Good Places to Work— LSI, Fort Rucker

the journal of the professional helicopter pilot
Good Places to Work—
LSI, Fort Rucker
By Jeff Smith
with Tony Fonze
COLUMNS
FEATURES
3 Letters
& Announcements
& MORE
5 HeliExpo 2007 (Review)
10 Good Places to Work—LSI, Fort Rucker
17 Safety Corner
20 Return to the Twilight Zone
Volume 7
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8 Cookin’ with AllisonA spoof by Chef Errwolf
22 Aeromedical Q & A
Issue 2
A u t o r o t a t e i s t h e o f f i c i a l p u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e P r o f e s s i o n a l 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 )
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LETTERS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Volume 7 Issue 2
Publisher:
The Professional Helicopter Pilots’ Association
Managing Editor:
Anthony Fonze
Design:
Studio 33
Editorial Assistance:
Michael Sklar
Autorotate is owned by the Professional Helicopter
Pilots’ Association (PHPA). Autorotate (ISSN 1531166X) is published every other month for $30.00 per
year by PHPA, 354 S. Daleville Ave, Suite B, Daleville,
AL 36322.
From the Editor:
You’ll notice that we don’t have a ‘Letter from
the President’ this issue. As you’ll recall, in the
preceding issue we began a new column, the
Safety Corner. In the Safety Corner, we ask you
a safety related question and we then print your
answers in the next magazine. We got such a
good response to last month’s safety question
that we crowded Butch right out of the magazine.
We thank him for his understanding and promise
to make some space for him next time. Although
we hope to have to struggle to get it in—in anticipation of another good set of responses to this
month’s question.
Once again, my favorite ‘instigator,’ Pete
Gillies, has triggered mail from our readers.
Please read on.
Tony:
Let me begin by saying that I would
never presume to question the wisdom
and experience of Peter Gillies. And, having never suffered a tail rotor failure
(knock on wood!) I cannot speak “first
hand.” However, I have had the dubious
privilege of having spoken to a friend
who lived through one and, based on his
experience, I would like to offer a humble
voice of dissent to Peter’s theory about
‘spinning not being the problem-hitting
hard is the problem’ and his remedy for
that. Having said that, I must add that
my mind is not completely closed on the
subject and if anyone, including Peter,
can convince me otherwise I will be
happy to listen and apply what I learn.
My friend lost his tail rotor completely
while attempting to land an Alloutte II on
a moving ship. His tail rotor struck the
edge of the deck and disintegrated. By
the time the helo was in its second 360,
the G forces were so high that my friend
recalls his hands flailing and his copilot
literally in his lap. Neither of them could
even reach the fuel shut off or the collective. The aircraft went round a couple of
times more and then, luckily, crashed on
deck. Both pilots walked away with back
injuries and some bruising. They were
very, very lucky.
My point is this: At full RPM with no
tail rotor, an application of full pitch will
have results as enumerated above. At that
point the pilot would probably be a passenger with no ability to control anything. So, I am not very sure that it is a
good technique to follow. That is why
every helicopter emergency procedure for
a tail rotor failure At Hover reads as follows: Lower collective fully even if it
results in a hard landing. I think the aim
is to prevent the spin from setting in
because once it does, the helicopter is
considered out of control. Like I said, I
would be happy for any clarification anyone has. But until then, I remain skeptical.
Copyright © 2007, Professional Helicopter Pilots’
Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or
in part is strictly prohibited. It is illegal to make copies
of this publication. Printed in the U.S.A. by union
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Article Contributions and Editorial
Comments:
Article contributions, including ideas, freelance stories,
an interest in assignment articles, Live and Learn
experiences, photographs, and comments are welcome
and should be sent to autorotate, 3160 N. San Remo,
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Fax 520-298-7439. E-mail editor@autorotate.com.
Autorotate and PHPA are not responsible for materials
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Notice:
The information contained herein has been researched
and reviewed. However, Autorotate and PHPA do not
assume responsibility for actions taken by any pilot or
aircraft operator based upon information contained
herein. Every pilot and aircraft operator is responsible for
complying with all applicable regulations.
Brian Thomas
Brian, some good comments in your Pete
Gillies response.
Cover: LSI/Ft. Rucker
3
Letters & Announcements
Pete’s columns are a magnet for letters to the
editor, by the way. One of the reasons I keep
Pete in the magazine is for that very reason. He
contributes his real life experiences. This is
missing from most of our training programs. We
all know what the book says, but sometimes
there’s more than the book to consider. And,
once you start talking about real life, you get
into all of the innumerable variables that shape
every situation. There’s bound to be conflicting
opinions and experiences.
I sent your comments to Pete and below is his
response—Editor
Hi Brian,
Nothing could be more challenging
than to hit your tail rotor in the process of
landing an Allouette 2 on a shipboard
helideck. In the accident you describe
there is no option other than trying to
land immediately. None. I agree with
your assessment that the pilot and copilot
were very, very lucky to have suffered
only minor injuries.
In my article I state that, “I’ve just
scratched the surface…” The article was
directed at those failures that occur during forward flight. In those cases, taking
an extra second or two to assess the situation may provide you with more options
than you think you have. And, once
again, depending upon your circumstances, you may do better keeping the
power available, even if spinning is
involved, than being completely committed to a no power landing. Factors to be
taken into account include degree of yaw,
forward air speed, ground speed at time
of landing, spin rate, winds, surface conditions, etc. It would be impossible to
have a one size fits all answer to every
possible scenario just as it would be
impossible to have a “formula” for every
contingency.
The training scenario and the real
world are sometimes far apart, and this is
also true in the case of tail rotor failure
training. It’s one thing to be “wired” for
4
a tail rotor emergency while hovering
over a smooth hard surface during a
training session. It’s another to be caught
totally by surprise in a limitless variety of
possible scenarios.
My advice is to know what your manufacturer recommends and be able to execute that approach. But also spend some
time thinking through the many possible
scenarios that might present themselves
and consider if any other options might
exist that may give you better survivability for the unique set of circumstances.
Thanks for the response, and thanks for
taking the time.
Best regards,
Pete
Good afternoon Pete,
I came to hear of you by way of your
articles in Autorotate magazine. The
techniques that you describe in the
"Confined Area Operations" (article) are
fantastic. I use them on nearly every
flight. Thanks to your generous passing
of experience and knowledge I have
become a safer and more skillful pilot.
Thank you.
Presently I am doing a variety of helicopter flying. I transport doctors in/out
of hospital helipads (R44), Land
Developers in/out remote areas, confined,
tall trees etc.(OH58A). Corporate S76C+
to/from airports. Easy stuff.
I'd like to come out to your school,
learn some new skills and expand my
helicopter envelope…
Sincerely,
D.K.
END
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HAI 2007 Highlights
Editor’s Note: HAI fell nicely on the calendar
to guarantee that we could not get a super timely
review article into the magazine. Regardless,
Jeffrey has done such a good job of hitting the
highlights of this year’s show (only a few months
ago), that I felt it was still valid information for
our readers. I apologize for the slight delay in
getting it to you. Tony
The outlook foretold at the Helicopter
Association International’s Heli-Expo
shows a bright future for the Helicopter
Industry, and the products and announcements from manufacturers show healthy
competition. By 2016, Honeywell predicts almost 6,000 new civil helicopter
purchases, and Rolls-Royce estimates
5,191 by the same year.
Those engine manufacturers touted the
new products and upgrades they hope
will power the new choppers revealed at
the Orange County Convention Center in
Orlando, Florida. Thirty-five helicopters
lined the showroom floor at the world’s
largest helicopter convention, while 500
exhibitors promoted their wares.
Manufacturers announced sales of almost
$750 million at the show, about $120 million more in sales than a year ago.
Not all the aircraft announced at the
show were shown there, and details are
still rare on Robinson Helicopter’s R66
which could compete with the Bell 206
JetRanger. The five-seater is Robinson’s
first foray into gas turbine-powered rotorcraft, and it could first be sold in 2010
with the new Rolls-Royce 300 giving
power. That engine also made its debut in
Orlando, along with a string of announcements on upgrades it will be a part of.
