R ot or c r a f t P r o .

c o m
J uly /Aug 2021

MANNED / UNMANNED
TEAMING IN SAR

NORTH MEMORIAL
HEALTH AIR CARE

CAREER SURVIVAL TIPS

AIR AMBULANCE PILOTS

THE POWER OF MENTORSHIP

rotorcraftpro.com a
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 FROM THE DESK OF THE EDITOR
56 Seconds to Live Training and Technology

In February of this year, the United States Helicopter Safety Team
with support from Helicopter Association International, Airbus, and
Frasca International produced a short video titled “56 Seconds to
Live.”
In this chilling video, the viewer is taken on a dramatized journey
that shows a pilot making all the wrong decisions during the
process of accepting a flight, which then leads to an IIMC condition
culminating in his death. At the very end, his spouse and child
stand at his grave.
Given the challenging nature of helicopter air ambulance (HAA)
work, IIMC accidents have always been a large part of HAA
accident stats over the decades. I often wonder: are we getting
better as an industry?
I recently read a 2013 article from Flying magazine titled
“Rethinking the Safety of Medical Helicopters.” The article
rewound to 2008 when the HAA industry was dubbed the most
dangerous in America, eclipsing traditionally risky professions like
logging, steelworking, deep-sea fishing, and coal mining.
More recently, according to the 2020 Annual Report to the U.S.
Congress titled “Safety of Air Ambulance Operations” (reporting
2019 data), 1,230 air ambulance helicopters flew a total of
399,051 hours. During that year, there were nine HAA accidents.
Three of the nine accidents resulted in six fatalities. Two of the
nine accidents were attributed to loss of situational awareness in
low-visibility conditions resulting in impact with the ground.
Just a few years ago, autopilot systems (e.g., HeliSAS) were
developed for light single-engine helicopters that are typically
used in HAA. In my humble opinion, aside from NVGs, this is
the greatest tech advancement that has the potential to reduce
accidents in HAA. Thankfully, the technology has been rapidly
injected into operations.
On the training front, operators have been turning more and more
to simulator manufacturers like Frasca, Flight Safety International,
Helisim, and Entrol as a broader part of the training curriculum.
Sims afford a cost-effective way to train for IIMC conditions and
also enhance instrument flying skills. Additionally, new in-cockpit,
view-limiting training technologies from companies like Icarus and
AT Systems are putting pilots in more realistic situations involving
reduced visibility and spatial disorientation. This technology
is already becoming part of several HAA operators’ training
programs.
As an industry, we seem to be moving in the right direction. OEMs
and technology manufacturers have been innovating us towards
safer ops. Additionally, regulators and operators have worked hard
to implement policy, training, culture, and procedures to make
HAA flights safer. In the end, however, it often comes down to a
single decision that the pilot makes in those last 56 seconds. Let’s
use all that technology and training to make the right decision.
WATCH VIDEO: USHT.org/56secs.
Lyn Burks,
Editor-In-Chief

Rotorcraft Pro® is published six times a year and Editor-In-Chief Online Accounts Manager Conributing Writers Corporate Officer
mailed out on or around the 10th of every other month Lyn Burks Lynnette Burks James Careless Lyn Burks, CEO
by: Rotorcraft Pro Media Netwok Inc. Rotorcraft Pro® is lyn.burks@rotorcraftpro.com lynnette.burks@rotorcraftpro.com Randy Mains
distributed free to qualified subscribers. Non-qualified
Account Executive Copy Editors Joanna Nellans
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or agency’s responsibility to obtain appropriate releases Layout Design Scott Skola
on any item or individuals pictured in ads. Reproduction Bryan Matuskey
of this magazine in whole or in part is prohibited without production@rotorcraftpro.com
prior written permission from the publisher.

4 July/Aug 2021
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 CONTENTS
FEATURES 46 58
46 NORTH MEMORIAL HEALTH AIR CARE

58 AN AIR AMBULANCE PILOT’S

CAREER SURVIVAL GUIDE

66 MANNED AND UNMANNED TEAMING IN SAR:

AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME

74 BRIDGING THE GAP:

THE POWER OF MENTORSHIP 66 74
VIDEOS
42 AirDroneMethods Launches Innovative
Solution

47 North Memorial Health Air Care

DEPARTMENTS 22 HELIPHOTOS

10 24
MY 2 CENTS HANGAR TALK
RPMN columnist Randy Mains Industry news relevant to your business
voices his industry views

38 BY THE NUMBERS
12 MEET A ROTORCRAFT PRO
Scott Beck, U.S. Forest Service Fascinating and fun factoids

14 EXECUTIVE WATCH
John Wyllie, founding CEO, Flightcell
40 HANGAR TALK UAS
News relating to unmanned aerial systems

18 44
MIL2CIV TRANSITION PRODUCTS & SERVICES FOCUS
Tips for the transitioning military helicopter pilot

20 80
MAINTENANCE MINUTE ROTORCRAFT CHECKRIDE
Tricks of the trade for helicopter mechanics VIRTUAL REALITY PILOT CERTIFICATION: WHY NOT?

WATCH COVER
VIDEO NOW!
Jul y/ Aug 2021

Ro to rc ra ftPro .c o m

A North Memorial Health

J ul y / A ug 2 0 2 1

A Bell UH-1 Iroquois gets Air Care AW109 lands on

loaded onto a trailer the rooftop of the North
in Boulder Creek, California Memorial Health Hospital in
Robbinsdale, Minnesota.

MANNED / UNMANNED
TEAMING IN SAR

NORTH MEMORIAL
HEALTH AIR CARE
A PSCO N ISSU E

CAREER SURVIVAL TIPS

AIR AMBULANCE PILOTS

THE POWER OF MENTORSHIP

6 July/Aug 2021
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 ONLINE INTERESTS
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 MY 2 CENTS
POSTFLIGHT: AN OLD PILOT’S LOGBOOK By Randy Mains
Byron Edgington, a self-professed skywriter, author, and
commercial and military helicopter pilot for 50 years, told me
his vision for his latest published book, “Postflight: An Old
Pilot’s Logbook,” was simple: “Educate wannabe and upcoming
aviators by offering lessons shared by those with experience in
the business,” he said.
Think about it. When you started your aviation career, wouldn’t
it have been wonderful to sit down one-on-one with experienced
rotary-wing and fixed-wing pilots and hear them impart their
first-hand knowledge about how they managed to survive? I can
remember listening to them, my eyes wide open, hanging on
every word as they shared with me the dos and don’ts drawn
from their combined decades of experience and thousands
upon thousands of flight hours.
Eleanor Roosevelt said it best: “Learn from the mistakes of
others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” This
is the essence of Edgington’s new book that offers invaluable
insights from dozens of pilots eager to share their stories for one
common goal: so you can learn from their mistakes.
James Thomas Fletcher, author of “Roses for the Canyon,”
observed, “If you believe flying is your calling, then this is a
must-read book. Edgington’s experience straddles military,
civilian, air medical, and business aviation. Retiring after 40
years and 12,500 hours of flying, he has stories to tell as he
helps you discover pathways to flight and the realities of getting
there.”
Chapters in Edgington’s book:
1. Timing: If you have the slightest chance to fly, jump on it like
a duck on a June bug. Like the isobars on weather charts,
there are no straight lines leading into aviation.
2. Student Pilot, Summer of ‘69: Your training will be hard,
exhausting, discouraging — and triumphant!
3. Where to Start: I’ll give you good advice and great resources.
Trust your gut, and you’ll decide well.
4. Stretching the Rules: I hope you don’t need this chapter,
but you might. Safety first, but land safely, every time!
5. Fixed Wing?: What aircraft do you want to fly? Here are
reasons to stay in airplanes.
6. Rotary Wing?: Flying is heavenly; hovering is divine. Or...
you can do both!
7. Transition – Military to Commercial: Starting over is tough,
and there are speed bumps you might not be aware of. I did
the transition; so can you.
8. SA (Situational Awareness): Probably the most important
asset you have, SA improves with experience.
9. High Points: I hope you have at least as many sublime
moments flying as I did.
10 July/Aug 2021
10. Low Points: I hope you have none of these, though I know
you will. The lowest point? Your final approach and landing.
I hope your career is longer than mine was.
11. Care & Feeding of Your Mechanics: The wrench-benders &
spark-chasers are your best friends.
12. Care & Feeding of Passengers: I want you to remember the
folks who trust you, and I know you will.
13. Care & Feeding of You: Take care of yourself. Eat well;
sleep well; exercise; meditate; take time off. Your career
will be better.
14. Care & Feeding of Your Career: From start to finish, these
are ways into the cockpit that will set you apart.
15. Confessions, Stories, Voices of Experience: Listen to my
colleagues as they tell on themselves, and learn from them.
16. You Can Do This: Yes you can, and these pilots back me
up. Here are amazing people who were starting out once,
just like you.
17. Crew Resource Management: Aviation thrives on systems,
and CRM is the best one there is to keep you safe.
At the end of each chapter, Edgington offers lessons to be
taken from it. Then, at the end of the book, he reiterates those
lessons as an aide-memoire. Brilliant! To give you an example,
the following are the lessons listed at the end of Chapter 8 on
situational awareness.
Lessons:
• SA (situational awareness) is a real thing. Trust it, use it.
• If your gut says something’s wrong, something’s wrong.
• Aircraft don’t magically fix themselves.
• Regardless of how good a flying job looks, sometimes it’s
advisable to walk away.
• You’re not flying for a paycheck; you’re flying to build a
legacy.
• Risk can never be zero, but it can be minimized.
• It’s better to arrive late in this world, than early in the next.
• If it’s bad on the ground, it will only get worse in the air.
• The law of gravity is not a general rule.
The best way to describe this new book is through the words of
those who have read it:
American Airlines Captain Stephen Walton (ret.) —
”’Postflight: An Old Pilot’s Logbook’ speaks to the adage by Dale
Carnegie, “Books are a wonder. For the matter of a few dollars
a man will offer up a lifetime of experience and insight.” Herein
is a lifetime that exposes the mindset, decision-making, and
perseverance that contribute to a successful career in aviation.
The book explores the various paths a pilot might take, and
the personalities that might be encountered along the way. It
expands on much of the core spirit that makes aviation a truly
unique endeavor.”

