Heliweb Magazine - December 2015

Helinews



heliweb.com

䄀甀最甀猀琀 ㈀ ㄀㔀 ㌀

Cover Story

is a publication of Airborne Productions Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3134 | Alpharetta | GA | 30023 PHONE: 844.heliweb (435-4932) FAX: 904-623-4354 EMAIL: info@heliweb.com WEB: heliweb.com rotormart.heliweb.com

PUBLISHER & CHIEF EDITOR:

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPERS:

Ryan Mason ryan@heliweb.com

Tim Pruitt Roeof-Jan Gort Scott Dworkin

Damon Duran Seth Lasko Jim Mumaw

DEPUTY EDITOR: Adam Johnson adam@heliweb.com DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT: Ali Mason ali@heliweb.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Ben Fouts Brian Parsons Lauren Brown Adam Johnson

| | | |

ben@heliweb.com brian@heliweb.com lauren@heliweb.com adam@heliweb.com

Welk Aviation is one of Los Angeles largest ENG operators who also own and manage Summit Helicopter and Western Helicopters

All material published remains the copyright of heliweb. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without the written consent of the publisher. Editorials published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Content within heliweb is believed to be true and accurate and the publisher does not assume responsibility for any errors. Unsolicited editorial manuscripts and photos are welcomed and encouraged. heliweb cannot be responsible for return unless submissions are accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Photos submitted by mail or electronically become property of heliweb unless otherwise specified. Copyrighted photographs must be clearly marked, otherwise they become property of heliweb. Deadline for all advertising is the first day of each month for the following months edition. Information about rates, requirements, etc. is available upon request.

Heliweb Magazine is a proud member of

October 2015



December 2015 Stories

Cover Story

16

18 48

24 Blade 2015 16 WeItalian go inside the Italian Blade exercise and find out what makes the event

Kurt Robinson 24 We talk with Robinson on what can be expected from the R44 Cadet

18 48

Amazon Drones Amazon Pushes ahead with its plan to use drones to delivery products

A Bird in the hand Take a look at the newest asset in the lineup of life saving helicopters in Ventura County, Claifornia

32

Welk Aviation

On the Cover One of the largest operators in California in the ENG market, we talk to Welk Aviation about what makes them a successful ENG supplier to the LA News market and learn about their recent expansion into powerline and advanced training



heliweb.com

32 Columns & Features Editors notes 6 The toolbox 8 The instructors station

10

Straight & level

12

Whirly Girls 18 Helipix 22 Helinews 42 Rotorheads 50 Behind the lens

52

Online Content Free stuff!

Social media

Have you downloaded your free mobile device background yet? Get yours by visiting

our site www.heliweb.com

and clicking on the FREEBIES tab!

Other popular posts

Heather Howley from Independent Helicopters in New York State shared an image of their R44 getting into the Christmas spirit earlier this month and the helicopter community showed that they loved her team’s inginuity, sharing the image over 600 times . The image was viewed over 45,000 times.

To subscribe to heliweb, Visit us on the web Send them to www.heliweb.com/wp/subscribe

Our video, shot through Night Vision Goggles was also popular this week. If you would ike to take a look at the video, please click the image in the online version of the magazine.

Look out for the story in an upcomming issue of heliweb.

Heliweb social media feeds Join the conversation on our social media feeds for more great content

November 2015



From the desk of if something were to go wrong

employer and said employer takes

(which is my view on what I saw).

a look at a screenshot of threats made or commentary about the

The point of posting the video,

situation that goes against the core

and of looking at the responses as

v a l u e s o f t h e b u s i n e s s t h e y wo r k fo r.

Ryan Mason

a small social experiment, was to show that while there are varying

Social media is a great tool to bring

can,

opinions on just about everything

people together; it has been the

d o e s n ’ t m e a n y o u s h o u l d .”

that a pilot does —or doesn’t

savior of many people in need of help

Those are words I think

do— that you see in the comments

when strangers step forward to help.

about often— not just in the

section of posts such as this, there

But it can also be one that has the

business sense, but also as

is also a greater problem at play

p o t e n t i a l t o b e d e t r i m e n t a l t o o n e ’s

they might pertain to flying

here. Not just with the helicopter

employment. So, as I stated in the

helicopters. It has never

industr y, but with social media

first line of my editorial, when you go

been more evident than the

as a whole; people degenerate

t o p o s t t h a t ‘c o o l ’ s h o t o r v i d e o , t h i n k

unblinking eye of cell phone

into

calling

about the possible repercussions

cameras that are everywhere.

very quickly when someone else

that may result from that post.

has opposing views to their own.

Remember that “just because you

J

ust

because

you

insults

and

name

c a n , d o e s n ’ t m e a n y o u s h o u l d ”.

They are quickly brought out if something looks wrong —like footage

In the helicopter community it then

captured of the recent crash at

becomes a race to “you don’t know

Social media is one of the aspects

Pa l o m a r, C A — w h i c h a l s o i n e v i t a b l y

what you’re talk ing about, I have xxxx

that employers now view as fair

finds its way to social media. Social

a m o u n t o f h o u r s m o r e t h a n y o u d o ”.

game to research when looking at

media in turn, adds its own unique

To c i r c l e b a c k t o m y o r i g i n a l t h o u g h t ;

potential candidates for employment,

consequences— especially for pilots

w h e t h e r yo u a re a n o p e ra to r, p i l o t ,

so that comment you made about a

and aviation based businesses.

OEM, helicopter related business,

controversial topic, or that video you

or enthusiast— social media, and

p o s t e d o f y o u r ‘c o o l ’ y e t p o t e n t i a l l y

I posted a video recently to a

what it brings with it, can be both

unsafe behavior —either legitimate

Facebook helicopter group, in which

a huge asset and a curse. One

or perceived— could prevent you from

a n O r l a n d o - b a s e d t o u r i s t o p e r a t i o n ’s

that can also have lasting impact

the job of your dreams. In a worst

pilot performs a ‘button hook’

outside of the invisible microcosm

case scenario, it could even end your

landing into a pad where they hot

that

feeds.

employment in a job that you love.

helicopters. It looked dynamic,

Yo u n e e d n o t l o o k m u c h f u r t h e r

Remember the girl that posted a

but in the view of many, it wasn’t

than the current political landscape

picture of herself flipping the bird

necessary for the helicopter to fly

or the recent hatred shown towards

at a “Silence & Respect” sign at the

that kind of approach. As is the case

American law enforcement to see

Arlington National Cemetery? She was

with many social media posts, there

multiple stories where someone

fired, and subsequently out of work

was a wide swath of opinions on what

goes a step too far in their criticism

for over a year after that image went

the pilot was doing; from views of

and resorts to inciting violence

viral. Something seen as innocent

it being normal and perfectly safe,

towards those who would lay down

and benign can have a lasting effect.

to it being reckless and unnecessary

their lives for the public. The

for a tourist operation— and one

result is that person losing their

that leaves very little room for error

job when it is highlighted to their

is

a

social

media

load passengers on and off their



heliweb.com

Ryan Mason Publisher & Chief Editor heliweb magazine

Currently For Sale Aircraft Sales & Acquisitions

w w w. av proj ets.com Sign Up To Receive QUaRTeRly MaRkeT UpdaTeS!

Agusta A109E Agusta A109E Agusta A109E Agusta A109S Grand Agusta AW139 Airbus EC135T2i Airbus EC130B4 Airbus EC130B4 Airbus AS355F2 Airbus AS355F2 Airbus AS365N3 Airbus EC155B1 Airbus EC155B1 Airbus EC155B1 Airbus AS350B2 Airbus EC145 Airbus EC145 Airbus EC145 Airbus EC145T2 Airbus EC145T2 Airbus H225 Sikorsky S76C++ Sikorsky S76C+

sn 11657 sn 11773 sn 11784 sn 22114 sn 31062 sn 0635 sn 3764 sn 4864 sn 5034 sn 5584 sn 6440 sn 6825 sn 6847 sn 6958 sn 9072 sn 9087 sn 9274 sn 9570 sn 20028 sn 9111 sn 2968 sn 760592 sn 760781

Avpro, Inc. Is one of the world’s lArgest brokerAge And AcquIsItIon compAnIes, wIth over 20 Years of experience – representIng both buyers And sellers globAlly. through superIor customer servIce And benefIcIAl long term relAtIonshIps, we offer ImpeccAble performAnce, IntegrIty And reputAtIon. whether you Are sellIng, AcquIrIng or just consIderIng your optIons, contact us todaY for Your indepth expert mArket AnAlysIs.

Performance. Integrity. Reputation. info@avprojets.com l 900 Bestgate road l suite 412 l annapolis, maryland 21401 l tel 410-573-1515 ©Copyright - Avpro, Inc - Aircraft Sales & Acquisitions ® 2015 - All Rights Reserved

w w w . a v p r o j e t s . c o m

The toolbox

Are service bulletins mandatory?

While

(Complainant) vs. Therol Wayne Law (Respondent).

into their manuals by reference. Their conclusion

Law was a mechanic who had his certificate

quoted the Lycoming Overhaul manual which

thought it would be a good time

suspended for 180 days by the FAA. The case

states, “In addition to this manual and subsequent

to bring it up again. There are

involved an incident where Law had performed

revisions, additional overhaul and repair information

several case law scenarios that have

an overhaul on a Textron Lycoming© engine

is published in the form of service bulletins and

addressed the issue and, while no

and approved it for return to service. The FAA

service instructions. The information contained in

one can say for sure if any of the

contends that Law violated several regulations, and

these service bulletins and service instructions is an

findings are concrete regarding

bases its certificate revocation on said violations.

integral part of, and is to be used in conjunction with,

the Service Bulletins and this type

One violation in particular addresses Service

the information contained in this overhaul manual.”

of litigation, it is a fact that due

Instructions. The FAA states that Law ordered a non-

to these types of NTSB and FAA

certificated employee to perform a magnetic particle

As I stated above, today’s manufacturers’ service

rulings a precedent has been established.

inspection of the engine’s crank shaft. So, what

bulletins and service instructions are typically issued

Brian Parsons

is

nothing new to the industry, I

this

subject

matter

does having a non-certificated mechanic perform a

as an integral part of the maintenance manuals

What we as maintainers need to do is ensure

magnetic particle inspection have to do with Service

as a means to make sure they are to be complied

that we always follow the manufactures

Instructions? In this case, pretty much everything.

with. We also know, it’s the owner operator who

instructions — explicitly and without deviation

Lycoming addresses NDT personnel requirements

is responsible to ensure that his or her aircraft is

— unless of course there is a manufacturer’s

in a service instruction. Textron Lycoming Service

in an airworthy condition. Therefore if you, as a

approval for any changes to the instructions.

Instruction No. 1285B (May 23, 1997) requires that:

mechanic, are completing a 100 hour or annual

Can you say with certainty if compliance

“personnel performing Magnetic Particle Inspections

inspection and run across a service bulletin that

with the Service Bulletins issued by the

shall be qualified and certified in accordance with ASNT

needs to be complied with, it should be added to the

manufacturer of your helicopter — and its

Personnel Qualification SNT-TC-1A or MIL-STD-410.”

discrepancy list, and that list should be given to the

attached components & equipment — are

owner. In the end, it’s up to the owner or operator

mandatory? What if you were told that they may

The FAA argument in Law’s case was that, since

to decide if he wants an airworthy or un-airworthy

be mandatory in some cases, even if they are

the employee he ordered to perform the test

entry into his or her maintenance log book.

not associated with an Airworthiness Directive?

was not qualified and certified in accordance with



either

standard,

that

employee

was

Always consult the manufacturers’ maintenance

Most OEMs that utilize the ATA system will issue

not

inspection.

instructions, including any Instructions for Continued

a Service Bulletin or Service Instruction under

In his defense, Law argued that mechanics are not

Airworthiness. When it comes to liability, from a legal

Chapter 5 of the maintenance manual. This way

required to comply with manufacturers’ Service

standpoint, one should make every effort to ensure all

the Service Bulletin automatically becomes part

Bulletins, Service Instructions, and Service Letters

the loose ends have been identified and addressed.

of the manufacturer’s maintenance manual or ICA.

in the absence of an Airworthiness Directive

Several years ago the NTSB weighed in on the

mandating such compliance. Does that sound

subject ruling that Service Bulletins and Service

familiar? While the NTSB did not agree with Mr.