Fifty new and reconditioned RollsRoyce Model 250-C30P turboshaft
engines will be fit into Missouri-based
Air Evac Lifeteam’s fleet of Bell 206L
aircraft, and anyone else who wants it.
The 206L1 helicopter fleet, powered by
the Rolls-Royce Model 250 engine, will
receive the more powerful Model 250Photography: Show photo; David Osborne
By Jeffrey Decker
C30P engine. But the many deals and
sales announcements didn’t get the same
spotlight as the new helicopters.
Good Times for Bell and Sikorsky
The light twin, Bell 429 GlobalRanger
debuted there, and reports on flight testing since have been encouraging.
According to the test pilots, the first
flight tests were the best in company history, with performance that’s "very stable
and predictable.” The Bell 429 was
designed to be a versatile helicopter with
the best-in-class cabin volume and “possibly the most advanced light twin IFR
helicopter ever created.” Produced under
the Modular Assembly Production Line
(MAPL) concept, it incorporates 10
MAPL technologies, including the rotor
system. The 429 seats 8 occupants in a
variety of seating arrangements and has a
2,700 lb payload capability.
2006 was a great year for the subsidiary of Textron Inc., reported Bell
Helicopter Senior Vice President of
Marketing and Sales Bob Fitzpatrick.
"The increased demand for vertical lift
aircraft continued to grow in 2006. We
expect the trend to continue and even
accelerate in 2007." Last year they
received a total of 402 commercial aircraft orders, with the largest gains in the
412 and 206B-3 models and a backlog
totaling $3.1 billion.
Sikorsky touted a record year for revenue, so they could afford the extra glamour to unveil the first S-92 fitted for
search and rescue. As lightning flashed
and an ocean roared from speakers, fog
rolled away from the bright paint of the
new helicopter. The United Kingdom
Maritime and Coastguard Agency will
get the first four outfitted S-92s for use
primarily in the Highlands and Islands of
the UK.
5
The Connecticut-based subsidiary of
United Technologies Corp. held another
ceremony for the sale of two S-76C++ to
Lider Aviacao, their launch operator in
Latin America. The craft will support
offshore oil operations. They also
announced Sikorsky360, a fleet management program that uses real-time aircraft
operation, health and usage, and maintenance environment data to maximize aircraft readiness, material availability and
lower direct maintenance costs.
this year, and first deliveries will be in
May and June 2007. It will have
enhanced Cat A performance, allowing it
to take off at maximum gross weight up
to Sea Level ISA+10. This helicopter has
been developed and certified from the
beginning with full Cat A procedures
including surface level and elevated helipad, short field and confined heliport
procedures. Improved OEI performances
are significantly increasing the payload
(+120 kg in HOGE, ISA, SL conditions).
Sikorsky Aircraft President Jeffery
Pino beamed, "Thanks to the support of
our customers worldwide, we are on track
to double our revenues for the 2003 to
2008 timeframe, and, given the projected
strength in the military, commercial, and
service and support markets, we expect
Upgraded versions of Eurocopter’s
EC135 were on display, promoting the
light twin’s new increased take-off weight
variant. The EC135 T2i will be known as
the EC135 P2i in Europe, where it just
received EASA certification for
increased take-off weight of 2,910 kg, a
this growth to continue. The number of
products we have in production has
grown from just three in 2000 to 10
today, with another six active development programs in the works.” He reported $3.2 billion in revenues in 2006.
jump of 85 kg. The empty weight is down
to 1,455 kg, helping increase the useful
load by 80 kg.
Eurocopter Twins in the News
Eurocopter, which lays claim to being
the top Helicopter supplier to Australasia,
showed off a higher-rated version of the
AS355 N Ecureuil/TwinStar with twin
Turbomeca Arrius 1A1 engines. The new
variant, called the AS355 NP, is marketed
as a cost-effective entry-level product.
EASA certification was granted on
February 15, 2007 and Transport Canada
and Russian certifications are expected
6
The Franco-German-Spanish
Eurocopter Group is a Division of EADS.
They signed a deal at the expo with
Bristow Group Inc. for three EC225 helicopters, all for delivery in 2008 and
options for an additional eight EC225
helicopters, six with delivery dates in
2009 and two in 2010, adding to the
company’s previous orders for six
EC225s which were placed in 2004 and
2005.
Almost a month after the show, on
March 28, Eurocopter passed a central
milestone in the Australian MRH90 helicopter procurement program, having sucPhotography: (l to r): Bell 429, Bell Helicopter; Show floor, David Osborne; Rolls-Royce 300, Rolls-Royce
cessfully undertaken the initial flight of
the first MRH90 produced and assembled
in Marignane, France. The Australian
programme comprises the acquisition by
the Australian Defence Force (ADF) of a
total of 46 state-of-the-art helicopters, as
well as the associated support for a ten
year period.
Neighboring New Zealand, with four
million inhabitants, has the highest rate
of helicopters per inhabitant in the world.
The private sector, as well as the utility
sector, have been the most dynamic market segments and Eurocopter reports
being awarded most of the contracts to
perform the related missions, passenger
transport and aerial work, while mainly
selling helicopters belonging to the successful Ecureuil family–especially the
AS350. Eurocopter currently operates a
fleet of around 350 helicopters in
Australasia, among them 170 in Australia
and 145 in New Zealand.
The EC175/Z15 medium-sized helicopter, being developed by Eurocopter and
Harbin Aviation Industry Group (a subsidiary of China's AVIC II corporation)
was confirmed at the expo to be powered
by Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.'s new
generation PT6C-67E engine.
"This is a great program for our PT6C67E engine," says Keyvan Fard, vice
president, Regional Airlines & Helicopter
Engines of PW&C. "This engine is now
equipped with a dual-channel full-authority digital electronic control (FADEC)
system, which offers reduced pilot work-
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load along with increased dispatch reliability." The PT6C-67E is the latest derivative of the PT6 turboprop/turboshaft
family. Already installed on the Agusta
Westland AW139 helicopter and
Bell/Agusta Aerospace BA609 Tiltrotor,
Fard says the PT6C-67 family of engines
is helping to redefine the medium helicopter category.
"The PT6C series, rated from 1,600 to
2,000 shp, is designed with the operator
in mind," he states. "It also offers among
the lowest maintenance costs and emission levels in the industry.”
Industry underdog MD Helicopters
didn’t have a shiny new craft to unveil,
and they didn’t use smoke machines.
But, they announced sales around the
world that total 13 in 2006, more than the
sum of the previous two years. They’ve
added 250 jobs, the backlog has reached
$330 million and they’re fabricating fuselages at their Monterrey, Mexico facility.
“We have a plan for growth that is working,” explained President Chuck Vehlow.
“Our focus is to move forward in partnership, ultimately delivering 150 helicopters a year while providing world-class
support to our installed base of 3,000 helicopters.”
Rolls-Royce 250 and 300
MD’s Chuck Vehlow doesn’t claim to
be a world leader. But Rolls-Royce does.
The engine maker’s new RR300 turbine
engine is drawing in customers by providing 300 shaft-horsepower at takeoff
and strong hot and high performance.
The RR300 family makes Rolls-Royce
turbine power available in the lower shp
range. Rolls-Royce signed a
Memorandum of Understanding with MD
Helicopters to discuss future applications
of the new RR300 engine family, which
is on track for FAA type certification in
2008.
powered by the Model 250 engine and
Schweizer Aircraft produces several models powered by the Model 250, including
the civil 333, the unmanned MQ-8B Fire
Scout, and the RU-38 Turboprop. At the
Expo Rolls-Royce announced three new
technology enhancements for Model 250
engines. New Compressor Blisks engineered for Model 250-C20B models, will
eliminate the need for erosion coatings
and result in lowered direct operating
costs. A reversionary governor could
receive FAA certification by the end of
2007 on a new Full-Authority Digital
Engine Control (FADEC) for the Series
IV, Model 250-C47M engine, currently
powering the MDHI 600N helicopter.
This free software upgrade will allow
continued flight in an automatic governed
mode. Lastly, “super finish” REM Gears
allow improved reliability, lower direct
operating costs and surface mating.
frame value of $120.0 billion and
installed engine value of $11.4 billion.
