australia Archives - Page 2 of 2 - The Rotary Wing Show Podcast

May 30, 2016May 31, 2016

Extra – Impromptu Session at Rotortech 2016 About AHIA and Regulation Progress

This is a recording from a session at the Rotortech 2016 expo on the Sunshine Coast. Vice President of the Australian Helicopter Industry Association (AHIA), Ray Cronin leads a discussion about regulation change and recent progress.

This audio is what you can call an extra from our normal interview series that I’m going to slip into the podcast feed and I’ll tell you why in a moment.

I’ll jump into a disclaimer right up front – the audio quality in parts is not great as I recorded it sitting in the audience but my suggestion is to persevere in the rough bits as there is some really interesting stuff in the discussion.

To set the scene, this is recorded on Sunday 29 May 2016, on the last day of the Rotortech Expo on the Sunshine Coast.

Johanna Osborne, Chief Pilot and Chief Flying Instructor (Rotary) at Airways Aviation speaking during the session prior.

Johanna Osborne, Chief Pilot and Chief Flying Instructor Rotary at Airways Aviation has just presented a talk titled “Global vision and an insight into the writing of our Part 142 application.” – about Airways Aviation’s approach to training and their experience in trying to conform with new regulatory requirements that are being rolled out in Australia that govern flying training, in particular the writing of an operations manual to meet the new CASA requirements.

So this will mainly be be of interest to Australian listeners, however those of you overseas I’m sure can take away some insights that you can apply closer to home in your own industries.

It is a really interesting insight into some of the background things that are happening at the industry representation level and at the regulator – if the discussion just stayed in the room and we didn’t share it further then there would be a lot more people in the dark about some of the things that are happening at the moment and perhaps some pessimism that things weren’t getting better when they do seem to be moving forward, if slowly, for the Australian industry.

Part of the aircraft parking area at Rotortech

The main voices you’ll hear, in order are:

Ray Cronin
Vice President, Australian helicopter industry association
Founder and managing director of Kestral Aviation

Rob Walker, Stakeholder Engagement Group Manager from CASA

and Rob Rich, AHIA secretary.

There are a couple of abbreviations or industry speak mentioned that I’ll give you a heads up on.

Part 141 and 142 are the regulations that cover flight training organisations – with the difference in very broad terms being the complexity of training offered – with Part 142 schools being able to provide additional ratings.

NPRMs – Notice of proposed rulemaking

MOS – Manual of Standards

Part 61 – Part of the Australian regulations that prescribes the requirements and standards for the issue of flight crew licences, ratings, authorisations, and rules for the logging of flight time.

So with all that out of the way, we pass over to Ray Cronin, Vice president AHIA as he takes the microphone for an impromptu session on regulation in the Australian flying industry.

A shoutout to the team at the Australian Helicopter Industry association though for what was a pretty good event running Rotortech 2016 this weekend. I had a great time and look forward to being able to get back for the next Rotortech expo in 2017.

The publication of this interview is with permission of the main speakers involved.

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Links from this week’s episode:
Australian Helicopter Industry Association
#rotortech hashtag Twitter stream

Be part of the conversation about this interview by leaving a comment below.

April 6, 2016April 6, 2016

RWS 45 – Rosemary Arnold – First Australian Female Helicopter Pilot – Part 2

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Rosemary Arnold sporting a pink flight suit in a Hughes 500

In 1965 Rosemary Arnold became the first Australian female helicopter pilot, the first female helicopter pilot in the southern hemisphere and Whirly Girl No.99 In this episode listen in as Rosemary tells the story of her 50yr+ career in aviation.

You can find Part 1 of this episode here.

In Part Two we continue to follow Rosemary’s career through all the way into her eighties where she is still very much involved in aviation as an author and marriage celebrant performing helicopter weddings over Sydney Harbour.

There is also some life advice tucked in there at the end for anyone feeling the crunch from the current oil and gas downturn or having difficulty cracking that next flying gig.

[Tweet “Keep your standards high – you are only competing against yourself.”]

