helicopters Archives - The Rotary Wing Show Podcast

October 3, 2018October 3, 2018

RWS 71 – Aircrew Mental Health with Kevin Humphreys – Part 2

Kevin Humphreys is an experienced military and EMS pilot who bounced back from a period of mental illness and is now an ambassador for a number of mental health organisations.

Part 2 of the interview with ex-Australian Army and current Search and Rescue pilot Kevin Humphreys looking at the topic of aircrew mental health. In this episode the focus shifts from Kevin’s military career to his personal experience with mental health challenges, the recovery process and what other aircrew can take away for their own careers and perhaps more importantly, for their long term wellbeing.

Listen to Part 1 here

Mental health is just such an under-represented topic in crewrooms and hangars the world over that I’m really glad that we can cover it here and that Kevin is so open and willing to share his story and what he has learnt on the way through.

Kevin’s career at-a-glance:
* Blackhawks, Chinooks – Australian Army Aviation
* Deployments – East Timor, Iraq, Afghanistan
* OC CH-47 Chinook Squadron, twice Detachment Commander of Australian Chinooks in Afghanistan
* Search and Rescue – Bell 412, BK117, AW139
* Check and Training Captain, Chief Pilot, Director of Operations

There is an assumption here that you have listened to Episode 70 before starting into this particular podcast.

I’d recommend that you stop and go do that to get the entire context if you are not up to speed – as this interview launches straight back into where we left off – and this time around the discussion is much more focused on the aircrew mental health side of things – both Kevin’s person experience and a discussion for general aircrew applicability.

In the last episode Kev speaks about an air assault mission he flew in Afghanistan with 9 other Australian Army aircrew in 2 Chinooks to extract Canadian special forces soldiers which saw them involved in a fierce firefight at the extraction point. All done on NVGs with essentially zero illumination with RPGs being fired around the aircraft.

For the last 7 or so years Kevin has been flying in the civil search and rescue role and is currently a check and training captain on the AW139 type.

There is a lot more in that interview but that quickly gives you the bare bones to understand that Kev has been around the block a few times and is speaking to us with some solid experience behind him.

Kevin picks up the story talking about when things started to go off the rails for him.

A number of links are provided below to mental health resources for anyone looking to take advantage of them.

Australian Army CH47D Chinook releasing flares just outside Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan, 2006

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Links from this week’s episode:
Support the podcast on Patreon

MILITARY Mental Health Support
Mates4Mates
Stand Tall 4 PTS
Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation
Redsix APP – Phone App for veterans that alerts when other veterans are nearby and you/they need help

GENERAL COMMUNITY Mental Health Support
Phoenix Australia – Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health
R U OK? – suicide prevention charity that aims to start life-changing conversations
Moodgym – online self-help program designed to help prevent and manage symptoms of depression and anxiety. Free for Australians.
Beyond Blue – information and support to help everyone achieve their best possible mental health
Be a Looper APP – App that keeps you in contact with up to 5 people for regular check-ins, peer support that is unique to you

AVIATION SPECIFIC Mental Health Support
CASA Fact Sheet on Depression and Aviation Safety
Australian Federation of Air Pilots – Welfare Services

A couple of points I’ve pulled out from my notes that might be worth summarising:

* Kevin points out it being important to talk about mental health – even if you don’t know how, or the words to use, just the act of talking about how you are feeling with someone starts the recovery.

* Kevin’s Cheeseburger and coke analogy – comparing mental fitness to physical fitness is an easy way to remember and visualise the whole concept.

* If you encounter a mental health episode that it is not flying career ending with the proper intervention and support – just like any other medical issue

* Statistically most of us are going to deal with periods of mental illness either ourselves or with close friends and family at some time in our life.

* It can afflict anyone and that there is no shame or guilt or personal failing attached to it. It is just a function of living in a homo sapien body with an organ called a brain, and that its probably actually amazing that our brain works as well as it does most of the time.

* And lastly – The longer you ignore it or suppress it – the more you’ll have to work through when it finally does catch up with you.

Kevin’s story especially, and I’m sure there are many more like his, illustrates that you just wouldn’t want to have to go through those years of mental anguish, perceived isolation and that pain if you knew it was normal just to talk to someone early and that it is something that so many other people are going through or have gone through.

