Sep
12
2013
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Posted by Admin
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Helicopter Pilot Insurance Coverage Trends
By Rick Lindsey
Helicopter accidents can result in property damage, death or catastrophic injuries. When things go wrong, there is usually plenty of blame to go around. Read the headlines today and you’ll see that millions of dollars have been awarded in liability lawsuits.
Helicopter pilots are trained, highly skilled, cautious and careful professionals who understand the importance of being proactive by double-checking all systems, safety checks, and other factors when piloting a helicopter. A pilot must be prepared to be thrust into a dangerous or unexpected situation at any moment and have the skills to react quickly.
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Categories:
Safety
Regulatory
Sep
05
2013
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Posted by Admin
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Avionics Upgrades Breath New Life into Old Birds
by James Careless
The Bell 212 Twin Huey is a venerable rotorcraft, with 45 years of history
under its blades. Unfortunately, a decades-old helicopter cockpit experiences a lot of wear and tear. Add analog 'steam gauge' displays, and the result can be a visually shabby, technologically-obsolete cockpit that can compel all but the hardiest of helicopter enthusiasts to pay more for brand new aircraft - even if the older model still has lots of life in it!
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Categories:
Helicopter Sectors
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
23
2013
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Posted by Admin
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As a working helicopter pilot of 22 years, I have watched the bumpy business roads that MD Helicopters has travelled. Although the legacy of MD is much older than its owner, Lynn Tilton, it seems like it may have inherited its resilient scrappiness from the company’s matriarch.
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Categories:
Company Profiles
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
26
2013
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Posted by Admin
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There is an old aviation axiom that goes like this: How do you make a million dollars in aviation? Answer: Start out with two million dollars!
It doesn’t matter if you have designs on becoming a pilot, mechanic, or business owner, the aviation industry can be very unforgiving. There is virtually nothing easy about being successful, especially in the rough and tumble world of flight training. Inject a helicopter into the equation and your “difficulty factor” goes up exponentially.
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Categories:
Company Profiles
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
Jul
05
2013
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Posted by Admin
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When I was a kid, my mom always had a ready supply of catchy “wisdoms” that fit every occasion, and even future occasions. A few of my favorites were: “Make sure you wear clean underwear in case you need to go to the emergency room,” “That won’t last as long as a fart in a whirlwind,” and “Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly is to the bone.” However, the one I still reflect upon to this day is “Watch your pennies and your dollars will take care of themselves.”
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Categories:
Company Profiles