Helinews
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䄀甀最甀猀琀 ㈀ 㔀 ㌀
Cover Story
is a publication of Airborne Productions Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3134 | Alpharetta | GA | 30023 PHONE: 844.heliweb (435-4932) FAX: 904-623-4354 EMAIL: info@heliweb.com WEB: heliweb.com rotormart.heliweb.com
PUBLISHER & CHIEF EDITOR:
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPERS:
Ryan Mason ryan@heliweb.com
Tim Pruitt Roeof-Jan Gort Scott Dworkin
Damon Duran Seth Lasko Jim Mumaw
DEPUTY EDITOR: Adam Johnson adam@heliweb.com DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT: Ali Mason ali@heliweb.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Ben Fouts Brian Parsons Lauren Brown Adam Johnson
| | | |
ben@heliweb.com brian@heliweb.com lauren@heliweb.com adam@heliweb.com
Welk Aviation is one of Los Angeles largest ENG operators who also own and manage Summit Helicopter and Western Helicopters
All material published remains the copyright of heliweb. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without the written consent of the publisher. Editorials published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Content within heliweb is believed to be true and accurate and the publisher does not assume responsibility for any errors. Unsolicited editorial manuscripts and photos are welcomed and encouraged. heliweb cannot be responsible for return unless submissions are accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Photos submitted by mail or electronically become property of heliweb unless otherwise specified. Copyrighted photographs must be clearly marked, otherwise they become property of heliweb. Deadline for all advertising is the first day of each month for the following months edition. Information about rates, requirements, etc. is available upon request.
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October 2015

December 2015 Stories
Cover Story
16
18 48
24 Blade 2015 16 WeItalian go inside the Italian Blade exercise and find out what makes the event
Kurt Robinson 24 We talk with Robinson on what can be expected from the R44 Cadet
18 48
Amazon Drones Amazon Pushes ahead with its plan to use drones to delivery products
A Bird in the hand Take a look at the newest asset in the lineup of life saving helicopters in Ventura County, Claifornia
32
Welk Aviation
On the Cover One of the largest operators in California in the ENG market, we talk to Welk Aviation about what makes them a successful ENG supplier to the LA News market and learn about their recent expansion into powerline and advanced training

heliweb.com
32 Columns & Features Editors notes 6 The toolbox 8 The instructors station
10
Straight & level
12
Whirly Girls 18 Helipix 22 Helinews 42 Rotorheads 50 Behind the lens
52
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Social media
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Heather Howley from Independent Helicopters in New York State shared an image of their R44 getting into the Christmas spirit earlier this month and the helicopter community showed that they loved her team’s inginuity, sharing the image over 600 times . The image was viewed over 45,000 times. To subscribe to heliweb, Visit us on the web Send them to www.heliweb.com/wp/subscribe
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November 2015

From the desk of if something were to go wrong
employer and said employer takes
(which is my view on what I saw).
a look at a screenshot of threats made or commentary about the
The point of posting the video,
situation that goes against the core
and of looking at the responses as
v a l u e s o f t h e b u s i n e s s t h e y wo r k fo r.
Ryan Mason
a small social experiment, was to show that while there are varying
Social media is a great tool to bring
can,
opinions on just about everything
people together; it has been the
d o e s n ’ t m e a n y o u s h o u l d .”
that a pilot does —or doesn’t
savior of many people in need of help
Those are words I think
do— that you see in the comments
when strangers step forward to help.
about often— not just in the
section of posts such as this, there
But it can also be one that has the
business sense, but also as
is also a greater problem at play
p o t e n t i a l t o b e d e t r i m e n t a l t o o n e ’s
they might pertain to flying
here. Not just with the helicopter
employment. So, as I stated in the
helicopters. It has never
industr y, but with social media
first line of my editorial, when you go
been more evident than the
as a whole; people degenerate
t o p o s t t h a t ‘c o o l ’ s h o t o r v i d e o , t h i n k
unblinking eye of cell phone
into
calling
about the possible repercussions
cameras that are everywhere.
very quickly when someone else
that may result from that post.
has opposing views to their own.
Remember that “just because you
J
ust
because
you
insults
and
name
c a n , d o e s n ’ t m e a n y o u s h o u l d ”.
They are quickly brought out if something looks wrong —like footage
In the helicopter community it then
captured of the recent crash at
becomes a race to “you don’t know
Social media is one of the aspects
Pa l o m a r, C A — w h i c h a l s o i n e v i t a b l y
what you’re talk ing about, I have xxxx
that employers now view as fair
finds its way to social media. Social
a m o u n t o f h o u r s m o r e t h a n y o u d o ”.
game to research when looking at
media in turn, adds its own unique
To c i r c l e b a c k t o m y o r i g i n a l t h o u g h t ;
potential candidates for employment,
consequences— especially for pilots
w h e t h e r yo u a re a n o p e ra to r, p i l o t ,
so that comment you made about a
and aviation based businesses.
OEM, helicopter related business,
controversial topic, or that video you
or enthusiast— social media, and
p o s t e d o f y o u r ‘c o o l ’ y e t p o t e n t i a l l y
I posted a video recently to a
what it brings with it, can be both
unsafe behavior —either legitimate
Facebook helicopter group, in which
a huge asset and a curse. One
or perceived— could prevent you from
a n O r l a n d o - b a s e d t o u r i s t o p e r a t i o n ’s
that can also have lasting impact
the job of your dreams. In a worst
pilot performs a ‘button hook’
outside of the invisible microcosm
case scenario, it could even end your
landing into a pad where they hot
that
feeds.
employment in a job that you love.
helicopters. It looked dynamic,
Yo u n e e d n o t l o o k m u c h f u r t h e r
Remember the girl that posted a
but in the view of many, it wasn’t
than the current political landscape
picture of herself flipping the bird
necessary for the helicopter to fly
or the recent hatred shown towards
at a “Silence & Respect” sign at the
that kind of approach. As is the case
American law enforcement to see
Arlington National Cemetery? She was
with many social media posts, there
multiple stories where someone
fired, and subsequently out of work
was a wide swath of opinions on what
goes a step too far in their criticism
for over a year after that image went
the pilot was doing; from views of
and resorts to inciting violence
viral. Something seen as innocent
it being normal and perfectly safe,
towards those who would lay down
and benign can have a lasting effect.
to it being reckless and unnecessary
their lives for the public. The
for a tourist operation— and one
result is that person losing their
that leaves very little room for error
job when it is highlighted to their
is
a
social
media
load passengers on and off their
heliweb.com
Ryan Mason Publisher & Chief Editor heliweb magazine
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The toolbox
Are service bulletins mandatory? While
(Complainant) vs. Therol Wayne Law (Respondent).
into their manuals by reference. Their conclusion
Law was a mechanic who had his certificate
quoted the Lycoming Overhaul manual which
thought it would be a good time
suspended for 180 days by the FAA. The case
states, “In addition to this manual and subsequent
to bring it up again. There are
involved an incident where Law had performed
revisions, additional overhaul and repair information
several case law scenarios that have
an overhaul on a Textron Lycoming© engine
is published in the form of service bulletins and
addressed the issue and, while no
and approved it for return to service. The FAA
service instructions. The information contained in
one can say for sure if any of the
contends that Law violated several regulations, and
these service bulletins and service instructions is an
findings are concrete regarding
bases its certificate revocation on said violations.
integral part of, and is to be used in conjunction with,
the Service Bulletins and this type
One violation in particular addresses Service
the information contained in this overhaul manual.”
of litigation, it is a fact that due
Instructions. The FAA states that Law ordered a non-
to these types of NTSB and FAA
certificated employee to perform a magnetic particle
As I stated above, today’s manufacturers’ service
rulings a precedent has been established.
inspection of the engine’s crank shaft. So, what
bulletins and service instructions are typically issued
Brian Parsons
is
nothing new to the industry, I
this
subject
matter
does having a non-certificated mechanic perform a
as an integral part of the maintenance manuals
What we as maintainers need to do is ensure
magnetic particle inspection have to do with Service
as a means to make sure they are to be complied
that we always follow the manufactures
Instructions? In this case, pretty much everything.
with. We also know, it’s the owner operator who
instructions — explicitly and without deviation
Lycoming addresses NDT personnel requirements
is responsible to ensure that his or her aircraft is
— unless of course there is a manufacturer’s
in a service instruction. Textron Lycoming Service
in an airworthy condition. Therefore if you, as a
approval for any changes to the instructions.
Instruction No. 1285B (May 23, 1997) requires that:
mechanic, are completing a 100 hour or annual
Can you say with certainty if compliance
“personnel performing Magnetic Particle Inspections
inspection and run across a service bulletin that
with the Service Bulletins issued by the
shall be qualified and certified in accordance with ASNT
needs to be complied with, it should be added to the
manufacturer of your helicopter — and its
Personnel Qualification SNT-TC-1A or MIL-STD-410.”
discrepancy list, and that list should be given to the
attached components & equipment — are
owner. In the end, it’s up to the owner or operator
mandatory? What if you were told that they may
The FAA argument in Law’s case was that, since
to decide if he wants an airworthy or un-airworthy
be mandatory in some cases, even if they are
the employee he ordered to perform the test
entry into his or her maintenance log book.
not associated with an Airworthiness Directive?
was not qualified and certified in accordance with
either
standard,
that
employee
was
Always consult the manufacturers’ maintenance
Most OEMs that utilize the ATA system will issue
not
inspection.
instructions, including any Instructions for Continued
a Service Bulletin or Service Instruction under
In his defense, Law argued that mechanics are not
Airworthiness. When it comes to liability, from a legal
Chapter 5 of the maintenance manual. This way
required to comply with manufacturers’ Service
standpoint, one should make every effort to ensure all
the Service Bulletin automatically becomes part
Bulletins, Service Instructions, and Service Letters
the loose ends have been identified and addressed.
of the manufacturer’s maintenance manual or ICA.
in the absence of an Airworthiness Directive
Several years ago the NTSB weighed in on the
mandating such compliance. Does that sound
subject ruling that Service Bulletins and Service
familiar? While the NTSB did not agree with Mr.