Kevin Humphreys with a BK117 on top of a Sydney hospital pad

Chinooks at Sunset – Kevin was a Detachment Commander for two trips to Afghanistan

Sep, 2018 – Kevin (2nd from left) with King and Queen of the Netherlands for the awarding of the Military Order of William to Dutch Apache pilot Roy de Ruiter. Kevin and Roy struck up a friendship serving together in Afghanistan.

If there was a part of Kevin’s story that really resonated with you or if you wanted to provide some feedback or be part of the conversation around this episode in particular then please post a comment below

December 13, 2017

RWS 61 – Virtual Reality Helicopter Sims with Sérgio Costa

Helicopter flight simulator information sergio costa

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Virtual reality hardware and software have crossed a threshold where their use in supporting helicopter training and currency/recency provides an amazing experience. In this episode we break down what you can expect and what you will need to get started.

Hopefully you will never look at computer helicopter flight simulators the same after listening to this podcast episode. Sérgio Costa is the editor and founder of Helisimmer.com which focuses on the fairly niche market of – not surprisingly – PC based helicopter flight simulation. On the site you can read reviews of a number of different flight sim software solutions and add-ons from a helicopter perspective.

Until recently I have spent very little attention or interest on PC helicopter flight sims. Mainly due to poor experiences in the past with flight models and how they flew but also just due to access to the real thing. I did use a home flight simulator during instrument flight training on fixed wing and rotary which certainly helped (the Cessna 172 matches a Blackhawk close enough in performance for instrument approaches).

Virtual reality headsets – model shown is a HTC Vive. The technology is now good enough to impact how aviation training is conducted.

Then 3 months ago I discovered where virtual reality(VR) technology had got to. My perception of PC flight simulator software for helicopter simulation has changed forever. Given the high cost of operating a helicopter, the cost of traditional fixed simulators and the increasing adoption of VR by consumers – my call is that all student helicopter pilots will be using VR during their training faster than most people will think.

It is amazing!!!

Sérgio and I chat about our experiences of virtual reality, unpack the technology that makes it up and go into the hardware and software you will need to install effectively a full sized Huey in your living room just by putting on a VR headset. Then when you are done with the Huey you can swap it for a Bell 206, R22, R44, B412, H125….. 🙂

Cadets and students trying out virtual reality helicopter sim (DCS:Huey) in Brisbane, Nov 2017

When researching headsets you will come across a number of types. The ones that we are talking about today are PC (Windows 10) powered rather than standalone headsets such as those that use a phone or Playstation. The power of modern PC graphics cards are required to provide the level of experience to make this viable. You will also find reference to ‘Mixed Reality’ headsets. Mixed Reality is the term that microsoft has created to group their virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies. AR references digital information overlayed on the outside world that you are looking at in much the same way that a HUD works.

The ‘best’ headset is subjective. If you are tempted to purchase in 2017/early 2018 then look at the HTC Vive (what Sérgio and I have), Oculus Rift which has been out for a while and is a proven product and the Samsung Odyssey. Each has different pros and cons – price, hand tracking resolution, screen brightness, field of view, resolution – but should all be suitable for flight sim needs and are the pick of the current offerings. A high resolution headset recently raised $4 million on Kickstarter but hasn’t been manufactured yet. Its final performance and successful delivery is still to be proven.

If you do not currently have a high performance gaming PC then you will unfortunately also need to factor that in your costs. And then the helicopter controls you need to purchase… Look it is not cheap but compared with the next best offerings in physical based simulators with multiple screens VR is a compelling business case.

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Links from this week’s episode:
Support the podcast on Patreon
Helisimmer Website

Purpose built helicopter simulator controls:
Rainman Automation and Simulation
Max Flight Stick
Pro Flight Trainer
Ryan Aerospace

Places to find latest VR and/or Flight Sim News:
Heli Flight Sim Facebook Group
r/virtualreality on Reddit
r/vive on Reddit
r/oculus on Reddit

Screenshot from the Dreamfoil AS350/H125 model in X-Plane 11

A good demonstration of the difference that head tracking provided by VR headsets makes to a helicopter flight sim experience

A pilot providing a detailed comparison of performance and flight model of DCS:Huey vs the real thing.

X-Plane and Robinson R66 model – more feedback and an opinion on the virtual reality experience of helicopter flight.

360 degree video example – wearing a VR headset allows you to look around inside this video tracked to the direction you are looking. This doesn’t have the 3D effect of software such as the flight sims but is still very immersive – putting you in the scene. Powerful tool for training or for capturing lessons and description of helicopter manoeuvres.