Patty Bear, former military pilot and
777 captain (ret.) — “The ritual of
storytelling among pilots passes on
some vital knowledge soaked up by
the brotherhood and sisterhood of the
sky. Any experienced pilot will tell you
there’s no such thing as a perfect flight,
and the best pilots will tell you they learn
something new each flight. Whether
you are a new or aspiring pilot, or a
grey-haired experienced one, there are
nuggets of wisdom slathered generously
throughout this book.”
Mandy Hickson, British Royal Air
Force fast-jet pilot (ret.) and author of
“An Officer, Not a Gentleman” offers
words that echo the spirit of Edgington’s
encouraging book — “How often do
you steer away from taking on a new
challenge or experience because you’re
worried you might fail? I’m sure we’re all
guilty of this at some point in our lives,
but until you try, you never know what
you are good at. Once you have a goal
MY 2 CENTS
to visualize, it’s always easier to work
towards it, to focus on it. So whatever
your ambition is...Dream it, Believe it, Do
it!”
My personal thoughts — “‘Postflight:
An Old Pilot’s Logbook’ documents over
four decades of personal knowledge, tips,
and stories, but this book offers you much
more. It includes stories and anecdotes
Randy Mains is an author, public speaker,
passed along from other experienced
and AMRM consultant who works in the
aviators as well, so you can learn from helicopter industry after a long career of
their time in the cockpit. This book is a aviation adventure. He currently serves as
must-read if you’re interested in learning chief CRM/AMRM instructor for Oregon
from those who have ‘been there, done Aero.
that’ because if heeded, their experiences
will make your career in aviation much He may be contacted at:
safer.” info@randymains.com
“Postflight” and Edgington’s other books
are available in paper and digital format
at Amazon.com.
rotorcraftpro.com 11
Meet a
otor
Pro
Scott Beck
RPMN: What is your current
position?
I am currently a pilot in
command flying one of two
Firewatch Cobra helicopters
belonging to the U.S. Forest
Service. The Firewatch
Cobras provide aerial
supervision and intelligence
gathering for large wildland
fire incidents throughout the
western United States.
RPMN: Tell me about
your first experience with
helicopters.
My first flying experience
with helicopters was at Fort
Rucker, Alabama, in 1986 as
a warrant officer candidate in
Army Flight School, operating
the venerable TH-55A. By
the time I departed Fort
Rucker for my first active-duty
assignment, I was qualified in
TH-55, UH-1H, OH-58 series,
and AH-1 series helicopters.
RPMN: How did you get
your start in helicopters?
In 1984, I was a combat
security specialist in the Air
National Guard (ANG) and
found out you could attend
Army flight school without
having a college degree,
which was my situation at the
time. My commander was a
great guy and allowed me to
12 July/Aug 2021
pursue this flying endeavor.
After I successfully navigated
the tests, physicals, and
interview board, I received
a conditional release from
the ANG and orders for the
Warrant Officer rotary wing
entry course via Army Basic
Training, just to make sure I
was serious.
RPMN: When and how did
you choose to fly or work
on helicopters? Or did they
choose you?
When I was 5 I saw my first
helicopter in person; it was
a hovering CH-54 Skycrane.
That image has always been
with me and although it took
some time and commitment,
I believe helicopters were
destined to be a part of my life
from then on.
RPMN: Where did you get
your start professionally?
I left active duty in 1995 and
joined the Texas National
Guard. I was flying C-12
(King Air 200) airplanes for
the military then. The first
commercial job I got as a
civilian was with American
Eagle Airlines in Dallas. I
flew ATR 72s for about nine
months and was ready to
return to helicopters. Airline-
type flying was not for me.
In 1996, I was hired by a
helicopter air ambulance
(HAA) company and began
my civilian professional career
flying BK117s in Dallas.
RPMN: If you were not in the
helicopter industry, what
else would you see yourself
doing?
Prior to becoming an Army
aviator, I was a military
policeman pursuing a civilian
law enforcement career, so I
can see myself in that role.
RPMN: What do you enjoy
doing on your days off?
My wife and I enjoy traveling
and camping. When I’m not
on contract, we travel across
the country visiting family and
friends.
RPMN: What is your greatest
career accomplishment to
date?
I’ve been very fortunate to have
several career milestones.
One of my favorites
was the 2014 Southern
California Interagency NVG
Fire Suppression Drill in
Tehachapi, California. I was a
senior fire/rescue pilot with the
Kern County Fire Department.
I proposed a plan to our chief
pilot, fire chief, and command
staff to invite agencies to Kern
County for a controlled live-
fire suppression interagency
NVG drill. The key executives
were positive and I created
an airspace plan; coordinated
with six counties, Cal Fire, and
the U.S. Forest Service; and
did all the legwork to make
it happen. With crews and
dozens on the ground, eight
different agencies’ aircraft,
and the activation of Kern
County Fire Department’s
Type 3 Incident Management
Team to cover all the bases
including our mobile kitchen,
the drill started at sunset and
concluded around 0100. That
drill demonstrated clearly that
different agencies operating
under the same guidelines
can safely, effectively, and
efficiently suppress wildfire at
night.
In years prior, several fire
agencies in California that
all flew UH-1H aircraft would
join together at Orange
County Fire Authority (OCFA)
for annual pilot training. It
was a great training and
networking experience and
made the cost of our annual
training requirement with
a Bell Helicopter instructor
pilot more reasonable. The
training culminated with an
interagency NVG drill at Lake
Irvine in Orange County. The
only drawback to the drill was
that we could not work with
actual fire on the ground; fire
was simulated with chem sticks. Realistic RPMN: If you could give only one RPMN: In your view, what is the
training is always the key to success. piece of advice to a new helicopter greatest challenge for the helicopter
pilot or mechanic, what would it be? industry now?
RPMN: Have you ever had an “Oh,
crap!” moment in a helicopter? Can you I would offer three: Prioritize your actions There are still far too many avoidable
summarize what happened? to accomplish your goals; maintain deaths in helicopters. In my opinion,
enough flexibility to deal with setbacks thorough, quality, realistic training is
In 2005, I was an Army contractor flying because life is full of them; and make the the key to creating sound aeronautical
observer/controller/trainers (OCTs) in OH- best of every situation. decision-makers.
58C helicopters at the National Training
Center at Fort Irwin, California. In addition
to my regular job flying the OCTs around
Do you know someone who would be a good subject for Meet a
the battlefield, I was also conducting NVG
Rotorcraft Pro? Email your suggestion to the editor-in-chief:
currency and readiness level (RL) training
with their staff aviators during non-rotation
lyn.burks@rotorcraftpro.com
periods. On one dark, breezy evening a
senior captain and I were out in the desert
training area conducting normal helicopter
NVG operations. During a normal landing
maneuver, the captain misjudged the
wind and set us up for a loss-of-tail-rotor
effectiveness (LTE) possibility. As we
slowed, the tail yawed quickly to the right,
passing 90 degrees, and we were engulfed
with a brownout condition. To make
matters worse, as soon as the aircraft
began to spin, the captain switched on the
regular landing light, filling our field of view
with nothing but brown sand. I joined the
captain on the controls, switched off the
landing light, lowered the collective a bit,
put in some forward cyclic and flew out of
the dust cloud. We didn’t contact the sand,
but I don’t think we missed it by much.

rotorcraftpro.com 13
EXECUTIVE WATCH

CEO of Flightcell

John Wyllie By Rick Weatherford

Flightcell’s founding CEO, John Wyllie, calls from perhaps the
most majestically picturesque place on Earth: his native town of
Nelson, New Zealand, at the northern tip of the South Island. The
island has been the location for epic fantasy/adventure movies
including “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Lion, the Witch, and
the Wardrobe.” What Flightcell does seems magical too. It links
and tracks aircraft around the globe, allowing pilots and their
flying machines to communicate with a vast array of terrestrial
and satellite systems. The Kiwi company of 21 employees
punches far above its size, building a global reputation as the
go-to organization for avionic communication solutions. You may
have heard of some of its approximately 4,000 customers: the
U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marines; California Highway
Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety, Cal Fire, Royal Flying
Doctors, Colombian Air Force, and U.S. Department of State. Yes,
Flightcell has street — and air — cred.
What makes Flightcell’s story especially inspiring is where the
company started. The business recipe was cooked up from scratch
on Wyllie’s kitchen table in 1995. “It started with no money and just
an idea,” he says. It was born out of Wyllie’s desire to join his
helicopter piloting with his lifelong fascination for communication
equipment.

14 July/Aug 2021
 Granny for Sale
In 1984, having completed an engineering
apprenticeship out of his high school in
Nelson, Wyllie discovered fixed-wing flying
through a local club. Liking the sky life, he
imagined his future as an airline pilot as he
earned his initial fixed-wing pilot certificate
and instrument rating. But then a friend
intervened; he gave Wyllie his first flight in
a helicopter and let the fixed-winger have
a go at the cyclic. “I caught the bug like
it was a virus. As we all know, when you
start flying helicopters, you’re very likely
to want to continue flying helicopters,”
he says. “You choose where to land like
a bird and you’re not limited to runways.”
He underscores his first “copter crush”
with this humorous analogy: “It’s like doing
drugs. Once it gets in your blood, you can’t
stop yourself; you’ll sell your grandmother
to pay for your next flying lesson.”
Wyllie landed (legal) sales jobs to help pay
for his rotorcraft lessons until he earned
his commercial license in 1992. Of course,
as with most life achievements, there were
naysayers who tried to discourage his rotor-
head ambitions. “If someone said I was
wasting my time with helicopters because
jobs were hard to come by, I thought that
they didn’t want me to really find out just
how good things were. They wanted to keep
all the riches for themselves,” he chuckles,
a little older and wiser. Three years later,
he converted his New Zealand license to
an FAA license. His first piloting job was
a big one, flying an S-64 for Erickson Air-
Crane over Malaysian logging sites. Wyllie
demurs that he was only a copilot. “I was a
glorified office girl,” he jokes.
From Fascination
to Flightcell
Growing up, Wyllie was always fascinated
with communication equipment such as
two-way radios, and after that, cell-phone
technology. In the cockpit, he wanted
a way to connect his cell phone to his
headset. After searching the world and
failing to find such a connective device,
Wyllie employed the service of a friend
who worked in electronics to make him a
box to connect his two pieces of personal
property. “When friends saw my setup,
they asked if I could get them one as well,”
he says. That was the genesis of Flightcell
in 1995. “The business took off great; We
were one of the first companies to offer
such a product worldwide as we began
selling units through the World Wide Web
in the late 1990s.”
Then Flightcell got a big boost when
Uncle Sam called from the other side of
the world. Air Force Special Operations
Command (AFSOC) wanted to connect its
iridium handheld phones to its cockpits for
overseas operations. “The Air Force wound
up purchasing several of our products,
and that became our first main foray into
the U.S. market,” says Wyllie. For several
years, up through Hurricane Katrina,
Flightcell sold to the U.S. military. That
disastrous storm that struck the Louisiana/
Mississippi Gulf Coast and nearly drowned
New Orleans also wiped out much of
the region’s terrestrial communications
infrastructure. The Army used Flightcell’s
products to connect satellite phones
and ground civilian agencies to cockpits
in the air. This need eventually birthed
Flightcell’s DZM line of satcom products
designed with military capability and
quality, and helped Wyllie realize that
Flightcell could significantly serve military
and first responder markets. The company
no longer produces its consumer phone-to-
headset product, as Bluetooth connectivity
has made it obsolete.
Customer Focus First
That shift in his company’s strategy
toward the new markets came from
Wyllie’s propensity to keep his ears open.
“I’ve always believed in listening to our
customers to improve what we are doing
and to make sure that we’re giving them
what they want. That’s been a real key
to our success,” he says. In addition to
opening his ears, Wyllie keeps his eyes
on the prize. “My thinking is to focus
on building the quality hardware that
customers want and delivering it to them. If
you listen to your customers and focus on
them, you’ll be successful.” He next makes
an important point that applies to many,
if not all, consumer-facing businesses:
“Don’t focus on the money first; that will
come if you provide your customers what
they want. A business will succeed if you
find the right market, focus on a niche in
that market, and do what you do extremely
well.” Wyllie refused to be distracted by
what he saw as trends that could divert
Flightcell away from its main business.
“We stuck to our core activity, which is
hardware. Our goal is to always build
the best hardware we possibly can at a
reasonable price to the customer,” he says.
“Most companies in our communications
and tracking sector built their hardware
to promote or implement their software or
service. They are a service provider first
and a hardware manufacturer second. I’ve
not been lured away by the pots of gold at
the end of the software-service rainbow.”
Family-Style Meetings
With his strong, solid, and focused
opinions, Wyllie surprisingly maintains a
management-by-consensus leadership
style. The founding CEO does not dictate
decisions to his employees, which he
unfailingly calls his “team.” He says, “I’m
very much a believer in everyone being part
of the team. There’s no need for anyone
to be the big boss. I don’t make arbitrary
decisions; all our employees, from the
newest to the longest serving, are brought
into the discussion. Everybody’s thoughts
and opinions are sought and considered,
but everybody has to understand our core
business and that we put the customer
first. As long as they understand our
foundations, then everybody contributes
equally to decisions.”
Of course, such democracy would be much
more difficult for a large corporation, but
with less than two dozen team members,
Wyllie says it suits his company as well as
his personality. “That’s the way I like to do
things. I don’t like to be dictatorial with a
formal, hard structure; I think of us more
as a family.”
Flightcell is a proud sponsor of
the Nelson Rescue Helicopter
Trust. Here are some of the team
members at a recent casino
themed fundraising event
rotorcraftpro.com 15
 Family Fun
Flightcell actually is part family, as Wyllie’s
wife Carol manages its business accounts.
The Wyllie family also includes three adult
daughters and grandchildren, none of
whom work for the business. But that’s
fine with the patriarch. “I have a beautiful
family; I’ve been very lucky in that respect,”
he says. Wyllie not only enjoys spending
time with his wife and their descendants,
but he also indulges his passion for biking
on South Island’s many mountain trails.
(He’s currently recovering from what
sounds like a painful spiral leg fracture
incurred from enthusiastic pedaling — and
crashing.) He also enjoys boating and
fishing in New Zealand’s plentiful waters.
(Nelson is the nation’s largest fishing port.)
Another passion, unsurprisingly, is piloting
helicopters. “I still have a commercial
license and like to keep my skills up by
flying for a couple of operations,” he says.
Wyllie’s active piloting plays a supporting
role for Flightcell. “I can talk ‘helicopter
speak’ because I’ve been flying for over 30
years and have relationships throughout
the industry. That helps me to check
on the background of prospective team
members when hiring,” he says. “Also,
my pilot experience helps me understand
what it’s like to be in the cockpit and what
pilots need from avionics. Not to disrespect
anybody, but a lot of avionics people don’t
have that experience; it makes a difference
when you actually fly with the equipment.
That experience helps us design Flightcell
products.”
Business Bogeyman
Designing and bringing cutting-edge
communication avionics to market is a
continuing challenge for Flightcell. “The
speed that technology is changing is
one of our biggest challenges,” he says.
“Communication technology has evolved
massively over the last 10 years in general
outside of aviation.” Customers expect
the sleek technology they use in their
lives away from aviation to find its way
into their cockpits. “It’s a real challenge
to bring that technology over to aviation
at the same speed it’s happening outside
of aviation,” says Wyllie. He believes
that challenge is not necessarily due to
engineering and manufacturing issues,
16 July/Aug 2021
but because of a bogeyman refrain we
often hear from business owners and
executives: government regulations. “The
regulatory system (e.g. FAA and EASA)
has not been able to keep up with the
speed of technological change,” Wyllie
says. “They struggle immensely with
updating their regulations to keep up
with advancing technology. Regulations
are holding technological advances and
development back from the industry with
overbearing rules. There are considerable
problems getting certification from the
FAA, for example, because the people
there just don’t understand the technology.
It’s moving too fast for them.”
Wyllie concedes that current regulations
were initially implemented for good reason,
but he says they’re becoming outdated at
an ever-increasing rate. Still, he sees relief
on the horizon. “I think there is starting to
be a recognition within the FAA that the
rules that applied to large wide-body jet
aircraft don’t need to be the same for small
rotary-wing aircraft. There has been a one-
size-fits-all mentality for a long time, but we
are starting to see some recognition that
this type of thinking is delaying the rollout
of affordable technologies at the lower
end. It’s all very well to design a product
for a 747 or A320 budget, but you cannot
roll that same budget into an A-Star or
whatever. People in our industry can design
products with just as much capability that
can affordably go into an A-Star, but the
Flightcell is a proud sponsor of the Nelson Rescue Helicopter Trust
regulatory rules are so draconian because
they’re based around aircraft holding 300
people and not for aircraft with four to eight
people. The FAA is starting to realize the
rules should adapt to different types of
aircraft, but that realization is happening
at such a slow rate, whereas technology
is improving at such a high speed, that
there’s a big disparity between the two.”
Fantasy Adventure
While burdening regulations remain a
constant challenge for Wyllie and the
rotorcraft industry, it’s an industry he still
likes. “Aviation is a relatively small, well-
connected industry, and the helicopter
sector is even smaller and more tightly
connected. It’s a fun industry to work in
because of those tight relationships. We’re
still connected and close to customers
even if we’re on the other side of the world.”
Wyllie likes closeness, but he’s perfectly
happy to remain based at his native spot
bordered by forests with the purest lakes in
the world. He contently says, “Being based
in an island town by a mountain lake in the
Southern Hemisphere isn’t a problem at
all.”
Founding a successful, global-class
company with a family feel in the fun
rotorcraft industry and getting to live in your
idyllic hometown surrounded by natural
splendor sounds like a fantasy adventure
better than any movie.
Now Airborne – Automated Heavy Lift
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Mil 2 CIV
Tips for the transitioning military helicopter pilot
FOLLOW THIS EXAMPLE TO
START YOUR CIVILIAN CAREER
Pay, location, and job satisfaction are three
of the major factors involved in determining
the ultimate helicopter pilot position. You can
consider yourself pretty lucky to get two out of
the three. Fortunately for retired Marine Pilot
Ryan Jacobs, he got all three when he landed
the enviable position as a contractor simulator
instructor at NAS Whiting Field.
Although Ryan landed the simulator instructor
position, he most certainly did not walk into
that job straight out of active duty status. For
six consecutive months he laid the groundwork
necessary to be selected for his dream
job. Ryan knew that simply being a likely
candidate, with his impressive and diverse
flight experience, would not be enough. He
stopped by the Whiting office about every
two weeks during the months preceding his
hiring, and made sure to maintain regular
communications with the hiring officials prior
to his Marines separation date. Even after
he had officially left the Marines, he kept in
touch and made sure they were aware of his
continued interest.
Knowing he would have to wait for a simulator
instructor opening, Ryan actively pursued
additional flight opportunities within the civilian
18 July/Aug 2021
By Heidi McBride
sector. With his characteristic determination,
he did some research and discovered that
a flight school and Marine colleague of his
was currently employed at one of the premier
helicopter companies operating in the Gulf of
Mexico. Ryan touched base with his former
colleague and asked if he would be willing to
recommend him and share his resume with the
chief pilot. This internal recommendation was
instrumental in making Ryan stand out in the
crowded influx of applications and resumes
flowing into the chief pilot’s office. To be
exceptionally prepared for the flight interview,
he used LinkedIn to research other pilots
who were actively employed at this company
then respectfully requested their guidance
regarding the interview process. Both actions
were extremely instrumental in the company’s
decision to select him for an interview, where
he performed well enough to be offered a job
with an exceptionally great company.
Although he was overqualified for the position
that was being offered, Ryan accepted the
job and became a VFR captain in the AW119
single-engine helicopter. While it was not
exactly the most ideal position for him, it
did provide him with a solid transition into
the civilian helicopter industry, gave him the
chance to gain a more in-depth understanding
of civilian aviation operations, and re-
established his flight currency with a fresh
Part 135 check ride. His training in the new
airframe, in conjunction with his expanded
civilian helicopter experience, increased
Ryan’s qualifications and made him an ideal
candidate for his dream job.
As you prepare to step into the civilian
helicopter sector, begin researching that
dream job early, preferably at least a year or
more before you plan to leave the military. It
is important, however, that you are open to
the idea of initially accepting a helicopter job
with another company as a stepping stone
toward the ultimate goal. That stepping stone
may very well open the door to snagging that
dream helicopter job you’re aiming for. Ryan’s
willingness to network and connect with
unfamiliar people, as well as his choice to first
accept a position that was not ideal, was the
key to his success.
About the author: Heidi McBride was
a helicopter crew chief in the U.S. Coast
Guard and is now a VFR captain in the oil
and gas industry.
JOIN OUR TEAM
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Hear from our pilots.

