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Jun
24
2011
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Posted by Admin
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By Bob Barbanes - As many of you know, on Wednesday, April 27th a huge tornado buzz-sawed its way through the state of Alabama, leaving hundreds of people dead and thousands of people homeless. It was not your typical tornado, in as much as once it touched down in the city of Tuscaloosa (in the western part of the state), it stayed stuck to the ground all the way northeast to the Georgia line and beyond. The amount of destruction in its wake is astonishing.
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Categories:
Human Interest
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Jun
15
2011
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Posted by Admin
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By Matt Zuccaro -I am sure most of you are familiar with the various accident reduction efforts within the industry—be they Helicopter Association International, FAA, the International Helicopter Safety Team, Tour Operators Program of Safety, Airborne Law Enforcement Association or the European Helicopter Safety Team. The basic premise of these efforts is to reduce the number of accidents that occur within the helicopter community—either the aggregate number or those that involve fatalities.
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Categories:
Safety
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Jun
10
2011
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Posted by Admin
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By Ed MacDonald - It was a morning like no other. Key members of the management team sat around the conference table with bleary red eyes and a demeanor which reflected their shared loss and pain from the night before. Self-doubt and a sense of their own human frailty permeated each team member down to the core. What could have prevented this tragic event? Why didn’t they see it coming?
[Read More...]
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May
26
2011
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Posted by Admin
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There is a crucial link between the many great aeronautical engineers and talented mechanics that have made rotary wing flight possible and the pilots who have maximized the unique capabilities of the helicopter. This link is the helicopter test pilot. The test pilot is the one who shows what the aircraft is capable of, pushes it to define its limits and provides the feedback necessary for the engineers to refine the design.
[Read More...]
Categories:
Human Interest
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May
19
2011
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Posted by Admin
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Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company announced the Bell Helicopter “Heroes of Aviation" Series, which pays tribute to the men and women who preserve freedom and save lives while using Bell Helicopters.
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Categories:
Human Interest
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May
12
2011
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Posted by Admin
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By Hunter Old - Once upon a time, you bought and registered an aircraft and it was registered for good as long as you continued to operate it. However, the days of a permanent registration for all aircraft are gone, causing a new headache for corporate flight departments everywhere. Under new FAA rules that took effect last fall, for all aircraft (including helicopters) that were registered before October 1, 2010, the registration expires according a table of rolling dates based on the month the current registration was issued. For example, if your current aircraft registration was issued between March and July of any year, its registration expires some time in 2011. Once re-registered, each aircraft registration then will have to be renewed every three years.
[Read More...]
Categories:
Regulatory
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Apr
28
2011
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Posted by Admin
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Article, Photos & Video By Lyn Burks
After landing on the big white H, we surface taxi the giant Aircrane, also nicknamed Goliath, across the parking lot of the Orange County Convention Center. Just before the Erickson Aircrane ground marshalling guy puts his arms in the shape of a big X telling us to stop, the pilot not flying asks the pilot if he see’s the little tree on the right side to which he get’s an “affirmative” reply. As the parking brake and nose wheel locks are applied, Randy Erwin, Captain of the Goliath cracks the intercom and says, “not bad for a couple of old farts eh?”
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Categories:
Helicopter Event Coverage
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Apr
22
2011
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Posted by Admin
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By Barry Pomeroy - The answer to the shortage of qualified helicopter pilots and the ‘gray area’ for certified low time commercial helicopter pilots are; Interns - voluntary second pilots in VFR/SPIFR commercial and HEMS operations. I am Barry Pomeroy, I am a low time Commercial pilot with an existing career, and I am writing this as the result of a failure matrix analysis after observing and participating in the industry for approximately six years. I attend, listen, and read everything I can get my hands on from the helicopter world.
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Categories:
Career Development
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Apr
14
2011
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Posted by Admin
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By Bill Winn - The sound of thunder on the near horizon can herald hope or fear, depending on whether you are a drought-stricken farmer or a Golden Retriever with a serious phobia of both the boom and flash of lightening. My dog Max literally climbs into bed between me and Joyce during every thunderstorm, and lies there shivering uncontrollably until the storm has passed. It's like having one of those vibrating beds you find in cheap motels.
[Read More...]
Categories:
Safety
Regulatory
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Apr
07
2011
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Posted by Admin
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By Ron Whitney - Madison County Executive (MDQ) airport is not an unfamiliar destination for me. Located a little over 17 nm to the northeast of Huntsville International (HSV) Airport, this uncontrolled general aviation airport was a frequent refueling stop while I was in the EMS business. The one thing I always loved about MDQ was that the line guys were always waiting on me, regardless of the time, or the weather. Even if I was only buying thirty gallons of Jet A, they treated us as if it were five thousand. The service here is simply the best I’ve seen in thirty years of flying.
[Read More...]
Categories:
Company Profiles