Sérgio demoing helicopter flight simulator (not virtual reality) and controls at a recent expo.

Chart showing relative performance of different graphics cards – virtual reality needs a beefy hardware setup especially when combined with flight sims.

Do you have a question about setup, hardware, software, training uses for virtual reality for helicopter simulation? Have feedback for others on how you found it or tips? Be part of the conversation by leaving a comment below.

October 17, 2017

RWS 60 – 20 Crew Resource Management Diamonds with Randy Mains

helicopter crew resource management randy mains

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As helicopter systems, engineering and processes continue to get safer, the human component becomes the focus to further improvements in accident rates. Randy Mains shares his 20 CRM Diamonds in this interview.

Randy Mains was 22 years old when he deployed to Vietnam to fly UH-1H Hueys. On return to the US with over 1000 combat flight hours and a Distinguished Flying Cross (Randy shares the story of this in the interview) he found the US helicopter market flooded with other returned aircrew.

A night with a friend over a shared case of Australian beer resulted with Randy flying in Australia on remote outback cattle stations before a stint in PNG.

Later, souring of Iranian international relationships saw Randy leaving a Bell instructor trainer position on the last civil flight out of Iran. Taking up an emergency medical services (EMS) pilot role in Texas then became the start of Randy’s long and continued focus in this part of the industry. It is where much of the focus of his books and CRM training efforts are focused.

In the US the EMS sector seems to have a high proportion of single engine, single pilot VFR/IFR operations compared with twin engine, two pilot IFR operations in other countries. He has had a number of close calls himself including inadvertent IMC (flying into cloud) and approaching to night flare lit sites with overhead wires.

Randy’s later experiences flying in the middle east and simulator check and training with pilots from around the world gave him the chance to see how EMS is done in other countries.

Since then Randy has returned to the US with a focus on reducing the EMS accident rate and with in the helicopter industry in general. Randy is a regular columnist with Rotorcraft Pro magazine, a speaker at medical and helicopter events, author and runs a Crew Resource Management Instructor course focused on helicopters.

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Links from this week’s episode:
Support the show on Patreon
Crew Resource Management Instructor Course
Randy Main’s Website

crew resource management error chain — “Antennas Up” – a visual prompt to remaining vigilant and looking for a link in the error chain forming

Do you have a question for Randy about helicopter crew resource management or about something mentioned in the episode that you want to ask? Be part of the conversation by leaving a comment below.

September 20, 2017September 21, 2017

RWS 58 – The Helicopter Page with Aaron Kenworthy

helicopter page on facebook - interview with founder

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Aaron Kenworthy started The Helicopter Page as a way to learn more about the helicopter industry and to provide a place to share information from around the globe.

Today we go behind the scenes of the largest helicopter focused Facebook page and perhaps the largest helicopter online platform in the world. With a following of over 400,000 people The Helicopter Page has a huge reach in what is a fairly narrow industry.

Aaron started down the path of helicopter training here in Australia but had to stop due to financial constraints. Taking up a day job to pay the bills he kept up-to-date with the rotary wing world by starting his own Facebook page.

[Tweet “At that age I didn’t have enough money to afford #flying so I needed another outlet to show my passion #helicopter #ipullpitch”]

At first there wasn’t much to show for his efforts. The ‘overnight’ success came quite a while later as the page slowly started to get traction and a snowballing audience. In this interview Aaron talks about his journey and some of the insights that he has picked up from being tapped into such a large community of helicopter interested people.

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In this episode:
World Helicopter Day 2017 revisit
Initial fixed wing and rotary wing training
Starting The Helicopter Page
Initial growth and marketing strategy
Lessons about the industry for new entrants
State of the industry
Differences – Australia vs US
Electric helicopters
Personal branding

Links from this week’s episode:
Support the show on Patreon
The Helicopter Page on Facebook
World Helicopter Day

[Tweet “This is who I am, where I am, how do I get started in the #helicopter industry. Trying to point people in the right direction.”]

Example post from The Helicopter Page

Aaron helping out with joyflights next to a R44 in Brisbane, Australia where he completed some of his initial training.

Do you have a question for Aaron or about something mentioned in the episode that you want to ask? Be part of the conversation by leaving a comment below.