Between highly orchestrated press conferences designed to net the most coverage, the helicopter industry actually
comes together to acknowledge growth
and achievement. Events actually begin
with the start of HAI’s Professional
Education Series. A record number of
more than 500 registrants participated in
courses on safety, management, piloting
and maintenance. This year's Heli-Expo
Job Fair and Mentoring Program was also
considered a success with 35 employers
and a record-setting 900 participants.
The 2006 "Salute to Excellence"
awards were given out a special dinner to
several recipients, in areas like aviation
maintenance, flight instruction and community service.
END
Scott Crislip, president Helicopters &
Small Gas Turbine Engines for RollsRoyce, said, “These improvements
demonstrate that Rolls-Royce is constantly seeking advancements and working
hard to maintain our status as a technology leader.” In total, nearly 30,000 Model
250 engines have been produced, with
approximately 16,000 remaining in service.
Heli-Lynx, of Ontario, Canada,
received a Transport Canada and FAA
Supplemental Type Certificate and has
begun upgrading the light-twin aircraft
with new Rolls-Royce Model 250-C20R
turboshaft engines. The new engines are
available from Heli-Lynx as part of a
package of electrical and airframe
upgrades with engine control modifications known as the “355FX” conversion.
Each Model 250-C20R has 450 shaft
horsepower and the upgrade will enable a
significant increase in allowable gross
weight for the helicopters.
Live and Learn—
More than just
entertaining reading
We can all learn from the experiences of each other. It is something
we can give back to our pilot community. Your story may even save a
life. With that in mind–
Get Off Your Butts and Send
Me Some Live and Learns!
They can be brief or long, rough
drafts or well crafted. Don’t worry
about your English or writing skills—
that’s why we’re here. Submit your
Live and Learn stories to Tony Fonze, edi-
They’ve signed similar memorandums
with Enstrom Helicopters and Schweizer
Aircraft. The Enstrom 480B helicopter is
By 2016, a total of 8,943 military helicopter deliveries and major engine-related upgrades are expected, with an air-
tor at
TonyFonze@autorotate.org.
You’ll be glad you did, and so will we!
7
COOKIN’ WITH ALLISON
SEVERAL PROVEN RECIPES TO HELP YOU COOK YOUR
ROLLS-ROYCE/ALLISON ENGINE—BUON APPETITO!
3. Continue start, while turning on fuel
valve, and/or pushing in igniter circuit
breaker.
WARNING: This is a joke! This article is to
demonstrate what NOT to do when starting an
Allison 250! These procedures may also work on
GE, Lycoming, Pratt, and Turbomeca engines!
Following any of these procedures may result in
your termination and never-ending disdain from
fellow pilots and mechanics! Errwolf and
Autorotate are not responsible for damage to
your aircraft, tools thrown at you, or the wrath
of your employer!
4. (BLAM)
5. Note how FADEC cooks your
engine much more efficiently than a regular, old-school fuel control!
6. For a variation on this recipe, try
doing a FADEC start with the FADEC in
manual (refer to the above mis-positioned
throttle recipe).
Torched Can of
Mis-Positioned Throttle
By far the most popular means of
cooking an engine, the mis-positioned
throttle, is also the fastest cooking
method when you’re in a hurry!
Combine:
• One hurried pilot
• One mis-positioned throttle
• No time
1. Light that aircraft and get going!
Forests are burning, patients are bleeding,
armed crooks are loose, and wells are
shut in! Quicker! You should be able to
do this in two minutes! Three with a
weather brief!
2. Engage starter. Ignore original
throttle position.
3. Les’see now—this is a C20 so we
roll the throttle on at 15%. No, wait, it’s
a C27, and its 12%. Or was it a C30 and
11%? Whatever. Let’s go with 10% and
a handful of throttle.
4. (FWAP, whoooooosh)
5. Freeze for a second while your eyes
get real big.
6. Continue start, I’m pretty sure its not
a C20 now… You can still salvage it…
come on…
7. Cook at 927 degrees for one second.
Allison is kind enough to install timers
8
Photography: Roberto A Sanchez
By Errwolf
Blackened Stack of Free-Range TOT
on all her engines so you know when
they’re done. There’s that hot start light!
You’re done!
You’re good, right? Of course you are.
It would take a mechanical problem to
get YOU to hot start.
8. Continue cranking engine to cool it
off. No, wait, I mean with the throttle
OFF! Yeah, do that.
Combine:
• One wayward fuel control
• One or more pilots who never write
anything up
• A mechanic who doesn’t fix what
isn’t written up
• Spread blame liberally over
everybody
9. Report to base manager and repeat
after me: “I swear the throttle was off
when I started.”
Cookin’ With FADEC!
Disregard all that throttle modulation
stuff, you now fly a C47 variant of the
Allison 250 series! Your grandma could
start this aircraft without a checklist! You
are a higher life form, FADEC starts the
aircraft for you, and it’s almost IMPOSSIBLE to hot start this aircraft! Almost.
To cook with FADEC…
Combine:
• One C47 engine
• One intrepid aviator with stylish
aircraft model-specific hat
• One silk scarf (optional)
1. Engage starter.
2. Notice fuel valve off, and/or igniter
circuit breaker out.
1. Don’t tell anybody if the aircraft
starts “warm” or idles wrong. They can
start this aircraft just like you. That’s
why you get paid the BIG bucks.
2. Engage starter.
3. Ride ‘em cowboy! Hang with it,
now, more throttle, now less… not that
much less.
4. Flame out.
5. Continue start with real high Ng.
6. Accept WAY higher than normal
TOT. Note crowd gathering across the
ramp to watch the smoke and hear the
sounds.
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7. Start counting to ten, as in the ten
second limit. It should be about four seconds right now… maybe not, there’s the
hot start light.
8. Explain to director of OPS how long
the aircraft has been starting “warm” and
why you didn’t do anything about it.
Hint that maintenance shares the blame.
He’ll understand.
Pool of fuel flambe’ with residual TOT
Even quicker than the mis-positioned
throttle! For those who just can’t wait to
get fired!
Combine:
• One spool down
with the throttle open
• TOT in excess of 150 degrees
• One bad can drain
• Less than the recommended time
between start attempts (those are just
guidelines, anyway, no biggie)
1. Jump back in aircraft on a quick turn
around on a hot day.
2. Engage starter, feel instantaneous
explosion.
3. Note five-foot flames emanating
from exhaust stack. Very cool if you are
not the one starting the aircraft.
4. Maybe we should get a start cart.
Nah.
5. Allow Ng to climb to 12%, by sheer
force of will.
6. Introduce fuel.
7. Watch helplessly in disbelief as TOT
goes through the roof much faster than
you can yank the throttle off.
8. Learn in follow up training how
slow acceleration and fire in the can is a
real bad combination.
3. Engage starter.
4. Take some time to reflect. Reflect
on the Middle Eastern crisis, the crummy
weather, your wife and kids at home,
your bills, your deteriorating physical
condition. Now reflect on the TOT rocketing through 850 degrees AND the blade
straining against the tiedown.
5. Walk sheepishly through clouds of
white smoke and crowds of laughing
coworkers back to your boss, who will
surely understand that bad things happen
to good pilots.
Smoked Core with
Short Attention Span
Combine:
• One complacent aviator
• One perfectly fine aircraft
• Any given day
1. Omit walk around on your way out
to the aircraft. You’ve done this a million
times this week. Ditto for the checklist.
2. While strapping in, obsess about
your miserable life. Your abusive customer. Your uncaring boss. All the
opportunities you missed. The 600 miles
you need to fly in the next five hours.
Woe, woe is you.
But seriously, folks, preventable hot
starts cost helicopter companies millions
in lost revenue, parts, and labor, and are
one of the quickest ways to needlessly
damage equipment and get yourself
fired!
Take your time, do it right, and if you
do get through that start sequence…
FLY SAFE!
END
4. Report to maintenance after complete engine teardown to receive your
personal ashtray.
