August 2015 PDF

August 2015
Sikorsky’s Future
Surviving the
Post-Crash
525 Flies,
AW169 Certified
Building a
Better Pilot
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EDITORIAL
Randy Jones, Publisher, rjones@accessintel.com
James T. McKenna, Editor-in-Chief, jmckenna@accessintel.com
Joseph Ambrogne, Technical Editor, jambrogne@accessintel.com
Ernie Stephens, Editor-at-Large, estephens@accessintel.com
Pat Host, Defense Analyst & Associate Editor,
phost@defensedaily.com
Contributing Writers: Rick Adams; Claudio Agostini; Chris Baur;

Lee Benson; Igor Bozinovski; Keith Brown; Keith Cianfrani; Mark
Colborn; Steve Colby; Peter Donaldson; Ian Frain; Pat Gray; Michael
Hangge; Emma Kelly; Frank Lombardi; Elena Malova; Vicki McConnell;
Terry Terrell.
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A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 | R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L 3
Editor’s Notebook
By James T. McKenna
jmckenna@accessintel.com Getting the Rules Right
T
he rules and procedures that the FAA uses the FAA to sit down for a focused discussion of the
to approve rotorcraft and new equipment broad range of certification challenges and the
that improves their safety and utility need best means of addressing them. The Rotorcraft
overhauling. Certification Summit, scheduled for Oct. 27 at Dal-
This fact is not news to many readers. Those of las/Fort Worth International Airport, will present
you who operate helicopters, build them, modify the forum to begin that discussion. You can learn
and complete them and support them—which more about the summit at http://www.rotorcraft-
is to say most of you—know this all too well. You summit.com/.
deal again and again with the effects of these cer- A number of efforts are underway to address
tification shortcomings. certification shortcomings. Prodded since 2012 by
Modified aircraft are kept out of service for Congress, the FAA has been working to streamline
weeks or months at a time because of disputes its certification processes, including those used to
or confusion over the standards and proce- issue the supplemental type certificates on which
dures to be used in approving the changes they aircraft modifications and upgrades depend. Also,
underwent. U.S. and European trade associations have begun
Plans for system or component upgrades are work to develop industry consensus on where
kept in the drawer because the timeline for gain- and how Parts 27 and 29 and their European and
ing their certification is so long and uncertain that Canadian counterparts need to be changed. They
no reasonable business person would invest in propose to build on the success of the recent
their development. The return on investment for effort to reform Part 23 certification rules for small
such development could prove non-existent. airplanes; those changes should start going into
Manufacturers and modification shops forgo effect in the next year.
improvements that would enhance the safety There is a sense in the industry that the effort to
of a helicopter because the relatively minor rewrite Parts 27 and 29 is driven by Bell Helicopter,
changes would require the entire aircraft ele- a result of its difficulty in getting weight exemp-
ment—such as fuel system—to be re-certified tions for its 429 from the FAA and European Avia-
under more stringer amendments of the Federal tion Safety Agency. But a rewrite is a protracted
Aviation Regulations. effort; the Part 23 rewrite effort began in 2009 or
The rules for certification of new helicopters so. Now keep in mind that I worked for Bell for a
remain based largely on aircraft weight and num- short time just when the 429 weight problem was
ber of powerplants. This ignores that fact that hurting early sales. But it is unclear to me how a
technological advances, particularly in avionics, rewrite would benefit near-term 429 sales.
can make a Part 27 helicopter every bit as sophisti- The evidence is that today’s certification short-
cated as a Part 29 one. comings affect more than Bell. When the FAA
The ill effects of the certification shortcomings asked in 2013 for thoughts on what about Parts
are, in fact, too numerous to list here. As I said, the 27/29 should be changed, one of Eurocopter’s
shortcomings and their effects are hardly news. top engineers replied that today’s certification
But since I returned to this magazine, I have heard standards haven’t kept up with technology and,
a great deal about them. furthermore, they can’t. This engineer said such
What is clear, beyond the extent and effects standards should be “performance based,” laying
of these flaws, is their urgency. Aeromedical pro- out functional objectives but leaving the accepted
grams and Part 135 operators face mandates to means of meeting those objectives to advisory
install new equipment—terrain awareness and material (which can be revised and updated more
warning systems, radar altimeters, flight data promptly). That, by the way, is just the approach
monitoring—in the next few years. All helicopter EASA proposes for its Part 23 revisions.
operators currently are required to have Automat- Consider, too, that AgustaWestland is prepar-
ic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast devices on ing to gain certification of and introduce the
their aircraft in less than five years. It is unclear how AW609 into air traffic systems around the world
the industry and FAA will meet those deadlines, let whose design of airspace and ATC procedures
alone meet them and make other improvements didn’t envision a civil tiltrotor and probably can’t
to keep helicopters up to date and productive. accommodate one very well.
That has led Publisher Randy Jones and I to Certification issues clearly are a concern for the
conclude that the time is right for industry and entire rotorcraft industry.
4 R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L | A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M

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THIS MONTH FROM
Military
Vol. 49 | No. 8 | August 2015
Features
26 The Standards Approach
The way we certify pilots is going to change, and two
rotorcraft schools are already on that movement’s
leading edge. By Joseph Ambrogne
32 The New Era of Simulators

Today’s simulators not only benefit schools large
and small, but also promote safety and technical
advancement throughout the industry. By Joseph
Ambrogne
38 Sikorsky Enters a New Era

Commercial
Lockheed Martin’s proposed purchase holds promise

for the famed manufacturer, but many issues must be
A few helicopter flight schools are testing the waters addressed. By James T. McKenna
26 ahead of impending changes to the PTS.
40 Preparing to Survive the Post-Crash
Why, when and where you should carry aviation
survival gear. By Mike Hangge
Departments
8 Feedback
10 Meet the Contributors
Simulators are helping reduce IIMC-related accidents, 12 Rotorcraft Report
32 improve emergency procedures, and more. Bell wins a big 412 order from Japan, EASA certifies the
AW169, the U.S. Army seeks a DVE solution, the CH-53K
Public Service
is delayed, and more intel from July.

21 People
21 Coming Events
22 Program Insider
24 Hot Products
45 Advertisers’ Index
49 Coming Up
A pilot’s responsibility continues even after that
40 emergency landing.
Columns
On the Cover: It’s commonly said that there has never been a 4 Editor’s Notebook
better time to become a pilot. The latest training innovations are
making that statement ring true.
18 Washington Insider
Personal | Corporate
46 Offshore Notebook
48 HEMS Watch
50 Leading Edge

ONLINE AT www.rotorandwing.com
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• Sikorsky Offers $25K Innovation Prize
525 Flight Slowed by Parts,
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August 1:
Digital edition of Rotor & Wing International July 2015. Electronic version with enhanced web
links makes navigating through the pages of R&WI easier than ever.
Week of August 3: Get connected:
HOT PRODUCTS for Helicopter Operators—Latest in equipment upgrades, performance
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W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 | R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L 7

Feedback
?
Question of the Month:
Be sure to follow What parts of today’s certiication rules
@RotorandWing to and procedures need to be reformed?
stay up to date on the Let us know, and look for responses in a future issue. You’ll ind contact information below.
latest helicopter news
Military to Civilian Transition: can be transferred to your civilian certificate. If it
can, take the steps to do so. U.S. airlines are now
Regarding your new column for military veterans required to hire only those with ATPs as first offi-
transitioning to the civilian workforce (“Cleared cer. The same goes for most corporate aviation
for Transition, Part 1: Introduction,” R&WI July departments. The hiring company may not care
2015, page 50), I have some thoughts. what category or class ratings you have as long as
The transition is not hard if you get your civil- you have the ATP.
ian ratings before the last month of your military For both airplanes and helicopters, VIP or car-
Also, like us at service. go/troop movement flying is the most beneficial
facebook.com/ I don’t care what the regulations say. You will in securing civilian employment. But some opera-
need an airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate if tions prefer pilots with tactical experience. Don’t
rotorandwing you want a well-paying civilian flying position. limit yourself to just your military background.
Although as a military pilot you have good expe- Another way to help improve your civilian
rience and training, that will not impress anyone employment appeal is to join a military flying
until you have the civilian ratings. club and fly small general aviation airplanes.
The easiest way is to study the Federal Avia- Maybe you can be an instructor at a local flying
tion Regulations when you first graduate from school, which will add civilian time to your total
flight school and take the Military Competence flight time.
Test to obtain your commercial and instrument Most branches of the military will allow
ratings. Becoming a military instructor pilot can you to place your civilian time on your official
get you an instructor’s ratings (with another military flight records, which is helpful when
written test and documentation of your military documenting your flight experience. Employers
instructor pilot status). normally accept official military flight records
The good part is no further flight checks are without question.
required to obtain these certificates. For helicopter pilots, the big jobs are offshore
Another good certificate to have is ground flying for the oil companies and charter operations
instructor for both advanced and instrument. in remote areas. There are fewer opportunities
This will permit you to teach in a flight simulator within the corporate sector, but those of you with
without any restrictions. You can teach in a simu- VIP and instrument backgrounds will have an
lator with a flight instructor certificate, but that advantage. So get as much helicopter IFR experi-
certificate has to be renewed every two years. ence as you can while you are in the military.
If you want to work for an outfit like CAE, I worked in a moderately large flight depart-
Simcom or FlightSafety International, you also ment that operated both fixed- and rotary-wing
will need an ATP certificate (depending upon the aircraft. The helicopter pilots just happened to
aircraft, as they will give you the type rating—if be rated fixed-wing pilots, but at first they were
required—after you are hired). not allowed to fly the airplanes. But eventually we
FAR 61.73 (“Military pilots or former military helicopter pilots were allowed to fly fixed-wing
pilots: Special rules”) clearly states what you must as first officers and then later as captains. If you
do and how to prepare for the written exams. My are dual-rated, you are more valuable to a flight
experience has been that most military pilots put department in times of cutbacks.
off obtaining the civilian ratings until just before Craig Wheel
they get out. Newark, Del.
When you go through any military flight train- ATP SE & MEL, Helicopter
ing program, you should immediately see if it CFII Airplane SE & ME and Helicopter
Do you have comments on the rotorcraft industry or recent articles and viewpoints we’ve published? Send them to: Editor, Rotor & Wing, 4
Choke Cherry Road, Second Floor, Rockville, MD 20850, fax us at 301-354-1809 or email us at rotorandwing@accessintel.com. Please include a
city and state or province with your name and ratings. We reserve the right to edit all submitted material.

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9
Meet the Contributors
JAMES T. MCKENNA
An aviation journalist for more than 25 years, James T. McKenna served as R&WI’s editor-in-chief from 2003 to 2008.
He then worked on communications projects for Bell Helicopter and numerous consulting clients, including the
Aerospace Industries Association, Helicopter Association International and AHS International. He has completed air-
craft accident investigator courses of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and the Air Line Pilots Association
and the NTSB’s crisis communications course.
JOSEPH AMBROGNE
Joseph Ambrogne is the technical editor of R&WI. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Christopher New-
port University in Newport News and spent eight years as a technical writer in the software and manufacturing
industries. He holds a commercial pilot license and instrument rating and has been flying helicopters since 2010.
PAT GRAY
Pat Gray, our “Offshore Notebook” contributor, flew in Gulf of Mexico helicopter operations for 20-plus years. Prior to
that, he was in Vietnam in 1958 as a young paratrooper. He retired from the Army Reserve as a chief warrant officer 4,
with more than 30 years active and reserve service. Gray’s civil helicopter experience covers crop dusting and Alaska
bush, corporate, pipeline and offshore flying.
MIKE HANGGE
Mike Hangge is an active-duty U.S. Army warrant officer with an elite aviation unit. With more than 25 years experi-
ence, he has performed duties as a mission, medevac, maintenance and developmental pilot. He has received
numerous awards, including the Distinguished Flying Cross. He also is a novelist under the pen name mjHangge.
PAT HOST
Associate Editor Pat Host, in five years with our sister publication Defense Daily, has developed a stable of inside
sources to gain access to sensitive documents and stories that impact readers. He has conducted one-on-one
interviews with high-ranking members of Congress and military and executive branch officials, all the while honing
the skills to break down official policy statements, memos and complex scientific information and explain their real-
world business implications.
EMMA KELLY
Emma Kelly has been an aviation journalist since the late 1980s, having started her career with Air Cargo News Inter-
national. Following many years working on regional airline publications and for Inmarsat, Emma served in various
editor roles at Flight International before becoming a R&WI contributor.
FRANK LOMBARDI
Frank Lombardi, an ATP with both fixed-wing and rotary-wing ratings, began his flying career in 1991 after graduat-
ing with a bachelor’s of science degree in aerospace engineering, He has worked on various airplane and helicopter
programs as a flight test engineer for Grumman Aerospace Corp. Frank became a police officer for a major East
Coast police department in 1995 and has been flying helicopters in the department’s aviation section since 2000.
He remains active in test and evaluation and holds a master’s degree in aviation systems flight testing from the Uni-
versity of Tennessee Space Institute.
TERRY TERRELL
Terry Terrell gained his early aviation experience as a U.S. Navy fixed-wing instructor and U.S. Coast Guard aircraft
commander, where his service included search and rescue in Sikorsky S-61s. Terry served as a cross-qualified captain
and safety special projects officer with Houston’s Transco Energy, and later with Atlanta’s Kennestone AVSTAT Heli-
copter Ambulance Program and Georgia Baptist LifeFlight.

