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Jul
27
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Safety First! It's a common battle cry. Many operators proudly claim that safety is their "top priority," particularly in the wake of a high-profile accident. The not-so-little secret is: It's not. Come on, we know it's not.
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Tags:
Safety First
VAST
Categories:
Safety First
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Jul
07
2025
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Posted by Admin
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Not long ago, one of our aircraft mechanics had a close call. While working on a helicopter from an elevated platform ladder, he shifted his weight—and the ladder flipped. He fell inside the frame and struck his head on a side brace, requiring 17 stitches.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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Jul
07
2025
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Posted by Admin
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In over a decade as a Designated Pilot Evaluator, I've realized three things are guaranteed to occur at every practical exam. One is the given: nervousness. The second is that the applicant will invariably forget their IACRA password (okay, I’m being a bit facetious). The third is the barrage of acronyms that will be used during the exam. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an acronym hater; they have their place. I may find myself in four to five different aircraft models in a given week, and I routinely use acronyms to help me not do something stupid.
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Matt Johnson
Rotorcraft Checkride
Categories:
Rotorcraft Checkride
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Jul
07
2025
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Posted by Admin
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A couple of months ago, I made a short post on LinkedIn. It was just a few honest words about where I came from and what still weighs heavy on my heart. I didn’t write it for attention; I wrote it because I needed to say it. Since then, I’ve been asked to release this narrative more broadly in Rotor Pro. I’ve agreed because I believe these words need to be heard.
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Tags:
My Two Cents Worth
Randy Rowles
Categories:
My Two Cents Worth
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May
26
2025
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Posted by Admin
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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.
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Mil2Civ
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May
26
2025
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Posted by Admin
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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.
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AUVSI
Uncrewed
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May
26
2025
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Posted by Admin
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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?
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Tags:
Safety First
Safety SITREP
Categories:
Safety First
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May
23
2025
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Posted by Admin
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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.
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Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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May
05
2025
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Posted by Admin
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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.”
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Tags:
Maintenance Minute
Mark Tyler
Categories:
Maintenance Minute
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May
05
2025
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Posted by Admin
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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.
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Tags:
My Two Cents Worth
Randy Rowles
Categories:
My Two Cents Worth