Slow-Roasted Turbine Wheel
with Low Battery Juice
Combine:
• One weak battery
• One aviator who has started with
weak batteries before and survived
1. You have a voltmeter? Me neither.
Real aviators don’t need them.
2. Engage starter.
3. Watch Ng wind through 2%, and
3%, and 4%…
9
Cover story
Good Places to Work—
Editor’s Note—This article is the first in a
series identifying uniquely good places to work
as a rotorcraft pilot. Are there any “perfect”
places of employment—highly unlikely. But perfect isn’t really what is required. What we’re all
looking for is a place where we can do our work
safely, in well-maintained aircraft, be respected
and appreciated for what we do, while being
fairly compensated for same. And, if you get to
go to bed in your own home at night—all the
better.
Remember your first flight instructor?
Most of us do, even if it is not always
fondly. My first was a new Army
instructor—not much older than me and
afraid most of the time. His inexperience
and lack of confidence kept him on the
controls so much of the time that it
impeded my progress and made me question if learning to fly these rotary wing
beasts was all that smart a career choice.
Fortunately, an instructor change several
weeks into my primary training landed
me the opposite—an overconfident nut
who I swear would have let me kill us
both if I didn’t get it right. But I progressed much faster in that environment
than I had with Nervous Nelly.
If you earned your ratings through the
civilian side of the industry, your first
paying job as a pilot was probably as a
new CFI. Most new CFIs think of flight
instruction as a means towards an end,
with that end being something other than
flight instruction. Build those hours, and
soon you can get a REAL flying job.
Considering the work hours, low pay and
lack of benefits that accompany many
flight instructor jobs, who could expect
otherwise? So, just about the time a CFI
moves from Nervous Nelly to Proficient
IP, it’s “so-long” to student training.
Flight Instructor Pay (No, really!)
What if there was a place where you
could continue to use those hard earned
CFI, CFII skills and earn $52,000 a year
starting? A place that included an indus10
Photography: The ‘famous’ Boll Weevil statue in Enterprise, AL, Jeff Smith; TH-67, Autorotate staff
Lear Siegler Services, Inc. (LSI)
try leading medical benefit package, 8%
company paid 401K, 12 days paid sick
leave per year, paid federal holidays, as
well as 2 weeks off at Christmas with
pay?
Not enough? How about if you’re guaranteed to be home every weekend after
working 6 1/2 hour days during the
week? Oh, yeah, did I mention no
“Robbies,” you only fly air-conditioned
turbines?
Still holding out? How about annual
salary increases for 10 years until you
make $82,600 (which will rise to $85,920
in October 2007)?
Not your Fathers Army
If you graduated from Army flight
school, you already think you know
everything about Fort Rucker, Alabama,
but you might be surprised if you have
not been there lately. Long gone are the
piston powered TH-55’s and the workhorse UH-1 Hueys.
Photography: TH-67s lined up on the ramp, Autorotate staff
For those who earned their wings
someplace else, a short primer—
All US Army initial rotary wing flight
training takes place at Fort Rucker in
southeast Alabama. Decades ago, the
Army decided to turn over basic flight
instruction to a civilian contractor to free
up military pilots for deployment. For
the 1,200 flight students that become U.S.
Army Aviators every year, their first
experience in a helicopter comes from a
professional, civilian flight instructor
wearing a Lear Siegler Services nametag.
Currently, approximately 400 civilian
instructors guide prospective Army pilots
through basic VFR flight, instrument
qualification, academics, and an introduction to military tactical training.
Lear Siegler (LSI) is the longest lasting, most stable operator in a string of
companies to have held the Fort Rucker
flight training contract over the past 30+
years. LSI has held the training contract
at Fort Rucker since 1989 and has trained
over 20,000 Army, Air Force and Allied
By Jeff Smith with Tony Fonze
students. Lear Siegler provides a variety
of maintenance, logistics and training
support for both commercial and government agencies and is itself a part of
EG&G Technical Services, Inc. which is
in turn part of URS Corporation, with
annual sales in excess of 4 billion dollars.
EG&G Technical Services, Inc. and Lear
Siegler Services, Inc. are the premier
provider of outsourced management and
technical support services to the federal
government with annual sales of more
than $950M and approximately 10,000
employees.
Gone are the days when the Fort
Rucker contract was a small business set
aside.
(Note: LSI’s contract with the Army
has been operating on an extended status.
However, the Army recently released an
RFP for a new training contract at Ft.
Rucker and LSI, along with several other
companies, is in the process of finalizing
their proposals at the time of this writing.)
11
stagefield. Stagefields are akin to small
airfields with 6 short parallel runways
which can accommodate an entire flight
of 13 aircraft at the same time. On any
given day, Primary will have four stagefields in operation at the same time.
PHPA Local 102
For the pilot employees, the change in
companies over the years has not meant
much more than a new name tag. Fort
Rucker flight instructors were among the
first rotary wing pilots in the country to
organize a union, a necessary protection
from the whims of every new small company that won the early government contracts during the set aside years.
Today, what started out as a locally run
union has become part of the growing
Professional Helicopter Pilots
Association, an arm of the Office and
Professional Employees International
Union. 90% of the pilots are members.
The enticing compensation package
describe above is the result of many years
of hard bargaining by the local on behalf
of the membership.
Flight School XXI
The Army’s latest flight training program is called Flight School XXI (read as
‘21’). This program is designed to produce pilots who are capable of accomplishing their wartime mission right out
of training. This is made possible by providing a significant amount of aircraft
and mission specific training as part of
their initial qualification.
But regardless of whether a new trainee
is destined to become a scout, gunship or
transport pilot, all must first attend “common core” training, and that is where LSI
12
Photography: PHPA Local 102 office building, Jeff Smith
instructors come in. Common core is
divided into three phases: VFR Flight,
Instrument, and Basic Warfighter Skills
(BWS). To accomplish this training, LSI
is divided into four divisions: Primary
(VFR), Advanced (IFR), BWS (Combat
skills and tactics) and academics.
All Common Core training takes place
in the TH-67, an off-the-shelf Bell 206B
that has an Army unique interior and
external paint scheme. There are three
versions of the aircraft at Fort Rucker,
VFR, IFR and the A+. The IFR version
is IMC certified, and the A+ has a wire
strike protection system as well as other
features making it suitable for low level
navigation.
It all begins in Primary Division
The VFR portion of Flight School XXI
is 8 weeks long and consists of 48 hours
of traditional VFR flight training in the
VFR TH-67 helicopter and 4.5 hours of
training in a high fidelity motion based
flight simulator. All LSI instructors train
two students at a time, usually staying
with the same two students until they
graduate to the next phase.
Any civilian trained CFI would be
quite comfortable with the training
requirements of Primary. Hovering
flight, takeoff, landings, upper air-work,
and emergency procedure training are all
standard fare in Primary. Most VFR
training at Fort Rucker takes place at a
A civilian trained pilot would notice
the lack of solo time in the Army program. All current Army helicopters are
flown as crew aircraft, meaning that
Army pilots will never fly an aircraft
solo. Because of this, new pilots do not
solo in the traditional sense. They are
scheduled for only 1.5 hours of flight
without an instructor on board, and during that time their “stick buddy” rides
along in the other seat.
There is also no real cross country
training in this phase, either. It’s out to
the stagefield and back on most days.
Such a controlled environment can be
constraining for some but for the right
person, it’s a great job. It also helps
explain why LSI instructors have an enviable safety record, particularly considering the type of training being conducted.
While a CFI or military flight instructor qualification is a prerequisite for hiring on, all new hires undergo a rigorous 6
week training program which includes a
TH-67 qualification as part of the 40
hours of flight training with an experienced training instructor. Primary flight
instructors do not maintain an instrument
rating, as all of their flying is under VFR.
All LSI instructors are evaluated annually
by the military to insure they maintain
proficiency in their respective flight
training syllabus.
With a schedule of 1.3 hrs per student
per day, Primary instructor pilots average
between 2 and 3 hours of flight time per
day, or between 400 and 500 hours annually.
www.autorotate.com
that skill falls to the instructors of
Advanced Division. The 8 week program
is broken into 4 weeks of training in a
TH-67 (non-motion) flight simulator, and
4 weeks in an IFR certified TH-67.