276 276
275 FT 27 5
274 F T 27 4
273 F T 27 3
272 F T WIRR E AHEAD PU
271 L L UP
W IRE A
269 H EAD PUL L UP 2
268 6 8 FT 268 FT 26
267 7 FT OBSTACLE A
266 H EA D PULL UP
265 O B S TACLE A
264 H E AD PULL UP
263 2 6 3 FT 263 FT 263
262 F T 262 FT 2 6 2 FT WIRE AHEAD PULL UP
261 2 61 F T 261 FT 261 FT 261 F T
260 2 6 0 FT 26 0 F T WIRE AHEA D PULL
259 U PP ULL U P WIRE A HEA D PUL
258 L U PP ULL UP 258 F T 258
257 F T 25 7 FT 257 FT 257 FT 257
256 F T 25 6 FT 256 FT 256 FT
255 2 5 5F T WIRE AHE AD
254 PU L L U P PULL UP W
253 I RE A H EA D PULL UP P UL
252 L UP 2 5 2 F T 252 FT 25 2F
251 T 251 F T 2 51 FT 251 FT 251 FT 2 51
250 F T 250 FT 25 0 F T 2 50 FT 250 FT 250 FT 25
249 2 4 9 FT 249 F T 2 4 9 FT 249 FT 2 49 F T OBSTACLE AH
248 E AD PULL UP OB S T AC LE AHEAD P ULL U P 24
247 7 F T 24 7 FT 24 7 F T 247 FT 247 FT 2 47
246 2 4 6FT2 46 FT 246 FT 2 46 FT 246 FT 24 6F T 246
245 F T 245 FT 2 4 5 F T WIRE AHEA DP
244 U L L UP PULL UP WIRE A H EAD PULL UP PU L L
243 U P 2 43 FT 243 FT 2 4 3 FT 243 FT 2 4 3 FT 243 FT 243 FT
242 2 4 2 FT 242 FT 242 F T 242 FT 242 F T 24
241 1 F T 241 FT 241 F T 241 FT 241 FT 241
240 F T OBSTA C L E AHEAD OBSTA CLE
239 A H EAD PU L L U P PULL UP 239
238 FT 2 38 FT 238 FT 2 38 FT 2 38 FT 238 FT 23
237 23 7 FT 237 FT 237 F T 237 FT 237 FT 237 FT 237 FT 2
236 36 FT 236 FT 2 3 6 FT 236 FT 236 FT 2
235 3 5 FT 235 FT 2 35 FT 235 FT 235
234 F T 234 FT 2 34 FT 234 FT 234 FT 234 FT 234 FT
233 F T 233 FT 2 33 FT 233 FT 233
232 F T 232 FT 2 32 FT 232 FT 232
231 F T WIRE AH EAD PULL UP WI
230 RE A HEAD PU LL UP 230 FT 230
229 FT 22 9 FT 229 F T 229 FT 229 FT 2
228 28 FT 228 FT OBSTACLE AHEAD
227 PULL UP P ULL UP 227 FT 22
226 6 FT 226 F T 226 FT 226 FT 22
225 5 FT 225 F T 225 FT 225 FT 22
224 4 FT 224 FT WIRE AHEAD PULL
223 UP WIRE A HEAD PULL UP 223
222 222 FT 222 FT 222 FT 222 FT 22
221 1 FT 221 FT 221 FT 221 FT 221 FT
A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS.
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Rotorcraft Report
Japan Military Orders 150 Bell 412s
A
bout 150 new Bell Helicopter 412s are to join military exports for the first time in decades. Under
the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) the UH-X program, the new helicopter would be
fleet starting in 2021. sold to other nations to defray Japan’s costs.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense said July 17 that it had Prime Minister Shinzō Abe has moved to lift
selected Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) to develop the a ban on military operations outside Japan. The
412 variant with Bell as a utility helicopter to replace nation’s 1947 constitution “forever renounce[s]
the JGSDF’s aging Bell UH-1Js. In winning the $3 war as a sovereign right” and “the threat or use
billion contract, FHI prevailed over Kawasaki Heavy of force to settle international disputes.” It pro-
Industries (KHI), whose bid was based on the H160 hibits the maintenance of standing ground,
made by its partner, Airbus Helicopters. naval and air forces, hence the name Ground
The ministry reportedly will underwrite some of Self-Defense Force.
the program’s $107 billion development and cus- The UH-X program has been slowed by contro-
tomization costs. Work is to begin shortly. versy. The defense ministry in 2012 awarded the
The selection comes as rising tensions with contract to KHI. But it rescinded that in 2013 after
China have Japan reconsidering its ban against learning that JGSDF officers had leaked informa-
military involvement abroad. Last year, it cleared tion on the bidding.
AW Readies First AW169 Deliveries

The European Aviation Safety Agency issued AgustaWestland a type certificate for its AW169 July 15, less
than five years after the Pratt & Whitney PW210A-powered light intermediate twin was launched. The
manufacturer said the AW169 complies with the latest CS/Part 29 amendments.
The first of the 10,000-pound-class, 10-passenger helicopters will be delivered shortly from AW’s Ver-
giate, Italy plant. A second line will run in Philadelphia. A flight training device and a maintenance training
simulator are operational at the Sesto Calende Training Academy in Italy, and a Level D full-flight simula-
tor is to be available in 2016. Photo courtesy of AgustaWestland

Rotorcraft Report
Helicopters of Talisman Sabre 2015

Australia’s defense helicop-
ter fleet was put through its
paces July 4-18 during Talis-
man Sabre 2015, a combined
Australian/U.S. training exer-
cise held in the north of the
country.
This year’s exercise, the
sixth, involved more than
30,000 Australian and U.S.
defense personnel, 21 ships,
200 aircraft and three sub-
marines. It also included New
Zealand and Japanese defense
personnel. Among the heli-
A soldier from 2nd Battalion, Royal
copters used were Austra- Australian Regiment, braces himself
lian S-70s, MRH90s, ARHs and against the downwash from a
the new MH-60R Seahawk. In U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey
addition, New Zealand NH90s during Talisman Sabre 2015.
Photo courtesy of Royal Australian
and a SH-2G participated, as
Army/Lance Cpl. Kyle Genner
did U.S. Marine Corps MV-22s,
CH-53s, UH-1Ys and AH-1Zs.
MV-22s from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron personnel demonstrated forward aerial refueling
265 (Reinforced) carried personnel and equipment tactics to Australian Army and Royal Australian Air
to shore from the forward-deployed amphibious Force personnel.
assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard, and a CH-53 Talisman Sabre is designed to help Austra-
lifted two Australian Army M-777s from the Brad- lian and U.S. forces plan and conduct combined
shaw Field Training Area. task force operations to improve the combat
Knowledge and capabilities were shared readiness and interoperability between the forces.
between the forces. For example, U.S. Air Force – By Emma Kelly
U.S. Army Seeks Info on DVE Solution

The U.S. Army is searching for contractors interested include a co-located long-wave infrared camera,
in working on a four-year project (starting during lidar and radar whose outputs would be meshed
the current fiscal year) to develop and demonstrate with each other, the aircraft navigation system and
a multi-spectral sensor to help its helicopter pilots existing terrain and image databases. The resulting
fly safely in degraded visual environments (DVE). system “must be interoperable with state-of-the-art
The service posted a request for information July Army aviation display technology,” including hel-
8 on sources capable of crafting an integrated sys- met-mounted displays and multifunction displays.
tem that fuses a “forward-looking sensor suite” with Earlier this year, Army leaders were briefed on
“a distributed aperture system” to provide “spheri- an analysis of alternatives (AoA) for managing DVE
cal coverage for situational awareness” through “a hazards. The AoA was conducted last year under
seamless, head-tracked image” that Army aviators the Brownout Rotorcraft Enhancement System
could use to fly safely—in all phases of flight— (BORES) initiative. Budget constraints had led Army
through such conditions as brownout, fog, smoke leaders to put off fielding DVE aid sensors until the
and rain. first Future Vertical Lift aircraft enter the fleet in
Ideally, the resulting system would include a 2020-2030. But Army aviation leaders want a solu-
threat-warning capability. The sensor suite would tion sooner.

Rotorcraft Report
Era Opens “Super Base” on U.S. Gulf Coast

Era Group has opened a 35-acre “super base” reliability of flight operations in all weather
in Houma, La., serving offshore oil and gas conditions.
helicopter transport companies operating in the The base also provides automated kiosks,
U.S. Gulf of Mexico, the company said June 25. increased baggage transfer capabilities, enhanced
The base consists of a passenger terminal security screening and additional customer ser-
that will allow transit of about 15,000 passen- vice functions to streamline passenger process-
gers a month and climate-controlled hangar ing. The new terminal’s customer waiting area is
that will house more than 30 aircraft. equipped with a variety of amenities including
Safety features include enhanced storm real-time Era flight status screens, televisions and
protection, reduced flyaway limitations and an guest wi-fi. Other amenities include expanded
infrastructure equipped to provide increased parking areas and shuttle services.
Bell 525 Flies, After Supply, Inspection Hitches

Supply chain challenges and FAA inspection
requirements slowed the maiden flight of Bell Heli-
copter’s 525 Relentless, the manufacturer says. The
super-medium twin 525 flew for the first time July 1
at Bell’s Amarillo, Texas facility.
Senior Flight Test Pilots Troy Caudill and Jeff
Greenwood began with taxi tests and maneuvers,
and then performed various hover maneuvers
and low-speed handling quality tests. But Bell had
aimed to fly the 525 by the end of 2014. “We set a
very aggressive objective for first flight,” given the
complex design of the all-new, fly-by-wire 525, Bell
President/CEO John Garrison said at last month’s
Paris Air Show. “What’s pacing the development
effort really has been supply chain activity.” He
added that certification and conformity inspections
contributed to the delay.
Before the first flight of any new U.S. civil helicop-
ter can occur, an applicant for a type certificate must
certify to the FAA that the test aircraft conforms fully
with the design originally proposed (and approved
Bell 525 Relentless makes its first flight July 1 in Amarillo, Texas. Photo courtesy of Bell
by the FAA) at the start of the certification process.
Garrison said, “That’s taken longer than we had
originally forecast.”
Children’s Hospital to Use Vatican Heliport

Vatican Radio reported on July 17 that critical agreement is preparatory to the insertion of the
care transport now is possible using a heliport Vatican heliport within the regional network for
located in the Vatican Gardens. emergency management.
An accord announced jointly by Bambino Pop Francis and President Mariella Enoc of
Gesù children’s hospital of Rome and the Vati- Banbino Gesù both expressed their satisfaction
can City State permits the heliport—on the with the initiative, with the latter adding that the
southwestern edge of the Gardens—to be used physical location of Vatican City would reduce
by the hospital to transport patients, personnel helicopter transit times, potentially saving the
and medical equipment in urgent cases. The lives of some critically ill patients.

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Rotorcraft Report
1000+ Troops Join Italian Blade Exercise

The European Defence Agency’s Helicopter Exercise Over the course of the exercise, participants
Programme (HEP) on July 3 concluded a two-week flew 201 missions and 445 sorties, accumulating
multinational exercise in which more than 1,000 a total of 618 flight hours. Missions of increas-
personnel and 30 helicopters took part. ing complexity were conducted, with scenarios
Conducted in Viterbo, about 40 miles north- including air assault, close air support, combat
northwest of Rome, Italian Blade 2015 was the search and rescue, and medical evacuation.
largest training of its kind organized in Europe “Italy has provided great support to this year’s
this year, the agency said. Participating nations HEP exercise as host nation”, Andrew Gray, EDA’s
included Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, helicopter program manager, said. To date, more
Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, the U.K., Slovenia than 350 crews and 200 helicopters have taken
and Sweden. part in EDA-developed HEP exercises.
An Italian army AgustaWestland A129 Mangusta flies cover for

paratroopers during Italian Blade. Photo courtesy of Kees Otten and
Wim Das/Dutch Aviation Media
V-22’s International Role Grows

The U.S. Navy has ordered the first V-22s for navies and other sea-basing options, including
Japan, finalizing the first international sale of non-traditional platforms.
the Osprey.
Bell Boeing, the strategic alliance of Bell Heli-
copter and Boeing that builds the tiltrotor, said
CH-53K First Flight
July 14 that the Navy had awarded it a $332.5- Delayed Again
million modification to its current multi-year Sikorsky Aircraft has pushed back the CH-53K‘s first flight
contract to cover the first five Block C V-22s for to finish testing a redesign of the next-generation heavy-
the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force under the lifter’s main gearbox.
U.S. foreign military sales program. Japan plans to The King Stallion, a replacement for aging U.S. Marine
buy 17 of the V-22s. Corps CH-53Es, was scheduled to fly in June. But Navy and
Israel has expressed interest in acquiring V-22s, Sikorsky officials said in April that a failure required a main
which are operated by the U.S. Marine Corps and gearbox redesign. While that is complete, additional test-
Air Force. The U.S. Navy plans to acquire V-22s ing is needed. The Navy expects a first flight by the end of
starting in 2020 for its carrier onboard delivery the year.
mission. That flight has been rescheduled several times as the
The sale to Japan comes as the V-22’s role in program struggles to meet stringent requirements for an
international operations grows. The U.S. Marine aircraft that can carry twice the payload of the -53E over
Corps, for instance, is testing the tiltrotor’s oper- the same range, but also match the shipboard footprint of
ability with amphibious ships from other nations’ its predecessor. The Marines plan to buy 200 -53Ks.

Rotorcraft Report
Mixed Verdict for N.Y. Ban on Aircraft Noise

A U.S. judge has blocked a N.Y. beach community’s bid to limit heli- The rich and famous commute there regularly by helicopter from
copter flights to once per week, but upheld new local laws imposing New York City. But the judge rejected calls by aviation companies for
nighttime flight curfews. Judge Joanna Seybert’s June 26 preliminary a preliminary injunction against the nighttime curfew, saying that
injunction called the town of East Hampton’s once-a-week limit “dras- the town did not trespass on federal jurisdiction by imposing it. The
tic” and said a less restrictive measure might alleviate the noise prob- curfews took effect on Thursday, July 2.
lem at the town, which serves highbrow
Eastern Long Island beach communities.
Guard Lacks
Training Funds
Our friends at Defense Daily reported
July 16 that the Army National Guard Reliability You Expect
lacks funding to retrain AH-64 Apache
pilots to fly UH-60 Black Hawks, Performance You Count On
according to National Commission on
the Future of the Army (NCFA) members Technology You Want
during a public meeting July 16 outside
Washington, D.C.
The Army is transferring Apaches
from the National Guard to active duty
units under the aviation restructure
initiative (ARI), replacing them with
Black Hawks under a plan to save about
$12 billion.
But in the past five years, only 10
Apache pilots have transferred to the
Guard, said NCFA Commissioner Robert
Hale. “They are struggling with funding
for school seats to retrain their Apache
folks into Black Hawks,” he said.
NCFA Commissioner Gen. Larry Ellis
asked Debra Wada, assistant secretary
of the Army for manpower and reserve
affairs, if trained pilots in active service
could be matched to vacancies in the
reserve components and vice versa.
Wada said such a comprehensive survey
and relocation effort would “be chal-
lenging at best” given current budgets.
Hale said the aviation subcommittee
hopes to better understand ARI’s effects
on active and reserve soldiers, and that
it was looking at “other options” than the
one proposed by Big Army in response
to its need for a scout helicopter.
Congress has mandated that rotor- Contact Robinson
craft transfers prescribed by the ARI not
www.robinsonheli.com
be completed until after the commis-
sion has published its recommenda-
310-539-0508
tions, which are due by Feb. 1.

