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O C T O B E R

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE CIVIL HELICOPTER INDUSTRY I N T E R N A T I O N A L

I S S U E 41

38
cover shot by rob neil
SCE pilot TC Correl carefully
places a powerpole into place as
warning signs on the crossarms
highlight the danger involved.
r e g u l a r f e a tu r es
From the Editor
New Products and Services
HeliOps Subscription form
Personal Profile – Leight Howell
Police Line Pilot, Luton
European Connection – The
Tide Turns
Legal Counsel – The Tax Man Cometh
Flight Dynamics – The Dead’s
Man Curve
Maintenance Update – “Quit
Stalling...”
The Last Word – Should I Fly Airplanes
or Helicopters
ISSUE 41
C O N T E N T S
24 50 61
kuwait goes commercial
Until January 2005, Kuwait did not have a
commercial helicopter operation. That is, until
United Aviation pioneered what looks
likely to become a burgeoning industry. 24
3
5 cover feature: power to the people
Thirteen million people in a 50,000 square-mile
11 area of central, coastal and southern California
rely on one company for their electricity needs.
Southern California Edison – the largest investor-
15 owned electric utility, relies heavily on the
helicopter to keep its network operating. 38
17 safety Feature: lowering the ems toll
Good single pilot IFR skills in a certificated
19 aircraft may have prevented accidents and
deaths in the last years. In Part Two of HeliOps’
21
investigation, RICK O’NEAL proposes specific
options that the EMS industry should look
at to improve safety. 50
23
photo essay: robbieS clean up the cup
Pilot skills were put to the ultimate test in
64 the ‘Mil Cup’ – a helicopter sport
competition held annually in Moscow. 61
You can count on K-MAX.
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Conceived and designed to perform repetitive external lifting, the K-MAX excels, lifting 6,000
pounds while delivering unmatched performance and reliability. What’s more, K-MAX has the highest
availability rate and the lowest maintenance man-hour per flight hour of any helicopter in its class.
A fleet of hard-working K-MAX helicopters will be ready to respond to the most difficult missions — from
delivering supplies to clearing debris or rebuilding — any where, any time. You can count on it.

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 f r o m t h e edito r
PUBLISHER
Neville (Ned) Dawson What customers need to realize, is that if there aren’t
EDITOR many players, then prices will undoubtedly rise.
Mark Ogden by mark ogden
deputy editor The helicopter industry is usually
Rob Neil one of extreme highs and deep lows. An
operator with good contracts and/or good
US EDITORs
customers can make a good living, and
Dustin Black
at the same time, can maintain his or
Aaron Fitzgerald
her aircraft well and invest in improved
UK EDITOR equipment and safety systems. On the
Sarah Bowen other hand, when contracts are scarce
or when customers only focus on the
legal EDITOR
bottom line, then equipment ages, there’s
Robert Van de Vuurst
no incentive for improving systems or
european EDITOR equipment, and staff are generally poorly
Andrew Healey paid. It is simple economics. Why do I
raise this issue? Well, in Australia there are
technology editor JetRangers being hired out for less than
Nick Lappos
US$500 an hour, and AS350s for not much
more than that. And we wonder why the
ITALIAN CORRESPONDENT
Damiano Gualdoni Australian fleet is generally aging?
Who is responsible though? Is it
scandinavian CORRESPONDENT the customers and the bean-counter
Rickard Gilberg mentality driving industry these days? Or
is it the operators who confuse cash flow
PROJECT MANAGER
with profit and don’t see the long term
Cathy Horton
hurt they are doing themselves and the
proofreader helicopter industry as a whole? I believe it
Barbara McIntosh is a bit of both.
If a customer needs helicopter work
DESIGN
done, that customer’s contracting people
Graphic Design Services Ltd
put out a tender, receive responses,
PRINTING evaluate those responses then let the
Print World contract. Easy huh?
Well, the problem is that while many
EDITORIAL ADDRESS
of these companies mouth “quality”,
Oceania Group Intl
“value for money”, and “safety”, often
PO Box 37 978, Parnell
the assessments are skewed so that the
Auckland, New Zealand
PH ONE: + 64 21 757 747 cheapest wins. Few employ aviation-savvy
FAX: + 64 9 528 3172 people – understandably perhaps, because
often there isn’t enough work for one
EMAIL
person. Where that is the case, companies
info@heliopsmag.com
should find good consultants who know
WEBSITE the industry, know what a reasonable
www.heliopsmag.com rate for the service is, know how to audit,
and know how to follow-up to ensure
contract and safety conditions are met.
Any company that places its people into a
is published by Oceania Group Intl. workplace (the helicopter) without having
Contents are copyright and may not be reproduced some idea about the operation should
without the written consent of the publisher. Most think again – even just on occupational
articles are commisioned but quality contributions safety grounds.
will be considered. Whilst every care is taken On the other hand, what about the
Oceania Group Intl accept no responsibility for operators who offer their machines at
submitted material. All views expressed in HeliOps ridiculously low rates? Why would anyone
are not necessarily those of Oceania Group Intl. work their guts out to lose money, I ask?
Unless they have very wealthy benefactors
they are setting themselves up for
bankruptcy. The problem is that when
they fall they can take good operators with
them, because while the work has been
going to the “cheap” guy, the “reasonable”
guy has been getting no work. It is a
vicious circle.
The only guy that survives is the guy
who is big enough to absorb losses for a
while until the lower and middle operators
go broke. What customers need to realize,
is that if there aren’t many players, then
prices will undoubtedly rise – and probably
rise a lot. It certainly appears that in the
helicopter world, as it is in the farming
world, the motto is “get big or get out”.
So, what can be done? I think the
national helicopter associations need
to take the lead in educating customers
about how “bottom-line thinking” can
kill an essential industry and, in the end,
cost them more money. Customers should
view helicopter operators as members
of the team; look at awarding long term
contracts that provide some surety for the
future for operators, and work with them
in developing safety systems, training
and planning equipment upgrades. In
other words, a little less adversarial
customer/contractor relationship would
not hurt. In the end, it would probably
cost everyone a lot less in terms of effort,
resources and money.
For those operators who can’t get cash
flow without cutting their own necks,
then maybe it is time for them to get out.
Operators need to make sure they are
charging enough to cover capital and on-
going costs. This is going to be tough in a
free-market where there are no limitations
on how many operating certificates can
be issued. I don’t quite understand how
there can be limits placed upon the
numbers of taxi (cab) and commercial
fishing licences that can be issued, but not
upon the numbers of helicopter operating
certificates.
In this issue we farewell Andy Healey
who is moving on to try his hand at
something new. Thanks Andy, for your
contributions and views on the European
industry and we wish you well in your
future endeavors.
So, once again, fly safe and keep
reading! n
3
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Wherever you find hard-working helicopters, you’ll find AFS systems. From the desert of
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and delivering a range of benefits that help operators do what they do best.

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ne w p r oducts a nd se r v ices
Jayrow
introduces EC120
Jayrow Helicopters is
introducing a Single Pilot VFR
EC120 equipped with an Auto
Pilot and Flight Director to
replace the existing Jetranger
in support of Marine Pilot
david moore
Transfer operations at Port
Hedland in Australia. This
will be the first EC120B to
support Marine Pilot Transfer
operations in Australia.
New overhaul
base in
California
ACROHELIPRO has opened
a new satellite facility in
California with approvals now
obtained from Rolls-Royce
and the FAA, the new shop
in Van Nuys will be the only
Factory and FAA authorized
250 engine support facility in
Southern California.
Float
Compatible Steps
Dart has received EASA
certification of their Pilot/
Co-Pilot Folding Steps
and Full Length Float
Compatible Steps for
Bell 205/212/214/412. The
steps can be installed in
conjunction with flotation
equipment and also address
hoist compatibility concerns.
LAPD goes Sagem The steps install easily
The LAPD has selected SAGEM’s Integrated Cockpit Display on existing and installed
hardpoints on either side of
System, ICDS-8 as an avionics upgrade to their fleet of
the aircraft. The Full Length
AS350B2s. The new modifications will include two side-by-
side 8.4 inch active matrix liquid crystal display screens
Steps install quickly on
and a digital attitude heading reference system (AHRS). The
existing hardpoints and are
available in folding, fixed
new glass cockpit will provide LAPD pilots and observers
or heavy duty varieties for
with enhanced systems presentations for primary flight
either low or high gear. The
instruments, navigation, and engine and aircraft systems
steps are manufactured
monitoring. In particular, the Engine Management System
from a corrosion resistant
(EMS) provides a digital replacement for all factory-installed
stainless steel (Pilot/Co-Pilot)
engine and aircraft system indicators. The EMS consists of or aluminium (Full Length)
four pilot selectable pages that present a combination of and are finished in powder
engine and systems information along with a moving terrain coat and a slip resistant step
map with GPS interface, and look-ahead terrain warning. surface.
 COMMITMENT
“Customer-centric. It’s a term that denes all that
we do and how we do it at MD Helicopters. It is the
foundation of our strong commitment to our customer
and operator, because we understand that the
success of this company will be ultimately measured
by the depth of your appreciation. Our long-term
success will be built upon our indelible passion for
superior product, innovative thought and operational
processes that are inherently focused on the needs
of our customer. I want to hear what you have to say
about our products and our services – it is the only
way that I can transcend MD into a company that you
can trust. It’s a new day at MD Helicopters and I have
LYNN TILTON pledged my personal commitment to capitalize upon
Chairman of the
Board of Directors the innovative technology and the strength of MD’s
MD Helicopters, Inc.
products and build the spectacular. My journey and
the path we pave at MD begin with listening to you.”

mdhelicopters.com

American Pride Rising to New Heights | ph: 480.346.6344 | e-mail: lynn@mdhelicopters.com