Instructions can be mandatory— even if not

Law’s argument, the NTSB stated that while

associated with an Airworthiness Directive. NTSB

compliance with service instructions or service

Order No. EA-5221 was served on May 4, 2006. In

bulletins may not be mandatory in the absence

it, the NTSB ruled on the case of Marion C. Blakely,

of an Airworthiness Directive, a manufacturer

Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration

may legitimately incorporate service publications

heliweb.com

authorized

to

perform

that

Brian Parsons is currently the Director of Maintenance for the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office Aviation Section, Brian is a Marine veteran, holds a commercial pilot certificate, and is also a Reserve Deputy Sheriff for Hillsborough Count y. Parsons maintenance experience includes factory training on Bell, Airbus and MD helicopters, in addition to several engine types.

There’s a story about a zoo-keeper who had a large

a maintenance task or an inspection based on the way

enclosure with several monkeys. One day, he decided

we had always done it? The way I was taught by the old

to place a banana in the cage with the animals and

A&P Mechanic in the shop—the one with all the answers

see who went for it first. Well, of course, the big alpha

and experience— was most likely the way it was passed

male pushed all the smaller monkeys aside and went

on to him from his old mentor, and so-on down the line.

to grab the banana. Much to the monkey’s surprise, as

I could probably count on one hand the number of times

he reached for the tempting morsel of monkey delights,

I may have stopped to ask the question, “Why are we

the zoo keeper doused him with a water hose. Each

doing it this way?” Is this way the most efficient way that

and every time the monkey would go for the banana,

we can operate or function given the circumstances?

the zoo keeper would spray him down from head to toe. So he got some smarts about himself and he

The customer still wants his machine finished on

sent the alpha female to grab the banana, knowing

time, and on budget. So who is going to buck the

she would give it to him anyway. So off she goes and,

status quo if it has worked so well for so long?

as she reached for the banana,the zoo keeper doused

I can remember back to when we used a grease pencil

her with the hose from head to toe— he sprayed the

and a status board to track component times on several

big alpha male too, just for being in the cage. This

helicopters at once.At the time,that method was the best

went on for several weeks until all the monkeys in

way to keep track of things, and it was used extensively

the cage had no interest in the banana, for fear of

on a daily basis for years before our Director of Flight

getting sprayed down with water. All of the monkeys

Operations brought in a Commodore 64 personal computer.

in the cage knew that if any one of them went for the

That computer was the best thing since sliced bread,using

banana,they would all get sprayed down with the hose.

a six-inch floppy disc with the Commodore-DOS operating system, and eight bits of memory. At first, we didn’t use

Over time, the zoo keeper had —one at a time—

it for any maintenance tracking; the boss assigned one

replaced the original monkeys with new ones. Each

of the pilots to enter all the

time a new monkey would enter the cage,he would go

component times from the

for the banana. Predictably, just as he would reach for

grease board into a program,

the banana, the other monkeys would beat him up in

and then he let natural

order to keep from getting sprayed down with a water

human curiosity take over.

hose.Eventually,all of the monkeys had been replaced

Several months later, the

with new ones.The zoo keeper stopped using the water

grease board was being

hose, and would put a new banana in the cage with

updated not daily, as it

a new monkey on a regular basis. Each time the new

was before, but maybe

monkey would go for the banana,he would get beat up.

weekly, or even. It became

The new monkeys had no reason to fear the water

the backup system to a

hose,they just beat up the new guy for reaching to grab

new and better way of

the banana because that’s what they had always done.

tracking our component

After all of the original monkeys had been replaced,

times and maintenance

not one of the monkeys in the cage knew why they

functions. The old board

had to beat up the new monkey as he reached for the

was eventually abandoned

banana; they just knew that there was going to be a

altogether.I guess one could

beating if some new guy went for the banana.Because

say it became the banana.

that’s the way they had always done it.Sound familiar?

There are those among I was having a conversation with one of my local

us who are young enough

FSDO safety inspectors when he told me about the

that they can’t remember

monkey story. We had a good laugh, but it also made

the onset of this paradigm

me pause to think. How many times had I completed

October 2015



T h e i n s t r u c t o r s’ s t a t i o n

Lauren Brown

The Next Generation of Aviators Ha v i n g an

just recently attended down Av i a t i o n

come.

into our schools, the point is to raise

Education Consider not only the pilot shor tage many

awareness to the severity of the situation.

Symposium with emphasis on major

effect

for

prepare

If we do nothing to inspire, encourage, educate, and expose young people to

an appropriate topic to bring aviation maintenance professionals and

opportunities available in aviation, the

to

industry

cur-riculum,

light.

Fo r

u n f a m i l i a r, for

it

those

who

STEM

Science,

are other

ground

are

starting

to

s e e m e d f o r, b u t a l s o t h e i m p e n d i n g s h o r t a g e o f

STEM

airlines

generations

support

to

personnel.

The

will

struggle

in

the

future.

stands helicopter sector of aviation will have

Te c h n o l o g y, i t s o w n u n i q u e c h a l l e n g e s t o f a c e i n t h e

It seems it is up to the current aviation

E n g i n e e r i n g a n d M a t h , a n d i s c o m i n g y e a r s a s w e l l . Fo r s u c h r e a s o n s ,

professionals

becoming a mainstream focus student

with

exposure

f o r s c h o o l s a c r o s s t h e c o u n t r y. i n d u s t r i e s Some people use the acronym will

be

through more

to

various

primary

important

aviation education

than

e v e r.

an

and

interest

educators in

out

aviation

to

there find

unique and engaging ways to introduce t o d a y ’s y o u t h t o t h e m a n y v a r i o u s o p p o r -

S T E A M , a d d i n g t h e “A” f o r a v i a t i o n , w h i l e

tunities that exist within the field. Guest

o t h e r s a d d a n “A” f o r a r t s , b u t r e g a r d l e s s , t h e M o s t p e o p l e w h o w o r k i n a v i a t i o n c u r r e n t l y

speaking

basis of STEM education is to improve the can recall a par ticular experience that

inviting some friends and their children

w a y s t u d e n t s l e a r n a n d i n c o r p o r a t e t h e s e c a u s e d t h e m t o f a l l i n l o v e , o r “g e t t h e

to visit the airport or an airshow with

t y p e s o f s u b j e c t s i n t o s c h o o l c u r r i c u l u m . a v i a t i o n b u g .” T h o s e e x p e r i e n c e s r a n g e

you, or volunteering to be a mentor in

from a time they got to take a tour of

and organization may be a small enough

STEM education meetings are taking place the

control

when

or

campus,

gesture to inspire the next generation.

At ELITE Sim Centers, we open our doors

u p w i t h i n - t e r e s t i n g a n d e n g a g i n g w a y s t h o u g h t i t w a s t h e c o o l e s t t h i n g e v e r,

to

to educate students. If you think about and so on. Without such experiences and

children, field trip groups, and anyone

it, aviation is a per fect topic to apply oppor tunities to learn about jobs that exist,

who has an interest in flying a helicopter

in this regard because it is interesting the potential pilots and future industr y

or airplane. A simulator is a fun way for

to students, can be adjusted to fit any leaders out there may never even consider

people to safely get the chance to actually

a g e g r o u p, a n d c o v e r s m a n y d i f f e r e n t a j o b i n a v i a t i o n a s v i a b l e o r a t t a i n a b l e .

get the feel of controlling an aircraft, and

e d u c a t i o n a l s u b j e c t s . We c a n t a l k a b o u t

also a great way to determine whether people

they

classroom

got

young

or

a

all over the countr y in an effor t to come to fly a simulator at a trade show and

m e t e o r o l o g i c a l f a c t o r s , h u - m a n f a c t o r s , U l t i m a t e l y,

t o w e r,

at

need

enthusiasts,

non-pilots,

supervised

more

someone wants to pursue helicopter or

aeromedical, aerodynamics, math for flight exposure to aviation— even if only a small

airplane training as their first choice.

planning and so much more. It seems like percentage of those who are introduced a good idea, but the real implications of to the oppor tunities potentially pursue these initiatives is less obvious to some a career within the industr y down the and can actually be a game -changer in road. This is why STEM education, and the future of aviation as we know it. par ticularly

incorporating

aviation

into

STEM curriculum, is so impor tant for the Av i a t i o n

industry

professionals

a r e f u t u r e o f o u r i n d u s t r y. E v e n i f w e d o n’ t

b e g i n n i n g t o r e a l i z e t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f u s e t h e t e r m S T E M , o r d o n’ t e v e n r e f e r STEM education, as it will have a trickle to incorporating a widespread program



heliweb.com

Lauren is currently the Director of Operations for Elite Simulation Centers in Orlando, Florida. Lauren started writing to share the benefits of simulation technology with the industry to show that with a combination of simulation training and real world application, simulators are a valuable asset to any flight school or large commercial operation. She is also a commercial rated fixed wing pilot and has plans to pursue her rotorcraft addon in the future.

RR-250 overhaul and repair Parts • Sales FAA CRS #A9UR626J EASA Certificate #EASA.145.5481 Specializing in Rolls Royce 250 Series Engines AOG Technical Services Available 24/7

Hablamos Español Dallas Shop: 10570 Olympic Dr. • Dallas, TX 75220 Toll Free: 800-909-7616 • Ph: 214-351-1284 Fax: 214-351-1286 • www.actionaircraft.com email: mary@actionaircraft.com Mexico City: Ph: 52-55-2235-1516 • Fax: 52-55-2235-1515 email: support@actionaircraft.com.mx

November 2015



Straight and level

Ben Fouts

The Helicopter Pilot Developing your career as a helicopter pilot

the temperatures never too extreme. Even humidity levels

In one particular flight, we decided to fly out to the

more often than not requires you to work

were pretty low, so it was a safe place to operate. While in

north end of the island on Kohala Mountain to practice

as an instructor to build flight experience in

Oakland I had oversight from a Chief Instructor, and I had senior

off-airport operations. Kohala is an extinct volcano

order to move on and enter the commercial

instructors around me that were always helpful. There was

that rises up 5,500 feet from the ocean. It last erupted

world. A backwards system indeed, as you

guidance about where we could go and where we shouldn’t.

some 350,000 years ago and is covered in thick jungle,

are asked to be an expert on subject material

incredible valleys, and has waterfalls that are over two-

just shortly after learning the material yourself

Hawaii changed all of that. I moved to Hawaii with four-hundred

thousand feet tall. It seemed to have some great spots to

and passing your flight instructor checkride.

flight hours and was left to my own devices to teach others to fly.

perform off-airport approaches. It was twenty-five miles

Being prepared for all the elements of being

The day I arrived in Kona was the day the previous instructor/

away, so we would be able to log the time as a cross-

a competent and safe instructor is quite a challenge.

