|
Aug
17
2015
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
Rotorcraft Pro Editor-in-Chief Lyn Burks recently visited Erickson Aviation’s Oregon operations to learn more about how the company’s recent investments are poising it for future growth.
Imagine you’re a helicopter operator and the phone rings. When you pick it up the conversation goes something like this.
Caller: “Hello, I represent the community of Pangnirtung.”
You: “P-a-n-t-y – what? I’m sorry, what was the name again?”
Caller: “Pangnirtung. Do you know where that is?
You: “I’m sorry, I do not. Should I?”
Caller: “It’s a small village located on Baffin Island in the territory of Nunavut in Northern Canada, just outside the Arctic Circle. It’s one of the most remote and sparsely settled regions in the world.”
You: “Oh, OK. Remote, ice, polar bears … got it! So what can I do for you?”
Caller: “Well our entire village relies on diesel generators for power and we recently had a fire destroy four of them, leaving many residents with no electricity at all. As you can imagine, no power in this area with temps hitting -17° is a problem. We have a line on several new generators, but they are 160 miles away in the town of Iqaluit. We believe the only way to get them to our remote community in a timely manner is to have them lifted in by helicopter. Is this something that you can do?”
You: “Sure, that’s what we do. We specialize in moving heaving things, in very hard-to-reach locations, and in extreme conditions.”
[Read More...]
Categories:
Company Profiles
Helicopter Sectors
|
Aug
08
2015
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
RPMN: When and how did you choose to fly helicopters? Or did they choose you?
I found out about the R-22 and civilian helicopter flight training completely by accident, I saw a helicopter on display at a recreational vehicle show and talked to the pilots and read a brochure. I knew absolutely nothing about it or what questions to ask, but it was a great discovery and it’s been a great career. I’m glad I was ignorant of the business at the time, because if I had known about flight hour requirements for different jobs or turbine time etc. I might not have ever gotten started.
[Read More...]
Categories:
Career Development
Training
Human Interest
|
Aug
04
2015
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
During the summer months people don`t realize how quickly the brutal Arizona heat can dehydrate them. This, and other emergency situations often require an immediate response. To provide that response, in 1972 after a 3-year study that included an 18-month proof of concept through the Air Medical Evacuation System (AMES) project, the Arizona DPS initiated an air rescue unit utilizing Bell 206 Jet Rangers. Now after 43 years of continuous service, DPS Air Rescue performs hundreds of rescues every year. After the Jet Rangers, the unit obtained Bell 206L-3 Long Rangers, which performed well until they were replaced with the current fleet of four Bell 407 helicopters.
[Read More...]
Categories:
Company Profiles
Human Interest
|
Jul
25
2015
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
As a pilot examiner, I have the opportunity to work with many flight schools and instructors throughout my district. I sometimes take it for granted that my visits to flight schools are a rare benefit to me not often afforded to other flight schools in our local area. The ability to see varied procedures and techniques provides insights into how the average flight school conducts business. I often get to see curriculum development, local airport procedures, internal instructor training, and other aspects of day-to-day operations.
[Read More...]
Categories:
Training
|
Jul
20
2015
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
The problem with communication is the perception that it’s been achieved.
—George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright
Boy, was ol’ George right. Communication is central to effective crew resource management. An ambiguous message, whether written or spoken, can lead to fatal consequences. With that thought in mind, one would think airline executives, when drafting memos to flight crews, would take great pains to avoid ambiguity at all cost. Apparently, they don’t. Consider the following 1996 memo distributed to pilots at British Airways in an effort to clarify new pilot role titles:
[Read More...]
Categories:
Training
Safety
Career Development
|
Jul
13
2015
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
Call it what you want: H/V (height/velocity) curve, dead man’s curve, or even “limiting height-speed envelope” for those who like sophisticated phrases. The “dead man’s curve” term is probably a carryover from our fixed-wing brethren. The helicopter industry generally accepts the simple reference of H/V curve. The inside of the curve is the area from which it will be difficult, or nearly impossible, to make a safe landing following an engine failure (if you are in the same conditions depicted with respect to airspeed, height above ground, weight, and density altitude).
[Read More...]
Categories:
Training
Safety
|
Jul
06
2015
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
Every wildfire is different and every wildfire must be respected. It is another triple-digit afternoon, and the third call-out of the day. The radios are awash in static and layers of non-stop chatter. With each hiss and scratch, a mental picture is drawn of the size and scope of the fire. Each crew member prepares for what is to come, and tries to push down rising adrenaline with an outward façade of calm.
Both S-2 air tankers have already made their initial drops and are heading back to base to reload and return. Directed in by the airtactical plane orbiting the columns of smoke, the gleaming white and red UH-1H ‘Super Huey’ charges in at low-level and banks hard to the left. Eyes inside the rotorcraft thoroughly survey the area through airborne debris and haze for any threats adjacent to their chosen landing zone.
[Read More...]
Categories:
Company Profiles
Training
Helicopter Sectors
|
Jun
30
2015
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
RPMN: How did you get your start in helicopters?
The first job I had was as a CFI for a company that went out of business. My second job was with a company that changed ownership. My business, Independent Helicopters, started with $25, a lease agreement with Matt Spitzer, and a positive attitude. So, you could say I have had three starts. Independent Helicopters was where it all really started. I hit the ground running with no safety net and never looked back.
[Read More...]
Categories:
Career Development
Training
Company Profiles
|
Jun
22
2015
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
Without reservation, I can say that I have found my passion in life. I love teaching the art of helicopter flight. I don’t know when, where, or why my passion for sharing my love for helicopters developed, I only know that I enjoy it. Equally enjoyable is serving the FAA as a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE). Do all instructors share this passion? If not, what motivates instructors in their vital role within our industry?
[Read More...]
Categories:
Helicopter Sectors
Training
|
Jun
15
2015
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
Maintenance engineers and mechanics have known about ‘The Dirty Dozen’ for years. They are the 12 most common human error preconditions or conditions that act as precursors to accidents or incidents for mechanics.
I first learned about The Dirty Dozen when I put together a crew resource management course for helicopter engineers and mechanics. I instantly realized that pilots would be safer if they knew about these dozen error traps too.
The Dirty Dozen is a concept developed in 1993 by Gordon DuPont, when he worked for Transport Canada. They have since become a cornerstone in maintenance training courses worldwide.
[Read More...]
Categories:
Training
Safety