ne w p r oducts a nd se r v ices
Low cost FLIR
FLIR Systems has launched
the NinoxTM thermal
imaging system, a low-cost,
environmentally sealed,
compact thermal imager
designed to
provide
pilots with
enhanced
visibility
during taxi,
as well as improved pilot
situational awareness during
the approach. Priced under
US$15,000, the Ninox uses
a high-resolution 320X240
infrared detector to create
real-time thermal imagery
that can be displayed on
any multi-functional
display with an auxiliary
input. FLIR says the Ninox
meets the most demanding
environmental requirements
while providing reduced
power consumption and near
“instant-on” capability.
412 Tri-Bag
The Apical Tri-Bag Emergency
Flotation System with
optional Rafts has received
EASA approval and is now
available for European
operators of 412s. The
Apical system optionally
integrates two 10-man
reversible life rafts into the
mid bag floats – an
advantage over alternate
systems that require storage
of rafts within the cabin
space.The Float system with
Rafts also weighs less than
the OEM 412 float system
without rafts. Apical has
selected the proven durability
of the DART Round-I-Beam
Skidtube and the DART
Heli-Access-Step as approved
equipment with its Tri-Bag
Float Systems.
Airframe wire Tenders called
can be laser marked for coastal
Recent testing performed on Raychem brand SPEC 44 wire patrol helicopter
from Tyco Electronics has confirmed that laser marking is The Australian Federal
a viable cable identification method for SPEC 44 aircraft Government has called for
hookup wire. SPEC 44 wire, a product meeting the MIL-W- tenders to supply a helicopter
81044 standard, is a general-purpose airframe hookup wire. to be based at Gove on
Laser marking of the wire is a big step forward in wire and the Gulf of Carpentaria
cable jacket marking since it allows for quick, permanent, to respond to illegal boat
and legible marks. Prior to the laser marking breakthrough, landings. The AUS$25 million
ink jet printing or marking wheels were among the only initiative was announced in
methods wire harness shops and other wire processors had the last Budget and allows
for identification of SPEC 44 hookup wire. SPEC 44 aircraft Customs to provide and
hookup wire is used in many current commercial airframes staff a helicopter for a rapid
response to illegal activity in
manufactured both in the United States and Europe.
Australia’s north.
Additionally, the hookup wire is used in military aircraft, civil
aircraft and other military and commercial applications such
as rotorcraft, tracked vehicles and wheeled vehicles.
Laser marking on white SPEC 44 hookup wire allows for Enhanced
marking contrasts up to 93 percent, which is considered
Vision
excellent for aircraft standards. Additionally, testing confirms
Max-Viz has received FAA
that the laser marking process presents no performance
STC approval for installation
detriment to the insulation or conductor of the aircraft wire.
of Max-Viz Enhanced Vision
Extensive performance testing has concluded that SPEC 44
System, model EVS-1000, on
wire can be laser marked without any deterioration in the
the 206 and 407. The STC
products’ electrical or mechanical performance attributes.
(SR00603DE), developed under
contract with Max-Viz by
Paravion Technology raises
New Russian Operations the total number of STCs for
installation of Max-Viz EVS
Aeroquest International has established international survey
operations in Russia and has commenced its first Russian
systems to over 50 fixed and
rotor wing airframes.
survey, a 10,000 km AeroTEM IV survey for a major mining
company. Aeroquest, together with its Russian partners, has
formed a Russian joint-venture company called AeroRUS.
Aeroquest has positioned an AeroTEM IV system in Russia Belize Services
for use by AeroRUS and obtained the necessary permits for
Astrum Helicopters is the first
installation into a Russian MI-8. AeroRUS has successfully
company to offer commercial
negotiated its first major contract and expects
helicopter services in the
to be surveying continually in Russia until the onset of
history of Belize offering
winter and we will look to add additional systems as offers tours and charter
demand dictates. flights that are tailored to
meet clients’ specific needs.
The helicopter transfers
Flight training in North can operate between the
international airport, local
Carolina
airports and private heliports
Tomlinson Aviation has announced plans to open a satellite throughout Belize. The
location in the mountains of North Carolina at Elkin current heliports in operation
Municipal Airport. Flight Instruction will be offered in the include: Cisco Base, Old Belize
Schweizer CBi series helicopter. The Elkin municipal airport and Turneffe Island Lodge. By
is located about 40 miles northwest of Winston Salem, North the end of 2006, additional
Carolina and offers a 4003-ft long runway with a 1068 ft. heliports will be operational
elevation. The airport is approximately 5 miles from the Town at Azul Resort, Cayo Espanto,
Maruba Resort and Isla
of Jonesville putting most restaurants and motels within 10
Marisol Resort.
minutes by ground.
7
ne w p r oducts a nd se r v ices
Dart Rafts
Dart has received FAA
certification for externally
mounted rafts on their AS350/
AS355 float systems. The
Apical Industries Cylindrical
Emergency Float and Liferaft
System is approved to equip
these helicopters on high gear
with a variety of float and life
raft configurations to meet
any operational requirement.
Possible configurations
include:
4 Replacing an existing
Apical Cylindrical aft float
(without liferafts) with the
new aft floats incorporating
two 6-man liferafts and a
liferaft inflation system.
4 Installing a complete
light weight float system
equipped with two 6-man
liferafts and inflation
systems.
4 Installing a complete light
weight float kit (without
liferafts) and inflation
systems.
206 training device certification Robbie Bearpaws
Aerosimulators announced the UK CAA certification of the Helitowcart’s BearPaws,
AS-BH206 low-cost helicopter training device.The AS-BH206 is designed for the R44 have
the first low-cost helicopter flight training device to meet JAA been approved by Transport
Flight Navigation and Procedures Trainer Level II standards. Canada. In addition to
the BearPaws, Helitowcart
This device joins another approved in August 2005 in the UK,
developed IceBlades as an
and one approved in Spain in March of 2005. The AS- PHS-
option to install on the
B206 is based on the 206BIII. It features not only a completely
BearPaws. This device can
representative cockpit and flight controls, but possibly the
reduce risk of the helicopter
largest field of view display system in any simulator under
rotating sideways when
US$500,000. At 170° horizontally by 75° vertically, and with
taking-off from clear ice
detailed scenery, the visual system permits flight manoeuvres
ground surfaces.
to be taught, as well as providing a compelling way to teach
flight in poor visibility and transition from IFR to visual flying.
The device a complete IFR instrument
panel and a database of navigation aids.
The instructor station is immediately
behind the cockpit, permitting the
instructor an unimpeded view of the
visual system and instrument panel.
The instructor also has complete control
of the flight via dual monitors and
computers. The AS-PHS-B206 is installed
david moore
in a climate controlled trailer, and needs
no separate facilities. All that is needed
is a place to park and electrical power.
 Do you have the time to look for helicopters?

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Did you find all of these helicopters? AS350B2, AS355F2, AS355N, BELL206B3, BELL206L3, BELL206L4,

Acquiring a good, pre-owned helicopter is time consuming. Lloyd Helicopters have over
20 years experience searching the world for quality helicopters. For extensive knowledge
and meticulous attention to detail, consult the experts. www.lloydhelicopters.com
 ne w p r oducts a nd se r v ices

EC120 Mods BLR Strakes for B206L New David Clark

A major Canadian energy BLR has delivered its first newly certified B206L dual Headset
sector company and long- helicopter tailboom strakes to Papillon Grand Canyon
David Clark has introduced
time Kitchener Aero (KAAV) Helicopters. The FAA approved STC for the NASA-licensed the new X11 Electronic Noise-
customer recently purchased technology clears the way for operators of B206L helicopters Canceling (ENC) aviation
a new EC 120 for use in to realize significant performance improvements by installing headset with all new comfort
surveying, inspecting and
the strakes. The addition of BLR dual strakes controls features. The lightweight
managing its vast network of
airflow over the tailboom, greatly improving stability while design features a low-profile,
service, supply and delivery
increasing payload. Reduced maintenance and fuel costs are vented head pad; super-
systems. KAAV designed,
installed, and certified an additional benefits. soft, fabric-faced, left/right
extensive Avionics and contoured, gel-filled ear seals
Special Missions package. for dramatically enhanced
The mod project concluded Helinet plans Dutch-Belgian comfort. Advanced composite
in August including flight
tests, certification and client
scheduled helicopter city-link materials, including a super-
lightweight headband,
acceptance. The upgrade Netherlands operator Helinet is planning to launch handcrafted from carbon
includes a big two-screen scheduled operations between Amsterdam and Brussels fibre provide maximum
SAGEM ICDS-8 EFIS Flight next year using three EC130s, in the first step to a scheduled strength and durability. The
Display system, which is fully helicopter network across the region. Helinet plans to offer X11 also features new dual
integrated with the SAGEM hourly helicopter services between the Dutch city and its voice coil ENC technology
PA-85 2-Axis Autopilot System. that significantly reduces low-
Belgian capital, with stops at The Hague and Rotterdam in
Attitude and Heading reference frequency sound and helps
the Netherlands and Antwerp in Belgium from mid-2007.
for the EFIS and Autopilot
Competing with land-based connections, Helinet will offer reduce pilot fatigue. High
Systems is supplied by a LITEF
taxi-style charging at the rate of €2.25 ($2.90) per road fidelity stereo ear phones
LCR-92 AHRS System. An
kilometre between its departure and arrival points. It will with dual volume controls
important part of the special
are stereo/mono switchable
missions mods is a state-of- offer a 35-minute journey time between Amsterdam and
and the headset comes with
the-art fixed, downward-facing Rotterdam, a journey which takes around 1h 20min by
an advanced noise-cancelling
camera system, images from car. Once Helinet begins operations, it will expand in the
which can be displayed on the microphone for clear, crisp
Netherlands, Belgium and Germany and into Eastern Europe.
MFD Display. communications.
2 0 0 6
O C T O B E R

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE CIVIL HELICOPTER INDUSTRY I N T E R N A T I O N A L

I S S U E 41

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The first word on new products, new deliveries and happenings

PICKING UP THE PIECES
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ne w p r oducts a nd se r v ices

Inca by helicopter Pawan Hans to set up service centre

For four hundred years, it took a India’s state-owned chopper operator Pawan Hans Helicopter is setting up what it claims
week on foot to reach Machu Picchu, is the region’s largest integrated state-of-the-art maintenance, repair and overhaul centre
the “Lost Citadel of the Incas.” And here. Besides catering to its own fleet of 35 and state government crafts, the Rs.250 million
for close to a century, it has taken (US$5.4 million) centre at the Juhu aerodrome will exclusively, according to the company,
travellers more than four hours by provide complete servicing for Eurocopter’s Southeast Asian fleet.
train. But now a helicopter service
can take passenger from Cuzco to
Machu Picchu, inside 30 minutes.
Inkaterra, the Peruvian Eco-Tourism
company is offering the flights
using Allouettes.Although one-day
Heliexplorer excursions are available,
most are choosing the two and
three-night stays. The overnight trips
include staying at the company’s
Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. The hotel,
in the Machu Picchu Cloud Forest,
is a complex of 85 luxury rooms in
whitewashed cottages that resemble
an Andean village. Side trips are also
available to the recently uncovered
Incan site of Choquequirao. Similar
in purpose and grandeur to Machu
Picchu, Choquequirao lies 30 miles
southwest of Machu Picchu, and
was only intermittently visited until
recent times.

Sky’s the limit

Sky Connect is expanding adding
two new sales managers and sales
offices in Canada and in Australia.
In Brisbane, Australia, industry
veteran Michael Steenberg will
manage the new facility as director
of SkyConnect Australia. In Canada,
Kelowna, British Columbia-based
David Lynch, has a background in
aviation and has spent the past 15
years in senior sales and marketing
positions. Kory Perusse, based in
Williamstown, Ontario, is a licensed
pilot with a strong background in
aviation sales, including extensive
rotorcraft experience. For more than
25 years, she has worked in the
areas of operations, maintenance
and overhaul, as well as sales
and marketing. Sky Connect has
announced that its TRACKER
AFF system is fully compliant
with Automatic Flight Following
regulations in British Columbia
and Alberta, enabling operators to
compete for Forest Service firefighting
contracts there.
 U n d e r t h e A e r o s p a c e U m b r e l l a m a n a g e d b y T h e Pa t r i a r c h F u n d s

Turning everything around.

MD Helicopters is on a mission: To turn the helicopter industry around.

Mediocrity will no longer be accepted…and failure is not an option. Late deliveries will no
longer be the norm; spare parts genuine and easy to find. Through vertical integration and
acquisition of manufacturing facilities worldwide, we are taking responsibility for our supply
chain. Our company and its supply chain are being fortified with the same intensity and
commitment with which we build our helicopters…we are taking responsibility for every
aspect of our operations so that we can be responsive and responsible to our customers.

