this issue (PDF Format)

Just another day
at the office…
24 hours with
Arizona’s Air Rescue
COLUMNS
7 From the President
15 Cartoon
‘Light on the Skids’
16 Live and learn
“I guess we can try”
FEATURES
2 Cover Story—Just
another day at the
office...24 hours with
Arizona’s Air Rescue
17 NTSBS
18 Test pilot
IFR refresher
Volume 3
8 Airborne Law
Enforcement Association comes to town.
11 FARs, can’t live
with’em, can’t live
without ‘em
9 Big iron security
alert
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Issue 2 October-November
3
Cover storyJust another day at the office…
24nehours
with Arizona’s Air Rescue
of the things I love about a life in and around helicopters, is that you can never be entirely sure what
O
by Tony Fonze
the day will hold for you. Some days, that statement rings especially true. This was to be one of those days.
Arizona, like many states, has a state police department. Ours is called the Department of Public Safety
(DPS). DPS is home to the highway patrol, which has an aviation unit under its “wing,” that in turn is home to
the state’s Air Rescue teams. Air Rescue deploys four air units
around the state, each with their own helicopter and flight crews.
Publisher:
A flight crew consists of pilot and paramedic, both certified
The Professional Helicopter
police officers.
Pilots’ Association
Tucson and Kingman fly the 206 Long Ranger while Phoenix
Managing Editor:
and
Flagstaff deploy Bell 407s. Started in 1972 to provide emerAnthony Fonze
gency med evac services to the state, Air Rescue’s mission has
Media Director:
expanded tremendously as commercial operators have risen to
John Bosch
Autorotate is owned by the Professional Helicopfill much of their original role. Annual mission profile statistics
ter Pilots’ Association (PHPA). Autorotate (ISSN
reveal a workload that is approximately 40% law enforcement,
1531-166X) is published every other month for
30% emergency medical services (scene calls) and 30% search
$25.00 per year by PHPA, 1809 Clearview Parkway,
and rescue.
New Orleans, LA 70001.
Copyright © 2002, 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
U.S.A. by union employees.
Subscriptions:
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members of PHPA. PHPA membership is offered
at $60.00 per year. Promotional discounts may be
offered. For a complete list of membership
benefits go to www.autorotate.com. Single issue
reprints offered, when available, for $5.00 each.
To become a member of PHPA or to notify
PHPA of a change of address, contact PHPA at
1809 Clearview Parkway, New Orleans, LA 70001.
Phone 866-367-7472. Fax 504-779-5209. E-mail
publisher@autorotate.com.
PHPA members may submit address changes at
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the website should contact their locals.
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, Tucson, AZ 85715.
Phone 520-298-2689. Fax 520-298-7439. E-mail
editor@autorotate.com. Autorotate and PHPA are
not responsible for materials submitted for review.
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.
2
Same old routine…not exactly
I have been intrigued by Air Rescue for years. If you want
to talk about people who don’t know what they’re going to be
doing when they get up in the morning—look no further. An Air
Rescue pilot may be called to the scene of a highway accident to
transport a seriously injured motorist to the hospital. They may
also be assigned to search for a lost hiker who, when found, needs
to be short hauled out of a high walled ravine and lifted to a
command center a 1⁄2 mile away. They sometimes find themselves
using night vision goggles to conduct searches for undocumented
aliens (UDAs) lost and dying of dehydration in the harsh deserts of Southern Arizona. They’ve been known to drop a Bambi
Bucket full of water onto a lightening started forest fire and they
can be seen conducting an aerial chase of a car jacked vehicle…
sometimes, all in one 24 hour shift.
Promptly, at 9:00 a.m. I showed up at the super secret,
unmarked HIDTA (pronounced ‘High Duh’) building off the
ramp at TIA (Tucson International), the home of Tucson’s Air
Rescue unit. To the best of my knowledge, no one knows exactly
what HIDTA stands for and I think it is against the law to ask. I
will not divulge its location even if you promised me a hundred
new subscribers. All I know is that it has something to do with
law enforcement, drug interdiction, and a lot of serious looking
people with guns. Best to move on.
Correction
In the previous edition, We erroneously stated that MSTC (Marine Survival Training Center) is one of only two civilian survival training centers in the ‘world.’ That statement should have read, ‘U.S.’ There are
a number of other comparable facilities in other countries including
two in Norway (NUTEC), another in Aberdeen, Scotland and another
in Den Helder, the Netherlands.
www.autorotate.com
I signed in at the front desk, was given a visitor’s
badge and was quickly met by Hunter French, the
Air Rescue pilot on duty and also the unit’s safety
and training officer. Hunter appeared happy and
friendly and no weapons were apparent on his
person at this time. I received a quick tour
of Air Rescue’s crew quarters, day room and
office area. The helicopter is housed in an
air-conditioned hangar a few steps away.
Troy Hayes, the paramedic on this shift,
soon joined Hunter and me. Troy was
busy storing a set of short haul equipment
in a locker room off the immaculately
maintained hangar.
Lots of stuff
Troy explained that short haul is used
primarily when emergency medical assistance
is required in an area where it is impossible to
land the aircraft. The paramedic rappels down to
the patient along with the necessary equipment.
The patient is then stabilized and secured and both
the patient and paramedic are lifted at the end of a
line to an area where they can either link up with
ground support or be reloaded into the helicopter for
transport. All vertical reference missions require the
deployment of a spotter to assist the pilot. Trained
spotters may be unit paramedics, law enforcement
officers, fire fighters or members of Southern Arizona’s Rescue Association.
As you might imagine, the range of equipment
needed to support bucket work, river rescues, short
haul extractions, rappel team insertion, and emergency medical services would be weight and space
prohibitive in a 206. Consequently, Ranger 38’s
standard configuration includes a full complement
of gear necessary to support its emergency medicine
mission: airway management equipment; medical
oxygen; Zoll® cardiac monitor, defibrillator and
external pacemaker; Propaq® cardiac monitor,
blood pressure and blood oxygen sensor; emergency
meds and IVs; suction devices; spinal immobilization equipment; specialized pediatric gear; an infant
delivery kit; and personal protective gear for bloodborne pathogens. They also carry with them, items
no safe helicopter should be without: survival gear,
ELT, extra water, a small tool kit, topo maps, hand
held GPS(in addition to aircraft unit) and handheld
radios with spare batteries. Special configuration
equipment including Bambi Bucket, technical rescue
devices, cinch collars, ropes, etc. are carefully orga-
Photo Aaron Reyes
nized and stored in a locker adjacent to the hangar
for ready access.
But, it’s a dry heat
Hunter and I had just sat down in a couple of
big easy chairs to go over some of my basic questions when the phone rang. Troy picked it up and
accepted the morning’s first mission. During the
night, the Sonoita Station of the U.S. Border Patrol
was alerted to the presence of a vehicle passing
through a part of the desert highly unlikely to contain touristas. An off duty officer had spotted a
likely vehicle earlier in the morning, a late model,
gray, king cab pick up. Drug running was strongly
suspected.
A team of Border Patrol agents had been attempting to locate and corner the vehicle since sunrise,
but had recently lost it in a rugged area split down
the middle by a heavily vegetated wash. They
wanted to know if Air Rescue could lend a hand in
the search. Law enforcement support is just one of
the many missions handled by Air Rescue and they
are frequently called out in support of the Highway
Patrol, Sheriff’s Departments from around the state,
U.S. Customs and U.S. Border Patrol.
A Southern Arizona summer day has an average
temperature of around 105° F. That means, in the
un-airconditioned, sun drenched cockpit of a Bell
3
206 Long Ranger the temperature must be...let me
just do a few quick calculations…OK, I’ve got it—a
million degrees. And so it was on the day I chose
to do a ride along with Ranger 38, AKA Tucson
Ranger.
I climbed in the back, put on my headset and
immediately began to sweat. My sympathies went
forward to Hunter and Troy dressed in long sleeved
nomex coveralls and gloves; boots and helmets—
mandatory DPS flying attire. The guns, carried in
leather shoulder harnesses were now apparent.
