was especially true when it came to my brain interpreting airspeed and altitude. Seeing the pointers on a round gage seemed more intuitive than reading a vertical tape and digital readout. My transition was becoming an on-the-job experiment in human factors and ergonomics in the cockpit. After several months, I realized that I was still relying on the standby instruments, and not looking much at the data on the EFIS display. No matter how hard I tried, when the workload was high, the standby instruments were my go-to location when scanning for primary flight information.
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Categories:
Company Profiles
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Dec
07
2015
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Posted by Admin
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With over 24 years of experience, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity has achieved a strong reputation for delivering the very best pre-hospital emergency care to patients across the Midlands region of the United Kingdom (UK). From just one Bolkow 105 helicopter flying out of a temporary airbase in Shropshire, to three state-of-the-art EC135 helicopters serving the largest air ambulance region in England with a population of in excess of 6 million people, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity certainly has come a long way since 1991.
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Categories:
Helicopter Sectors
Company Profiles
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Nov
30
2015
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Posted by Admin
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There are lots of companies in the helicopter industry, both large and small, who are innovative but go unnoticed. The Rotorcraft Pro Innovators Contest set out to fix that by soliciting submissions of products and services considered to be innovative. We received dozens of entries from big companies like Airbus and Rockwell Collins, as well as from small companies like TT Aerospace and Helipad Kneeboards.
Once all submissions were in, a neutral panel narrowed the field down to the top 20, which were then presented via Rotorcraft Pro’s Facebook page for a social media vote-off where 4,900 votes were cast.
The top three finishers are receiving prestigious engraved glass awards (with all associated bragging rights) and the winner is also being awarded $5,000 worth of advertising in Rotorcraft Pro. Thanks to all the innovators and pioneers out there who make products and provide services that keep our industry moving forward!
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Categories:
Company Profiles
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Nov
16
2015
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Posted by Admin
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HAITI
That simple, short two-syllable word immediately brings to mind another two-syllable word—EARTHQUAKE. However, the ramifications and repercussions from that tragic event were not short and simple. Even today, more than five years after the 7.0 MW catastrophic quake ruptured rocks—and lives— the reverberations continue.
Yet, it would be another tragedy to still see Haiti through the images of misery and mayhem that flooded the news media those years ago. For out of that rubble and ruin, forces arose more powerful than past casualties and chaos. Those forces: restored lives and hope. Yes, Haiti is still the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with many problems to solve. However, its proud people are anything but poor in spirit. They are determined to climb to new heights—in new ways.
One new way they are reaching those heights is through Ayiti Air Anbilans (Haiti Air Ambulance), a nonprofit organization that arose out of the 2010 rubble. In North America helicopter air ambulance is often taken for granted. In Haiti on the island of Hispaniola, it is seen as something to fight for and cherish.
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Categories:
Training
Helicopter Sectors
Company Profiles
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Nov
09
2015
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Posted by Admin
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RP: How did you get your start in helicopters?
After returning from Desert Storm, I started taking flight lessons in an R22 and chose a career in law enforcement. I continued serving in the Kansas Army National Guard as a crew chief on Hueys and Blackhawks. In law enforcement, I was a state trooper in the Kansas Highway Patrol, and was eventually selected for a pilot-in-command position in the patrol’s Special Operations Air Unit. That’s how I got my break flying missions every day in helicopters and airplanes. It was just after 9/11 and there were so many security and surveillance flight missions. It was a great time to be a pilot in law enforcement who wanted to fly and build flight time. Best job I ever had!
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Categories:
Career Development
Becoming A Pilot
Training
Company Profiles
Human Interest