John Sidonio,
Primary Flight Instructor
Like many LSI instructors, John
Sidonio began his aviation career in the
Army, retiring as a CW4 with 23 years
active service. John has been with LSI
for 6 years and is a trustee with PHPA.
Some of Johns’ thoughts about life in
Primary Division—
The IFR Bell’s are very well equipped
for the job with GPS, dual VOR, dual
ILS and ADF to help one find the way.
Add dual VHF commo, a UHF commo
for good measure, three attitude indicators and dual everything else and there
isn’t enough room left on the panel for a
postage stamp. These Bells are heavy,
and getting just 3 people off the ground
with full fuel is often a challenge.
Surprisingly, there is no autopilot, so
instructors and students alike must hand
fly these baby Bells in the clouds. That’s
right, IMC with student pilots and no
autopilot. Only the U.S. Army allows a
student pilot to be counted as a second
crewmember for IMC flight. But don’t
think these instructors are crazy, since
there has never been a helicopter accident
at Fort Rucker attributed to loss of control during an IFR training flight.
Advanced Division IPs are among the
best helicopter instrument pilots in the
country. IMC with a student pilot is
incentive enough to get real good, real
fast!
Students receive 33 hours simulator
training and 14.5 hours in the aircraft.
The high amount of simulator time
means that instrument instructors log
under 200 hours actual flight time per
year. But you won’t hear many complaining about spending their day in an
air conditioned building instead of preflighting on a nice sticky Alabama afternoon in July.
The Company
“The company’s attitude towards safety
is very good.”
“Pay and benefits have gone up dramatically so I am very pleased with what
we get.”
“This company is a lot better than I
remember when I was on active duty.”
The Job
“A civilian CFI shouldn’t have any
problems in Primary. We have had several (with no military experience) and they
have done fine.”
“I plan on making this my last job.”
Quality of Life
“For family life, it is wonderful. It’s a
slow pace, friendly area, 1 1/2 hours from
the Gulf Coast.”
Advanced Division
All Army pilots receive a helicopter
instrument rating, and the job of teaching
Photography: John Sidonio, Jeff Smith
13
“You can’t beat the working environment. Half of our time is in the simulator.”
“The only frustration of the job is
motivating students to learn about instrument flying.”
flying, most flight instructors in BWS are
retired or former military pilots. While
hiring guidelines do not require that a
BWS instructor have military experience,
it’s hard to have credibility with a military student headed for a combat zone if
“Any civilian trained pilot could work
here, though he must learn the differences between the civilian regulations
and military regulations.”
Quality of Life
Dave Godby,
Instrument Flight Instructor
Dave is another LSI employee who
began his flying career in the military,
retiring after 20 years to try a variety of
civilian flying jobs before settling down
at Fort Rucker. Dave has the distinction
of being the first new hire into Advanced
Division after the decade long series of
cutbacks that occurred throughout the
90s’. He has been in the division for 9
years. On life in the Advanced Division
and elsewhere—
The Company
“Pay is pretty good. I reach top salary
next year.”
The Job
(Prior jobs)“Hospital flying was satisfying; I felt I was doing something
important, but flying in the Gulf was boring to me.”
“I like punching out of the clouds and
having a student see the runway in front
of them.”
“The avionics package is very good. I
am looking forward to the (new) Garmin
GPS.”
“I am comfortable with the maintenance.”
“We are under no pressure to fly in our
flight. We make our own decisions to go
or stay on the ground.”
14
Photography: Dave Godby and Floyd Emery, Jeff Smith
“We wanted to stay here to raise our
family because of the lack of serious
(gang) problems in the schools.”
BWS Division
(Basic Warfighter Skills)
After Primary and Instrument training,
Army flight students move on to Basic
Warfighter Skills to learn low level navigation, combat skills, and tactics. Of the
three training phases taught by LSI
instructors, this phase is the most military
oriented.
Students receive 19 hours of flight
training over a 4 week program in the
TH67A+. This version of the Bell is best
described as falling between the VFR and
IFR versions in installed equipment and
is optimized for the low level environment.
Having just spent 8 weeks looking at
nothing but instruments, students go back
to the stagefield for a day or two to get
refreshed on basic VFR flight techniques.
The remainder of the 4 weeks is spent
between 50 and 200 feet above the
ground trying to navigate around the
forested terrain of rural Alabama...do we
turn at this tree or that one? All of the
training is day VFR, and instructors accumulate between 400 and 500 hours annually.
Because this phase essentially begins
the students introduction to military type
you haven’t “been there.”
Floyd Emery,
Basic Warfighter Skills Instructor
Floyd is a senior LSI instructor who
was self employed prior to moving to
Fort Rucker from New Hampshire in
1987. Though not a retired military pilot,
Floyd brought 20 years of flying experience with the Army reserves to the job
and is typical of the prior military types
populating BWS. Some of Floyd’s observations—
The Company—
“This is a good place to work, though
we have some managers who want to
micro manage things.”
The Job—
“In my flight, there is absolutely no
pressure to fly when the weather is marginal.”
“A six and a half hour work day is easy
to live with.”
“If you have never done it, it’s hard to
teach. There are some things you can
www.autorotate.com
teach by studying the book. BWS is not
one of them.”
“We get a lot of folks leaving active
duty who come here. It’s a great place
for them.”
Quality of Life—
“My sister-in-law has moved close
by…in-laws have moved near us in
Ozark…stepson is moving to Ozark ... so
I’d say it’s a pretty good place to live.”
“The cost of living in the area is excellent.”
LSI “plus”
While the overwhelming number of
LSI employees are US Army Common
Core flight instructors, LSI employs several other groups of professionals. All of
the common core academic training that
Army students receive is conducted by
LSI academic instructors. Most of these
instructors are themselves former flight
line IP’s and bring a wealth of knowledge
and credibility to their classroom presentations. These jobs are often looked upon
as a safety net by active pilots concerned
about getting by another annual flight
physical, though academic jobs open
infrequently.
Variety NOT the spice of life
With all of the different departments
and types of training that fall under the
umbrella of LSI, it would seem that there
should be enough variety in flying to
keep anyone from getting bored.
Unfortunately, every diamond has its flaw
and this contract is no exception. After a
few years driving out to a stagefield and
back, some Primary instructors understandably get a little bored and would like
a change of pace. How about a move to
BWS for some of that low-level training,
or even a little IMC experience with the
Advanced Division?
While it might make sense to keep a
good employee motivated by rotating that
person among jobs to keep them fresh, it
turns out to be more complicated in real
life. It costs tens of thousands of dollars
to qualify an instructor for any of the flying jobs at Fort Rucker. That cost is paid
by the Army. Switching instructors
between divisions would result in a
tremendous training cost that the Army is
not budgeted to pay.
Instructors have argued for an opportunity to “bid” for openings in other divisions since someone has to be trained for
the job anyway. Unfortunately, such a
practice would result in a “dual training
cost” as someone would have to be
trained to take the place of the person
moving.
So for now, where you start is pretty
much where you stay, on this contract.
So if you are thinking about putting in
your application, make sure the job you
want is available.
Life in Alabama
A key component in any job decision is
life after work. Southeast Alabama is not
New York or California. But it’s not New
Iberia, Louisiana, either. To be happy at
On a different level, the Army offers an
advanced instrument program to qualify
select senior pilots as instrument flight
examiners. For the past 20 years, this
prestigious program has been taught by
the contract instructors of LSI. This
training is 100% simulator based.
Some years ago, the US Air Force
decided to contract out rotary wing training, and LSI instructors were again chosen for the job. This training, which also
takes place at Fort Rucker, is managed by
Air Force personnel. Training is conducted in the venerable UH-1H Huey, and
UH-1 simulator. The Air Force plans to
upgrade the fleet to Huey 2s over the
next few years.
15
Fort Rucker you should like a relatively
rural environment, small to midsized
towns (populations around 20,000) and
friendly natives with strong conservative
family values. If you have school age
kids, it’s hard to do better.
That’s not to say there is nothing to do
around here but go to kids’ soccer games,
hunt, fish and go to church on Sunday.