Winston Churchill once said, “The price of greatness is responsibility.” We’re making
Turning that around, only through responsibility, can greatness be achieved. We offer
everything.
an exceptional product. NOTar® technology makes our helicopters among the safest
and most quiet in the sky. Our new safety features are meant to place MD among the
industry leaders – wire cutters, terrain avoidance systems, HUMS cockpit video and audio Except excuses.
recorders with our training programs, places safety at the top of the MD priority list.
Our mission is to bring evolution and innovation to the world and to deliver it on time
– to keep aircraft in the air and operators safe of flight.

heritageaviationltd.com mdhelicopters.com

Leigh Howell
Police Line Pilot, Luton
In the middle of his Navy
flying career, Leigh Howell
suffered a major health
setback, which compelled
him to put his flying on
hold. Ten years later he’s
back in the cockpit and is
adjusting to the challenges
and rewards of flying as a
line pilot with the Police.
How did you get into flying
helicopters?
I joined the Navy as a direct-entry pilot in
1987. My father was a pilot in the RAF so
I thought I’d follow in his footsteps. The
RAF turned me down, but in hindsight
the Navy was a better choice from a job
variety point of view. We got to do so many
interesting things and got really involved
in our work.
How many hours do you have now
and on which types?
About 1,800 – mostly on the Sea King, with
approximately 100 on the AS355F1 and 30
on the EC135T2.
Which has been your favorite
helicopter to fly?
I would have to say the EC135T2. It’s just
a very modern, powerful helicopter that is
highly capable in all roles. The autopilot
system is light-years ahead of anything I
have ever seen before.
What kind of flying have you done
since you began your career in
helicopters?
Most of the flying I have done has been
with the military and that involved a wide
range of activities from routine training to
active duty in various parts of the world.
My main role in the Navy was to fly the Sea
King in the ASW (anti-submarine warfare)
role. Since completing my professional
training earlier this year I have been doing
survey/mapping work and filming for the
BBC. In the last few weeks I have accepted a
personal profile
position as line pilot with the police, based
in Luton and flying the EC135T2.
What have you found most
challenging about adapting to your
current role?
It’s a lot more intensive than I thought it
would be – there’s more to it than meets the
eye. You’ve got to try and understand what
the Police are trying to achieve – it’s not just
about flying from A to B. You’re listening to
all four police radios; trying to anticipate
what the bad guys’ next moves are going
to be, so being one step ahead is essential.
It’s also important to work as a team. I find
the night shifts are a killer! Five nights in a
row of ten-hour shifts take a bit of getting
used to! There were also a lot of new police-
orientated systems in the cockpit that had
to be learnt.
Have you ever faced any setbacks
throughout your career?
Just over half-way through my career in the
military I was medically discharged. It was
ten years before I decided to try and return
to flying again in Spring 2005.
What was your biggest “break” in the
industry?
Once I decided to go back to flying, and after
I had completed all the exams and relevant
training, I began working freelance almost
immediately. I was fortunate enough to be
given the opportunity – despite my lack of
recent experience – by people who used to
know me in the military.
Are there any particularly memorable
moments that stand out in your flying
careEr so far?
Seeing the devastation from Hurricane
Andrew in 1992 was something I will never
forget. I also remember being in a Sea King
in the Bahamas many years ago when we
were “attacked” by a shark whilst in the low
hover. We were coming to the end of a four-
hour sortie in the dark and were looking
for a submarine. We had the sonar cable
hanging about 200 ft below the aircraft and
we suddenly started drifting backwards at
about 30 knots. It was pitch black over the
sea so we couldn’t see what was going on,
but when we managed to transition away
and pull the sonar body up, we realised it
had been bitten in half!
What was the most challenging thing
you’ve ever had to do?
There have been many times during my
military career when I needed to “go the
extra mile” – both mentally and physically
– to get the job done. The challenges are
many, whether it be transferring personnel
by winch to a submarine during a storm,
or providing disaster relief in inhospitable
areas. The biggest challenge for me was to
successfully come through military flying
training in the first place.
What would you say has been your
greatest achievement since you started
flying?
After a ten-year lay off from flying I feel it’s
a reasonable achievement to re-enter the
industry at my age.
How did you find it – training on
an R22 after flying twin-engine
helicopters?
Initially, I enjoyed the R22, as it was so
different to anything I had ever flown
before. There’s no doubt it’s a great training
helicopter but that’s all it will ever be in
my book. There’s simply not enough power,
endurance, comfort and room in the cockpit
for it to be anything else.
Have the latest advances in
technology, such as glass cockpits,
made your job easier?
Definitely! Relevant information for
a particular flight profile can now be
concentrated in the same place. It’s just so
much easier to fly on instruments in a glass
cockpit aircraft than it ever used to be when
you had to scan analogue dials. Information
is far clearer and can be absorbed far more
quickly when it is all displayed on the same
screen instead of being shown by half a
dozen, or more, dials. There is less chance
of a “mis-read”, which is great from a flight
safety point of view.
What are your plans for your
flying in future?
I plan to continue flying for the Police for
the foreseeable future as I enjoy being part
of a team and there’s definitely real job
satisfaction in catching the bad guys!
What advice would you give to young
people trying to get into the industry?
Try and join the military – or be prepared to
spend a lot of time and money if you want
to fly twin-engine helicopters. n
15
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by andrew healey
The Tide Turns
The helicopter community
around London has never felt
particularly loved. Every move
to expand rotorcraft access
to the UK capital in living
memory has invariably been
met with fierce opposition,
so a sense of rejection has
become a familiar feeling.
simon browne
In the mid-’80s the popular S61N
service linking Heathrow and Gatwick
airports was squashed, partly because
of the imminent completion of the M25
orbital motorway – recently designated
a World Heritage Carpark – and partly
because of a professional and vociferous
european connection
campaign waged by wealthy homeowners
living along the main route.
Everything the operator and the
British Helicopter Advisory Board tried
was overturned: when it offered to vary
the routing it just generated opposition
from more people. The service died
and, despite a
demonstrable
and growing need
for just such an Then, at the same
operation to be
revived, no-one
meeting, an LCY director
has so far grasped
raised the subject of
the nettle.
In the early – shock horror – actually
’90s a new
Thameside setting up (not knocking
heliport was
proposed, to
down) a heliport on the
replace the
banks of the Thames.
floating barge at
Trig Lane (near St
Paul’s) that had
its planning permission withdrawn. The
ambitious project called for a substantial
modern building to be built over the
Cannon Street railway bridge and, for a
short while, we really thought our luck
had changed. But of course it hadn’t.
Since then, the pressure has been
akin to a dripping tap. London City
Airport’s (LCY) development was
approved partly on the understanding
that helicopters would never be allowed
to land there. Heathrow ATC required
greater notice of pilot intentions to enter
its zone. Singles were banned at night.
Battersea Heliport, by now the only player
in town, was sold to a property developer.
It seemed that the end was nigh.
Then, in July, the Mayor of London
set up an inquiry to look at helicopter
noise. Shoulders collectively slumped
once more. We knew that Police, EMS and
ENG craft were flying every day and we
knew that – however fervent the plea not
to – military visitors would rarely miss
an opportunity to buzz Tower Bridge and
Parliament as they clattered along the
river. Today’s helicopters were quieter, we
knew, but as far as many Londoners were
concerned, they were just as intrusive as
ever. BHAB chief executive Peter Norton
girded his loins and prepared to face the
flak once more.
Then a funny thing happened. He
was given a chance to make his point
and it was, he recalls, “an orderly and
well-handled affair.” Then, at the same
meeting, an LCY director raised the
subject of – shock horror – actually
setting up (not knocking down) a heliport
on the banks of the Thames.
Charles Buchanan
was confident. “We
expect to see helicopter
routes extended, to
follow the Thames
into our airspace. By
introducing a London
City Airport Heliport,
we would be able to
enforce a co-ordinated
approach, maximizing
the use of airspace and
minimizing the impact
on the environment.”
Managing Director,
Richard Gooding,
was firm. “The 2012
Olympics will cause a lot of demand
for this type of flight, so let’s use this
opportunity to plan and do this properly.
The industry needs to address this issue
– doing nothing is not an option. We
should be pulling together to make sure
the subject is properly addressed by the
London Assembly and the Government.”
Now I find this all quite disconcerting
and suspect a plot. Has the worm begun
to turn? Could it be that the wider public
is beginning to discover that, in the right
circumstances, helicopters can actually
be A Good Thing? No longer a rich man’s
toy but an asset to the community? A
practical tool that can finally begin to
take its place in the wider transport
infrastructure?
Blimey. I’m sorry, I need to lie down.
Like Robert Redford said at the end of
The Candidate, when he made it to the
Senate; “What do we do now?” n
(This is my last column for HeliOps. I’ve
been asked to set up a European operation for
a company that makes Hi-Def gyro stabilized
aerial camera systems. It’s already big in
film and TV and my job is to introduce the
product to new sectors. So long then, and
thanks for reading.)
17
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by robert van de vuurst
The Tax Man
Cometh –
But Sometimes You
Can Send Him Away
“Death and taxes” – How
many times have you heard
that line? “Death and taxes
are unavoidable, so just deal
with it.” In the case of taxes
though, sometimes they ARE
avoidable – at least for a while.
The catalyst for this column has been
what most of us have been dealing with for
the last several years, and that is one of the
most heated markets for aircraft sales in
recent memory. I’ve been in this business
for 20 years now and can’t remember
anything like it. Manufacturers are pushing
aircraft out the doors as fast as they can
– at record prices, and they still have multi-
year backlogs. And try to find a good used
helicopter at a decent price these days! A
lot of folks would tell you that you’ll have a
better chance at winning the lottery. Just like
most things however, there is a silver lining
to that cloud – at least if you’re a seller. The
recent inflation in aircraft prices means that
the helicopter you bought five years ago is, in
all likelihood, worth significantly more than
you paid for it, and that’s maybe even with a
timed-out turbine. So, if you’re a seller then
you’re laughing all the way to the bank, right?
Not necessarily, because that’s when the tax
man cometh.
That’s because there’s a little thing called
“taxable gain” when it comes to aircraft
sales. If you sell something for more than
you paid for it, most of the time you have
to pay taxes on the difference between your
purchase price and what you sell it for (the
“gain”), and that’s on top of something called
“recapture” taxes on the depreciation write-
offs that you took while you were operating
it. Here’s an example: You bought a JetRanger
five years ago and paid $750,000. Through
bonus depreciation and everything else, your
book value on it today is $500,000. It is now
worth, however, $850,000 thanks to the great
market, and you decide to sell it and upgrade
to a more expensive aircraft. The tax man
then cometh, and wants you to pay tax on
$350,000 and at some pretty steep rates. It
sends chills down your spine, right?
You might be able to avoid that tax – at
least for the moment, through something
called a “1031 like-kind exchange”. It’s the
buzzword lingo for a transaction that’s
allowed by Section 1031 of the United States
Internal Revenue Code. Basically, what that
Section allows is for a seller to avoid paying
gain taxes on the sale of a piece of property,
so long as first, the seller replaces that
property with something similar and second,
that some relatively simple procedures are
followed.
Here’s how it works. Section 1031 at its
core, contemplates that you, as a business
person, shouldn’t have to pay taxes on gains
when, instead of just putting that gain money
in your pocket, you’re going to put it back to
work by purchasing another similar asset.
After all, if you put it back to work it’s good
for the economy, which is good for everybody.
In a 1031 transaction you appoint somebody,
in writing, as a “qualified intermediary.” It
can literally be anyone as long as they’re
“neutral” and don’t have an existing business
relationship with you. You then find a buyer
It may sound complicated, but 1031 exchanges are really very
simple transactions once you get the hang of them, and there are
“qualified intermediaries” on just about every street corner.
for your JetRanger, but instead of selling
the aircraft directly to the buyer, you sell
it to the qualified intermediary, who then
immediately turns around and transfers title
to the buyer. The buyer pays the $850,000
to the intermediary, who holds it for you.
Within 45 days, you have to identify the new
helicopter you want to buy, ink the deal, and
close on it within 180 days. The intermediary
then uses the $850,000 of your proceeds to
purchase the new aircraft, and if there’s any
extra needed you pay the difference. The new
helicopter is then yours and, if you’ve done it
right you have succeeded in avoiding, at least
for the moment, the tax on the $350,000 gain
LE G AL COUN s e L
on your JetRanger. And what if you’ve already
located your new helicopter before you’ve
sold the old one? You can do what’s called a
“reverse 1031” as well, and still postpone the
tax on the gain. It’s a tad more complex as
far as the paperwork goes, but completely
manageable, I assure you.
It may sound complicated, but 1031
exchanges are really very simple transactions
once you get the hang of them, and there are
“qualified intermediaries” on just about every
street corner. Just Google “1031 exchange”
and see how many pop up. There are a lot of
folks out there who make a darn good living
just being intermediaries on a daily basis. Is
it a perfect system? Of course not – very little
is these days. One of the drawbacks to a 1031
exchange is, as you may have seen already,
that your money is held by the intermediary
until you buy the new aircraft, so you don’t
get to play with it, or for that matter even get
to keep a real close eye on it. Most folks fix
that problem though, by making sure their
intermediary is fully-bonded and insured.
Another problem is that you have to use
the sales proceeds from your old machine to
buy another helicopter – you can’t use it for
something different or just keep it. If you do,
then your tax avoidance has just been lost.
Lastly, a 1031 exchange can fairly be said to
defer a tax instead of completely killing it for
all time. All in all though, a 1031 exchange is
a useful tool, especially in times like these.
I’ve probably done more 1031 exchanges in
the last three years than I did in the last 10
years before that combined. So keep it in
mind, but if you want to explore this option
make sure that you consult with a qualified
accountant or attorney before you proceed.
As with anything else that relates to tax
matters, there are little intricacies and foibles
that could fill up this whole issue, not to
mention this column. I won’t bore you with
all of them to the point of suicide – that’s
their job. But, as noted above, take the time
to do it and do it right, and you can save a
bunch of money. n
* The discussions in this column are the opinion of the
writer only, and may not be relied upon as legal advice
without the expressed written permission of the author.
19