December 19, 2015December 23, 2015

RWS 37 – Tuna Helicopter Flying with Francis ‘Moggy’ Meyrick

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Look online for information about helicopter operations in the tuna industry and it won’t be long before you see mention of Moggy’s Tuna Manual. Author of the manual Francis ‘Moggy’ Meyrick is our guest in this episode of the Rotary Wing Show.

Francis is Irish born and had a number of years helicopter flying experience including a stint in the North Sea before venturing out to the tuna fields in the Pacific. His first day on the job saw him get a quick check out in a Bell 47 before being told to fly out and find his boat that had already steamed out of port. The rest of the job he learnt as he went with some close calls along the way.

Tuna fishing is big business and a good net full of tuna can pay back weeks of helicopter hire cost in one go. A ship’s helicopter is used to scout for signs of tuna schools over a much larger area than would be possible otherwise. They are used for herding the fish during the netting operation and for general hash and trash flights.

A typical tuna fishing boat - the only dry landing spot within fuel endurance.

Frequently the pilot may be the only english speaking person onboard the ship and the operations are remote from support and facilities. That small helideck on top of the bridge could well be the only dry landing spot with in fuel endurance and to make things even more exciting it might have moved a considerable way since you last saw it at takeoff.

There are lots of traps waiting for the unwary green pilot on their first trip out. For instance Francis spend a lot of time in the ‘Manual’ about tiedowns and as he puts it, ‘trying to external load a tuna trawler with an MD500 and a rear right tiedown strap’ and the predictable results on the attitude of the helicopter.

Before you ring [helicopter operator] read every word of “Moggy’s Tuna Boat Manual”.
It should be compulsory reading for aspiring Tuna Boat pilots — apart from saving your life one day, the wisdom and experience it contains is presented in a very readable fashion.
For sheer entertainment (some of the stories are hilarious) grab a cold one and enjoy “Blip on the Radar”.
Moggy you have saved lives with “Manual”, and enriched lives with “Blip”.

– Hunter8 , 2012, bladeslapper.com

Once you get past some of these things then tuna boat flying just might be some of the most interesting that you get to do. Life onboard and steaming around Pacific with a mix of nationalities is also sure to give you bar stories for years to come.

Francis went on to be Chief Pilot for Tropic Helicopters and in this episode he shares this thoughts on the industry and ways that you can be more prepared.

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In this week’s episode:

01:30 Moggy Intro
02:20 Tuna boat flying is a thing
03:45 Prior flying experience – Puma’s in the North Sea, Instructing, A&P Mechanic license
05:00 First landing on a tuna boat
07:10 How do they pay for a helicopter to help with fishing
09:20 Herding fish with a helicopter
10:30 Conditions onboard the vessels
12:00 Operating areas and main companies
14:20 Licences required, maps / charts
15:00 Navigation at sea and keeping track of a moving boat
19:40 Zero accidents goal is possible – caution caution, don’t let people push you
21:15 A tuna boat helideck setup
24:10 Weather conditions and aircraft exposure
25:25 Underwater breathing bottle carried on you
27:20 Flying clothing and dress code
29:10 Key people onboard and getting on with the crew
34:10 Observer’s role
37:20 Dealing with pressure
41:10 Culture and asking for co-operation
43:30 Radio buoys and logs, autorotating over water
51:10 Caution the advice ‘just learn on the job’
53:30 What makes a good log?
55:20 How to prepare for a tuna boat trip
1:01:50 Episode Sponsors trainmorepilots.com

Links from this week’s episode:

Moggy’s Tuna Manual
Blip on the Radar
Hansen Helicopters
Tuna Pilots group on Facebook
Tuna Spotter Helicopter Pilot Facebook Group
Daniel Lucentini Instagram
‘Just another Tuna Pilot Guide’ – Nick Henderson

Matilda & The Fox II – a youtube clip of tuna boat flying
[leadplayer_vid id=”5673F69BE17DA”]

The helideck is usually located on top of the vessel bridge and in front of the lookout and radio masts.

A well secured MD500 on a rolling deck. Note the tiedown straps - Moggy has a lot to say in the Manual about trying to take off with one of these still attached.

Got a question for Francis that we didn’t cover in the episode or have you read Moggy’s Tuna Manual and want to leave some feedback? Continue the conversation in the comments below.

