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May
22
2014
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Posted by Admin
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My Two Cents Worth
by Randy Mains
Here’s a question for you: What’s the difference between a $14 million full-motion, level D flight simulator and a $500 couch? As I was to find out, the answer to that question is … not a lot.
In the January 2014 issue of Rotorcraft Pro, there were several very well written and informative articles about flight simulators. Lyn Burks, the editor-in-chief of Rotorcraft Pro, had written an article about his experience flying a S76 C+ flight sim at the CAE training center in Whippany, New Jersey. Ryan Mason wrote an insightful article entitled “Trends in Helicopter Simulation.” Reading those two articles reminded me of the couch, and what a wonderful training tool it is.
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Categories:
Training
Safety
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May
15
2014
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Posted by Admin
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Personal Protective Equipment (Part Two)
By Dr. Dudley Crosson
This is the concluding part of our article on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) / Aviation Life Support Equipment (ALSE). Last month we looked at the helmet. Now I would like to consider all other components of what a flight crew should wear.
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Categories:
Safety
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May
09
2014
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Posted by Admin
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PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (Part One)
By Dr. Dudley Crosson
It doesn’t matter what you call it – Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) or Aviation Life Support Equipment (ALSE) – it is all the same. It is the equipment that the flight crew should be using to protect them from conditions that may occur during an accident. It is common practice to utilize ALSE in the public safety and HEMS communities, but it is obvious that not all do so.
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Categories:
Safety
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Apr
24
2014
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Posted by Admin
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Meet a Rotorcraft Pro – Anthony Burson
RPMN: What is your current position?
I am the Chief Pilot of UTFlight, the flight department of United Technologies. I am responsible for helicopter and fixed winged operations, both domestic and international. We have 36 pilots that operate a fleet of ten aircraft with bases in Hartford, Conn. and Charlotte, N.C.
RPMN: Tell me about your first flight.
My first flight was in a Piper Super Cub that was owned by a family friend. I was ten years old and remember that I could not see out the front wind screen. The flight was only about 20 minutes long but I knew then that flying was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
My first helicopter flight was in a Hughes 500 at the age of 23. I was working as an A&P mechanic and had just been trained on how to do rotor track and balance. I was so excited in that first ride that I had a hard time concentrating on what I was doing.
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Categories:
Human Interest
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Apr
17
2014
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Posted by Admin
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A poem by helicopter pilot Marshall Murdock
The best among us are not among us,
You will not find them here;
They stand on distant lands and shores,
For freedom’s cause so dear.
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Categories:
Humor & Poetry
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Apr
10
2014
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Posted by Admin
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CS3 - Raising the Bar on Customer Support:
How Airbus Does It!
Article, Photos & Video by Lyn Burks
No one likes a helicopter that is a “hangar pig”—a helicopter that seemingly sits in the hangar broken more often than flying. As a person who has owned several helicopters as a part of my business, I can testify that downtime equals lost dollars.
[Read More...]
Categories:
Company Profiles
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Mar
28
2014
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Posted by Admin
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Perceptions of Safety
By Scott Skola
Safety, safety, safety … with the full court press on safety these days, you would think that the rotorcraft industry would be at that much-revered “zero incidents and accidents” goal by now. Unfortunately, we’re not.
When you get down to it, what is safety? Is it just an analytical state of mind, with a bunch of numbers and ratios proving its success? Or does it also have a philosophical side, where perception and beliefs play a part in safety success? The short answer—it’s both. So, if a company wants no incidents and accidents—and every employee goes to work with the intention of not causing an incident or accident—why do we continue to come up short?
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Categories:
Training
Safety
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Mar
20
2014
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Posted by Admin
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My Two Cents Worth (Rotorcraft Pro February 2014 Issue) by Randy Mains
What does it mean to you to be a professional? With that thought in mind, do you possess the attributes of a professional? What do you think are essential qualities of a true professional? Conversely, what qualities would you consider to be found in someone who is not a professional? Considering what it takes to be professional – and unprofessional – will make you aware of what we all strive to be: a true professional in our chosen occupation.
[Read More...]
Categories:
Training
Safety
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Mar
14
2014
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Posted by Admin
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Meet a Rotorcraft Pro – Henrik Bjorklund
RPMN: What is your current position?
I’m a saw pilot at Rotor Blade.
RPMN: What does Rotor Blade do?
We perform aerial sidewall trimming of utility line rights-of-way. This is done with a ten-bladed saw that’s suspended below the aircraft.
RPMN: Tell me about your first flight.
It was my very first flight lesson at Bristow Academy in Florida. I absolutely loved how the helicopter maneuvered through the air and the sensation of hovering; hanging motionless in the air was absolutely fantastic. I had never been in a helicopter before I left Sweden and came to Bristow Academy, not even on the ground. So, when my instructor asked if I wanted to do an autorotation I simply said, “Yeah, sure,” and was wondering what he was talking about. I was in for a surprise.
[Read More...]
Categories:
Human Interest
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Mar
05
2014
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Posted by Admin
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By Ryan MasonBy all indications, the helicopter simulation industry is booming. With the steady
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Categories:
Training