by nick lappos
The Dead Man’s
Curve – Guideline or
Gospel?
Folks are often taught that the dead
man’s curve (or the height-velocity
curve) is an inviolable set of limits to be
disobeyed at one’s deadly peril. Let me
weigh in with some observations. First, the
dead man’s curve is usually established
for only one set of governing conditions,
so it is only ever an approximation.
As a result it can sometimes be very
conservative – and sometimes, way too
liberal. The factors that affect it are gross
weight (less is always better), altitude
(high density-altitude means more rpm
decay), temperature (higher temperature
increases density altitude and also
weakens the engine’s power output, which
is important for twins) and prevailing
wind. Each factor can have a major effect
on the probability of success following
an engine failure. If you are looking for a
foolproof way to define your limits, the
dead man’s curve is not your answer.
Establishing the curve is the stuff of
test pilot legend – as is any test where
guys with fire hoses and silver suits
stand by to help clean up the mess!
Each point on the curve is established
by having test pilots go out and – from
a constant altitude – cut the engine at
progressively slower and slower speeds,
developing pilot technique to make a nice
touchdown. As speeds reduce, so do the
options and the landings get progressively
harder – in every sense. It is necessary
to monitor landing gear stresses to see
how closely the tests get to breaking the
helicopter. When the limit is reached, the
test stops and the curve point is plotted.
The whole curve is built that way, with
each point established by “tickling” the
limits, before a line is drawn through all
the points to fair the curve. The tests are
usually performed at highest weight for
the conditions, and with the engine(s)
adjusted to lowest allowable power (zero
power-assurance margin) so that the
worst case is represented. The tests are
done in zero-wind conditions, often at
dawn, to ensure that there is no breeze
flight dynamics
flowing through the rotor and affecting the
test point. A deliberate delay in moving
the collective is designed into the tests
to allow for typical piloting technique.
Speaking as a test pilot, talk about a lesson
in Zen – cutting an engine and actually
waiting to lower the collective! At such
times, one second equals one apparent
month!
The amount of delay time incorporated
approximates the “normal pilot reaction
time”. Along the bottom of the curve
where the task is hovering, a pilot is
assumed to be continuously moving the
sticks so the delay is only about
0.3 seconds. Above the “knee” of the
curve (as in level flight at slow speed), it is
assumed that a less attentive pilot might
take as much as 1.3 seconds. In this flight
regime, a pilot might be looking outside,
and only monitoring the collective, so a
reduction may not automatically be so fast.
The higher speed, flat secondary curve
to the right of the curve (usually above
60 knts and below 10 ft or so) is there
because one can’t delay without hitting
the ground first. In reality, most pilots
would almost automatically apply back
cyclic should an aircraft begin to sink after
its engine cut, so I’m not sure that area is
realistic.
What if you are in the grey area and
experience an engine failure? How do you
recover? Obviously, in a single, you will
land. How hard, will be determined how
far into the grey you are. The further into
the grey – the further from the edge of the
curve – the bigger the problem. The lower
your gross weight, the lower the altitude
and the higher the wind, the less worry
you have. If the wind were blowing at 15 to
20 knts, there might be no worry at all.
Recovery actions change depending
on where in the curve you are. Generally,
below the knee, ride it down without
lowering the collective any further; down
collective will just increase your descent
rate – which you’ll pay for later. Flare with
cyclic if fast, and cushion with all of the
remaining collective just before contact.
Wait until the very end because if you
land one meter above the ground, the
subsequent drop will be quite painful.
Above the knee, it is judgment time.
It is imperative to preserve rpm, so some
down collective is needed. The amount of
down collective depends on the height.
Generally, at the knee, slight down
collective is appropriate. Near the very
top of the chart, lots of down collective
is ok. The same applies to the amount
of nose down required to build airspeed
for a cyclic flare. Low on the curve, at
the knee, don’t nose-over, just ride the
wave. As you go up the curve, the curve
gets slower because you have a chance to
lower the nose and gain speed to use in
a later flare. Speed is really nice, because
it reduces your rate of descent and gives
you the opportunity to flare later. Don’t
be shy about lowering the nose. At the
top of the curve, 15 to 20 degrees of nose
down within a second or so is appropriate.
This seems like a wild manoeuvre – and
it is – but the circumstance calls for rapid
action! Of course, when you lower your
nose, you’ll get a higher rate of descent
while you build speed, but you can reduce
that at the bottom. If you are in a 200-ft
hover, if you don’t push the nose forward
to build speed as you rapidly lower the
collective, you will become a stone by
100 ft; with no rotor rpm, you will have no
control, but will have a rate of descent like
a meteorite.
Feel is the thing, and that is impossible
to put in writing. However, if you follow
the curve and use the flight manual
technique, you should succeed. Inside the
grey, the same basic technique should
be used, but it will only minimize the
damage.
Some basic rules:
1) Follow the flight manual, and
stay out of the dead man’s curve
whenever possible.
2) Practicing autos is a bit like
practicing bleeding. The chance of an
engine failure is actually quite small,
especially compared with the known
risk of cutting the throttle to practice
autos. I’ll bet that more accidents
result from practicing autos than
from real engine failures in singles.
3) If you are descending, the H-V curve
is not very accurate; the “real” curve
is smaller, because the descent sets
you up favorably for the landing.
4) If you are climbing, the H-V curve is
very much bigger, and the situation
much worse, because the extra
power being used makes rotor rpm
decay faster.
5) With 5 knts or more of steady wind,
the H-V curve is much smaller. With
20 knts of wind there is practically
no H-V curve.
If you have serious questions that
can’t be answered by the manuals, don’t
hesitate to call company test pilots; they
are pilots just like you, and they really
want to help.
The H-V curve is a general guideline
for engine-out performance. It is not a
biblical statement of assurance, but it is
also not to be ignored. n
21
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 MAINTENANCE UPDATE
increases with an increase of OAT, some
compressors need to reduce speed
as OAT increases in order to stop the
compressor blade tips from approaching
by RUSSELL GOULDEN the possibility of shock stall. For this
reason, compressor tip speed is normally
4 Bleed valve closing too late
(staying open late on engine
deceleration)
During descent as power is reduced,
if the bleed valve is sticking closed, it
can lead to a stall.

“Quit Stalling...”
To many of us, pilots and
engineers alike, compressor
stall or compressor surge is
not a new phenomenon and
nor is it limited to any one
brand of engine manufacture
limited to around 0.85 Mach.
Compressors are comprised of sets
of rotating aerofoil blades (wings) and
stationary blades (stators). When rotating
at speed, the compressor moves a large
volume of air each second. The volume
of air moving through the engine is a
function of many factors but aerofoil
angle-of-attack and compressor
speed are dominant. Generally speaking,
any action that decreases airflow with
respect to engine speed downstream,
will cause an increase in the angle of
attack, and therefore create a tendency
4 Turbine/compressor mismatch
This could be caused by either
of the components being worn
beyond specification (particularly
in a modular engine), distortion, or
calibration-shift of turbine nozzle
guide vanes.
4 Dirty Compressor
A previous issue of HeliOps discussed
dirty compressors and the need for
compressor washing and rinsing
to avoid the likelihood of disrupted
airlflow that could lead to a stall.

for stall to occur. 4 Erosion of compressor or turbine

or model.
Compressor stall/surge can be
evident as a single momentary stall/surge
or as a rapid repeating stall as long as the
conditions that caused the stall are still
present.
A pilot may feel or hear a muffled
thud, a rumble or a droning coming from
the engine, and if the condition is severe
enough the noise can resemble pistol
shots. There could even be flame, vapour
or smoke evident at the inlet or exhaust
areas. A partial power loss could also be
experienced.
To understand what causes the
phenomenon, and how we can control
or eliminate stall/surge we need to
know what it is and accept that it can
happen in any gas turbine engine if the
conditions are right.
Compressors consist of rotating sets
of blades or impellors. They can be axial
or centrifugal, or a combination of both.
Regard the compressor as a high
output air pump. It needs to be highly
efficient, must accelerate quickly, and it
has to be reliable. The faster it rotates,
the greater will be the mass flow through
it. Compressor speeds around 50,000 rpm
are common in light turboshaft engines.
However, there is a limit to the speed
that we can drive a compressor. If the tip
speed of a compressor’s blades is allowed
to approach the speed of sound, shock
waves can form causing a dramatic loss
of pumping efficiency.
Because the speed of sound
parts
Items that can cause This can be caused by dust and FOD.
stall are: Gas turbine engines are susceptible
to wear from particles 10 microns
4 Rapid gas generator acceleration
and bigger.
This can be the result of an
acceleration schedule that is too rich 4 Damaged or incorrect nozzle guide
and could be caused by something vanes
simple as dirty or worn jets, or jets This can be caused by heat distortion
damaged by improper maintenance resulting from hot starts. Nozzles
in the case of a pneumatic flyweight sometimes require tweaking to
design governor. (Allison 250 series II) reshape the duct to restore the correct
airflow.
4 Compressor inlet temperature
too high
Whenever a compressor experiences
A culprit here can be re-ingestion of
an extreme stall or surge, the vibrations
(heated) engine bleed air back into the
(both in the compressor and turbines)
engine air inlet. On the early AS350B
have the potential to shorten blade
this could happen if the engine air
life. Manufacturers’ maintenance
inlet duct was misaligned, allowing
requirements in response to compressor
bleed air to recirculate back into the
stalls and surges vary, but the important
inlet.
thing is to be aware of the requirements
4 Bleed valve opening too early (low gas and take the appropriate action. n
generator speed)
This can be caused by faulty bleed-
valve calibration or bleed control
device failure. Remember a bleed-
valve is designed to unload the
compressor at low speeds and low
power settings, and then close at
high power settings when all the air
is needed for power and low engine
Measured Gas Temperature.
Also remember that an abrupt change
occurring with the bleed or flow
control device can cause a stall as
well. For example if a flow fence ring
in the LTS101 opens erratically or too
quickly, it can cause a stall, even if
correctly calibrated.