manager was leaving. We did a quick orientation flight and

country flight. I thought this would be a great way to

It is a learning curve that is steep and full of hazards.

he was gone. The way he saw it, he had earned his flight time

play in the hills and get some cross-country experience.

and was now on to bigger and better things. The owner of the When I passed my CFI checkride, I can remember the incredible

company was very experienced, and always helpful, but lived

I had nobody expecting me to fly there, and had no flight

sense of accomplishment. The months of study and preparation

in Oahu and his attention was towards the tour company, not

plan filed. It was the last flight of the day. There would be

had paid off. The sleepless night the day before the practical test;

the flight school. I did my own fifty hour oil changes and only

no search and rescue if I got myself into trouble. At that

the all day long inquisition and demonstration of knowledge, skill

saw him when a hundred hour inspection was due. I would fly

time, it didn’t even cross my mind as a necessity. There

and teaching ability were finally over with a positive outcome. It

the helicopter to Oahu where I would swap it for another R22.

were no other employees at Mauna Loa Helicopters at

was an exciting moment to move on to a new chapter in my flying

We might have a quick lunch, but with the long flying trip our

the time— it was just up to me. I still grit my teeth when

career. The dose of reality came when the FAA inspector who

visits were always short. Hawaii’s unique environment can be

I look back and ponder my thought process. FSS was

was auditing the checkride, pulled me aside. He looked at me

really unforgiving. I was about to get an education in tropical

available,andaflightplanwouldhavebeensoeasytofile.

and said, “Ben, you ought to be paying your student for the first

weather and all of its dynamics. There were days with high

one-hundred hours… Because you are learning on their dime.”

winds unexpectedly picking up, large mountains which had

I had checked the performance charts — or sales

their own unique micro-climates, and shifting wind conditions

charts as I call them — and we would be within the

Those are words I will never forget. At the time, it was a punch

that seemed to change direction every five miles. I learned

Out of Ground Effect hover ceiling by quite a margin.

in the gut. Who was this guy to say such a thing to me? He

quickly that Hawaii island is home to eleven of the world’s

The target pinnacle in question was only 3,000 feet

didn’t know me at all. Well, those were some of the best words

thirteen climates! All of this was in an area just a bit larger

MSL. Sales charts, or the performance section of the

I could have heard. He was right. I was a flight instructor but so

than the state of Rhode Island. It had everything from sea

flight manual, are done under ideal conditions. They

inexperienced that I would be learning to teach while others

level to almost 14,000 feet MSL, and snow capped mountains

are completed with a new helicopter with optimum

paid for it. There were so many things to absorb— so many

in the winter. Beautiful to the eye, and diversity that is hard to

performance.

things I wish I had known prior to experiencing it with a student.

comprehend; but traps abound for the aspiring helicopter pilot.

dynamic environment.

While teaching out of the Oakland, CA airport, the foothills

I was unprepared for — and unaware of — the dangers

lent themselves to great opportunities for off-airport training,

of flying a light helicopter in these challenging conditions,

environment you are flying in change everything. If it

with lots of confined areas we could use and pinnacles on

and had students on a schedule that needed to complete

isn’t calm wind and low humidity, and you aren’t flying

the hilltops. All of these sites were under 2,500 feet MSL, so

their training on schedule. It meant going up sometimes

a new helicopter with new helicopter performance, it

performance was quite predictable in a Robinson R22. The

to complete cross-country requirements when, outside

probably won’t do as well as what the chart indicates.

derated engine in the R22 keeps power pretty consistent up

of the Kona Airport, winds were not favorable. The flying

to those elevations. The winds were almost always light, and

conditions were very different from what I was used to.

They are not done in a challenging, Keep that in mind next

time you decide to instruct and use the charts for



heliweb.com

“predicted performance.”

The dynamics of the

The wind was very strong that day. It took us a while

to reach our destination, and trying to do a proper orbit

Were it not for a bit of luck, and being over a suitable spot

Ben Fouts is a career helicopter pilot, business

around the pinnacle was a joke. After a hack job or a high-

for a touchdown, we would have rolled the helicopter down

o w n e r, s u c c e s s f u l e n t r e p r e n e u r a n d p a s s i o n a t e

reconnaissance, I instructed the student to make a steeper

the hillside with certainty. I was embarrassed and really

f l i g h t i n s t r u c to r, b a se d o n Ko n a , Ha wa i i .

than normal approach to avoid turbulence from the leeward

upset with myself for allowing all of this to take place. As

Opening Mauna Loa Helicopters at the age of

side of the hilltop, but what I didn’t know — and wasn’t

an instructor, you control all the variables and decide what

23 as a single helicopter operation, that now

prepared for — was the terrain that was further upwind

amount of risk is acceptable. I completely blew it. I put my

boasts 22 helicopters and 6 fixed wing aircraft

from our position. The pinnacle we were approaching was

student, the company I worked for, and the machine in a

b e t w e e n M a u n a L o a ’s 3 l o c a t i o n s i n H a w a i i o n

directly in line with the top of Kohala Mountain. The wind

very bad situation. The lesson learned was a free one this

Kona, Honolulu and Kauai and in Alabama. Ben

was approaching thirty knots. And so the mistakes began…

time, but could have very easily ended quite differently.

i s a n FA A d e s i g n a t e d p i l o t e x a m i n e r, h a v i n g

We began our final approach to the hilltop, well within the

 Helicopter pilots rely a lot on experience to make sound 1 5 y e a r s a c t i n g i n  t h e r o l e o  f a D PE s i n c e a g e 2 4 .

performance parameter of the helicopter per the Flight

decisions and to solve problems. It is a daily routine.

Manual. The top of the pinnacle was a flat grassy area about

Instructors

need

fifteen feet in diameter. The hill was steep, and descending

guidance

and

on all sides at about a thirty degree angle. There was little

parameters

concern going in that there would be any problem. My dumb

follow to help them

four-hundred hour mind was completely oblivious to what

keep the training

the wind was doing on the backside of Kohala Mountain as

sortie

it descended from 5,500 feet to the 3,000 foot pinnacle we

training aircraft are

were approaching. It was creating a very strong descending

almost always The

current of air that I couldn’t see. The approach continued

training

towards the intended landing site, and I passed through the

are almost always

final third of the approach without a worry in the world. The

underpowered;

airspeed indicator was showing fifty knots, and we were

they

crawling along towards the pinnacle. It wasn’t until we were

for economics, not

just approaching the lip of the pinnacle when I noticed that

performance. Don’t

the RPM needles were coming off the top of the green arc

become a test pilot

and starting to droop. The manifold pressure was reading

with a machine you

close to twenty-seven inches, and we were descending!

don’t own, and a life

Too late for a go-around; we were pushed into the hill and

that is not your own.

landed unbelievably without incident. A huge credit goes

Ask

to my flight instructor, who taught me to never attempt an

and stay within the

approach to a spot you couldn’t set it down on. He told

envelope.

me that it could be a magneto problem, or a down draft,

from the mistakes of

but at some point in time you will be forced to land when

others and fly smart.

conducted over 2000 examinations in his almost

you don’t want to. If you are over a suitable spot and have to set down you get no injuries, and probably no damage.

to

safe.

are

for

Spreading The Wings of Insurance Protection to Helicopter Owners and Operators.

The

aircraft

f

chosen

guidance Learn

FALCON INSURANCE AGENCY

Falcon Insurance is one of the largest independently owned insurance specialists in the country. Our professional staff has decades of experience in aviation insurance, and we are uniquely qualified to provide insurance protection for helicopter owners and operators.

We are dedicated to serving you with insurance coverage that sets the standard for the industry.

Call today for same day quotes and coverage or visit our web site.

Austin, TX: 1-800-870-0557 Columbus, GA: 1-888-405-1055 Dallas, TX : 1-800-880-0801 Frederick, MD: 1-888-815-2471 Houston, TX: 1-800-880-8822 Kerrville, TX: 1-800-880-4545 Lakeland, FL: 1-800-881-9688 Las Vegas, NV: 1-888-552-7270 Los Angeles, CA: 1-800-624-8856 Scottsdale, AZ: 1-800-880-3597 Soldotna, AK: 1-888-543-5548 St. Louis, MO: 1-800-880-8644

w w w. f a l co n i n s u ra n ce. co m

PO Box 291388, Kerrville, TX 78029

November 2015  November 2015 

Whirly Girls

Banu Cole

Give it a Whirl!

Since I was a little girl, I have been

experience and further their careers. I decided to apply

enamored by spaceflight and thus it

and, to my extreme delight, I was awarded the Bell

has always been a dream of mine to

206L Initial Transition Training Course sponsored by Air

I cannot express how highly impressed I was with

pursue flying lessons. However, it was

Evac Lifeteam! I completed this training ,held at the Bell

the caliber of training I received, the professionalism

only when I was in my early 30s, in 2008,

Training Academy in Forth Worth, Texas October of 2015.

exemplified by the staff, and the state-of-the art equipment

that I finally took my first fixed-wing

In fact, I was one of two Whirly-Girls who received this

provided by the Bell Training Academy. I hope I can one

lesson; I found myself disappointed.

scholarship. Savannah Christy was the other recipient;

day return for a refresher course! Thank you, Whirly-Girls,

Why could this be? Soon after that

we were able to train together making this a really

for making this possible and giving me this opportunity to

flight I learned of a helicopter flight

enjoyable experience. I highly recommend this course!

further my career and make me a safer pilot. And thank

school in the area and thought, “Why

you, Air Evac Lifeteam, for sponsoring and setting up this

not give this a try?” Little did I know

Prior to taking this course, I had very little turbine time

amazing course for myself and for future Whirly-Girls!

my life would be forever changed.

since it’s quite cost prohibitive. I applied for this scholarship

I have never achieved before, thanks to all my instructors.

because I wanted to build turbine time, increase my

Being a recipient of this scholarship has opened my eyes

I climbed into a helicopter for my introductory flight and

knowledge in turbine systems, and do all that I could

to the great impact that Whirly-Girls is able to bestow

was amazed! I felt like a kid on Christmas morning! I fell in

to become a better pilot. As a newly minted CFI, I knew

upon aspiring female helicopter pilots. As a result, I

love with the complexity of helicopter flight, and all the

that this experience would be invaluable as an instructor.

have found myself wanting to become more involved

things that it could do that a fixed-wing aircraft couldn’t.

with Whirly-Girls, and driven to give back what was so

I knew I had to pursue helicopter flying and master this

The Bell 206L Turbine Transition Course is a week-

generously given to me. In line with this goal, I recently

challenge! While working full-time as a research scientist

long course that consists of an intensive ground

applied and was elected to the Whirly-Girls Board of

(I have my PhD in cancer/cell biology), I earned my private

school that really delves into the intricacies of the

Directors as a Scholarship Director. It has been very

pilot helicopter rating. I soon realized I wanted more as my

Bell 206L helicopter. This was by far the best ground

rewarding to be involved in this manner and to be able to

life-long desire to fly was reawakening. So I went on to earn

school training I have received for helicopter systems.

help other deserving Whirly-Girls. In fact, for 2016, Whirly-

my instrument and commercial helicopter ratings and, just

Additionally, I was given the opportunity to train in the Bell

Girls is offering over 20 scholarships— a record number!

recently, my helicopter CFI rating. In the midst of all this

206L flight training device (FTD). The FTD provided me

training — while continuing to work full-time as a scientist

with the opportunity to practice emergency malfunctions

From that life-changing day in 2008, my heart developed

— I also earned my SEL fixed-wing private pilot rating and

and procedures that one normally would not simulate in a

a new passion that has certainly transformed my life.

found that I really do enjoy fixed-wing flight as well after all.

real helicopter. The FTD was most beneficial when learning

While I continue to pursue my original career as a full-

howtoproperlystart-upandavoidthosedreadedhotstarts.

time biological research scientist, my heart is also fully

During my training, I fell in love with aviation and wanted

devoted to pursuing aviation and promoting it to others.

to get more involved and find other like-minded female

The best part of this week-long course, without a doubt,

In addition to instructing students and helping to instill

aviators. My search led me to join the Whirly-Girls—

was my flight training— almost 6 hours in the Bell 206

a love of aviation in their hearts, I have helped organize

an international organization for female helicopter

Long Ranger!