Rotorcraft Report
Washington Insider
By Pat Host
Army Aviators Could Shift to UAS

U
.S. Army helicopter aviators phased out as part view sensors and passing info along via data links. With
of the service’s massive Aviation Restructuring UAS, he said, they’d move that information out to the
Initiative (ARI) could have new careers piloting shooters.
unmanned aerial systems (UAS). “If your UAS is unarmed, an operator is going to
The head of Army Training and Doctrine Com- need to move that information from the UAS through
mand, Gen. David Perkins, said June 30 the service some distributed ground station to an Apache,” Colby
is moving some aviators to UAS billets (depending said.
on where they are in their careers) because their skill Another important skill set is one gained through
sets are transferable to unmanned systems. Speaking joint missions with the other services. This helps bring
to a Defense Writers Group breakfast in Washington, new tactics and techniques to missions that other
Perkins also cited the Army’s move toward manned- warfighters might not learn if they perform only in-
unmanned teaming arrangement as a reason for mov- service missions.
ing some pilots over to UAS. “When you bring someone in from the outside,
As part of ARI, the Army is divesting its OH-58D you might be able to make a community better at
Kiowa Warriors and sending UH-60M Black Hawks what they do because you bring some skills, or tech-
to the National Guard in exchange for Guard AH-64 niques that you haven’t thought about because you
Apaches. While Congress has blocked the Army from were never exposed to them,” Colby said.
divesting -58Ds until Oct. 1, the start of fiscal 2016, the Retired Army Gen. Guy Swan III, vice president for
service can prepare for divestiture. education at the Association of United States Army,
Eighty-six Kiowa Warrior aviators who are not said he believes helicopter pilots have another trans-
transitioning to other manned aircraft have applied to ferrable skill set: a tactical skill sense. Since pilots oper-
move to the UAS fleet, the Army said. These soldiers, ate routinely with ground forces, he said, they would
who are seasoned pilots well versed in the scout mis- understand what ground force commanders are look-
sion, will fill leadership positions in the UAS units. They ing for when using unmanned systems.
have experience operating payloads and training in The Army also may send Kiowa Warrior pilots to
deployment of precision weapons. In addition, they fill the Air Force’s need for unmanned MQ-1 Predator
bring Army aviation’s culture of discipline and atten- and MQ-9 Reaper crews and UH-1 pilots. The number
tion to detail, service leaders said, and will be key facili- of transfers has been small so far; those transfers have
tators as the service integrates its unmanned systems been handled on an individual basis.
into AH-64 formations. The Army has two UAS flown by professional pilots,
Steve Colby, a retired, 27-year veteran U.S. Air some of whom will be integrated into Apache forma-
Force helicopter pilot and Rotor & Wing International tions. These are Textron’s 400-pound RQ-7B Shadow
contributor, said Army aviators have unique skills and General Atomics’ 3,600-pound MQ-1C Gray Eagle.
transferable to unmanned systems. In addition to their The 20-foot-wingspan Shadow flies below 18,000
flying experience and direct familiarity with the scout feet MSL and below 250 knots and can carry a
mission, he said, they know manned Army aviation 60-pound intelligence, surveillance and reconnais-
tactics, techniques and procedures and the transfer of sance (ISR) payload. It has a designed endurance of
technology and tactics, techniques and procedures nine hours.
from different mission sets. The 56-foot-wingspan Gray Eagle flies up to 29,000
Their familiarity with the mission includes a “sensor- feet and 167 knots. It can carry a combined internal/
to-shooter” mission unique to military service, Colby external ISR payload of 1,075 pounds, to include up
said. While Kiowa Warrior pilots are accustomed to to four AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. It has a designed
looking at things through the wide field of view of a endurance of 25 hours.
windshield, he said, they’re also comfortable working Both UAS perform ISR missions, and the Gray Eagle
with information gathered through narrow field-of- can attack as well.

Rotorcraft Report
FAA Racks Up UAS Permit Approvals

The FAA’s streamlined process for approving four days, 25 UAS-related exemptions had been
unmanned aerial system (UAS) permits is clearly granted—roughly 50 percent of the yearly total
working, if Bloomberg News’ analysis is to be in March.)
believed. Using a database it compiled from The FAA implemented an expedited approval
federal data, the news service said, it found the process in April, pending its issuance of perma-
aviation agency is approving about 250 UAS nent rules for small UAS next year. The expedited
operating permits each month by way of Section process makes approval nearly automatic if a new
333 exemption. The agency had issued only 51 permit request is similar enough to a previously
permits this year by the end of March, according to approved permit. Bloomberg said half the permits
the news service. But that number had increased were for photography and videography, while 27
to 714 by the end of June. (By July 20, the FAA percent were for inspections and 24 percent for
reported on its Section 333 web page that it had mapping and surveying, although most applicants
granted 822 exemptions. Within the preceding listed multiple potential uses.
U.K.’s Prince William Begins HEMS Career

Prince William has begun his career as a medical from an offshore gas rig in Morecambe Bay to a
transport helicopter pilot. The Duke of Cambridge local hospital.
completed civilian training with the East Anglian He was promoted from copilot to captain in
Air Ambulance, headquartered in Norwich, about June 2012, and continued on active duty until Sep-
120 miles northeast of London. His first day of work tember 2013.
was July 13.
East Anglian Air Ambu-
lance is a charity that pro- Bluecopter Pursues Eco-Friendly Technology
vides critical care transport in
Airbus unveiled a technology demonstrator July 7 in Donauwörth, Germany, to showcase its innovations in “ecologically
the counties of Bedfordshire, friendly” helicopter design. The Bluecopter demonstrator is based on the company’s light, twin-engine H135. Program
Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Manager Marius Bebesel said Bluecopter has met the company’s goals of “decreasing fuel consumption by as much as
Suffolk, and operates an Air- 40 percent, significantly reducing CO2 emissions” and lowering noise about 10 decibels effective perceived noise below
bus EC135 T2 and EC145 T2. ICAO noise-certification limits. He said it also raised “the maximum payload and the passenger comfort.” The featured
technology, which Airbus said can be applied across its entire product line, includes improvements to the main rotor
The Duke said he is donating
and tail rotor systems, airframe and powerplant. The aircraft also has “an environmentally-friendly, water-based paint
his full salary to charity. scheme.” Photo by Charles Abarr, courtesy of Airbus Helicopters
Prince William trained
in multiple U.K. military
branches. Originally having
intended to serve in com-
bat, he eventually became a
flight lieutenant in the Royal
Air Force and took on the
duties of a search and rescue
helicopter pilot after doubts
arose that a member of the
British Royal Family would be
granted an active-duty com-
bat assignment. He went on
to fly the Westland WS-61
Sea King, a British variant of
the Sikorsky S-61.
As a copilot on his first
active-duty mission on Oct.
2, 2010, he helped airlift an
apparent heart attack victim

Rotorcraft Report
Pilots Appeal Order Releasing CVFDR to Police

A Scottish judge’s order releasing an accident on approach to the Shetland Islands’ Sumburgh
recorder to criminal investigators threatens “the Airport. The crash killed four of 16 passengers on the
open safety culture it has taken decades to create” helicopter; the pilot and copilot survived. The U.K.
in aviation, the British Airline Pilots Association said, Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) to date
saying it will appeal the June 19 ruling. has not pointed to any contributing technical cause
BALPA said the threat lies in the prospect that for the crash, so prosecutors are looking into the
safety data might be “used to assign blame without cause of the four deaths.
air accident investigation specialists being given In a prepared statement, BALPA General Secre-
the time, space and resources to carry out their tary Jim McAuslan said that, while current law called
work fully.” on the judge making the ruling to balance aviation
The combined cockpit voice-flight data recorder safety against public interest in the death investiga-
(CVFDR) that the judge ordered to be released is tions, “we are not convinced he got the balance
from an Aug. 23, 2013 CHC Eurocopter AS332 crash right in this case.”
Keeping Pave Hawks Flying

Airmen assigned to the 41st Expeditionary Helicopter Maintenance Unit work
to complete a 50-hour inspection on an HH-60 Pave Hawk at Bagram Airfield,
Afghanistan, June 28, 2015. The 41st EHMU ensures Pave Hawks on Bagram
Airfield are prepared for flight and returned to a mission-ready state once they
land. Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Joseph Swafford
Non-Standard Phrase Contributed to Incursion

An air traffic controller’s use of a non-standard flight, LifeFlight 4, preceding that new informa-
phrase contributed to a June 2014 runway incur- tion with “LF 4 Medevac roger, while we wait…”
sion when an aeromedical AW139 crossed in front The pilot not flying asked for the information to
of a landing Airbus A300 in Ottawa. be repeated. At that point, the flying pilot began
The incident, in which no one was hurt, occurred to taxi toward Runway 25, on which a FedEx A300
June 5, 2014 at Ottawa’s Macdonald-Cartier Inter- was landing. The controller saw this and told
national Airport. The AgustaWestland helicopter, the helicopter to stop and hold short, which the
operated by Mississauga, Ontario-based Ornge and AW139 did.
departing on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB)
plan, held short of Runway 25 on Taxiway Echo and investigators believe the AW139 pilot may have
contacted the airport controller. heard the phrase “while we wait” as “line up and
The controller amended the clearance for the wait” and moved toward the runway.

Rotorcraft Report
People
Retired U.S. Martino retired recently from Sharon Desfor, president
A r my Co m - a 30-year career with the U.S. of HeliValue$,
mand Ser- Coast Guard. He last served as has been
geant Major chief of Aviation Forces, oversee- elected as the
Chad Cuomo ing more than 4,100 person- international
has joined nel at 28 units who operated secretary and
Peduzzi Associates, Ltd. He will 200 aircraft that flew more than treasurer of
manage the company’s Hunts- 100,000 flight hours per year. He the American Society of Apprais-
ville, Ala. office, representing has more than 4,000 flight hours ers. In this post, she is charged
company clients to the Army as a rotary-wing pilot. with focusing on promoting
Aviation, maintenance and logis- Glenn Isbell has been communication and transpar-
tics communities. Cuomo served appointed Bell ency between members and
more than 32 years in Army Avia- Helicopter ’s leadership, addressing mem-
tion, including a variety of assign- senior vice bers’ needs—whether those
ments around the United States president for are direct benefits or govern-
and overseas. the customer ment lobbying—and “making
Christopher support and the society relevant on a global
Martino is service organi- basis.”
Helicopter zation. Executive Vice President of J a m e s D. C a s h e l h a s
As s o c i a t i o n Customer Support and Services rejoined Environmental Tec-
Internation- Barry Kohler has left the company. tonics Corp. as vice president,
al’s new vice A 19-year veteran of Bell, Isbell most general counsel and chief com-
president of operations. He will recently was vice president, busi- pliance officer. Cashel previously
oversee HAI’s flight operations, ness optimization, where he was served as the company’s vice
technical services, safety and involved in nearly every aspect of president and general counsel
regulatory efforts. the company’s operations. from 2008 to 2013.
coming events
Sept. 1-4: 41st European Rotorcraft Forum (ERF) 2015, Munich. Oct. 24-27: International Association of Police Chiefs (IACP)
http://erf2015.dglr.de Annual Conference 2015, Chicago. http://www.theiacpconference.
org/iacp2015/
Sept. 9-13: China Helicopter Exposition, Tianjin, China. http://
www.helicopter-china-expo.com Oct. 27-29: AHS International Specialists’ Meeting on Rotorcraft
Propulsion, Fort Magruder Hotel and Conference Center,
Sept. 10-13: National Guard Association of the United States
Williamsburg, Va. http://vtol.org/events/ahs-international-specialists-
(NGAUS) 2015, Nashville, Tenn. http://www.ngaus.org meeting-on-propulsion
Sept. 14-15: Capability and Affordability in the Future of the Nov. 8-12: Dubai Airshow, Dubai World Central, United Arab
Vertical Lift Industry, University of Alabama Huntsville, Huntsville, Emirates. http://www.dubaiairshow.aero/
Ala. http://www.vtol.org/events/capability-and-affordability-in-the-
future-of-the-vertical-lift-industry Nov. 13-15: Helicopter Association of Canada Annual
Conference & Trade Show, Vancouver, British Columbia. http://
Sept. 15-18: Defense and Security Equipment International www.h-a-c.ca/convention.html
(DSEI) Expo, London. http://www.dsei.co.uk
Nov. 17-19: National Business Aviation Association (NBAA)
Sept. 22-24: Sustainability 2015, Hotel Bonaventure, Montréal. Business Aviation Convention & Exposition, Las Vegas. http://
http://www.vtol.org/events/sustainability-2015 www.nbaa.org/events/bace/2015/
Oct. 6-8: Helitech International, London. http://www. Nov. 30-Dec. 4: Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and
helitechevents.com
Education Conference (I/ITSEC), Orlando, Fla. http://www.iitsec.org
Oct. 12-14: Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting,
Dec. 7-10: National Aviation Agricultural Association (NAAA)
Washington. http://ausameetings.org/2015annualmeeting/
2015 Convention, Savannah, Ga. http://www.agaviation.org/
Oct. 19-21: Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) Air convention
Medical Transport Conference (AMTC) 2015, Long Beach, Calif.
Feb. 29-March 3, 2016: HAI HELI-EXPO 2016, Kentucky Exposition
http://aams.org/events/2015-air-medical-transport-conference/
Center, Louisville, Ky. http://heliexpo.rotor.org
April 27-30, 2016: Army Aviation Mission Solutions Summit,
Atlanta. http://www.quad-a.org

