Articles for tag Randy Rowles
Sep
27
2021
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Posted by Admin
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Every 24 calendar months, each person holding a valid Flight Instructor certificate must demonstrate to the FAA they continue to meet the minimum standards of the Flight Instructor PTS or an equivalent renewal criterion. Once competency is demonstrated and application processed, the FAA issues a new Flight Instructor certificate, exactly like the previous one, but with a new date. Why?
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Flight Instructor Certificate
Randy Rowles
Categories:
Rotorcraft Checkride
Aug
30
2021
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Posted by Admin
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Recently, our company has partnered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and US Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) to combat Inadvertent/Unintended IMC fatal accidents using Virtual Reality (VR) simulation. The training is conducted in the HeliMOD III VR simulation system developed in partnership between Precision Flight Controls, a US company, and Ryan Aerospace (Australia).
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Randy Rowles
Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories:
Rotorcraft Checkride
Jul
26
2021
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Posted by Admin
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It is common to have practical test applicants confuse aerodynamic terminology, especially during their FAA exam. Knowing that the applicant is under pressure to perform is part of the pilot certification process, and every FAA Inspector or Examiner is aware of this fact. However, some terms and theories are so firmly rooted within aerodynamic process that an immediate lack of understanding or recall on the subject is concerning.
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Randy Rowles
Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories:
Rotorcraft Checkride
Jun
27
2021
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Posted by Admin
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Recently, the FAA has tried to increase the number of helicopter-specific Inspectors within their ranks. This effort was driven in part to improve the oversight of helicopter operators. Many FAA inspectors are not rated in helicopters, so engaging with a helicopter-specific operator on issues requiring a keen knowledge and understanding of helicopter operations may be limited. To support these situations, the FAA developed the Flight Standards Inspector Resource Program (FSIRP).
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Tags:
Randy Rowles
Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories:
Rotorcraft Checkride
May
24
2021
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Posted by Admin
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The premise of aviation safety is an expectation that all pilots, maintainers, or other persons associated with the operation of an aircraft are trained and checked to a standard. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provides their expectation of a minimum standard for certification of pilots with the Airman Certification Standards (ACS) or Practical Test Standards (PTS). These references are the FAA’s minimum acceptable standard by which an individual is measured for airman related tasking and often have worldwide acceptance. Quite impressive really.
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Randy Rowles
Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories:
Rotorcraft Checkride
Apr
26
2021
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Posted by Admin
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Lately, I am seeing an increased number of videos voluntarily posted to social media sites that clearly show pilots conducting flights contrary to FAA regulations. For this article, I am going to focus my examples within the business of helicopter hog hunting.
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Randy Rowles
Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories:
Rotorcraft Checkride
Mar
22
2021
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Posted by Admin
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As a young person, I was intrigued by the mere fact of an aircraft in flight. I had no knowledge of aviation as no one in my immediate family had ever flown. When I was about 10 years of age, we moved next to an airport. I would often ride my bike to the airport and watch planes takeoff and land, meet pilots, and eventually engaged in aviation by washing aircraft. Lots and lots of aircraft!
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Tags:
Randy Rowles
Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories:
Rotorcraft Checkride
Feb
22
2021
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Posted by Admin
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In all my years of pilot training, I have never taken a position on a particular piece of training equipment—until now.
Several months ago, I was introduced to a young pilot flying in the National Guard. He is both a pilot and engineer with a healthy passion for helicopter safety, and he introduced me to a new world of technology related to training pilots on inadvertent/unintended instrument meteorological conditions (I/UIMC).
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Tags:
ICARUS
Randy Rowles
Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories:
Rotorcraft Checkride
Jan
22
2021
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Posted by Admin
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One maneuver that offers many variations in the methods by which flight instructors teach is Confined Area Operations. Over the years, helicopter pilot applicants have approached this topic with a wide variety of acronyms and procedures. Passed down from instructor to instructor, this is often more tribal knowledge than fact.
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Tags:
Randy Rowles
Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories:
Rotorcraft Checkride
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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Tags:
Randy Rowles
Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories:
Rotorcraft Checkride