MAINTENANCE MINUTE
By Mark Tyler

Manage Your Sandwich

It was an ordinary day and I
was having an ordinary lunch
with my friend. It’s something
we do each week to break up
the day, share some laughs and
conduct some business. Today,
it was double patty melt day at
our favorite hole-in-the-wall
restaurant. It is the hard-to-find,
off the beaten path restaurant
where everyone knows your
name and you know them
too. When the server returned
with my friend’s patty melt, he
quickly surveyed his sandwich
and quipped, “Hey, you forgot
to add mayo.” In one motion
she whirled around and without
hesitating she replied, “It’s not
my responsibility to manage
your sandwich.” He was left
speechless, but I could not
hold back my laughter.
Within a few minutes he was
supplied with a small pack of
mayo, and all was right with the
world. I then began to ponder
her words and ask myself
some questions. Was it really
her responsibility? And better
yet: what would have been the
outcome if she indeed made
it her responsibility to take
full ownership of serving her
customer?
As professional aircraft
mechanics, is it our
responsibility to manage our
customers’ aircraft or just wait
for them to place an order?
Keep in mind that for some
owner-operators, it can be
a daunting and challenging
task to understand the OEM
aircraft maintenance schedule.
If a customer does not utilize
a system that creates a
status sheet of inspections
and component life limits, the
possibility of overflying the
due date is greatly increased.
A status sheet is also a great
tool for the mechanic to use
for providing a more accurate
quote when scheduled
maintenance is due.
Taking ownership of a
customer’s aircraft is an
opportunity to go the extra mile
and to show that you care about
their safety. Taking ownership
is also a great way to display
the essential tools of customer
service and communication.
Serving our customers and
keeping them informed will
create trust, and trust will
produce a deeper relationship.
That deeper relationship will
create more business, and the
circle continues.
The business of aircraft
maintenance and operation
is complex with many moving
parts. Unfortunately, we are
not afforded the luxury of a
mistake. We must look after
one another and hold each
other accountable. Our priority
is to keep everyone safe and
legal so at the end of the day,
we all go home to our families.
Some say that the best
companies are in the people-
building business, and then the
people will build the business.
My mission is to provide a
safe and legal aircraft to those
who entrust it to me. Also, it’s
to equip and empower other
mechanics to do the same.
Back to our lunch and the
server. Even though I got
a good laugh out of her
comments, I have come to
consider this a great example
of what not to do. Knowing it
is our responsibility to manage
the aircraft in every way will
leave no question about our
duty in any situation.

About the author: Mark Tyler dedicated

the majority of his career serving the
helicopter EMS community, from base
mechanic to director of maintenance.
As vice president and general manager
of Precision Aircraft Services, Tyler now
serves helicopter operators from many
sectors including air ambulance, law
enforcement, private owners, etc. When
not at work, he can be found spending time
with his family or sitting in a tree stand.

20 July/Aug 2021
A Robinson R44 lands in the Guna Yala Islands of northern
Panamá. Since 2015, landing helicopters on the Guna Yala
Islands has been prohibited except at airports. Before then, if you
didn’t like one island, the next one was just minutes away.

Photo: R. Morales
@choppertalks

A True North Helicopters Bell 407 flies guests

to visit hidden gorges and waterfalls on the
Berkeley River in the Kimberley region in
northwestern Australia.

Photo: Nick Sundblom @sunnerzzzz

22 July/Aug 2021
 Saving Lives.
Anytime,
Anywhere.

169
Leonardo Helicopters provide unique, integrated and affordable products to the Scan code to learn more
global healthcare delivery system.
The AW169 is ideally suited to life-saving primary and secondary EMS
missions anytime, anywhere. Easily adaptable, rapidly configurable and
uniquely designed around patients’ needs; the AW169 ensures that air medical
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Inspired by the vision, curiosity and creativity of the great master inventor -
Leonardo is designing the technology of tomorrow.

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Helicopters | Aeronautics | Electronics, Defence & Security Systems | Space

 HANGAR TALK Industry news relevant to your business
The Global Helicopter Fleet with Helionix Avionics Logs
500,000+ Flight Hours
Underscoring its growing popularity with operators worldwide,
Airbus Helicopters’ Helionix avionics suite now equips more
than 500 H135, H145, H160, and H175 rotorcraft around the
world – with over half a million flight hours logged to date by
this fleet.
Airbus continues to enhance the capabilities of Helionix with
new features, functionality, and connectivity – as well as
adaptations that are specific to the various versions in Airbus
Helicopters’ rotorcraft family.
Pilot’s best friend
As the state-of-the art avionics solution developed in-house
by Airbus Helicopters, Helionix provides greater operational
safety and mission flexibility in an intuitive, pilot-friendly cockpit
environment.
It offers an innovative cockpit layout with two to four multi-
function screens designed to improve pilots’ situational
awareness. In particular, the system displays only the most
pertinent details of a flight phase – filtering out all unnecessary
and distracting information, according to Christian Gottschalk,
head of the Helionix program at Airbus Helicopters.
24 July/Aug 2021
Completing the avionics suite are a GPS navigation/
communication system and traffic advisory notification, along
with a mission system incorporating a digital map, terrain
avoidance capabilities, and synthetic vision cockpit technology.
Further contributing to a reduction of the pilot’s workload and
enhanced safety is the Helionix four-axis autopilot.
Helionix also lowers helicopter maintenance costs by monitoring
more than a thousand parameters in real time – allowing
operators to monitor system trends and anticipate unscheduled
maintenance operations.
Airbus’ Helionix avionics suite filters out unnecessary and
distracting information so pilots can focus on the most pertinent
details.
Constant evolution
Helionix is continually evolving with each new version,
taking customers’ requests and feedback into account. This
includes bolstering search and rescue (SAR) capabilities and
introducing Rig’N Fly automatic mode approaches for landings
on oil platforms. Other flight monitoring and failure management
functions have recently been developed as well.
Following an agreement with the heli-offshore community
to implement new helicopter terrain awareness and warning

system (HTAWS) modes, a Vortex protection has been
introduced as well – protecting the rotorcraft against loss of
airspeed. Incorporated into the autopilot, this new mode can be
integrated in all helicopters flying with Helionix.
HANGAR TALK
– including aerial work, utility missions and law enforcement.
In addition, a new wireless airborne communications system
deployed on the H145 enhances connectivity by securely
transmitting helicopter data in real time.

New configurations and capabilities
Airbus recently certified a new single-pilot, IFR-compatible
cockpit version of Helionix for its H135 rotorcraft – giving
customers an option to remove the co-pilot side of the instrument
panel to increase the field of view, or retain it in order to install
specific equipment.
For Airbus Helicopters’ new H160, pilots will be the first to benefit
from assisted take-off mode, which will assist them during this
phase of flight. The pilots will only have to monitor the flight path
as the autopilot takes control during lift-off, hover, acceleration,
and climb.

For the H135, the planned single-pilot IFR cockpit will further
boost this helicopter’s capabilities across multiple applications

Boeing to Boost U.K. Royal Air Force
Chinook Fleet
U.S. Special Operations Command
awarded Boeing a $578 million Foreign
Military Sales contract approved by the
U.S. Department of State to deliver 14
extended-range Chinook helicopters to
the U.K. Royal Air Force (RAF).
The extended-range Chinook gives the
RAF fleet more versatility to execute
the domestic and international heavy-
lift missions that only the Chinook can
facilitate.
“These Chinooks are the future of
heavy-lift, built on an existing foundation
of advanced capability and life cycle
affordability,” said Andy Builta, Boeing
vice president and H-47 program
manager. “This contract for Block II
aircraft sets the stage for the next 60
years of Chinook excellence on the
battlefield.”
Boeing and the RAF recently celebrated
the 40th anniversary of the first Chinook
delivery to the U.K. Boeing will also
celebrate the 60th anniversary of the
Chinook’s first flight later this year.
The United Kingdom will be the first
international operator of a Block II
Chinook. Deliveries are scheduled to
start in 2026.
Boeing has more than 4,600 employees
in Pennsylvania supporting the Chinook,
the V-22 Osprey, the MH-139A Grey Wolf,
and a number of services and engineering
efforts. Including suppliers and vendors,
Boeing’s activities support an estimated
16,000 jobs in Pennsylvania.
The Chinook fleet for the U.K. Ministry
of Defence (MOD) supports more than
450 highly skilled jobs across the U.K.
Boeing colleagues provide maintenance
and services support at MOD-Gosport,
Boscombe Down, and are embedded
alongside the military at RAF-Odiham.
View more information about the recent
40th anniversary celebration here.

rotorcraftpro.com 25
HANGAR TALK Industry news relevant to your business
A109 Helicopter’s Maiden Flight Anniversary Marks 50
Years of Leadership in High Performance, Design, and
Mission Versatility
Leonardo recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of its A109
helicopter, an iconic product that represented a revolution in
the life of the company. The type enabled Italy to become one
of the world’s only nations with an OEM capable of autonomous
design, development, and manufacturing of helicopters that
became highly successful in both national and export markets.
Best-in-class performance and speed, a sleek design for
superior aerodynamics, in-house modern main gearbox and
transmission design and development, mission versatility,
and a high level of customization. All of these characteristics
enabled winning, distinguished features and core capabilities
at Leonardo and played a significant part in its growing multi-
role and dual-use helicopter range over the coming decades,
and this started with the maiden flight of the Agusta A109 on
Aug. 4, 1971.
The project request originated from the designer Bruno Lovera
to the then top management, and an A109 prototype was
taken to the skies by pilot Ottorino Lancia for the first time in
the summer of 1971. The new model featured a four-blade
articulated main rotor, a semi-rigid two-blade tail rotor and
26 July/Aug 2021
retractable landing gear, delivering unique handling and overall
flying qualities. The 2.4-ton, 8-seat type was certified both in
Italy and the U.S. (four years later) and entered the market
in 1976. The new model also allowed the company to enter
into the highly competitive U.S. market, where it leveraged
the establishment of a logistics center in Philadelphia set to
become, over the following decades, home to Leonardo’s
helicopter industrial presence in the U.S. for comprehensive
rotorcraft manufacturing, support, and training services.
Starting in the mid-1970s, early success led to a continued
and increased presence of the company in the challenging
light-twin segment market on a global scale with a number
of versions and newly certified types for the widest array of
civil, public service, and military applications. New 3-ton class
models include the popular Power and Grand as well as the
more recent GrandNew and Trekker aircraft, not to mention
more customized military and government variants such as the
LUH and Nexus. With the latest designs, Leonardo introduced
modern digital avionics, spacious cabins, enhanced dynamics,
new engines, and all main undercarriage options reaching a
total number of over 1,600 light-twin helicopters sold in 50
years to customers in over 50 countries across all continents
for operations in all-weather/environment conditions, over land
and sea.
PROVEN. TRUSTED. HANGAR TALK
STANDING BY TO SUPPORT YOUR HELICOPTER SIMULATION NEEDS.