Instructions can be mandatory— even if not
Law’s argument, the NTSB stated that while
associated with an Airworthiness Directive. NTSB
compliance with service instructions or service
Order No. EA-5221 was served on May 4, 2006. In
bulletins may not be mandatory in the absence
it, the NTSB ruled on the case of Marion C. Blakely,
of an Airworthiness Directive, a manufacturer
Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration
may legitimately incorporate service publications
heliweb.com
authorized
to
perform
that
Brian Parsons is currently the Director of Maintenance for the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office Aviation Section, Brian is a Marine veteran, holds a commercial pilot certificate, and is also a Reserve Deputy Sheriff for Hillsborough Count y. Parsons maintenance experience includes factory training on Bell, Airbus and MD helicopters, in addition to several engine types.
There’s a story about a zoo-keeper who had a large
a maintenance task or an inspection based on the way
enclosure with several monkeys. One day, he decided
we had always done it? The way I was taught by the old
to place a banana in the cage with the animals and
A&P Mechanic in the shop—the one with all the answers
see who went for it first. Well, of course, the big alpha
and experience— was most likely the way it was passed
male pushed all the smaller monkeys aside and went
on to him from his old mentor, and so-on down the line.
to grab the banana. Much to the monkey’s surprise, as
I could probably count on one hand the number of times
he reached for the tempting morsel of monkey delights,
I may have stopped to ask the question, “Why are we
the zoo keeper doused him with a water hose. Each
doing it this way?” Is this way the most efficient way that
and every time the monkey would go for the banana,
we can operate or function given the circumstances?
the zoo keeper would spray him down from head to toe. So he got some smarts about himself and he
The customer still wants his machine finished on
sent the alpha female to grab the banana, knowing
time, and on budget. So who is going to buck the
she would give it to him anyway. So off she goes and,
status quo if it has worked so well for so long?
as she reached for the banana,the zoo keeper doused
I can remember back to when we used a grease pencil
her with the hose from head to toe— he sprayed the
and a status board to track component times on several
big alpha male too, just for being in the cage. This
helicopters at once.At the time,that method was the best
went on for several weeks until all the monkeys in
way to keep track of things, and it was used extensively
the cage had no interest in the banana, for fear of
on a daily basis for years before our Director of Flight
getting sprayed down with water. All of the monkeys
Operations brought in a Commodore 64 personal computer.
in the cage knew that if any one of them went for the
That computer was the best thing since sliced bread,using
banana,they would all get sprayed down with the hose.
a six-inch floppy disc with the Commodore-DOS operating system, and eight bits of memory. At first, we didn’t use
Over time, the zoo keeper had —one at a time—
it for any maintenance tracking; the boss assigned one
replaced the original monkeys with new ones. Each
of the pilots to enter all the
time a new monkey would enter the cage,he would go
component times from the
for the banana. Predictably, just as he would reach for
grease board into a program,
the banana, the other monkeys would beat him up in
and then he let natural
order to keep from getting sprayed down with a water
human curiosity take over.
hose.Eventually,all of the monkeys had been replaced
Several months later, the
with new ones.The zoo keeper stopped using the water
grease board was being
hose, and would put a new banana in the cage with
updated not daily, as it
a new monkey on a regular basis. Each time the new
was before, but maybe
monkey would go for the banana,he would get beat up.
weekly, or even. It became
The new monkeys had no reason to fear the water
the backup system to a
hose,they just beat up the new guy for reaching to grab
new and better way of
the banana because that’s what they had always done.
tracking our component
After all of the original monkeys had been replaced,
times and maintenance
not one of the monkeys in the cage knew why they
functions. The old board
had to beat up the new monkey as he reached for the
was eventually abandoned
banana; they just knew that there was going to be a
altogether.I guess one could
beating if some new guy went for the banana.Because
say it became the banana.
that’s the way they had always done it.Sound familiar? There are those among I was having a conversation with one of my local
us who are young enough
FSDO safety inspectors when he told me about the
that they can’t remember
monkey story. We had a good laugh, but it also made
the onset of this paradigm
me pause to think. How many times had I completed
October 2015
T h e i n s t r u c t o r s’ s t a t i o n
Lauren Brown
The Next Generation of Aviators Ha v i n g an
just recently attended down Av i a t i o n
come.
into our schools, the point is to raise
Education Consider not only the pilot shor tage many
awareness to the severity of the situation.
Symposium with emphasis on major
effect
for
prepare
If we do nothing to inspire, encourage, educate, and expose young people to
an appropriate topic to bring aviation maintenance professionals and
opportunities available in aviation, the
to
industry
cur-riculum,
light.
Fo r
u n f a m i l i a r, for
it
those
who
STEM
Science,
are other
ground
are
starting
to
s e e m e d f o r, b u t a l s o t h e i m p e n d i n g s h o r t a g e o f
STEM
airlines
generations
support
to
personnel.
The
will
struggle
in
the
future.
stands helicopter sector of aviation will have
Te c h n o l o g y, i t s o w n u n i q u e c h a l l e n g e s t o f a c e i n t h e
It seems it is up to the current aviation
E n g i n e e r i n g a n d M a t h , a n d i s c o m i n g y e a r s a s w e l l . Fo r s u c h r e a s o n s ,
professionals
becoming a mainstream focus student
with
exposure
f o r s c h o o l s a c r o s s t h e c o u n t r y. i n d u s t r i e s Some people use the acronym will
be
through more
to
various
primary
important
aviation education
than
e v e r.
an
and
interest
educators in
out
aviation
to
there find
unique and engaging ways to introduce t o d a y ’s y o u t h t o t h e m a n y v a r i o u s o p p o r -
S T E A M , a d d i n g t h e “A” f o r a v i a t i o n , w h i l e
tunities that exist within the field. Guest
o t h e r s a d d a n “A” f o r a r t s , b u t r e g a r d l e s s , t h e M o s t p e o p l e w h o w o r k i n a v i a t i o n c u r r e n t l y
speaking
basis of STEM education is to improve the can recall a par ticular experience that
inviting some friends and their children
w a y s t u d e n t s l e a r n a n d i n c o r p o r a t e t h e s e c a u s e d t h e m t o f a l l i n l o v e , o r “g e t t h e
to visit the airport or an airshow with
t y p e s o f s u b j e c t s i n t o s c h o o l c u r r i c u l u m . a v i a t i o n b u g .” T h o s e e x p e r i e n c e s r a n g e
you, or volunteering to be a mentor in
from a time they got to take a tour of
and organization may be a small enough
STEM education meetings are taking place the
control
when
or
campus,
gesture to inspire the next generation. At ELITE Sim Centers, we open our doors
u p w i t h i n - t e r e s t i n g a n d e n g a g i n g w a y s t h o u g h t i t w a s t h e c o o l e s t t h i n g e v e r,
to
to educate students. If you think about and so on. Without such experiences and
children, field trip groups, and anyone
it, aviation is a per fect topic to apply oppor tunities to learn about jobs that exist,
who has an interest in flying a helicopter
in this regard because it is interesting the potential pilots and future industr y
or airplane. A simulator is a fun way for
to students, can be adjusted to fit any leaders out there may never even consider
people to safely get the chance to actually
a g e g r o u p, a n d c o v e r s m a n y d i f f e r e n t a j o b i n a v i a t i o n a s v i a b l e o r a t t a i n a b l e .
get the feel of controlling an aircraft, and
e d u c a t i o n a l s u b j e c t s . We c a n t a l k a b o u t
also a great way to determine whether people
they
classroom
got
young
or
a
all over the countr y in an effor t to come to fly a simulator at a trade show and
m e t e o r o l o g i c a l f a c t o r s , h u - m a n f a c t o r s , U l t i m a t e l y,
t o w e r,
at
need
enthusiasts,
non-pilots,
supervised
more
someone wants to pursue helicopter or
aeromedical, aerodynamics, math for flight exposure to aviation— even if only a small
airplane training as their first choice.
planning and so much more. It seems like percentage of those who are introduced a good idea, but the real implications of to the oppor tunities potentially pursue these initiatives is less obvious to some a career within the industr y down the and can actually be a game -changer in road. This is why STEM education, and the future of aviation as we know it. par ticularly
incorporating
aviation
into
STEM curriculum, is so impor tant for the Av i a t i o n
industry
professionals
a r e f u t u r e o f o u r i n d u s t r y. E v e n i f w e d o n’ t
b e g i n n i n g t o r e a l i z e t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f u s e t h e t e r m S T E M , o r d o n’ t e v e n r e f e r STEM education, as it will have a trickle to incorporating a widespread program
heliweb.com
Lauren is currently the Director of Operations for Elite Simulation Centers in Orlando, Florida. Lauren started writing to share the benefits of simulation technology with the industry to show that with a combination of simulation training and real world application, simulators are a valuable asset to any flight school or large commercial operation. She is also a commercial rated fixed wing pilot and has plans to pursue her rotorcraft addon in the future.
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November 2015
Straight and level
Ben Fouts
The Helicopter Pilot Developing your career as a helicopter pilot
the temperatures never too extreme. Even humidity levels
In one particular flight, we decided to fly out to the
more often than not requires you to work
were pretty low, so it was a safe place to operate. While in
north end of the island on Kohala Mountain to practice
as an instructor to build flight experience in
Oakland I had oversight from a Chief Instructor, and I had senior
off-airport operations. Kohala is an extinct volcano
order to move on and enter the commercial
instructors around me that were always helpful. There was
that rises up 5,500 feet from the ocean. It last erupted
world. A backwards system indeed, as you
guidance about where we could go and where we shouldn’t.
some 350,000 years ago and is covered in thick jungle,
are asked to be an expert on subject material
incredible valleys, and has waterfalls that are over two-
just shortly after learning the material yourself
Hawaii changed all of that. I moved to Hawaii with four-hundred
thousand feet tall. It seemed to have some great spots to
and passing your flight instructor checkride.
flight hours and was left to my own devices to teach others to fly.
perform off-airport approaches. It was twenty-five miles
Being prepared for all the elements of being
The day I arrived in Kona was the day the previous instructor/
away, so we would be able to log the time as a cross-
a competent and safe instructor is quite a challenge.
manager was leaving. We did a quick orientation flight and
country flight. I thought this would be a great way to
It is a learning curve that is steep and full of hazards.
he was gone. The way he saw it, he had earned his flight time
play in the hills and get some cross-country experience.