Rosemary Arnold with Australian Astronaut Andy Thomas

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In this week’s episode:
02:10 Campaigning for public use helipads – creation of Helicopter Association of Australia (HAA)
05:38 First Australian helicopter airshow 1977
06:20 First public helipad in Sydney at Piermont wharf
09:30 Gas pipeline inspections in a Hiller 12E using street directory
12:30 Intercepted by army helicopters
14:20 Running takeoff to get out of pad
15:30 Adventures in Indonesia
21:00 First Officer gig on DC-3
22:30 Tour leader Oshkosh airshow
24:20 Sold car and boat then went into debt to finance Bell 47
25:30 Job offer in US and down to last 90c and hunger pangs
29:30 Setup own company in the US
34:19 Helicopter weddings over Sydney Harbor
39:35 World’s longest blind date
42:01 Aviation degree at age 70 then lecturing a week later – Aviation History
45:50 First females above Australia encouragement awards
48:40 Mixing with aviation students starting their careers
52:30 What happened to original Bell-47
54:00 ‘Think Aviation’ book – careers in aviation other than pilot
59:40 Episode Sponsors trainmorepilots.com – Facebook advertising tip

Links from this week’s episode:
Rosemary’s Website
World Helicopter Day – can you help out as a volunteer?

[Tweet “#Helicopters would deafen the Koalas – reasons for not allowing #Sydney helipads”]

[Tweet “#Helicopters would blow the leaves off the trees – reasons for not allowing #Sydney helipads”]

Rosemary-Arnold_bell47J-helicopter — Rosemary flying her Bell 47J – 1 seat in front and 3 across the back bench seat

Be part of the conversation on this interview by leaving a comment below.

March 30, 2016March 30, 2016

RWS 44 – Rosemary Arnold – First Australian Female Helicopter Pilot – Part 1

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Rosemary Arnold was the first and then only woman helicopter pilot in Australia for 12 years.

It is a career full of firsts – as well as the above, Rosemary was the first Australian woman to own her own helicopter charter company, be appointed a Chief Pilot, perform a helicopter air-display and be a consultant to rescue helicopter committees.

Rosemary also founded the Helicopter Association of Australia and organised the first helicopter airshow in Australia.

At age 70 she completed a Bachelor of Aviation and the next week was back at the university as a lecturer in Aviation History.

In 2012 Rosemary was awarded the Nancy-Bird Walton Memorial Trophy “for the woman who has achieved the most noteworthy contribution to aviation in Australasia”.

As you’ll hear in this interview – at almost every step of her career Rosemary had to overcome challenges and obstacles in her path. It is a story and example of incredible resilience and self belief.

Now 80-something years young, she is still full of life and operates her marriage celebrant business offering couples the chance to tie the knot in a helicopter over Sydney Harbor Bridge. Rosemary has authored several books about her career and pioneering Australian female aviators.

[Tweet “I didn’t know women could fly and especially someone that was a mother”]

Rosemary in a Hughes 500 during a trip across the US

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In this week’s episode:
01:00 Helicopter Easter Egg Drops
01:50 World Helicopter Day 2016 – can you help?
03:11 Listener mailbag
05:10 Case of mistaken identity
05:50 Rosemary Arnold – first Australian female helicopter pilot
08:00 First flying experience in a Sunderland flying boat – Gordon Peter Taylor
12:30 Taking flying lessons (fixed wing)- in secret
15:10 My god a woman pilot we’ll all be killed
16:00 Bell 47 J2A – hot pink uniform and floral paint scheme ‘Triple Happy Helicopter’
19:50 Following of joy ride passengers
21:00 Taking helicopter lessons – Licence no. 10
26:40 Media coverage and Whirly Girls
29:25 First commercial Hughes 500 helicopters and trip across USA
32:51 Gas turbine course
34:10 Denied endorsements by DAA (early version of CASA)
35:40 Solo’ing in the Bell 47 and CoG issues solved by carrying dog
38:35 Challenging weather and getting over the range
41:10 Hovering waiting for storm to pass
44:40 Other pilots and meteorologist backed up in court
47:50 Episode Sponsors trainmorepilots.com

Links from this week’s episode:
Rosemary’s Website
World Helicopter Day – can you help out as a volunteer?