“Frasca sets the standard in helicopter flight simulation products.

The craftsmanship, accuracy, and cost-benefit is unmatched”
- Randy Rowles, President of Helicopter Institute

FRASCA is the premier provider of helicopter simulation products that enable realistic, simulated learning
environments for complex mission training. Whether training EMS, law enforcement, oil and gas, or
corporate, we remain ready to provide training solutions for every type of helicopter operator.
Learn how FRASCA simulators help pilots around the world sharpen their skills by visiting Frasca.com

WITH GRATITUDE TO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.

HANGAR TALK Industry news relevant to your business
Safran Arrano 1A Obtains FAA Certification
Safran Helicopter Engines has received FAA (Federal Aviation
Administration) type certification for its Arrano 1A engine
installed in the Airbus H160 helicopter. Arrano is a new-
generation turboshaft in the 1,100 to 1,300 shp power range.
It integrates the best in aero-engine technologies and offers
a 15% reduction in fuel consumption over other in-service
helicopter engines. Arrano received EASA (European Aviation
Safety Agency) type certification in June 2019.
Arrano Program Director Cyrille Ressejac-Duparc said, “Arrano
is now certified in both Europe and the United States, and is
more than ever ready for Airbus H160 entry-into-service. This
engine lies at the vanguard of Safran Helicopter Engines’ new
range. As well as the H160’s imminent arrival in service, Safran
Helicopter Engines is strongly committed to supporting Airbus
and French Armed Forces in developing the Guépard military
variant.”
Arrano’s innovative design features a new-generation digital
control system that offers greater in-flight responsiveness,
enhancing both safety and pilot handling. It combines a highly
efficient two-stage centrifugal compressor with new-design
variable inlet guide vanes (IGV). Through improving the engine’s
thermal efficiency, these components contribute to reducing
fuel consumption by 15% over other in-service engines. The
gyratory combustion chamber features fuel injectors made
using additive manufacturing (3D-printing) techniques. These
enhance engine start performance in all weathers and altitudes,
and contribute to reducing emissions. In common with all
Safran engines, the Arrano is certified to operate on up to 50%
sustainable aviation fuel, including biofuel.
The Arrano has been designed with simple maintenance in mind,
and full access to Safran Helicopter Engines digital services.
Servicing time is lower than that of previous-generation engines.
28 July/Aug 2021
Axnes Names Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics U.S.
Repair Station for PNG Wireless Intercom Products
Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics announced it has been
named an Authorized Repair Station for Axnes PNG wireless
intercom products in the United States. Mid-Continent expects
to provide service and support capabilities for Axnes customers
by October 2021. This will include warranty and non-warranty
repair and exchange services, technical support, installation
and configuration assistance, product training, troubleshooting,
diagnostics and AOG services for the complete Axnes PNG
product line.
“Axnes is excited and proud to establish a new support partnership
with Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics,” said Markus
Schmitz, managing director of Axnes Inc. in North America. “Our
new relationship with Mid-Continent, an iconic industry leader and
experts in avionics service and support, will immensely benefit our
existing, and rapidly growing, customer family.”
Installed in more than 1,800 aircraft worldwide, Axnes wireless
intercom solutions are widely known for their exceptional
performance in extreme conditions. They are highly durable and
designed for aircraft, ground vehicles, and maritime platforms in
both the civilian and military markets.
“Our state-of-the-art Van Nuys, California, facility is the center
of our Axnes PNG product service and support,” said Matthew
Harrah, senior vice president of technology and products for Mid-
Continent Instruments and Avionics. “Our team operates one of
the largest overhaul and exchange programs in the world and is
proud to serve Axnes and their customers across the U.S. Our
support capabilities for Axnes will be fully on-line and operational
this fall.”
 HANGAR TALK

Erickson Inc. Initiates Evaluation of

Strategic Alternatives to Accelerate
Growth in Air Operations and MRO

Erickson Inc. recently announced it has

retained Houlihan Lokey Inc. to explore
strategic alternatives to accelerate the
company’s growth and maintain its industry
leadership position.

“We are seeking a strategic partner who

shares our vision, our commitment to
customers and employees, and can add
strategic and operational value in the
aviation and aerospace industry,” stated
Doug Kitani, CEO and director.

Founded in 1971, Erickson’s Manufacturing

and MRO services include manufacturing
the S-64 Air Crane® helicopter as the
original equipment manufacturer (OEM),
as well as manufacturing key aerospace
parts for aerospace OEMs.

The commercial aerial services include THE LEADER IN

NIGHT
the operation of 20 Erickson owned and
operated S-64 Air Crane® helicopters
to perform firefighting, power-line

VISION
construction, timber harvesting, HVAC,
and specialized heavy-lift for oil and gas.

“Our aim is to upgrade Erickson’s great

assets, including technology advances
in the S-64 Super Air Crane, and expand
our capabilities in MRO. A new strategic
partner will complement our strengths,
propel Erickson to the next level, and
position the company, with its legacy and
expertise, as the first-choice leader in the
most demanding air operations and OEM-
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HANGAR TALK Industry news relevant to your business
David Mast Marks 25 Years as
CEO and President of Precision
Aviation Group
In the world of high-speed turnover
in the executive suites of many
companies, large or small, David
Mast stands out as a model
of sustained leadership amid
accelerated strategic growth. June
2021 marked his 25th year as the
CEO and president of Precision
Aviation Group Inc., headquartered
in Atlanta, Georgia, with award-
winning aviation support operations
on three continents. Mast’s
colleagues, partners, employees,
and friends recently threw a surprise
party for him called “A Celebration of
Leadership.”
David Mast’s CEO success story
for two and one-half decades
started small. In 1996 when he first
took charge, revenues were just
$250,000. Back then, PAG had 14
employees. Today, PAG has 402
personnel and projected revenues
for 2021 are $260 million. One might
ask: How does a CEO transform a
company by 1,000 times its previous
size? To quote another aviation
CEO who served on PAG’s Board
for 12 years: “It’s not as easy as
David Mast makes it look!”
A graduate of Georgia Tech with a
degree in industrial management,
Mast’s early career included
experiences in sales, finance,
and operations management with
companies such as AT&T and First
Financial Management Corp. His
journey with PAG began as inventory
manager, then sales manager,
advancing to vice president – Sales
& Marketing, and then a promotion
on his merits and contributions to
president 25 years ago. By 1999,
just three years into his CEO tenure,
PAG was named to the “INC. 500”
as one of the fastest-growing
companies in America.
30 July/Aug 2021
In 1996, Mast took the risk and “bet
on himself and the people of PAG”
that he could grow the business
far more aggressively. When the
company “leapt forward” to $14
million revenues, Mast recants
the story of creating a five-year
roadmap: “How shall we build to
$50 million or more in less than
60 months?” Indeed, that’s exactly
what happened.
To keep building the business,
Mast knew he needed a bigger gas
tank and more fuel for the PAG
engine. He adroitly negotiated with
not just one, but three successive
private equity investor groups, in
roughly five-year series each, to
vault PAG forward. Some of Mast’s
strongest admirers are those huge
institutional shareholders who
consider PAG to be a “home-run”
investment. With his current round
of capitalization, Mast is intent on
taking PAG to record-high growth
and value creation. He has laser
focus on advancing the brand, the
business, the careers of his people,
and of course the shareholder value
of PAG.
David Mast is often quoted in the
press as an expert voice in the
industry. “We want to be a better
company every day,” he said. “That’s
in terms of employer of choice;
that’s in terms of efficiency, being
good stewards, and a growing,
successful business. And part of that
philosophy is really focusing on how
do we better serve our customers.”
Quoting a former board member
of PAG, “David Mast is known
as a brilliant, fair, sometimes
tough-minded leader, and a highly
accomplished business-builder.
He is also known as a great boss
by those who know him well. It is
tangibly evident in the positive spirit
and superior performance of the
PAG organization. Mast has fostered
a long-term high performance
culture.”
 HANGAR TALK

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HANGAR TALK Industry news relevant to your business
StandardAero Delivers First UH-1H Modified Tailboom to
Pinal County Sheriff’s Department
StandardAero has delivered the industry’s first UH-1H helicopter
tailboom modified to be the lightest with the most heavy-lift
strength to fly in the hottest and highest altitudes in the world.
The first modification was delivered to launch the Pinal County
(Arizona) Sheriff’s Department helicopter fleet in early July.
To achieve this upgrade, the following major modifications were
incorporated during tailboom refurbishment and paint, including
the accompanying Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs):
• StandardAero 212 Vertical Fin, Tail Rotor and Push-Pull
anti-torque control system incorporated onto a UH-1H
Helicopter (FAA STC SR00267SE)
• StandardAero improved UH-1H tailboom longerons and
tailboom skins for high torque and higher heat
• BLR Aerospace LLC Fast Fin and Dual Strake (FAA STC
SR01470SE)
• Trinity Aviation Services Ltd. Carbon Fiber Driveshaft
Cover (FAA STC SR04156NY)
Upgrade modifications to the UH-1H tailboom and airframe
provide a number of operational benefits, including improved
hover-hold tasks, yaw control, high-density altitude capability,
reduced torque, reduced tail-rotor power requirements and
reduced fuel consumption.
32 July/Aug 2021
“As a public sector customer, Pinal County Sheriff’s Office has
been pleased with the professionalism, quality, and patience
from StandardAero. They have been there every step of the
way, from listening to our needs to providing an exceptional
product on time and within the budget constraints. I look forward
to our continued partnership,” said Theresa Peoble, director of
maintenance for the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office.
The modifications are being provided in phases, from now
through 2022. Additional airframe modifications are in the
works to provide increased cargo-hook capacity to 5,000
pounds, external cargo-load capacity and improved external
gross weight limits.
The upgraded UH-1H tailboom and new 212 tail rotor and hub
assemblies with 212 drive train components were completed
at StandardAero’s Helicopter Airframe MRO facility. Additional
airframe upgrades will be completed this September at the
customer’s facility in Arizona.
“At StandardAero we are constantly innovating to support new
and legacy utility helicopters and to assist helicopter operators
in accomplishing their critical and unique flying missions both
efficiently and safely, even in the harshest conditions,” said
Julien Roy, general manager of StandardAero’s Langley, British
Columbia, helicopter facility.

“Time, logistics, and man-hours are all
strategic resources,” said Mike Deslatte,
vice president and H-1 program director
for Bell. “Commonality helps ensure
everything between the Viper and Venom,
from manufacturing, maintenance, and
upgrades, remains seamless while
simultaneously providing lower program
and life cycle costs. It’s a real tactical
advantage on multiple levels.”The UH-
1Y and AH-1Z share the same engines,
integrated mission system and dynamic
components, such as the four-bladed
HANGAR TALK
rotor system. Both aircraft are specifically
designed and produced for expeditionary
operations. Together, they provide a full
spectrum of military operations, unlike any
other helicopter duo.
Bell anticipates USMC production
through early 2022, followed by continued
production for foreign military customers.
Bell has two signed foreign military sales
(FMS) cases in production for Bahrain and
the Czech Republic.

