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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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Jun
03
2024
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Posted by Admin
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The recent Airbus 2024 preview in France illuminated new technology and innovation the company offers across many models and lines. However, one message reiterated by leaders is that once they launch a new technology or idea, they work to ensure that it suits customers' needs. Here’s an update on what to look for this year.
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Categories:
Company Profiles
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May
27
2024
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Posted by Admin
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RPMN: What is your current position?
I am the owner and president of Five-Alpha LLC. I also serve as the infrastructure advisor to the Vertical Flight Society and am the technical committee chair to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 418 Standard for Heliports and Vertiports. Some of the other volunteer hats I have worn during my career include board member and president of the National EMS Pilots Association (NEMSPA), board member and president of the Indiana Association of Air Medical Services (INAAMS), co-chair of the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team Infrastructure Working Group just to name a few.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Five-Alpha LLC
INAAMS
Meet A Rotor Pro
NEMSPA
Rex Alexander
USHST
Categories:
Career Development
Human Interest
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May
20
2024
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Posted by Admin
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When Bell wanted to compete directly with the Robinson Helicopter Company, leadership assigned David Smith to be chief engineer for the development of the Bell 505. The first thing Smith did was lease a Robinson R66 for his team to analyze.
"I told them, 'You need to know the enemy,'" Smith recalled. Bell's old guard had mocked the Robinson helicopter as a "toy for the rich guys," but Smith's team quickly realized it was much, much more.
"When we took it apart and studied it, it was quite the opposite," Smith related. "It was ruthlessly efficient. As an engineer, I could appreciate the thousands and thousands of decisions they made that got the product to this highly evolved state."
The 505 Jet Ranger X project was completed early and $10 million under budget under Smith's leadership. Now a decade later, Smith is Robinson's new leader after serving as its VP of operations for the past year.
[Read More...]
Tags:
David Smith
Frank Robinson
Kurt Robinson
Robinson Helicopter
Categories:
Company Profiles
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May
13
2024
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Posted by Admin
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“My promotion to the CEO role at Air Maestro came at a unique time - I was six months pregnant with my son—with no prior CEO experience,” Aleks Banas says to begin this profile of a working mother who has risen to CEO of not one, but two aviation technology companies: Air Maestro and Spidertracks. The Polish-born Australian, gives voice to what has become the unofficial anthem of her current country—the song sung by the folk band, The Seekers: “I am Australian.”
[Read More...]
Tags:
Air Maestro
Alex Banas
Executive Watch
Spidertracks
Categories:
Career Development
Company Profiles
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May
06
2024
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Posted by Admin
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On the personnel supply side of the equation, things seem to be getting slightly better, but not much!
There are still many external forces impacting the supply of working helicopter pilots. These forces are not only keeping the supply lines short of personnel, but stifling the growth of the base pilot pool as well.
As published in previous salary survey reports, the factors impacting operators stem from many issues to include; aging pilots retiring en-mass, aggressive airline recruitment of helicopter pilots, and the retraction of pilot training pipelines from traditional sources like civilian academies and the U.S. Military.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Helicopter Pilot Salaries
Helicopter Salary Survey Report
Pilot Salaries
Categories:
Career Development
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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.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Changes in the helicopter industry
Rotor Pro Editor's Letter
Categories:
Helicopter Sectors
Opinion-Editorial
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Apr
22
2024
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Posted by Admin
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Deciding where in the world to do your helicopter flight training is highly complex and one that should not be taken lightly. Diligent research should be undertaken. I know as I asked myself this very question over 23 years ago. Like so many others I traveled from another country, England in my case, to the United States to accomplish it. Now, over two decades later I am a helicopter experimental test pilot and also the proud owner of a successful flight training school in Long Beach, California. I have been reflecting on this very subject and why I decided to come here. I thought it would be very useful to both highlight and explain my thought processes and how, should you agree with them, go about embarking on your own helicopter career in the USA. The following paragraphs discuss the various subject areas for why people come here and why, in my case, I did so.
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Tags:
Alex Chaunt
Anthelion Helicopters
Helicopter training in the USA
SEVIS
Categories:
Career Development
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Apr
22
2024
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Posted by Admin
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In case you have forgotten or haven't been bored enough to attend your local City Council meeting lately, "All in favor" is an idiom generally used to prompt the act of voting and typically exercised by either a voice response or a show of hands. And while it is just me writing this article, I will go out on a limb here and say "aye" for all three of us. That's how many (excluding friends and family) that want you to pass your Checkride! Obviously, you want to achieve that milestone, your CFI certainly has skin in the game, and designated pilot examiners want you to pass. Yes, you read that correctly! I, for one, and many of my other DPE colleagues I frequently network with, will agree that issuing a Notice of Disapproval is disappointing on our end as well. Remember, we are pilots too! We want to see you succeed! But first, a successful practical test stand upon three valid legs.
[Read More...]
Tags:
DPE
helicopter checkride
rotorcraft checkride
Categories:
Career Development
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Apr
15
2024
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Posted by Admin
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Five years after the decision was made to replace the renowned Bell UH-1D helicopter in the search and rescue role by the Airbus H145 LUH SAR, the 7th Squadron of ‘Transport Hubschrauber Regiment 30 at Niederstetten Air Base is fully operational with the new helicopter.
When the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) was established in 1947, each member state was obliged to set up facilities and provide the necessary assistance in the event of an aircraft emergency over land or sea in its own territory. Following World War II, Germany was allowed to build up its own armed forces again in 1955 and joined ICAO as a member state in 1956. Preparations began to set up a dedicated search and rescue network by the ‘Bundeswehr’ (German armed forces). Although the German navy already started SAR-operations from Kiel-Holtenau in 1958; the official foundation date is considered 1 April 1959 when the 1st Rescue and Liaison Squadron was established at Faberg Air Base in northern Germany operating the Bristol 171 Sycamore helicopter and the Dornier DO-27 aircraft. Over the years a large variety of helicopters was used by the German armed forces that included the Sikorsky S-58, Vertol H-21, SaRo Skeeter, the Bell UH-1D Huey and the Westland Sea King.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Airbus H145 LUH SAR
German Army's Search and Rescue
ICAO
Categories:
Company Profiles