and was now on to bigger and better things. The owner of the When I passed my CFI checkride, I can remember the incredible
company was very experienced, and always helpful, but lived
I had nobody expecting me to fly there, and had no flight
sense of accomplishment. The months of study and preparation
in Oahu and his attention was towards the tour company, not
plan filed. It was the last flight of the day. There would be
had paid off. The sleepless night the day before the practical test;
the flight school. I did my own fifty hour oil changes and only
no search and rescue if I got myself into trouble. At that
the all day long inquisition and demonstration of knowledge, skill
saw him when a hundred hour inspection was due. I would fly
time, it didn’t even cross my mind as a necessity. There
and teaching ability were finally over with a positive outcome. It
the helicopter to Oahu where I would swap it for another R22.
were no other employees at Mauna Loa Helicopters at
was an exciting moment to move on to a new chapter in my flying
We might have a quick lunch, but with the long flying trip our
the time— it was just up to me. I still grit my teeth when
career. The dose of reality came when the FAA inspector who
visits were always short. Hawaii’s unique environment can be
I look back and ponder my thought process. FSS was
was auditing the checkride, pulled me aside. He looked at me
really unforgiving. I was about to get an education in tropical
available,andaflightplanwouldhavebeensoeasytofile.
and said, “Ben, you ought to be paying your student for the first
weather and all of its dynamics. There were days with high
one-hundred hours… Because you are learning on their dime.”
winds unexpectedly picking up, large mountains which had
I had checked the performance charts — or sales
their own unique micro-climates, and shifting wind conditions
charts as I call them — and we would be within the
Those are words I will never forget. At the time, it was a punch
that seemed to change direction every five miles. I learned
Out of Ground Effect hover ceiling by quite a margin.
in the gut. Who was this guy to say such a thing to me? He
quickly that Hawaii island is home to eleven of the world’s
The target pinnacle in question was only 3,000 feet
didn’t know me at all. Well, those were some of the best words
thirteen climates! All of this was in an area just a bit larger
MSL. Sales charts, or the performance section of the
I could have heard. He was right. I was a flight instructor but so
than the state of Rhode Island. It had everything from sea
flight manual, are done under ideal conditions. They
inexperienced that I would be learning to teach while others
level to almost 14,000 feet MSL, and snow capped mountains
are completed with a new helicopter with optimum
paid for it. There were so many things to absorb— so many
in the winter. Beautiful to the eye, and diversity that is hard to
performance.
things I wish I had known prior to experiencing it with a student.
comprehend; but traps abound for the aspiring helicopter pilot.
dynamic environment.
While teaching out of the Oakland, CA airport, the foothills
I was unprepared for — and unaware of — the dangers
lent themselves to great opportunities for off-airport training,
of flying a light helicopter in these challenging conditions,
environment you are flying in change everything. If it
with lots of confined areas we could use and pinnacles on
and had students on a schedule that needed to complete
isn’t calm wind and low humidity, and you aren’t flying
the hilltops. All of these sites were under 2,500 feet MSL, so
their training on schedule. It meant going up sometimes
a new helicopter with new helicopter performance, it
performance was quite predictable in a Robinson R22. The
to complete cross-country requirements when, outside
probably won’t do as well as what the chart indicates.
derated engine in the R22 keeps power pretty consistent up
of the Kona Airport, winds were not favorable. The flying
to those elevations. The winds were almost always light, and
conditions were very different from what I was used to.
They are not done in a challenging, Keep that in mind next
time you decide to instruct and use the charts for
heliweb.com
“predicted performance.”
The dynamics of the
The wind was very strong that day. It took us a while
to reach our destination, and trying to do a proper orbit
Were it not for a bit of luck, and being over a suitable spot
Ben Fouts is a career helicopter pilot, business
around the pinnacle was a joke. After a hack job or a high-
for a touchdown, we would have rolled the helicopter down
o w n e r, s u c c e s s f u l e n t r e p r e n e u r a n d p a s s i o n a t e
reconnaissance, I instructed the student to make a steeper
the hillside with certainty. I was embarrassed and really
f l i g h t i n s t r u c to r, b a se d o n Ko n a , Ha wa i i .
than normal approach to avoid turbulence from the leeward
upset with myself for allowing all of this to take place. As
Opening Mauna Loa Helicopters at the age of
side of the hilltop, but what I didn’t know — and wasn’t
an instructor, you control all the variables and decide what
23 as a single helicopter operation, that now
prepared for — was the terrain that was further upwind
amount of risk is acceptable. I completely blew it. I put my
boasts 22 helicopters and 6 fixed wing aircraft
from our position. The pinnacle we were approaching was
student, the company I worked for, and the machine in a
b e t w e e n M a u n a L o a ’s 3 l o c a t i o n s i n H a w a i i o n
directly in line with the top of Kohala Mountain. The wind
very bad situation. The lesson learned was a free one this
Kona, Honolulu and Kauai and in Alabama. Ben
was approaching thirty knots. And so the mistakes began…
time, but could have very easily ended quite differently.
i s a n FA A d e s i g n a t e d p i l o t e x a m i n e r, h a v i n g
We began our final approach to the hilltop, well within the
Helicopter pilots rely a lot on experience to make sound 1 5 y e a r s a c t i n g i n t h e r o l e o f a D PE s i n c e a g e 2 4 .
performance parameter of the helicopter per the Flight
decisions and to solve problems. It is a daily routine.
Manual. The top of the pinnacle was a flat grassy area about
Instructors
need
fifteen feet in diameter. The hill was steep, and descending
guidance
and
on all sides at about a thirty degree angle. There was little
parameters
concern going in that there would be any problem. My dumb
follow to help them
four-hundred hour mind was completely oblivious to what
keep the training
the wind was doing on the backside of Kohala Mountain as
sortie
it descended from 5,500 feet to the 3,000 foot pinnacle we
training aircraft are
were approaching. It was creating a very strong descending
almost always The
current of air that I couldn’t see. The approach continued
training
towards the intended landing site, and I passed through the
are almost always
final third of the approach without a worry in the world. The
underpowered;
airspeed indicator was showing fifty knots, and we were
they
crawling along towards the pinnacle. It wasn’t until we were
for economics, not
just approaching the lip of the pinnacle when I noticed that
performance. Don’t
the RPM needles were coming off the top of the green arc
become a test pilot
and starting to droop. The manifold pressure was reading
with a machine you
close to twenty-seven inches, and we were descending!
don’t own, and a life
Too late for a go-around; we were pushed into the hill and
that is not your own.
landed unbelievably without incident. A huge credit goes
Ask
to my flight instructor, who taught me to never attempt an
and stay within the
approach to a spot you couldn’t set it down on. He told
envelope.
me that it could be a magneto problem, or a down draft,
from the mistakes of
but at some point in time you will be forced to land when
others and fly smart.
conducted over 2000 examinations in his almost
you don’t want to. If you are over a suitable spot and have to set down you get no injuries, and probably no damage.
to
safe.
are
for
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November 2015 November 2015
Whirly Girls
Banu Cole
Give it a Whirl! Since I was a little girl, I have been
experience and further their careers. I decided to apply
enamored by spaceflight and thus it
and, to my extreme delight, I was awarded the Bell
has always been a dream of mine to
206L Initial Transition Training Course sponsored by Air
I cannot express how highly impressed I was with
pursue flying lessons. However, it was
Evac Lifeteam! I completed this training ,held at the Bell
the caliber of training I received, the professionalism
only when I was in my early 30s, in 2008,
Training Academy in Forth Worth, Texas October of 2015.
exemplified by the staff, and the state-of-the art equipment
that I finally took my first fixed-wing
In fact, I was one of two Whirly-Girls who received this
provided by the Bell Training Academy. I hope I can one
lesson; I found myself disappointed.
scholarship. Savannah Christy was the other recipient;
day return for a refresher course! Thank you, Whirly-Girls,
Why could this be? Soon after that
we were able to train together making this a really
for making this possible and giving me this opportunity to
flight I learned of a helicopter flight
enjoyable experience. I highly recommend this course!
further my career and make me a safer pilot. And thank
school in the area and thought, “Why
you, Air Evac Lifeteam, for sponsoring and setting up this
not give this a try?” Little did I know
Prior to taking this course, I had very little turbine time
amazing course for myself and for future Whirly-Girls!
my life would be forever changed.
since it’s quite cost prohibitive. I applied for this scholarship
I have never achieved before, thanks to all my instructors.
because I wanted to build turbine time, increase my
Being a recipient of this scholarship has opened my eyes
I climbed into a helicopter for my introductory flight and
knowledge in turbine systems, and do all that I could
to the great impact that Whirly-Girls is able to bestow
was amazed! I felt like a kid on Christmas morning! I fell in
to become a better pilot. As a newly minted CFI, I knew
upon aspiring female helicopter pilots. As a result, I
love with the complexity of helicopter flight, and all the
that this experience would be invaluable as an instructor.
have found myself wanting to become more involved
things that it could do that a fixed-wing aircraft couldn’t.
with Whirly-Girls, and driven to give back what was so
I knew I had to pursue helicopter flying and master this
The Bell 206L Turbine Transition Course is a week-
generously given to me. In line with this goal, I recently
challenge! While working full-time as a research scientist
long course that consists of an intensive ground
applied and was elected to the Whirly-Girls Board of
(I have my PhD in cancer/cell biology), I earned my private
school that really delves into the intricacies of the
Directors as a Scholarship Director. It has been very
pilot helicopter rating. I soon realized I wanted more as my
Bell 206L helicopter. This was by far the best ground
rewarding to be involved in this manner and to be able to
life-long desire to fly was reawakening. So I went on to earn
school training I have received for helicopter systems.
help other deserving Whirly-Girls. In fact, for 2016, Whirly-
my instrument and commercial helicopter ratings and, just
Additionally, I was given the opportunity to train in the Bell
Girls is offering over 20 scholarships— a record number!
recently, my helicopter CFI rating. In the midst of all this
206L flight training device (FTD). The FTD provided me
training — while continuing to work full-time as a scientist
with the opportunity to practice emergency malfunctions
From that life-changing day in 2008, my heart developed
— I also earned my SEL fixed-wing private pilot rating and
and procedures that one normally would not simulate in a
a new passion that has certainly transformed my life.
found that I really do enjoy fixed-wing flight as well after all.
real helicopter. The FTD was most beneficial when learning
While I continue to pursue my original career as a full-
howtoproperlystart-upandavoidthosedreadedhotstarts.
time biological research scientist, my heart is also fully
During my training, I fell in love with aviation and wanted
devoted to pursuing aviation and promoting it to others.
to get more involved and find other like-minded female
The best part of this week-long course, without a doubt,
In addition to instructing students and helping to instill
aviators. My search led me to join the Whirly-Girls—
was my flight training— almost 6 hours in the Bell 206
a love of aviation in their hearts, I have helped organize
an international organization for female helicopter
Long Ranger!