Bell Begins Manufacturing UH-1Y for First

International Operator

Bell Textron Inc. recently restarted UH-1Y

Venom helicopter production for the first
international operator. Crestview Aerospace
has completed manufacturing the first of eight
cabins at the Crestview, Florida, facility. The
aircraft will complete final assembly at the Bell
Amarillo Assembly Center. The helicopters are
part of the 2020 U.S. Department of Defense
contract awarded to Bell for the production
and delivery of eight UH-1Y and four AH-1Z
helicopters for the government of the Czech
Republic. THE NEW
“Crestview Aerospace is honored and grateful 1400 L (370 USG)

Bambi
for the opportunity to team with Bell on the
continued production of the UH-1Y cabin for
the first international customer,” said Paul
Kohlmeier, senior vice president, Strategy
and Business Development of Crestview

Bucket
Aerospace. “Crestview continues to build in
the same high quality and reliability into the
international Venom helicopters that underpin
the aircraft currently operated by the United
States Marine Corps around the world.”

Bell delivered the final UH-1Y for the United

NOW AVAILABLE
States Marine Corps (USMC) program of
record in April 2018, and has continued to
IN STANDARD &
produce and deliver the AH-1Z as part of the MAX MODELS
H-1 production contract for 349 H-1 aircraft,
consisting of 160 UH-1Ys and 189 AH-1Zs.

The UH-1Y shares 85% commonality of parts

with the AH-1Z. The commonality between
the aircraft enabled critical component
supply chains to remain active during AH-1Z
production for the USMC. WATCH VIDEO BAMBIBUCKET.COM

rotorcraftpro.com 33
HANGAR TALK Industry news relevant to your business
HeliSpeed Extends SAR Support Agreement with British
International Helicopters
An extended five-year agreement cements a long-term
partnership between global aviation business HeliSpeed and
British International Helicopters (BIH). HeliSpeed will continue
to provide helicopter pilots, engineers and technical crew from
its growing network of over 2,500 aviation professionals.
BIH is the largest British-owned helicopter firm and a trusted
long-term partner to military clients, with a track record of
delivering consistently safe and reliable services in challenging
environments.
“We’re delighted to continue our relationship with BIH as their
exclusive aviation supplier. It’s been a challenging 14 months
for the aviation industry, but we’ve not let it hold us back. We’re
growing our global partnerships and utilizing our network of
over 2,500 skilled aviation professionals to support more
operations worldwide,” stated Helispeed Operations Director
Gemma Walker.
HeliSpeed matches the skills of experienced pilots and engineers
with the needs and preferences of operators. They are experts
in the diverse skillsets required for offshore, construction, ferry
flights, SAR, EMS, disaster relief and VIP missions. HeliSpeed
supplies aviation professionals for both short-term and long-
term global missions on over 83 types of helicopters, supporting
ferry flights, aircraft repositioning, ground and flight tests, and
training across every platform.
“Over the period since we established our relationship with
HeliSpeed, the aviation industry has faced unprecedented
challenges. Our safe navigation through these challenges has
been strongly supported by HeliSpeed, and we are delighted
to demonstrate our confidence in the partnership through this
long-term commitment,” said British International Helicopters
Chief Operating Officer Alistair Riches.
34 July/Aug 2021
Bristow Group Announces Contract Extensions with
Equinor, Shell, and Neptune in Norway
Bristow Group Inc. recently announced four separate two-year
contract extensions through April 2024 with Equinor, Shell and
Neptune to support its air transportation crew change services
for their operations in the Norwegian continental shelf.
Bristow has been an Equinor aviation partner for more than
20 years and will continue to use its fleet of S-92s to provide
crew change flights out of Bristow’s bases in Bergen and Florø,
Norway. The strong partnership with Neptune and Shell has
been ongoing since May 2017.
Bristow’s current contracts with the three companies expire on
April 30, 2022. All contract extensions include two one-year
options to further extend the contracts from 2024.
“Our collaboration and working relationship with Equinor are
true examples of what a partnership in our industry should look
like. We both share a strong commitment to efficiency and to
the highest safety standards in providing critical transportation
services in supporting exploration and production activities,” said
Heidi Wulff Heimark, Bristow managing director/accountable
manager in Norway. “We are especially honored by their trust
and confidence in us with these contract extensions that will
bring long-term stability and maintain service efficiencies.”
Equinor, Shell, and Neptune Energy collaborate on flights
from the Florø base, and Shell and Neptune have decided to
also extend their contracts with Bristow in line with Equinor’s
contract award.
 HANGAR TALK
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 HANGAR TALK Industry news relevant to your business
Collins Aerospace Invests $30M to Expand Global Repair
Facility in Monroe, North Carolina
Collins Aerospace recently announced it has completed an
approximately $30 million expansion of its maintenance, repair
and overhaul (MRO) facility in Monroe, North Carolina.
Opened in 2004, Collins’ Monroe facility focuses on repairs to
a number of commercial and military aircraft systems including
actuation, cargo, rescue hoists and winches, landing gear,
air management, potable water, and lighting, along with 24/7
aircraft-on-ground spare services. The recent expansion
increased the site’s footprint more than 25% to include a new
two-story office building, added shop floor space, and an
enlarged loading dock.
“The ongoing growth of our Monroe facility represents our
commitment to our customers and the community,“ said Mary
DeStaffan, general manager of the Monroe site for Collins
Aerospace. “This current expansion will allow us to better
support our airline customers as they transition their fleets
to more modern, next-generation aircraft. And we’re proud to
undertake this journey with support from Union County and
the City of Monroe as we continue to contribute to the region‘s
growing aerospace cluster.”
In addition to its recent Monroe expansion, Collins is deliberating
plans to invest another $30 million over the next three years to
increase additive manufacturing and rescue hoist and winch
36 July/Aug 2021
repair capabilities. The company’s decision to further grow
its operations is contingent on approval by both the Monroe
City Council and Union County Board of Commissioners of a
new economic development program recently introduced by
both entities. The new MAGNET100 program is intended to
encourage companies’ continued capital investment over a
10-year period. To qualify, companies must meet investment
thresholds of $30 million in the first three years and $50 million
in the first seven years. The grant recognizes capital investment
up to $100 million.
“Collins Aerospace is one of the crown jewels of North
Carolina’s aerospace industry, which is among the fastest-
growing in the U.S.,” said Christopher Chung, CEO of the
Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. “That
Collins Aerospace continues to deepen its footprint in our
state with ongoing investment is a strong validation of our
business climate and attractiveness to aerospace and aviation
companies.”
“In 2004, Collins Aerospace located operations in Monroe,
helping to create North Carolina’s largest geographic cluster
of aerospace companies,” said Chris Platé, executive director
for Monroe-Union County Economic Development. “The
company’s desire for sustained investment in our community
further demonstrates the strength of Union County’s aerospace
cluster and the commitment our local leaders have to support
its continued growth.”
 HANGAR TALK

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HANGAR TALK Industry news relevant to your business
HAI Awards Nine Scholarships
to Next Generation of Helicopter
Industry Professionals
Helicopter Association International
(HAI) recently announced nine HAI
scholarships for 2021. Available to
aviation students around the world, these scholarships support
HAI’s mission to educate the next generation of helicopter
professionals. HAI makes up to 15 scholarships available each
year, funded through donations and other fundraising events.
This year’s awards include one scholarship for students in
helicopter maintenance technician programs, one for pilots
working toward earning their commercial helicopter rating, one
for safety professionals, and six for established maintenance
professionals seeking training for specific helicopters or
components.
“We congratulate the men and women who received the
scholarships for 2021,” says James Viola, president and CEO
of HAI. “These students have made a commitment to work in
our industry at a time when employment prospects are looking
very good, and they recognize that additional education and
training will be a strong benefit moving forward.”
The nine scholarship recipients this year are:
• Hanna Santamaria of Denver, Colorado, who was
presented the $5,000 Commercial Helicopter Pilot Rating
Scholarship. Santamaria, who is studying at Leading Edge
Flight Academy in Bend, Oregon, holds a private license
and is working toward earning her commercial helicopter
rating in order to pursue employment as a helicopter pilot .
• William Teigan of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta,
Canada, who received the $2,500 Maintenance Technician
Certificate Scholarship that is awarded to students studying
to become aviation maintenance technicians. Teigan is
BY THE NUMBERS
6
The number of noisy helicopters flying over Manhattan’s
Central Park on opening night of Shakespeare in the Park.
Patrons are protesting with a “Stop the Chop” movement.
U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler and officials from The Public Theater
have pleaded with the FAA to divert helicopter traffic from
Central Park to reduce the noise. The controversy gives new
meaning to the Bard of Avon’s words: “Fair is foul, and foul is
fair. Hover through the fog and filthy air.”
38 July/Aug 2021
a student at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in
Calgary.
• Jessica Meiris of Colorado Springs, Colorado, recipient of
the Michelle North Scholarship for Safety. This scholarship
provides the recipient with full tuition to attend a safety
management system (SMS) course as part of HAI’s
Professional Education program at HAI Heli-Expo®.
• Six individuals who were awarded the Bill Sanderson
Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) scholarship, which
HAI administers on behalf of the association’s Technical
and Maintenance Working Group.
These scholarships are presented each year in conjunction
with airframe, engine, and avionics manufacturers. Recipients
use the scholarships to attend airframe-specific or equipment-
specific training courses offered by the manufacturers, along
with stipends up to $1,600 each.
The manufacturers that participated in the program for 2021
are Airbus, Leonardo Helicopters, MD Helicopters, Pratt &
Whitney, Rolls-Royce, and Safran. This year’s recipients of the
Bill Sanderson AMT scholarship are:
• Jeffrey Davis of Louisville, Colorado (MD Helicopters)
• John Doherty of Lebanon, Pennsylvania (Safran)
• Beth Elliott of Knoxville, Tennessee (Pratt & Whitney)
• Laura Fisher of Nepean, Ontario, Canada (Airbus)
• Lillianna Sorensen of Cedar City, Utah (Leonardo
Helicopters)
• Teeratouch Triemasanchai of Los Angeles, California
(Rolls-Royce)
“We encourage students around the world to pursue their
dreams of flying and maintaining helicopters,” says Viola.
“The application process for the 2022 scholarships begins in
September. Interested students can find more information at
our website beginning Aug. 30, 2021.”
24
The number of MH-60R Seahawk multi-role
1
The popularity ranking of gamer
helicopters contracted to be delivered to the requests to add helicopters to
Indian Navy by Sikorsky Helicopters. The the Microsoft Flight Simulator
first two helicopters under the $2.12 billion platform. This most popular
contract were delivered in a July ceremony request will reportedly be fulfilled
in San Diego. by next year.
 HANGAR TALK

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187
The number of days HAA Pilot Ricky Hamm spent in the
50
The number of U.S. states that will allow
17
The number of
University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) Hospital fighting medevac operators to provide blood organizations listed on
COVID-19. Those days included five months on life support transfusions on their flights, if New York’s faa.gov that offer aviation
hitched to an ECMO (heart-lung) machine. Hospital staff, governor signs a bill approved by the legislature. scholarships for minorities.
friends, and family cheered as Hamm exited the hospital If signed, the bill will complete the availability of
using a walker in mid-July, a day before his 51st birthday. He HAA transfusions throughout the country. New
encourages eligible persons to get vaccinated. York EMS physicians have long been pushing
to allow such transfusions.

rotorcraftpro.com 39
HANGAR TALK UNMANNED News relating to unmanned aerial systems
Bell Unveils New Design Concepts for
Military Application
Bell Textron Inc. recently announced the
unveiling of design concepts for new
aircraft systems for military applications
that would use Bell’s High-Speed
Vertical Takeoff and Landing (HSVTOL)
technology as the company continues its
innovation of next-generation vertical-lift
aircraft. HSVTOL technology blends the
hover capability of a helicopter with the
speed, range and survivability features of
a fighter aircraft.
“Bell’s HSVTOL technology is a step-
change improvement in rotorcraft
capabilities,” said Jason Hurst, vice
president, Innovation. “Our technology
40 July/Aug 2021
investments have reduced risk and
prepared us for rapid development
of HSVTOL in a digital engineering
environment, leveraging experience from
a robust past of technology exploration
and close partnerships with the
Department of Defense and Research
Laboratories.”
Bell’s HSVTOL design concepts include
the following features:
• Low downwash hover capability
• Jet-like cruise speeds over 400 knots
• True runway independence and
hover endurance
• Scalability to the range of missions
from unmanned personnel recovery
to tactical mobility
• Aircraft gross weights range from
4,000 pounds to over 100,000
pounds.
Bell’s HSVTOL capability is critical to
future mission needs, offering a range of
aircraft systems with enhanced runway
independence, aircraft survivability,
mission flexibility and enhanced
performance over legacy platforms.
With the convergence of tiltrotor
aircraft capabilities, digital flight control
advancements, and emerging propulsion
technologies, Bell is primed to evolve
HSVTOL technology for modern military
missions to serve the next generation of
warfighters.
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• NEMSPA Safety Panel, Accident
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• And AMTC favorites are still in store!
• AAMS SIM Cup
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HANGAR TALK UNMANNED News relating to unmanned aerial systems

Built around Air Methods’ existing the Wingcopter 198. The Wingcopter 198
infrastructure of more than 300 bases, is a state-of-the-art autonomous eVTOL
serving hundreds of hospitals across 48 delivery drone that enables safe, reliable,
states in predominantly rural areas, this fast, and bidirectional medical deliveries.
new drone delivery network will improve
Air Methods Launches Innovative Drone access to urgently needed medical This fall, Spright will be partnering with
Solution to Address Rural Supply Chain supplies for healthcare providers and the Hutchinson Regional Medical System in
Challenges communities they serve. Air Methods is Hutchinson, Kansas, for the launch of
making this possible by deploying fleets of an initial pilot project using Wingcopter’s
Air Methods recently announced the Wingcopter’s new flagship delivery drone, delivery drones.
launch of Spright, a newly formed drone
solution, designed to help improve
healthcare access and minimize
supply challenges. Collaborating with
Wingcopter, an industry-leading German
drone manufacturer, Spright is creating a
drone-based, healthcare-specific delivery
network across the United States.