All Air Rescue pilots and paramedics are state
certified police officers, Neil Finch, the unit’s
chief pilot and supervisor, later explained. They
must pass 16 weeks of training at the Arizona Law
Enforcement Academy and are subject to the same
entrance requirements as other police officers in
the state. However, unlike most law enforcement
aviation units, the DPS Air Rescue units emphasize
pilot experience and ability, over time spent in law
enforcement. Due to the diverse range of missions
and the extremes in terrain and conditions experienced by Air Rescue pilots, piloting skills take
precedence. Minimum qualifications for a pilot
applicant include 2000 hours of rotary wing PIC time
for starters.
Ready for takeoff
Launching Ranger 38 requires a check in with
EMSCOM (Emergency Medical Services Communications) based in Phoenix. EMSCOM has the
responsibility of assigning mission numbers, tracking
availability and performing flight following for all Air
Rescue missions.
“Phoenix EMSCOM, Tucson Ranger,” Troy
reported in, while Hunter visually cleared the pad
and lit the fire in Ranger 38.
“Go ahead Tucson Ranger.”
“Tucson Ranger enroute to a search area East
of Highway 83, near mile marker 14, to assist the
Border Patrol.”
“10-4, your mission number is 262,” EMSCOM
responded.
Highway Patrol dispatch was also notified, as was
Tucson MEDS, the Tucson based medical emergency dispatch system. In Southeastern Arizona, air
evac missions are assigned based solely on proximity
42
to the scene. While private sector aircraft are used
for nearly all inter-facility transports (hospital to
hospital), Air Rescue participates as an equal when
it comes to on scene call outs. Consequently, MEDS
is kept appraised of Ranger 38’s location in the event
of a nearby medical emergency. Life and death
emergency medical responses uniformly take priority
over law enforcement and other missions that may
vie for the aircraft and crew’s attention.
Five hundred feet over the desert floor the temperature was a balmy 108° F adding a nice roller
coaster effect to our high speed cruise. The noman’s land of Southern Arizona is criss-crossed with
trails and, in some areas, littered with the refuse of
smuggling: discarded water bottles, blankets, rope,
old fires, and clothing thrown off during the heat of
the day. Taking all of this in, my reverie was broken
by Troy’s voice on the intercom. “There are two
types of people in the back of a Long Ranger,” Hayes
gleefully informed me. “Those who have barfed and
those who will.” “Not today buddy,” I replied with
a false sense of bravado as we crested a hill and flew
over Sierra 107, one of the Border Patrol agents
involved in the search.
Olympic level off-roading
Sierra 107 called in, “Ranger 38, the suspect
vehicle has left the road somewhere in this vicinity. Can you help us locate him?” “Roger 107,”
Troy responded as Hunter banked the aircraft into
a right turn headed for the most likely hiding place
in sight—the densely vegetated river bed of Cienega
Creek, a quarter of a mile away. The wash, a lush
riparian zone oddly green in this harsh brown environment contained large, mesquite trees extending
a grey-green canopy over the dry river bed. Splashes
of shimmering bright green, created by occasional
pockets of ancient cottonwoods complemented the
stark beauty of the wash. All in all, an easy spot to
hide a truck. We dropped down until we were 50
feet over the tree tops moving at the pace of a quick
jog as we attempted to locate the target vehicle.
Unsuccessful in our initial sweep, we climbed
up and attempted to look for dust trails. Only five
miles to the north was a black ribbon transecting the
harsh landscape. Interstate 10 represents the road
to freedom for smugglers fond of transporting drugs
and UDAs in this broad stretch of the border. If the
drug truck made it that far, they’d be safely on their
way. After about an hour on scene, we passed on
our regrets to the Border Patrol who responded with
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thoroughly inspected. Removing the tarp, both our
their thanks. Our fuel was down to 200 lbs. and we
eyes and noses immediately registered the sight and
headed back to TIA to refuel and cool down.
smell of vast quantities of marijuana. One by one,
Helicopter on the ground, refueled and back in
we carried each of the 20 pound, plastic wrapped
the hangar, it was time to cool off. “Ah,” I sighed
at the first taste of cool water from the hangar water bundles, 49 in all, over to the helicopter where they
fountain. I heard the distant ring of a telephone and were stacked prior to loading in the chopper for
transport. The total haul later weighed in at exactly
Troy’s voice saying, “Air Rescue…uh huh…found
some new sign…OK, we’ll be right back out.” Better 999.8 pounds. Oh come on, the smugglers couldn’t
find another lousy .2 pounds somewhere—my sense
get another drink.
of precision was offended. The street value of the
Fifteen minutes later we were entering a new
dope was estimated to be in the neighborhood of
search pattern about 5 miles south of our previ$1.6 million, retail. (Note: Border Patrol uses wholeous location. Sierra 1, joined by Sierra 107 had
sale value in their reporting, equal to $800.00 U.S./
just spotted some fresh tire sign along the Gas Line
pound). Far from being a rare occurrence,
Road from a vehicle now headed off-road
Agent Creamer informed me that
towards the Northwest. We immedithe small Sonoita Substation had
ately began a low and slow search
captured over 54,000 pounds
pattern over the area. In less
of marijuana in their sector
than 5 minutes, Troy called
in just the last nine months.
out, “I have it, 1:00 o’clock
The Tucson Sector, which
climbing out the wall of
covers all of Arizona except
the arroyo.” Hunter made
Yuma, La Paz and Mojave
the turn and in less than
counties, has seized over
a minute we were over
L to r: Officer Troy Hayes,
301,000 pounds this fiscal
the vehicle. Immediately
Agent Thomas Stevenson,
year. I had no idea I would
below was a 1999 charAgent C. Alan Creamer,
be
schlepping over a million
coal gray Chevy extended
Agent Arturo Borrego and
dollars of dope across the
Officer Hunter French with
cab pickup with temporary
‘the
haul’
hot
desert landscape when
license plates. A quick scan of
the alarm went off this morning.
the vehicle and the immediate
Troy unloaded all unnecessary
Photo
Tony
Fonze
area failed to reveal any suspects.
equipment out of the back of the
But, the back of the truck, partially
helicopter.
Unfortunately, this included
covered in a tarp, appeared to be full to the
me. We filled Ranger 38 to the cabin ceiling,
brim with plastic wrapped bundles.
twice, with marijuana, to be transported to the
Border Patrol Station where it was weighed, inventoJust shy of a grand
“Sierra 1, we have your vehicle immediately below ried and locked down. This gave me about an hour
in the hot desert sun, to talk to the Border Patrol
us,” Troy alerted the Border Patrol. “Roger, Ranger
agents on scene.
38, could you come over here and help me locate
Being a Border Patrol agent in this part of the
the best route to the vehicle?” “Affirmative,” and
world
is a difficult, dangerous job. Frequently operwe headed off towards the Border Patrol suburban
ating alone, with miles of rough roads, or no roads,
and U.S. Border Patrol Agent in Charge, C. Alan
from assistance, Border Patrol Agents are required
Creamer. We scouted out the most plausible route
to handle both unfortunate illegal aliens wandering
between Agent Creamer and the target vehicle,
and, feeling a little like Lassie, leading Timmy to the in the harsh, life threatening desert landscape and
injured duckling, we guided the Border Patrol to the dangerous, armed smugglers. Frequently, the two are
indistinguishable. In the summer, the job is complidrug truck.
cated by the unhappy task of locating and rescuing
Again on scene, a small cloud of swirling grass
hundreds of illegal aliens slowly dying of dehydration
and dust engulfed us as Hunter lowered Ranger 38
and excessive heat on their dangerous trek to jobs
gently to the ground, 50 feet from the vehicle. We
were quickly joined by Border Patrol Agents Thomas in the U.S. Women, children and sometimes entire
families die painful deaths, unaware of the dangers of
Stevenson and Arturo Borrego and the truck was
5
3
Photo Donna French
their plight despite flyers, television and radio warnings, paid for by the U.S. government, alerting prospective illegal immigrants of the dangers of the trip.