My flight instructors were incredibly

Women Can Fly events at several local airports in the state

pilots. Whirly-Girls has been a tremendous source of

knowledgeable, and they knew how to have a blast! We

of Virginia to encourage women in aviation. My long-

support, and I have met so many female helicopter

practiced confined area landings, pinnacle approaches,

term dream is to give back to aviation and to participate

pilots with remarkable stories! Whirly-Girls also has an

hydraulic failures, full-down autorotations, and much

in missions-related work requiring aviation assistance. My

outstanding scholarship program, offering a wide range

more.

I have never had so much fun doing 180

experiences, and this scholarship through the Whirly-Girls,

of scholarships to deserving Whirly-Girls aiming to build

autorotations! This training built my confidence to a level

are bringing me one step closer to obtaining these dreams.



heliweb.com

O ur

n e w e s t p r o g r a m , ” G i v e i t a W h i r l ”,

w i l l m a k e i t s d e b u t o n S u n d a y, F e b r u a r y

H e l i co p t e r s , G u i d a n ce Av i a t i o n , J R Av i a t i o n ,

Schultz, Whirly-Girls VP of Operations at

Heliweb Magazine and several others, but

wgvpops@whirlygirls.org.

we still need your help! If you are able

2 8 , 2 0 1 6 a t B o w m a n F i e l d i n Lo u i s v i l l e , Ke n t u c k y. T h i s ev e n t w i l l co i n c i d e w i t h H A I Heli Expo, which will begin the following d a y. T h e W h i r l y - G i r l s w i l l b e r e a c h i n g o u t to local youth with an invitation to come and immerse themselves into a hands-on l e a r n i n g ex p e r i e n ce w i t h h e l i co p t e r s . F r o m static displays to simulators, the kids will have the oppor tunity to get up-close and personal with the aircraft and learn what i t i s l i k e t o b e a h e l i co p t e r p i l o t .

Whirly Girls is a non-profit, volunteer o r g a n i z a t i o n d ev o t e d t o a d v a n c i n g w o m e n i n h e l i co p t e r a v i a t i o n . T h e a s s o c i a t i o n t h i s y e a r l e d t h e h e l i co p t e r i n d u s t r y i n r e co r d breaking scholarship opportunities. Whirly g i r l s t h a t w i l l b e i n a t t e n d a n ce a t t h e ev e n t a r e exc i t e d t o t a k e t h e i r d r i v e a n d l o v e f o r h e l i co p te r a v i a t i o n ; s h a r i n g i t w i t h c h i l d r e n by providing this outreach oppor tunity to ignite a passion for aviation by bringing p r ofe s s i o n a l s f r o m a l l co r n e r s of t h e i n d u s t r y t o g e t h e r t o g e t k i d s exc i t e d a n d i n t e r e s t e d i n h e l i co p t e r a v i a t i o n . t o s u p p l y a n a i r c r a ft f o r r i d e s , s t a t i c d i s p l a y The main goal of ‘Give it a Whirl’ is to provide

aircraft (will be

p o s i t i v e ex p o s u r e t o a v i a t i o n w i t h c r e a t i v e and innovative education oppor tunities for

(will be in a hangar), or any other display or

k i d s a n d f a m i l i e s a l i k e a t n o co s t . T h e l i n e -

d o n a t i o n t h a t w o u l d h e l p m a k e t h i s ev e n t

u p f o r “G i v e i t a W h i r l ” i s s t i l l g r o w i n g , a n d

great , please use the contact information

the Whirly-Girls would like to invite all

b e l o w t o g e t i n co n t a c t w i t h a W h i r l y - G i r l .

helicopter aviation professionals to join

Interested in par ticipating? Contact

us for this event . Currently signed up to

J e s s i c a K a n e l l o s , W h i r l y - G i r l s S e c r e t a r y,

a s s i s t t h e W h i r l y - G i r l s a t t h e ev e n t a r e B e l l

at wgsecretary@whirlygirls.org OR Joni

Image by: Tim Pruitt

November 2015



Operation

Italian

Story by: Roelof-Jan Gort Photos by: Jeroen van Veenendaal



heliweb.com

Roelof-Jan Gort

Blade

2015

November 2015  November 2015 

A fter

three

successful

live-flying

events

hosted by Portugal from 2012 to 2014, the EDA-developed

Helicopter

Exercise

Program

(HEP) has moved to Italy this year. More than one-thousand military personnel and thirty helicopters

from

participated

in

seven Italian

different Blade

countries

2015—

held

between the June 22nd and July 3rd, 2015.

The exercise was facilitated by Italian Army Aviation (Aviazione dell’Esercito) in Viterbo,

roughly eighty kilometers north of Rome.

Viterbo is often regarded as the epicenter of Italian Army Aviation and is home of the Centro Addestramento Aviazone dell’Esercito (Army Aviation Centre). In addition to Italian ground forces,

Germany

sent

one-hundred-seventy

infantry personnel to take part in the joint missions. The integration of ground forces into the exercise scenarios was one of the primary focuses of this year’s HEP exercise. Observers from Portugal and Latvia were also in attendance.

Exercise Italian Blade ’15 was designed to expose helicopter crews to the training methodology and tactical knowledge-base of other NATO Member States. The exercise fosters common understanding and helps build trust amongst the European military helicopter community, which is

key to the success of future multinational operations. The aim of the joint excercises was to encourage neighboring NATO member countries to encourage adopting joint procedures and operating as a Joint/ Combined Task Force in crisis response operations, realistic,

simulating and

challenging,

dynamic

scenarios.

In addition to the focus on flying in demanding environmental conditions, the exercise was developed to implement “Joint Interoperability Training”. Training was planned and executed in a variety of

operational

types

including,

Air

Assault; Special Operations Aviations; Combat

Service

Support;

Close

Air

Support (CAS)— including Urban CAS &

Emergency

Reconnaissance

CAS; &

Convoy Security;

Escort; Combat

Search & Rescue; Personnel Recovery, MedEvac,

and

CasEvac

operations.

We Earn Our Wings

by Earning Your Trust Every Day Your Complete Aviation Insurance Resource Jim Gardner, President 1640 Powers Ferry Road, Bldg. 14 Ste. 300 • Marietta, GA 30067 678-278-2100 • Fax: 678-398-7038 www.jagardner.com

November 2015  November 2015 

An Agusta A129D Mangusta makes a pass during operation Italian Blade 2015



heliweb.com

Boeing CH-47 Chinooks helicopters play a vital role in foreign military operations as seen here in Italian Blade 2015

The AS532 Cougar of the Solvenian Air Force loading up for another sortie during the excercise

Left: Helicopters including the Hungarian Mi24 Hind gunship & Mi-17, NH-90 & AB412 of Italy all played various roles throughout the multi national excercise.

November 2015 October 2015

 

#helipix heliweb.com An AS350 at work in the Netherlands from Air Lift. Image by: Thomas østrem

HeliNwspaper_ad_110718.ai

HELICOPTER PARTS SALES

1

2011-07-18

5:10:03 PM

DynaFlight

AirAg E-Series

Check Out our Huge Inventory!

Over One Million Items!

We have a large inventory of quality parts from reputable sources, for outright sale and exchange.

ACCESSORIES • COMPONENTS • INSTRUMENTS

Integrated Flight Guidance Instrument (IFGI) & embedded Processor

Airbus Helicopter, Bell Helicopter, MDHC, Schweizer, Sikorsky, Lycoming, Rolls Royce, Turbomeca

Entire system weighs less than 7 pounds (3 kilograms)

Check out our website!

DynaFlight

AirAg PRO & SeisBag PRO

WE BUY: • Light and medium turbine helicopters • Parts, components and inventories • Distressed and run-out airframes

Toll Free 800-585-7004 USA & Canada Only.

TEL: USA 1+608-756-3632 • FAX: USA 1+608-756-2606

email: info@tradewindinternational.com

www.tradewindinternational.com

DynaGrip Control

C

Processor

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Integrated Flight Guidance Instrument (IFGI)

DynaGrip Control

Entire system weighs less than 10 pounds (6 kilograms)

GPS Systems for Aerial Applicators & Seismic Operators dynanav.com

DynaNav Systems Inc. Toll Free 1-877-333-9626 E-mail: sales@dynanav.com Falamos Português

October 2015 2015 November



Kurt Robinson talks on the R44 Cadet

Story by Ryan Mason

market than the considerably

h e l i c o p t e r, c i t i n g t h e m a n y v a r i a b l e s t h a t

smaller R22. Initially marketing

Robinson will be working on to complete

the R44 Cadet as a two-seat

t h e p a c k a g e p r i c i n g o n t h e h e l i c o p t e r.

t r a i n e r,

Robinson

said

that

he sees the potential for the

R o b i n s o n H e l i c o p t e r s d i d , h o w e v e r, s t a t e

helicopter to not only become

that it would be priced in between what a

a leader in two-seat training

customer would pay for a Raven I and an

c a p a c i t y, b u t a l s o f u r t h e r d o w n

R22, but closer to the price of the Raven I.

the

capable

When asked about other developments,

multi-mission helicopter; a ship

Robinson stated that they are currently

capable of doing many of the

looking at an addition that would greatly

missions

track

as

a

current

fully

models

b e n e f i t o w n e r s o f t h e R 6 6 Tu r b i n e b y

do, but with the added hot-

R44

adding an auxiliary fuel tank produced to

and-high per formance that the

fit in the baggage compartment of the R66.

new Cadet will offer owners.

The As is

R obinson continues with

recent

its

no

n o w,

hurry

Robinson to

develop

modification

useful

time

benefitting point-to-point

new

flying

the

specifically that

that

do

requires

he

time on task as is often seen in law enforcement mission profiles. The new

there will be some aftermarket

auxiliary

companies

multi-

of additional useful fuel load to the

Inc.

m i s s i o n k i t s f o r t h e n e w h e l i c o p t e r. B u t i t

h e l i c o p t e r, g i v i n g i t a v e r y i m p r e s s i v e

lineup

is important for Robinson to ensure we do

additional

developing

tank

two

would

add

hours

of

43

gallons

flight

time.

of

t h i n g s t h e r i g h t w a y, a n d i n t h e s a fe s t w a y possible, like we have done with previous

This

rapidly

models of our helicopters, so we will be

will help to significantly increase the

approaching

appeal and usefulness of the already

towards

coming

announcement

although

increase

mission,

operations

additional mission kits for the h e l i c o p t e r,

would

on

conceded that: “it is likely that

Company

reinvigorate

in

sits

the R44 Cadet. The Cadet is marching the

the

Helicopter to

it

certification

months.

recently

to

President

Kurt

Heliweb

Robinson Robinson

in

spoke

Helicopter about

any

additional

capability

c a r e f u l l y t o e n s u r e i t m e e t s o u r s t a n d a r d s .”

the

modification,

popular

Robinson

Robinson

turbine

hopes,

h e l i c o p t e r.