Unfortunately, Americans are impacted

by a lack of timely access to care. When
these shortages impact the availability of
blood products, medicines, diagnostics or
small medical devices, the consequences
can be dire. The solution is a flexible, rapid
distribution network designed with 21st

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Century technology.

FAA Announces Approved • Drone U

Administrators for Recreational • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU)
Drone Pilot Safety Test • HSU Educational Foundation
• Lake Area Technical College
Sixteen organizations have been selected by the Federal Aviation • Pilot Institute
Administration (FAA) to initially administer the Recreational • Proctorio Incorporated
Unmanned Aircraft Systems Safety Test (TRUST). The test was • Tactical Aviation
developed to provide recreational drone flyers with aeronautical • UAV Coach
safety knowledge and an overview of the rules for operating • University of Arizona Global Campus
drones in the National Airspace System. • Volatus Aerospace Corp

“These organizations are key to making this test widely available
and easily accessible to recreational drone pilots,” said FAA
Administrator Steve Dickson. “We need pilots of all aircraft,
including those who operate recreational drones, to have the
training and knowledge needed to operate safely in the nation’s
airspace.”
The test may be taken through any of the following approved
organizations:
• Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA)
• Boy Scouts of America
• Chippewa Valley Technical College
• Community College of Allegheny County–West Hills Center
• CrossFlight Sky Solutions LLC
• Drone Launch Academy LLC
Links to test administrators are available on the FAA website. The
test is administered online at no cost through the approved test
administrators.
After passing the test, recreational drone flyers will be issued a
completion certificate that they are required to show if asked by
FAA or law enforcement personnel. The completion certificate
does not expire. Recreational drone flyers should take the test at
their earliest convenience.
Congress required the development of the testing program in the
FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (PDF). The drone community
provided input into the test development.

42 July/Aug 2021
PRODUCTS & SERVICES
www.alpineaerotech.com
Analog flight instruments have become progressively more
expensive and difficult to repair. Spare parts are scarce,
lead times have become unreliable, and many OEMs have
entirely discontinued aftermarket support.
Alpine Aerotech has developed a simple plug-and-play
solution to upgrade pilot/copilot heading and attitude
indicators with robust digital alternatives. The instruments
are currently certified in Canada, the USA, and Europe for
Bell 205/212 aircraft engaged in visual flight rules (VFR)
operations.
In contrast to other integrated glass cockpits, most
customers can install the kit locally with minimal structural
and avionic resources required. Aerotech provides all
adapter plates, wiring harnesses, and mounting brackets
to guarantee straightforward installation. In addition to
the original instruments, the installer can also remove the
Tarsyn/rate gyros, flux valve, remote compensator, compass
control and all associated wiring, leaving fewer components
to fail in service. The kit comes complete with a two-year
warranty on all components.
“The installation was very simple. We are very satisfied
with this kit and would recommend the STC to any 212/205
operators looking to optimize maintenance and operations
with reliable instruments and reduced total aircraft weight.
We have an outstanding relationship with Alpine Aerotech;
we appreciate their level of professionalism and support in
all MRO services: O/H of components, providing spare parts,
mfg. of parts and fixtures, creating and selling approved
EASA STCs, etc.)”
— Hans Kraskes, Agraflug Helilift Gmbh & Co. KG
44 July/Aug 2021
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 North Memorial
Health Air Care
Article, photos, and video by Wes Van Dell

46 July/Aug 2021
“
From executives to
pilots and paramedics,
everyone is invested in the
mission and doing their part
to serve the community.

WATCH VIDEO NOW

North Memorial Health Air Care exclusively operates the Leonardo AW109.

rotorcraftpro.com 47
S
ince 1985, North Memorial
Health has served Minnesota
and the surrounding states,
connecting rural communities
and the sprawling metropolis of
Minneapolis by both air and ground.
North Memorial Health Air Care and
its fleet of nine helicopters conduct
more than 4,000 flights a year from
seven bases throughout the region.
Its focus is clear: saving lives by
safely providing the highest level of
care in the shortest possible flight.
Upon meeting the team at North
Memorial Health Air Care, one thing
becomes immediately evident: a
sense of pride and teamwork. From
executives to pilots and paramedics,
everyone is invested in the mission
and doing their part to serve the
community.
The central hub of North Memorial
Health is its two hospitals in
Robbinsdale and Maple Grove,
Minnesota. The Robbinsdale facility
is a Level 1 Adult Trauma Center,
and it features one of the largest
helipads in the Upper Midwest to
accommodate air ambulance flights
from across the region. “We’re one of
the true hospital-owned certificates
left,” says Tate Poynor, Air Care
director of operations. “Air Care has
been deeply rooted here for more
than 30 years. Having the support of
the hospital has given us all the things
we need to be industry leaders.”
The hospitals themselves service
more than 100,000 emergency
room visits a year, which requires
a large network of ground and air
transportation assets.
including the air wing. “Since we are
so spread out across the state, the
air assets really help pull our whole
system together.”
To cover the entire state as well as
parts of surrounding states, North
Memorial Health’s nine aircraft
are spread across six bases in
Minnesota and one in Wisconsin.
This means they are deeply involved
in each community they serve,
training side-by-side with local first
responders, hospital staff, and their
own extensive ambulance network.
“When North Memorial Air Care
comes to that community we stay
in that community, and we become
a part of that community. We’re
committed to the citizens, health care
facilities, and local first responders.
They know that they can trust us to
take care of their patients and get
them to the most appropriate care,”
says Billie Sell, clinical manager
at North Memorial Health Air Care.
“When someone is critically ill or
critically injured, time matters. The
faster we can get them from the rural
parts of the state to a level 1 facility, The face of COVID care: Tiger Medical masks
the better outcome they’re going to that prevent fogging of glasses, alongside
have.” That speed comes in the form newly adopted white phosphor NVGs.
of the Leonardo AW109.

It’s a lot to manage, and the team at

North Memorial Health Air Care is up
to the challenge. “When you really
look at air medical transport, the
difference between ground and air
is that we’re able to cover distances
much quicker. Combined with the
specialized equipment we carry, North Memorial Health Hospital
we really get people to where they in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, is a
need to be, whether that be a trauma Level I Adult Trauma Center.
center or a heart center, as fast as
possible,” says Scott Sampey, vice
president of Ambulance Services

48 July/Aug 2021
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Speed when it Matters
North Memorial Health Air Care’s fleet features eight Leonardo
AW109S helicopters and one AW109E. The S models are all NVG
capable, with the pilots recently adopting white phosphor goggles
to aid their night missions.
“The AW109 is a very fast, very powerful aircraft and perfect for
EMS,” Poynor says. “Our biggest concern is getting the patient
to a facility as quickly and safely as possible to get the care that
they need.”
The AW109 can cruise at 160 knots, though ground speeds
greater than 200 knots are not uncommon in the typically blustery
northern Minnesota winds. That’s more than a 20-knot advantage
North’s in-house AW109 flight simulator
keeps pilots sharp at low cost and low risk.
(photo: North Memorial Health Air Care)
50 July/Aug 2021
over similar EMS aircraft in the region, and 100 mph faster than
ground transportation. That gives them the capability to reach any
part of the state within an hour after the call comes in.
Maintaining a widespread fleet of aircraft also presents challenges.
Managing those challenges falls to the capable hands of Stephen
Latham, Air Care director of maintenance. With nine aircraft at
seven bases, he devised a rotation system that keeps all of the
bases up and running during scheduled maintenance.
“It’s an ongoing rotation process that is working very well,” Latham
says. His top priorities are keeping the crews safe and the aircraft
in service. “Our two biggest challenges are geographical location
and weather,” reflects Latham, echoing the pilots’ feelings about
the dynamic Minnesota weather, especially during the wintertime.
To keep on top of the rapidly changing conditions, North’s pilots
need to be proficient in all weather, including the Upper Midwest’s
frequent IMC. To aid in IFR proficiency, North Memorial Health Air
Care developed a state-of-the-art simulator around the hull of a
retired 109.
“If you don’t come from an IFR background, it’s been especially
useful to slow things down to the pilot. It’s a really useful tool to
break down different phases of IFR flight,” says Air Care Chief
Pilot Michael Slapnicher. “The simulator has been very beneficial
in terms of cost savings, and given us more focused training with
new pilots coming in. It’s a little less intimidating than getting
thrown into the actual aircraft.”
New pilots spend several hours in the simulator learning
procedures and becoming more familiar with aircraft systems,
including Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning System
(HTAWS) and on-board weather radar, before they ever board the
actual aircraft. It’s also available any time a pilot needs to work on
proficiency, whether for IFR flight or an upcoming check ride.
And Poynor and Slapnicher are developing a familiarization course
for paramedics, to create a survivable situation if a pilot becomes
incapacitated during flight. It’s another step toward improving the
safety of everyone on board the aircraft in a low-risk, low-cost
environment.
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rotorcraftpro.com 51
Making a Difference
North Memorial Health Air Care employs 80 nurses and
paramedics to fly with its 30 pilots. Flight crews are 100-percent
advanced-certification clinicians to bring lifesaving skills to patients
at their time of need. Part of the crew training responsibility falls
to the expertise of Clinical Manager Sell. “They all come knowing
how to care for sick patients. They need to learn how to do it in a
helicopter,” she says about their rigorous four months of training
and qualifications schedule before they are operational on the
flight line.
To help the clinicians save lives during that critical transportation
phase back to the trauma center, the 109s have been outfitted
with some unique equipment, including fluid warmers and heated
North Memorial Health Air Care has seven
flight bases, most of them in rural Minnesota.
52 July/Aug 2021
blankets to prevent the onset of shock and hypothermia. These
active warming measures can make the difference between life
and death. “In rural Minnesota, they are hours away from a level
one trauma center by ground ambulance. We also carry whole
blood and packed red blood cells which are lifesaving treatments
to those trauma patients,” Sell says after showing us some of the
lifesaving equipment that is within arm’s reach of the paramedic in
the back of the 109.
To Clinical Director Shimon Cohen, the aircraft, pilots, and
paramedics in the back are a dream combination. “As we have
our trained clinicians, we are able to bring the ER or ICU to the
patient and transport them to the large facility to get them the care
that they need. With our aircraft and the speed, that makes the
difference,” he says.
 Billie Sell oversees clinical training for
80 paramedics and RNs. (photo: North
Memorial Health Air Care)

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rotorcraftpro.com 53
 Year of Challenges
In addition to the day-to-day difficulties of helicopter air
ambulance operations, this past year has brought its own
challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic. They have been
especially daunting for the crews that face them every day.
“From the very beginning, we took the stance that every
patient has COVID,” Sell reflects. “Things were changing
so fast, so we would have weekly call-ins to help everyone
54 July/Aug 2021
keep up to date and supported. Their safety is our priority.”
Safety measures include flying in full PPE and a unique Tiger
Medical mask system to protect crews while still enabling
radio communication.
Keeping crews safe also means keeping up proficiency and
morale, which falls to Slapnicher. “We had to get real creative
with keeping all our pilots up and employed.” He reflects
on having to temporarily close bases that saw a dramatic
downturn in activity due to the pandemic. He was able
to balance that by changing schedules at the other
bases to help account for the increasing delays and
uncertainty on the ground. “Duty days got really strange.
Typically when you fly to a hospital you’d have a 15-20
minute turnaround, and now it was an hour and a half.
It was difficult to plan flights around COVID,” he states.
The aircraft also were disinfected with UV lights after
every call. This required more pilots on hand to manage
the increased downtime during a shift and reduce the
fatigue of crews during the height of the pandemic. All
of those measures were effective at keeping his crews
alert, informed, and ready when the community needed
them. “And we didn’t have to let anyone go, which is
great,” he adds with a smile.
rotorcraftpro.com 55
 It takes a large and talented team to keep North Memorial Health
Air Care safe and operational. These were just a few of the people
Rotorcraft Pro had the pleasure of meeting during our visit.