Rotorcraft Report
Program Insider
Italian Air Force PROGRAM UPDATES
Canada’s First CH-148s Arrive
Introduces Canada has taken official delivery of six CH-148
Special-Ops Cyclones from Sikorsky Aircraft. The Cyclones

will replace Canada’s aging CH-124 Sea Kings,
HH-101 whose retirements should commence once the

CH-148s enter service. Canadian forces are train-
I
taly’s air force has begun the entry into service ing and testing crewmembers on the six aircraft,
of its HH-101A “Caesar” special operations which are intended to perform a range of anti-
helicopter. submarine and anti-surface warfare, search and
Service leaders introduced dignitaries and the rescue, and utility missions. Canada has ordered
media to the Caesar in ceremonies June 19 at Cervia 28 Cyclones, which are customized versions of
Air Force Base, about 40 miles south of Venice. Sikorsky’s S-92.
AgustaWestland customized the Caesar, which
is based on its AW101, to air force specifications for Return of the Mi-14?
a multi-mission, medium-lift platform. Delivered Russian Helicopters is evaluating whether or not
to the 15th Wing based at Cervia, the HH-101A to restart production of the Mi-14, a helicopter
will provide air support for special operations developed by Mil for the Soviet navy and oper-
and conduct personnel recovery and search and ated by allies of the USSR such as Cuba, East Ger-
rescue missions. many, Libya and Syria. If production is resumed,
Air force officials said the helicopter also will be new Mi-14s would be produced by Kazan
used to intercept slow-moving aircraft. Fitted for an Helicopter Works.
air-to-air refueling kit, it also may be deployed abroad
to support operations beyond Italy’s borders. Indian LCH Completes Hot Testing
The HH-101A is designed to carry as many as five The Indian Air Force and Hindustan Aeronautics
crewmembers and 20 fully equipped troops, or six Ltd. have completed hot-weather testing of the
crewmembers and eight special forces troops. It has Light Combat Helicopter in Jodhpur. That West-
M134 7.62 mm miniguns installed on right and left ern Indian city has an average temperature of 85
sides and on the rear ramp; armored cockpit seats; degrees Fahrenheit, but temperatures in July can
ballistic protection for machine gun operators and reach 100 degrees. The third technology dem-
critical systems; and an integrated electronic war- onstrator was used for the testing. The multi-role
fare system for protection against radar, laser and combat helicopter is based on HAL’s Dhruv. Initial
infrared threats. operational clearance for the LCH is expected by
The 15th Wing’s 81st Search and Rescue Training the end of this year. Production of the helicopter is
Center operates AW139s and AgustaWestland-built slated to start in 2017 or 2018.
Sikorsky HH-3Fs. Its 641st Communication Flight
flies NH-500Es (license-built MD500 Defenders). KAI Signs New Helo Contracts
Korea Aerospace Industries on June 25 signed con-
tracts covering development of the Light Armed
Helicopter and the Light Civil Helicopter with the
South Korean government and has begun those
development projects. It is partnered with Airbus
Helicopters on the work. The contracts together
are worth approximately $1.4 billion. The Defense
Acquisition Program Administration will pay more
than $500 million in development costs, while the
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will pitch
in more than $300 million for the civil helicopter
program.

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ASU Reveals New N16HT Pro (Night Pro) Vision System

At the Airborne Law Enforcement Association 2015 Expo in Houston, Aviation Special-
ties Unlimited (ASU) revealed its new patent-pending N16HT Pro system. N16HT Pro is
a wireless imaging, recording and disseminating night-vision system used during low
light-level conditions. The ASU N16HT Pro fully integrates and compactly couples a
GoPro® camera with an intensified night-vision-equipped device without the necessity
for large, optical-relay lenses that commonly are used today. It offers a 40-degree field
of view, weighs less than one pound, is integrated with the GoPro® Hero 4 and captures
images at 12 megapixels with a burst mode at 30 frames per second. N16HT Pro cap-
tures images utilizing a military-grade AN/PVS-14 objective lens, records in ultra HD (4X
HD) and HD1080P resolutions and stores these images using a 32 GB SD card. Images
and video also can be viewed from the N16HT Pro system using WiFi-enabled smart
devices. The GoPro® modes can be controlled using built-in touchscreen technology
and optionally from other remote-control devices. The N16HT Pro system is offered in either green or white phosphor-
intensified models. The MSRP of the new N16HT Pro is $5,499. The N16HT Pro system is available only in the U.S. For
additional information about the N16HT Pro, visit http://www.asu-nvg.com/N16HTPro.
DART Receives STC for PA100 PUREair System for AS350/EC130

DART Aerospace’s PA100 PUREair System, the next-generation engine protection
system for Airbus’ H125, AS350 and EC130 families of helicopters, has received a
supplemental type certificate from the FAA. The PA100 PUREair System, co-developed
by DART Aerospace and Pall Aerospace, is a totally redesigned, re-engineered, and re-
tested engine air protection system that takes the capabilities of its Engine Air Particle
Separator predecessors to the next level. Featuring Pall’s latest PUREair technology,
the new system is self-cleaning and virtually maintenance-free, unlike other filtration
systems qualified for this aircraft.The PA100 PUREair System will provide the highest
level of helicopter engine protection while offering a 2 percent gain in engine power
over conventional inlet barrier filters. This next-generation system utilizes the latest
advances in Pall Aerospace technology, including 3D computational fluid dynamics-
optimized system design and innovative nano-material technologies. The PUREair
vortex tube works in all weather conditions, including snow, heavy rain, and salt spray. EASA STC approval is expect-
ed shortly and flight testing for falling and blowing snow is being pursued in several locations. To learn more about
the PA100 PUREair System, visit http://www.dartaerospace.com/pa100-pureair-system-for-as350-ec130.
EASA Approves Aspen Avionics’ EFD1000H PFD for Bell and Bell/Agusta 206
Aspen Avionics, manufacturer of the Evolution Flight Display System (EFD), has received European
Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval for installation of its EFD1000H Primary Flight Display (PFD)
into Bell and Bell/Agusta 206 models under EASA supplemental type certificate STC10053378. The
lightweight and compact form factor of Aspen’s helicopter PFD system is a perfect fit for the Bell
206 platform. The EFD1000H PFD is a solid-state electronic flight instrument system that provides
a modern alternative to mechanical attitude indicators, directional gyros and horizontal situation
indicators. The EASA approval provides a path for Bell 206 operators to affordably upgrade their aging
mechanical instruments with reliable glass-panel technology. The single EFD1000H PFD system retails
for US$14,995. For additional installation and STC package costs, contact Florian Kindzorra at Avionik
Straubing (Florian Kindzorra fk@avionik.de) or your Aspen Avionics authorized dealer.
24 R OTO R & W I N G M A G A Z I N E I N T E R N AT I O N A L | A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M

BECOME ONE OF THE
ROTORCRAFT
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Military
The s
ta n d a rd
S ch
Ap p ro a
Commercial
e c e r tify
h e w a y w a n ge,
T c h
i s g o i ng to h o ols
ip lots ra ft s c
ro t o rc
a nd two ready on that
a re a l g e d g e.
n t ’s l ea di n
moveme
Public Service
By Joseph Ambrogne
A
ny good CFI will tell you that the secret to performing a stellar takeoff to a hover is ascending to
NEED TO KNOW a stable two-to-five-foot height above ground and holding your heading to +/-10 degrees of
your flight path. Well, maybe there’s a little more to it. But on paper, that’s how you prove to the
The FAA Practical Test designated pilot examiner that you have the hovering skill required to earn your pilot certificate. It may
Standards have been not cover the myriad variables that affect if and how you even attempt a hover, but that 10-degree, two-
to-five-foot margin demonstrates your capacity to perform the maneuver, according to the Practical Test
deemed inadequate
Standards (PTS)—the FAA’s primary document for how we certificate helicopter pilots in the U.S.
New fixed-wing standards The PTS have been the linchpin in the certification process for decades. Pilot examiners use them to
are to go into effect next year conduct practical flight tests. Certificated flight instructors (CFIs) refer to them as a guide for developing
lesson plans. Student pilots are told from the very first day of training that they will be tested against their
Those standards are being contents. The PTS have also, by the way, been deemed inadequate. They’re on their way out.
evaluated for rotorcraft You may not have heard this yet, because nearly all developments have occurred in the fixed-wing
training

Colorado Heli-Ops already has begun
incorporating risk management and other
elements of the new standards in its
training course outlines. Here, CFI Tyson
Bolduc performs a discovery flight for a
new student. Photo by Dennis Pierce,
courtesy of Colorado Heli-Ops
(Left): Colorado Heli-Ops uses flight simulators as part of its training programs. Depicted here is one such device built by Merlin Simulation. Photo by Dennis Pierce, courtesy of
Colorado Heli-Ops; (Right): Michael Arditi, Bristow Academy’s EASA training captain, is helping draft new training course outlines that prioritize higher-order thinking skills over
by-the-book maneuvers. Photo courtesy of Bristow Academy

Military
Colorado Heli-Ops Chief Pilot and

CFI David Dziura is an advocate for
the new standards, which promote a
Commercial
learning philosophy he said “drives

a safer industry.”
Photo by Dennis Pierce, courtesy
of Colorado Heli-Ops
industry. But the FAA has been developing a hard for pilot examiners to determine exactly how
replacement to the PTS. to rate a pilot’s aptitude in risk management dur-
The proposed, called Airman Certification ing an off-airport landing maneuver, for example,
Standards, take the focus off a maneuvers-based but they make potentially lifesaving concepts
approach to training—as in maintaining that seem like little more than afterthoughts.
two-to-five-foot height at all cost. Instead, they They may also impart a greater emphasis on a
emphasize a risk management process designed numbers-based approach to flight. But some of
to encourage pilots to exercise better judgment. those numbers (like maintaining a heading within
Experts believe that when these new standards +/-10 degrees) are arbitrary; others border on
are in place they will go far toward reducing illogical.
accidents in and out of training attributed to pilot Nick Mayhew is a member of the U.S. Helicop-
Public Service
error. Though their adoption may require flight ter Safety Team (USHST), a group of industry and
schools to revise their training materials heavily, at government leaders working to improve U.S. civil
least two such schools already are incorporating helicopter safety. That team volunteered to evalu-
the proposed standards in their curriculums. ate the Airman Certification Standards concept for
helicopter flight training and point out problems
The Problem with Numbers specific to that industry.
A June FAA presentation noted that the PTS have “For the CFI practical test in the PTS, you have
acquired a series of “barnacles” in the form of Spe- to do a full touchdown from a 180 autorotation,”
cial Emphasis Areas. Presented separately from the said Mayhew, whose full-time job is commercial
flight maneuvers comprising the bulk of each PTS programs manager and head of European Avia-
booklet, the section lists topics that nevertheless tion Safety Agency training at Bristow Academy in
are “considered critical for flight safety,” and which Titusville, Fla. The PTS refer readers to the Helicop-
therefore should be evaluated during—not apart ter Flying Handbook for the technical details. That
from—the performance of each maneuver. book says all 180 autorotations should be begun
For example, the Special Emphasis Areas between 500 and 700 feet AGL.
on page 5 of the 2005 Private Pilot Rotorcraft “So the instructor gets hold of that and says ‘I
PTS include subjects like aeronautical decision- must go out and train my student to do an autoro-
making, risk management, wire-strike avoidance, tation from between 500 and 700 feet,’” Mayhew
positive aircraft control and “other areas deemed said. “So they go out there and come in at 600 feet
appropriate to any phase of the practical test.” or 500 or 700, and that’s what they do day in and
Vague descriptions like that not only make it day out.”

For non-pilots: a 180-degree autorotation is a responsibility to go above and beyond the base-
power-off landing that involves turning around line standards. One would be right.
mid-descent to land in the opposite direction. It’s But as USHST’s Mike Franz pointed out, the
also an overwhelmingly fun, or harrowing, experi- flight training industry has more challenges to
ence—depending on your perspective. overcome than simply improving safety. The com-
Mayhew said a better way to teach the maneu- petition between schools means that a bottom-
ver to a new student might be to enter the autoro- line-oriented mindset is rewarded.
tation from 2,000 foot AGL and terminate it well “Flight training is expensive in airplanes, let
before reaching the ground. After all, you can’t alone helicopters,” said Franz, owner of Naples, Fla.-
crash into the sky. This would give the instructor based school HelicopterSBT. A school that charges
far more time to regain control in case of a mistake, $12,000 to train a pilot well beyond the baseline
while alleviating the tension a student might oth- may not be able to compete with one across the
erwise feel at, frankly, seeing the ground rushing field that charges $9,000 to teach minimum stan-
forward at high speed. dards. “The PTS, which is a minimum standard, has
That said, the Helicopter Flying Handbook become the training standard—and it was never
explicitly states that the 500-700-foot entry is just intended for that.”
one of many acceptable training methodolo- It is unclear exactly how the Airman Certifica-
gies. Readers would be well within their rights to tion Standards might affect future versions of the
question why anyone would take the PTS or its Helicopter Flying Handbook or other materials,
references literally. One could fairly point out that though it’s possible that authors eventually will
the PTS was never meant to take the place of work backward from the new standards to develop
common-sense training. better quality supplements. The new fixed-wing
One might even suggest that it’s the CFI’s standards, however, have been tested in training
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implementation by 2016, though that most likely
The PTS, which is a minimum will be for a fixed-wing private pilot rating. Imple-
Military
mentation may not reach the rotorcraft industry

