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Mar
05
2023

EXECUTIVE WATCH - NATE CALVIN, AEROLEDS’ CEO & FOUNDER

Posted by Admin

Small business owners and entrepreneurs often feel like they’re little David with only a slingshot going into battle against strong and tested giants. After 16 years of battle, it is safe to assume AeroLEDS is slaying giants armed with a “slingshot” that was simply the ability to out-pace the competition. “I knew that the main competitive edge we held was our ability to work longer hours and more days, with less mistakes and higher efficacy” says Founder/CEO Nate Calvin. “My work ethic was formed by the ethos of family, my upbringing in a rural environment, and experience as a young kid in wrestling. After you get your butt kicked a few times, you figure out that hard work always pays off if you want a different result”. Calvin, a former wrestling, and current Jiu Jitsu practitioner is deftly taking large competitors down to the mat by leveraging advantages that an agile, small business has over big, established competitors. He explains, “We had no business on paper going up against any of these industry giants, but you have to play to your strengths. For the first dozen years of AeroLEDS, I was working 80-100 hours a week every single week with a dogged pursuit of survival. Like any grappling match, I could live with failure as long as I knew I worked at my best.” [Read More...]



Tags: AeroLeds AEROLEDS’ CEO & FOUNDER NATE CALVIN
Categories: categoryCompany Profiles categoryHuman Interest



Feb
27
2023

Editor's Letter - Welcome to Atlanta! Will 2023 Excite Like 2022?

Posted by Admin

Although January 1 starts the calendar new year, I feel like the vertical lift industry’s new year begins on the first day of HAI Heli-Expo, the world’s largest vertical lift industry trade show. 14,000-plus attendees as well as 600-plus companies representing manufacturers and services providers come together to share with our industry what’s new, as well as to connect with customers. In 2022, we saw many new milestones across a variety of sectors. Unmanned, Advanced Air Mobility and eVTOL aircraft, which seemed like a pipe dream for several years, moved the needle in a big way with many AAM and eVTOL aircraft flying for the first time, with some achieving certain levels of certification. There was a renewed call for the industry to embrace these new platforms when HAI President Jim Viola strongly said, “Let me be clear: AAM (advanced air mobility unmanned aircraft) and eVTOL (electric-powered vertical takeoff and landing aircraft) operations are complementary to conventional helicopters.” On the unmanned front, on Page 74 Rotor Pro spoke to OEMs and operators to learn who will service Unmanned, Advanced Air Mobility and eVTOL aircraft in our industry. [Read More...]



Tags: eVTOL OEM Rotor Pro at HeliExpo 2023
Categories: categoryCareer Development categoryOpinion-Editorial categoryHelicopter Event Coverage



Feb
20
2023

WEATHER: The devil’s in the details

Posted by Admin

Not only have I seen numerous pilots contract it dozens of times, but I have also fallen victim to it. It lurks both day and night. No, I'm not referring to a strange illness that can only be cured by some supplement found on late-night infomercials. Instead, I'm talking about "Green-Dot Syndrome." It usually presents itself in the following manner. The on-call pilot, such as an HAA pilot, law enforcement pilot, etc., receives a flight request. The pilot takes a quick glance at their favorite weather source. The display shows the point of departure as "green," (indicated by the green dot on the weather platform). There’s another green dot near the destination. What more do you need? "It's all green!" [Read More...]



Tags: asos aviation weather awos flight category colors green dot syndrome
Categories: categorySafety



Feb
14
2023

Yes, Agencies Talk To Each Other - Military to Civilian

Posted by Admin

In the past, some former military pilots have neglected to be honest when reporting they receive a Veterans Administration (VA) disability payment on their FAA FORM 8000-9, commonly known as the FAA medical application. Specifically, question 18Y that asks the applicant if they receive “medical disability benefits.” According to the FAA this means: “The applicant must report any disability benefits received, regardless of source or amount.” More specifically, it means whether you have ever received disability benefits, not only if you are currently receiving them. [Read More...]



Tags: Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners Military to Civilian Aviation Veterans Disablity
Categories: categoryRegulatory categoryHelicopter Sectors



Feb
06
2023

Adieu - Thank for the Terrific Ride - Randy Mains

Posted by Admin

Last March, I informed Lyn Burks, owner and editor-in-chief of this magazine, that this November/December issue would be my last column for Rotor Pro. Before I fade off into the journalistic sunset, I’d like to share with you how I came to write my column, my motivation to do so and discuss how, in my view, the industry has changed since I joined this magazine. The wonderful opportunity to become a columnist for Rotor Pro happened more by unexpected opportunity than by design. In 1982, when I was working full time as chief pilot for UCSD Medical Center’s Life Flight program piloting a Bell 222 single pilot IFR in San Diego, I also attended San Diego State University full time and graduated with a degree in journalism. I could have never imagined I would one day have my own column. My first published article for Rotor and Wing magazine back in 1983 was entitled “Life and Death—an EMS Pilot’s Viewpoint.” In that same year, I was awarded the first Golden Hour Award presented by Helicopter Association International (HAI). The now annual award recognizes a person’s efforts to further the helicopter air ambulance concept in America. [Read More...]