Robinson was also ver y excited to speak

R44, as well as an outlook on what

The

Robinson has in store for the market.

a

R44

C a d e t ’s

certification

is

fast

march

likely

towards

somewhat

a

fo r m a l i t y, b a s e d o n t h e n e w h e l i c o p t e r

on

the

gained

snow by

the

certification R66—

a

recently

certification

that has taken four years to obtain.

The move by Robinson to develop the

only being a variant of an existing model.

new two-seat R44 Cadet was motivated,

With that in mind, Robinson expects to

After much frustration in seeking the

according to Robinson, by the need

start taking orders for the new helicopter

per fect conditions in which to conduct

for a multi-mission capable two-seat

in January of 2016.

the certification testing that —involving

aircraft that had more to offer the

commit to an exact price point on the new



heliweb.com

Robinson would not

multiple

elements

to

be

in

per fect

The new R44 cadet will have much improved hot and high performance

“it is likely that there will be some aftermarket companies developing multimission kits for the new helicopter. But it is important for Robinson to ensure we do things the right way, and in the safest way possible, like we have done with previous models of our helicopters, so we will be approaching any additional capability carefully to ensure it meets our standards.” alignment, eluding them for four years

the assistance of Eric Gould

running— the R66 passed the testing

from Aerial Recon Canada,

with

required

flying

colors

and

Robinson

those

per fect

hopes to see an immediate increase

conditions to keep up for

in sales in colder climate areas where

an hour of sustained flight

not

had

i n ¼ m i l e v i s i b i l i t y. T h e R 6 6

previously limited Robinson exposure.

passed the requirements, in

having

the

certification

the words of all involved in The Canadian trial, conducted with

the test, “with flying colors”

PA

referred

5% ff list pric

SAVE 25-8e! o

irparts

Chosen for value and service

Call Today!

Used Bell parts are %50 off!

Aerospatiale/Eurocopter Bell Sikorsky .... and others • Airframe parts • Engine Parts - PT6A, Allison/RR, Turbomeca, Lycoming, VO/TVO-435 & 540 • Consumables - igniters, spark plugs, filters and much more • Electrical - breakers, switches, relays, connectors, motors • Lighting - strobes, beacons, bulbs, lenses, parts of all kinds • Accessories and parts • Wheels, brakes, pads • Hardware - 12,000 P/N in stock • Instruments, some Avionics • Exhaust parts • Much more...

Scan here to get

Free online ! our parts app! inventory Search www.preferredairparts.com Preferred Airparts, LLC Div. of JILCO Industries

800-433-0814 Toll Free, U.S. & Canada

Tel. 330-698-0280, FAX 330-698-3164

sales2@preferredairparts.com Sales Hours 7:15am to 8:00pm EST.

We Buy Worldwide We are Cash Buyers!

We buy inventories of new surplus parts for nearly anything that flies. Also tired or damaged Cessna twins, Caravans, Citations, engines and propellers.

Gene Hembree is our buyer. Please contact him at 330-698-0280 ext.224 gene@preferredairparts.com

November 2015





heliweb.com

To be featured in the #helipix section of the magazine, dont forget to tag @heliweb on Instagram or email your pic to news@heliweb.com

Penn State Hershey Life Lion AS365N3 on final approach to the pad in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Photo by: Seth Lasko

November 2015



Attack of the

Drones

Is Amazon about to make the skies more complex for helicopter operations?



heliweb.com

G lobal internet sales giant Amazon recently debuted

largely depend on demand to become a continued

an online video showcasing their proposed ‘delivery

viable option for Amazon and other retailers

According to published information on the Prime Air

drone’ that Amazon sees as its vision to deliver

alike, the safety concerns for helicopter operators

drone, it is equipped with ‘sense and avoid’ technology

packages via their Amazon Air program that aims to

leave many unanswered questions about safe

akin to a UAV TCAS one can imagine, although no

deliver packages in under 30 minutes to consumers.

operation of programs like this and many others

information is available currently on the service provider

that the UAV/Drone market is being tapped for.

that has been employed by Amazon to develop this

The companies drone program has been one of

technology and what kind of accuracy the system

much speculation since its inception as a fledgling

Currently Amazon is the only retailer with a

has or how Amazon will satisfy any certification on

idea that many thought started as a publicity

program that is in active research and development,

their employed technology to ensure their delivery

stunt, yet Amazon has soldiered on to continue

however if Amazon’s program proves successful,

drones are programmed for traffic avoidance and

development of

many other safety concerns held by the industry.

its drone technology while

it is only a matter of time before other retailers

continuing to remain at the forefront of developments

investigate the potential for this kind of revenue

in the FAA’s proposed drone/UAV rulemaking.

stream to start their own program based on any

The Prime Air drone is said to weigh 55 pounds

Amazon has ensured that they have every hope of

success shown by Amazon’s Prime Air service.

and travel at 50 mph for 15 miles, which would

success in the program by becoming a member of the

limit deliveries to a very small area close to Amazon

advisory board that is consulting with the FAA on any

Amazon appears to have spent a great deal of time on

distribution sites. The question still remains as to how

proposed rulemaking, therefore giving themselves a

research and development of the delivery platform

that will be implemented with many of Amazon’s

competitive advantage, while having early access to any

that they envisage being the flagship of the Prime

distribution centers located either close by or directly

rules that are proposed and ensuring that their program

Air fleet. The ‘hybrid drone’ as they are referring to it

in controlled airspace close by international and

is an octocopter, but does not bare the appearance

domestic airports due to the need for close proximity

of

a

octocopter,

traditional

to shipping company flights to ensure speedy

instead

package delivery that Amazon has become known for.

having a rectangular appearance

and

Many questions still remain regarding the safety

employing a VTOL type

of commercial aviation related to drone and UAV

setup.

The Amazon

commercial retail operation, specifically helicopters,

Prime Air drone will

which regularly transition through the 400 feet

take off and land

that Amazon plans to operate in for both public

vertically, but will use a

and private and commercial operations.

rear mounted propeller

the questions continue to pile up in regards to safe

While

is compliant to any

to conduct

its delivery in forward

operation, one thing is for sure; a global giant like

proposed

flight once

it reaches altitude, which

Amazon has both the finances and the patience

along with

current FAA guidelines

to potentially be the first to get their operation

is stated in their promotional video as ‘under 400 feet’.

airborne, but one has to wonder at what cost?

Amazon

rules. is

not

alone in having interest

in

an

aerial

delivery

platform, with multiple other retailers including Walmart, while not having an announced program, still also having a place on the advisory board to stay abreast of future developments and recommendations made both to and from the FAA regarding any rules that may impact an aerial retail delivery platform that can be utilized by many businesses.

For pilots, the reality is that it seems at least Amazon may potentiallyreachanactualliveprogramstatusandaviators will have yet another potential risk factor to contend with to complete successful and safe flight operations.

Although an aerial delivery platform’s success will

November 2015



Farewell to one of the good guys

Advertisers Index Action Aircraft Parts AgNav Inc

11 2

D eputy

Lester

Hathcox

(Ret.) was a Hillsborough County

S h e r i f f ’s

Deputy

for 31 years and served

ALEA 11

on the aviation unit for a great deal of that time.

Avpro Inc.

7

Hathcox of

Blue Hill Helicopters

43

DynaNav 23 Falcon Insurance

13

Government Sales

42

Heli-Tech 23

missions

We

flew

in

2013

friendly

19

hundreds

and

caught

bad

guys.

with

Lester

countless

and

became

on

several

subsequent visits to the unit,

having

with

the

to

endure

rest

of

the

pilots as the muster room television tuned

HW Farren

flew

to

was

always

Tu r n e r

Classic

Movies as he watched his westerns that he loved.

Heliweb 9 On

Monday

James Gardner Ins.

19

9th,

Machida Borescope

42

he

MD Helicopters

56

Mauna Loa Helicopters

43

Preferred Airparts

25

Randy Mains - CRM

30

Select Helicopters

11

Lester

his

life

“He a

Flying

David a

had

the

cop

and

f l y.

His

instincts

old

23

fellow

and

the

deputies

citizens

heliweb.com

well. His

a

served of

County family

can

forever be proud. We will s p e e d , L e s t e r H a t h c o x .’ ’

31

Our his



style

miss him very much. God

Universal Turbine Parts 31 Van Horn Aviation

gentle

belied

that

Hillsborough

Tradewind Int’l

skills

boy

his

so

said

the

demeanor

toughness

Gee,

pilot,

Southern and

what

loved-

himself

to

losts

doing

Sheriff

of

November

thoughts wife

other

Lucy

family

are and

with his

members,

Composite Tail Rotor Blades for 206B/L, OH-58A+/C and UH-1 Series

We get you flying faster.

The premier independent supplier of PT6 turbine engines and components worldwide.

Our inventory is in stock in our warehouse and ready for fast delivery! We provide exchanges and sales on a wide variety of engine models and on serviceable turbine engine parts.

Van Horn Aviation www.vanhornaviation.com 1.480.483.4202

334.361.7853 | sales@utpparts.com | utpparts.com

FAA says drone registration to start December 21st, 2015

Ro t o r f o c u s

On

a conference call held by the

days of operation. Users will be issued

t h a t a l l o w e d f o r u p t o $ 2 7, 0 0 0 i n f i n e s t o

FAA December 14th, held by U.S

an N number that will be required to

be issued for non compliance or egregious

transportation secretary Anthony

b e d i s p l a ye d o n e a c h o p e r a t i o n a l U AV

misuse as well as criminal penalties that

Foxx and Deputy Federal Aviation

a n d r e g i s t e r e d t o t h a t u s e r. T h e u s e r

allowed for up to $250,000 in penalties

Administration administrator Michael

will also be issued a cer tificate of

as well as three years imprisonment for

W h i t a k e r, i t w a s a n n o u n c e d t h a t t h e

registration for compliance purposes.

the most severe of criminal misuse cases.

effor ts for the thousands of hobbyist

The FAA stated that they will also be using

F u l l d e t a i l s o f t h e F A A’s r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s

d r o n e / U AV u s e r s i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s

multiple means of dissemination of the new

will be released Monday detailing all

commencing with the launch of a

rules and how to register under the new

decisions made by the FAA in conjunction

r e g i s t r a t i o n w e b s i t e o n D e ce m b e r 2 1 s t .

plan and advised that they will be asking

with the UAV advisory board that

the assistance of local law enforcement ,

consisted of federal regulators, drone/

Re g i s t r a t i o n w i l l c o s t $ 5 f o r e a c h u s e r

although no mention was made on what

UAV operators and representatives

of any drone weighing .5-55 punds,

authority local law enforcement would

from various segments of the industry

w h o c a n r e g i s t e r m u l t i p l e U AV ’s u n d e r

be using to enforce the new rules.

that

F A A w o u l d b e co m m e n c i n g r e g i s t r a t i o n

relate

to

UAV

operations.

the same registration, the fee will be refunded for all users who utilize

Deputy Administrator Whitaker did advise

the registration por tal in the first 30

that there were standing civil penalties

November 2015



Cover Story



heliweb.com

In the hustle and bustle of busy LA airspace, Welk Aviation stands out as a force in the ENG market and other emerging business segments

Story & Images by Ryan Mason

November  2015 September2015



History

The

—known at the time as Angel City Air—

to customers in nearly every facet

is a highly competitive environment

helicopter

working

of helicopter operations in the LA

for nearly all segments of helicopter

on

operations.

stands

news gathering services (ENG) for Los

out in that market as a powerhouse,

Angeles television station CBS affiliate

Larr y Welk

showing

KCAL9 and later KCBS. The company

the company; he is the driving force

has grown exponentially since then-

behind

today Welk Aviation, encompasses not

providing

only Angel City Air but now includes

support

Summit

Western

KTLA 5, local NBC network NBC4 Los

and

in

sign

growth

of

in

they in

will

slowing

down.

acquisitions years

to

remain

a

contract

single

providing

Helicopter under

and their

A-Star

electronic

basin

and

surrounding

counties.

remains at the helm of

the

Welk

contract for

local

Aviation ENG

b a n n e r,

helicopter

Tr ibune

station

A n g e l e s , a s w e l l a s K F M B To t a l Tr a f f i c Network further south in San Diego.