September 25, 2015September 27, 2015

RWS 36 – Survival and Rescue with John Hudson

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John is the UK military’s chief instructor in Land, Sea and Extreme Environment Survival. In this episode he talks about the priorities of survival should you find yourself forced to land in a remote location.

How much attention do you pay to what you wear or carry on you when you go flying? For some of us our organisation or company might mandate what equipment is carried – and that can start to add up, personal location beacon, knife, pocket flares, first aid kit, mirror, pistol, HEEDs bottle, whistle etc if you are military.

For many of us though it’s a wallet, keys and mobile phone. This episode will challenge you to think about what you will do if you get forced down due to weather or mechanical problem in a remote area and need to wait for rescue or recovery.

[Tweet “Most important thing is to have a good #rescue beacon with you. #helicopter”]

John takes us through the key elements of survival and how that relates to helicopter aircrew. As an ex-Puma pilot and now someone that trains UK military personnel including aircrew on survival John is able to talk about specifics such as using parts of the aircraft to help out.

I probably wouldn’t have thought of using the aircraft battery to help getting a fire going for example. Another key lesson is don’t go anywhere without a 406Mhz beacon.

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

[Tweet “Stay with the airframe if you can. Much bigger footprint for search teams.”]

In this week’s episode:

01:43 John Hudson bio
03:20 Sergey Ananov rescue in the Arctic Circle Jul 2015
05:33 RAF helicopter training – Puma
06:40 Full time role as Defence survival instructor
08:35 Overseeing the training of other survival instructors
09:40 SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape)
11:30 Extreme survival environment training – deep snow, jungle
15:14 ‘Dude you’re screwed’ TV series on Discovery channel
18:16 Camera operators on the show while ‘surviving’
21:15 Training around the world for groups
23:00 Mental preparedness is a key factor
25:00 Make a cup of tea, allows time to think, glucose, heat to boil water
26:30 Muscle memory training – fire on start, aircraft evacuation, emergency briefing
29:50 Protection, Location, Water, Food
30:30 Protection – first aid, clothing, shelter, fire (fire first in cold environment)
34:46 Location – 121.5MHz no longer satellite monitored, want a 406MHz beacon, big ground signals, flightplan before you go
39:10 Water – limiting factor in longer survival, must be clean but…. , ‘big bubbles, no troubles’, methods of sterilization
41:30 Food – glucose type sweets don’t require water to process
42:35 Practical equipment to take flying, cutting tool, grab bag, signal mirror, compass on your watch strap
46:30 Resources you can repurpose from airframe – radios if they still work, battery to start a fire, tires for black signal smoke, insulation fabric, fuel for fire and cooking, piping/ducting to carry or store water
50:30 Leadership and passengers – 75% chance that any individual will be stunned and bewildered. Panic is not that common but contagious. Give them tasks to keep busy.
55:10 Books – South: Sir Ernest Shackleton, Antarctic survival story from early 1900s, When I Fell From The Sky, Juliane Koepcke, survived 10,000’ fall into jungle, Royal Marines Survival Handbook by Colin Towell
58:40 Top take away ideas from the interview
1:00:00 Episode Sponsors trainmorepilots.com

Links from this week’s episode:
John’s personal website – johnhudsonsurvival.com
Survival Wisdom website and resources
Dude You’re Screwed TV series website
BBC Article on Sergey Ananov’s survival story
Royal Marines Survival Handbook by Colin Towell

Snippet from a Dude You’re Screwed episode – John making a cup of tea
[leadplayer_vid id=”56052A5FAC8C2″]

John training in the snow with UK military

[Tweet “Make a cup of tea, allows time to think, glucose, heat to boil water @jhsurvival”]
[Tweet “Survival is not one huge task, it’s a series of little tasks”]

Got a question for John that we didn’t cover in the episode or a survival tip? Continue the conversation in the comments below.

June 29, 2015July 1, 2015

RWS 32 – Helicopter Flight Paramedics with Bernie Walker

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Bernie Walker has been a helicopter flight paramedic in Canada for over 16 years.

Bernie Walker is a Flight paramedic working with STARS – which is the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service – an EMS organisation that covers most of Western Canada.

Bernie has been with STARS as a flight paramedic for over 16 years now and these days plays a big part in their educational programs. So he is someone again with heaps of experience in a helicopter role but this time from the back of the cabin.

I am guilty of making the interviews for the podcast very pilot centric which is just a factor of my own background and experience but I would love to represent a range of helicopter aircrew roles.