My flight instructors were incredibly
Women Can Fly events at several local airports in the state
pilots. Whirly-Girls has been a tremendous source of
knowledgeable, and they knew how to have a blast! We
of Virginia to encourage women in aviation. My long-
support, and I have met so many female helicopter
practiced confined area landings, pinnacle approaches,
term dream is to give back to aviation and to participate
pilots with remarkable stories! Whirly-Girls also has an
hydraulic failures, full-down autorotations, and much
in missions-related work requiring aviation assistance. My
outstanding scholarship program, offering a wide range
more.
I have never had so much fun doing 180
experiences, and this scholarship through the Whirly-Girls,
of scholarships to deserving Whirly-Girls aiming to build
autorotations! This training built my confidence to a level
are bringing me one step closer to obtaining these dreams.
heliweb.com
O ur
n e w e s t p r o g r a m , ” G i v e i t a W h i r l ”,
w i l l m a k e i t s d e b u t o n S u n d a y, F e b r u a r y
H e l i co p t e r s , G u i d a n ce Av i a t i o n , J R Av i a t i o n ,
Schultz, Whirly-Girls VP of Operations at
Heliweb Magazine and several others, but
wgvpops@whirlygirls.org.
we still need your help! If you are able
2 8 , 2 0 1 6 a t B o w m a n F i e l d i n Lo u i s v i l l e , Ke n t u c k y. T h i s ev e n t w i l l co i n c i d e w i t h H A I Heli Expo, which will begin the following d a y. T h e W h i r l y - G i r l s w i l l b e r e a c h i n g o u t to local youth with an invitation to come and immerse themselves into a hands-on l e a r n i n g ex p e r i e n ce w i t h h e l i co p t e r s . F r o m static displays to simulators, the kids will have the oppor tunity to get up-close and personal with the aircraft and learn what i t i s l i k e t o b e a h e l i co p t e r p i l o t . Whirly Girls is a non-profit, volunteer o r g a n i z a t i o n d ev o t e d t o a d v a n c i n g w o m e n i n h e l i co p t e r a v i a t i o n . T h e a s s o c i a t i o n t h i s y e a r l e d t h e h e l i co p t e r i n d u s t r y i n r e co r d breaking scholarship opportunities. Whirly g i r l s t h a t w i l l b e i n a t t e n d a n ce a t t h e ev e n t a r e exc i t e d t o t a k e t h e i r d r i v e a n d l o v e f o r h e l i co p te r a v i a t i o n ; s h a r i n g i t w i t h c h i l d r e n by providing this outreach oppor tunity to ignite a passion for aviation by bringing p r ofe s s i o n a l s f r o m a l l co r n e r s of t h e i n d u s t r y t o g e t h e r t o g e t k i d s exc i t e d a n d i n t e r e s t e d i n h e l i co p t e r a v i a t i o n . t o s u p p l y a n a i r c r a ft f o r r i d e s , s t a t i c d i s p l a y The main goal of ‘Give it a Whirl’ is to provide
aircraft (will be
p o s i t i v e ex p o s u r e t o a v i a t i o n w i t h c r e a t i v e and innovative education oppor tunities for
(will be in a hangar), or any other display or
k i d s a n d f a m i l i e s a l i k e a t n o co s t . T h e l i n e -
d o n a t i o n t h a t w o u l d h e l p m a k e t h i s ev e n t
u p f o r “G i v e i t a W h i r l ” i s s t i l l g r o w i n g , a n d
great , please use the contact information
the Whirly-Girls would like to invite all
b e l o w t o g e t i n co n t a c t w i t h a W h i r l y - G i r l .
helicopter aviation professionals to join
Interested in par ticipating? Contact
us for this event . Currently signed up to
J e s s i c a K a n e l l o s , W h i r l y - G i r l s S e c r e t a r y,
a s s i s t t h e W h i r l y - G i r l s a t t h e ev e n t a r e B e l l
at wgsecretary@whirlygirls.org OR Joni
Image by: Tim Pruitt
November 2015
Operation
Italian
Story by: Roelof-Jan Gort Photos by: Jeroen van Veenendaal
heliweb.com
Roelof-Jan Gort
Blade
2015
November 2015 November 2015
A fter
three
successful
live-flying
events
hosted by Portugal from 2012 to 2014, the EDA-developed
Helicopter
Exercise
Program
(HEP) has moved to Italy this year. More than one-thousand military personnel and thirty helicopters
from
participated
in
seven Italian
different Blade
countries
2015—
held
between the June 22nd and July 3rd, 2015. The exercise was facilitated by Italian Army Aviation (Aviazione dell’Esercito) in Viterbo,
roughly eighty kilometers north of Rome. Viterbo is often regarded as the epicenter of Italian Army Aviation and is home of the Centro Addestramento Aviazone dell’Esercito (Army Aviation Centre). In addition to Italian ground forces,
Germany
sent
one-hundred-seventy
infantry personnel to take part in the joint missions. The integration of ground forces into the exercise scenarios was one of the primary focuses of this year’s HEP exercise. Observers from Portugal and Latvia were also in attendance. Exercise Italian Blade ’15 was designed to expose helicopter crews to the training methodology and tactical knowledge-base of other NATO Member States. The exercise fosters common understanding and helps build trust amongst the European military helicopter community, which is
key to the success of future multinational operations. The aim of the joint excercises was to encourage neighboring NATO member countries to encourage adopting joint procedures and operating as a Joint/ Combined Task Force in crisis response operations, realistic,
simulating and
challenging,
dynamic
scenarios.
In addition to the focus on flying in demanding environmental conditions, the exercise was developed to implement “Joint Interoperability Training”. Training was planned and executed in a variety of
operational
types
including,
Air
Assault; Special Operations Aviations; Combat
Service
Support;
Close
Air
Support (CAS)— including Urban CAS &
Emergency
Reconnaissance
CAS; &
Convoy Security;
Escort; Combat
Search & Rescue; Personnel Recovery, MedEvac,
and
CasEvac
operations.
We Earn Our Wings
by Earning Your Trust Every Day Your Complete Aviation Insurance Resource Jim Gardner, President 1640 Powers Ferry Road, Bldg. 14 Ste. 300 • Marietta, GA 30067 678-278-2100 • Fax: 678-398-7038 www.jagardner.com
November 2015 November 2015
An Agusta A129D Mangusta makes a pass during operation Italian Blade 2015

heliweb.com
Boeing CH-47 Chinooks helicopters play a vital role in foreign military operations as seen here in Italian Blade 2015
The AS532 Cougar of the Solvenian Air Force loading up for another sortie during the excercise
Left: Helicopters including the Hungarian Mi24 Hind gunship & Mi-17, NH-90 & AB412 of Italy all played various roles throughout the multi national excercise.
November 2015 October 2015
#helipix heliweb.com An AS350 at work in the Netherlands from Air Lift. Image by: Thomas østrem
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October 2015 2015 November
Kurt Robinson talks on the R44 Cadet
Story by Ryan Mason
market than the considerably
h e l i c o p t e r, c i t i n g t h e m a n y v a r i a b l e s t h a t
smaller R22. Initially marketing
Robinson will be working on to complete
the R44 Cadet as a two-seat
t h e p a c k a g e p r i c i n g o n t h e h e l i c o p t e r.
t r a i n e r,
Robinson
said
that
he sees the potential for the
R o b i n s o n H e l i c o p t e r s d i d , h o w e v e r, s t a t e
helicopter to not only become
that it would be priced in between what a
a leader in two-seat training
customer would pay for a Raven I and an
c a p a c i t y, b u t a l s o f u r t h e r d o w n
R22, but closer to the price of the Raven I.
the
capable
When asked about other developments,
multi-mission helicopter; a ship
Robinson stated that they are currently
capable of doing many of the
looking at an addition that would greatly
missions
track
as
a
current
fully
models
b e n e f i t o w n e r s o f t h e R 6 6 Tu r b i n e b y
do, but with the added hot-
R44
adding an auxiliary fuel tank produced to
and-high per formance that the
fit in the baggage compartment of the R66.
new Cadet will offer owners. The As is
R obinson continues with
recent
its
no
n o w,
hurry
Robinson to
develop
modification
useful
time
benefitting point-to-point
new
flying
the
specifically that
that
do
requires
he
time on task as is often seen in law enforcement mission profiles. The new
there will be some aftermarket
auxiliary
companies
multi-
of additional useful fuel load to the
Inc.
m i s s i o n k i t s f o r t h e n e w h e l i c o p t e r. B u t i t
h e l i c o p t e r, g i v i n g i t a v e r y i m p r e s s i v e
lineup
is important for Robinson to ensure we do
additional
developing
tank
two
would
add
hours
of
43
gallons
flight
time.
of
t h i n g s t h e r i g h t w a y, a n d i n t h e s a fe s t w a y possible, like we have done with previous
This
rapidly
models of our helicopters, so we will be
will help to significantly increase the
approaching
appeal and usefulness of the already
towards
coming
announcement
although
increase
mission,
operations
additional mission kits for the h e l i c o p t e r,
would
on
conceded that: “it is likely that
Company
reinvigorate
in
sits
the R44 Cadet. The Cadet is marching the
the
Helicopter to
it
certification
months.
recently
to
President
Kurt
Heliweb
Robinson Robinson
in
spoke
Helicopter about
any
additional
capability
c a r e f u l l y t o e n s u r e i t m e e t s o u r s t a n d a r d s .”
the
modification,
popular
Robinson
Robinson
turbine
hopes,
h e l i c o p t e r.
Robinson was also ver y excited to speak
R44, as well as an outlook on what
The
Robinson has in store for the market.
a
R44
C a d e t ’s
certification
is
fast
march
likely
towards
somewhat
a
fo r m a l i t y, b a s e d o n t h e n e w h e l i c o p t e r
on
the
gained
snow by
the
certification R66—
a
recently
certification
that has taken four years to obtain.