Founded in 1994 by Larr y Welk, Welk

of Welk aviation in the market allows

Welk acquired subsidiaries Summit

Aviation started as a small operation

them the ability to provide support

Helicopter and Western Helicopters

heliweb.com

Helicopters

AS350

ownership

Southern

market—

a

umbrella. The ever-increasing presence

in

aviation

come driving

a

with

California.

particularly

the

California

Aviation

projected

indicate force

Welk

no

Their

market

Larry Welk, to those who don’t know him, is a larger than life character. He is passionate about the helicopter industry. Since getting his start in ENG, he has built Welk Aviation into one of the biggest names in helicopter aviation in the Los Angeles area. powerline

work,

enforcement AStar

and

advanced

training;

helicopters,

operations

for

seven

law

AS350

conducting

pilots.

Aviation

Welk

and

sixteen also

line

offers

a

ENG

turnkey solution for their ENG clientele

news

by providing ten camera operators that are responsible for operating the news

contracts; a Bell 206 JetRanger used for

gathering

ENG work in San Diego; and, rounding

the ENG helicopters in the Welk fleet.

out the fleet, the iconic Sikorsky S58T

The vast majority of the operational

that

helicopter time flown by Welk aviation

may

prominently

in

various

staff

networks suppor ted by Welk Aviation

some

the

maintenance

remember the

featuring

1980s

television

show Riptide that ran from 1984-1986.

aircraft

camera

is

equipment

consumed

gathering

by

operations.

aboard

the

The

news

company

flies an average of 7,500 total hours Gone

The Red Bull Journey Begins

is

the

snarling

iconic

mouth

pink

paint

jobs

for ENG, 1,000 for production work, 2,000 for powerline and utility work,

lives

and over 500 hours per year conducting

if

you

look

paint

annually, broken down into almost 4,000

ago, but the hear t of “Screamin’ Mimi” on;

several

and

hard

enough

i n t o t h e S 5 8 T ’s a i r i n t a k e s , y o u c a n still

see

paint, to

her

S58T

of

the

role

also

original

left

in

the

TV

still

has

the

in

training

operations.

pink

tribute

series.

The

“Screamin’

Due

to

the

nature

of

the

business

conducted by the various companies under

the

Welk

umbrella,

their

Mimi” name emblazoned on the side

helicopters operated are spread out

just under the pilot window, just so

across the LA area for ease of response

there

to

of in July of 2014.

some

intentionally

advanced

is

the

no

mistaking

classic

the

helicopter

identity that

still

customers.

with

its

Welk

aviation,

subsidiaries,

The subsidiaries

performs long line work in multiple

and

locations around Southern California

CA

fleet at bases throughout Southern

and

Airport, CA (RAL), and their spacious

California,

them

is

to cover the powerline utility and

in

allowing

surrounding currently the

the

Summit

states

today.

largest

It

helicopter

Helicopter

fleet.

advanced training markets in the area.

all

of

under

the

the

company

Welk

the

Operations and Support operations

Aviation

b a n n e r,

Whiteman

Airport

work out of Pacoima. Welk also has offices

total

of

Aviation

forty-four

relies

staff

on

a

members.

Los Los

of the ENG equipment running, three

at

smoothly, Welk

staff,

utility,

offices

Burbank, Municipal

To k e e p s u c h a l a r g e o p e r a t i o n r u n n i n g

are

for

in

Several of the Summit Aviation fleet

helicopters. Among their inventory used

airports Riverside

in Pacoima, CA where a majority of

only

MD500s

13

main

Among them are eight administrative

four

operates

(BUR),

the ENG helicopters are also based.

The fleet Between

at

offices

operate the remainder of the Welk further

aircraft

along

have

five

technicians

that

keep

all

and

a

helipad

Angeles—

which

civilian

heliports

Angeles,

located

in is

Downtown one

in in

of

the

Downtown Echo

November 2015

Park.



The man behind the brand

Larry Welk Starting Angel City Air in 1994, Larry Welk turned a 1 helicopter business into what is today one of the largest operators in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

Welk plays an active role in the day to day operations of the business and is continually looking for new opportunities and technology to improve the way Welk Aviation and subsidiaries Western Helicopters and Summit Helicopter do business.

Larry

Welk,

know

him,

don’t

“hangar jockey” at the Santa Monica

news updates from the skies above

life

airport, where he met his now wife

Los Angeles. Kono, who has worked

charac ter. He is passionate about

of 22 years. He gave up on college

for Welk for many years, loves the

the

which, at the time, he had no passion

work

those

has

for. He opted instead to pursue his

even mind working early mornings.

of

passion for flying, finding his first

He

flying

for

a

than

industr y.

start

Since

in

ENG,

he

Welk

Aviation

into

one

biggest

names

built

his

who

larger

helicopter

getting the

to is

in

helicopter

job

in

sunny

Los

Angeles.

aviation in the Los Angeles area.

that

he

does

expressed the

give

fact

him

his

that

the

and

doesn’t

appreciation

the

early

freedom

to

hours spend

Welk, himself a pilot, started flying

It requires tremendous focus to keep

more time with his young son and

in the heyday for ENG operations.

up

wife

with

Welks

moving

at

in

a

a

conversation;

mile-a-minute,

i t ’s

H e’s c o v e r e d s o m e o f t h e b i g g e s t

clear his mind is constantly awash

stories of our time. Among the more

with

ideas

and

future

the

Northridge

Earthquake,

herself,

working

On

any

given

day,

helicopters

up

the

ground

to

half-

city was still sleeping, but traffic

fleet

was already shaping up to be nasty

can

were a new thing to television. He

California working in their various

Several

worked in a time before helicopter

services.

fatality—

operations in the LA area were a

visited

coordinated

effort

on

between

be

found

in

the

in a time when televised pursuits

the

on

reporter

Our day started while most of the dozen

with

traffic

f r o m K T L A’s m o r n i n g n e w s s t u d i o.

and the OJ Simpson pursuit, back

safety

a

plans.

notable stories, the infamous L.A. Riots,

Ginger—

around

a

Friday

morning

accidents

commute.

—including

we our

critical routes within our first 30

focus

days started at 4:30am, as it does

minutes airborne. The traffic snarls

major

every weekday for pilot Mark Kono.

that ensued lasted throughout our

Welk

operations in LA being the Police,

effectively

a

time

with

the

for

Aviation,

a

During

Southern

dammed

morning news shift. This is all in

fire, and ENG operations that spend

Kono plays a rather unique role in

a d a y ’s w o r k f o r t h e t e a m a t We l k

a majority of their time airborne.

that he flies the morning shift for

Aviation, who never seem to be short

KTLA

serving

of a smile or cracking jokes with

like

not only as pilot, but as reporter

each other to ease the stress of the

many other pilots; he began as a

as well— providing air traffic and

job once safely back on the ground.

We l k ’s

career

heliweb.com

started

much

pulling

double-duty

Cover Story

Welk Aviation subsidiary Summit Helicopter is kept busy year round with assignments like this one in Ventura County, CA assisting with the replacement of power poles in hard to reach locations.

November 2015

Left: Pilot of ‘Screamin Mimi’ Jim Woodaman departs Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, CA

Below: An assortment of the aircraft in the Welk Aviation Fleet, which service the Los Angeles area providing ENG and ultility services.



heliweb.com

Cover Story Safety A

long

time

helicopters

from

Firefighting,

pilot

himself,

Larry

Law

Enforcement,

To u r i s m ,

Gathering

and

operations,

News

amongst

The LAAHNC proposed guidance and direction efforts

of

Welk wants to ensure that the pilots

others. Posted conspicuously around

virtually

working for all of his contracts are

the Welk Aviation offices and hangar

all

both

at

conscientious

him,

flight

safe.

are

other

W e l k ’s solutions

you have 3,000 hours, doesn’t make

residents when covering news stories.

become

you

the

best

pilot—

especially

ENG work ” Welk stated.

for

Known to be

Welk

himself

with

cooperation

employ, Welk wants his pilot cadre

sense

to show the same values he displays

the

in

recommendations

flying

safely,

effectively

for

his

clientele and above all, being safe.

believes

approach two

and to

a

to

that, common

the

organizations

enforcement to

operations

vision

and

follow

in

problem, can

make

operators

for

for

the

well

years.

very selective in choosing pilots to

hinder

the

be for

area.

constant

that you are considering the comfort of

“J u s t

not

airport

reminders to fly neighborly and ensure

make.

do

Whiteman

a

pilot

alone

For

law

severely

impossible

because

quality

hours

and

would

His

total ENG

recognized team

consistantly

of

strive

service

market over

has the

technicians

to

equip

the

c o m p a n y ’s h e l i c o p t e r s w i t h t h e l a t e s t and

most

innovative

technology.

While we visited, the team was hard at

in

work fitting out a Bell 206 JetRanger

the area in ways to combat the noise

for an ENG contract, equipping it with

issue, and to improve the way that

the latest cameras and an operating

the

they fly to minimize the discomfort of

station in the back of the aircraft that

helicopter safely, and mak ing sure a

residents affected by helicopter noise.

involved

Welk

explains

that

flying

pilot is not flying in a manner that will

tablet

based

technology.

Upon seeing the impressive display

draw negative attention is imperative.

of

technology,

it

was

explained

He also emphasized the importance

Providing

of performing well in a demanding,

helicopter operator in Los Angeles has

constantly

multi-task environment— essentially

never been more complex than now.

aircraft and equipment perspective,

the high-impact description of ENG

The LAAHNC has gone as far as to make

and

flying;

recommendations that all helicopters

at

where

requires

your

you

to

role

fly,

but

not

only

in

many

multiple

—including

law

services

as

enforcement—

a

that the ENG business is one that is evolving,

Welk

from

prides

remaining

at

both

an

themselves

the

forefront.

fly

cases, to narrate what is happening

at

around

Larr y Welk has flown many helicopters

below

you

on

the

ground

for

the

3,000

feet

at

all

times

the Los Angeles area, except in an

in the ENG market, but continues to

news network in a pilot-reporter role.

emergenc y,

fall back on the Airbus Helicopters

Coupled

law

with

the

already

intense

which

enforcement,

when

referencing

specifically

the

AS350

as

their

primary

aircraft

for

workload of navigating the complex LA a i r s p a c e a n d f l y i n g t h e h e l i c o p t e r, i t ’s a task that not ever yone is capable of.