It just seems to be that loadmasters and aircrewmen keep ducking for cover when I try to corner them. 🙂

A STARS AW139 helicopter on the ramp. Photo: Calgary Sun

So I really enjoyed chatting to Bernie about the flight paramedic role as it stretches my knowledge of the industry. I’m not expecting to be in an EMS position any time soon but for those of you that might be then Bernie gives a really good insight into many of the considerations that the team in the back have to deal with.

If you listen between the lines so to speak I think you’ll also get value from the current best practice approach to critical patient care when its applied to how we tackle emergency or non-standard airborne situations.

We head into the interview with Bernie explaining the EMS coverage in Western Canada and the typical career progression into the helicopter flight paramedic role.

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

Links from this week’s episode:
The STARS organisation website
World Helicopter Day

Video produced by STARS showing the different careers in the organisation
[leadplayer_vid id=”5590B55F31C1A”]

A STARS BK117 decked out with medical equipment

Got a question for Bernie about the flight paramedic role or STARS? Be part of the conversation below. If you’ve listened to the episode then don’t forget to leave links to your favourite crew resource management / human factors resources below.

June 7, 2015June 8, 2015

RWS 31 – AOPA Hover Power Blog with Ian Twombly and Markus Lavenson

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The Hoverpower blog is updated by a team of helicopter pilots with a vast array of backgrounds.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is the largest general aviation body in the United States. Hover Power is the association’s helicopter themed blog covering a mix of news, stories and advice.

In today’s episode we cover a heap of ground as we talk about the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association in the US, loss of licence insurance, helicopter blogs, recommended ipad apps, inflight emergency handling and tuna boat flying.

[Tweet “Helicopters are the ultimate offroad vehicle, can do things no other machine can do.”]

Ian Twombly is editor of the AOPA monthly magazines AOPA Pilot and Flight Training. Ian has been a fixed wing instructor for some time and has recently also joined the helicopter fraternity.

Ian Twombly converted across to helicopters in 2014 and this is a photo after completing his checkride.

One of his other duties with AOPA is to head up the Hover Power blog. Ian has been busy building up the site and has managed to herd a team of experienced helicopter pilots together to contribute articles about all aspects of helicopter operations.

One of the blog contributors is Markus Lavenson. Markus is a AW139 captain in the Gulf of Mexico and is about to head off soon to convert across to the AW189. He has been flying since way back in 1984 and had a go at instructing, tuna boats, tourism, powerlines, EMS, offshore, check and training roles and a stint in Alaska.

Markus in an AW139 preparing for offshore flight in the Gulf of Mexico. Photo Credit: Alex Geacintov

AOPA is a not for profit group founded in 1939 to ensure that the early US general aviation community was able to be represented in the formation of new laws and to provide subject matter experts. Its role today is similar with effort put towards advocacy, safety education, training,
representation at federal, state, local levels, social activities and legal advice.

Australia, England, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Greece and probably a bunch more countries also have their own AOPA groups. The Australian AOPA maintains a National Airfield Directory publication that we always bought for the Squadron Ops room as it listed many of the remote and out of the way country strips and contact details that would not be found in other normal AIP.

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

In this week’s episode:

02:15 Episode Sponsors trainmorepilots.com
06:50 Number of pilots in the US
08:40 Working with governments at all levels to put forward aviation industry case
09:30 New York / New Hamptons helicopter noise restrictions
10:10 What does AOPA membership get you?
12:50 Loss of licence coverage and insurance coverage
16:35 Hoverpower blog articles and writing team
21:50 Markus’ flying background and experience
26:35 AOPA Live video blogging and news articles ‘Enstrom’ example
28:10 Reviewing aviation products that get sent in
29:10 Top flying iPad app recommendations
35:00 Visting helicopter industry events
36:20 New wave of helicopter designs hitting the market
39:30 Engine failure at night to hospital pad
45:10 Handling aircraft emergencies
46:50 Soloing in a Bell 47 with wooden blades
50:30 Tuna boat flying
53:10 Going out to dinner at restaurant in R22
57:30 EMS off airfield landings

Links from this week’s episode:
AOPA Hoverpower Blog
World Helicopter Day

This video gives you an idea of the video content that AOPA is producing. In it Ian Twombly talks about the training helicopter market during HeliExpo 2015.
[leadplayer_vid id=”5574178019E86″]

[Tweet “I was able to pick up the phone and call AOPA and talk to an aviation legal professional immediately.”]

