The eccentrics are an offset center adjuster that allows the taking up of play at the MRH damper fixed-lever, or damper piston anchor point. They are set at overhaul of the MRH, however it has been demonstrated repeatedly that the factory adjustments change after the MRH has been “run-in.”
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ROTORwrench
The Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) program is a key component to the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) ability to administer pilot certification within our current system. The largest majority of FAA pilot examinations are conducted by DPEs, however the DPE pool is shallowing. There are a multitude of reasons why there are less DPEs available with the difficulty of being selected to fulfill the role being at the top of the list. Since the FAA is potentially making changes to the DPE program, I thought I would throw out a few recommendations.
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Rotorcraft Checkride
In the Jan/Feb 2016 issue of Rotorcraft Pro magazine in my ‘My Two Cents’ Worth’ column entitled “Not So New CRM” I talk about the easy to use and understand Risk Resource Management decision-making tool that the pilots at Southwest Airlines use when making decisions. You can access that article at the following link. It begins on page 8.
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My Two Cents Worth
Since I’m writing this three months in advance, it’s a bit hard to find a “current” topic to throw out there. However, one issue I noticed recently is the increase in incidents and accidents due to tool FOD.
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ROTORwrench
During a recent Private Pilot examination, I asked the applicant to show me his planned cross-country route and associated planning documents. The applicant pulled out an iPad that was mounted to a kneeboard and said, “I’m ready!” As an opened-minded person, I was intrigued by the applicant’s quick study and preparedness for the task at hand. However, I was concerned the applicant hadn’t properly heard my request and restated that I desired to review all aspects of the pre-flight planning to include plotting the course, wind correction, etc. “Yes Sir” was the applicant’s reply. “I’m ready to go. It’s all right here” he said while holding up his iPad. The lack of materials the applicant had brought with him for the examination caught my attention.
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Rotorcraft Checkride
About a year ago a pilot attending one of my 5-day CRM Instructor courses asked me, “Have you seen this?” He played a YouTube clip that made my blood turn to ice. Michael Farikh, a highly respected Russian pilot who accomplished many great things for civilian helicopter aviation in his country, posted it. One article published just after his death called Farikh “The godfather of Russian helicopter aviation.”
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Categories:
My Two Cents Worth
Looks like we got a couple “new” aircraft types entering the market place within the next year or so. The first production Bell 505 landed at a Bell Training Center recently, where they will begin training instructors and eventually the initial pilots and mechanics.
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ROTORwrench
“Sacred trust,” is what your passenger exhibits when they get into your helicopter to go on a flight. By their very actions they are telling you, “I am placing my life in your hands.”
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My Two Cents Worth
This past week, two videos were posted throughout the Internet regarding helicopter incidents that caught my attention. One was a fire fighting helicopter hitting wires while departing with a load of water, and the other of a wedding party flight which ended in a fatal crash after an Inadvertent Instrument Meteorological Condition (IIMC) event. On the surface, the immediate value of visually experiencing the mistakes of our pilot peers seems priceless. The issue is the unknowing public believing each helicopter pilot is just one flight away from a video-recorded disaster!
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Categories:
Rotorcraft Checkride
A follow up to last month’s blog tidbit on the Airbus 225 accident in Norway. Ran across an interesting article detailing the inner workings of the Super Puma main transmission and how it relates to the failure of the Norway aircraft.
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Categories:
ROTORwrench