While job;

airborne, getting

while the

is

there

also

“flying

it

all

and

paying

n e i g h b o r l y ”.

president

of

about

back

safely,

attention Larry

the

the

Welk

to is

Welk explains that flying the helicopter safely, and making sure a pilot is not flying in a manner that will draw negative attention is imperative. He also emphasized the importance of performing well in a demanding, multi-task environment

Professional

H e l i c o p t e r P i l o t s A s s o c i a t i o n ( P H PA ) ,

LAPD,

a team of dedicated professionals who

considers that the LAPD are not like

the

meet regularly with the Los Angeles

other law enforcement air units in that

d u e t o t h e h e l i c o p t e r ’s e a s e o f u s e

Area

they do not conduct their operations

for

Helicopter

(LAAHNC),

committee

Coalition formed

little

sense

when

one

conducting

ENG

s h i p ’s both

operations

suitability pilots

for

and

citing

the

role

maintenance

to

using FLIR for the most part. The LAPD

crews.

address helicopter noise complaints in

still utilize Nitesun searchlights and

operating

the Los Angeles area. The Los Angeles

the view of the ground given to the

aircraft

area is home to literally dozens of

TFO in the daily search for offenders.

feels the AS350 is the clear choice.

a

Noise

makes

Coupled cost, in

with

its

low

compared

similar

to

roles,

hourly other Welks

November 2015

The United States has shown an alarming spike

International (HAI) drone committee to offer

saves many hours of labor for the dozen

recently in laser strike incidents, occurring

his industry experience to the committee in

or so power company employees required

with

rotary

an attempt to embrace the drone side of the

to carry out this type of work, increasing

aircraft. Welk Aviation pilot Tim Lynn had been

aircraft

both

fixed-wing

and

business, and show the industry that UAVs can

productivity,

a victim of a laser strike the night before our

work side by side with manned technology.

times, and helping to reduce costs overall.

speeding

up

completion

arrival in Riverside, CA. Lynn was fortunate

On the same day, Summit Helicopter also

enough to have not suffered any injury from

had

the strike, but the event highlighted some of

Long Line

the situations faced when operating in the densely populated LA airspace. Later that evening a 15 year old juvenile was arrested

We were fortunate

for the incident. Safety has always been at

enough to be able

the forefront of Welk Aviation’s strategy and

to accompany the

pilots are skilled in handling incidents such

team

as this safely,

in the iconic S58T

along with the many other

challenges faced flying in the busy LA skies.

from

Welk

“Screamin’

Mimi”

into the mountains

Awards

east of Los Angeles with

pilot

Jim

Larry Welk is not someone who strives for

W o o d a m a n ,

accolades in the helicopter industry. As a matter

the

of fact, Welk couldn’t recall off hand how many

operations

total awards the company has won but, between

Welk

himself, his company, and his employees, Welk

Summit Helicopter.

Aviation

We

has

received

numerous

awards—

director

of for

subsidiary departed

including an impressive ten Emmy awards in the

Whiteman

airport

news gathering field. The most recent Emmy was

in

won by Tim Lynn, pilot of the KTLA5 afternoon

on

a

picture

shift for coverage of a large water main break.

perfect

morning,

Pacoima

Screamin’

New Technology

Mimi

spent the morning e f f o r t l e s s l y

Always having been an innovator, Welk has

removing

been known to embrace technology that others

power poles and

are keeping clear of. For example, choosing to

long-lining

embrace the drone and UAV market through

poles into position

his Western Helicopters subsidiary, they will

in a valley where

soon be offering training courses in advanced

rugged

UAV operations for law enforcement support,

and lack of roads

as well as for use in the ENG and motion

to the area made

picture industry. Welk stated that “Western

a

has the ability to go down that path with

only

either law enforcement or ENG for drone

perform any kind

work, and they will eventually strike a balance

of

maintenance

and work complimentary to each other” Welk

on

the

has also begun relationships with industry

grid. The use of

partners to work with emerging technology.

helicopters for this

He has also joined the Helicopter Association

kind of operation



heliweb.com

old new

terrain

helicopter option

the to

power

several

MD500E

helicopters

close

by

power

to continue to move from strength to strength

to have a bright future with Welk at the helm.

lines, doing a job in minutes that would

that

were

and, through acquisitions and new contracts

Welk said that several new projects are in the

take

and innovative technology appraoches, as it

works currently that will lead to even greater

continues its growth as a powerhouse operation

expansion over the next several years, as well

in the Los Angeles area. Welk himself shows

as the likely purchase of more helicopters

no sign of slowing down. With his forward-

to cope with the ever-increasing demand.

ground

working crews

to

days

string to

complete.

Conclusion The operation at Welk Aviation is one that seems

thinking leadership, the organization looks

November 2015

Helinews

Deliveries continue to grow in European market

Japanese H135 deliveries complete order for JMSDF

DOD contract expansions continue Sikorsky dominance of military sector

Finmeccanica-AgustaWestland announced on the first

Airbus Helicopters announced on the 15th of

The U.S. Department of Defense announced on

of December that Swiss Air-Rescue Rega has placed an

December that it has successfully handed over the

December 9th that it had awarded Sikorsky $354

order for three AW169 light intermediate twin-engine

14th and 15th H135 training helicopters to the Japan

million to build 29 more Seahawk helicopters for the

and one GrandNew light twin-engine helicopters which

Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). This marks

Navyteh contract is an amendment to an existing

will join the current fleet of a GrandNew and nine

the delivery completion of 15 H135s over the last six

contract won earlier by Sikorsky totaling $1.4 billion in

single-pilot configured Da Vinci helicopters. The aircraft

years. Designated as TH-135 by JMSDF, the 13 units

investment from the DOD in Sikorsky made helicopters.

will perform emergency medical service and search

delivered prior have been in operation since 2011.

The modification comes from modifications allowed

and rescue missions (EMS/SAR) all over Switzerland, from the lowlands to the high mountains of the Alps.

in a larger $8.7 billion contract awarded to Sikorsky in The TH-135 is a variant of Airbus Helicopters’

2012 for over 600 helicopters that will be built for the

light

customized

Army and Navy as well as be allowed to be sold to other

As part of the challenging and innovative “Project

for JMSDF’s specific requirements for advanced

nations defense forces. The exisiting contract provides

Icebird”, Rega and AgustaWestland will together

training missions. The H135 was selected as the

ongoing support and the ability for the DOD to add

set a new benchmark for EMS/SAR operations with

replacement for its single-engine training helicopter

an additional 263 helicopters to the deal if sought.

the development of the “Helicopter of the Future.

fleet, thanks to its unrivalled performance and easy

Daniele

maintenance which translates to high availability rate.

Romiti,

AgustaWestland

Chief

Executive

twin-engine

H135,

specially

Officer, said “Project Icebird confirms Rega’s strong confidence

in

capabilities

and

customisation

“We are delighted to be able to deliver all

performance

fifteen TH-135s on time,” said Stephane Ginoux,

of the AW169. We look forward to working with

Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters Japan.

them to bring their specialised AW169 into service.”

“We

AgustaWestland

quality of safety and efficiency of their training

search the

and

our the

also rescue

Bangladesh

Air

technology, outstanding

delivered configured Force

on

an

AW139

helicopter December

to 6th.

are

committed

to

upkeep

the

highest

Bell receives EASA certification for 505 Arrius 2R

missions by providing prompt parts procurement,

Bell Helicopter and Turbomeca announced on the

maintenance

15th of December that Turbomeca has received

and

technical

support

services.”

NOMEX FLIGHT SUITS Fire retardant and the #1 choice of the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard. Nomex jackets and shirts also available!

HELICOPTER HELMETS New Kevlar® Helicopter Helmets available w/ single or dual visor assembly, general aviation avionics, lighweight crushable earcups w/ sensiform air seals, Confor™ foam custom liner and optional 6’ coil. Factory new & fully guaranteed! $905.00 - Single Visor Assembly $990.00 - Dual Visor Assembly

GOVERNMENT SALES, INC. 51 Years in Business!

69 Francis Avenue • Hartford, CT 06106 860-247-7787 • fax 860-586-8020 www.AviationHelmets.com Most orders shipped within 24 hours. We ship worldwide via air freight. Visit our 14,000 sq. ft. facility.



heliweb.com

EASA engine type certification for its Arrius 2R on November 13th, 2015 in Spray Lakes, Canada,

logged close to one million flight hours on board

engine, that powers the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X. With Robinson’s R66 Turbine passed the FAA’s and Transport

various U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) aircraft.

seven million flight hours already logged by Arrius Canada’s test to allow flight in snow conditions. variants, the 2R is expected to offer unmatched

The 184 systems continue to actively support three key

high

entry-into-service. The test was conducted during a heavy snow storm with

programs, with the initial turrets having been fielded in 2005.

“The Bell 505 is the first production Bell Helicopter low visibility at freezing temperatures, conditions that have

level

of

Currently, 27 of these turrets have logged over 10,000 flight

to

incorporate

maturity a

at

said been shown to produce worst-case snow accumulation at

hours each while requiring only minimal in-field servicing.

Turbomeca CEO Bruno Even. “Delivering a best- the helicopter turbine engine intakes. The test consisted of

Turbomeca

engine,”

L-3 WESCAM has delivered over 1,700 MX- Series systems to

in-class solution, on time, continues to be a top a 100% engine ground run for 20 minutes, IGE hover for 5

the U.S. DoD in support of a variety of different programs.

priority for us. We are delighted with the progress minutes, and 60 minutes of cruise flight. Performance was of this blossoming Franco-American collaboration.” monitored using pressure instruments and a live video feed from a camera mounted near the engine air filter.

“We are thrilled that Turbomeca has achieved

On December 9th HW Farren LLC completed the

this milestone,” said Matt Hasik, Executive Vice The test requires that snow build-up not block the engine

second Transcontinental Transport of two Prototype

President Commercial Business, Bell Helicopter. air intake or adversely affect engine operation. Passing

Helicopters for the Agusta Westland X-Operations Team.

“Our collaboration with Turbomeca has been the test is significant as it allows Robinson to eliminate the

The first transport originated at Fairbanks Alaska with

outstanding. They have consistently delivered to existing limitation in the R66 Pilot’s Operating Handbook

the team protective packaging the AW-189 for transport

schedule and we are delighted to have already which prohibits flight in falling or blowing snow.

to the Great Lakes Area for additional Cold weather

received over 350 letters of intent since the launch

Icing Trials. The oversize transport of the aircraft and

of the Bell 505 in 2013. The next step for Bell

four support loads was safely completed traversing

Helicopter will be the certification of the aircraft

the ALCAN, just prior to the Thanksgiving Holiday.

in 2016, followed by deliveries to customers.”

Glenn Wargo of Farren and Mirco Fantin of Agusta Westland

Wescam MX series logs 1M hours with DOD R66 passes snow trials

Italy worked closely with Agusta Westland Italy to prepare all documents to cross the Canadian Provinces on Farren’s Bonds. Following this transport, Farren again protective packaged the AW-169 Prototype and transported

L-3 WESCAM announced this month that a combined

the test aircraft and three support loads to Agusta

fleet of its MX™-Series electro-optical and infrared (EO/

Westland Philadelphia Corporation on December 9th.

Robinson announced on December 4th that IR) imaging and targeting systems has successfully

heliweb training directory

• Part 141 approved Flight Training • Photo Flights • Helicopter Sales/Services • Helicopter Tours

www.bluehillhelicopters.com info@bluehillhelicopters.com • 781-688-0263 Experience the Best!

November 2015



Story and images by Scott Dworkin

Ventura County Upgrades making multi mission capabilty work Ventura County is considered the southernmost

start looking for a replacement asset to use

equipment has been done at Rotorcraft

county along the California Central Coast

specifically for patrol and surveillance types of

Support in Van Nuys, CA, a process that

and is home to over 800,000 people; served

flights. I found this particular Bell 206L Long

began about 4 years ago and the helicopter

by the Ventura County Sheriff ’s Office and

Ranger up in Canada. It was originally built

was recently delivered to the Air Unit at

the pilots and staff of the VCSO air unit.

purchased by Ontario Ministry of Forestry.