23
While helicopters fill western skies, it seems amazing that there are still

nations without regular – if any – commercial helicopter operations. It was

not until January 2005 that United Aviation began the first ever commercial

helicopter operations in Kuwait.

story by rob neil PHOTOS by ned dawson

 During the first Gulf War, Iraqi
troops mounted a 50. cal machine
gun in the Kuwait Towers to control
movements along the waterfront.

26
Kuwait; gateway to the eventual
rebuilding of Iraq – or so believes Kuwait’s
first commercial helicopter operation –
United Aviation. There can be little doubt
that they are correct. When the time
comes, as it eventually must,
for Iraq to reunite with the civilized world,
it will be through Kuwait that the majority
of material and supplies will have to pass.
Before the unpleasant moustachioed-
chap in next door Iraq decided he had
more right to Kuwait than the Kuwaitis,
the nation looked poised to become
the sort of Middle East “powerhouse”
that Dubai has since become. Kuwait
has nevertheless rebuilt itself and once
again has a promising future as a leading
nation in the region.
It’s Not What You Know
United Aviation (Helicopter Division)
is uniquely Kuwaiti. Things in Kuwait – as
they are in much of the Middle East – are
done differently from the way they are
in the West. For a start, not just anyone
can start up a commercial operation
whenever they feel like it. Commercial
AOCs are allocated by Kuwait’s
Directorate General of Civil Aviation
(DGCA) based on political decisions
independent of any commercial influence.
Like everything in the Middle East,
progress in any endeavor relies on the
principle described to me as “Wasta” – a
term that we in the West might equate
with, “It’s not what you know, it’s who
you know.” It is a simple fact of life in
every Middle-Eastern country and comes
down to the way they are governed and
controlled politically.
It was certainly not a lack of finance
that prevented helicopter operations
in Kuwait previously. The nation is
extremely wealthy and many individuals
and families can easily afford helicopters
– indeed, many Kuwaitis do own
helicopters and private aircraft, but the
country’s civil aviation rules prevent
them from being registered in Kuwait and
they are based in nearby countries like
Bahrain or Dubai.
The policy to limit private aviation in
Kuwait has probably been a very sensible
one. As anyone involved in aviation will
be aware, the ability to afford an aircraft
is certainly no guarantee of an ability to
operate one safely, and there are probably
quite valid concerns within Kuwait’s
DGCA that unrestricted private (including
private commercial) aviation potentially
poses significant problems in a country
that is still developing its aviation
infrastructure.
Because the Kuwaiti DGCA predicts
a significant increase in helicopter
numbers as soon as it becomes possible
The Dhow, an Arab fishing boat,
moored on the Kuwait City waterfront is
recognized as the largest example of its
type in the world.
to register them in Kuwait, it has been
thinking ahead with planning and
rules so that the country will be able to
handle the inevitable, increased traffic.
The completion of a new terminal
at Kuwait International Airport that
will accommodate many private and
commercial aircraft has featured in the
DGCA’s thinking and will be the catalyst
for change and the relaxation of current
restrictions – at least as far as private
operations are concerned.
Even if restrictions are significantly
relaxed it will require a change in
thinking by any new (Western) company
that may want to enter the marketplace.
There is a major philosophical difference
between Middle East and the Western
world as far as launching businesses
goes. In the West, people operate on the
principle of, “Build it and they will come.”
In the Middle East, the thinking tends to
be the opposite – “Secure the contract
and then we will build it.”
United Fleet
United Aviation (Helicopter Division)
operates two machines on commercial
27
 “Wasta” – a term that
we in the West might
equate with, “It’s not
what you know,
it’s who you know.”
It is a simple fact
of life in every
Middle-Eastern country.
above: United Aviation’s Chief
Engineer, Ron Lusk, relies on his
wealth of experience to plan
scheduled maintenance and often
guess which parts to “double order”
in case one lot doesn’t arrive.
above right: Rooftop helipads are
being embraced in Kuwait City, with
a number available for
United Aviation to operate from.
28
operations – a 1987 Aerospatiale Dauphin
N1 and a 1992 MD500E equipped with
Aircruiser floats on high skids. Both
aircraft came to United from the only
previous helicopter operation in Kuwait
where they were formerly private “N”-
registered corporate VVIP aircraft used
to transport members of Kuwait’s ruling
family and visiting dignitaries. Both
helicopters are therefore well-maintained,
tidy machines, despite their age.
As a recently formed private company,
United Aviation (Helicopter Division) with
its resources and expertise, has since
taken over the role of operating two other
helicopters for national VVIP missions
– a Bell 430 and a 407. There is no
crossover from the VVIP fleet into
commercial operations, however the
good thing about United’s management
of both apects of the overall operation is
that it allows it to utilize its commercial
helicopters for VIP missions should they
ever be required.
The helicopter division is an ideal
complement to the fixed-wing division of
United Aviation which operates a fleet of
beautifully appointed Embraer Legacy 135
executive jets for business and charter
travel – mainly around the Middle East,
but also as required to destinations
anywhere in the world. United Aviation,
which began commercial fixed-wing
operations in 2004, is only the second
company in 50 years to receive a Kuwaiti
AOC; Kuwait Airlines is the only other.
Although the helicopter division currently
operates under the main United Aviation
AOC, this will eventually change and it
will become a “stand alone” operation
with its own AOC.
The helicopter division’s Chief Pilot,
Chris Kisvarday, first arrived in Kuwait
in 1987 to begin flying the helicopter for
VVIP corporate operations. Chris is an ex-
US Coastguard HH65 pilot whose time and
experience in the Coastguard is instantly
apparent as soon as one flies with him
in the Dauphin. The establishment of the
commercial operation has relied heavily
on his experience – both in military
service, and in his subsequent time in the
Middle East.
A difficulty experienced by any start-
up high-tech company (not just aviation)
in this region is the scarcity of suitably
qualified staff. It has been no different for
United which has not found it easy to find
and retain sufficient qualified people to
keep things going. By way of comparison,
most established helicopter operations
around the world typically work on the
basis of having at least 1.5 pilots for each
of their aircraft. United has never had
more than one pilot per machine. This
certainly makes the Chief Pilot’s job of
balancing rosters, leave and maintenance,
a challenging one. An additional
complication for Chris, whose pilots crew
all four helicopters – the commercial and
VVIP machines – is the rule by the DGCA
that restricts pilots to only two type-
qualifications at any one time.
Prior to the commencement of
commercial operations this was less of
a challenge, however it has become a
significant issue since the commercial
work has begun and requires a great deal
of planning and careful management.
Chris at least has the advantage of
familiarity with the region and the way
things are done.
Maintenance Issues
Before 2005, the helicopter fleet
was maintained by United’s fixed-wing
maintenance organization, which was not
really ideal. In setting up the commercial
helicopter endeavor, in June 2005 United
secured the services of Ron Lusk – a
highly qualified, ex-military engineer, to
oversee the maintenance of the helicopter
fleet. Ron has been instrumental in
bringing the aircraft up to the highest
possible standards and, happily for
United, he enjoys living and working
in Kuwait which is a great deal more
civilized and safer than the numerous
far-flung and troublesome regions of
the world in which he had previously
worked. The knowledge and experience
he has gained in the worst climates and
most challenging operating environments
around the world mean that nothing will
be too difficult for him in Kuwait, so it
was sound strategic thinking by United
to secure his services.
Maintaining complicated and
expensive machines like helicopters in
the extreme heat and dusty conditions
encountered in Kuwait is a constant
battle. With no back-up aircraft available,
Ron must rely heavily upon his instincts
born of experience to plan scheduled
maintenance and often guess which parts
to “double order” in case one lot doesn’t
arrive. The lack of available spare parts is
a constant headache – with no helicopter
infrastructure in Kuwait, everything
must be freighted in. He constantly has
to think on his feet to allow for changing
operational requirements and, as he says,
“Thank goodness for Fed-Ex, otherwise
we’d never see parts.”
Both Chris and Ron have been happy
with the service provided by MDH for
United’s MD500E, which has proved
very reliable in the extreme conditions
in Kuwait where temperatures in the
high 40s are common. Both men are
also highly complimentary of Bell for
its service support of the 430 and 407
that United manages for its corporate
customers. There was less enthusiasm
29
 even without the severe heat stress
inherent in Kuwait’s climate! United’s
Dauphin will eventually have to
undergo a similar major re-wiring. All
the helicopters suffer – as does every
mechanical device in the region – from
the pervasive, fine talcum-like dust that
fills the air. Rotor blades and compressors
suffer badly and the dust insinuates itself
into the deepest recesses of instruments
and avionics causing all sorts of
electronic chaos.

United’s SAS365N picks for Eurocopter’s support of the much
up passengers for its older Dauphin. “However,” conceded
scenic tours from the city’s Chris, “they have at least been out here to
see us, and they are making an effort.”
rooftop helipads.
A major issue with the Dauphin is
its wiring. Chris pointed out that the
Coastguard’s HH65s had all required re-
wiring – something that was necessary
Encouraging Aviation
The company’s management is keen
to encourage more Kuwaitis to experience
helicopter flight. With this in mind, it
offers extremely reasonably priced “Sky
Tour” flights around the Kuwait City
waterfront. These flights at 500 ft give
locals (as well as tourists) outstanding
views of the coastline and Kuwait City
skyscape and take in the Kuwait Towers
with their distinctive, elegant blue and
white “balls”, Souk Sharq shopping center,
Green Island and the world’s largest dhow
alongside the Radisson SAS hotel.
The Sky Tours operate mainly
at weekends (Thursday–Friday in