The move by Robinson to develop the
only being a variant of an existing model.
new two-seat R44 Cadet was motivated,
With that in mind, Robinson expects to
After much frustration in seeking the
according to Robinson, by the need
start taking orders for the new helicopter
per fect conditions in which to conduct
for a multi-mission capable two-seat
in January of 2016.
the certification testing that —involving
aircraft that had more to offer the
commit to an exact price point on the new
heliweb.com
Robinson would not
multiple
elements
to
be
in
per fect
The new R44 cadet will have much improved hot and high performance
“it is likely that there will be some aftermarket companies developing multimission kits for the new helicopter. But it is important for Robinson to ensure we do things the right way, and in the safest way possible, like we have done with previous models of our helicopters, so we will be approaching any additional capability carefully to ensure it meets our standards.” alignment, eluding them for four years
the assistance of Eric Gould
running— the R66 passed the testing
from Aerial Recon Canada,
with
required
flying
colors
and
Robinson
those
per fect
hopes to see an immediate increase
conditions to keep up for
in sales in colder climate areas where
an hour of sustained flight
not
had
i n ¼ m i l e v i s i b i l i t y. T h e R 6 6
previously limited Robinson exposure.
passed the requirements, in
having
the
certification
the words of all involved in The Canadian trial, conducted with
the test, “with flying colors”
PA
referred
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November 2015
heliweb.com
To be featured in the #helipix section of the magazine, dont forget to tag @heliweb on Instagram or email your pic to news@heliweb.com
Penn State Hershey Life Lion AS365N3 on final approach to the pad in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Photo by: Seth Lasko
November 2015

Attack of the
Drones
Is Amazon about to make the skies more complex for helicopter operations?

heliweb.com
G lobal internet sales giant Amazon recently debuted
largely depend on demand to become a continued
an online video showcasing their proposed ‘delivery
viable option for Amazon and other retailers
According to published information on the Prime Air
drone’ that Amazon sees as its vision to deliver
alike, the safety concerns for helicopter operators
drone, it is equipped with ‘sense and avoid’ technology
packages via their Amazon Air program that aims to
leave many unanswered questions about safe
akin to a UAV TCAS one can imagine, although no
deliver packages in under 30 minutes to consumers.
operation of programs like this and many others
information is available currently on the service provider
that the UAV/Drone market is being tapped for.
that has been employed by Amazon to develop this
The companies drone program has been one of
technology and what kind of accuracy the system
much speculation since its inception as a fledgling
Currently Amazon is the only retailer with a
has or how Amazon will satisfy any certification on
idea that many thought started as a publicity
program that is in active research and development,
their employed technology to ensure their delivery
stunt, yet Amazon has soldiered on to continue
however if Amazon’s program proves successful,
drones are programmed for traffic avoidance and
development of
many other safety concerns held by the industry.
its drone technology while
it is only a matter of time before other retailers
continuing to remain at the forefront of developments
investigate the potential for this kind of revenue
in the FAA’s proposed drone/UAV rulemaking.
stream to start their own program based on any
The Prime Air drone is said to weigh 55 pounds
Amazon has ensured that they have every hope of
success shown by Amazon’s Prime Air service.
and travel at 50 mph for 15 miles, which would
success in the program by becoming a member of the
limit deliveries to a very small area close to Amazon
advisory board that is consulting with the FAA on any
Amazon appears to have spent a great deal of time on
distribution sites. The question still remains as to how
proposed rulemaking, therefore giving themselves a
research and development of the delivery platform
that will be implemented with many of Amazon’s
competitive advantage, while having early access to any
that they envisage being the flagship of the Prime
distribution centers located either close by or directly
rules that are proposed and ensuring that their program
Air fleet. The ‘hybrid drone’ as they are referring to it
in controlled airspace close by international and
is an octocopter, but does not bare the appearance
domestic airports due to the need for close proximity
of
a
octocopter,
traditional
to shipping company flights to ensure speedy
instead
package delivery that Amazon has become known for.
having a rectangular appearance
and
Many questions still remain regarding the safety
employing a VTOL type
of commercial aviation related to drone and UAV
setup.
The Amazon
commercial retail operation, specifically helicopters,
Prime Air drone will
which regularly transition through the 400 feet
take off and land
that Amazon plans to operate in for both public
vertically, but will use a
and private and commercial operations.
rear mounted propeller
the questions continue to pile up in regards to safe
While
is compliant to any
to conduct
its delivery in forward
operation, one thing is for sure; a global giant like
proposed
flight once
it reaches altitude, which
Amazon has both the finances and the patience
along with
current FAA guidelines
to potentially be the first to get their operation
is stated in their promotional video as ‘under 400 feet’.
airborne, but one has to wonder at what cost?
Amazon
rules. is
not
alone in having interest
in
an
aerial
delivery
platform, with multiple other retailers including Walmart, while not having an announced program, still also having a place on the advisory board to stay abreast of future developments and recommendations made both to and from the FAA regarding any rules that may impact an aerial retail delivery platform that can be utilized by many businesses. For pilots, the reality is that it seems at least Amazon may potentiallyreachanactualliveprogramstatusandaviators will have yet another potential risk factor to contend with to complete successful and safe flight operations. Although an aerial delivery platform’s success will
November 2015
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FAA says drone registration to start December 21st, 2015
Ro t o r f o c u s
On
a conference call held by the
days of operation. Users will be issued
t h a t a l l o w e d f o r u p t o $ 2 7, 0 0 0 i n f i n e s t o
FAA December 14th, held by U.S
an N number that will be required to
be issued for non compliance or egregious
transportation secretary Anthony
b e d i s p l a ye d o n e a c h o p e r a t i o n a l U AV
misuse as well as criminal penalties that
Foxx and Deputy Federal Aviation
a n d r e g i s t e r e d t o t h a t u s e r. T h e u s e r
allowed for up to $250,000 in penalties
Administration administrator Michael
will also be issued a cer tificate of
as well as three years imprisonment for
W h i t a k e r, i t w a s a n n o u n c e d t h a t t h e
registration for compliance purposes.
the most severe of criminal misuse cases.
effor ts for the thousands of hobbyist
The FAA stated that they will also be using
F u l l d e t a i l s o f t h e F A A’s r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s
d r o n e / U AV u s e r s i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s
multiple means of dissemination of the new
will be released Monday detailing all
commencing with the launch of a
rules and how to register under the new
decisions made by the FAA in conjunction
r e g i s t r a t i o n w e b s i t e o n D e ce m b e r 2 1 s t .
plan and advised that they will be asking
with the UAV advisory board that
the assistance of local law enforcement ,
consisted of federal regulators, drone/
Re g i s t r a t i o n w i l l c o s t $ 5 f o r e a c h u s e r
although no mention was made on what
UAV operators and representatives
of any drone weighing .5-55 punds,
authority local law enforcement would
from various segments of the industry
w h o c a n r e g i s t e r m u l t i p l e U AV ’s u n d e r
be using to enforce the new rules.
that
F A A w o u l d b e co m m e n c i n g r e g i s t r a t i o n
relate
to
UAV
operations.
the same registration, the fee will be refunded for all users who utilize
Deputy Administrator Whitaker did advise
the registration por tal in the first 30
that there were standing civil penalties
November 2015
Cover Story
heliweb.com
In the hustle and bustle of busy LA airspace, Welk Aviation stands out as a force in the ENG market and other emerging business segments
Story & Images by Ryan Mason
November 2015 September2015
History
The
—known at the time as Angel City Air—
to customers in nearly every facet
is a highly competitive environment
helicopter
working
of helicopter operations in the LA
for nearly all segments of helicopter
on
operations.
stands
news gathering services (ENG) for Los
out in that market as a powerhouse,
Angeles television station CBS affiliate
Larr y Welk
showing
KCAL9 and later KCBS. The company
the company; he is the driving force
has grown exponentially since then-
behind
today Welk Aviation, encompasses not
providing
only Angel City Air but now includes
support
Summit
Western
KTLA 5, local NBC network NBC4 Los
and
in
sign
growth
of
in
they in
will
slowing
down.
acquisitions years
to
remain
a
contract
single
providing
Helicopter under
and their
A-Star
electronic
basin
and
surrounding
counties.
remains at the helm of
the
Welk
contract for
local
Aviation ENG
b a n n e r,
helicopter
Tr ibune
station
A n g e l e s , a s w e l l a s K F M B To t a l Tr a f f i c Network further south in San Diego.
Founded in 1994 by Larr y Welk, Welk
of Welk aviation in the market allows
Welk acquired subsidiaries Summit
Aviation started as a small operation
them the ability to provide support
Helicopter and Western Helicopters
heliweb.com
Helicopters
AS350
ownership
Southern
market—
a
umbrella. The ever-increasing presence
in
aviation
come driving
a
with
California.
particularly
the
California
Aviation
projected
indicate force
Welk
no
Their
market
Larry Welk, to those who don’t know him, is a larger than life character. He is passionate about the helicopter industry. Since getting his start in ENG, he has built Welk Aviation into one of the biggest names in helicopter aviation in the Los Angeles area. powerline
work,
enforcement AStar
and
advanced
training;
helicopters,
operations
for
seven
law
AS350
conducting
pilots.
Aviation
Welk
and
sixteen also
line
offers
a
ENG
turnkey solution for their ENG clientele
news
by providing ten camera operators that are responsible for operating the news
contracts; a Bell 206 JetRanger used for
gathering
ENG work in San Diego; and, rounding
the ENG helicopters in the Welk fleet.
out the fleet, the iconic Sikorsky S58T
The vast majority of the operational
that
helicopter time flown by Welk aviation
may
prominently
in
various
staff
networks suppor ted by Welk Aviation
some
the
maintenance
remember the
featuring
1980s
television
show Riptide that ran from 1984-1986.
aircraft
camera
is
equipment
consumed
gathering
by
operations.
aboard
the
The
news
company
flies an average of 7,500 total hours Gone
The Red Bull Journey Begins
is
the
snarling
iconic
mouth
pink
paint
jobs
for ENG, 1,000 for production work, 2,000 for powerline and utility work,
lives
and over 500 hours per year conducting
if
you
look
paint
annually, broken down into almost 4,000
ago, but the hear t of “Screamin’ Mimi” on;
several
and
hard
enough
i n t o t h e S 5 8 T ’s a i r i n t a k e s , y o u c a n still
see
paint, to
her
S58T
of
the
role
also
original
left
in
the
TV
still
has
the
in
training
operations.
pink
tribute
series.