Camarillo Airport.

In 2010, Ventura County ’s air unit suffered

I looked at several helicopters available all

to turn out to be basically a brand new

the setback of losing two of their air units

over North America, and as we didn’t have

helicopter stated Dalton. “It has saved the

smaller patrol helicopters due to budgetary

a really large budget to start with, finding

citizens of Ventura County quite a bit of

constraints

“ This has been a long

project, but when it is completed it’s going

counties

and purchasing a basic air frame in decent

money, and is a testament to the nature of

across the country. In 2015, the VCSO Air

suffered

by

many

condition at a reasonable price was step

the flexibility of our Air Unit.

Unit received the green light to re-acquire

one, this one fortunately fit both criteria.

did a lot of the work here ourselves in our

a smaller more nimble asset to aid in law

Everything since the purchase of the air frame

spare time, when we weren’t out doing other

enforcement patrol and surveillance, as well

that’s been done to the aircraft has been

missions, everyone chipped in to work on

as act as a command and control helicopter

done, with the exception of a couple small

this project when they could, we were able

to work with its existing fleet of larger Bell

grants for the thermal imager, moving map

to “piecemeal” it together so to speak within

“Huey ” helicopters during fire or rescue work

and the down linking system, off of the Air

the yearly budget funds so it wasn’t a large

conducted by the unit should the need arise.

Units budget money that is left over at the

expense right out of the budget all at once.

Ventura County Pilot Jim Dalton who speared

end of the fiscal year, and is a joint venture

Now that we have finally taken delivery of our

headed the project for the unit explained,

with

Long Ranger, and we are spooling up to field

the

sheriff

and

fire

departments.”

“about six years ago I approached the head

Because we

it into full service, I know that it will prove to

Ventura County Sheriff, Bob Brooks at the

The retrofit and final buildup, including

be a valuable asset to the citizens of Ventura

time and got the green light to go ahead and

installing

County and the surrounding communities.”



heliweb.com

all

of

the

law

enforcement

Left: Ventura County’s new Bell 206L in operation

Below: The new asset is fitted out with the latest technology before being put into service

November 2015



flight training directory

A moonrise shot in Florida with an R22.



46

heliweb.com  heliweb.com heliweb.com

#helipix

#helipix

Image by: Matt Abrams

The Cockpit of a Sikorsky S92 in Norway Image by: Tom Andreas

Top Left: A Heli-Serv AS350 rests on the Yarra Bank helipad in Melbourne, Australia.

Image by: Kane Arlow Bottom Left: Apache helicopters on departure.

Image by: Steve Kemper Top Right: Artist Marc Veenendaal completed this artists rendering of one of publisher Ryan Mason’s photos recently

Bottom Right: Elite Helicopters AS350 and R44 over Los Angeles.

November 2015  Image By: Billy Oh

Public Safety-

Helicopters, ...and Chili Story and images by Scott Dworkin

In recognition of the critical role air traffic controllers play in aviation safety, personnel from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Air Support Division began the Chili Fly-In as a gesture of appreciation.

Air traffic controllers must regularly interact with public safety aviators who frequently engage in nontraditional flights such as vehicle pursuits, surveillance operations



heliweb.com

and

other

tactical

operations.

Before the Chili Fly-In, air traffic controllers and police aviators had rarely —if ever— met face-to-face.

Both air traffic controllers and public safety aviators alike have agreed that the value of the annual LAPD Chili FlyIn far exceeds the resources expended.

The event, which doubles as a Southern California Regional Public

Safety Aviation Coordination Exercise, has helped to foster professional relationships and a mutual understanding of the roles played by the participants.

During the four-hour period of the operation, Hooper Memorial Heliport becomes the busiest airport in the world. The movements of well over two-hundred aircraft occur in one-minute intervals.

November 2015



Master Pilot Jaye Bridwell Poses with one of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office AS350's Image by: Ryan Mason



heliweb.com

Rotorheads Meet Tim Lynn

Every month, heliweb staff will be interviewing an industry pilot. We’ll talk to them about their career highlights, how they got into the industry and what they want to share with other pilots in the industry.

As a beat cop in 1978, I don’t think Tim Lynn could

Angel City Air, the pilot of that flight. The two became

just like any other flying role. Lynn was forced to

have ever imagined himself in the position he currently

friends and Lynn spent his off days from Huntington

make a precautionary landing in the middle of

holds as a pilot for Welk Aviation as a pilot-reporter

Beach flying with Welk and learning the ins and outs of

Hollywood in February of 2012, putting the KTLA5

for Los Angeles based ABC affiliate KTLA5 flying the

the ENG business, eventually filling in for other pilots

helicopter that was billowing smoke from under

AS350 five days a week over the skies of Los Angeles.

when he was able to around his agency schedule.

the engine cover down in a parking lot at Hyland

In 2004, Lynn decided that he wanted to pursue flying

and Franklin, just one block from Hollywood

Lynn started his career with a four year stint in the

ENG as a career and retired from law enforcement

boulevard, which he says bewildered onlookers

US Coast Guard, followed by his hiring as a Police

after 26 years to take a job with Angel City Air, flying

in a passing TMZ tourist bus as they witnessed

Officer for the Culver City Police in California, where

for KCAL/KCBS9 flying the morning traffic and news

the helicopter make its precautionary landing.

he worked as a road officer, in the traffic branch

coverage for what was to become Welk Aviation.

and also in the narcotics division for 12 years before

The cause of smoking engine- captured by

leaving Culver City with hopes of eventually getting

In 2010, Lynn transferred to the job he currently

another ENG helicopter and broadcast live on

into the air unit with a move to the Huntington

holds as a pilot-reporter for KTLA5 in Los Angeles,

television as it made its approach into the streets

Beach Police Department in 1990. Lynn obtained

based out of Whiteman airport in Pacoima, CA.

of Hollywood billowing thick grey smoke was the

his private pilot rating in 1985 and worked through

Flying an ENG helicopter in LA is a delicate balance

result of a plugged oil return line that was unable

his ratings over the years working up to being

said Lynn- “when flying ENG work, you always have

to be detected in routine preflight of the aircraft

qualified as a CFII in fixed wing aircraft. In 1997 Lynn

to be a pilot first and reporter second. Some have

due to the positioning of the fault being internal.

was granted his wish of joining the aviation unit.

a hard time keeping their eyes off what the camera

During his off time, Lynn likes to spend time

sees below when first learning how to be an ENG

with his wife of 38 years, three children and two

His calculated move to HBPD seven years earlier

pilot”. For Lynn it was hard at the beginning, but once

granddaughters at their home in Fountain Valley,

had paid off; with the impending retirement of

you get used to the workload and how to manage it

just outside of Huntington Beach, CA. He has no

several of the units imminent, it was a natural

during each flight, it is just like flying any other role,

plans to stop doing what he loves and being the

progression for him to join the aviation unit,

we just do more talking. All of the pilots that fly

eye in the sky for KTLA5 any time soon, still driving

being at the time one of only two officers hired

ENG in the Los Angeles area have a great working

54 miles each way to keep up his passion for flight.

into the unit with previous flight experience.

relationship and do a good job of maintaining

Lynn’s advice to other pilots that are starting out

In

was

communications with each other when covering the

in the helicopter ENG market is to make sure they

fascinated with the ENG helicopters hovering

same news story to make sure they all have adequate

find their balance and to always remember to keep

seemingly motionless above below capturing

separation and keep each other safe in the air.

their scans going throughout their flights and not

the

2003,

action

Lynn

as

worked

his

a

pursuit

helicopter

and

circled

below.

become fixated on the news side of the business.

The role of a pilot in the ENG world is anything

Much like law enforcement flying, that kind of

Lynn wanted more knowledge about the job ENG

but boring due to the diversity of the stories

advice has served Lynn well through his career,

pilots did and asked to be introduced to Larry Welk of

covered each year, but the role also has its dangers

spanning 18 years and 9800 hours of flight time.

October 2015



Behind the lens:

Tim Pruitt

Timothy Pruitt has had a lifelong

approached and asked

passion for helicopter aviation.

how

His father flew the iconic UH-1

charge to photograph

“Huey” for the United States Army

his son standing next

when Pruitt was growing up. Pruitt

to

the

had dreams of becoming an Army

he

was

pilot like his father until a high

T h e r e s t , a s t h e y s a y,

school football injury prevented

is history;

Pruitt has spent the last

and Airbus facilities facilitating easy

him from pursuing that career path.

thirteen years immersed in the world

access to many shooting oppor tunities.

o f h e l i c o p t e r a v i a t i o n p h o t o g r a p h y.

Pruitt also completes multiple travel

much

would

he

helicopter shooting.

Co n t i n u i n g t o f o l l o w i n h i s f a t h e r ’s

shoots annually for publications to

footsteps, Pruitt star ted learning

P r u i t t , a r e s i d e n t o f A u s t i n , Te x a s ,

the art of photography— a passion

has been fortunate enough to live

i n t h e Te x a s S t a t e G u a r d — o n e o f t h r e e

s h a r e d w i t h h i s f a t h e r. I n 2 0 0 2 , Pr u i t t

in many areas rich in rotary aviation

b r a n c h e s o f t h e Te x a s M i l i t a r y F o r c e s

was taking pictures at a local airport

over the years including the Grand

u n d e r c o n t r o l o f t h e Te x a s G o v e r n o r ,

of a helicopter when a gentleman

Prairie, TX area— home to both Bell

a l o n g s i d e t h e Te x a s A r m y N a t i o n a l

 

heliweb.com heliweb.com

various locations.

As a Staff Sergeant

Online Content

Photographer

Feature On social media this month

Guard

and Air

National

Guard —

Pruitt is assigned as a Public Affairs Specialist which puts him behind the camera in multiple unique situations, including a recent shoot with the A r m y ’s e l i t e p a r a c h u t e d e m o n s t r a t i o n team,

the

Golden

Knights.

Pruitt owns a successful photography business specializing in aerial, aviation, c o m m e r c i a l a n d e v e n t p h o t o g r a p h y. H e also continues to pursue his aviation dream by working toward his fixed wing private pilot certification. He has also set his sights on eventually transitioning

to

a

rotary rating.

Having recently signed on as a staff photographer and writer at Heliweb Magazine Pruitt brings to the table a rich background and long list of work published in multiple international aviation publications. He continues to enjoy sharing his passion of shooting helicopters, and the challenge that it provides. The continuous quest for original and engaging images keeps him motivated. It is his hope that, in light of his lifelong passion f o r t h e a v i a t i o n i n d u s t r y, t h a t h i s

Heliweb social media feeds

photography may one day inspire the younger generation to investigate

and pursue their own career into parts

of

the

aviation

i n d u s t r y.

November 2015

October 2015

53



  heliweb.com  heliweb.com heliweb.com

On social media this month

Behind the lens

Online Content

Heliweb social media feeds To see more of Tim’s work, click HERE

November 2015 November October 2015 



Tough.

Dependable.

Dedicated to the Mission.

Saving lives demands quick response times. In the critical realm of air medical operations, there is no room for compromise or excuse. With nearly 200,000 mission hours flown, the MD 902 Explorer delivers dependable, versatile and powerful performance. Equipped with the MD Helicopters-exclusive no tail rotor NOTAR速 system for anti-torque control, the MD 902 provides safer, quieter and more reliable confined-access capability than any other helicopter in its class.

mdhelicopters.com