Author: Admin
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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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Tags:
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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Tags:
Maintenance Minute
Categories:
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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Tags:
Safety First
Safety SITREP
Categories:
Safety First
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Mar
03
2026
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Posted by Admin
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The Department of Transportation’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) National Strategy marks a new phase in the evolution of vertical flight in the United States, with direct implications for today’s rotorcraft operators and the missions they fly. Building on earlier federal actions focused on accelerating uncrewed adoption and emerging technologies, this strategy represents the federal government’s first coordinated effort to move civil AAM from concept toward implementation at a national scale.
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Tags:
Uncrewed
Unmanned
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Mar
03
2026
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Posted by Admin
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Helicopter manufacturers continue to post strong sales across multiple sectors. Emergency medical services, public safety, military training, offshore energy, utility operations, and corporate transport all rely on rotorcraft to solve problems that no other platform can. Yet while helicopter sales remain steady, the infrastructure required to operate them safely and efficiently is steadily disappearing. Across the United States, heliports, vertiports and established transition routes are being closed, restricted or sidelined, often under the stated justification of safety. In practice, noise complaints, land value, redevelopment pressure, and institutional risk aversion frequently play a far larger role.
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Tags:
M2C
My 2 Cents Worth
Randy Rowles
Categories:
My Two Cents Worth
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Mar
03
2026
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Posted by Admin
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The transition from a military cockpit to a civilian flight deck is more than just a change of uniform—it’s a shift in culture, regulation, and operational profile. While military pilots possess world-class training and discipline, the civilian helicopter industry operates on different metrics of success.
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Mil2Civ
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Feb
02
2026
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Posted by Admin
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In the helicopter industry, every flight depends on precision—and that precision begins long before the rotors ever turn. It begins in the hangar, in the hands of skilled mechanics who rely on the tools that make their craft possible. Behind those tools stands an often-overlooked partner in aviation safety: the tool truck.
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Tags:
Maintenance Minute
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Feb
02
2026
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Posted by Admin
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Combatting the pilot and mechanic shortage is on the forefront of the agenda for most helicopter companies today. Finding a solution to this shortage, with qualified candidates, seems to be evading even the most prestigious helicopter companies.
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Tags:
Mil2Civ
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Feb
02
2026
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Posted by Admin
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Mission success for drone operators increasingly depends on the sensor suites, onboard computer, and autonomy-enabling systems integrated into their aircraft. Presently, some of the components that power these capabilities are often sourced from fragile, opaque, or adversary-controlled supply chains.
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Tags:
Uncrewed
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Feb
02
2026
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Posted by Admin
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Accidents have occurred due to pilots’ failure to resist customer pressure to fly when operational, weather-related, or technical conditions were unsafe. Pilots may feel compelled to meet customer expectations, even when doing so compromises safety. Understanding how to handle such situations safely and effectively is crucial to reducing risk and preventing accidents.
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Tags:
Safety First
Safety SITREP
Categories:
Safety First