You remember the Daleks?
Ex-ter-min-ate…
In the heli choppy industry, (and others) you will occasionally hear dark mutterings from the lowly rank-and-file on the subject of certain fellow pilots, supervisors, bosses, who exhibit one particular trait. And, indeed, they usually possess this trait in abundance. To what, you may wonder, do we refer?
1) Perfection.
Some people simply never screw up. They are wise beyond their peers, staggeringly knowledgeable, and uniquely qualified by dint of their magnificence, to sit in judgment on you and me. Us lowly worms, cast by Fate into “the gutters of New Orleans”, (where a certain large company owner claimed to find most of his pilots) are often required by virtue of rank to do obeisance to these Sky Gods, and –occasionally- I think we are expected to tremble a bit before them as well.
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Categories:
Moggy's Musings
In every major helicopter company, there is always some (brave) middle manager, who occupies a particular spot in the daily whirlwind. This spot/post/desk requires… well, (depending on your point of view), above average fortitude, skill, expertise, diplomacy and patience. OR, alternatively, a whole new dimension of “stupid”.
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Categories:
Moggy's Musings
The problem with communication is the perception that it’s been achieved.
—George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright
Boy, was ol’ George right. Communication is central to effective crew resource management. An ambiguous message, whether written or spoken, can lead to fatal consequences. With that thought in mind, one would think airline executives, when drafting memos to flight crews, would take great pains to avoid ambiguity at all cost. Apparently, they don’t. Consider the following 1996 memo distributed to pilots at British Airways in an effort to clarify new pilot role titles:
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Categories:
My Two Cents Worth
As a pilot examiner, I have the opportunity to work with many flight schools and instructors throughout my district. I sometimes take it for granted that my visits to flight schools are a rare benefit to me not often afforded to other flight schools in our local area. The ability to see varied procedures and techniques provides insights into how the average flight school conducts business. I often get to see curriculum development, local airport procedures, internal instructor training, and other aspects of day-to-day operations.
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Rotorcraft Checkride
That which biteth helicopter pilots in the butteth
To the novice, the learner pilot, the new Commercial Helicopter jockey, that which he (or she) (or it) regards as “bad” is indeed really, really bad. What does a student or low-time pilot worry about? Let’s see. Engine failure? Hydraulics seizure? Running out of power crossing high voltage lines? Fire. Explosion. Earth quake? Training bills? Rotor blades falling off...??
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Moggy's Musings
Back before DIY was a term, most mechanics couldn’t afford Snap-On specialty tools--if any existed that could do the job--that is. So, they were known to get a little creative.
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ROTORwrench
The town folk, startled, exchange glances. They know what it means. The gun slingers are coming. There’s no denying the impact. Even the creaky honkytonk piano in the Old Saloon cannot compete against the rapidly approaching wind storm, and falls strangely and abruptly silent. Mothers scoop up their children, and run for cover. Old men nervously finish their drinks. The bar tender quickly places a full whiskey bottle on the bar, double checks the cleanliness of the half dozen shot glasses, and then quickly retires to the far end of the long wooden bar. He pretends to busy himself polishing glass ware, but he too is listening. And waiting.
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Categories:
Moggy's Musings
Couple quickies this month.
May’s tips:
ATA 62
Bell 206 series: String aligning M/R blades can be a bit tedious. One cheat to see the string better is to fabricate a couple stringing mirrors. You can use pieces from a broken mirror, or simply buy a couple small rectangular mirrors that will sit across the top of the M/R blade bolt.
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Categories:
ROTORwrench
Without reservation, I can say that I have found my passion in life. I love teaching the art of helicopter flight. I don’t know when, where, or why my passion for sharing my love for helicopters developed, I only know that I enjoy it. Equally enjoyable is serving the FAA as a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE). Do all instructors share this passion? If not, what motivates instructors in their vital role within our industry?
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Categories:
Rotorcraft Checkride
Maintenance engineers and mechanics have known about ‘The Dirty Dozen’ for years. They are the 12 most common human error preconditions or conditions that act as precursors to accidents or incidents for mechanics.
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Categories:
My Two Cents Worth