standard, has become the for another few years. Franz suggested that the
FAA might issue an advisory circular to give flight
t ra i n i n g s t a n d a r d — a n d schools advance notice.
it was never intended Education about the new standards is going
to be required, said Franz. “I see a time where
for that. flight instructors, flight schools, curriculum devel-
opers, designated pilot examiners and FAA avia-
tion safety inspectors are all in transition mode
by the FAA’s Orlando, Fla., Flight Standards District and trying to adapt to this.”
Office. That experience presents a clear picture of That will be an immense task, Franz said.
how the Airman Certification Standards may work. USHST team members realized they were in a
For a given flight task or area of operation, perfect position to spread the word about the
the new standards would replace the numbered new standards.
list found in the PTS with three subcategories of Franz founded HelicopterSBT to teach the FAA
Commercial
standards: knowledge, skills and risk management. Industry Training Standards, an approach devel-
Items within each subcategory are given a unique oped at the turn of the century to reduce the
code instead of vague Special Emphasis Areas. accident rate for “technically advanced aircraft,” a
Each code should map logically to both test ques- new classification at the time that included Cirrus
tions and specific sections of the reference texts. and Diamond models. That approach combines
Codes are comprised of a standard, the related scenario-based training with the PTS.
area of operation, the specific task and the spe- That work put Franz in frequent contact with
cific element of that task. With a basic legend, the the Denver-based flight school Colorado Heli-
codes shouldn’t be that hard to decipher. Ops. As he collaborated with it, Franz also gave
For example (from the fixed-wing set), PA.III.B.K4 the school drafts of the Airman Certification
translates to Private Pilot Airplane (PA), Airport & Standards. That led the school to begin revis-
Seaplane Base (III), Traffic Patterns (B) and Right of ing its training materials well ahead of formal
Way Rules (K4). implementation.
This system is intended to have three benefits. “We’ve tried to do our part in understanding
First, students and CFIs should know exactly where from the drafts what’s going to be out there, and
to find reference material behind a given standard, to make the training course outlines conform
Public Service
perhaps down to the exact page. Second, students to that,” Franz said, “so the principal operations
should see the same codes at the bottom of their inspectors don’t have to come back to flight
knowledge exam reports, indicating exactly what schools and say, ‘Hey, now you’ve got to redo all
questions they missed. That should make remedial of these.’ We’ve added all the elements in.”
training a lot easier. (Currently, the computer test Colorado Heli-Ops chief pilot David Dziura
reports use a system of learning statement codes said adapting the fixed-wing Airman Certifica-
(LSCs), which often are too broad to locate the tion Standards for helicopters has been a rela-
specific item that the student misunderstood.) tively simple process. “For example, the lesson on
Third, the new standards’ inclusion of risk man- departure procedures has all the ACS standards
agement elements within each task is intended to for risk management integrated from the air-
encourage CFIs to discuss risk management with plane ACS as it stands, but edited as necessary
students throughout flight training. It also should to make sure that we aren’t talking about stalls
give pilot examiners exact criteria for passing or on departure and other things that don’t apply,”
failing a student during a practical test. said Dziura. “We’ve found it really useful, because
Of course, this all means that rotorcraft training when you look at the syllabus, [risk management
curriculums—particularly at the highly regulated elements are] integrated right into it.”
Part 141 flight schools—eventually will change. Those elements include “things like risks asso-
It remains to be seen exactly when and how the ciated with using outdated publications or short
necessary information will spread throughout wait times, the way the winds are on takeoff, non-
the industry. The FAA’s goal is to have at least one radar environments, and accepting an ATC clear-
set of Airman Certification Standards ready for ance that you don’t understand,” he said. “It’s nice

that they are highlighted directly and associated inside the cockpit. Instead of reacting out of fear,
with that lesson, because it’s going to increase Arditi said, he would like to see students use aero-
the standardization.” nautical decision-making, a systematic thought
Dziura said Colorado Heli-Ops believes in process based on considering one’s options and
the Airman Certification Standards’ value and taking calm action. He cited the 2009 accident in
isn’t simply trying to get ahead of any looming which a USAir flight lost power on takeoff and its
requirement. “What drives a safer industry, and captain made an emergency landing in New York
makes a smarter industry, are all of those things City’s Hudson River, saving all 155 passengers and
that are not the flying aspects,” Dziura said, add- crew. That made the captain, Chesley “Sully Sullen-
ing that he looks forward to “more discussion of berger, famous.
human factors in risk management, which I really “He acted so slowly, but made very definitive
think are being recognized as a major causal factor actions,” Arditi said. Sullenberger opted against
of issues in the industry.” returning to LaGuardia Airport, telling ATC “Nope,
At Bristow Academy in Titusville, EASA Training we’re going to be in the river.”
Captain Michael Arditi is part of an effort to revise He “made his choice, but then he acted very
the school’s flight training programs. That is due slowly to make sure that choice came to the best
partly to Mayhew’s long-term involvement with possible conclusion,” Arditi said. “It wasn’t a rapid
the school and comes in response to the Airman exercise in fury.”
Certification Standards. Arditi and others are quick to point out
that they aren’t trying to downplay the qual-
Leading By Example ity of smaller flight schools. Nor will they pin the
Bristow is “pushing forward in trying to make sure misuse of the PTS or other materials on those
that we could actually do this,” Arditi explained, schools. Arditi cited a number of possible reasons
adding that “what we’ve started to do is formulate why helicopter flight training has suffered, rang-
a whole new approach to the way that helicopter ing from strict adherence to FAA policy to a lack
training has been done.” of visibility to the behavior of past students. He
Bristow Academy is the world’s largest private said CFIs may even fear leaving published per-
helicopter flight school, with locations in three formance boundaries and risking a loss of life or
U.S. states and one in Europe. Its large number of equipment. “It’s a challenging world out there for
flight lessons generate a huge training data base, all of them, so I don’t want to diminish their role,
and the financial backing of its parent company, or the fact that they still produce quality pilots,
Bristow Group, gives it the resources to analyze because they do.”
the data extensively. The academy uses its safety Neither is Bristow Academy’s goal to domi-
management system and air safety reporting nate flight training, he said. Instead, it hopes to
structure to collect data from flights that fail to spread its lessons learned to other schools, so
go as planned. This allows CFIs to find and fix higher-quality training can prevent accidents
negative patterns in training, and it puts the acad- that, in recent years, have given helicopters a bad
emy at a distinct advantage over smaller flight name. Arditi called what he and his colleagues
schools in being able to properly implement the are doing “slightly revolutionary” because “what
new standards. we are really finding is that there are things that
Smaller schools “don’t have that many students were literally right in front of our eyes that have
that have come in and reproduced that role,” said just appeared, because we started to look at
Arditi. “It’s going to be hard for them to reproduce them a little longer.”
those numbers” without a big fleet. The Airman Certification Standards for helicop-
In analyzing the data, Arditi and his colleagues ters are years away from becoming official. But any
have noticed the occasional trend in superficial flight school interested in learning more is encour-
learning that stems from a numbers-oriented PTS aged to contact the USHST. Additional information
approach. This manifests itself during emergency can be found on the FAA’s website.
procedures, with some students reacting reflex- The quality of training hinges to a large extent
ively without first pausing to consider the best on a student’s attitude. There always may be a
course of action. debate about whether the industry can teach
In response, the academy is rewriting its train- better decision-making skills to pilots. But if the
ing procedures to ingrain better, more analytical proposed changes reduce training fatalities even
habits in students from the moment they set foot slightly, then they will be worth every revision.

Military
Commercial
Public Service
Metro Aviation’s Helicopter Flight

Training Center is equipped with two
high-end FlightSafety International
simulators, within which pilots from
throughout the industry are invited
to sharpen their life-saving skills.
Pictured here is one configured as
an Airbus AS350.
Photo courtesy of Metro Aviation
SIMULA
SIMUL
SIMULAT

P
ositive transfer of knowledge—yes, it sounds
overly technical, and no, I’m not talking about
inserting a disk into your hard drive. In fact,
any CFI will tell you that it’s really just a common-
sense concept in flight instruction. When what you
are learning enhances what you already know, that’s
positive transfer of knowledge. When repeated
hovering practice makes you better at landing a
helicopter on a slope, that’s positive transfer of
knowledge. Of course, we learn bad habits just as
easily as we learn good ones. When you practice
hovering with a miscalibrated cyclic, and it takes your
muscle memory weeks to readjust to the norm, that’s
negative transfer of knowledge—something to avoid
at all costs in the training environment.
The question is: where does that leave commer-
cial flight simulators? Arguably, there hasn’t been a
simulator built yet that can reproduce the experience
of hovering a helicopter with 100-percent realism.
Many pilots will tell you that the maneuver just feels
a bit off. It would be forgivable, then, to recommend
that pilots avoid simulators altogether if they want to
learn to hover the right way. But as Rotor & Wing Inter-
national has learned, doing so would ignore the real
value of flight simulation, which extends far beyond
simple margins of accuracy. We’ve talked to flight
schools large and small about how they are using
simulators and flight training devices (FTD) in train-
ing new pilots, improving the safety of commercial
operations and advancing the cutting edge of the
aviation industry.
Programming Primacy
Simulators and light training devices At Heli-Expo 2015, I made a fool of myself at the con-
trols of the TruFlite R44, Frasca International’s newest
not only beneit schools large and small, FTD. Even with an electronic control loading system
creating realistic vibrations and pressure on the cyclic,
but promote safety and technical I bounce back and forth like a rodeo clown, while a
Frasca employee talks me through the maneuver in
his reassuring instructor’s voice. Only then do I real-
advancement throughout the industry. ize just how much I’ve come to depend on tactile
sensations—that feeling in my gut as the helicopter
sways under the rotor hub, and the light scraping
By Joseph Ambrogne under my seat indicating that I’ve made contact with
the ground. These are all part of a pilot’s toolbox, but
maybe I’ve been using them as a crutch in place of a
better instrument scan and sight picture.
I leave Frasca’s booth feeling a bit let down, but
TORS
ORS
not because of the FTD. Actually, I wish I’d had a few
more hours to perfect my hover, and maybe try out
some advanced maneuvers I usually avoid. There is
no danger. Had it not been for my paranoia that an
entire show floor—and in particular, that group of
uniformed Embry-Riddle students directly behind
the booth—were watching me struggle, I’d have
been completely immersed in the challenge.
The Frasca TruFlite R44 is a Level 5 flight training
W W W. R oto R A n d W i n g . c o m A U g U S t 2 0 1 5 | R oto R & W i n g i n t E R n At i o n A L 33

Military
Commercial
(Left) Metro used an actual

device (FTD), accurate enough to count towards For these reasons, even schools with the money to
EC135 to reverse-engineer
performance data that flight time at Part 61 and Part 141 schools, and—at spare might rather purchase additional helicopters
Public Service
supports the realism of this a price tag of roughly $350,000—comparable to instead of spending a comparable amount on an
full-flight simulator.In this that of an actual Robinson R44. entry-level device.
photo, the second story bridge In fact, helicopter simulators from companies For other schools, primacy may be the concern.
has been raised and the
like Frasca and XCopter were all over the Heli-Expo Another of those overly technical sounding flight
simulator is active.
show floor. Almost all of them were configured to instructor terms, primacy refers to one of psychol-
(Bottom Right): An EC135s resemble R44s and R22s, those affordable, single- ogist Edward Thorndike’s principles of learning. It
comes in for a landing at the engine helicopters so popular for training. Clearly, states that what is learned first creates a strong,
Metro Aviation complex. In simulation companies had arrived with every unshakable impression in the mind of the student.
addition to external customers,
intention of selling to private flight schools. Given In other words, if you don’t learn to do something
all of Metro’s pilots are sent to
the simulators at least once the price points and safety of these devices (and right the first time, you may have difficulty trying
per year. the fact that they don’t require aviation fuel to run), to correct your bad habits later on.
Photos courtesy of it’s a mystery why there isn’t a simulator sitting At Bristow Academy in Titusville, Fla., one of
Metro Aviation in every U.S. flight school hangar. What holds the the largest private helicopter flight schools in the
buyers back? world, the majority of students are trained ab ini-
(Top Right) Colorado Heli-Ops
Perhaps the most obvious disadvantage is to a tio—meaning from zero flight time all the way up
uses training devices like the

Elite Simulation Solutions TH22 pilot’s logbook. The FAA allows a certain number through commercial employability. It’s no surprise
AATD throughout pilot training, of simulator hours to count towards the flight time that the academy places tremendous emphasis on
and to give prospective requirement for a rating, depending on the device the primacy principle. As the academy’s deputy
students a risk-free taste of
used. But there’s a limit. CFIs also can’t use an simu- training director and FAA chief flight instructor,
helicopter flight.
Photo by Dennis Pierce, lator to log actual flight time, making it harder for Philipp Wynands, explains, everything—from the
courtesy of Colorado Heli-Ops them to build experience and apply for other jobs. helicopter model used to the location of its fire

extinguisher—is carefully controlled to maximize mize risks inherent with a new pilot training in
the way students first learn a task. the aircraft.”
For example, bucking the popularity of Rob- Bristow Academy does maintain a trio of Frasca’s
inson R22s, Bristow Academy trains its students advanced aviation training devices (AATDs),
in the Sikorsky S-300. Considered more forgiving which aren’t as complex as the FTD showcased
of pilot errors, the S-300 permits a training envi- at Heli-Expo 2015. According to Laura McColm,
ronment in which Bristow’s students focus less chief instructor for synthetic training devices, the
on fighting the aircraft for control and more on academy uses these with great success for instru-
absorbing the lesson. “It’s not the aircraft itself; it’s ment training, turbine transitions and emergency
the training paradigm that surrounds that aircraft,” procedures—but only after a student has already
said Wynands. “So, whereby we are very much mastered the basics of flying.
maneuver-focused in the R22 because you have “When you’re talking about initial training—
to master that aircraft—and then all you can focus learning how to hover, learning how to take off
on are the maneuvers and the technical ability— and fly around—this is where the primacy issue
what we’re building here is the mental capacity really comes into play,” said McColm. “I know there
of a pilot.” are schools out there who do put people in some
Wynands has a similar opinion of flight kind of training device, and I understand why.”
simulators, which he said haven’t yet reached a Colorado Heli-Ops is one such school. The
sophistication level necessary for teaching stu- Denver-based outfit offers both ab initio train-
dents ab initio. “Simulators need to provide the ing and individual ratings. Its training devices are
same fidelity as the actual aircraft, so flight time often used with students who already have basic
in the aircraft can be replaced with time in the helicopter training.
simulator, to maximize training use and mini- But according to David Dziura, chief pilot and
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towards the mountains. The instructor throws a
There are absolutely things that few obstacles in our path.
Military
First, a warning sounds, prompting the pilot