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 Kuwait) from the Marina Club, which
is a municipal facility run by the
Touristic Enterprises Company – a semi-
governmental organization, 97 percent
owned by the Kuwait Investment
Authority. United also operates Sky
Tours from the Khiran resort where large
numbers of Kuwaitis – as many as 40 to
50 a day – get the opportunity to enjoy
rare scenic flights at even better rates
than the already heavily discounted
standard Sky Tour rates. Each of the Sky
Tours is preceded by a comprehensive
safety briefing that includes a video
presentation. The safety briefing and
procedures are designed to take account
of the general lack of public awareness
of helicopter operations. Notably, all
passengers – even for Sky Tour flights,
undergo strict security screening similar
to airline screening. Any children flying marketing done to date, but this will The MD500E is equipped with
without parents aboard are always obviously change. Chris considers that permanent floats since the
accompanied by a United staff member. United’s helicopter operation is still majority of its time is spent on
In addition to daytime Sky Tours, the very much in a “start-up” phase – a
over-water operations.
helicopters also make night time scenic phase he expects to continue for at least
flights over Kuwait City. All of the Sky another year.
Tours are naturally rather seasonal and, Kuwait’s severe heat obviously
as yet, lack an adequate public profile. has an effect on the performance of
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31
Tour passengers – more so upon the
500, although Chris has been impressed
with just how well the smaller machine
performs in the conditions and he has
been particularly impressed with the
reliability of its Allison engine. Indeed,
despite its having to carry one less
passenger in the heat, the 500 has proved
sufficiently powerful to have an air-
conditioning system fitted. This has yet
to be completed, but it has been ordered
and passengers will undoubtedly look
forward to the chill of air conditioning
inside the 500’s hothouse bubble on
Kuwait’s 45-degree (plus) days.
Fuel loads are kept to minimums
in both helicopters to ensure optimum
performance. In order to alleviate the
restrictions upon range and endurance
that these minimum fuel loads would
otherwise have, United maintains its own
fuel truck and keeps fuel caches around
the country for longer journeys.
While its Sky Tours increase Kuwait’s
citizens’ exposure to helicopters and are
not seen as serious money-makers for the
company, United Aviation has a growing
number of regular commercial contracts
for the sorts of work that many other
countries would identify with helicopter
operations. Typical of such contracts
32
is a major operation at the new Pearl
City where, prior to the availability of
commercial helicopters, the development
company had no choice but to buy
satellite time to obtain imagery of the
development’s progress for its engineers.
Not surprisingly, helicopters are a vastly
cheaper alternative, offering much more
immediate and flexible options for this
customer whose contract with United
Aviation requires on-call helicopter
Passengers will
undoubtedly look
forward to the chill of
air conditioning inside
the 500’s hothouse
bubble on Kuwait’s
45-degree (plus) days.
availability for a specified number of
hours per year.
Now that commercial operations are
underway, electronic news gathering
(ENG) is something that United is actively
targetting with its MD500. The 500 is
fitted with a camera pod and has already
been used for a number of jobs including
coverage of offshore powerboat racing.
As the sole operator in the region, it is
certain to attract a growing interest from
global news and media organizations
whenever they require an ENG platform.
With its floats, the single-engined 500
is just as suitable as the Dauphin with its
twin engines for operations to any of the
eight offshore islands near Kuwait City.
At present, the 500’s over-water flights
are restricted to day-VFR only. In the near
future, it will be fitted with appropriate
external lights to allow night-VFR over-
water operations as well.
The Way Ahead
What of the future for United
Aviation? There are two major plans for
the near future. Next year Chris expects
the company to begin flight training
in anticipation of the expected influx
of private aircraft in the coming years.
The near future should also see United ➤
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33

The MD500E has a camera
pod mounted under the nose
which is used for covering
events such as offshore
powerboat racing.
become the first aero-medical operation
in Kuwait, and Chris has already
developed procedures and plans for such
a service. The oil industry generates
significant need for an EMS service and,
in keeping with the massive building
boom elsewhere in Kuwait, there are a
number of private hospitals being built
at present – all with rooftop helipads
– so that the need for EMS helicopters is
increasing all the time.
As the company expands – and it
surely will – then a fleet expansion will
obviously be necessary. There are no
definite plans for how United Aviation
will re-equip its helicopter fleet, but Chris
is admant that it would be preferable to
move to a single-manufacturer if possible.
At present, especially considering how
small the fleet is, it is a bit of a logistical
nightmare for all concerned having to
manage and maintain the commercial
MD and Eurocopter machines as well
as the two Bell VVIP aircraft. It is
particularly trying for Ron Lusk who must
maintain an inordinately large range of
tools and spares. Chris’ preference would
be for an all-Bell fleet. The 407 and 430
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 suited to the Kuwait climate – their ample
power reserves giving them the ability to
easily cope with the heat. The presence of
so many other Bell aircraft in the region,
combined with Bell’s outstanding service,
means that any Bell product is less likely
to suffer AOG difficulties.
With the possibility in mind of adding
an EMS service, they have already been
scouting the region looking for a 412 to
complement (and potentially replace)
the Dauphin. Chris has been examining
the options for a “QC” interior for the
Dauphin that would enable it to be a
secondary back-up EMS ship alongside
a 412. He is also hopeful that in future,
if the corporate 407’s owners were to
replace that helicopter, then United
Aviation may be able to acquire it – either
to complement or replace the 500.
While United Aviation doesn’t expect
a whole lot of competition any time
soon, the company realizes the time will
eventually come for at least one other
operator to share the commercial skies.
Knowing that it will inevitably come, part
of United’s plan for the future revolves
around developing an infrastructure
capable of supporting other operators
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with maintenance. As and when Iraq
begins to rejoin the world, there will
definitely be a need for massive (civil)
logistics and maintenance support in the
region and United Aviation aims to be
able to fill this gap.
Salaries for pilots and engineers in
Kuwait are good – but there are trade-
offs. Apart from their six weeks’ vacation
each year, United’s pilots are on call
24/7. For some people the lack of labour
laws (which offer varying degrees of job
security in most Western countries), is
a deterrent to working anywhere in the
Middle East, but for anyone prepared to
work within the system, conditions are
generally very good for ex-pats like Chris
and Ron.
While it is always a pleasure to visit
any operator, there is a something
special about visiting them for the first
time – and even more special when
their operation is not only a “start-up”,
but is also a pioneering first in a nation’s
history.
In post-Iraq Kuwait, a nation that is
rapidly growing in stature in the Middle
East, the name United Aviation somehow
seems particularly appropriate. n
C O V E R F E AT U R E

Electricity is almost as essential to

modern life as water and food. Southern

California Edison which supplies electricity

to more than 13 million people through

4 million meters, has come to rely on the

helicopter to keep its network operating.

story by M ark Ogden PHOTOS by Ned Dawson, Rob Neil & Mark Ogden
 above and right: It takes
exceptional skill to place a 40 ft
power pole into a hole no
bigger than 3 ft across, from
150 ft above.
Southern California Edison
(SCE) is one of the largest investor-owned
electric utilities in a 50,000 square-mile
area of central, coastal and southern
California. Based in Rosemead, California,
the utility has been providing electric
service in the region for over 120 years
and today supplies electricity to 428 cities
and communities. With consolidated
assets of around US$23.9 billion, SCE
has about 13,500 employees, over 12,000
transmission circuit miles and 60,000
miles of overhead distribution circuitry,
employing around 425 transmission and
40
distribution crews to service the network.
SCE’s transmission facilities include
850 substations. Its distribution system,
taking power from substations to the
customer, includes 1.5 million poles
and 457,000 overhead transformers.
There is a lot of infrastructure – much
of it in difficult and environmentally
sensitive areas.
SCE’s service area spreads from Mono
County in the north to Orange County in
the south and takes in much of Southern
California including the Sierra Nevada
Mountains (with the highest peak in
Continental US) and Death Valley (the
lowest point in the US). The extremely
rugged topography also includes many
national parks, wilderness areas and
national forests.
in 1957. This helicopter also hauled steel
for tower assembly as well. Although
this was a contracted helicopter, its
usefulness and economy encouraged SCE
to develop its own flight department, and
top: For SCE crews the days can be
long and tiring, working in the hot
California heat.
left: Double-checking the hook

A Vital Tool
With so much area to cover and so
many facilities to maintain, SCE has
found the helicopter to be the ideal tool
– able to lift significant loads, place them
accurately and safely, while ensuring
minimal environmental impact. The
company first used helicopters as long
ago as 1947. Although initially Edison
only used a helicopter for patrolling
powerlines, it began employing one –
a Sikorsky S-58, to install power poles
a year later a department manager and connection before take-off ensures that
a pilot were hired. In 1959 the company all goes well for the day’s lifting.
hired a mechanic and purchased its first
centre: TC Correl and Peter Schneider
helicopter, a Hiller 12E.
As California grew, so did SCE and the – SCE’s European contingent.
workload for its helicopter fleet. As SCE right: TC checks over the bottom end
continually added more capability into its
of the long-line to make sure it will
distribution system, its helicopters were
release in the case of an emergency.
not only used to fly the lines, they were
also extensively used in construction
projects – especially in the more remote
areas of California, where roads and
facilities were (and continue to be) sparse.

41
Era Helicopters LLC, one of the world’s
leading helicopter operators, is now
hiring Pilots and Aircraft Maintenance
Technicians.
All pilot applicants must have instrument ticket and a
minimum of 1250 hours. Bonus paid for ATP Certification.
Bonus paid for flight hours and paid per diem. Era offers
a 14-day on / 14-day off schedule.
Seeking experienced technicians with A&P License.
Experience with Sikorsky S-61/S76, Agusta A119/A109,
Eurocopter EC120/AS350 experience preferred. Field
Experience required for 14 day on/14 day off work
schedule with paid per diem.
Era offers a very competitive compensation and benefit
package which includes an employer sponsored 401k plan.
Please send resume and cover letter to:
Human Resources Department
Era Helicopters LLC
P. O. Box 6550
Lake Charles, LA 70606
or email to:
jfield@erahelicopters.com
Equal Opportunity Employer
More Hillers were soon added as the
helicopters easily justified their costs
on these projects. Eventually the Hillers
were replaced by MD500s. During the
1990s, as California came out of its boom,
the construction projects dwindled
and the helicopters focused more on
patrols, maintenance and personnel-
transport tasks.
As populations increase and demand
for power grows, helicopters are
becoming ever more valuable, because
although many powerlines traverse
numerous parks and remote areas,
environmental considerations rule out
any likelihood of new roads being built
there; helicopters can patrol lines and
repair structures with little or no impact
on the environment.
“Because we are part of the utility,
we have established many letters of
agreement with the different agencies we
work with,” explains Art Bradbury, the
man who runs SCE’s aviation operations.
“They include agreements with the US
Military to fly into restricted airspace,
US Division of Forestry and Park service
to fly patrols and crew support of
the lines and hydroelectric facilities,
Bureau of Land Management, California
Department of Forestry, Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission, law
enforcement and of course the Federal
Aviation Administration. We have a very
good working relationship with all the
agencies, but it takes a lot of work to keep
up on all the requirements.”
Operations
SCE’s fleet is based at the Ontario
airport not far from Los Angeles. At the
time of writing, the fleet included a
couple of MD500s and three AS350s – a
B3, a B2, and a D model. There are two
B3s on order to replace the B2 and 350 D.
One of those B3s was due to be delivered
mid-October this year. The company
also has an EC135 on order for delivery
in mid-2007. As the transition is made to
all-B3 model Astars, one disadvantage
accompanies the advantages. All the
pilots are well-trained on loss of tail
rotor effectiveness and high density
altitude flight operations, but as Bradbury
explains, “With the addition of the AS
350 B3 the critical tail rotor issues have
changed, but until all our AStars are B3s
we must concentrate on training the
pilots on the differences. In many ways
the transition between one aircraft type
and another poses significant risk that
must be mitigated. With the cockpits so
similar but the capabilities so different,
the pilot must be well-briefed and trained
on the mission.”
More than 92 percent of the annual
2,000 to 2,400 flight hours are flown in
support of maintaining the electrical
network and asset management
(including power pole setting, line
stringing, GPS mapping, water survey,
concrete hauling and photography),
while passenger transport accounts for
the remaining hours. To help ensure
continuity of electrical network supply,
quick response to faults is important.
Crews can be airborne within 15 minutes
of a call during business hours, while
for after-hours callouts, all the pilots
have pagers for quick recall. Working in
remote areas can be daunting especially
when it comes to navigation, and finding
the right pole could be like finding the
needle in the proverbial haystack. All
the helicopters are equipped with GPS
and an instantaneous tracking system.
Communication is through a 900 MHz
company radio system, and for ad-
hoc lifting work all the helicopters are
equipped with cargo hooks.
“In the areas we work,” Bradbury
notes, “we are always within reach of
lodging – some better than others – but all
with electricity and indoor plumbing. Our
crews spend around six to ten days out of
town every month, which is not bad for
the life of a helicopter pilot! When they
work in the field they have to be mindful
of rattlesnakes (the Mohave green is the
most deadly), scorpions, black widow
spiders, brown recluse spiders, bears,
cougars, bobcats, poison oak, high
altitude hypoxia, heat stroke... and the
occasional human lunatic.”
The MD500 is primarily used in the
field and in rough terrain and can lift
external loads of up to 1,000 lbs (454 kg).
The AS350s have proved valuable for long-
distance desert patrols and can lift up
to 2,000 lbs. They are also used for snow
surveys, crew support and passenger
transport. If the company needs greater
opposite page: SCE crews regularly
practice long-lining in the mountains
up behind San Bernadino.
above left: The AS350B3 is the
newest addition to the SCE fleet,
which was primarily made up of
MD500Ds.
above right: Flying a load
suspended 100 ft below the
helicopter with your head out the
door all the time takes a special
kind of skill.
external-lift capability, it sub-contracts
to other operators with bigger machinery.
These operators have to be qualified
by the SCE flight department and must
periodically undergo SCE auditing.
In remote areas the helicopters
substantially reduce the cost and time
of line construction and maintenance
compared to the cost and time of using
conventional means, and it is always
cheaper to string lines with helicopters
because their speed makes them so much
more efficient.
The most important work the
helicopters are involved in is always the
restoration of power in the event of cuts.
It takes priority over all other work and
so the helicopters are often called upon to
carry out reconnaissance, help maintain
43