A minute or two prior to Ranger 38’s return
(I never had a doubt that they would return for
me…though it probably didn’t hurt that they left
their expensive medical equipment behind to keep
me company) an F-16 snuck up on Agent Creamer
and me. Entirely soundless on its approach, the
F-16 “screamed” overhead at less than 500 ft. AGL,
booming its arrival in a way that made us both jump
a foot off the ground. We quickly made a radio call
to Ranger 38 letting them know of the potentially
dangerous traffic in the area. “Happens all the time,”
Creamer mentioned. Not a big surprise in a state
where most of the airspace is surrounded by little red
hash lines and labeled MOA (Military Operations
Areas). Out here, you always have to be on the alert
for low flying, high speed, jet traffic.
All this and NVGs too?
Arizona, one of the most beautiful states in the
U.S., also boasts one of the most diverse environments. Within a 1⁄2 hour flight of Tucson and well
within the mission range of Ranger 38, you can find
harsh desert landscapes with temperatures soaring
well into the hundreds (F); craggy mountain tops and
extensive pine forests with 9,000 foot elevations; and
rushing rivers coursing through steep canyons. Pilots
here must be very familiar with the IGE and OGE
2
6
hover ceilings in their POH.
It would be extremely unusual for a new pilot to
arrive at Air Rescue totally capable of performing
all missions. Though part of the screening process
requires both day and night check rides, newly
assigned pilots must first fly with the unit’s safety
pilot until they meet DPS standards for commercial level flight skills, pinnacles and confined areas. They must also become familiar
with the regions rural and urban geography and
they must learn the DPS way of doing things.
The unit’s paramedics provide valuable assistance to the pilots, handling most non-ATC
radio communications, assisting with navigation
and mission analysis and acceptance. Most new
pilots first go online as PICs in law enforcement,
medical and SAR. They then add the external load
ops including rappel, short haul, and bucket work.
Additionally, all pilots attend Bell recurrency training every 18 months. The DPS customized training
regimen concentrates on emergency procedures and
includes full down night autos.
All Air Rescue air crew members are trained and
current in night vision goggle use. Equipped with
ANVIS (Aviator’s Night Vision Imaging System) 6
and 9 technology, NVGs are used to support a broad
range of mission profiles including law enforcement,
search and rescue, and emergency medical services.
Initial training includes a one day class and five hours
of flight training. Currency requirements mandate
that each pilot log a minimum of one hour per month
on goggles including three take-offs and landings.
OK, so I didn’t actually stick around for 24 hours.
I wanted to, really, but, around 10:00 p.m., everyone
was fading and I could see that Hunter and Troy
wanted to head towards their bunks. So, I said my
farewells and was escorted out of the building, promising to send everyone a picture of the drug bust.
What did I miss? Well at 2:00 a.m. they were called
out to the scene of a fatal traffic accident and a little
later in the morning provided medical assistance
and transport to a multi-vehicle accident off of I-10,
not far from the scene of our earlier drug bust. Just
another day at the office. +
Editor’s note: HIDTA actually stands for High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. It is a multi-agency task
force assembled to combat the concentrated flow of drugs
passing through Southern Arizona.
Cover photo credit: Aaron Reyes
www.autorotate.com
From the President—
Helicopter pilot; rugged individualism
A
pilot recently told me that this profession
was built on “rugged individualism” and it
should stay that way. While rugged individualism has certainly played its role in the development
of the industry and our profession, there comes a
time when change becomes a necessity. Looking
around the world at our profession today, it appears
as though that time is fast approaching.
The Professional Helicopter Pilots’ Association
started accepting members on 5 June 2002 and currently has over 1,500 pilot member pilots from 17
nations. Membership is not only growing but the
growth is accelerating as members tell their fellow
pilots about the organization. Apparently there are
thousands of helicopter pilots around the world who
have grown weary doing the “rugged individualism”
thing and are now looking to join an organization
which represents them; each and every one, on many
different levels. PHPA is our profession’s organization and it is working everyday to build a team that
speaks for our profession as a whole.
Here is a sample of what the team effort is beginning to accomplish. PHPA is sending three representatives to the IFALPA (International Federation
of Airline Pilots’ Associations) Conference in October. What does IFALPA have to do with helicopter
pilots you might well ask? IFALPA is the loudest
pilots’ voice in the industry and they actively participate in aviation regulation development around
the world. They have a helicopter subcommittee,
focused on the unique perspectives of helicopter
pilots, but historically, U.S. representation on the
committee has been poor. Recognizing that the
needs and opinions of U.S. helicopter pilots have
largely gone unheard in the past, they have extended
an offer to PHPA to speak on behalf of the U.S. pilot
population in addition to PHPA’s active participation in discussions affecting helicopter pilots everywhere. The meeting agenda includes the following:
1. Instrument Approaches for Helicopters
2. Flight Time and Duty Time Period Limitations
3. ICAO Annex 14, Part II and Heliport Manual
4. Helicopter Pilot Licensing
5. Cockpit Environment and Pilot
Survival Equipment
6. Civilian Use of Night Vision Goggles (NVGs)
7. ATS Requirements for Helicopters
8. Criteria for Alternates for Helicopters
9. Exchange of Information Affecting the Flight
Safety of Helicopters
10. Civil Tilt Rotor / Tilt Wing
11. Continuing Airworthiness of Helicopters
We also now have a PHPA member attending the
ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization)
Helicopter/Tilrotor study group meetings where
they are working on the following agenda items: (1)
preliminary consideration for the development of
new and amended provisions addressing helicopter flight crew competency requirements. (2) Preliminary consideration for the development of new
provisions for helicopter global navigation satellite
system, instrument approach procedures. (3) Preliminary consideration for the development of new
and amended provisions for dealing with the risk
exposure of performance Class 1, 2 and 3 helicopters
during operations to elevated heliports or helidecks.
(4) Research and review of available information
from States on the safety of commercial operations
at night and under instrument flight rules (IFR) by
helicopters with a single turbine engine for inclusion in a report to the Air Navigation Commission
(ANC). (5) Preliminary consideration for the development of Standards and Recommended Practices
(SARPs) and guidance material on the certification
and operation of tilt-rotor aircraft.
PHPA is a fledgling organization but, in its short
life we have made remarkable in-roads into areas of
concern to all helicopter pilots. We are now serious participants in organizations that affect our
profession—something our profession has never had
before. We are working hard to represent the interests of all helicopter pilots in every aspect of this profession. Through membership in IFALPA and other
organizations PHPA can now accomplish many of its
goals. PHPA will only grow stronger with each new
member and, in time, we will become the strongest
voice in the industry for the working pilot. +
Butch Grafton
President, Professional Helicopter
Pilots’ Association
73
The Airborne Law Enforcement Association
conference comes to town
O
n July seventeenth,
Tucson welcomed
the 32nd Annual
Airborne Law Enforcement
Association (A.L.E.A.)
Conference and Exposition.
A.L.E.A. has more than
3,000 members from local,
state, and federal law enforcement agencies throughout the
United States and the world.
This year, the event was
hosted by the Tucson Police
Department and the United
Photo Hunter French
States Customs Service,
Tucson Aviation Branch.
The conference was a great success thanks to the
hard work and long hours put in by this year’s hosts
and a special thanks to Jeff Dollar of the Tucson
Police Department for his many hours of planning
and preparation.
The conference features many different classes
and training sessions pertinent to aviation law
enforcement personnel at all levels. Classes of
particular interest included the ever-popular CFI
Refresher, Cockpit Resource Management, and tech
briefings by the aircraft manufacturers represented.
Sessions were also well attended on Helicopter Pursuit Tactics, Aircrew Operations, Thermal Imaging,
Photo Hunter French
2
8
by Hunter French
NVG Ground School, Aircrew Operations and the
Command Safety course. Additional management
level training was provided in the Unit Manager’s
Course and the Grants and Proposal Writing Workshops. The conference attendees were extremely
fortunate to receive a presentation by CW4 (Ret.)