we cannot do in a helicopter, to troubleshoot an electrical systems failure.
Next, the sky instantly whites out as we plunge
because we don’t have the into IIMC. I notice the pilot tense up for a
capability, or that we won’t do. moment, but he quickly adopts a proper instru-
ment scan and ascends to clear skies above
the cloud tops. He touches down in a valley
flight instructor, the school is seeing improved to simulate patient pickup, and then flies to a
results from its devices, particularly from its new heliport on the roof of an urban hospital. Finally,
Elite TH22 AATD, which he said provides amazing he returns back to the airport under full cloud
realism both in performance and feedback. He cover, using a published instrument approach.
said he might even consider putting new students Though both pilot and instructor are relaxed, I
behind the controls. stay quiet so as not to distract from the serious,
“The simulator has a much better representa- professional tone. When the pilot skids the heli-
tion of what you’re actually overflying out there— copter to a halt in a running landing, my torso
Commercial
real terrain, real buildings, and things like that,” swings forward from the force.
said Dziura. “Now we can start to integrate those When it comes to preparing pilots for IIMC,
discussions at the primary level in the simulators, nothing beats training in a device like Metro’s
whereas before they weren’t actually factors. It EC135 full-flight simulator (FFS), the highest
helps us train to a standard that’s more than just quality device available on the commercial mar-
maneuvers-based.” ket. Most rotorcraft operations are conducted
Though Bristow Academy and Colorado Heli- under VFR, and helicopter pilots are notorious
Ops may have slightly different opinions when it for lacking currency in their instrument ratings.
comes to new students, they both agree that sim- In fact, for many pilots, visiting Metro’s Shreve-
ulators are ideal for training in inadvertent instru- port Center is the first time they actually experi-
ment meteorological conditions. IIMC presents a ence what it’s like to fly “in the cloud”.
special challenge to most helicopter flight schools, Even an FFS has limits—like, you guessed it,
whose single-engine aircraft are neither approved hovering. Surprisingly, though, Metro’s visitors
nor equipped to purposely conduct instrument seem to prefer it. Both the pilot and instructor
flights. “There are absolutely things that we cannot I flew with in the EC135 believe that trying to
do in the helicopter, because we don’t have that hover in the simulator actually makes them
Public Service
capability, or that we won’t do for safety reasons,” better in the real aircraft when they regain the
McColm said. “That’s where these simulation capa- familiar feedback. According to Casey Marland,
bilities really shine.” Metro’s Part 135 training director, simulators can
Without simulators, instrument training is create some priceless opportunities even for
accomplished by other means, like using visors hover training.
that impede a student pilot’s view above the “Let’s say, for instance, that you’re hovering
instrument panel—a scary notion for sure, but fast—you are just one of those kinds of guys,
nowhere near as disorienting as becoming lost and I’m trying to train you out of it,” Marland
in fog. said. “Poof, the engine quits, without me having
In an EC135 simulator in Metro Aviation’s to roll the throttle, without me having to touch
Shreveport, La., Helicopter Flight Training Center, the controls. All of a sudden the engine quits as
I get to “help” a veteran pilot simulate a nighttime you are doing 25 knots over the ground. Let’s
medical transport mission. By help, I mean that the see how that works out.”
circus is back in town. I’ve already botched another In fact, emergency procedures are another
hovering exercise—this time in an AS350 FTD— area where simulators can actually be better
and the night-vision goggles on loan from the than training in the real aircraft. In addition to
school for this exercise are giving me a migraine. I being totally safe, a good enough simulator
elect to sit and watch, with my hands off the con- lets pilots explore subtleties of an emergency
trols. After our instructor cues the nighttime light- procedure that couldn’t possibly be repro-
ing, the pilot calmly departs from a digital Phoenix duced in the air—such as what an engine fail-
Sky Harbor International Airport and heads out ure actually sounds like. “It gets kind of quiet,

something you’re not used to when you are tors to help out, harnessing the IIMC course it gives Above is is a birds-eye
view of the Metro Aviation
practicing autos.” all visiting pilots.
Shreveport complex. The
Terry Palmer has been one of the most influ- “They wrote in the scenarios that NEMSPA Helicopter Flight Training
ential players in the development of modern wanted, but they don’t tell their pilots that when Center and CommLab take
rotorcraft simulation. When Metro’s President, Mike they go in there, part of what they are doing is col- up the entire the right
Stanberry, envisioned the Helicopter Flight Train- lecting data for this event,” said Palmer. “They throw side, while the simulators
are housed in the corner,
ing Center, he asked Palmer to oversee the use of the event and see what happens.”
two-story addition.
its EC135 FFS and Level 7 AS350 FTD (and soon its Palmer said she also wants to harness flight data Photo courtesy
Level 7 407 FTD and EC145 FFS). monitoring (FDM) technology to create training of Metro Aviation
Metro sends all of its pilots to the center for cur- scenarios and to discover patterns that can lead to
rency checks, but it also rents the simulators out to improving the training that already exists. This too
other operators, allowing them to develop custom can be done in the simulators, both by collecting
training plans suited to their needs. Even would- FDM data from simulator flights, and by running the
be Metro competitors bring in their pilots. Both resulting scenarios.
Palmer and Stanberry agreed that the benefits far Palmer called the Helicopter Flight Training
outweigh the expense. As Palmer points out, the Center her “retirement job,” saying that for most of
value of her simulators extends far beyond merely the industry, large-scale simulator training doesn’t
instructing pilots. It’s also about experimentation. immediately benefit the bottom line. “Most people
One way to do this is by inventing simulators try to develop training as a profit center and it
for non-pilots. Her center has CommLab, the doesn’t work,” Palmer said. ”You have to care about
world’s first simulator training center for aeromedi- training like Metro does.”
cal communication specialists. With its integrated Nevertheless, she knows the difference simula-
computer systems, CommLab allows its par- tors make better than most.
ticipants to train alongside the pilots just down the A few years ago, a company sent a pair of pilots
hall—dispatching them on air medical transport down to pick up their new helicopter from Metro’s
missions, monitoring their flight paths and act- completion center. They had some extra time, so
ing as their ground support network. CommLab the pilots were invited to tour the training center.
opened earlier this year, and has already received “There was some open time in the simulator,
positive feedback from the industry. so I said, ‘Would you like to get in the sim?’“ Palmer
Simulators can also advance the psychology of said. “They said, ‘We’ve never been in one.’” The pilots
aviation, referred to as human factors. The National trained with an instructor for hours. It was late when
EMS Pilots Association (NEMSPA) is conducting they arrived back at the completion center to take
an experiment at Metro’s center called the EDP their new aircraft home. The journey would be
Project. (EDP stands for Enroute Decision Point.) roughly 1,500 miles, but they elected to fly it. On the
The project is studying how pilots subconsciously final hour of the flight, they encountered IIMC and
reduce airspeed when they enter IMC, the same declared an emergency.
way a motorist slows down when his car enters a “Sunday morning, I got a call at home, and it
deep fog. NEMSPA hopes to develop preventive was these two pilots. They said ‘Terry, the sim train-
measures, and Metro has volunteered its simula- ing saved our lives.’”

Sikorsky Enters A
Military
Through the Sikorsky acquisition, Lockheed Martin seeks to

Lockheed Martin’s proposed
Commercial
bolster its defense market position as revenue growth slows from

programs like the multi-national, multi-service F-35, shown here
purchase holds promise for the during tests of the short-takeoff/vertical-landing F-35B variant at
Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. June 19, 2015.
Lockheed Martin Photo by Andy Wolfe
famed manufacturer, but many

issues must be addressed.
By James T. McKenna
Public Service
NEED TO KNOW
L
ockheed Martin’s proposed multi-billion “One of the key elements of our strategic plan-
L-M aims to “secure and purchase of Sikorsky Aircraft would mark ning is to secure and extend our core defense busi-
extend” its defense business a new era for the 92-year-old aviation ness,” Lockheed Martin’s chairman, president and
manufacturer. CEO, Marillyn Hewson, said July 20 in announcing
UTC wants out of the If Bethesda, Md.-headquartered Lockheed Mar- the purchase deal with Sikorsky parent United
helicopter business tin clears regulatory reviews (which shouldn’t be Technologies Corp. “We feel confident that the
to focus on high tech difficult) and executes the transaction as planned, addition of Sikorsky will contribute significantly to
Sikorsky would return to a corporate parent whose the growth objective.”
L-M and Sikorsky today focus on aerospace and defense matches its own. Sikorsky’s position as the largest supplier of
compete on a key Sikorsky could, in fact, benefit from a parent helicopters to the U.S. Defense Department and
vertical-lift program, JMR that not only is focused on those areas but is its standing with other nations that rely on its
increasing that focus. H-60s for utility, transport and special operations

(Left) Sikorsky revenue growth should come from ongoing, multi-year U.S. contracts for H-60s and new development of a U.S. Air Force combat rescue helicopter
and a presidential transport to replace the U.S. Marine Corps Sikorsky VH-3Ds and VH-60Ns, one of which carried President Barack Obama to Joint Base Andrews,
Md. on Sept. 23, 2014. USAF photo by Master Sgt. Kevin Wallace (Right) Complicating the planned acquisition is the fact that L-M and Sikorsky are competing for
the U.S. Army’s Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator initiative. L-M is teamed with Bell Helicopter on the V-280 Valor, while Sikorsky is partnered with Boeing in
a bid based on its S-97 Raider. (shown above) Photos courtesy of Bell, Sikorsky
missions should help L-M expand its already sub- to close late this year or early in 2016. Hayes added Commercial
stantial business base with the Pentagon as well as the L-M deal is “certain, it’s today, it’s cash, and it Again?
its markets abroad. made a heck of lot more sense than the risk associ- A successful acquisition of
For much of its existence as a U.S. business, ated with a spinoff.” Sikorsky Aircraft would put
Lockheed Martin back into
Sikorsky has been aligned with companies at the Hayes called the helicopter (and fixed-wing)
the commercial aircraft mar-
heart of the aviation industry. Within four years of manufacturer “a very solid company long term, ket. The predecessor com-
its 1925 founding by Igor Sikorsky, the company with great technology.” But he added that “Sikor- pany Lockheed largely left
became part of the aviation holding company sky will have a tough couple of years in front of the commercial field in 1984
United Aircraft and Transport Co. The U.S. govern- it. They’ve got some big development issues and when it delivered the 250th
ment prompted that firm’s breakup in 1934. Its programs they’ve got to get past.” and last L-1011 TriStar.
Western U.S. manufacturing operations became Sikorsky is lagging in development of the In early 2014, L-M started
work with the FAA to update
Boeing. Its transport arm became United Airlines. next-generation CH-53K heavy lifter for the U.S.
the type design for the L-382,
Its Eastern manufacturing units—Pratt & Whitney, Marine Corps and is developing a new combat the commercial variant of
Chance Vought and Sikorsky—became United rescue helicopter for the U.S. Air Force as well as a its legendary C-130 Her-
Aircraft Corp. new presidential transport for the Marines. That’s cules. Between 1964 and
In the 1975, United Aircraft became United on top of its ongoing production of H-60s for the 1992, Lockheed sold 115
Technologies Corp. and began to diversify beyond Army and Navy, production of S-76s and S-92s, commercial Hercs. The new
aerospace, adding manufacturers serving the development of the S-97 high-speed compound type design would be based
on the latest Herc model,
commercial building industry (such as Otis Eleva- helicopter and its bid (with Boeing) based on the
the C-130J, and targeted
tor and Carrier Refrigeration). UTC retained its focus S-97 for the Army’s Joint Multi-Role Technology at a niche market of unim-
on the heavy, fixed-wing (and spaceflight) sectors Demonstrator initiative. proved-/short-field opera-
of aerospace and defense, but in recent years L-M sees great promise in Sikorsky, even before tions “and other operations
began to lose interest in helicopters. In the last five it improves that company’s contracting, cash at the edges of the commer-
years, UTC has sold off billions of dollars in assets. management and other management procedures cial air cargo spectrum,” the
The Sikorsky sale would put the divestiture total at and disciplines, according to the aerospace and company said.
Sikorsky’s helicopters serve
$15 billion and might be the last for awhile. defense giant’s CFO, Bruce Tanner. “We think it fits
more than niche markets.
“We’re done getting smaller,” UTC President/ well into our portfolio. This is what we do.” The S-92 holds a solid share
CEO Gregory Hayes said the day after announcing L-M plans to place Sikorsky in its Mission of the offshore oil-and-gas
the deal with L-M. Systems and Training business segment, its L-M and VIP segments, and the
In retrospect, spinning off Sikorsky as a stand- partner on the VH-92 Presidential Helicopter, Com- S-76 does well in those and
alone didn’t seem to be a real option for UTC. Hayes bat Rescue Helicopter and U.S. Navy MH-60R/S other segments (though its
said UTC profit from the sale to L-M will more than helicopter programs. L-M plans to keep Sikorsky’s position is waning with the
S-76D).
outweigh what Sikorsky might have been worth Stratford, Conn. plant. To increase its defense focus,
A key question is whether
as a spinoff. It expects to clear more than $6 billion L-M is weighing the divestiture of some of its gov- L-M want to build and sup-
from the $9 billion transaction, which is expected ernment IT and technical services businesses. port more than just military
rotorcraft.