The Gulf Coast is only 90 miles south,
sporting the most beautiful beaches in the
world. For you young folks, it has
become the Mecca for college spring
break. Atlanta, Georgia is 4 hours to the
east, and the casinos of Biloxi,
Mississippi are 4 hours to the west. In
between is plenty of open country to ride
your motorcycle, and towns unspoiled by
the ever-present anger of big city life.
The highway system is very good with
little time lost to the traffic jams found
elsewhere. Bottom line, you can be
unhappy anywhere, but you’ll have to
work hard to not like something about the
area.
Enterprise, the largest town abutting
Fort Rucker, is home to many retired military pilots who represent all parts of the
country. Best known as the only city in
the world with a monument to an insect,
the boll weevil, Enterprise is a progressive city that’s about to get a brand new
high school; compliments of an F4 tornado that visited a few months ago. Add
the diversity of a large military installation and an ever changing student population to the area and you can always find
someone with similar interests to talk to.
The climate is typical of the southeast,
mild winters and hot muggy summers.
Stay indoors or in the pool June thru
August, and you are good for the rest of
the year.
As they say in the south “Ya’ll come on
down and stay a spell!”
END
MEET CHARLES (CHUCK) GANT—LSI PROGRAM MANAGER
The training
program at Ft.
Rucker is a massive operation and
the person in
charge requires
the right military,
management and
training background. Chuck
Gant has that background.
After entering the Army in 1968 as a
Second Lieutenant, Chuck was assigned
to Army Aviation School for helicopter
flight training after which he flew 900+
combat hours in attack, scout and utility
aircraft in Vietnam and South East Asia.
Upon his return to the U.S. Mr. Gant
was assigned to the 1st Cavalry
Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.
During an 18 month break from military service due to the military’s
Reduction in Force program, Mr. Gant
was employed by a number of civilian
helicopter operations in Arizona,
Northern California and Canada.
Duties included HeliTac fire suppression, seismic and external load operations. But, in 1975 he returned to
active duty as a Chief Warrant Officer.
After serving a tour in Korea, Chuck
was stationed at Fort Rucker, himself,
as an AH-1 Cobra Standardization
Instructor Pilot. In March 1979, he
regained his commission and continued
to serve in a long series of distinguished posts. These included an
assignment as the Commander of the
SHAPE Flight Detachment in Casteau,
Belgium; The commander of the Night
Stalker’s Light Assault Helicopter
Company in Ft. Campbell, KY and
leadership of the 1st Battalion, 14th
Aviation at the
Army Aviation
Center at Ft.
Rucker and
TRADOC System
ManagerComanche. He
retired at the rank
of Colonel, in
March 1997.
Mr. Gant has been in his current
position as LSI Program Manager for a
little over 2 years. When I asked
Chuck, in a recent interview, about
LSI’s relationship with its pilots and the
pilots’ union he had this to say.
“The welfare and safety of our
employees is my highest priority, as
well as the company’s.” We can always
make up flying hours, but I can’t
replace a lost LSI family member. I
arrived just prior to the last set of negotiations between the union and the company. Discussions were conducted honestly, above board, and with mutual
respect. Nothing less was acceptable,
since we have a common responsibility
of preparing our students to meet their
world-wide challenges as Army
Aviators. We must always work as a
Team to meet this commitment!”
Combat operations in Afghanistan
and Iraq have taken a toll on the
instructor pilots of LSI with 19 pilots
currently out on extended military
leave. Still the company has managed
to maintain the necessary compliment
of instructor pilots.
To find out more about LSI, Ft.
Rucker, and potential job openings, go
to www.lsirucker.com .
END
16
Photography: Charles (Chuck) Gant, LSI
www.autorotate.com
The Safety Corner
In our last issue, we began a new column—The Safety Corner. The objective
of the safety corner is to help us share
specific safety related tips and tricks with
each other around specific subjects. The
Safety Corner works like this: I ask a
safety related question of our readers and
you send in your responses to me and I
print them. I’m very happy to say that
we got a terrific response to the question
raised in our last issue—
If you could change ONE thing about
yourself or your operation to improve
safety, what would it be?
Here’s what you said…
Tony,
Regarding your article in Vol. 7 Issue 1
of Autorotate—this is not necessarily
changing something I do myself, but
something that came to mind. Use it how
ever you like.
Well, one (thing) I can think of is
fatigue and how it affects our alertness.
In our profession we should always be at
100% when we take to the skies on the
controls. We know our bodies well
enough to know how we're gonna feel on
Photography: Sartriano
the next day’s flight if we don't get
enough rest. If, for whatever reason,
we're not feeling 100%, we should speak
up and not place unnecessary risk on our
passengers and crew. Just imagine how
you would feel if a pilot came on the
intercom and said, "I really don't feel
100% today." I know what I'd think—“I
don't wanna be flying with you today.”
So, if your feeling down—stay on the
ground!
So, I wish all companies flying singles
would give their pilots repetitive and realistic opportunities to keep their autorotation skills honed by day and by night. It
could be a combination of simulators,
training captains, refreshers at special
schools or all of the above instead of the
two training/check rides annually which
is the industry norm.
Brian Thomas
jaime.aguirrejr@us.army.mil
Tony,
Tony,
Here is my response to your safety corner question:
As a single engine, VFR only, EMS
helicopter pilot, there are a lot of things I
would like to see my company change.
However, chief among them would be an
increased level of autorotation training.
This is a critical skill that needs constant
sharpening. Never mind the level of
experience of the pilot. If the engine quits
on a real dark night over rugged terrain,
the pilot has to get everything right the
first time. There are no do-overs in this.
At this flight school, we don't have a
problem with long work hours, so fatigue
is not an issue. We don't have managers
pushing us to fly when it is not prudent to
do so. New hires receive sufficient training before they are released to fly. The
maintenance is good. Pay and working
conditions are good, so people are not
distracted with those issues.
I often try to figure out where the next
accident will occur here, and it comes
down to IP late with corrective action to
something a student has done or failed to
do. But we have routine safety meetings
to help prevent the complacency that
17
The Safety Corner
causes those types of accidents. Short of
eliminating students in flight training, not
much else can be done.
Since there are few external safety hazards here, one must look inward to find
the next potential for an accident. In the
end, safety is a state-of-mind. And were
it within my power, I would have every
pilot start every flight with the mental
commitment that nothing is more important than a safe conclusion to the day’s
activities.
J.S.
Hello Tony,
I am a helicopter pilot for the Suffolk
County Police Department in Long
Island, NY. I am also a former Flight
Test Engineer for Grumman Aerospace
Corporation with a BS in Aeronautical
Engineering and (I am) finishing up a
graduate degree in Aviation Systems
Flight Testing. As I read your column
asking for safety suggestions, many of
the “standard” responses came to my
mind...“Fly more disciplined approaches;” “Don't rush a preflight;” “Practice
sterile cockpit procedures;” “Review
emergency procedures regularly;” etc.
But I'd like to contribute a thought that
might be a latent one.
Before any of us ever step into the
cockpit of our aircraft with the mission in
mind, we may be at a disadvantage.
Choosing the right aircraft and outfitting
it properly to suit the mission at hand can
provide a big difference in the safety
margin. Operators tend to want to
squeeze every ounce of performance out
of their aircraft, as well as their crew
members. Just because the aircraft flight
manual publishes a maximum gross
weight number, doesn't mean that you
should load your aircraft right to the top
with abandon.
18
PERFORMANCE is what sells aircraft,
and marketing will always highlight the
best features in the most ideal setting.
How often do we find ourselves using
every bit of available power to get into or
out of a landing zone during the most
critical phases of flight, leaving little
margin for the "OOPS" factor?
Operation at the forward CG limit and/or
max gross weight will produce different
aircraft performance and handling qualities than operation at the aft CG limit
and/or lighter weights—all while still
legally operating within the published
limits. How fatiguing is it to fly lots of
OGE hover missions in an aircraft that is
touchy, with poor tail rotor authority, or
maybe is difficult to trim up during long
cross country flights, requiring lots of
pilot attention? How often do we review
the single engine climb performance
charts for our twin engine helicopter to
see what kind of money we'll have in the
bank?