Mark Hagen, Flight Nurse

Billie Sell, Clinical Manager
Tim Howey, Flight Paramedic

Michael Slapnicher, Air Care Chief Pilot Jessica Cross, Flight Paramedic

56 July/Aug 2021
Jan Straley, Flight Nurse
Pete Schultz, Air Care Pilot
Learning Experience
Although the pandemic is
not fully behind us, the team
members at North Memorial
Health Air Care already are
reflecting on what they have
learned from the experience.
“We can change really fast if we
have to when it comes to the
safety of our team members.
That’s one of the biggest things
we’ve learned from the COVID
pandemic,” Sell says. “We’ve
learned to be more flexible
and more creative, and I think
it’s made us better all in all,”
Slapnicher adds.
The whole team believes
that the experience has
brought them together in
unforeseen ways, too. “We
really embraced video meeting
opportunities, and that’s helped
us stay connected to our
staff throughout the system.
We’ve been holding weekly
pilot meetings so everyone is
getting the same message for
consistency. We can improve
on communication through
technology, and we’re at the
point where we’ve had the best
communication we’ve ever
had. That’s a huge takeaway
that we’ve learned from the
COVID pandemic,” Poynor
reflects.
Medical care continues to
evolve at a rapid pace amidst
the pandemic, and that
includes patient transportation.
“As medicine continues to
change, so does medical care
in the helicopter. Expanding our
clinical care capabilities and
bringing that ICU-level care to
our patients in the field is really
how air medical will expand,”
Sell says. Cohen agrees.
“You’re going to have a larger
need for mobile integrated
health. A lot of smaller facilities
in rural communities are closing
down, so there is a greater
need for emergency transport
in those communities.”
That means reliable, safe,
and fast transportation. North
Memorial Health Air Care is
already stepping up to the
challenge.
rotorcraftpro.com 57
An Air Ambulance
Pilot’s 10-tips
Career Guide
By Matt Johnson

58 July/Aug 2021
T
he secrets to being a
successful air ambulance
pilot aren’t written on
an elusive list of trade secrets
buried deep in a frightful
dark abyss. Instead, the
necessary tenets are generally
in plain sight. Unfortunately,
an abundance of what we
know today comes from the
tragedies of those who came
before us. Also unfortunately,
sometimes this worn-out
cliché adds to the tragedies:
“We don’t know what we don’t
know.” Failing to learning from
others (mentors) who are
successful in this unique field
is not only unprofessional for a
pilot new to the air ambulance
arena, but gravely hazardous
as well. Being aware that you
lack necessary knowledge and
skill sets – and being able to
say “I don’t know” – is vital to
success. You have to be thirsty
for knowledge if you want to
physically and mentally survive.
Don’t rely on sheer luck.
Incompetence is dangerous
on many levels. The
psychological literature is full
of supportive information on
just how insidious and blind our
incompetence can be. Not only
does incompetence lead to
bad choices, but incompetence
also robs you of the ability to
even realize that bad choices
are being made. The failure
to recognize that one has
performed poorly will leave one
to assume that he or she has
performed well. As a result, the
incompetent tend to grossly
overestimate their abilities.
And this is where the “lucky”
pilot comes into the picture,
as they are frequently left with
the mistaken impression that
they are doing just fine when
in reality they are merely
lucky with a false sense of
confidence. This philosophy is
nothing new; Charles Darwin
sagely noted 150 years ago,
“Ignorance more frequently
begets confidence than does
knowledge.”
Just because we survive a
flight doesn’t mean that it was
a successful flight. Yes, landing
without bent metal or occupant
injury is a good thing, but
sometimes luck plays a part in
this. Eventually, luck will run out
and equipment will be damaged
— or worse. The transcendent
level of knowledge required
to be a safe and efficient air
ambulance pilot is available
to us, and it is up to new and
experienced pilots alike to
seek out that knowledge from
mentors, instructors, check
pilots, and pertinent technical
resources.
While your success as an
air ambulance pilot is not
exclusive to these points, here
are 10 principles that can help
pave your path to a successful
career. These points aren’t
necessarily in a specific order,
however you will find (in time)
that they are all connected in
some ways.
rotorcraftpro.com 59
(1) MINDSET – avoid mission mentality
Mindset is critical. Understand this: the overwhelming majority of
air medical aircraft in this country are operated under Part 135
regulations and not under public use/public safety rules. Take a
look around your pilot’s office at your base; you will see a copy
of your company’s Air Carrier Certificate hanging on the wall in
plain view. To translate, you operate under many different rules
and regulations. You are not flying “missions” like those during
combat or government-funded public safety operations. Unlike
the firefighter who runs into the burning building or the police
officer who goes towards the sound of gunfire, we do not take
(2) ADAPTABILITY – expect change
From the interpersonal perspective: be prepared for changes in
aviation colleagues, medical crew members, management, etc.
Be prepared for different opinions, styles, and personalities. From
the aviation operational perspective: be prepared and adaptive to
frequent policy and regulation changes. Be adaptive to things you
may have never experienced in your previous career. Single-pilot
HAA operations can, at times, be very workload intensive. For
some, it may be the first time in their career they have been the
60 July/Aug 2021
a flight under the premise that it may occur at any and all costs.
Your job is to fly your medical team members from point A to B
as safely and efficiently as possible. For many, this transition
from armed forces and public safety backgrounds can be difficult
and requires a reprogramming of sorts. Regardless of your
background, you will see things you likely never have seen nor
ever wanted to see, and you must be prepared to focus on flying
the aircraft safely and efficiently.
lone aviator in the aircraft, making it rather overwhelming initially.
Be prepared for numerous changes on the fly, and coordinate
changes for landing zones, multiple radios, etc. Unfortunately,
it isn’t too uncommon to find yourself in a back-up aircraft when
your primary aircraft is unavailable for maintenance, etc. This
back-up may be a completely different make and model with little
to no similarities to your primary aircraft.
(3) DEVELOP GOOD HABITS – shed the bad
Your colleagues will see your habits, both the good and the
bad! Developing good habits will not only keep you alive, it will
pay dividends in terms of team building. As with most things in
life, it is often easier said than done. But it doesn’t have to be
impossible. In the #1 New York Times bestseller “Atomic Habits,”
author James Clear outlines four laws of behavioral change
that can either develop good habits or break bad ones. These
guiding principles are: make it obvious, make it attractive, make
it easy, and make it satisfying. Shedding a bad habit can be
accomplished by reversing the aforementioned principles. His
principles are centered on the concept that small, incremental
changes can have a drastic overall effect. Clear’s book is a
must-read for all professions.

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rotorcraftpro.com 61
(4) EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE – acquire it
In simple terms, emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to identify
and manage one’s emotions. Although a relatively new construct,
EI has become a significant factor in today’s workforce. Many agree
that it will impact how we work and will continue to be significant
moving forward. While the numerous aspects of EI would be
impossible to cover in this brief article, a few key competencies
that define EI are: emotional self-awareness – your ability to
know your own emotions and their effects on your performance
(5) MASTERY OF WEATHER – an absolute must
Plain and simple, the weather will make you or break you – literally
in the sense of getting you hurt or worse, and figuratively in terms
of fellow crew members losing confidence in your abilities. A lot
of pilots are turned off by having to study the traditional weather
theory that is commonplace in most of today’s aviation curriculums.
As a result, a lot of pilots are weak on weather; we learned this
a few years ago in a detailed Embry-Riddle study that revealed
subpar knowledge at all pilot certificate levels.
Weather mastery isn’t about memorizing boring weather theory.
Instead, it is truly understanding what weather products are
62 July/Aug 2021
and those around you; emotional self-regulation - the ability to
keep not only your disruptive emotions in check, but also your
impulses in check in order to maintain your effectiveness under
stressful conditions; and organizational awareness - your ability
to read your team’s emotional status and identify influencers,
networks, and the dynamics that matter in decision-making.
available to you — and how to use them. Know the big picture,
then focus on the micro details and ask yourself: What is driving
the current weather situation? Knowing the temporal and spatial
resolution of weather products is critical.
We frequently bet our lives on AWOS, ASOS, and radar systems.
But few truly understand how they work, their limitations, and why
they are frequently inaccurate. The same goes for TAFs and just
how unintentionally deceptive they can be.
 (6) PROFESSIONALISM – set the tone and lead by example
If you think that you are a professional simply because you get a
paycheck, or because you meet the minimum test standards and
passed your proficiency check, you are sorely mistaken. What we
do when no one is looking says a lot about our character and
level of professionalism — or lack thereof. Equally important, your
words and actions speak volumes when people are listening and
Let’s face it, our FAA Medical Certificate is a necessary permission
slip required for our profession. If your health slides in the wrong
direction, it can be difficult or impossible to get it back. The cockpit
brings obvious challenges with confined seating, noise, and
vibrations. Add all sitting that you will do as an HAA pilot, and your
overall health and fitness can wander if you don’t maintain fitness
discipline (remember building those habits).
One of the biggest factors affecting your health as an HAA pilot is
sleep. Nearly every aspect of our well-being and mental health is
looking. You are representing your company, and for hospital-
based programs, your company’s customers. Treat the hospital
security guard and janitorial worker with the same respect as your
crew members. Don’t let your bad day become the representation
of your company and program.
(7) PERSONAL HEALTH – protect it!
impacted by sleep. We have been taught since a young age that
the ideal amount of sleep is seven to eight hours. Unfortunately,
many don’t achieve this goal. Research has shown that 65% of
adults in the U.S. fail to get the necessary restorative sleep their
bodies need. Long shifts, rotating shifts, and bad habits work
against good sleep habits and require a great deal of discipline to
overcome. Take the time to learn about fatigue and the mitigation
strategies to manage it. Chronic fatigue can lead to numerous
medical conditions that can be career-ending.
rotorcraftpro.com 63
(8) BALANCE – and the endless search for it
The search for the perfect balance to the life-work equation is
an enigma of sorts. Focus too deeply on one area, and other
parts of our lives will drift away to a point of hibernation that
often leads to damage in one or BOTH areas. You have to learn
to counterbalance and determine what time needs to be spent
on what. Consider this valuable quote from another best-selling
(9) STRIVE FOR PROFICIENCY – not just currency
Wanting to do something and actually doing it takes discipline.
Maintaining currency as an HAA pilot won’t be an issue;
proficiency, on the other hand, is a different animal. It may appear
purely academic on the surface, but in practicality, one thing that
I have found to help pilots, especially those new to HAA, is to
engage in reflective-journaling. After each flight and each shift,
64 July/Aug 2021
book, “The One Thing” by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan: “When
you gamble with your time, you may be placing a bet you can’t
cover. Even if you’re sure you can win, be careful that you can live
with what you lose.”
whether you flew or not, take a couple of minutes and answer two
simple questions: (1) What did I learn today that I can do again
and again? (2) What did I learn that I will strive to not repeat?
Writing down just a few words and reviewing them periodically will
make a huge impact on your performance.
(10) COMMUNICATION – beyond the loop
Last but certainly not least, communication is vital to your success
as an HAA pilot. Communicating in the HAA environment can
be challenging; the setting can go from static to dynamic in just
moments. For communication to be effective, it requires clarity of
thought, something not always easy to do under the circumstances
you will encounter. Communication and critical thinking are
intricately connected, and you will utilize this paired set of skills
continuously. The communication element of your HAA pilot
position can make or break crew dynamics and create roadblocks
to team building. Make it a habit to listen to understand, not just
listen to respond.

About the Author:

Matt Johnson is an FAA Designated Pilot

Examiner, Part 135 Check Airman, and SP-IFR
Air Medical Pilot. He can be reached via email
at HelicopterDPE@gmail.com and via Twitter
@HelicopterDPE

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rotorcraftpro.com 65
 Manned and Unmanned
Teaming in SAR
An Idea Whose Time
Has Come

66 July/Aug 2021

T
he teaming of manned search and rescue
(SAR) helicopters with unmanned aerial
systems (aka drones) is an idea whose
time has come. Remotely controlled drones can
be immediately dispatched to search for victims
and identify landing zone hazards while a SAR
helicopter is preparing to fly. Once aloft, the SAR
helicopter crew can use the drone’s data to reduce
its flight time to the victims.
“Unmanned systems can reduce exposures and
risks to SAR personnel as part of their operations,”
said Johnny T. Doo, group leader for NASA
Transformative Vertical Flight Working Group 4 –
Public Services and also president of International
Vehicle Research, Inc. “It’s a combination that is
becoming more and more popular because there
By James Careless
are tasks in SAR that are not human-friendly,”
added Juan Plaza, a UAV/general aviation
consultant. “Drones can search for victims at night
during fires and other environmental conditions
that pose dangers to manned aircraft.”
The big question for SAR operators is just how far
the teaming concept can go. Given advances in
artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous (self-flying)
drones, and computing power onboard manned
helicopters, it seems possible that tomorrow’s SAR
helicopters could fly out accompanied by swarms
of self-coordinating surveillance drones that could
do more than just relay visual data back to their
human operators.
rotorcraftpro.com 67
68 July/Aug 2021
New Idea That Works

The teaming of drones and helicopters is

still a new idea for many SAR operators.

However, it is being nurtured by myriad

ground-based SAR units.

“Traditional airborne public safety units

that are conducting SAR operations are
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rotorcraftpro.com 69
More Than Just Surveillance

In the current teaming model, ground-controlled drones work

with SAR helicopters to spot and retrieve victims. The two
operate separately, with information being shared between
ground-based drone controllers and helicopter crews in flight.

Sikorsky’s SuperSearch is being developed and designed to

incorporate Matrix technology for SAR operations. According
to Sikorsky, SuperSearch uses an advanced algorithm to
search within a designated area for an object such as a life
raft or boat. The company’s simulations have shown that
SuperSearch can find such objects up to 30% faster than
when using a traditional search pattern.

Igor Cherepinsky is director of Sikorsky Innovations, the

section of Sikorsky that develops next-generation technology
such as the Sikorsky Matrix autonomous flight control system.
As far as Cherepinsky is concerned, SuperSearch is only the
beginning of what Matrix can provide for SAR operations,
especially those using teamed helicopters and drones. He
foresees a time when a Sikorsky SAR helicopter using Matrix
will fly in tandem with a series of autonomous surveillance
drones. In this model, the drones scour the search area,
sending their data back to the helicopter’s computers that
automatically sift through the sightings and alert the pilots to
the most likely matches.