Tags: CRM Golden Hour Helicopter Safety randy mains
Categories: categoryCareer Development categorySafety categoryOpinion-Editorial



Jan
30
2023

After the Storm Hurricane Ian Helicopter Rescue & Recovery

Posted by Admin

Hurricane Ian made landfall in western Florida on 28 September 2022. The Category 4 storm rocked various communities, causing flooding, structural damage, debris, downed trees, high winds, heavy rain, isolation of residents, and death. The death toll varies depending upon the reporting agency, but hovers between 118-130 lives between Florida, Cuba, Virginia, and the Carolinas. Ian was the deadliest hurricane to strike Florida since The Great Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. Helicopter rescue following the hurricane was primarily conducted by the National Guard and the Coast Guard. Private groups were also involved. One private company was Fair Lifts of Atlanta, Georgia. Fair Lifts has contract relationships with helicopter operators, pilots, and ground cranes throughout the region and operates throughout the U.S. and Canada. They contract all work and use the following aircraft: EC130, R-44, R66, and Bell 206L3. The company, which provides various commercial helicopter services, such as heavy lifts, aerial surveillance, construction lifts, and HVAC placement, also manages emergency services via helicopter during natural disasters. [Read More...]



Tags: aerial surveillance and Bell 206L3 and HVAC placement commercial helicopter services construction lifts EC130 Fair LIft Commercial Helicopter Services Hurricane Ian Helicopter Support R-44 R66 such as heavy lifts
Categories: categoryCompany Profiles



Jan
23
2023

Meet a Rotor Pro - Tyler Carver, Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters

Posted by Admin

RP: What is your current position? I am the assistant director of operations for Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters. We are the world’s largest and longest-operating helicopter tour company with 57 years of experience. Papillon currently operates a fleet of 47 helicopters, including Bell 206Ls, Airbus AS350B3es and EC130B4/T2s, and an MD 900. We employ over 60 pilots in seven locations across Nevada and Arizona. In addition to tours, we also have a robust utility division with helicopters working on contracts anywhere from Alaska to Florida. [Read More...]



Tags: Meet A Rotor Pro Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters Tyler Carver
Categories: categoryCareer Development



Jan
17
2023

Best of Rotor Tech 2022

Posted by Admin

Rotorcraft Pro rebranded itself as Rotor Pro, as we expanded our coverage beyond manned helicopters to include eVTOLs and UAVs. In line with this change, the scope of this year’s ‘Best of’ article has been expanded as well, which is why we’re calling it ‘Best of Rotor Tech 2022'. Here are some of the highlights of the year that’s just passed [Read More...]



Tags: Jaunt Air Mobility Joby Rotor Pro eVTOLs UAVs
Categories: categoryHelicopter Sectors categoryCompany Profiles



Jan
09
2023

Executive Watch - Dale Neubauer, CEO, HeliLadder

Posted by Admin

Dale Neubauer, founder and CEO of Oregon-based HeliLadder is rare among mechanics. That’s too narrow a claim; in fact, he’s rare among people. He noticed a real need as a working mechanic: he and his fellow wrench turners were contorting themselves in risky, uncomfortable, and inefficient working conditions, dangling themselves from old-style ladders that hadn’t made a significant step-up in half a century. “I thought that it was just ridiculous that maintenance ladders had not improved,” he says. “Nothing had changed, except they were now made out of fiberglass, but it was still the same conventional design they’d used in World War II.” [Read More...]



Tags: Dale Neubauer Executive Watch HeliLadder
Categories: categoryOpinion-Editorial categoryHuman Interest categoryCompany Profiles



Jan
02
2023

Air Mercy Service South Africa

Posted by Admin

The South Africa Red Cross Air Mercy Service Trust (AMS) in partnership with the Emergency Medical Services of the Western Cape Government Health and Wellness provides an emergency rescue and air ambulance service to the community of the Western Cape Province via a fleet of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. This partnership aims to ensure that all citizens have access to equitable, acute specialized care at all levels. The AMS’s rescue platform, which provides air-sea and air-mountain rescue services by helicopter, has more than 20 years of experience working with the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness Wilderness Search & Rescue (WSAR), Lifesaving South Africa, and its many affiliates. [Read More...]



Tags: Air Mercy South Africa
Categories: categoryCompany Profiles


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