Author: Admin
Dec
28
2020
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Posted by Admin
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A commercial pilot student transferring to our pilot school provided training records that included a cross-country flight that met the requirements of 14 CFR 61.129(c)(3)(iii). It was a 2-hour cross country flight in a helicopter in nighttime conditions that consists of a total straight-line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of departure. However, it was conducted prior to his private pilot check ride. My initial response was that the flight time was unacceptable because it was pre-private and would not count toward commercial pilot requirements.
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Randy Rowles
Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories:
Rotorcraft Checkride
Dec
28
2020
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Posted by Admin
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What can the helicopter world learn from NASA’s mistakes? I’m specifically talking about the Challenger disaster and the cancer of “normalization of deviance” that was the root cause of that tragedy.
On November 3, 2014, NASA Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance Terry Wilcutt and Deputy Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance Hal Bell, put together a presentation entitled “The Cost of Silence: Normalization of Deviance and Groupthink.
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My Two Cents Worth
Randy Mains
Categories:
My Two Cents Worth
Nov
17
2020
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Posted by Admin
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After many years of administering FAA Instrument Rating examinations, a consistent trend remains the cause of Unsatisfactory check rides. Having seen this trend develop, we as Pilot Examiners will mentor and train flight instructors to ensure their students not only know the material, but more importantly know how to apply the material in given situations.
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Tags:
Randy Rowles
Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories:
Rotorcraft Checkride
Nov
17
2020
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Posted by Admin
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My favorite part of the aircraft maintenance process is the post maintenance operational checks or commonly referred to as ground runs. During my early days working for the helicopter maintenance contractor at Fort Rucker, I was engine run qualified for the UH-1H and the OH58 and performing ground runs was something I did on a regular basis. This is the time we see the fruits of our labor, but it is also the most dangerous time. The maintenance event may have called for component overhaul, engine replacement or flight control rigging. The maintenance process calls for checking, rechecking, and verifying. It is always good to have a pre-runup discussion with the pilot and every mechanic that is involved with the runup. Communication is key to keeping everyone safe. When the pilot yells, “CLEAR” and the mechanic responds with, “CLEAR” the setting will get noisy in a hurry. Prior planning with everyone is a must. The person behind the controls should know where everyone is always located so ducking under the tail boom to change sides is not allowed.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
Nov
17
2020
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Posted by Admin
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With the advent of the Corona-19 virus pandemic, the workforce world-wide has had to adapt to an alternate way to approach their job. I am no different as I teach and facilitate a 5-day CRM Instructor course. Training to be an effective CRM instructor relies on learning how to become an effective facilitator, a skill I teach in my Instructor classes. To be a successful facilitator, facilitation techniques must be practiced on others to achieve the desired result of changing adult behavior. With the raging pandemic curtailing in-person interactions, learning to be a facilitator in aviation in a virtual setting is something the aviation industry has had to adapt to.
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Tags:
My Two Cents Worth
Randy Mains
Categories:
My Two Cents Worth