Military
Preparing to Survive
the Post-Crash
Commercial
Public Service
Flying over terrain like this isn’t the

time to wonder if anybody knows
where you are or when to start
looking for you. Always ensure
someone does know.
Photo courtesy of Mike Hangge
NEED TO KNOW
When should you carry
survival gear? Always
The beauty of being prepared

for anything is that you are
always ready
The very nature of an
accident is that we never
know when it may happen

The more tired and hungry you
are, the more you can simulate a
real survival situation. Always push
yourself. For instance, try to start a
fire with wet tools and wood.
Photos courtesy of Randall’s
Adventure & Training
Lucky Girl?
On Jan. 2, the Gutzlers were
flying home from a winter
holiday in Key West, Fla.
Why, when and where you should About 4 p.m., Marty Gutzler
flew his Piper PA-34-200T out
of Tallahassee (Fla.) Regional
carry aviation survival gear. Airport on an IFR flight plan

to Mount Vernon Airport, 30
miles east of his Nashville,
By Mike Hangge Ill., home. Onboard were his
wife, Kimberly; daughters
Piper, 9, and Sailor, 7, and a
B
ecoming a pilot takes months of training to take care of the post-crash. But as Mike Perrin of cousin, Sierra Wilder, 14.
in performance planning, meteorology, Randall’s Adventure & Training/ESEE Knives pointed About 2 hours, 50 minutes
airspace, flight maneuvers and emergency out, “Aviators have a responsibility to be knowledge- later, the 2,300-hour-plus
pilot radioed ATC reporting
procedures. Years are spent perfecting aviation able on how to guide the crew and passengers
engine problems and seeking
skills and forming rote memorization into the through a post-crash survival situation.” vectors to a nearby airport.
correlation of all things aviation. Yet no matter No matter how safe you consider aviation, Weather was VFR. The con-
how much time and energy expended, there still there always exists the chance that you could troller directed Gutzler to an
exists the ever-present knowledge that the big fan be only minutes away from fighting for your last airport 11 miles west of his
always is just a bolt away from blowing. breaths. While survival gear won’t save you from a position.
Odds are that most aviators never will experi- crash, it might help to survive the post-crash. “Like Gutzler said he had it in sight,
adding his right engine had
ence a true emergency and few will ever fall from any other adventurer, aviators are subject to being
quit. He acknowledged a
the sky for reasons that aren’t of their own making. stranded in very remote locales,” said Jeff Randall, visual clearance, then said
But there always remains the slim chance that also of Randall’s/ESEE. “Their skills, knowledge and he’d lost the airport. The air-
we might, no matter how much we would like to gear may be the only chance they have of ever craft dropped off radar as it
believe that it wouldn’t ever happen to us. Aviation seeing their families again.” descended through 2,700
is a dangerous occupation filled with myriad haz- Aviation accidents happen regularly and feet 10 miles west of the
ards just waiting to pluck our delicate ships from people sometimes are stranded. Put yourself into airport roughly five minutes
after the first radio call.
the sky. When that happens, we only can hope to the situation and ask an honest question, “Am I
The aircraft was found invert-
survive the accident and be blessed to continue prepared for the post-crash?” As you’re asking that ed, landing gear retracted, at
with our lives. question, also consider whether you’ve fully pre- a 480-foot elevation. The site
Many aviators put a lot of thought, practice pared your family, friends and passengers. reeked of fuel. NTSB inves-
and exercise into avoiding an accident, but may Seven-year-old Sailor Gutzler survived the crash tigators found all major air-
be wholly unprepared for what happens after the that killed her father, mother, sister and cousin. plane components there, as
sudden stoppage, when the crew and passengers Returning from a New Year’s Key West vacation, well as evidence of continuity
from the cockpit to all flight
are thrust into an equally dangerous ground-sur- Sailor suffered only a broken wrist when the fam-
and engine controls.
vival situation. There is a common misconception ily’s private airplane went down in 38-degree The only survivor of the crash
that a pilot’s sole responsibility lies in avoiding the western Kentucky weather. Despite the shock of was seven-year-old Sailor.
crash and that there always will be somebody else the crash and her family’s deaths, the second-

Military
You do what you must in a survival

situation. What you feed today
might feed you when you’re in need
Commercial
tomorrow.
Photo courtesy of Mike Hangge
grader used survival skills her father had taught her is that you’re always ready. But this article is about
and attempted to light branches off the still-burning aviation survival kits and I will cover my crazy long
airplane. Unsuccessful, she then made her way over enough to focus on that topic.
nearly a mile of rough terrain, woods and thick briar While the word “always” seems clear, many still
patches—all in the darkness, dressed only in a t-shirt, will argue that survival gear can be skipped when
shorts and one sock. She had no shoes. you’re just doing traffic patterns or remaining over
Could you be this calm given the situation? Could controlled or congested areas. There may be some
your children? It is critical “to remain calm so you can validity to that argument, but it has three possibly
figure out how to survive the situation you’re in,” Lind- fatal flaws.
sey Phelps of Columbia River Knife & Tool said. First, keep in mind the axiom “Better to have it
“Make a decision and implement the plan,” Ran- and not need it, than need it and not have it.” A flight
dall said. “Indecision kills way more people than mak- doing idiot circles easily can turn into a quick trip
ing mistakes.” Perrin added, “Indecision is the result of down to Lambert’s Cafe for some Throwed Rolls. If
Public Service
not being able to manage stress and it will kill you.” you weren’t prepared, then your gear might be sit-
Take a moment to remember Sailor’s story next ting in the back seat of your truck while you’re shiver-
time you have an opportunity to challenge your ing overnight without a fire.
family. Make the family build fires, cook meals and If you make it a habit to be prepared at all times,
navigate across rough terrain. Those lessons could then your gear will be with you when you need it
one day save lives. most. Positive habits promote consistency and reli-
When should you carry survival gear? The simple ability.
answer is the most obvious—always. Live my Coast Second, by the very nature of an accident, we
Guard brethren’s great motto—“Semper Paratus,” never know when or where it may happen. If you are
or “Always Ready.” Of course, my thinking might be without even the most basic medical kit, then you
biased by my experiences, but I believe we should all have significantly decreased your chances of survival.
live by that rule and always be prepared. Even if you crash at the very door to a hospital emer-
At the risk of sounding a bit insane and redun- gency room, a basic medical kit could prove useful
dant, you should always have the tools necessary if it is at hand.
to survive. At home, in the truck, on the subway, in Third, as the professional in the aircraft, you are
the woods and in the aircraft. There should not be a depended upon by your passengers and their fami-
moment of your life when you aren’t prepared. lies to do the right thing. That begins with training
Should everybody carry an ‘everyday carry pack’ to avoid a crash, flying sensibly and limiting risks. It
and have a ‘bug-out bag’ ready at all times? Again, at ends with you doing everything possible to bring
the risk of being called crazy, my answer remains yes. everybody home safely.
Why not? The beauty of being prepared for anything Where should you carry survival gear? Each

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individual must decide where training company, as many survival-training basics
survival gear should be packed. apply to all emergency situations.
Military
Some, as we said, will ignore it.

Others will pack it under golf Level 3: Medical/Firefighting
clubs and hair care products. Still This is the most basic level of actual aviation survival
others will secure it in an appro- gear. A medical/fire kit and the knowledge to use
priate location, while some will it are essential in many situations, not just survival.
wear it on their bodies. It is bet- Consider being on the taxiway waiting for an
ter to have a survival kit than aircraft to land when it belly-ups in front of you.
not, but the closer the kit is after Its occupants’ very lives could depend on your
an accident the better. ability to stop the fire and administer first aid until
It also is on each individual to professional responders arrive.
decide what level of preparation Beyond this level, there are plausible arguments
is appropriate. This comes down that the gear will never be used, but that approach
to the level of risk each of us is simply ignores possibilities and plays against dan-
willing to accept. To help this gerous odds.
decision, the locations can be
Level 4: Aviation Survival
Commercial
narrowed down to five levels of

survival-gear preparation. This is the level that separates the amateur from
the professional aviation survivalist. If you are
Level 1: Flight Plan trained and your aircraft is equipped with the
This may seem a stretch proper survival gear, there are few situations that
regarding the where of survival you can’t find your way through. Make your own
gear, but the simplest, easiest or search through the hundreds of pre-made kits
and possibly most important like ESEE’s Advanced Survival Kit. No matter what
piece of survival gear always kit you build or buy, ensure it is in a logical location
has been to ensure somebody and easy to reach and that all crew and passengers
knows exactly where you are know how to use it.
Randall’s Adventure & Training’s
going, how you are getting there and when to
survival gear (top) goes beyond
“good enough.” A quality knife begin searching for you. Time always is the enemy Level 5: Survival Vest/Belt
(bottom) is one of the most in a critical survival situation and the extra minute If you fly at this level, congratulations. You have
valuable tools in your arsenal. you spend ensuring your flight plan is thorough, reached the graduate-level, “I want to live” stage of
Photos courtesy of Becky and accurate and filed could shave hours, days and preparation. There is no doubt that you are truly
Public Service
Kelsey Hangge
even weeks off the search to find your crash site. committed to surviving any situation.
Early on, I was taught that if it isn’t physically
Level 2: Training attached to your body, then you won’t have it when
“Training first,” Randall said. “Then kits.” This includes you egress a burning aircraft. While this doesn’t
aviation training to avoid the accident, medical negate the necessity for the other levels, it ensures
training to provide care, training to signal rescue that you have the bare basics with you at all times.
crews and survival training if there are no rescuers. What each individual deems the bare basics var-
A survival kit within your mind far exceeds one in ies, but most experts agree that they include a
your hand that you don’t know how to use. While I good-quality knife or multi-tool, flashlight, signaling
can’t tell you how to store the training in your head- device, first aid kit, and personal locator beacon as
hangar, I can tell you how to build it. well as food, money and the means to start a fire
The Internet is filled with more survival-training and purify water. All together, my “bat belt” weighs
schools than Wikipedia entries. Many of them are far less than five pounds and also acts as additional
legitimate schools that will help you fill your mental lumbar support.
toolbox. Though I can’t speak for many of them, I
can say that I truly have been impressed with Ran- Most Expensive Thing
dall’s Adventure & Training in Gallant, Ala. Its honest It isn’t the training or gear you carry that will cost
approach to survival training and equipment sets you everything. It’s the survival class you didn’t take,
it apart. “We are always honest about what we sell the lessons you didn’t apply and the gear you failed
and what we tell,” Perrin said. Just remember that to buy. What you lack may cost you and others
you needn’t limit your search to an aviation-survival your lives.

Being prepared for the post-crash is a small For the ultimate in survival lifestyle training, I
and simple step that can cost very little energy or will always recommend a trip to your local mili-
money. Think of it as crash insurance—you pay for tary recruiter to put your right hand in the air. I’ve
it, hope you’ll never use it, but can’t imagine being received a lifetime of valuable training and earned a
without it when you use it. decent paycheck along the way.
The value of survival training and gear far out- If you’re still wondering about the value of a
reaches their price as they provide a sense of pre- survival kit, take a moment to read Jack London’s
paredness, peace of mind, contingencies and the excellent short story “To Build a Fire” and imagine
ability to survive in disastrous situations. yourself as the protagonist, caught unprepared for
As a society, we have lost some of our self- the weather and unable to build a simple fire to
preservation and self-reliance because we’ve been save your life.
lured into the false belief that we are invincible and By the end of the story, you might agree with
that somebody always will be there to pick us up the man’s last words. “You were right, old hoss; you
when we fall. were right.”
The truth, however, is that we can rely only upon
ourselves in dangerous situations. Number 2 in the Pattern
Get the training you need. It will not be time, In upcoming installments of this series, we will
money or energy wasted. Invest in yourself by build- discuss what should be in your aviation survival kits,
ing everyday carry packs, bug-out bags and avia- how it should be arranged and where to get some
tion survival kits. More than anything, you should of the best-quality gear at the best prices.
share your knowledge of survival and your love of We also will discuss suggestions about where
aviation. Think of your children in Sailor Gutzler’s to go for survival training, how to survive after
position and give them the skills to save themselves the crash and what you can do to prepare for any
if you can’t. situation.
Take a moment to honestly evaluate your levels Care to share your stories of survival, discuss
of preparation and think of how you can better pre- the importance of quality gear, or comment on
pare for the post-crash. this article? Want to see something specific in
There are so many great options available for future articles or read about a specific survival
survival gear and training, but I would suggest tak- school or gear?
ing a look at some of my favorites: ESEE, Randall’s Send your thoughts to rotornwing@access-
Adventure & Training, Columbia River Knife & Tool intel.com and follow the author on Twitter,
and Flying Circle Bags. @mjhangge.
advertiser index
Page# ..... Advertiser........................................................................................................................................................Website
9.......................Aeronautical Accessories.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.aero-access.com
52 ....................Airbus Helicopters ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.airbushelicoptersinc.com
2.......................Bell Helicopters ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. www.bellhelicopter.com
47 ....................Chopper Spotter ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.chopperspotter.com
23 ....................FlightSafety...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.flightsafety.com
11 ....................Garmin International .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. www.garmin.com
47 ....................Helicopter Helmet ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... www.helicopterhelmet.com
29 ....................Helitech International ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.helitechevents.com
47 ....................HR Smith ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.hr-smith.com
17 ....................Robinson Helicopter............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.robinsonheli.com
5.......................UTC Aerospace Systems.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.utcaerospacesystems.com
15 ....................ZF Aviation .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. www.zfaviation.com

Ofshore Notebook
By Pat Gray
UAS in the Gulf of Mexico
U
nmanned aerial systems (UAS) are oper- A normal inspection requires having an oil
ating now offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. worker climb the boom to inspect the tip, which is
I’m sure this is not a surprise to many a risky venture.
people who make their living dealing with the Equipped with high-definition cameras, a UAS
extraction of oil and gas from under the sea. Inno- can hover over the tip and send a picture to the
vation is a constant in this industry. That is reflected operating team on the rig. This could save the oil
in the thousands of oil field patents issued and their company time and money by avoiding having to
millionaire owners. arbitrarily replace the tip on a scheduled basis.
At present, there are two primary UAS operators Foster is hoping that rig operators will find addi-
eyeing the many offshore structures that may be tional uses for UAS, such as inspections of leg and
candidates for close-up, safety-related observation bridge beams that may be corroded and in need
using multi-spectral technology: Oceaneering of repair. His particular UAS (the Wookong DJI S800
International and VDOS Global. and Aeronavics X4 Titanium, according to Ocean-
A global company that provides engineered eering’s FAA exemption) are capable of flying under
services focused on deepwater applications such the platform without losing GPS signals.
as drilling, well completions, subsea hardware, VDOS Global, with offices in Corvallis, Ore., is
manned diving and remotely controlled subsea headed by Brian Whiteside. A former U.S. Navy
vehicles, Oceaneering International has entered the F-18 pilot, his familiarity with airspace regulation is
UAS market. embedded in his operations.
Leading the new venture is Bryan Foster, the Looking ahead, Whiteside said there may be a
program lead for what Oceaneering refers to as number of uses for UAS beyond flare-stack inspec-
remote aerial vehicles. He has extensive experi- tions and under-platform inspections, including oil
ence in the field of remote control. Bryan also leak detection, oil spill prevention, environmental
is a rated pilot who understands the significant compliance monitoring, under-platform inspec-
requirements of airspace control and brings thou- tions, post-storm surveys, hazardous-area inspec-
sands of hours of remote vehicle experience to the tions and emergency inspections.
Oceaneering venture. VDOS Global’s UAS, the SkyRanger, is a
Safety inspections are the anchor of the UAS off- 5.3-pound, battery-powered rotorcraft with
shore market. VDOS Global’s Section 333 exemption 1-pound payload capable of remaining airborne
from the FAA said it is authorized to use an Aeryon for about 30 minutes or more. Its payload con-
SkyRanger quadcopter to perform flare-stack sists of high-definition video and thermal imag-
inspections on 14 Shell Oil production platforms ing devices.
in the Gulf. Oceaneering has an agreement with an That equipment is operated via computer
unnamed major oil company to use a UAS for out- tablet, with the resulting data analyzed and
side surface inspections on at least one offshore rig, saved. Whiteside said he is hoping to collect
initially for testing and data collection. enough data to convince all offshore oil compa-
The first target of Oceaneering’s inspections nies of the viability of using UAS as a contributor
also will be flare stacks, which burn off dangerous to offshore platform safety.
amounts of natural gas that are encountered often Both companies have attended meetings of
when drilling for oil. the Helicopter Safety Advisory Conference, giving
Tips that ignite the gas in a flare stack to offer presentations to that group on how they intend
a degree of controlled burn eventually become to use UAS in a manner that will not conflict with
worn and need replacement. Located on a long helicopter operations.
extension boom to keep the fire (or flare) away At this time, helicopter operators see no need
from the platform, these tips are difficult to inspect to protest the use of UAS in normal helicopter air-
and service. space.

