Author: Admin
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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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Maintenance Minute
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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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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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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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Safety First
Safety SITREP
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Safety First
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Dec
26
2025
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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.
[Read More...]
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Maintenance Minute
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Maintenance Minute
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Dec
26
2025
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Posted by Admin
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This month, I want to focus on a trend concerning a weak area that I have personally observed over the past several years. The weakness I’ll discuss in this column surrounds itself with the night and applicants' deficiencies when it comes to nighttime ground and flight knowledge! It isn’t just with private pilot applicants, but with commercial pilot applicants as well.
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Matt Johnson
Rotorcraft Checkride
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Rotorcraft Checkride
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Dec
26
2025
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Posted by Admin
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The helicopter training community has long been built on mentorship, credibility, and shared experience. For generations, knowledge has been passed from one aviator to the next through hard-earned expertise and honest, practical instruction. Today, that tradition is threatened by a growing issue: false narratives, manufactured authority, and AI-generated content presented as fact. With a camera or an internet connection, anyone can publish training commentary, and because online platforms reward attention rather than accuracy, the newest and most impressionable members of our industry are increasingly exposed to misinformation with real-world consequences.
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My 2 Cents Worth
Randy Rowles
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My Two Cents Worth
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Nov
13
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Slick paint jobs. Bubble windows. Long lines. Tan flight suits and maybe a T-shirt. Best of all—facial hair is no longer a career-ending offense. Welcome to the utility world of aviation. It was foreign territory for me, but after more than 20 years in the Army, I knew I wanted to work in the utility sector. I’d gone from enlisted to warrant officer, checked all the boxes, collected all the quals, and finally hung up the uniform this past summer. Then came the big leap into my new civilian career. Here’s how I pulled it off.
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Mil2Civ
Zac Hartmann
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Nov
13
2025
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Posted by Admin
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On a pleasant morning in March 1991, I was transiting back to my Intercoastal City, Louisiana base to pick up some newspapers for my offshore energy crew. I was alone in my mighty Bell 206B Jet Ranger and did not realize just how tired I was. You know that feeling you sometimes get in a long, not-so-interesting lecture, when you catch your head bobbing a bit. That’s what I had. It just took one head tilt, then I let go of the cyclic. Predictably, it fell forward as I entered a brief but alarmingly steep dive.
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Safety SITREP
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Safety First
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Nov
13
2025
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Posted by Admin
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The FAA’s proposed Part 108 rule marks a turning point for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations. Moving away from today’s patchwork of waivers, the proposal introduces a standardized framework intended to scale routine BVLOS missions safely and predictably.
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Uncrewed