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Aug
27
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Don’t tell my AME, but I love sausage (OK, actually I love bacon, but bacon doesn’t fit my analogy. Don’t fret, my column isn’t going to be about breakfast meats, nor my diet for that matter. Instead, I want to talk about how things are made or derived behind the scenes as it relates to electronic aviation applications (apps). Just like breakfast meats, which are tasty and a breakfast staple for many of us, we don’t always know how that food was processed behind the scenes, and frankly, I don’t care to see how sausage is made! However, I do care about how various aviation apps derive their calculations, as you should care as an applicant for any practical test. Let me explain! I’ll warn you, this month's column is packed full of questions, and if you don’t know the answers, I suggest you figure them out before your next practical exam.
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Matt Johnson
Rotorcraft Checkride
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Rotorcraft Checkride
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Aug
27
2025
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Posted by Admin
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There’s an old saying in leadership circles: “The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.” Nowhere is that more true than in helicopter maintenance.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
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Maintenance Minute
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Aug
27
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Becoming a helicopter pilot has always required dedication, discipline, and no small amount of financial sacrifice. However in 2025, the costs associated with helicopter training reached a critical tipping point. With total training expenses easily surpassing $100,000, a strained job market, rising insurance rates, exorbitant FAA testing fees, and outdated regulatory constraints, we’re now at a breaking point.
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My 2 Cents Worth
Randy Rowles
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My Two Cents Worth
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Jul
27
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Not long ago, one of our aircraft mechanics had a close call. While working on a helicopter from an elevated platform ladder, he shifted his weight—and the ladder flipped. He fell inside the frame and struck his head on a side brace, requiring 17 stitches.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Jul
27
2025
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Posted by Admin
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To put me in perspective: I didn’t have a squadron command tour, no beltway time, and I wasn’t a ring knocker. I was just a fleet average major trying to do above average work. I was an XO, a schoolhouse advanced IP, a JTAC, a school-trained ASO, and I even flew Marine One for a bit. So, I thought I had the experience to succeed in the civilian HEMS landscape and that’s what I wanted to do. I had no interest in the airlines, agriculture or utility. With that background on me, here is my take on challenges and wins I realized in my transition to civilian flight and my final recommendations for those making the transition.
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Mil2Civ
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Jul
27
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Vertical lift technology is advancing rapidly, transforming everything from commercial logistics to emergency response. As the skies fill with drones and other advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft, regulations and safety standards must keep pace. The Drone and AAM Policy Symposium, presented by AUVSI, is your opportunity to prepare for—and even design—the industry's future.
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Uncrewed
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Jul
27
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Safety First! It's a common battle cry. Many operators proudly claim that safety is their "top priority," particularly in the wake of a high-profile accident. The not-so-little secret is: It's not. Come on, we know it's not.
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Safety First
VAST
Categories:
Safety First
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Jul
07
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Not long ago, one of our aircraft mechanics had a close call. While working on a helicopter from an elevated platform ladder, he shifted his weight—and the ladder flipped. He fell inside the frame and struck his head on a side brace, requiring 17 stitches.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Jul
07
2025
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Posted by Admin
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In over a decade as a Designated Pilot Evaluator, I've realized three things are guaranteed to occur at every practical exam. One is the given: nervousness. The second is that the applicant will invariably forget their IACRA password (okay, I’m being a bit facetious). The third is the barrage of acronyms that will be used during the exam. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an acronym hater; they have their place. I may find myself in four to five different aircraft models in a given week, and I routinely use acronyms to help me not do something stupid.
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Matt Johnson
Rotorcraft Checkride
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Rotorcraft Checkride
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Jul
07
2025
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Posted by Admin
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A couple of months ago, I made a short post on LinkedIn. It was just a few honest words about where I came from and what still weighs heavy on my heart. I didn’t write it for attention; I wrote it because I needed to say it. Since then, I’ve been asked to release this narrative more broadly in Rotor Pro. I’ve agreed because I believe these words need to be heard.
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Tags:
My Two Cents Worth
Randy Rowles
Categories:
My Two Cents Worth