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Apr
30
2026
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Posted by Admin
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I graduated from high school in 1983, inspired to become a pilot by the popular books and movies of the time. Like Craig Thomas’, Firefox Down and Tom Wolfe’s, The Right Stuff and their movie adaptations. In The Right Stuff, Gordon Cooper, played by a young Dennis Quaid, repeatedly asks, “Who’s the best pilot you ever saw?” His predictable reply: “You’re looking at him.” It’s a memorable line, filled with swagger, charisma, and a little cringe. Most of us have flown with someone like that.
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Chris Hill
Safety SITREP
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Apr
30
2026
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Posted by Admin
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For decades, helicopter operators have demonstrated the real-world value of vertical lift—from emergency response and medical transport to offshore operations and disaster relief. As electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft begin moving from prototype to operational testing, AUVSI is working with industry and government to safely integrate this new era of aviation technology into the existing national air space.
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AUVSI
Uncrewed
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Apr
30
2026
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Posted by Admin
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There is a hard truth in life and business that most people learn the slow way: some people are only close to you when they need something from you. The moment the need is gone, so are they.
The helicopter industry has more than its fair share of this type of person. Ours is an industry that likes to talk about relationships, trust, mentorship, and reputation. We describe it as a small community. We speak of loyalty, professionalism, and looking out for one another. We shake hands at events, share stories in convention halls, and talk as though this business is built on something deeper than opportunity. But if you stay in it long enough, you start to see another layer beneath all of that.
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My 2 Cents Worth
Randy Rowles
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My Two Cents Worth
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Apr
30
2026
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Posted by Admin
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Bell Completes Critical Design Review on DARPA SPRINT X-Plane Program, Receives Official X-Plane Designation
Following the completion of CDR, Bell will now begin building a brand-new X-plane with first-of-its-kind stop/fold technology.
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Military Matters
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Apr
30
2026
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Posted by Admin
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“I’ve worked in shops where quality was a slogan… and I’ve worked in shops where quality was a decision.
In aviation, quality is often described as everyone’s responsibility. It is. However, for the aircraft mechanic, quality is not a shared responsibility — it is personal responsibility. It is Job One.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
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Maintenance Minute
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Apr
30
2026
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Posted by Admin
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Brief them as their lives depend on it, because it may very well be life-saving information in the unfortunate event of an accident or incident.
For those of us who frequently fly commercially on airliners, it isn’t uncommon to know verbatim what verbiage will likely be coming out of the flight attendant's mouth. We sit with the “been there – done that – know this” mentality as we patiently wait to get on with our journey to our destination.
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Matt Johnson
Rotorcraft Checkride
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Rotorcraft Checkride
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Mar
22
2026
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Posted by Admin
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As you’re reading this, Verticon is in our rear-view mirror. As I’m writing it, it’s next week.
I started attending helicopter trade shows in the 1990s as a young mechanic walking the floor wide-eyed, trying to learn everything I could. Back then I was the guy asking questions. Today, after more than a dozen years working a booth, I’m usually the one answering them.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
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Maintenance Minute
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Mar
03
2026
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Posted by Admin
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It is a familiar scene for me as a DPE: the well-prepared (hopefully, overprepared) applicant has all of their items out on the table and is anxiously ready to begin the practical test; their well-plotted cross-country is stowed away in their EFB, and when that portion of the oral exam begins, they are so proudly ready to show every painstaking detail that they have made in planning their cross-country. They have planned every detail down to the highest obstacle along the route, all of the classes of airspace or special-use airspace that they may transit during their cross-country, and then—BOOM—the discussion about weather comes up. I can't speak for all of my DPE colleagues across the country, but for me, this is particularly where I see a lot of deer in the headlights and a lot of word-salads.
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Checkride
Rotorcraft Checkride
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Mar
03
2026
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Posted by Admin
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Reflecting on 2025 and all the great things that happened this past year, I’m filled with gratitude—especially for the opportunity to witness my friend and mentor, Perry Siler, receive the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award. I first met Perry in 1990 when I started a new job at Carraway Methodist Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama. I was a young A&P helicopter mechanic, and my director of maintenance introduced me to Perry with one simple piece of advice: “Never lose his number!” He told me Perry would always tell me the truth and would always be there to help me. After 35 years, I can say without hesitation that statement was absolutely true.
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Maintenance Minute
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Maintenance Minute
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Mar
03
2026
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Posted by Admin
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At VERTICON 2026, the VAI Safety Industry Advisory Council (IAC) leans hard into one of aviation’s most consequential skill sets: aeronautical decision-making (ADM). It starts where many safety outcomes are quietly won or lost during preflight conversations.
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Safety First
Safety SITREP
Categories:
Safety First