Mike Durant, the surviving U.S. Army pilot of
“Black Hawk Down,” who presented a review of his
experiences in Somalia entitled, “Leadership Under
Fire.”
We managed to squeeze in some fun too. Festivities got under way on Wednesday evening with
the opening reception at the Pima Air and Space
Museum, Tucson’s internationally recognized aviation museum—a fitting venue sponsored by Bell
Helicopter Textron, Edwards & Associates, and
Aeronautical Accessories. On Thursday evening
the 25th Annual Pig Pickin (Luau) was sponsored by
FLIR Systems, Wulfsburg Electronics and Heritage
Aviation Services. Later that same evening MD
Helicopters hosted “Piano Madness” which included
an evening of music and mingling. Friday evening,
American Eurocopter presented “Who wants to be
a Helionaire” (don’t ask) and Saturday evening was
the ALEA Annual Scholarship Awards Banquet.
This year’s convention included over one hundred and forty exhibitors located in the Tucson
Convention Center. The weather was great and all
the sponsors, exhibitors, hosts and members that
turned out truly made this Conference and Exposition one to remember. The 33rd Annual Conference
and Exposition will be in Wichita, Kansas on July
23-26 2003. +
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Big iron
security alert
F
or those flying aircraft with maximum certificated takeoff weights
of 12,500 pounds or more; the
U.S. government has issued a final rule
affecting enhanced security measures
under 49 CFR Parts 1540 and 1544.
This rule is being adopted without prior
notice and without prior public comment. However, comments are invited
and may be submitted by mail or electronically at http://dms.dot.gov.
This rule introduces a new security
program, the twelve-five program. It
applies to all aircraft operators using
aircraft with a maximum certificated
takeoff weight of 12,500 pounds or
more and requires them to implement
an aviation security program. Each air
carrier subject to this rule will need to
fingerprint all its flightcrew members;
train all employees with security-related
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duties; acknowledge receipt of, and distribute, Security Directives
and Information Circulars; and prepare, maintain, and accommodate modifications to a security program. Additionally, all flightcrew
members (pilot, flight engineer or flight navigator assigned to duty in
an aircraft during flight time) must be subjected to fingerprint-based
criminal history checks (CHRC). The rule affects operators that
previously held partial security programs, charter operators enplaning
or deplaning passengers into a sterile area, as well as non-passenger
carrying cargo operators.
Operators in Alaska where state law mandates that aircraft carry
certain pieces of emergency equipment not normally deemed desirable on a flight from New York to Miami; including, but not limited
to, hatchets, knives, smoke bombs and firearms, will have access to
special remedies in the form of amendments to their security
programs.
Other elements of the rule entail restricted cockpit access; managing aircrew members with positive arrest histories; and record administration. Compliance is mandated by December 6, 2002.
Copies of the final rule can be obtained by (1) Going to the search
function of DOT’s Docket Management System (DMS) at http:
//dms.dot.gov/search (2) On the search page type in the last digits
of the docket number TSA-2002-11604 and click on “search” (3)
On the next page, click on final rule. Copies can also be obtained
through the Government Printing Office’s web page at http://
www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140html. +
93
FARs—can’t live with ‘em,
can’t LIVE without ‘em (Part One)
by Tony Fonze
This article is the first in a two part
series reviewing the history of aviation and the origin of some of the
rules, regulations and technology
we take for granted today. Why,
you say? Because, it occurred to me
that sometimes, we forget that we
are pilots too, not ‘just’ helicopter pilots.
These articles are aimed at the pilot in all of
us. Part I, discusses the very early days of aviation and the origin of the FARs. Can’t live with ‘em,
can’t live without ‘em. Part II, reviews the progression
from lighted airways to the origination of airspace and
how the rules are made today.
I felt compelled to write this small preamble because
the nature of this article may seem a little out of character for those of you who are old “autorotate” aficionados. As I began to research this
piece, I found the material compelling
and interesting and looked forward to
sharing it with you. I hope you enjoy
it. Tony
I
’ve been wondering about the FARs. I know. It
sounds crazy. I must have better things to think
about. But, where did all those things come from?
The U.S. Department of Transportation Title 14 of
the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) looks like,
and sometimes reads like the King James. How did
that come to be?
Naively, I began to stumble down the rutted road
of discovery.
My first wrong turn came when I asked some
“friends” in high places for help. “Sure, Tony, we’d
be glad to help. ‘You’re trying to do what?’ Sorry,
my boss is on vacation and I won’t be able to get
back to you for about, Oh, six years.” Thanks a lot!
I then took a detour to my local FAA Planning
Specialist, John Zimmer, always willing to help; who
in turn steered me towards Ned Preston, the FAA
Historian (can you believe it, they have a historian).
Now I was getting somewhere.
I was extremely busy, patting myself on the back
for my good fortune at discovering Ned, only to
get Ned’s voice mail at the FAA cheerfully informing me that he retired 2 weeks ago. It didn’t sound
like Ned would be or could be replaced. But, Ned’s
message was kind enough to direct my attention to
2
10
the Department of Transportation Library. Can’t be
as good as having a Ned, but then beggars can’t be
choosers. A telephone call to my new source yielded
a very helpful librarian (whom I shall refer to as
Librarian No. 1) who was enthusiastic about providing assistance until he saw my rather lengthy and
obscure list of questions. He promptly referred me
(read as ‘passed the buck’) to Librarian No. 2. No.
2 was much less enthusiastic, having been alerted to
my approach by Librarian No. 1. Nevertheless, he
found the time to direct me towards several historical publications. One week later, volumes in hand, I
dove in.
Blame the whole thing on the post office
Believe it or not, it was the insightful senior
management of the U.S. Postal Service (definitely
not the same people in charge today) who first
recognized and acted to realize the commercial
potential of the airplane. World War I (1914-1918)
gave the world the first glimpse of the possibility that
airplanes could do something besides crash (though
they continued to do so in incredible numbers). But,
it was the Postal Service that first found a meaningwww.autorotate.com
ful civilian mission for this new mode of transportation—airmail. The Post Office was determined that
Americans were going to get airmail service—whether
they wanted it or not!
Before the end of the war, airmail delivery was
initiated between New York and Washington and
less than a year later, transcontinental airmail service
was launched between New York and San Francisco
(with only 12 intermediate stops required). The War
Department provided all the aircraft and pilots for
start up. But, in less than 3 months the
Post Office began providing its
own pilots and
planes.
Having
successfully
demonstrated the
feasibility of airmail
delivery, the Post
Office began to let
airmail contracts
to civilian operators in 1925. Early
contractors of airmail
operations included Ford
Motor Co., National
Air Transport (later
National Airlines),
Pan American Airways
(Pan Am), Transcontinental
and Western Air (later TWA), American
Airways (later American Airlines), Delta Air Service
(later Delta Airlines), and United Airlines. By August
1927, the Post Office was out of the airplane business all together, having planted the seed that would
become the commercial airline industry. What a great
way to start an airline—no passenger briefings, no
meal service, no “no smoking” signs in the lavatories,
no lavatories.
By July 1925, airmail pilots were flying 2.5 million
miles per year, carrying 9.3 million pieces of mail. So
what about airports, licensing, medicals, rules, aircraft
registration, minimums and the currently popular,
runway incursion training?
Licenses—we don’t need no
stinkin’ licenses
Oh really? Of the first 40 pilots employed in the
new airmail service only 9 survived to tell their grandchildren. With new carriers starting up and new air
mail routes being initiated every day, the skies and
the earth immediately below were becoming decidedly
unsafe. Even Charles Lindbergh, still an unknown
airmail pilot for the Robertson Aircraft Company,
nearly had his license suspended for parachuting
from his airplane, on two separate occasions, leaving the planes to make it to the ground on their own.