The
“Screamin’
Due
to
the
nature
of
the
business
conducted by the various companies under
the
Welk
umbrella,
their
Mimi” name emblazoned on the side
helicopters operated are spread out
just under the pilot window, just so
across the LA area for ease of response
there
to
of in July of 2014.
some
intentionally
advanced
is
the
no
mistaking
classic
the
helicopter
identity that
still
customers.
with
its
Welk
aviation,
subsidiaries,
The subsidiaries
performs long line work in multiple
and
locations around Southern California
CA
fleet at bases throughout Southern
and
Airport, CA (RAL), and their spacious
California,
them
is
to cover the powerline utility and
in
allowing
surrounding currently the
the
Summit
states
today.
largest
It
helicopter
Helicopter
fleet.
advanced training markets in the area.
all
of
under
the
the
company
Welk
the
Operations and Support operations
Aviation
b a n n e r,
Whiteman
Airport
work out of Pacoima. Welk also has offices
total
of
Aviation
forty-four
relies
staff
on
a
members.
Los Los
of the ENG equipment running, three
at
smoothly, Welk
staff,
utility,
offices
Burbank, Municipal
To k e e p s u c h a l a r g e o p e r a t i o n r u n n i n g
are
for
in
Several of the Summit Aviation fleet
helicopters. Among their inventory used
airports Riverside
in Pacoima, CA where a majority of
only
MD500s
13
main
Among them are eight administrative
four
operates
(BUR),
the ENG helicopters are also based.
The fleet Between
at
offices
operate the remainder of the Welk further
aircraft
along
have
five
technicians
that
keep
all
and
a
helipad
Angeles—
which
civilian
heliports
Angeles,
located
in is
Downtown one
in in
of
the
Downtown Echo
November 2015
Park.
The man behind the brand
Larry Welk Starting Angel City Air in 1994, Larry Welk turned a 1 helicopter business into what is today one of the largest operators in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Welk plays an active role in the day to day operations of the business and is continually looking for new opportunities and technology to improve the way Welk Aviation and subsidiaries Western Helicopters and Summit Helicopter do business.
Larry
Welk,
know
him,
don’t
“hangar jockey” at the Santa Monica
news updates from the skies above
life
airport, where he met his now wife
Los Angeles. Kono, who has worked
charac ter. He is passionate about
of 22 years. He gave up on college
for Welk for many years, loves the
the
which, at the time, he had no passion
work
those
has
for. He opted instead to pursue his
even mind working early mornings.
of
passion for flying, finding his first
He
flying
for
a
than
industr y.
start
Since
in
ENG,
he
Welk
Aviation
into
one
biggest
names
built
his
who
larger
helicopter
getting the
to is
in
helicopter
job
in
sunny
Los
Angeles.
aviation in the Los Angeles area.
that
he
does
expressed the
give
fact
him
his
that
the
and
doesn’t
appreciation
the
early
freedom
to
hours spend
Welk, himself a pilot, started flying
It requires tremendous focus to keep
more time with his young son and
in the heyday for ENG operations.
up
wife
with
Welks
moving
at
in
a
a
conversation;
mile-a-minute,
i t ’s
H e’s c o v e r e d s o m e o f t h e b i g g e s t
clear his mind is constantly awash
stories of our time. Among the more
with
ideas
and
future
the
Northridge
Earthquake,
herself,
working
On
any
given
day,
helicopters
up
the
ground
to
half-
city was still sleeping, but traffic
fleet
was already shaping up to be nasty
can
were a new thing to television. He
California working in their various
Several
worked in a time before helicopter
services.
fatality—
operations in the LA area were a
visited
coordinated
effort
on
between
be
found
in
the
in a time when televised pursuits
the
on
reporter
Our day started while most of the dozen
with
traffic
f r o m K T L A’s m o r n i n g n e w s s t u d i o.
and the OJ Simpson pursuit, back
safety
a
plans.
notable stories, the infamous L.A. Riots,
Ginger—
around
a
Friday
morning
accidents
commute.
—including
we our
critical routes within our first 30
focus
days started at 4:30am, as it does
minutes airborne. The traffic snarls
major
every weekday for pilot Mark Kono.
that ensued lasted throughout our
Welk
operations in LA being the Police,
effectively
a
time
with
the
for
Aviation,
a
During
Southern
dammed
morning news shift. This is all in
fire, and ENG operations that spend
Kono plays a rather unique role in
a d a y ’s w o r k f o r t h e t e a m a t We l k
a majority of their time airborne.
that he flies the morning shift for
Aviation, who never seem to be short
KTLA
serving
of a smile or cracking jokes with
like
not only as pilot, but as reporter
each other to ease the stress of the
many other pilots; he began as a
as well— providing air traffic and
job once safely back on the ground.
We l k ’s
career
heliweb.com
started
much
pulling
double-duty
Cover Story
Welk Aviation subsidiary Summit Helicopter is kept busy year round with assignments like this one in Ventura County, CA assisting with the replacement of power poles in hard to reach locations.
November 2015
Left: Pilot of ‘Screamin Mimi’ Jim Woodaman departs Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, CA
Below: An assortment of the aircraft in the Welk Aviation Fleet, which service the Los Angeles area providing ENG and ultility services.
heliweb.com
Cover Story Safety A
long
time
helicopters
from
Firefighting,
pilot
himself,
Larry
Law
Enforcement,
To u r i s m ,
Gathering
and
operations,
News
amongst
The LAAHNC proposed guidance and direction efforts
of
Welk wants to ensure that the pilots
others. Posted conspicuously around
virtually
working for all of his contracts are
the Welk Aviation offices and hangar
all
both
at
conscientious
him,
flight
safe.
are
other
W e l k ’s solutions
you have 3,000 hours, doesn’t make
residents when covering news stories.
become
you
the
best
pilot—
especially
ENG work ” Welk stated.
for
Known to be
Welk
himself
with
cooperation
employ, Welk wants his pilot cadre
sense
to show the same values he displays
the
in
recommendations
flying
safely,
effectively
for
his
clientele and above all, being safe.
believes
approach two
and to
a
to
that, common
the
organizations
enforcement to
operations
vision
and
follow
in
problem, can
make
operators
for
for
the
well
years.
very selective in choosing pilots to
hinder
the
be for
area.
constant
that you are considering the comfort of
“J u s t
not
airport
reminders to fly neighborly and ensure
make.
do
Whiteman
a
pilot
alone
For
law
severely
impossible
because
quality
hours
and
would
His
total ENG
recognized team
consistantly
of
strive
service
market over
has the
technicians
to
equip
the
c o m p a n y ’s h e l i c o p t e r s w i t h t h e l a t e s t and
most
innovative
technology.
While we visited, the team was hard at
in
work fitting out a Bell 206 JetRanger
the area in ways to combat the noise
for an ENG contract, equipping it with
issue, and to improve the way that
the latest cameras and an operating
the
they fly to minimize the discomfort of
station in the back of the aircraft that
helicopter safely, and mak ing sure a
residents affected by helicopter noise.
involved
Welk
explains
that
flying
pilot is not flying in a manner that will
tablet
based
technology.
Upon seeing the impressive display
draw negative attention is imperative.
of
technology,
it
was
explained
He also emphasized the importance
Providing
of performing well in a demanding,
helicopter operator in Los Angeles has
constantly
multi-task environment— essentially
never been more complex than now.
aircraft and equipment perspective,
the high-impact description of ENG
The LAAHNC has gone as far as to make
and
flying;
recommendations that all helicopters
at
where
requires
your
you
to
role
fly,
but
not
only
in
many
multiple
—including
law
services
as
enforcement—
a
that the ENG business is one that is evolving,
Welk
from
prides
remaining
at
both
an
themselves
the
forefront.
fly
cases, to narrate what is happening
at
around
Larr y Welk has flown many helicopters
below
you
on
the
ground
for
the
3,000
feet
at
all
times
the Los Angeles area, except in an
in the ENG market, but continues to
news network in a pilot-reporter role.
emergenc y,
fall back on the Airbus Helicopters
Coupled
law
with
the
already
intense
which
enforcement,
when
referencing
specifically
the
AS350
as
their
primary
aircraft
for
workload of navigating the complex LA a i r s p a c e a n d f l y i n g t h e h e l i c o p t e r, i t ’s a task that not ever yone is capable of. While job;
airborne, getting
while the
is
there
also
“flying
it
all
and
paying
n e i g h b o r l y ”.
president
of
about
back
safely,
attention Larry
the
the
Welk
to is
Welk explains that flying the helicopter safely, and making sure a pilot is not flying in a manner that will draw negative attention is imperative. He also emphasized the importance of performing well in a demanding, multi-task environment
Professional
H e l i c o p t e r P i l o t s A s s o c i a t i o n ( P H PA ) ,
LAPD,
a team of dedicated professionals who
considers that the LAPD are not like
the
meet regularly with the Los Angeles
other law enforcement air units in that
d u e t o t h e h e l i c o p t e r ’s e a s e o f u s e
Area
they do not conduct their operations
for
Helicopter
(LAAHNC),
committee
Coalition formed
little
sense
when
one
conducting
ENG
s h i p ’s both
operations
suitability pilots
for
and
citing
the
role
maintenance
to
using FLIR for the most part. The LAPD
crews.
address helicopter noise complaints in
still utilize Nitesun searchlights and
operating
the Los Angeles area. The Los Angeles
the view of the ground given to the
aircraft
area is home to literally dozens of
TFO in the daily search for offenders.
feels the AS350 is the clear choice.
a
Noise
makes
Coupled cost, in
with
its
low
compared
similar
to
roles,
hourly other Welks
November 2015
The United States has shown an alarming spike
International (HAI) drone committee to offer
saves many hours of labor for the dozen
recently in laser strike incidents, occurring
his industry experience to the committee in
or so power company employees required
with
rotary
an attempt to embrace the drone side of the
to carry out this type of work, increasing
aircraft. Welk Aviation pilot Tim Lynn had been
aircraft
both
fixed-wing
and
business, and show the industry that UAVs can
productivity,
a victim of a laser strike the night before our
work side by side with manned technology.
times, and helping to reduce costs overall.
speeding
up
completion
arrival in Riverside, CA. Lynn was fortunate
On the same day, Summit Helicopter also
enough to have not suffered any injury from
had
the strike, but the event highlighted some of
Long Line
the situations faced when operating in the densely populated LA airspace. Later that evening a 15 year old juvenile was arrested
We were fortunate
for the incident. Safety has always been at
enough to be able
the forefront of Welk Aviation’s strategy and
to accompany the
pilots are skilled in handling incidents such
team
as this safely,
in the iconic S58T
along with the many other
challenges faced flying in the busy LA skies.
from
Welk
“Screamin’
Mimi”
into the mountains
Awards
east of Los Angeles with
pilot
Jim
Larry Welk is not someone who strives for
W o o d a m a n ,
accolades in the helicopter industry. As a matter
the
of fact, Welk couldn’t recall off hand how many
operations
total awards the company has won but, between
Welk
himself, his company, and his employees, Welk
Summit Helicopter.