Since the helicopter’s flight systems are being managed

by Matrix, the pilots can spare the time to critically analyze
the pre-sifted drone data. This allows them to make better-
informed decisions quicker, resulting in faster rescues and
more lives saved. “We want to get away from pilots having
to focus on managing the cyclic and collective, and let them
be able to think more about the actual rescue,” Cherepinsky
said. “We also want to reduce the workload of interfacing with
a massive suite of sensors, by having only the most useful of
contacts presented to them in an integrated fashion.”

Advanced teaming SAR response is also on the mind of

Leonardo Helicopters, which bills itself as the only OEM that
develops and manufactures SAR helicopters and a full range
of drones. “Our company has successfully demonstrated
manned/unmanned teaming technologies and capabilities
to enhance SAR operations during different operational
exercises,” said Roberto Pretolani, the company’s Rotary
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (RUAV) marketing manager. These
exercises include the European Defence Agency’s (EDA)
Italian Blade 2015, the Royal Navy’s Unmanned Warrior 2016,
and the EDA’s OCEAN2020 in 2019.

“Performing SAR operations with a mix of manned and unmanned

platforms can effectively increase search persistence and area
coverage while limiting the use of manned aircraft only when
strictly necessary,” Pretolani said. “As an example, Leonardo’s
AWHero 200kg-class rotary unmanned system can provide up
to six hours all-weather search capability while equipped with
a SAR sensor suite including electro-optical/infrared camera,
automatic identification sensor, and maritime search radar.
An AWHero system composed of two air vehicles can be
deployed in rotation to further extend search persistence up
to 24 hours.”

70 July/Aug 2021
During its mission, AWHero can transfer collected information Bell’s Terry Miyauchi can foresee the APT being used to rapidly
(including real-time videos) to SAR coordination centers on the deploy critically important supplies to victims during SAR
ground. “AWHero can share the same set of information with a missions, in addition to providing advance spotting for manned
manned platform to be directly displayed on Leonardo helicopters’ helicopters heading to the accident scene. “At the same time, Bell
fully digital cockpit HMI in order to maximize aircrew situational largely sees the primary response aircraft for today’s SAR mission
awareness prior to insertion in critical rescue tasks,” Pretolani as manned systems,” he said. “This is definitely seen because
said. of the vast deltas between manned and unmanned systems in
payload ability, speed, range, and endurance beyond line of sight
Airbus Helicopters is similarly interested in teamed SAR missions. and extraction ability.”
Its UAS is the VSR700, an unmanned VTOL based on the
manned Cabri G2 light helicopter designed and built by French
SME Guimbal. “The VSR700 has capabilities and features that
could be ideal for SAR missions, mainly its endurance, payload,
autonomy, and handling qualities,” said Nicolas Delmas, head of
Airbus Helicopters’ VSR700 program. “Thanks to the dynamic
system developed on the Cabri G2, the VSR700 will also be able
to fly in difficult weather conditions as often encountered during
SAR missions.”

The VSR700 sensors currently being tested for the French Navy
feature a radar and an electro-optical turret, Delmas said, and both
could be used for SAR missions to detect and identify people and
vessels in trouble. “If a customer requires it, Airbus Helicopters
could work on the integration of specific SAR payloads like a raft or
a survival kit that could be dropped from the VSR700,” he added.

Airbus Helicopters tested the manned/unmanned teaming

(MUM-T) capabilities of an H145 helicopter and VTOL UAS in April
2018. “The test demonstrated that the manned platform could
exercise full control of the UAS, including its takeoff and landing,”
Delmas said. “In SAR missions, a VSR700 or multiple VSR700s
could be placed under the control of a manned helicopter to
perform search tasks. This team would then be able to cover
greater areas than a single helicopter would. It would also be less
expensive to operate than multiple manned helicopters.”

Bell also has an entry in the teaming race, namely the company’s
Autonomous Pod Transport (APT) unit. This is a unique four-engine
equipped frame that lifts cargo within a central pod vertically from
the ground, adopts a wing-borne flight profile to get from Point A to
Point B, and then resumes a VTOL stance for landing.

rotorcraftpro.com 71
Enter the eVTOLs

A third player that can be added to the

helicopter/drone teaming mix is the
eVTOL, an electric VTOL aircraft capable
of carrying one or more medics to an
accident scene. As envisioned by Carl
Dietrich, president and founder of the
EMS eVTOL startup Jump Aero, these
eVTOLs could form a “quick response
medical bridge” distinct from drones and
helicopters.

“EMS eVTOLs could be based at SAR

posts, fire stations, and other first
responder agencies,” Dietrich explained.
“When a 911 dispatcher gets the call
that requires advanced life support, the
closest EMS eVTOL could be sent to
the scene immediately. The EMS medic
could treat them promptly and improve
their condition while waiting for the
ambulance or air ambulance helicopter
to arrive.” Due to the eVTOL’s ability to
quickly switch on and fly electrically,
compared to the start-up time for a gas-
powered helicopter, Dietrich estimates
that the human medic response time to
such incidents could be cut in half.

72 July/Aug 2021
The Next Step in SAR

The first civilian helicopter rescue

took place on Nov. 29, 1945,
according to the website “This
Day in Aviation.” A Sikorsky R-5
equipped with an external rescue
hoist was flown during a violent
storm to Texaco Barge No. 397.
The barge was breaking apart on
Penfield Reef a mile offshore from
Fairfield, Connecticut, putting the
crew of Captain Joseph Pawlik
and Steven Penninger in mortal
danger.

While Sikorsky Chief Test Pilot

Dmitry “Jimmy” Viner kept the
R-5 hovering above, U.S. Army
Air Forces Captain Jackson E.
Beighle “raised the harness with
Penninger to the cabin but could
not pull him inside,” states the
website. “Penninger hung on
to Beighle while Viner flew the
helicopter to the beach.”

Captain Pawlik was then rescued.

“When Beighle attempted to raise
the hoist it jammed, leaving Pawlik
suspended 30 feet below the
helicopter. Viner again returned
to the shore and carefully lowered
Pawlik to the sand.”

This rescue transformed SAR.

Teaming is about to transform it
again. The coming combination of
helicopters, drones, and eVTOLs
will exponentially expand the
power of SAR operators to find,
treat, and remove victims in speed
and safety — and this future will
arrive sooner than we think.

rotorcraftpro.com 73
 Bridging the Gap
The Power of Mentorship
By Brian Bihler

74 July/Aug 2021
N
o matter what data set or latest editorial piece
you reference, the one common theme is that
professional pilots are in high demand in today’s
aviation market. The sculpting of a professional
pilot faces myriad challenges, both for the pilot in
development and the educators who pave the way.
Since pilots “don’t know what they don’t know” until
they’re introduced to a specific concept or technique
(hopefully correctly), and since helicopter operations
are frequently operating in environments with
numerous unknowns, a properly equipped pilot with
the necessary skill sets is apropos for success.
rotorcraftpro.com 75
 “If we hold the idea that
training alone will solve
all our problems, we’re
not only setting ourselves
up for failure, we also
are essentially eating our
own...

76 July/Aug 2021
Are we eating our own?
Training is critical; not just training, but
pertinent and specific evidenced-based
instruction on how to carry out specific
duties one may face on any given day.
It is a monumental task to provide all the
necessary hard and soft skills to a newly
hired pilot who is entering the air medical
arena.
Regardless of the amount of training,
the ever-frustrating quandary hits us
head on when both new and seasoned
pilots commit procedural and operational
mistakes that can be costly or worse.
And good pilots do make mistakes!
Complacency and expectation bias will
bite you in the butt in a millisecond.
Is it the quality or quantity of training,
or both? The need for quality training
is a given. Quantity has to be taken
into consideration as well, as long as
the quality is in check. Practice doesn’t
necessarily make perfect, it makes
“permanent.” The quality must count.
However, simply delivering a designated
and structured training program doesn’t
complete the equation of overall success.
If we hold the idea that training alone will
solve all our problems, we’re not only
setting ourselves up for failure, we also
are essentially eating our own by setting
them up for less than ideal outcomes.
Field training has to be more than a few
trips around the local area while pointing
out obstacles. It must be structured
and planned, and it must continue until
a certain number of flights or hours are
accumulated to the point of competence
and proficiency. Adding well-structured
debriefs on what went right and wrong
after each flight can be worth its weight
in precious metals.
rotorcraftpro.com 77
Mentoring the way
How do we raise our own and not eat our
own? It’s beyond basic indoctrination and
airframe-specific training.
We have to flesh out the details. Knowledge
is shaped and molded by experience, and
basic training alone is simply not enough.
We must mentor new pilots and help them
get the necessary experience they need
by placing them with carefully selected
educators.
78 July/Aug 2021
The desire for the best possible flight professionalism. Professionalism breeds
outcomes is never-ending, and this is proficiency, reduces asset damage, and
where training captains (mentor pilots) are more importantly reduces the risk of
instrumental in paving the way. We need physical harm or worse.
them to bridge the gap between what is
delivered during basic indoctrination and
the moment pilots are on their own out in
the field.
The training captain not only guides the
new hire on the ins and outs of properly
conducting duties, but the captain also
leads by example, which is key to promoting
Conclusion

We have learned a lot from our fixed-wing brethren over the years.
The airline playbook is a result of lessons learned from numerous
incidents and accidents. In the Part 121 world, “mentoring” comes
from an experienced captain while the new pilot (first officer)
learns the ins and outs by way of IOE (initial operating experience)
training and guidance.

Maybe it’s time we borrowed another option from the airline

playbook.

Brian Bihler is the director of

operations for a large air medical
company. Throughout his career
he has served as a line pilot then
regional check airman, pilot training
manager, assistant chief pilot and
chief pilot. Brian holds a rotorcraft
ATP certificate and FAA Gold Seal
flight instructor rating, and he is a
Part 135 check airman.

rotorcraftpro.com 79
Virtual Reality Pilot Certification
Why Not? By Randy Rowles
Our company recently partnered with the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) and U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (USHST)
to combat unintended/inadvertent IMC (U/IIMC) fatal accidents
using virtual reality (VR) simulation. The training is conducted
in the HeliMOD Mark III VR simulation system developed in
partnership between Precision Flight Controls, a U.S. company,
and Ryan Aerospace based in Australia.
Although the intended purpose of the training is U/IIMC and more
specifically spatial disorientation, our staff found the device and
VR training method to outperform conventional flight training
proficiency models on many levels. As I observed the safe,
efficient, and comprehensive ability to provide flight training to
students using a VR platform in a controlled environment, I could
not help but wonder how far this technology will move aviation
forward.
This led me to look at the initial pilot certification process within
the civil aviation helicopter training market. The current training
model uses small helicopters to conduct pilot training. The primary
purpose of using these smaller helicopters is cost. The price of
helicopter training is at an all-time high. Many experts in the
labor force are questioning the viability for the average person to
become a helicopter pilot due to the income/debt ratio they will
encounter. Can VR pilot training be a viable solution to increasing
flight training costs?
Randy Rowles has been
an FAA pilot examiner for
20 years for all helicopter
certificates and ratings.
He holds an FAA Gold
Seal Flight Instructor Certificate, NAFI
Master Flight Instructor designation,
and was the 2013 recipient of the HAI
Flight Instructor of the Year Award.
Rowles is currently the owner of the
Helicopter Institute. He can be reached at
randyrowlesdpe@gmail.com
If you have any comments or questions,
please let me know at randyrowlesdpe@gmail.com
80 July/Aug 2021
I believe the answer is easy: Yes!
Imagine for a moment completing all flight training in a VR device.
In conjunction with flight training, the student pilot would complete
all the other requirements to obtain a pilot certificate including
ground training, knowledge testing, etc. Once the flight training
is completed, the student would take a practical test in the virtual
world using the VR device. Upon successful completion of a virtual
proficiency-based test, they would receive their pilot certificate with
a limitation (e.g., “flight in aircraft limited to category/class 61.56
completion”). This would complete the pilot certificate process.
Once the pilot certification process is completed, the pilot would
receive in-aircraft flight training until they exceed minimum
proficiency standards for the grade of FAA pilot certificate they
hold in accordance with 14 CFR 61.56. This process is remarkably
similar to how the industry functions today. As an example, a pilot
may now train in a small-piston helicopter, however they will not
fly in a more advanced helicopter as PIC until they have flown
with a qualified instructor, receive some level of a certificate or
endorsement, and demonstrate proficiency. Why couldn’t we
replace the small helicopter with a VR device?
The ability to alter flight environments to include weather, air
traffic, performance, aircraft emergencies, and many other factors
that pilots deal with in post-training flight are available in other
simulation systems, so why would VR training be different? The
answer is: immersion!
Unlike traditional simulation, VR places the pilot in another realm
of awareness. Every human sense can be engaged. The ability to
place a pilot in the VR world with all the decision-making required
in actual flight would significantly reduce aeronautical decision-
making (ADM) accidents.
I am excited to see where VR pilot training can take our industry.
Improving safety by allowing pilots to learn ADM in a VR world will
have a direct impact on how actual aircraft decisions are made. It
is poor decision-making that often drives the helicopter accident
rate needle upward.
My concern is that regulatory agencies will find a way to make VR
training complex, costly, and unattainable. In aviation, there has
never been a more appropriate time and opportunity for use of the
K.I.S.S. principle. May common sense prevail!
FORGE YOUR
O W N PAT H

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Operations (AMO) Agents command a ready
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