Though his emergency exits appeared warranted, a
leading aviation official commented at the time, “He’s
not going to help commercial aviation if he keeps
dropping these airplanes around the countryside.”
Accidents were bad for business. If it wasn’t safe to
fly, the nascent commercial aviation industry would
never get off the ground (did I say that?). Things
were so bad, that something almost unimaginable
occurred. The aircraft operators lobbied, or should
I say begged, the government to take control of the
situation. Somewhat reluctantly, they did.
President Calvin Coolidge signed into law The Air
Commerce Act of 1926 on May 20, of that year. The
act instructed the Secretary of Commerce to foster air
commerce; designate and establish airways; establish,
operate, and maintain aids to air navigation; arrange
for R & D to improve technology; license pilots; issue
airworthiness certificates for aircraft and major aircraft components; and investigate accidents. Why
Commerce? Because this was viewed as a business
problem and a money problem, not a safety problem.
The Aeronautics Branch, later to become the Federal
Aviation Agency (1958) and finally the Federal Aviation Administration (1967), was born, along with the
future NTSB. The rules were not far behind.
The original rule book was drafted by personnel of
the Aeronautics Branch and members of the Department’s legal office. They were somewhat based on
regulations the Post Office had imposed on its airmail
contract suppliers to improve the accident statistics
and the profit margin. This first draft was reviewed
by the War, Navy, and Post Office departments,
quickly resulting in Version 2. Hundreds of copies of
this second draft were sent to aircraft manufacturers
and operators, resulting in further revisions. Notice, I
didn’t say anything about copies being sent to pilots.
(See “From the President” in this issue) Pilots and
mechanics that had access to the proposed regulations could attend and comment in public discussion
sessions as individual contributors. Versions 3 and 4
were similarly drafted and circulated for review. Only
eight short months later, on December 31, 1926,
the Civil Air Regulations, the CARs, were put into
effect. This was a remarkable feat when you consider
the absence of computers, faxes, the internet, etc.
113
CARs…FARs…see where this whole thing is headed?
The original rules were short and to the point and
seemed to make sense. Basic air traffic guidelines
were established; guidelines for the registration, certification and inspection of aircraft were created; and
pilot and mechanic licensing requirements went into
effect (after a brief delay to get organized). Pilots were
divided into three classes—transport, industrial and
private. Transport and industrial pilots had to pass
written and flight exams and have a minimum of 100
and 50 hours respectively. Applicants for all levels of
pilot license had to be of “good moral character”—a
trait that evidently did not require further definition.
Physical examinations were mandatory. As one
official of the day put it, “There is no occupation in
which physical condition is of such paramount importance…” He went on to observe, “A pilot physically
fit today may not be so next week.” And, from the
beginning, transport pilots were required to submit to
a physical every six months. Physical exams were to be
administered by one of 57 Department of Commerce
approved doctors around the country. The number of
physicians would rapidly expand, at one time reverting to a condition where any licensed physician could
administer the physical. The reason why is clear. By
1928, over 17,000 pilot applications had been filed.
Pilot license No. 1 was issued to William P. MacCracken, Jr., the Assistant Secretary of Commerce
for Aeronautics, the man who almost single handedly
launched the nation’s aviation program. MacCracken
had offered the honor to Orville Wright, deciding to
waive the fee and requisite examinations. Orville,
however, a practical man now 56 years of age, rejected
the offer declaring that he didn’t fly anymore. He also
added that he didn’t need a Federal license (read as
don’t need no stinkin’ license) to show that he had
been the first man to fly.
We have lots of pilots moving lots of mail around
and we have lots of rules being written to control the
whole thing. What’s missing? John Q. Public could
care less!
“Look, up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a
plane…”
For the average American citizen, airplanes were
merely a form of entertainment and sometimes, concern. They saw little value in them. But, all that was
about to change. In late May, 1927, a 25 year old
postal pilot from Minnesota took off from New York
aiming for Paris. What made this trip so meaningful to
the public and consequently, to the future of aviation,
212
was not just what Lindbergh accomplished—it was
Lindbergh himself.
Charles Lindbergh was “used” to introduce aviation to everyone in the country. William MacCracken
(the same high level official who, a few short years ago,
was contemplating revoking Lindbergh’s license) now
exploited his feat dramatically, to the benefit of the
new aviation industry. Lindbergh, “Time” magazine’s
first Man of the Year, flew all over the country on a
government sponsored 48 state tour giving rides to dignitaries, all the while “selling” aviation with his quiet,
dignified charm. The idea of “flight” was being firmly
implanted in the minds of America.
Was he successful? Here’s an interesting fact.
During the Great Depression one of every four men
was unemployed in this country. 86,000 businesses
failed and prices for everything dropped precipitously. During that same period air carrier operations
grew—just about the only business sector to do so.
But, it didn’t just grow—it launched. Between 1929
and 1930 air passenger miles went from near zero to
over 85 million. Two years later, passenger miles were
nearly 128 million. Scheduled domestic and international air carriers increased their work force by 254
percent in three years.
Hoping to do their part to further stimulate air
passenger traffic, in 1930, the Post Office issued an
order calling for the installation of at least two passenger seats in every mail plane operated during daylight
hours. You gotta love the Post Office.
Accident driven regulation
From the very beginning, accidents fueled regulation. The voices of those in the industry clamored for
government regulation. Later, when the public took
to the air, they added their considerable clout to the
uproar. Here are just a few of thousands of examples
of highly visible episodes that helped fill out the pages
of the CARs/FARs.
During one week in July of 1922, New York and
Washington D.C. residents began to get a feel for the
current state of affairs. An aircraft buzzed the Long
Island Speedway causing one frightened motorist to
lose control of his car and crash in a fatal accident.
Not long after, while performing stunts over the beach,
a plane went out of control and crashed, nearly taking
out a group of local sunbathers. Another plane went
out of control over the Hudson River barely missing a
ship and a train before crashing. Meanwhile, in Washington, a former Army reserve officer whose commission had been revoked for reckless flying, crashed,
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killing a passenger. Just another crash
may not seem noteworthy except that
same pilot had recently buzzed President Harding while Harding was delivering the dedication of the brand new
Lincoln Memorial to a large crowd—
drowning out the President’s speech.
The public began to take notice.
Knute Rockney, famous Notre
Dame football coach, was killed along
with eight others in the 1931 crash of
a TWA Fokker F-10A near Bazaar,
Kansas. This accident ultimately led
to the doom of this popular aircraft
as well as an uproar from the public,
fueling an already ongoing debate on
whether all airline passengers should
be provided with parachutes and
instruction in their use prior to flight.
Insurance, still a major issue with
all operators, was a huge factor in putting pressure on the government for
additional regulation. Large losses due
to poor conditions, unsafe flight, and
irresponsible piloting resulted in business crushing liability insurance rates.
Insurance costs represented over 17%
of the operating costs of even the
safest companies. Hey, this sounds
like today!
Flight schools continued to remain
a reliable source of death and destruction. 20% of all fatal accidents
involved students on solo flights. Out
of a group of 147 accidents studied,
nearly 50% involved pilots with less
than 50 hours of flying time. Clearly,
there was a flight instruction problem.
Flight schools at the time were regulated, if at all, by the state, because
Federal regulations only related to
interstate commercial aviation. By
1933, however, 29 states required Federal licensing for all intrastate flight
operations—including flight schools.
Federal control of aviation, throughout the country, was now firmly
established.
Other rules were created as the
need arose. When the Wilmington,
Del., Chamber of Commerce com-
Tidbits from the Past
1. 1926 Original launch of
federal regulation (Air Commerce Act of 1926).
2. 1926 The 1st airworthiness
inspection was conducted on a
Stinson Detroiter
3. 1927 A limited commercial pilot license was created
permitting pilots to carry passengers within a 10 mile radius of
their base while building time for
a transport license.
4. 1928 A 5 member Aircraft Accident Board was formed
to investigate and analyze civil
aircraft accidents to identify and
eliminate their causes.