Aviation
We
has
received
numerous
awards—
director
of for
subsidiary departed
including an impressive ten Emmy awards in the
Whiteman
airport
news gathering field. The most recent Emmy was
in
won by Tim Lynn, pilot of the KTLA5 afternoon
on
a
picture
shift for coverage of a large water main break.
perfect
morning,
Pacoima
Screamin’
New Technology
Mimi
spent the morning e f f o r t l e s s l y
Always having been an innovator, Welk has
removing
been known to embrace technology that others
power poles and
are keeping clear of. For example, choosing to
long-lining
embrace the drone and UAV market through
poles into position
his Western Helicopters subsidiary, they will
in a valley where
soon be offering training courses in advanced
rugged
UAV operations for law enforcement support,
and lack of roads
as well as for use in the ENG and motion
to the area made
picture industry. Welk stated that “Western
a
has the ability to go down that path with
only
either law enforcement or ENG for drone
perform any kind
work, and they will eventually strike a balance
of
maintenance
and work complimentary to each other” Welk
on
the
has also begun relationships with industry
grid. The use of
partners to work with emerging technology.
helicopters for this
He has also joined the Helicopter Association
kind of operation
heliweb.com
old new
terrain
helicopter option
the to
power
several
MD500E
helicopters
close
by
power
to continue to move from strength to strength
to have a bright future with Welk at the helm.
lines, doing a job in minutes that would
that
were
and, through acquisitions and new contracts
Welk said that several new projects are in the
take
and innovative technology appraoches, as it
works currently that will lead to even greater
continues its growth as a powerhouse operation
expansion over the next several years, as well
in the Los Angeles area. Welk himself shows
as the likely purchase of more helicopters
no sign of slowing down. With his forward-
to cope with the ever-increasing demand.
ground
working crews
to
days
string to
complete.
Conclusion The operation at Welk Aviation is one that seems
thinking leadership, the organization looks
November 2015
Helinews
Deliveries continue to grow in European market
Japanese H135 deliveries complete order for JMSDF
DOD contract expansions continue Sikorsky dominance of military sector
Finmeccanica-AgustaWestland announced on the first
Airbus Helicopters announced on the 15th of
The U.S. Department of Defense announced on
of December that Swiss Air-Rescue Rega has placed an
December that it has successfully handed over the
December 9th that it had awarded Sikorsky $354
order for three AW169 light intermediate twin-engine
14th and 15th H135 training helicopters to the Japan
million to build 29 more Seahawk helicopters for the
and one GrandNew light twin-engine helicopters which
Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). This marks
Navyteh contract is an amendment to an existing
will join the current fleet of a GrandNew and nine
the delivery completion of 15 H135s over the last six
contract won earlier by Sikorsky totaling $1.4 billion in
single-pilot configured Da Vinci helicopters. The aircraft
years. Designated as TH-135 by JMSDF, the 13 units
investment from the DOD in Sikorsky made helicopters.
will perform emergency medical service and search
delivered prior have been in operation since 2011.
The modification comes from modifications allowed
and rescue missions (EMS/SAR) all over Switzerland, from the lowlands to the high mountains of the Alps.
in a larger $8.7 billion contract awarded to Sikorsky in The TH-135 is a variant of Airbus Helicopters’
2012 for over 600 helicopters that will be built for the
light
customized
Army and Navy as well as be allowed to be sold to other
As part of the challenging and innovative “Project
for JMSDF’s specific requirements for advanced
nations defense forces. The exisiting contract provides
Icebird”, Rega and AgustaWestland will together
training missions. The H135 was selected as the
ongoing support and the ability for the DOD to add
set a new benchmark for EMS/SAR operations with
replacement for its single-engine training helicopter
an additional 263 helicopters to the deal if sought.
the development of the “Helicopter of the Future.
fleet, thanks to its unrivalled performance and easy
Daniele
maintenance which translates to high availability rate.
Romiti,
AgustaWestland
Chief
Executive
twin-engine
H135,
specially
Officer, said “Project Icebird confirms Rega’s strong confidence
in
capabilities
and
customisation
“We are delighted to be able to deliver all
performance
fifteen TH-135s on time,” said Stephane Ginoux,
of the AW169. We look forward to working with
Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters Japan.
them to bring their specialised AW169 into service.”
“We
AgustaWestland
quality of safety and efficiency of their training
search the
and
our the
also rescue
Bangladesh
Air
technology, outstanding
delivered configured Force
on
an
AW139
helicopter December
to 6th.
are
committed
to
upkeep
the
highest
Bell receives EASA certification for 505 Arrius 2R
missions by providing prompt parts procurement,
Bell Helicopter and Turbomeca announced on the
maintenance
15th of December that Turbomeca has received
and
technical
support
services.”
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EASA engine type certification for its Arrius 2R on November 13th, 2015 in Spray Lakes, Canada,
logged close to one million flight hours on board
engine, that powers the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X. With Robinson’s R66 Turbine passed the FAA’s and Transport
various U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) aircraft.
seven million flight hours already logged by Arrius Canada’s test to allow flight in snow conditions. variants, the 2R is expected to offer unmatched
The 184 systems continue to actively support three key
high
entry-into-service. The test was conducted during a heavy snow storm with
programs, with the initial turrets having been fielded in 2005.
“The Bell 505 is the first production Bell Helicopter low visibility at freezing temperatures, conditions that have
level
of
Currently, 27 of these turrets have logged over 10,000 flight
to
incorporate
maturity a
at
said been shown to produce worst-case snow accumulation at
hours each while requiring only minimal in-field servicing.
Turbomeca CEO Bruno Even. “Delivering a best- the helicopter turbine engine intakes. The test consisted of
Turbomeca
engine,”
L-3 WESCAM has delivered over 1,700 MX- Series systems to
in-class solution, on time, continues to be a top a 100% engine ground run for 20 minutes, IGE hover for 5
the U.S. DoD in support of a variety of different programs.
priority for us. We are delighted with the progress minutes, and 60 minutes of cruise flight. Performance was of this blossoming Franco-American collaboration.” monitored using pressure instruments and a live video feed from a camera mounted near the engine air filter. “We are thrilled that Turbomeca has achieved
On December 9th HW Farren LLC completed the
this milestone,” said Matt Hasik, Executive Vice The test requires that snow build-up not block the engine
second Transcontinental Transport of two Prototype
President Commercial Business, Bell Helicopter. air intake or adversely affect engine operation. Passing
Helicopters for the Agusta Westland X-Operations Team.
“Our collaboration with Turbomeca has been the test is significant as it allows Robinson to eliminate the
The first transport originated at Fairbanks Alaska with
outstanding. They have consistently delivered to existing limitation in the R66 Pilot’s Operating Handbook
the team protective packaging the AW-189 for transport
schedule and we are delighted to have already which prohibits flight in falling or blowing snow.
to the Great Lakes Area for additional Cold weather
received over 350 letters of intent since the launch
Icing Trials. The oversize transport of the aircraft and
of the Bell 505 in 2013. The next step for Bell
four support loads was safely completed traversing
Helicopter will be the certification of the aircraft
the ALCAN, just prior to the Thanksgiving Holiday.
in 2016, followed by deliveries to customers.”
Glenn Wargo of Farren and Mirco Fantin of Agusta Westland
Wescam MX series logs 1M hours with DOD R66 passes snow trials
Italy worked closely with Agusta Westland Italy to prepare all documents to cross the Canadian Provinces on Farren’s Bonds. Following this transport, Farren again protective packaged the AW-169 Prototype and transported
L-3 WESCAM announced this month that a combined
the test aircraft and three support loads to Agusta
fleet of its MX™-Series electro-optical and infrared (EO/
Westland Philadelphia Corporation on December 9th.
Robinson announced on December 4th that IR) imaging and targeting systems has successfully
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• Part 141 approved Flight Training • Photo Flights • Helicopter Sales/Services • Helicopter Tours
www.bluehillhelicopters.com info@bluehillhelicopters.com • 781-688-0263 Experience the Best!
November 2015
Story and images by Scott Dworkin
Ventura County Upgrades making multi mission capabilty work Ventura County is considered the southernmost
start looking for a replacement asset to use
equipment has been done at Rotorcraft
county along the California Central Coast
specifically for patrol and surveillance types of
Support in Van Nuys, CA, a process that
and is home to over 800,000 people; served
flights. I found this particular Bell 206L Long
began about 4 years ago and the helicopter
by the Ventura County Sheriff ’s Office and
Ranger up in Canada. It was originally built
was recently delivered to the Air Unit at
the pilots and staff of the VCSO air unit.
purchased by Ontario Ministry of Forestry.
Camarillo Airport.
In 2010, Ventura County ’s air unit suffered
I looked at several helicopters available all
to turn out to be basically a brand new
the setback of losing two of their air units
over North America, and as we didn’t have
helicopter stated Dalton. “It has saved the
smaller patrol helicopters due to budgetary
a really large budget to start with, finding
citizens of Ventura County quite a bit of
constraints
“ This has been a long
project, but when it is completed it’s going
counties
and purchasing a basic air frame in decent
money, and is a testament to the nature of
across the country. In 2015, the VCSO Air
suffered
by
many
condition at a reasonable price was step
the flexibility of our Air Unit.