Hi Tony,
Let me address your Safety Corner
question.
1. Adopt a "crew chief" concept
where a qualified ground person or a fellow pilot supervises the loading and startup of each flight before it leaves the ramp
or the LZ. Someone who helps passengers get into the helicopter and connect
and adjust the seatbelts and shoulder harnesses properly, and who closes the
door(s). Someone who then walks
around the helicopter before the pilot
cranks the engine, and then continues the
walk-around until the pilot is ready to lift
off. This person will hopefully see the
open compartments, the tools left on the
helicopter, the open or missing fuel cap,
the cargo not properly secured in the
cargo basket, and so forth. All the things
that have happened and/or will happen
when the pilot misses something in
his/her preflight, if one is done at all.
In my line of work, the mentality tends
to be, "We have to always be ready for
any type of mission." But, we can easily
find ourselves "Jack of all trades, master
of none." Mitigating this requires an
honest assessment of what you are trying
to accomplish, the skill level of those
involved, the necessity of the task, and
the limits of the aircraft. It also requires
a good review of some physical principles you learned in early flight training.
I've lost count of the number of times
I've done this for my fellow pilots
(including students) and have noticed
something very, or critically, important. I
pay close attention to the engine once it
has been started, watching to see what is
loose and vibrating, what is dripping or
smoking, etc. It's one thing to give the
engine a cursory look during a preflight,
but see the difference when it is idling!
Sometimes it's like night and day.
In short, my safety suggestions are to
put more effort into evaluation of the
mission, the suitability of the aircraft you
intend to purchase or use for that mission, and leave some performance margin
within your aircrafts limits to help compensate when you inadvertently reach the
performance limits of your pilot.
If a line mechanic is always available
to play this role, fine. But if not, a fellow
pilot is a good second choice--someone
who can tell the difference between right
and wrong and who has had some specific training on what to watch for.
Fly Safely,
Frank Lombardi
Police Officer / Pilot / Engineer
SCPD Aviation Unit, LI, NY
2. Provide ladders or platforms for
pilots and students to use when attempting to preflight any part of the helicopter
that is beyond reach, such as the rotor
head, etc. Too many accidents happen
when pilots or students slip and fall while
climbing up or down the helicopter.
www.autorotate.com
Some helicopters have adequate hand
holds and steps, but most do not.
And when the pilot or student begins to
loose balance or begins to fall, all too
often some critical part of the flight controls (pitch links, etc.) are grabbed by the
person and damaged as a result. Or
things are stepped on such as drive
shafts, cables, tubes, eyebrow windows,
antennas and the like.
Our company policy precludes students
or renters from climbing on our helicopters at all. They are encouraged to
request a ladder or platform if they wish
to personally inspect the upper parts of
the helicopter prior to flight. Before the
first flight of the day, one of our CFIs or
one of our mechanics will carefully
inspect those areas requiring ladders or
platforms. Also, it is more than obvious
that some pilots and students are simply
not in good enough physical shape to be
climbing up and around the helicopter.
They are not strong enough, or they are
very overweight, or very short and can't
reach the proper hand holds and steps.
3. Finally, we ask that anyone wishing
to do a really good, thorough preflight
wear some sort of gloves. Between the
cotter pins, the safety wire and the sharp
metal edges lurking all over the machine,
injuries are bound to result. Gloves also
usually improve one's grip when climbing
on ladders or around the machine.
It's all about safety and preventing
damage to our very expensive rotarywing aircraft.
Y.D.M.
focus on gaining command of the details
that sometimes inhibits a grasp of the big
picture.
In the last few years at PHI, we've seen
an influx of young, fresh faces into the
IFR program. Seven or eight years ago,
it was common to see a two-pilot crew at
PHI with more than fifty years of helicopter experience between them. That
doesn't happen so much any more.
People have retired, two-pilot aircraft
have grown more prevalent, and young
people have stepped up to become fully
qualified FAR 135 IFR pilots.
When I started flying with the younger
set a few years ago, a realization soon hit
me over the head. It went something like
this: They may not always see the forest
for the trees, but sometimes they see the
damned trees before I do. There is much
value in experience, true, but there is also
a lot of value in looking at a situation
with fresh eyes and a perspective free of
the sometimes jaded outlook we older
folks often fight against.
I've come to believe that most people
are terrible at simply listening. Most of
us are far more interested in talking.
Listening is a skill, and as with any skill,
it takes practice to do it effectively. It's a
simple word that belies a task often made
more difficult by age differences, personality conflicts, cultural divides, and
fatigue. But, it's vital if we're to make
the pairing of younger and older a winwin situation.
My advice to the younger folks is to
pay attention to what that older pilot next
to you has to say. Even if he or she has
the personality of Attila the Hun suffering
from hemorrhoids, he or she has the benefit of years of experience to offer. That
may be a "piercing glimpse into the obvious," but it can be all too easy to forget if
ol' Attila is having a bad day. What's
sometimes not so obvious to those of us
from the gray-haired set is that the young
man or woman sharing the cockpit with
us will often have lessons to share as
well, even he or she isn't old enough to
get an ATP. If we ignore those lessons,
we're the poorer for it.
Hal
Editor’s Note--I can’t thank you all enough for
sending in your responses. You’ve given all of us
some very important points to consider as we go
about our jobs. Some of these ideas could be
used to change our formal operating procedures.
Others should remain in our minds as we prepare ourselves and our aircraft for the day’s
work ahead.
The Safety Corner question I’d like
to ask you to respond to for our
next issue—
What can we do, to prevent our
pre-flights from becoming useless,
repetitive acts, performed merely so
we can “get on with it?”
I can’t wait to see what you have to say
about this. Send your responses to
TonyFonze@autorotate.com.
END
Dear Tony,
We who've been around helicopters for
a decade or three tend to put rookie 135
pilots in the "can't see the forest for the
trees" category. As with newer folks to
most any field, there is a tendency to
19
Back to the Twilight Zone
food court, watching people walk by, I
indulge in my Stupid Little Fantasy
Number One: I’m magically transported
back in time, and I get the chance to
relive my last stint at home, wringing
more life out of every moment.
Normally, S.L.F. #1 covers a two-week
period. This time, it covers six months.
After six months living full time with
my family, I'm leaving again. The strike
–the first ever by helicopter pilots in the
U.S., is over. The commuter plane pulls
away from the terminal in Redding, and
taxis away from my real life. It's fivethirty in the morning, and several miles
away, up in the foothills, my wife and little boy slumber.
I chuckle as I recall a comment from
my wife the night before. I'd asked her if
I'd been a good "house husband." "Your
cooking has been wonderful," she replies
(she's not picky, luckily for me), "but you
need to learn to just do the dishes instead
of developing a relationship with them."
The little smarty-pants.
I’ve been awake since one-thirty. I’d
set the alarm for three, but as often happens on The Night Before, I end up turning it off well before it rings. I make tea,
and sit in the dark sipping it, intermittently petting the dog and the cat. I carry
Dylan to our bed, and place him beside
Rhonda. I shower, and when I come back
into the bedroom, Rhonda and Dylan lie
facing each other, noses inches apart—
just like when he was a baby. I stand
there looking at them for minutes. I want
to scoop them both up, cover them with
kisses, and tell them how much I love
them, but I let them sleep.
The last hour at home always seems
achingly precious. I’m hyper-aware of
every little sound in the house, of the
moonlight streaming through the window,
of my own breathing, of the symphony of
crickets, toads, and frogs outside. I hold
on to every moment.
I load my bags into the car, then walk
back into the house one last time. I stand
over Rhonda and Dylan with a lump in
my throat. I wonder if they could possibly know how much I love them while I
20
Photography: Hal’s son and inspiration Dylan, Hal Johnson
By Hal Johnson
mentally replay an exchange between us
a couple of days earlier. It was Sunday
night, just before bedtime, when it
occurred to me, “Dylan and I went the
whole weekend without reading together.” No comment from either of them.
“I’m a bad daddy.” They both laughed in
unison, with no other comment. As I
walk out the door, start the car, and drive
away, I carry their laughs, their little
gifts, with me.