5. 1928 Teletype machines
went into use to transmit aviation weather information.
6. 1928 Regulations covering the entry and clearance of
aircraft carrying foreign cargo
and passengers in the U.S. went
into effect.
7. 1929 Federal licensing of
flying schools began.
8. 1929 New transport pilot
regulations went into affect limiting commercial activities to just
the aircraft pilots had specified
on their license.
9. 1929 “Uniform Field
Rules” for air traffic control were
put into effect.
10. 1930 500 feet was established as the minimum altitude
at which aircraft might fly other
than for takeoff and landing.
11. 1930 Airworthiness regulations for aircraft components
and accessories became effective.
12. 1930 Airlines were
required to obtain a certificate
of authority to operate if they
engaged in interstate passenger
service. To qualify, an airline
was required to demonstrate that
aircraft were properly equipped
and maintained, airmen were
qualified, and an adequate
ground organization was in place.
13. 1931 Interstate operations with aircraft flying a schedule of 5 or more hours, carrying 8
or more passengers now required
a copilot.
14. 1932 A new scheduled
air transport pilot rating requires
the pilot to demonstrate their
use of airway navigation aids and
to fly specified maneuvers using
only instruments.
15. 1933 Solo flying time
required for a private pilot’s
license increases from 10 to 50
hours.
16. 1933 Airlines were
required to make detailed reports
of all forced landings.
17. 1934 Revised safety
requirements for airlines
included requirement for airline
pilots to use multi-engine aircraft
capable of operating with one
engine when flying at night or
over difficult terrain. Instrument
flying was now limited to multiengine airliners with two-way
radios.
18. 1935 Simultaneous transmission of radio beacon signals
and voice was first put into regular service (Pittsburgh).
19. 1936 New instrument
flight rules went into effect
requiring pilots to file a flight
plan if they intended to fly by
instruments or along a civil
airway when visibility was less
than one mile.
20. 1937 The main part
of the Civil Air Regulations
(CARs), predecessor to the
FARs, goes into effect. Regulations were divided into parts
and sections numbered by an
expansible decimal system. This
is the first time the CARs/FARs
were all published together in the
same book.
21. And so on and so on and
so on…
13
3
plained of aircraft “throwing out masses of advertising
matter” over the city, the Aeronautics Branch made a
rule against it. Add another page.
2
14
Excuse me, am I in Washington?
The development of the aviation industry was
entirely dependent upon the parallel development
of ground based airways. A ground based airway
consisted of all of the support services necessary to
get a plane from A to B. This included emergency/
intermediate runways, fuel, maintenance support;
weather observations; and navigational assistance.
Fortunately, the need for ground based airways and
navigational aids was demonstrated early on—on the
inaugural flight of the New York-Washington air mail
route.
George Boyle was a brand new U.S. Army Lieutenant, fresh from flight school. Unfortunately, he was
immediately assigned to fly the first flight of the newly
announced New York to Washington airmail route. It
was an exciting day. The large crowd gathered to send
him off included President Woodrow Wilson. Almost
immediately after take off George got lost, finally landing, unsure of his location, in Waldorf, Maryland—still
25 miles from Washington D.C. The mail he carried
arrived in Washington two days later—by train. Not
wanting to begin and possibly end a budding army aviation career on this unhappy note, George received a
careful briefing by his comrades before attempting the
return leg. I’m sorry to say, all the preparation failed
to accomplish its goal and George again got lost, this
time being forced to execute a dead-stick landing after
running out of fuel in his quest for New York. I don’t
know what eventually happened, but I’m not optimistic about George’s long term success in aviation.
In the very early days, airmail pilots flew only in the
day time and almost exclusively by known landmarks.
And, of course, just like pilots today, only in bright
sunny weather. Not! But, there
was a schedule to keep and, even
more so, they had something to
prove. So they continued to fly in
more and more marginal weather.
Their choices in IMC were to fly
under or through to get on top.
Needless to say, both courses of
action resulted in numerous fatal
accidents. Staring at an instrument panel completely devoid of
any gyroscopic instrumentation,
populated by only a gyrating compass, a grossly inaccurate altimeter
and a jumping knot meter; even
the most experienced pilots could keep “it” together
in the clouds for only a few minutes. Lindbergh’s two
parachute jumps in 1927 were due as much to weather
conditions as to the fact that he was flying old army
surplus aircraft.
In early aviation, things happened at an incredible pace. By 1933, only 8 years from the inception
of Federal involvement in commercial aviation, the
Federal Airway system consisted of 18,000 miles of
lighted airways. Pilots along these airways could land
at any of 263 intermediate landing fields. They found
their way at night by pursuing a chain of 1,550 rotating
light beacons. There have been many times today that
I would have loved to follow a string of lights from my
departure point to my destination.
So what’s next? Well, lights turned into radio
beacons leading to instrument flight rules creating an
instant demand for air traffic control requiring international coordination and more and more regulations.
But, more on that next time. +
References:
Bonfires to Beacons, Federal Civil Aviation Policy
Under the Air Commerce Act, 1926-1938; Nick A.
Komons; Reprinted 1989; Smithsonian Institution
Press; Washington, D.C.
FAA Historical Chronology, Civil Aviation and the
Federal Government, 1926-1996; Department of Transportation, FAA, Office of Public Affairs; 1998;
Washington, D.C.
Turbulence Aloft, The Civil Aeronautics Administration Amid Wars and Rumors of Wars, 1938-1953;
John R. M. Wilson; 1979; U.S. Department of
Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration;
Washington, D.C.
www.autorotate.com
PHPA classifieds
A
complete list of job postings can be found at www.autorotate.com. Remember to
login with your member id prior to going to job listings. Employers—If you would like
to take advantage of PHPA’s FREE job listing service, where 1000s of pilots will see
your ad, go to www.autorotate.com.
Tell them you saw it in autorotate!
Employer/Contact
AIRCAM Helicopters
daverichter@aircamheli
copters.com
Job Description/
Requirements
Pilot for Part 91/135 & OAS
operations. Minimum, 5000
hours as PIC in turbine helos.
Qualified in Bell 206 and
Aerospatiale 355/350. Factory schools preferred. Must
have extensive High Altitude
(above 10,000 ft. MSL) exp.
Benefits
50K to 60K +
Employer/Contact
Intertech Services Inc.,
Rockville, MD
Bob Rutzel
Tel. 301-294-9380 Fax. 301294-9382
itsbob@rcn.com
Job Description/
Requirements
Instructor Pilot, UH-60. Fluent
English/Spanish to train
Colombian pilots in Bogota in
accordance with CNP Operations and UH-60 Aircrew
Training Manual. Must be
UH-60 experienced; CFI &
Commercial Pilot with rotorcraft and helicopter instrument
rating; minimums. PC word
processing experience.
Benefits
$7,000 per month +bonus
& 7K on 12 month contract.
Furnished apt., car & driver,
insurance. +
Employer/Contact
LSI, go to
www.autorotate.com, members only section, for direct
submission of resume.
Light on the skids
Job Description/
Requirements
Instructor pilots to teach Initial
Entry Rotary Wing Students
at Ft. Rucker, Alabama. For
Primary Flight Training or
Basic Combat Skills Instructor
requirements are 500 hours
in rotorcraft and FAA Class II
Physical or Army Class II Flight
Physical and CFI, CFII or DOD
IP Orders. For Instrument/
Graduate level training, same
as above + rotorcraft instrument rating (FAA or military)
and 100 hours hooded/
simulator or weather time.
Benefits
Secure employment with
excellent benefits: 401K, medical, dental, vision, life and
incentive leave. 6 1⁄2 hr. work
day, 5 days a week. Training
conducted in TH-67 (Bell 206),
OH-58’s and UH-1’s. +
Dorcey Wingo
and ARF
15
3
Live and learn
“I GUESS WE CAN TRY” by Jeff Smith
I
am not alone when I confess that many of
the dumb things I have done in aviation have
resulted from the best of intentions. One may
even recognize the impending violation of good
flight practice, yet still get emotionally sucked into
doing the wrong thing in an atmosphere of trying
to accomplish some good deed. Such was the case
when I found myself literally hovering over the top
of a ship at sea, out of sight of land, in a single engine
helicopter, with no flotation gear, no raft, not even
a floating cushion for the five very exposed people
on board. It was about that point in the flight when
it hit me like a slap…. “what the #$*& am I doing
here?!”