[Tweet “276 passengers in one day at the Dubbo airshow – 4 seat Bell 47”]

[Tweet “So stressful that I landed at 7:30am and asked the mechanic for a Scotch”]

Rosemary and daughters who acted as her ground crew in front of Bell 47 VH-THH with its floral paint scheme.

Be part of the conversation on this interview by leaving a comment below.

May 2, 2015July 27, 2015

RWS 28 – Vietnam, Culture and Helicopter Company Management with David Earley

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This photo of David Earley was taken during his Bell 47 time and features on the cover of his book 'Beneath Blades' — This photo of David Earley was taken during his Bell 47 time and features on the cover of his book ‘Beneath Blades’

From the outback of northern Australia, to the jungles of Vietnam and the mountains of Papua New Guinea and Nepal – plus much of the US, time in the Philippines, Columbia and Russia, David Earley is one well travelled helicopter pilot.

Along the way he has held almost every position from line pilot to a helicopter company CEO overseeing $47 million in annual revenue on some of the largest Australian government helicopter contracts. He is also a licensed A&P mechanic.

David started out flying the Bell 47 in the Australian Army during which time he spent 12 months at war in Vietnam as a scout pilot. Post-war David held a number of positions in the Army before moving to JAARS where he spent 15 years in PNG and the US.

His duties here not only included providing support to remote teams in the PNG highlands but the standing up of a helicopter training school and check and training.

From here David held a number of roles leading to the position of CEO of Reef Helicopters which became Australian Helicopters. All of which is covered in his book ‘Beneath Blades – Flying at the ends of the earth. A pilot’s journal‘.

Having read the book I can tell you that it’s a great collection of aviation tales and helicopter adventures. Aswell as being an entertaining read there is also a lot in it for the professional aviator in terms of safety culture, operational pressures and aviation management stressors.

Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play in new window | Download

In this week’s episode:

01:40 Hosting Rotary Club for dinner in the Aeropower hanger
03:15 David Earley background
05:10 Nav training and mental arithmetic drilling
06:30 Book – ‘Beneath Blades’ http://dhearley.com/
08:40 Tim Fisher, Deputy Prime Minister wrote the Forward
10:00 Night touchdown autorotations at RAAF Amberley
12:55 Survey work in Northern Territory + wife Nancy
15:50 Employee crash due to overloaded helicopter and spouse breakup
18:10 Companies addressing touring/home issues / critical manager skillset
21:30 Nancy’s flying experience
23:56 Vietnam and scout role in the Bell 47 Sioux
25:05 First Australian pilot to fly the Kiowa
25:30 Kangaroo vinyls stuck on US helicopters and helmets
30:15 Night flying under Porter flares
28:20 Grenade + drop toilet
33:13 JAARS – in-house aviation department for Wycliffe Bible translation service
34:30 Check and training for remote single pilot ops
37:45 Tackling a village elder to stop approaching tail rotor
39:25 Cultural training and differences
47:38 Aviation culture, within companies, people, impacts
51:53 Coming in to be unpopular in some roles to effect change
52:30 Conforming to the norm – can be good or bad
54:33 Importance of initial training as a foundation
59:10 Personal integrity
1:02:30 Engine overhauls and seeing pilot behaviour impact
1:05:20 What pilots need to know about company manager/executive priorities/limitations
1:08:35 Private equity ownership of helicopter companies
1:10:28 Book ordering details
1:11:10 Episode Sponsors trainmorepilots.com

Links from this week’s episode:
Beneath Blades book website
Beneath Blades Facebook page
World Helicopter Day

An idea of the terrain in PNG
[leadplayer_vid id=”5548B9CB7AAFF”]

Note the red kangaroo sticker on the US cobra placed there during David’s rotation with them in Vietnam.

Some of the pilots

Posted by Beneath Blades: Flying at the Ends of the Earth on Thursday, October 31, 2013

Be part of the conversation and get involved in the comments section below. What questions do you have about David’s interview?