Unit received the green light to re-acquire
one, this one fortunately fit both criteria.
did a lot of the work here ourselves in our
a smaller more nimble asset to aid in law
Everything since the purchase of the air frame
spare time, when we weren’t out doing other
enforcement patrol and surveillance, as well
that’s been done to the aircraft has been
missions, everyone chipped in to work on
as act as a command and control helicopter
done, with the exception of a couple small
this project when they could, we were able
to work with its existing fleet of larger Bell
grants for the thermal imager, moving map
to “piecemeal” it together so to speak within
“Huey ” helicopters during fire or rescue work
and the down linking system, off of the Air
the yearly budget funds so it wasn’t a large
conducted by the unit should the need arise.
Units budget money that is left over at the
expense right out of the budget all at once.
Ventura County Pilot Jim Dalton who speared
end of the fiscal year, and is a joint venture
Now that we have finally taken delivery of our
headed the project for the unit explained,
with
Long Ranger, and we are spooling up to field
the
sheriff
and
fire
departments.”
“about six years ago I approached the head
Because we
it into full service, I know that it will prove to
Ventura County Sheriff, Bob Brooks at the
The retrofit and final buildup, including
be a valuable asset to the citizens of Ventura
time and got the green light to go ahead and
installing
County and the surrounding communities.”
heliweb.com
all
of
the
law
enforcement
Left: Ventura County’s new Bell 206L in operation
Below: The new asset is fitted out with the latest technology before being put into service
November 2015
flight training directory
A moonrise shot in Florida with an R22.
46
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#helipix
#helipix
Image by: Matt Abrams
The Cockpit of a Sikorsky S92 in Norway Image by: Tom Andreas
Top Left: A Heli-Serv AS350 rests on the Yarra Bank helipad in Melbourne, Australia. Image by: Kane Arlow Bottom Left: Apache helicopters on departure. Image by: Steve Kemper Top Right: Artist Marc Veenendaal completed this artists rendering of one of publisher Ryan Mason’s photos recently
Bottom Right: Elite Helicopters AS350 and R44 over Los Angeles. November 2015 Image By: Billy Oh
Public Safety-
Helicopters, ...and Chili Story and images by Scott Dworkin
In recognition of the critical role air traffic controllers play in aviation safety, personnel from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Air Support Division began the Chili Fly-In as a gesture of appreciation. Air traffic controllers must regularly interact with public safety aviators who frequently engage in nontraditional flights such as vehicle pursuits, surveillance operations
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and
other
tactical
operations.
Before the Chili Fly-In, air traffic controllers and police aviators had rarely —if ever— met face-to-face. Both air traffic controllers and public safety aviators alike have agreed that the value of the annual LAPD Chili FlyIn far exceeds the resources expended. The event, which doubles as a Southern California Regional Public
Safety Aviation Coordination Exercise, has helped to foster professional relationships and a mutual understanding of the roles played by the participants. During the four-hour period of the operation, Hooper Memorial Heliport becomes the busiest airport in the world. The movements of well over two-hundred aircraft occur in one-minute intervals.
November 2015
Master Pilot Jaye Bridwell Poses with one of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office AS350's Image by: Ryan Mason
heliweb.com
Rotorheads Meet Tim Lynn
Every month, heliweb staff will be interviewing an industry pilot. We’ll talk to them about their career highlights, how they got into the industry and what they want to share with other pilots in the industry.
As a beat cop in 1978, I don’t think Tim Lynn could
Angel City Air, the pilot of that flight. The two became
just like any other flying role. Lynn was forced to
have ever imagined himself in the position he currently
friends and Lynn spent his off days from Huntington
make a precautionary landing in the middle of
holds as a pilot for Welk Aviation as a pilot-reporter
Beach flying with Welk and learning the ins and outs of
Hollywood in February of 2012, putting the KTLA5
for Los Angeles based ABC affiliate KTLA5 flying the
the ENG business, eventually filling in for other pilots
helicopter that was billowing smoke from under
AS350 five days a week over the skies of Los Angeles.
when he was able to around his agency schedule.
the engine cover down in a parking lot at Hyland
In 2004, Lynn decided that he wanted to pursue flying
and Franklin, just one block from Hollywood
Lynn started his career with a four year stint in the
ENG as a career and retired from law enforcement
boulevard, which he says bewildered onlookers
US Coast Guard, followed by his hiring as a Police
after 26 years to take a job with Angel City Air, flying
in a passing TMZ tourist bus as they witnessed
Officer for the Culver City Police in California, where
for KCAL/KCBS9 flying the morning traffic and news
the helicopter make its precautionary landing.
he worked as a road officer, in the traffic branch
coverage for what was to become Welk Aviation.
and also in the narcotics division for 12 years before
The cause of smoking engine- captured by
leaving Culver City with hopes of eventually getting
In 2010, Lynn transferred to the job he currently
another ENG helicopter and broadcast live on
into the air unit with a move to the Huntington
holds as a pilot-reporter for KTLA5 in Los Angeles,
television as it made its approach into the streets
Beach Police Department in 1990. Lynn obtained
based out of Whiteman airport in Pacoima, CA.
of Hollywood billowing thick grey smoke was the
his private pilot rating in 1985 and worked through
Flying an ENG helicopter in LA is a delicate balance
result of a plugged oil return line that was unable
his ratings over the years working up to being
said Lynn- “when flying ENG work, you always have
to be detected in routine preflight of the aircraft
qualified as a CFII in fixed wing aircraft. In 1997 Lynn
to be a pilot first and reporter second. Some have
due to the positioning of the fault being internal.
was granted his wish of joining the aviation unit.
a hard time keeping their eyes off what the camera
During his off time, Lynn likes to spend time
sees below when first learning how to be an ENG
with his wife of 38 years, three children and two
His calculated move to HBPD seven years earlier
pilot”. For Lynn it was hard at the beginning, but once
granddaughters at their home in Fountain Valley,
had paid off; with the impending retirement of
you get used to the workload and how to manage it
just outside of Huntington Beach, CA. He has no
several of the units imminent, it was a natural
during each flight, it is just like flying any other role,
plans to stop doing what he loves and being the
progression for him to join the aviation unit,
we just do more talking. All of the pilots that fly
eye in the sky for KTLA5 any time soon, still driving
being at the time one of only two officers hired
ENG in the Los Angeles area have a great working
54 miles each way to keep up his passion for flight.
into the unit with previous flight experience.
relationship and do a good job of maintaining
Lynn’s advice to other pilots that are starting out
In
was
communications with each other when covering the
in the helicopter ENG market is to make sure they
fascinated with the ENG helicopters hovering
same news story to make sure they all have adequate
find their balance and to always remember to keep
seemingly motionless above below capturing
separation and keep each other safe in the air.
their scans going throughout their flights and not
the
2003,
action
Lynn
as
worked
his
a
pursuit
helicopter
and
circled
below.
become fixated on the news side of the business. The role of a pilot in the ENG world is anything
Much like law enforcement flying, that kind of
Lynn wanted more knowledge about the job ENG
but boring due to the diversity of the stories
advice has served Lynn well through his career,
pilots did and asked to be introduced to Larry Welk of
covered each year, but the role also has its dangers
spanning 18 years and 9800 hours of flight time.
October 2015
Behind the lens:
Tim Pruitt
Timothy Pruitt has had a lifelong
approached and asked
passion for helicopter aviation.
how
His father flew the iconic UH-1
charge to photograph
“Huey” for the United States Army
his son standing next
when Pruitt was growing up. Pruitt
to
the
had dreams of becoming an Army
he
was
pilot like his father until a high
T h e r e s t , a s t h e y s a y,
school football injury prevented
is history;
Pruitt has spent the last
and Airbus facilities facilitating easy
him from pursuing that career path.
thirteen years immersed in the world
access to many shooting oppor tunities.
o f h e l i c o p t e r a v i a t i o n p h o t o g r a p h y.
Pruitt also completes multiple travel
much
would
he
helicopter shooting.
Co n t i n u i n g t o f o l l o w i n h i s f a t h e r ’s
shoots annually for publications to
footsteps, Pruitt star ted learning
P r u i t t , a r e s i d e n t o f A u s t i n , Te x a s ,
the art of photography— a passion
has been fortunate enough to live
i n t h e Te x a s S t a t e G u a r d — o n e o f t h r e e
s h a r e d w i t h h i s f a t h e r. I n 2 0 0 2 , Pr u i t t
in many areas rich in rotary aviation
b r a n c h e s o f t h e Te x a s M i l i t a r y F o r c e s
was taking pictures at a local airport
over the years including the Grand
u n d e r c o n t r o l o f t h e Te x a s G o v e r n o r ,
of a helicopter when a gentleman
Prairie, TX area— home to both Bell
a l o n g s i d e t h e Te x a s A r m y N a t i o n a l
heliweb.com heliweb.com
various locations.
As a Staff Sergeant
Online Content
Photographer
Feature On social media this month
Guard
and Air
National
Guard —
Pruitt is assigned as a Public Affairs Specialist which puts him behind the camera in multiple unique situations, including a recent shoot with the A r m y ’s e l i t e p a r a c h u t e d e m o n s t r a t i o n team,
the
Golden
Knights.
Pruitt owns a successful photography business specializing in aerial, aviation, c o m m e r c i a l a n d e v e n t p h o t o g r a p h y. H e also continues to pursue his aviation dream by working toward his fixed wing private pilot certification. He has also set his sights on eventually transitioning
to
a
rotary rating.
Having recently signed on as a staff photographer and writer at Heliweb Magazine Pruitt brings to the table a rich background and long list of work published in multiple international aviation publications. He continues to enjoy sharing his passion of shooting helicopters, and the challenge that it provides. The continuous quest for original and engaging images keeps him motivated. It is his hope that, in light of his lifelong passion f o r t h e a v i a t i o n i n d u s t r y, t h a t h i s
Heliweb social media feeds
photography may one day inspire the younger generation to investigate
and pursue their own career into parts
of
the
aviation
i n d u s t r y.
November 2015
October 2015
53
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On social media this month
Behind the lens
Online Content
Heliweb social media feeds To see more of Tim’s work, click HERE
November 2015 November October 2015
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