right-of-ways, carry out inspections after
earthquakes and damage-assessment
following storms, fires and high winds.
Bark Beetle
In 2003 a severe drought affected
much the of Southern California’s forest
areas and in San Bernardino, Riverside,
San Diego and Los Angeles counties,
hundreds of thousands of trees, already
weakened by years of drought, died or
began dying as a result of a widespread
bark-beetle insect infestation. The dried
timber contributed to one of the worst
fire seasons in the history of Southern
California.
After the fires, SCE’s and contract
helicopters were used to help restore
around 2,000 electric poles and replace
destroyed equipment. The bark-
beetle menace continues today and
the company’s helicopters are used to
patrol the lines to help ensure enough
clearance between trees and the power
lines, especially during high fire danger
44
periods. Logging helicopters are now
removing many of the dead trees from
areas near electric lines.
Operating Areas
SCE has 33 licensed heliports in
Southern California, including two at SCE
corporate headquarters in Rosemead.
Bradbury said the company’s helicopters
also operate from other landing sites.
These include several located between
7,000 and 9,000 ft AMSL as well as
various other mountain sites. “Our
helicopters routinely operate above
10,000 ft and in the summer the density
altitude can easily exceed 11,000 ft.”
The charts in helicopter flight
manuals refer to “steady state” conditions;
they allow little margin for things like
turbulence or pilot technique. Bradbury
explains that the company applies
a margin to account for this. “We
determine the weight that a helicopter
can lift at any given job site and reduce
that amount by 10 percent. This is done
when the request comes to the dispatch
desk. If the load is then beyond our
capability we contact one of our approved
contract helicopter operators with heavier
lift capacity. Sometimes pilots find
themselves at job sites with larger loads
than anticipated. In those cases the pilots
will work with the customers to reduce
loads to manageable levels or arrange
for larger helicopters.”
Flying near powerlines is a pretty
hazardous job, but SCE pilots do it day-in
and day-out. “The chance of wire strike
is taken very seriously by the company,”
according to Bradbury. “Pilots go through
a patrol training course that has a section
dealing with wire strike avoidance and
obstruction identification.” Bradbury
explains that the pilots flying line patrols
are always briefed about hazardous wire
crossings and the company maintains
a book that identifies particularly
dangerous wires to its patrols.
“Our Chief Pilot, Mark Kovaletz,
created a wire marking system for SCE
specifically to place marking spheres on
high risk wires. We have placed many
spheres on these wires throughout
the SCE service territory and we have
also given many classes to the aviation
community on wire strike avoidance, and
made the presentation available to the
FAA and other government agencies for
training.”
While all five helicopters are based
at the Ontario airport, one has been
assigned to the company’s Big Creek
operation (25 miles north-east of Fresno
in the Sierra Nevada Mountains) for the
past eight years. The Big Creek aircraft
provides emergency response for circuit
interruptions, as well as supporting
hydro-generation crews and transporting
utility employees between Big Creek and
Bishop. The 30-minute flight each way
saves more than six hours of driving
time, is safer and provides a quick
response when problems develop.
The Big Creek helicopter also provides
reconnaissance and planning data for
the power company. In the winter, the
helicopter takes hydrographers up to
the highest snow courses in the US (the
highest one is 12,600 ft) to measure
snow depths. It depends on the work
requirements. “The hydrographers are
charged with snow depth and density
measurement so we carry specific
equipment to poke holes in the snow
and weight it,” explains Bradbury. “We
always have at least one crew member ➤
 “All I remember was someone
saying, watch your step”

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Chief Pilot Art Bradbury
patrols the powerlines near
Lake Arrowhead. The bark
beetle infestation is evident by
the discoloration of the trees.
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Flight Department
The flight department has 18
employees, including a Director of
Operations and of Maintenance, a
Chief Pilot, five full-time pilots and one
part-time, four mechanics, an aircraft
scheduler, a records clerk and two aircraft
attendants. All pilots are current in both
helicopter models and regularly undergo
factory-provided recurrent training in
addition to Computer-Based Training on
aircraft systems, the FARs and weather.
Although SCE’s helicopters fly under
Parts 91 and 133, pilots comply with Part
135 duty times. Safety is obviously an
important aspect of SCE’s operations.
“Our crews follow a briefing guide for
the specific mission and must turn in
the guide with the names of everyone
briefed,” notes Bradbury. “That sheet is
then attached to the flight log that they
turn in after the flight.”
All pilots must wear company issues
Nomex flight suits and flight boots for
every flight. During flights involving off-
field landings, external-lift, patrolling
or flight near the shaded area of the
HV curve, Kevlar flight helmets, Nomex
gloves and eye protection is required. ➤
Each helicopter is equipped with a first
aid kit, survival kit, burn kit, aircraft-
tracking radio, ELT, signalling devices
and a handheld VHF radio. If the flight is
in the mountains in the winter, a winter
survival kit is also on the aircraft. This
kit includes a tent, shovel and heavy-duty
sleeping bag.
Fatigue can be an issue in patrols.
SCE pilots fly patrols for no more than
two hours straight and then they are
to stop the helicopter and take a break.
“We schedule no more than six hours
of patrolling per day per pilot,” explains
Bradbury.
The Eurocopter machines all have
air-conditioning and they do the
summer desert patrols. Even with an air
conditioner, the heat can reach 120°F
(nearly 49°C) and the air conditioner
will only reduce the heat 30°F. Bradbury
explains that with the green house effect
it is still warm in the cockpit, and so the
pilots must take more frequent rest stops
and drink lots of water.
There is no shortage of experience at
the company. Bradbury has spent more
than 20 years flying throughout the
company’s service area. He is dual-rated
and holds airline transport pilot licences
for both airplanes and rotor wing aircraft.
Kovaletz has also been with SCE for 20
years, is also dual rated and holds an
ATP. He has invented several helicopter
supplemental equipment items that were
patented and he holds the STCs.
The pilots know the lines and areas
they are patrolling which helps the
patrolmen locate circuit problems quickly
and safely. They also have to be good
at external load work, having to thread
utility poles precisely between electric
lines and phone lines as well as delicately
holding insulators in place while a
lineman places a bolt through the steel
support.
Pilot requirements are 3,000 hours in
helicopters, 500 hours in type, 800 hours
of mountain flying, proficiency in long-
line operations, instrument rating, and a
The heat can reach
120°F (nearly 49°C) and
the air conditioner will
only reduce the heat 30°F.
college degree or equivalent experience.
The mechanics are also highly
experienced. Bill Hare, the Maintenance
Supervisor has worked for Edison for 24
years, has been an A&P mechanic for
approximately 30 years and is also a rated
pilot. Of the four line A&P mechanics, two
have their Inspection Authorization (IA)
Certificates and those two are also rated
pilots. The maintenance technicians
and aircraft attendants pull dual duty
by serving as ground support personnel
during remote fieldwork.
Essential Tool
Helicopters have given Southern
California Edison the means to service
a wide-ranging and sprawling network
without adversely impacting on the
environment. Helicopters give electricity
crews and their equipment access to
environmentally sensitive areas where
line access roads are closed to protect the
habitat.
Precision flying, safety and customer
service are strong characteristics of
the service the SCE’s flight department
provides. For nearly 60 years, the
helicopter has helped provide power to
the people of Southern California. n

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s a f e t y FEAT U R E
Good single pilot IFR skills in a certificated

aircraft may have prevented 13 helicopter

accidents and over 70 percent of the EMS

deaths in the last ten years. In Part Two

of HeliOps’ investigation, RICK O’NEAL

proposes specific options that the EMS

industry should look at to improve safety.

story by Rick O’Neal

PHOTOS by ned dawson
 Careflight is Sydney,
Australia’s premier EMS
provider and operates a
fleet made up of a BK117,
A119 and an A109E.

52

My wife was pregnant with our
first child when tragedy struck our
neighbourhood; a toddler drowned in a
neighbour’s swimming pool. My wife and
I wanted to protect our child because
we knew that tragedy could befall us as
easily as it had our neighbour. We were
faced with a real danger that had to be
mitigated.
We were presented with many choices
about how we would protect our children
and those of our neighbours. We could
use technology, such as pool alarms that
sound when anything splashes into the
pool, or gate alarms that sound when the
fence gate around the pool is opened.
We could advocate for more legislation
forcing those homeowners with pools
to take more preventive measures such
as higher fences and childproof knobs
on gates around pools. We could remove
ourselves and our children from the
danger by moving to an area with few,
if any, swimming pools or open areas of
water. The neighbourhood could band
together and form watch committees to
prevent children from wandering near
water. We could try to limit the number
of pools. The list of things we could
do went on and on, but one thing
that was not an option was to do nothing.
I see many similarities in our
neighbourhood situation and the EMS
helicopter industry today. Just as my
wife and I knew it could happen to us,
every EMS program in the world knows
that the tragedy of an accident could be
just around the corner – because it has
happened to others. The EMS industry
is presented with many different ways
to prevent accidents. The NTSB has
made recommendations about risk
assessment programs and crew resource
programs. New technology in the form
of such things as NVGs, GPS and TAWS
is available to lessen the possibility of
an accident. Some have suggested that
we should reduce the number of patient
flights in order to reduce the accident
rate. Various groups around the world are
banding together to attack the problem.
In my previous article in this magazine,
I suggested that the industry needs to
focus on aviation skills.
I believe that everyone in the EMS
industry is trying to do something to
reduce the accident rate. I also believe
that, unlike swimming pools, helicopter
transport of critically ill and injured
patients is a very important and vital
The S76 is prevalent in the United
States, but the Northland Emergency
Services Trust is the sole operator of
the type in New Zealand.
service. For this reason it should not be
curtailed, it should be expanded. Our
industry is faced with a bit of a dilemma
– how do we justify more and more
flights if we continue to crash at the rate
that we do? We must find a way to reduce
accidents while increasing transports.
Business has embraced a process
called Six Sigma to improve productivity
and efficiency. In a gross over-
simplification, the process identifies
the things that will make the biggest
impact to a process and encourages
implementation of those things. One
does not have to understand Six Sigma
to know that it makes sense to make
the changes that will have the biggest
impact first. Is the EMS industry doing
that? Looking over the accident reports
for the past ten years, one wonders. The
NTSB database lists 52 US EMS helicopter
accidents with final reports and
probable-cause findings. Of those 52,
21 were fatal accidents that caused
54 deaths. One of the fatal accidents
occurred on the ground when a hospital
security guard walked into a tail rotor;
the other 20 fatal accidents occurred
during flight. Thirteen of these fatal
accidents involved what I would call CFIT
53
 Metro Dade Fire Rescue in
Miami, Florida is one of the
State’s busiest operations with
a fleet of three Bell 412s.