The mission was to provide medivac coverage
with our Army UH-1 to the 2nd Armor Division performing tank range training in Denmark. The range
was a plot of water out in the North Sea, and our
boys in green were doing a live fire exercise from a
Danish base on the coast. Our crew had flown up to
the base from Germany to provide coverage for the
weeklong exercise, and through day five things had
been quiet (aka boring) and we were already making
plans for the flight home in a day or so. Shortly after
lunch, a Danish liaison officer walked up and said
there was a problem. A ship had entered into the
range close to shore, and had caused a suspension of
the firing exercise. They had been unable to contact
it by radio, and wanted to know if we could fly out
there and “shoo it away.”
Weeellll now, I’m not so sure that would be a
good idea, I offered, as we didn’t have any over water
survival gear, and besides, what was I suppose to do
when I got out to the ship anyway? “No problem,”
came the reply. The ship was just off the coast, and
the liaison officer would go
with us and take care of everything. If we did nothing, the
exercise could be shut down
for the entire day, and perhaps
not even be finished in time
to rotate back to Germany on
schedule. (Anyone recognize
the subtle get-home-itis pressure?)
Reluctantly, not wanting to
appear uncooperative to our
216
hosts, I offered to take a look while pointing out that
I could make no promises. I made a mental note that
if it didn’t look right; we would simply turn around
and could at least say we tried. The weather was
clear and cool.
With that, our crew of four and one Danish
liaison officer took off to find the ship that had been
reported “just off the shore.” As we crossed the
coastline, there was not a ship to be seen anywhere.
Range control insisted the ship was “not far” and
right in front of us. Well, OK, I allowed, we can go a
little further, still trying to be helpful, but that warning bell in the back of my mind was starting to
make noise.
I’m still not certain why I continued way past the
point of sanity. Determination? Curiosity? Resignation? We were at least 15 minutes at 100 kts. straight
out into the North Sea (water temperature 42° F)
when we finally caught sight of the ship. As we made
the turn to come alongside, I looked for the shore
that was nowhere in sight. Moments later, we were
hovering at deck height next to a rusty freighter,
our doors open, with our liaison officer frantically
waving his arms and pointing in the direction that
he wanted the ship to go. For several minutes we
slowly circled the ship, salt spray flying, as the rest of
our crew got into the waving and pointing act, and
the number of crew on the deck of the ship grew and
waved back. What a picture! Of course, the incredulous crew of the ship, who must still be wondering
what that crazy American helicopter was doing hovering around in the middle of the ocean, understood
none of it. Their course didn’t change one degree.
It was about that time my sanity returned and
we headed for shore; all the while making promises
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to my ‘Maker’ that were promptly forgotten when
we re-crossed the coast on the flight back. An hour
later, the ship departed the range, (on the same
course it entered), the firing exercise resumed, and
eventually the units rotated home on schedule. We
had accomplished nothing, short of putting the lives
of five people at risk.
I have reflected back on this experience many
times in the 20 years since. While the entire episode
was more comic than tragic, the lesson it taught me
was profound. There is much to be learned from
situations like this. At the time, I believed that I was
being prudent and careful at almost every decision
point that I encountered. I knew the risk. I questioned the mission. I had no intention of flying out to
sea unequipped. And yet WE did. (From beginning
to end, not one person on the crew challenged any
of my decisions.)
I leave the reader to draw his or her own moral
from this true story. As for me, I have learned that a
polite “no, we can’t do that” is often the most helpful
thing that you can say to someone.
I say it more often now. +
NTSBs
T
he following information was
extracted from the NTSB files.
It has been edited for available space and is subject to change
as investigations continue. Reports
were selected based on importance
of the information to the broader
helicopter industry.
the helicopter, and about 60 acres
of brush/grass.
The pilot/operator manual for
the helicopter contains a safety
advisory that states, in part: “Never
land in tall dry grass. The exhaust is
low to the ground and very hot; a
grass fire may be ignited.”
Robinson R-44; Galena, AK
June 06; No Injuries
On June 6, 2002, about 1845
ADT, a skid-equipped Robinson
R-44 helicopter was destroyed by
fire after landing about 5 miles east
of Galena, Alaska. The commercial
certificated pilot, and two ground
personnel, were not injured.
The operator reported the pilot
landed in an area of brush/grass
to pick up two passengers who had
been conducting a ground survey.
The pilot stayed at the controls of
the helicopter, and reduced the
engine rpm to 70 percent as the
ground personnel were loading
their equipment into external baskets on the helicopter. The pilot told
the director of operations that he
smelled smoke, and the passengers
noticed flames under the helicopter. The pilot attempted to regain
full engine rpm to lift-off from the
landing area, but was unable to
do so because the engine quit.
The pilot exited the helicopter, and
along with the ground personnel,
attempted to extinguish the flames
on the ground. The fire consumed
Hughes OH-6A; Central, AK
June 21; 1 Fatal,
3 Serious Injuries
On June 21, 2002, about 2319
ADT, a Hughes OH-6A helicopter sustained substantial damage
shortly after takeoff about 15 miles
west-southwest of Central, Alaska.
The private helicopter pilot/operator
sustained serious injuries, two of the
three passengers aboard were seriously injured, and the third passenger was fatally injured. Instrument
meteorological conditions prevailed
in the area of the accident.
Witnesses said the engaged
couple was transported to Eagle
Summit in the helicopter for a
mountaintop wedding ceremony.
Witnesses/guests said when they
arrived on Eagle Summit in their
personal vehicles, it was windy,
but visibility was good, and the
clouds were high above the summit.
They said they could see worsening weather approaching from the
north. Shortly after the helicopter
arrived, the weather closed in, and
it began to snow. Visibility was
reduced to 100 to 300 feet in wet,
heavy, blowing snow. The wedding
ceremony was concluded quickly,
and the pilot voiced concerns about
having to leave the helicopter on
the mountaintop over night. The
pilot and his wife boarded the
helicopter and occupied the front
two seats, and the bride and groom
occupied the two rear seats. Witnesses said the helicopter lifted off
of the ground, made a right turn,
and disappeared into the blowing
snow… (Witnesses) said they had
to remove an accumulation of wet,
heavy snow from their cars prior
to descending along the summit
access road. About two-tenths of
a mile east on Steese Highway,
wedding guests spotted the crashed
helicopter. The tail boom, tail
rotors, and main rotor system were
separated from the helicopter, and
the engine was still running. The
occupants of the helicopter were
evacuated from the helicopter by
the wedding guests, and moved to
the highway. Due to the remoteness of the area, the occupants
were transported to the hospital by
private automobile. The witnesses
said the helicopter engine was still
running at a high rpm when they
left the area.
Schweizer 269C-1; Andover, NJ
August 21; 2 Serious Injuries
On August 21, 2002, about
0948 EDT, a Schweizer 269C-1,
was substantially damaged when
173
it landed hard during a practice
autorotation. The certificated flight
instructor and student pilot received
serious injuries.
According to the flight instructor,
they were practicing autorotations
to the approach end of runway 03.
The helicopter was at an altitude
of about 1,100 feet above ground
level (AGL), when the student pilot
reduced engine power to idle, and
lowered the collective. However,
around 800 feet AGL, the student
pilot raised the collective to the full
up position. The main rotor rpm
decayed, and the flight instructor immediately took control of the
helicopter. He lowered the collective and increased engine power to
full throttle. The engine responded;
however, the vertical velocity of the
helicopter increased, and the main
rotor rpm did not recover to the
normal operating range prior
to touchdown.