[Tweet “As a pilot in an emergency, your first priority is preservation of life.”]

Photos of Markus during his time flying off tuna boats in the Pacific.

[Tweet “You have 2 hours searching for fish to think about how the heck am I going to get this thing back on the boat.”]

[Tweet “In the event of an emergency we sink to the level of our training. We are only as good as our training.”]

What topics would you love to see the Hoverpower writing team cover on their blog. Leave a comment below and have a chance to get an AOPA cap sent out by Ian.

May 25, 2015May 25, 2015

RWS 30 – Touchdown Autorotation Competition and more with Jerry Trimble

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Jerry Trimble has been there and done that - now he focuses on the personal touch with helicopter training — Jerry Trimble has been there and done that – now he focuses on the personal touch with helicopter training

With the ink still drying on his A&P licence Jerry landed a job at Robinson Helicopters and went flying on his first day on the job with Frank Robinson in R22 serial number 2. We cover several of the experiences from Jerry’s career in this episode.

Jerry Trimble is today’s guest and is the owner of Jerry Trimble Helicopters in McMinnville, Oregon.

Jerry’s experience includes fixed wing CFI, A&P mechanic (and still does his own maintenance), EMS, logging, fire contracts and instructing. He has several thousand hours on the R22 alone and a long association with the Robinson product having worked at Robinson Helicopters as a new A&P in the period leading up to FAA certification.

[Tweet “Once you get the bug, it never goes away. #helicopters”]

Along the way Jerry founded, built up and then sold Hillsboro Aviation which at the time had 40 staff and 25 aircraft.

Now along with his wife Alison, his focus is on training pilots in a smaller setting at Jerry Trimble Helicopters.

The school has a busy social calendar with different events. One of the events that has grown over time and built a following is the annual Touchdown Auto Competition. The 2015 event is on June 28th with $600 prize money (and bragging rights) going to the winner. The event is judged by a panel of well known industry names and looks to be a lot of fun. Full details on the competition here.

The Robert E. Trimble memorial award for mountain flying was given out by the Helicopter Foundation International for many years. There is an article about Jerry’s Dad further down the page that makes for some very interesting reading too. Robert was very much a pioneer of the helicopter industry.

In this week’s episode:

00:50 Cracking out the ugg boots for Queensland winter
01:30 ‘Train like you fly’ book – scenario based training
04:31 Robert Trimble, helicopter pioneer
07:15 Robert E. Trimble memorial award for mountain flying
08:55 Aeroplane rating out of high school
10:31 Bell 47 time in Jakarta, Indonesia
11:47 A&P mechanic licence
12:50 First day on the job at Robinson Helicopters – flying with Frank Robinson in R22 no.2
16:30 Struggle of certification and story about recovering R22 serial number 001
19:40 Pros and cons of the R22
22:59 Founding Hillsboro Aviation and growing it 40 employees and 25 aircraft
27:20 Jerry Trimble Helicopters
30:38 Alison – corporate Learjet pilot, fired Jerry as her instructor, runs the business
32:22 Children’s interest level in flying
33:55 Overseas students are a big market
35:50 Touchdown Autorotation Competition history
42:42 Tips on conducting autorotations
45:05 Tips on teaching autorotations
47:50 Poker run social event
50:15 EMS flight with boy’s mum in the front to hospital – made a difference
52:55 Low level engine failure over freeway
53:57 McMinnville, Oregon location – now Palm Springs, Texas and North Carolina
62:55 Episode Sponsors trainmorepilots.com

Links from this week’s episode:
Jerry Trimble Helicopters Website
Train How You Fly Book

Short video showing a landing at the McMinnville airfield, Oregon out the front of Jerry’s company.
[leadplayer_vid id=”5562F3C72E518″]

[Tweet “I had a stool, a desk and a #helicopter and ran an ad for helicopter training”]

[Tweet “If that engine quits, get that collective down and get in that aft cyclic – Jerry Trimble”]

[Tweet “Improve this product(R22) without adding weight to it, I don’t know how you could do it”]

[gview file=”http://rotarywingshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/robert-trimble-award-story.pdf”]

The Robert E. Trimble memorial award for mountain flying was given out by Helicopter Foundation International for many years. Jerry was only 6 when his father was killed in a helicopter crash.