I drift into light sleep soon after the
turboprop commuter takes off. I’ve reentered what Tony Fonze, the editor of
Autorotate, calls the “Twilight Zone.” I
call it the “Away-Dad Nation.” But, as I
doze on the United Express flight, the
“Twilight Zone” tag seems more fitting.
I miss my family already. After being
away from the Twilight Zone for six
months, the familiar "emotional autopilot" isn’t engaged as is usual. In previous
journeys to the TZ, that autopilot always
seemed to kick in as I drove away from
home. The game face came on.
Sentimentality and all of those mushy
family feelings got locked away. But, I’m
not sorry the autopilot has failed. I like
feeling. I don’t miss that emotional
numbness that too often comes with entry
into The Away.
After arriving in San Franciso, I wait
for my connecting flight. As I sit at the
Following another connection in L.A., I
arrive in New Orleans, then take a shuttle
van to where my car is parked. The parking tab is gonna hurt. Luckily, my "airport car" starts right up. I drive the two
and a half hours to Lafayette, where my
employer's headquarters is located.
Tomorrow is my "return to work interview." The strike is over, but that last
hurdle remains.
I shower, then stand looking out the
window, waiting to wind down enough to
sleep. I feel seriously down. I feel as if
I've abandoned my wife and little boy for
a piddly-ass reason: making a living. (No,
the savings weren't going to last forever,
but that fact was lost on me at the
moment.) For some reason, a phone conversation I'd had with my wife a couple
of years earlier comes to mind. She related a conversation she had with Dylan, the
day after I'd jumped on a flight to go to
work in the Gulf of Mexico.
Dylan says, "Momma, I like being a
boy." He says that rather cheerfully.
Rhonda chuckles. "Well good, Honey,
I'm glad you like being a boy. What made
you think of that?"
Now Dylan doesn't look so cheerful.
"Because when I'm a grownup, I want to
be a woman."
I gulped. Sheesh, had my little four
year-old developed a gender identity
issue?
www.autorotate.com
"Dylan, if you like being a boy, why
would you want to be a woman when you
grow up? Dylan continues, "Well, when I
grow up, I'll probably become a parent."
"Well, sure," Rhonda replies. "Is that
why you'd rather be a woman?" "Yes."
"Why?"
Dylan looked away for a moment, then
met Rhonda's eyes.
"Because men fly away."
Something else occurs to me, lying
there alone in the dark. It's all about the
opportunity to cherish. "Absence makes
the heart grow fonder," Eleanor
Roosevelt said. There's a lot of truth in
that one. The feeling of cherishing my
loved ones when I'm away seems everpresent. There is an intensity there, an
intensity insulated from the sometimes
dulling effects of day-to-day routine. I
miss my wife and son immensely, but the
cherishing leavens the sorrow with a cer-
tain sweetness, a sweetness made more
pure by absence.
I lie there, with memories of my wife
and son swirling through my head, until
sleep comes. That's one way I deal with
life in the Away-Dad Nation.
Be end.
END
I curse that memory, yet, at the same
time, I feel the need to face it.
I give up on winding down, but go to
bed anyway. A happier, more welcome
memory soon comes to me.
Dylan was a late walker, but an early
talker. One night, a month or two
before he turned two, we were reading
to him in bed. When Rhonda reached
the end of the story, Dylan blurted out,
"BE END." It tickled the heck out of
Rhonda and me. We always pronounced the "the" in "The End" as
"thee," and Dylan apparently thought,
in his sleepy state, that we were reading out "be end." We thought it was so
doggone cute that we couldn't bring
ourselves to correct him. For the next
year or so, Dylan would always say
"be end" at the end of a story.
I smile at that memory. I've
rejoined the Away-Dad Nation, but I
hold my loved ones in my heart. Yes,
I hate being away from them, and I
wonder if I'm doing the right thing by
returning to my career. Still, I consider some flip sides of the heartaches
that come with such a life. For one,
going home after two weeks makes
me feel like a little kid on Christmas
morning. For another, it's very
unlikely that I'll ever take my wife
and son for granted. And, there's
nothing like those "welcome home"
hugs.
21
The Safety Corner
These questions relate to Helicopter IFR Operations and are derived from the Instrument
Procedures Handbook, 2004—Appendix C, Helicopter Instrument Procedures
Q & A, Virtual Flight Surgeons
© Virtual Flight Surgeons® Inc.
Q: I think the color vision criteria
are too strict and poorly administered.
I hold a SODA even though I have no
problem with my color vision in everyday life. But I can't pass the test
because I get the feeling most cards are
faded and should be viewed in full
spectrum light. Isn't it true this test is
really outdated?
A: Effective color vision screening is a
hotly debated issue. You are correct in
noting that the testing available is quite
dated and subject to administration errors
such as not being conducted in the proper
lighting or inadvertent exposure of the
plates to oils from touching.
If you have not done so, you may want
to review the article on our site by going
to our home page www.aviationmedicine.com and then type in "color vision"
in the keyword search. This article will
provide you much in the way of information regarding FAA policy on color vision
issues.
A number of color vision tests are
allowed by the FAA. Most Aviation
Medical Examiners (AMEs), however, do
not have access to all of the alternative
tests. These tests may require the ability
to perceive a number or shape within a
circle of dots of varying shades, or may
be a test as basic as naming a color projected from a lamp. Color vision testing
is subject to error if improper lighting is
used or the examiner gives incorrect
instructions. Which may be easiest for an
aviator to pass depends on their particular
deficiency. Not knowing the significance
of a possible color deficiency, the
Farnsworth Lantern (one of many substitute tests as noted below) may or may not
be the best alternate test for an airman to
try.
22
An airman will need to provide confirmation of their ability to pass one of the
alternate tests or undergo the Tower
Signal Light test in order to obtain a
Statement of Demonstrated Ability
(SODA). If a pilot can not locate one of
these tests, or is not able to pass one, the
other option is to obtain a SODA. This is
done by demonstrating ability to pass a
Signal Light Test at one of the local
FSDOs. If they pass, the medical certificate will not be restricted but the pilot
will be issued a separate piece of paper,
the SODA. If they fail the Signal Light
Test, there will be a permanent restriction
on the medical certificate, "Not valid for
night flying or by color signal control."
All things being equal, it is much better
to obtain documentation that an airman
can pass one of the alternate tests and
obtain the Letter of Evidence (described
later).
The FAA standards list seven different
types of pseudoisochromatic plates (figures found within a series of differently
shaded dots) for color vision testing:
• AOC 1965 edition
• AOC-HRR second edition
• Dvorine second edition
• Ishihara 14 plate, 24 plate and 38
plate editions
• Richmond 1983 edition.
• Acceptable substitute tests are the:
• Farnsworth lantern (FALANT)
• Keystone orthoscope
• Keystone telebinocular
• LKC Technologies Incorporated
• ATT-5 color vision tester
• Optitech 2000 vision tester
• Titmus vision tester
• Titmus II vision tester
• Titmus 2 vision tester.
Dr. Parker
Vice President for military
and general aviation safety
If these tests are not available (and they
typically are not in most AME’s offices),
or if the airman cannot pass these alternate tests, VFS recommends contacting
Dr. William Monaco at FlightSight Inc.
(www.flightsight.com). Dr. Monaco is a
former Pilot Vision Research Director at
the Naval Aerospace Medical Research
Laboratory who can perform Farnsworth
lantern testing and several of the other
tests.
By providing documentation to the
FAA in Oklahoma City that they do pass
one of the acceptable substitute tests, an
airman can obtain a Letter of Evidence
(LOE) showing normal vision testing and
they do not have to retake color vision
screening every year. This is best documented on the FAA Form 8500-7 "Report
of Eye Evaluation." Pilots can provide
this information to the FAA Aeromedical
Certification Division in Oklahoma City
and request a LOE documenting they
meet the color vision standards for all
classes. They will review the 8500-7 and
provide a letter to the pilot to hold for
future reference. This can be provided to
any AME in the future.
Our office has assisted many commercial and private pilots obtain this letter
which also allows the restriction to be
removed from your current certificate if
applicable.
END
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