Author: Admin
|
May
26
2025
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
As a kid I was able to tag along with a helicopter lift company that operated in the Chicago area for many years. At times, I worked as the ground guy and helped the mechanic out as much as he could allow. So, my interest in aviation started early. In 1999 after high school I joined the National Guard as an MOS 67N ( UH1 repairer). I was fortunate to attend AIT at Ft. Rucker. At this point, I was not an A&P and really wasn’t thinking about it. The Army/ National Guard did not offer any type of crossover training. After I completed my training, I returned home and started working for a helicopter lift company as the ground guy and mechanic assistant. At this point, I enjoyed starting to work towards my A&P through the OJT path. I tracked all my maintenance events under the supervision of an A&P. I was fortunate enough that the base I was working at had other types of operations like Charter and ENG (electronic news gathering). The base was downsized and I was let go.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Mil2Civ
|
May
26
2025
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
Recent FAA data confirms what the drone industry has known for years: the lack of a permanent Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) rule is holding back progress across multiple sectors, from public safety and emergency response to infrastructure inspection and delivery.
[Read More...]
Tags:
AUVSI
Uncrewed
|
May
26
2025
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
Imagine you're at the final question of the gameshow “Who Wants to be a Flight Safety Millionaire” (or whatever it might be called in your country). You've used all your lifelines. You ask the audience a question about flight preparation, and your CEO helped you at the $250,000 point by actually giving a right answer on Just Culture. Now, you have a shot at the big money. You used your 50/50 and you're left with two options for this question: "Why do you report safety occurrences and hazards in your organization?
[Read More...]
Tags:
Safety First
Safety SITREP
Categories:
Safety First
|
May
23
2025
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
In aviation maintenance, we live by the standard. Minimum Equipment Lists, standard torque values, standard practices. But somewhere along the way, “standard” started sounding like “average.” And that’s a mindset problem—one we can’t afford in this industry.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
|
May
05
2025
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
I love a good catchphrase. Much like the marketing ads that tell us to “Just Do It” or “Have It Your Way,” in the helicopter world, Bell Helicopter brought us some classics in the 1990s, including “Ask Any Pilot” and my personal favorite, “It Better Be Bell.”
[Read More...]
Tags:
Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
|
May
05
2025
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
The vertical-lift industry has experienced a profound transformation over the past several decades, particularly in the areas of pilot and mechanic training and hiring. From a system once dominated by military influence, to one now driven by civilian training pipelines, the evolution has been shaped by shifts in global defense structures, advancements in aircraft technology, and changes in economic incentives within industry.
[Read More...]
Tags:
My Two Cents Worth
Randy Rowles
Categories:
My Two Cents Worth
|
May
05
2025
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
Let’s PAVE a road, if you will. One that will bring about success on the big day. If you haven’t heard of the FAA's infamous “PAVE” checklist, then maybe you aren’t ready for checkride day, so make sure you read up and have a clear understanding. It can be found in numerous locations, primarily in the FAA's Pilots' Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and Risk Management handbook. The PAVE checklist provides a means to identify hazards using four convenient hazard “buckets.” Using all four checklist categories, or “buckets,” before a flight captures most hazards usually encountered.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Matt Johsnson
Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories:
Rotorcraft Checkride
|
Mar
28
2025
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
As autonomous technology expands into every sector, it becomes more important to understand what’s changed—and what’s on the horizon.
In the vertical lift industry, regulations, technology, and standards are becoming more complex by the day. As the technology event for autonomy, XPONENTIAL delivers all the intel you need to understand and navigate the future.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Uncrewed
|
Mar
28
2025
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
In the mid-1980s, during my first tour as a young and inexperienced U.S. Army AH-1F Cobra pilot in Germany, I went through a near-catastrophic event that forever changed my approach to cockpit safety. It happened during a routine but fun training mission where I was performing low-level flight maneuvers in a loose trail formation with several other Cobras. I was at the controls in the back seat, flying in the trail position, focused on terrain using the peaks and valleys to try to remain clear of a notional surface-to-air missile threat. It didn’t get much better than this for an easy day of flying.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Safety First
Safety SITREP
VAST
Categories:
Safety First
|
Mar
28
2025
|
|
Posted by Admin
|
|
In the Jan/Feb 2024 issue, I wrote about networking and the power of military camaraderie and how our service bonds extend beyond active duty. I spoke about how veterans have an unmatched ability to support one another, both professionally and personally. At the time I understood this in theory as I had seen it in action and believed in its value. But recently, I found myself on the other side of that equation.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Mil2Civ