The flight instructor reported
that his total fight experience was
in excess of 11,000 hours, with
7,500 hours as a flight instructor,
including 600 hours in rotorcraft,
and 400 hours in make and model.
The student pilot was reported to
be in the pre-solo stage of training,
with about 20 hours of recent flight
experience.
Editor’s Note: Always remember,
they ARE trying to kill you.
Incidents taken from the
United Kingdom Air Accidents
Investigation Branch
Sikorsky S76A; 28 m. NE of
Cromer, Norfolk July 16, 2002; 10
Fatal Injuries, 1 Missing
On July 16, 2002 at 1944 Hrs
(Local), the offshore transport flight
was on the final leg of a multi-sector
flight, when the aircraft crashed into
the sea from a height of about 320
ft. Two crew members and eight
passengers were killed, one passenger is missing.
Drilling rig workers reported
hearing a loud bang and one witness described seeing the main
rotor head with the blades attached
falling into the sea after the remainder of the aircraft had impacted
the surface. An alarm was sent
out with the first rescue craft arriving 7 minutes after the crash. Five
bodies were recovered along with
some light debris. On July 19, five
more bodies were recovered in an
underwater search. More than 97%
of the structure of the helicopter was
ultimately recovered.
Information from flight data and
audio recorders indicate the existence of and the crew awareness of
an increase in vibration. The crew
did not appear overly concerned.
Test pilot (IFR Refresher)
1. The typical service volume for a glideslope
signal is:
a. 5 nautical miles
b. 10 nautical miles
c. 20 nautical miles
d. Depends on receiver volume
2. How often must the required VOR operations check be complied with?
a. 30 days
b. 60 days
c. 45 days
d. 90 days
3. When performing the VOR check, you
logged the VOR #1 bearing “FROM” the station as 212 degrees. VOR #2 “FROM” the
same station was logged as 216 degrees. You
are legal for IFR.
a. True
b. False
4. You’re below minimum vectoring altitude
(MVA) and approach issues you a turn. Can
you accept the new heading or must you be
above the MVA first?
a. You must be above the MVA
b. If you have Mode C, approach
can vector you and you can accept the
new heading.
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c. If approach knows your altitude
and can keep you 3 miles away from
prominent objects until you can climb to 1000
feet above those objects you can take the turn.
5. One dot off on the glideslope at the OM is
roughly how many feet high or low?
a. 100 feet
b. 30 feet
c. 75 feet
d. 50 feet
6. What constitutes a severe thunderstorm?
a. Presence of wind shear
b. Rain in excess of two inches per
hour
c. Surface winds greater than or
equal to 50 knots or hail greater
than or equal to 3⁄4 -inch
d. Frequent lightning
7. What are the four levels of icing?
a. Trace, Light, Moderate, Severe
b. Few, Light, Moderate, Severe
c. Light, Moderate, Severe, Extreme
d. Icing is reported by depth
8. You dial up the ATIS and the ceiling and
visibility are omitted, how come?
a. They were inadvertently left out
b. Ceiling is greater than 5000 feet
MSL and vis is greater than 5 nautical miles
c. Ceiling is greater than 5000 feet
AGL and vis is greater than 5 statute
miles
d. Ceiling is greater than 5000 feet
AGL or vis is greater than 5 statute
miles
9. During an approach, you are inside the FAF
when the approach drops below minimums.
Approach must break you off the approach
unless you are operating Part 91.
a. True
b. False
10. You have been cleared for the approach.
When you break out and have the runway in
sight, what must you do?
a. Continue your landing and clear
the runway as soon as possible
b. Land and hold for taxi instructions
c. Receive a clearance to land
d. Side step clear of the runway in
use
www.autorotate.com
Wreckage and metallurgical analysis revealed an anomaly in one of
the four rotor blades that may have
resulted in blade fracture and
separation ultimately resulting
in the separation of the gearbox
and rotorhead from the fuselage
in flight. Evidence was found that
at the time of the suspect blade’s
manufacture, 21 years prior to the
accident, an anomaly was introduced in the joint between the two
titanium leading edge erosion strips
resulting in a doubling of the thickness of the erosion strip material,
in turn, resulting in virtual contact
between the erosion strip and the
blade’s titanium spar ultimately
acting as a source of fatigue failure. Additionally, the suspect blade
was damaged by a lightning strike
in 1999 which, though repaired
and returned to service, may have
further damaged the spar.
The point of the anomaly would
have been hidden from view during
routine in-service blade inspections.
Consequently, there may be other
S-76 blades that have a similar
hidden anomaly that may be relevant to the continued airworthiness
of those blades. Therefore, on the
26th of July, it was recommended
that the FAA mandate appropriate action to ensure the continued
airworthiness of Sikorsky S-76 main
rotor blades which have either: a
two-piece leading edge titanium
sheath (erosion strip) or have suffered a lightning strike.
Sikorsky S-61N; Poole Harbour,
Dorset July 15, 2002; No Injuries
The search and rescue helicopter while on their first alert of the
shift suffered an engine fire in the
number 2 engine resulting in an
Quiz answers
1. (b) Typical service volumes for
glideslope signals are 10 miles, however, they do vary and you must check
your plan view.
2. (a) The VOR must be operationally
checked within the preceding 30 days.
FAR 91.171
3. False. FAR 91.171 allows you to
check one VOR against the other as
long as they are within 4 degrees,
however, you must log the bearings
“TO” the station.
4. (c). Approach can vector below
MVA if the radar antenna is within
40 miles and they don’t point you at
those prominent objects displayed on
the radar screen. They must keep you
3 miles away from those objects until
you climb and report 1000 ft. above
those objects either by voice or
Mode C.
5. (d) Over the OM one dot is approxi-
mately 50 feet. One dot at the MM
would be about 8 feet.
6. (c) All those other things might be
in a severe thunderstorm, but hail or
wind conditions are what trigger the
name.
7. (a)
8. (c) Reporting ceiling and visibility
is an option if both are greater than
5,000 ft. (AGL) and 5(sm).
9. False. Part 91 can shoot the
approach if the visibility is zero/zero.
135/121 types can continue the
approach, if they are inside of the FAF.
10. (c). The approach clearance is
not a clearance to land. You must
let the tower know you have the
runway visual and receive the
landing clearance.
emergency landing and the ultimate
destruction of the aircraft by fire.
While enroute to investigate
reports of a vessel emitting a lot of
smoke to the north of their position,
two rear crew members noticed
an unusual noise and commented
on this on their intercom. Almost
immediately, the ‘NO 2 ENG FIRE
WARN’ light and audio alarm
activated. Smoke was seen coming
from the area of the No 2 engine
exhaust and smoke was also seen in
the cabin. The crew continued with
the fire drill procedure while the
commander initiated a climb and a
turn towards Bournemouth Airport,
some 7 nm away. An emergency
was declared. The extinguisher
system failed to suppress the fire
and shortly after the ‘TRANS OIL
PRESS’ light illuminated followed
by the ‘MASTER CAUTION’ light.
The co-pilot had identified a suitable landing field to the left of the
helicopter and the commander
called “Immediate Landing.” On
final approach the ‘NO 1 ENG
FIRE WARN’ light illuminated and
smoke was becoming dense in the
cabin. A successful landing was
made and after touchdown the
crew shut down No 1 engine and
quickly vacated the helicopter. The
helicopter was destroyed by fire
shortly after the crew were clear.
The interval between the original
fire warning and touchdown was
80 seconds.
Initial findings indicate that a
Thomas flexible coupling in the
No 2 main drive shaft had run
eccentrically, for reasons yet to
be determined. Radial play at the
Thomas coupling had allowed it to
come into contact with the tubular
aft engine support in which the
main drive shaft ran. As a result
the aft engine support was severed
probably leading to the release
of engine oil into the area of the
gearbox, resulting in the fire.
The failure mode described has
occurred on previous occasions
and in 1988 another S-61, GBEID, was lost in apparently similar circumstances. An Inspector’s
Investigation has been ordered. +
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