Construction shot of the 'Big Foot' that Jerry Trimble Helicopters will use for longline training and as a local attraction. — Construction shot of the ‘Big Foot’ that Jerry Trimble Helicopters will use for longline training and as a local attraction.

Be part of the conversation and get involved in the comments section below. What questions do you have about flight training or the early days of the R22?

April 3, 2015April 11, 2015

RWS 26 – US Forest Service Helicopter Ops with John Harris

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John Harris is one of 12 helicopter inspector pilots employed by the US Forest Service

Helicopters are uniquely suited to the demands of the US Forest Service. John Harris is one of the Service’s inspector pilots and in this episode talks about his career and his current role.

Based in Missoula, Montana, John is responsible for checking and qualifying contractor pilots for the US Inter-agency Helicopter Pilot Qualification Card. This qualification allows them to work on US Forest Service contracts.

His area of responsibility covers Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and North and South Dakota. In between flight check duties you can find inspector pilots providing helicopter subject matter expert input into operational planning and Service policies.

John was instrumental in bringing into service a water based heli-torch training device that, as the name suggests, uses water rather than dripping burning napalm for check and training missions.

Before starting his current role, John has had a career flying ‘heavies’ in military, logging, longlining, construction and firefighting operations.

[Tweet “If you are sitting in a helicopter fat, dumb and happy… then you are missing something.”]

John also shares some wisdom about the characteristics and work ethic you need to show to have the best chance of moving up in the industry. He also talks to the idea of mentorship and the responsibility on aircraft captains to develop their co-pilots from the point of view that they become a reflection of you.

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

In this week’s episode:

01:05 Helicopter landing officer course – Dave, Martin, Reggie
02:35 Question of the week – how long was your CPL ground and air test?
03:36 Top helicopter books list download
04:00 John Harris – US Forest Service Helicopter Inspector Pilot
04:57 Where is Montana?
08:10 Geology major at Uni to motor pool truck mechanic
09:40 Warrant Officer candidate school, flight school Fort Rucker
10:30 Hueys and then Chinooks(1990)
12:20 Columbia helicopters logging operations
16:20 Longlining experience
18:15 Overseas jungle compounds – PNG, Ecuador
20:20 Flew the National Christmas tree
22:05 Carson Helicopters (2006) – S61 helicopters, Chief Pilot
26:50 Erickson Helicopters – E and F model skycranes
29:10 Flying skycrane from San Diego to Peru – maps, agents, fuel, visas, bullet hole
33:50 Skycrane 105-115kts cruise
35:10 US Forest Service – Region 1, carding contractors, subject matter experts, national programs
37:50 Water torch as a training aid for heli-torch operations
40:10 Only 12 helicopter pilots employed direct by Forest Service – not an operational role
42:25 Using Bell Cobra’s for fire scouting
43:10 Minimum experience requirements to be Forest Service qualified
45:50 Helicopter percentage of Forest Service budget
48:30 Utility tasks – stream enhancement, animal surveys, radio tower repair/resupply
50:00 Typical contractor machines – 206s, Astars, Hueys, 205s/++, 212, KMAX, BK117, Chinook, skycranes, S61s
51:14 Advice for breaking into the Forest Service contactor flying as a junior pilot
54:10 Professional development
55:22 Things wish had learnt earlier – risk management, don’t be afraid to stop, don’t push your limits, be patient, enjoy it!
58:55 Episode Sponsors trainmorepilots.com
59:20 Leave an iTunes review or on Stitcher
59:35 World Helicopter Day

Links from this week’s episode:
US Forest Service Aviation Page
World Helicopter Day

Skycrane topping up with water from Blackfoot river to fight a forest fire at Bonner Montana – Aug 2011
[leadplayer_vid id=”55193BABEEEC6″]

[Tweet “Sometimes you lived in just camps with a generator. Was like a bunch of gypsies.”]

[Tweet “Of all the heavies to fly my favourite is the Chinook. Comfortable, fast, very smooth – John Harris”]

[Tweet “Have a good work ethic, clean the aircraft, clean the windows, help the mechanics out, always be willing to help out”]

[Tweet “If I had a bad co-pilot that is a direct reflection on me because I’m supposed to be his mentor.”]

[Tweet “Think the whole flight through before you even get in the cockpit.”]

Be part of the conversation and get involved in the comments section below. What questions do you have about the US Forest Service?