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Author: Admin




Aug
28
2023

"Add-on" Angst

Posted by Admin

What we often think will be "easy" quite often turns complicated. This seems to hold true for those seeking an "add-on" rating, such as the pilot with an airplane private pilot certificate who desires to add a rotorcraft-helicopter rating to their pilot certificate. These pilots may have started their primary training in a basic fixed-wing trainer, earned their certificate, and decided to move on to helicopters for pleasure or career aspirations.    [Read More...]



Tags: Matt Johnson Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories: categoryRotorcraft Checkride



Aug
28
2023

Maintenance Minute - August 2023 | On Call

Posted by Admin

“The dreaded “on call”, and “the duty” were just a couple of terms of endearment that we used to describe being “on call” for aircraft maintenance. There were other names with more colorful adjectives that I will not mention here. For certain, in jobs like EMS, Fire/Rescue and Law Enforcement being “on call” is just part of the gig. “On call” could be most frustrating for the mechanic but it also could be very rewarding. Let’s take a quick look from both prospectives. [Read More...]



Tags: Maintenance Minute Mark Tyler On Call
Categories: categoryMaintenance Minute



Jul
27
2023

What’s the Warranted Risk You Will Accept?

Posted by Admin

One dark night on the San Diego coast, my crew was launched for LE to intercept a drug-laden “panga” en route from Mexico to the U.S. We got the intel from our command center and launched into the blackness to find our panga. As we headed west over the Pacific Ocean with our radar scanning the surface of the water and our night vision goggles tuned up, we encountered declining ceilings at 1,000 feet AWL. We continued our search pattern at 700 feet and as the evening got cooler, the ceilings got lower. When we went down to 500 feet AWL, we discussed our hard deck of 200 feet AWL and termination of the search. We went down to 300 feet and finally at 200 feet we reached our limit and returned to base. The risk to my crew in declining ceilings was not worth the gain of finding the drug runner.  [Read More...]



Tags: Dave McCarthy Safety First VAST
Categories: categorySafety First



Jul
27
2023

Maintenance Minute - July 2023 | On Call

Posted by Admin

It was just before bedtime. You know that moment when you know that you should make your way to bed because if you don’t go now, you will be on the couch or slumped over in a chair for the rest of the night. I was at that point when my cell phone began to scream like a red-tailed hawk looking for his next meal. My response was something like, “Oh no, not now.” Sure enough, it was the night pilot and calling that late meant there was a problem with the helicopter. [Read More...]



Tags: Maintenance Minute Mark Tyler
Categories: categoryMaintenance Minute



Jul
24
2023

Mil2Civ | Adjusting

Posted by Admin

Life after leaving the military can be full of surprises for veterans. After years of working in a highly structured environment with clear-cut goals and expectations, adjusting to the world outside of service can be daunting. One of the most significant differences between military life and the civilian sector is the pace at which work and life move. [Read More...]



Tags: Marc Stanley Mil2Civ



Jun
26
2023

Be There for Others

Posted by Admin

For many of us, the daily grind of life presents a real struggle. Not because it’s hot outside or the work we do is exhausting. It’s because of battles being fought within us outside of the public eye. For some, these battles started many years ago and continue to influence day-to-day behaviors and thoughts. People are affected by events and life experiences and react to them in different ways. I believe that you can only truly understand someone when you know and understand their past.    [Read More...]



Tags: My Two Cents Worth Randy Rowles
Categories: categoryMy Two Cents Worth



Jun
26
2023

Maintenance Minute - June 2023 | Airworthy?

Posted by Admin

He walked into my office as a confident 22-year-old with the ink still wet on his newly issued Airframe & Powerplant certificate that he proudly carried in his pocket. The young man looked at me and said, “I want to be a helicopter mechanic”.  After a brief discussion, his enthusiasm and seemingly sense of life’s direction convinced me to take a chance on him. I placed him under the supervision of a 38-year master helicopter mechanic. My instruction to the young man was “learn from him.” [Read More...]



Tags: Maintenance Minute Mark Tyler
Categories: categoryMaintenance Minute



Jun
26
2023

Magenta Checkrides

Posted by Admin

Let’s start this article by pushing Direct-Enter-Enter; that will quickly get us to the intended point, right? Ok, my pilot humor isn’t the greatest, but stick with me! A lot has changed in the way of aviation technology in the last 20-plus years, especially in terms of automation, and thankfully it isn’t just our fixed-wing brethren that are benefiting from all of the progress. Instead, both reciprocating and turbine-powered, modern single-engine helicopter pilots are enjoying the benefits of an ever-improving and affordable suite of available avionics and autopilot systems.  [Read More...]



Tags: Checkride Matt Johnson
Categories: categoryRotorcraft Checkride



May
23
2023

Mil2Civ | Following Up

Posted by Admin

After a job interview, you should send a formal thank you note to everyone that was involved in that interview, and it wouldn’t hurt to thank the recruiter and those that coordinated the meeting as well.  Sending a thank you note after an interview shows that you're a professional—a “pro.”  [Read More...]



Tags: Marc Stanley Mil2Civ



May
23
2023

Getting to Know VAST / USHST

Posted by Admin

I recently assumed the USHST Industry Co-Chair position from Nick Mayhew, who has provided many significant contributions during his tenure.  I want to take this opportunity to share my thoughts and objectives in my new role. But first, a look back at the journey.  I first became involved with the IHST International Helicopter Safety Team in 2010.  As a helicopter pilot with an airline background, I saw an opportunity to provide different aspects of safety, training, navigation and human factors to the vertical flight community.  Not everything will translate, but many aspects do, such as evidence & scenario-based training, flight training devices, electronic flight bags and performance based navigation (PBN). At the onset, some of this seemed foreign, but is clearly recognizable today. Also, over time, the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) became the Vertical Aviation Safety Team (VAST) and the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) is now a regional organization in the global VAST organization.  I have worked with the USHST’s Infrastructure Working Group, particularly on COPTER IFR/PBN, and we’ve seen important, transformative changes.  [Read More...]



Tags: Chris Baur Safety First VAST
Categories: categorySafety First


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