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HEMS Watch
By Terry Terrell
Slow Down by 10 Percent
M
y EMS base changed aircraft recently. ing nurses were at much lower risk of spraining an
We had, during the very early 2000s, ankle, for instance, or falling, than running nurses.
bought three consecutively produced So we decided on “purposefully walking.”
Eurocopter AS350B2 AStars. These were ordered That choice ended up stimulating a round of
as sequential deliveries out of Grand Prairie, quantitative analysis. We used a stopwatch and
Texas, and we flight tested and flew them home timed a couple of crew responses, allowing them
green. We completed avionics installations, cabin to run, against a few launches restricted to pur-
outfitting and painting ourselves. poseful walking. We barely were able to measure a
It turns out that these AStars were destined to difference in time, the figure being a little less than
provide great service to our programs for many 10 percent. We experienced a “eureka moment”,
years. The “best” of the three, presenting an unusu- realizing that “slowing down by 10 percent” might
ally accommodating empty weight and center- be a memorably catchy and useful precept to
of-gravity envelope, was a personal favorite; we keep in mind.
permanently assigned it to our central base. We carried this maxim into areas of activity
All that having been said, eventually the time other than launches and decided that “no run-
came for an airframe change. We said farewell to ning” was a good idea throughout our opera-
our old friend and welcomed its replacement. Our tions. This certainly included emergency scene
crews, though (in addition to emotional attach- settings where running in the vicinity of turning
ments to our trusted old workmate), ended up helicopter blades might also somehow not
experiencing a few small, material challenges with be good (and where it might be contagious,
the new helicopter. stimulating less-than-safe behaviors in ground-
These detail adjustments were not major, but assistance personnel).
the process of getting used to new equipment Observing that “no running” and “slowing by 10
reminded me of an axiom I stumbled upon many percent” seemed to promote orderly but still quick
years ago. operational results, we made another small leap in
Back then, during initial, exploratory experi- philosophy by suggesting to pilots and medical
ences with our first civilian EMS program, we were crews: “Any time you find yourself at risk of mak-
literally learning by doing. We did this by imitating ing mistakes, either physical or mental, slow what
what I had learned in U.S. Coast Guard operations you’re doing by 10 percent.”
(insofar as those procedures were applicable) and The speed change probably will not be measur-
by consulting frequently with a couple of even able, but the psychological effect of depressurizing
earlier EMS helicopter pioneers in Houston and in your behavior will immediately diminish your mis-
Pensacola, Fla. takes. And nothing is slower, and potentially more
One of the impediments at our location was dangerous, of course, than a mistake.
that available crew quarters were not particularly So, after years of comfort, we now find ourselves
handy to our freshly constructed helicopter deck. in a thoroughly familiar aircraft, challenged with
The pilot’s office and quarters, in fact, and the medi- getting accustomed to a slightly changed environ-
cal crews’ standby locations, were several floors and ment. In this setting, all of our muscle-memory
many hallways distant. motor skills may be offset just a bit and our internal-
So, since all medical priorities inevitably stressed ized mental processes confounded slightly.
launch speeds, we spent a fair amount of time This sets up a perfect opportunity for avoiding
considering how to most quickly transit from our mistakes, and consequent compromises to safety,
standby locations to our aircraft. by simply “slowing down by 10 percent.” The effec-
Early on, I spotted our flight nurses making risky tiveness of this tactic now is well proven in our EMS
and unwise haste, literally running down stairwells. operations, but there is every reason that it can be
We quickly recognized that this was probably not envisioned as applicable and effective across a wide
the best way to do things. We figured that walk- range of rotary-wing activities.

Coming Up in
September 2015:
Homeland Security—10 Years After Helicopter Avionics—The Next
Katrina: We take a close look at the les- Generation: We offer a roundup of avion-
sons learned from that disaster along the ics manufacturers’ latest bids to meet the
U.S. Gulf Coast, and tell you which of them safety and efficiency needs of helicopter
have been applied to disaster response and operators, and review the status of efforts
homeland security, from enhanced interop- to streamline the process for bringing new
erability to greater integration of vertical products to market.
lift in emergency responses.
Technical Series —UAS Part 4: As
We also examine the best platforms and
●฀ state and local governments propose pri-
practices for multi-mission operations. vacy restrictions to commercial and public
unmanned aerial systems, we’ll brief you
Safety—Where Do the IHST’s Efforts on the impact this has on UAS operators’
Stand Around the World? We bring you prospects.
up to date on what the regional teams in
the United States, Europe, Canada, Brazil Helitech International 2015: We
and elsewhere have accomplished in pur- present a preview of the largest European
suing an 80-percent reduction in helicopter exhibition dedicated to helicopter prod-
accidents worldwide by 2016. ucts, parts, accessories and services, which
is being held in London Oct. 6-8.
Bonus Distribution: Defence and Security Equipment International 2015, National Guard
Association of the United States 2015.
October 2015:
Helicopter Leasing: We examine how Aviation Survival Equipment: In Mike
industry trends like the oil and gas sector Hangge’s second article on “Preparing for
downturn and the availability of more sur- the Post-Crash,” he discusses what survival
plus military helicopters are affecting the equipment you should consider carrying in
leasing business, and what that means for your operation’s aircraft.
your decision to buy or lease.
Guarding Your Noggin: As the FAA
Critical Care Transport: In a review of considers a greater emphasis on improv-
best practices and platforms, we look at ing helicopter crash survivability, discus-
how those topics are influenced by new sions are focusing on how to reduce blunt
air ambulance requirements in the United force trauma injuries, especially those to
States for operational control centers, accu- the head. We’ll look at what the agency’s
rate flight-operations reporting and safety- new data mean for helicopter helmets and
critical equipment. headsets.
Bonus Distribution: Helitech International 2015, 2015 Air Medical Transport Conference,
2015 Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting & Exposition.

Leading Edge
By Frank Lombardi
Designed for Success
I t’s been said that once you develop the stick-and-
rudder skills necessary to fly the machine, being a
good helicopter pilot is all about good decision-
making and risk management.
I agree wholeheartedly and try to practice this at
Fenestron also is quieter than a conventional tail rotor,
due to its many (usually 8-12) shortened blades and
absence of tip vortices.
I pointed to the inner part of the tomato and
explained that the most-evolved Fenestrons wisely
all times. The greatest pilots have the best situational have their blades spaced unevenly around the hub,
awareness. What they learn is added to a mental and use stationary stator vanes to help quiet acoustics
database that, over time, becomes wisdom. Here’s and smooth the airflow even more.
a story that happened to me. One day, I was in the At this point, I felt it was important to tell her that
produce aisle of a supermarket shopping for fruits all this wonderful engineering comes at a price. Fenes-
and vegetables. Next to me was an attractive lady trons are mechanically complex. Building a sizable one
doing the same. At some point, she took note of with power comparable to or greater than a conven-
the embroidery on my polo shirt. “Excuse me, but tional tail rotor results in a significant weight gain, since
what’s that on your shirt?” she asked. the shroud must be structurally incorporated into the
Since pilots are taught always to think about the vertical tail. In addition, its thickness typically needs to
next two things to do, I responded quickly, “Oh, that’s be about 20 percent of the fan’s diameter for proper
called a ‘Fenestron.’ Let me explain what that is.” aerodynamics.
I proceeded to explain that all single-rotor heli- So most Fenestron fan diameters end up being
copters need something to counter the twisting even smaller than their conventional tail rotor equiva-
force created by the main rotor acting on the fuse- lent. This increases power requirements, and puts
lage and allow the pilot to control where the nose about a 12,000-pound limit to the weight of the heli-
points. The Fenestron does this, I said. It has the same copter they are designed for. “Unfortunately, engineers
purpose as a conventional tail rotor, yet creates its must always make compromises,” I said. “Does that
side force through use of a ducted fan. I added, “It’s a answer your question?”
very successful design.” “Oh. Actually, I just thought it was a bear riding a
Luckily, I was next to the tomatoes, so I grabbed unicycle. But thanks for that explanation,” she replied.
one, pulled out my pocket knife, and cut it in half “I’ve got to be going… my groceries are spoiling.” She
horizontally (I paid for the tomato, of course) and quickly hit “bingo fuel” and sped away.
pointed to the thick outer skin. Now, I am not going to get into the minutia of
“See, the shroud protects the fan blades from conditional probability. But as a pilot and math guy, I
striking anyone or anything, increasing safety,” I said. can tell you that odds—no matter how remote—can
“It also improves the efficiency of the fan blades by sometimes catch up with you. This brings us back
virtually eliminating drag-inducing tip vortices, and to the decision-making, risk management and situ-
shields the blades from the wind effects of forward ational awareness I referred to earlier.
flight and main rotor downwash.” I’ve worn that polo shirt many times since that
I explained that the shroud also aids in lowering incident, with nary a word from anyone. Then, on just
the static pressure at the lip of the duct, which helps another regular “clear and a million” day, it happened.
draw in air. “Since the duct aids the flow in becoming This time I was at a gas station.
fully developed almost immediately,” I said, “the diam- “Excuse me, but what is that on your shirt?”
eter of the fan can be about 30 percent less than that I looked to my left. The question had come from a
required of an equivalently powered conventional pretty lady fueling right next to me.
tail rotor.” “What, this?” I replied. “Oh… it’s… a bear riding a
At that point, she looked at her watch, probably unicycle.”
to mark the time that she learned such an interest- She laughed out loud. “OH MY GOSH, THAT IS SO
ing fact. ADORABLE! I’ve never ever seen anything like that!
I may have cut her off as she went to speak. But Forgive me, but what did you say your name was?”
I couldn’t miss the opportunity to explain how a See? Lesson learned.

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August 2015

INFORMATION AT-A-GLANCE AIRPORT MAPPING FOR SATELLITE WEATHER FOR

© 2014 BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC.

INNOVATIVE AIRCRAFT FOR ALL YOUR MISSION NEEDS

Contributing Writers: Rick Adams; Claudio Agostini; Chris Baur;

ACCESS INTELLIGENCE, LLC Logo Licensing | Reprints

For more information, call Wright’s Media at

4 R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L | A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M

Vol. 49 | No. 8 | August 2015

32 The New Era of Simulators

38 Sikorsky Enters a New Era

Lockheed Martin’s proposed purchase holds promise

is delayed, and more intel from July.

6 R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L | A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M

Direct to Your Desktop: Check Your E-mail www.aviationtoday.com/

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8 R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L | A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M

SIKORSKY | AIRBUS HELICOPTERS | AGUSTAWESTLAND

Aeronautical Accessories has the mission-specific products, world-

• Airbus AS350/AS355 and Robinson R44/R66 Bearpaws

Innovation. Reliability. Performance.

www.aero-access.com | sales@aero-access.com | 1-800-251-7094

10 R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L | A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS.

You need situational awareness that’s aware of your unique situation.

AW Readies First AW169 Deliveries

12 R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L | A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M

Helicopters of Talisman Sabre 2015

U.S. Army Seeks Info on DVE Solution

W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 | R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L 13

Era Opens “Super Base” on U.S. Gulf Coast

Bell 525 Flies, After Supply, Inspection Hitches

Children’s Hospital to Use Vatican Heliport

14 R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L | A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M

1000+ Troops Join Italian Blade Exercise

An Italian army AgustaWestland A129 Mangusta flies cover for

V-22’s International Role Grows

16 R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L | A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M

Mixed Verdict for N.Y. Ban on Aircraft Noise

W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 | R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L 17

Army Aviators Could Shift to UAS

18 R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L | A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M

FAA Racks Up UAS Permit Approvals

U.K.’s Prince William Begins HEMS Career

W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 | R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L 19

Pilots Appeal Order Releasing CVFDR to Police

Keeping Pave Hawks Flying

Non-Standard Phrase Contributed to Incursion

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W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 | R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L 21

Special-Ops Cyclones from Sikorsky Aircraft. The Cyclones

HH-101 whose retirements should commence once the

22 R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L | A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M

LEVEL D HELICOPTER TRAINING WEST PALM BEACH

aircraft manufacturers – including AgustaWestland, Airbus Helicopters, Bell Helicopter and

ASU Reveals New N16HT Pro (Night Pro) Vision System

DART Receives STC for PA100 PUREair System for AS350/EC130

24 R OTO R & W I N G M A G A Z I N E I N T E R N AT I O N A L | A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M

26 R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L | A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M

W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 | R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L 27

Colorado Heli-Ops Chief Pilot and

learning philosophy he said “drives

28 R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L | A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M