or loss of control/spatial awareness with In all 13 of these fatal accidents a

subsequent impact with terrain/water.
Every EMS program These 13 accidents accounted for 39 of
the 54 deaths. While not all of these 13
in the world knows accidents could have been blamed on
poor decision-making, some could. There
that the tragedy of an were some flights that, with hindsight,
we can easily see should not have been
accident could be just attempted. Not a single accident resulted
from structural or any other kind of
around the corner. mechanical failure; no one died because
they flew into weather that was too
WECO HeliOps ad Apr05.fh8 3/3/05 1:46 PM Page 1 severe for the aircraft.
C M Y CM
fully operational aircraft was flown
into the ground or water. One night-
time accident occurred after the pilot
had reported that he was aborting the
flight and returning because of weather,
and two other accidents occurred after
aircraft had attempted or completed
about-turns because of weather. A lack of
adequate piloting skills factored in every
one of these 13 accidents. In other words,
additional pilot training, particularly in
instrument flight, would or could have
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prevented every one of these accidents.
That means that over 70 percent of the
fatalities in the past 10 years could have
been prevented had the pilots exhibited
strong instrument flight skills.
Is your program administration
demanding instrument-capable
aircraft and training to instrument
competency? Or are you practicing risk
avoidance procedures like crew resource
management and risk assessment? Both
are important, but focusing on pilot
cockpit skills will save a lot more lives.
Pilots with excellent instrument piloting
skills can, with their crews, make poor
weather decisions and still survive.
They can also safely handle un-forecast
weather. However, poor piloting skills
may not be able to keep even the best
decision-makers alive.
Programs such as CRM, risk
assessment and so forth assume
certain levels of piloting skill and
cockpit equipment to be effective. EMS
has over-estimated pilots’ skill levels
and underestimated the training and
equipment required for the mission. How
many hours of classroom instruction on
risk assessment or CRM equate to one
hour of training in actual instrument
conditions? The industry has attempted,
gallantly, to make up for the lack of pilot
training with programs that should be an
adjunct to adequate pilot training. It has
not worked.
Single pilot IFR in a helicopter is a skill
that is not easily learned but one which
is easily forgotten. The military does
not teach single pilot IFR to helicopter
pilots so most build instrument skills
as co-pilots, either in the military or as
civilians. Even the simulator training that
The industry has
attempted, gallantly,
to make up for the
lack of pilot training
with programs that
should be an adjunct to
adequate pilot training.
It has not worked.
above: Spanish operator
Helicsa operate this AS355N
for the Madrid Fire Dept on
multi-role work including both
EMS and fire-fighting.
left: The EC135 operated
by STARS in Johannesburg
is one of only a handful of
dedicated EMS helicopters in
South Africa.
pilots receive is almost always done with
someone else in the cockpit. Good single
pilot IFR skills in a certificated aircraft
would have prevented 13 accidents and
over 70 percent of the EMS deaths in the
last ten years. In one of the 13 accidents,
the pilot who crashed after inadvertently
entering IMC had a total of only three
hours of IMC flight time.
One might argue that the additional
training required to maintain competency
and currency in instrument skills
might also improve pilots’ general and
VFR skills sufficiently to prevent other
fatal accidents. One accident – caused
by the pilot hovering downwind while
programming his GPS – might have
been prevented. Better IFR skills would,
presumably, also have taught the kind
of cockpit organization skills that would
have precluded the pilot attempting
55

to program the GPS while hovering
downwind on a rooftop.
My suggestions for minimum training
include factory training in the aircraft
each year, five hours of simulator
training each year as a single pilot, and
a minimum of five hours of instrument
time in the aircraft as well as the
successful completion of an instrument
check ride each six months – regardless
of whether a program operates under
VFR or IFR. Every EMS pilot, even
if intending to remain VFR, should be
Just as learning to
swim is the best
defence against
drowning, an ability
to handle adverse
weather and control
aircraft safely is the
best defence against
able to transition to IFR and fly an fatal accidents.
approach, hold and any other manoeuvre
to commercial standards safely and
easily, in the event that he or she
encounters unplanned or unforecast IMC
– regardless of whether it is an IFR or
VFR program. It is important to reiterate
that this basic capability would have
prevented 70 percent of the fatalities
of the past ten years. Coupling this
higher standard of piloting skill with
the programs and technologies available
today will allow EMS to achieve an ➤
 Night operations
account for a majority
of EMS operations in
the United States.

accident rate of less than 0.1 per 100,000
patient transports.
My neighbourhood approached its
problem of many years ago by taking
its infants to swim classes. We learned
that it is possible to teach infants who
have not yet learned to walk, to roll over
onto their backs and float after falling
(or being thrown) into water. After being
trained, the child would simply float
until someone came and got them out
of the water or they would swim on
10681_HeliAd_HR_105x148.qxd
their backs to a pool ladder. There is no
doubt that legislation and technology
adds to kids’ safety, but teaching them to
save themselves is more effective than
every other measure combined, and in
combination with all the other measures,
will all but prevent accidental pool
drownings altogether.
Upon looking through the NTSB
reports of EMS helicopter accidents from
the past ten years it is obvious that the
same principles apply to EMS flying. Just
1/7/05 2:59 pm Page 1
as learning to swim is the best defence
against drowning, an ability to handle
adverse weather and control aircraft
safely is the best defence against fatal
accidents. We must teach our pilots to
safely handle the situations that are
currently causing accidents, destroying
aircraft and taking lives. Technology
and legislation will help, and should
be embraced, but big reductions in the
accident rate can only be achieved by
focusing on pilot training. n

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p h o t o e s s ay

Pilot skills were put to the

ultimate test in the

‘Mil Cup’ – a helicopter

sport competition held

annually in Moscow, where

amateur pilots compete

alongside helicopter

professionals in four

challenging events: long

navigation, precision flying,

fender rigging and slalom.

story & PHOTOS Courtesy Aviamarket

61
 The helicopters
competed in pairs for
the first time, which
allowed spectators to
easily identify the
winning helicopter in
each event.

For the first time, it was not only

Russian teams competing, but also teams
from Britain and the Ukraine. There were
ten teams altogether – three teams flying
the Russian Mi-2 helicopter, while the rest
all flew Robinsons; one team flew an R22,
the remaining six teams used R44s.
A number of changes to the 2006
event made it far more attractive
and entertaining to spectators. The
helicopters competed in pairs for the first
time, which allowed spectators to

62
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The result is the
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Exceedance
A number of changes
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and entertaining to
Warning System
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Exceeding operating limits causes premature component failure,
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each event. feedback alert. When operating limits are approached or exceeded,
During the breaks between a collective shaker
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impressive demonstration flights by warning. Pilots
Aviamarket’s Chief Pilot, Dmitry
actually “feel” their
Rakitsky, and pilot-instructor, Igor Sevbo
way around the
in a Robinson R44.
helicopter’s operating
Aviamarket’s team of pilot, Alexander
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envelope. The
cleaned up – winning both the precision benefits are safer
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Interesting enough, all the 2006
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(914) 946-9500 www.safeflight.com

Pioneering Safety and Performance Since 1946

 the last word
go elsewhere, cement trucks respond and helicopter to begin with. We had a saying
another two miles of landing strip are in the Sikorsky pilots’ office, “If the place
created to help the big guys find the earth. needs helicopters, it isn’t worth visiting.”
The typical NY to DC We earn our pay
or Paris to London figuring it out on
by nick lappos
shuttle spends short final, going
2 percent of its into rough country
Helicopter flying is real
Should I Fly journey on runways
and taxiways! If
where the Weather
Channel is the best

Airplanes or it weren’t for the

numbers painted on
flying – about as close we’ve got. We land on
rigs at night with rain

Helicopters?
Youngsters often ask me
this question. The answer is
important, because helicopter
hours cost at least three
times more than airplane
hours, and so a helicopter
pilot’s license will cost three
times more as well.
We land on rigs at night
with rain on the bubble
and nothing to look at but
the platform because the
horizon took the night off.
Except for major airlines – where
ALPA has somehow convinced the world
that airline pilots have the skills of brain
surgeons, but need better sex lives – basic
employment terms for pilots are similar.
As far as hours and pay are concerned, the
typical helicopter job matches the typical
airplane job.
However, handling the respective
machines and their missions is far
different. I think the typical helicopter
driver has to think more, has to work
more at the controls, and has to expose
himself to more hazardous situations
to make a living. Airplanes land on the
same runways every day. If they need to
the runway ends, on the bubble and
there would be no
as humans will ever
nothing to look at but
difference, would the platform because
there? Airplanes like get to what geese and the horizon took the
to drive on electronic night off. Helicopter
super-highways ducks do for a living. flying is real flying
between their sterile – about as close as
runways. Even their humans will ever get
charts delete the to what geese and
earth, leaving only lines to represent the
ducks do for a living.
electronic beams that guide them. After I know. I’ve been squeezing the cyclic
all, the world is just a place to hold VORs, since 1968, and for 7,000 hours, it’s always
isn’t it? been a gas. I’ve landed next to rushing
Helicopter pilots know from the streams in the Philippines where monkeys
ludicrous variability of helicopter landing in the trees laughed at me, and watched a
spots that all it takes to design a heliport crowd of kids wearing “Apocalypse Now”
is the ability to spell “H”. It is a jump-ball T-shirts run giggling to see my aircraft.
for a helicopter driver to figure out the I’ve landed in impossible places and
best way to land, and the compromise tossed rocks off needle-thin spires that no
between obstructions, wind and angry human has ever climbed, and I’ve put my
neighbors aircraft’s belly into the water to save some
can spell the poor soul who jumped from a bridge; I
difference could have done none of these things in
between an airplane!
success and In a hundred years, when all the
embarrassment
on a grand
flying is done by microchips telling precise
little servos how to move the controls, it
scale. Helicopter will fall to the next Joseph Conrad to
airways? Marked tell tales about the helicopter folks who
on the ridgelines kept the greasy side down during hot
around every city insertions, and who brought out the
are the helicopter wounded, pulled crews off the rigs when
routes that make
the most sense
hurricanes turned the waters to froth,
winched scared sailors from crippled
– follow the freighters, or who landed beside icy
interstate; turn highways to whisk injured kids to surgery
left at the Wal- in minutes.
Mart; don’t pass over the rig with the 100 I’d sigh if I had to walk into a terminal
ft flames; watch for the ship’s masts near with a Jepp case, climb into a big
the harbor mouth. A good Esso road map aluminium bus and drive down highway
and some common sense once got me “Victor boring”. If you can’t earn a living
from Saigon to Chu Lai. doing what you enjoy, you’re already dead.
How many airline pilots would put Does that answer the question? n
up with a telephone pole exactly in line
with final? What airline would allow its
operations to land long – over the high-
tension lines? How many helicopter pilots “If the place needs
have longed for a chain-saw to help fix
their company’s favorite heliport? Name helicopters, it isn’t
one helicopter precision instrument
approach.
worth visiting.”
Helicopter pilots usually do the
unusual, which is why the job needs a

64
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