H E L I O P S M A G .

C O M I A K I A K A H A M E D I A P U B L I C AT I O N ISSUE 142 I 2023

DISRUPTIVELAB BIRD ON A DIET THE ONLY GAME

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS AIR METHODS GOES IN TOWN
CONTINUE TO PUSH LIGHT WITH MERCY AIR’S PINELLAS COUNTY SHERIFF’S
THE R&T ENVELOPE NEW BELL 429 UPGRADED AIR UNIT
 airbus.com

HCARE
IS
MISSION
LIKE NO
OTHER

Helping to keep the world a beautiful place, Airbus HCare 

portfolio offers the best combination of support and services
for every customer. Starting the moment an Airbus helicopter
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OUR
TEAM
PUBLISHER
Neville ‘Ned’ Dawson

EDITOR
Mark Ogden

DEPUTY EDITOR
Alan Norris

SUB EDITOR
Leigh Neil

EASTERN EUROPE EDITOR

Alexander Mladenov

WESTERN EUROPE EDITOR

Paul Kennard

EUROPEAN CONTRIBUTOR
Jimmy van Drunen

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Glen White
Chris Smallhorn

PROOFREADER
Barbara McIntosh

GRAPHIC DESIGN
Carolina De Armas
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COVER: Roger Maynulet

pilots Mercy Air 3’s new
ell 429 up over Big Bear
in Southern California.
Photo by Ned Dawson

ISSN 1179-710X
5

From the Editor 9
Industry News 12
UAV Talk 26
Safety First 28
Tactical Flying 32
Talk From The East 36
A Greater View 40
Tactical View 48
The Unseen 52
Personal Profile 58
70
DisruptiveLab
AIRBUS HELICOPTERS CONTINUE
TO PUSH THE R&T ENVELOPE
Airbus Helicopters appear to be
on something of a Research and
Technology charge. In recent
months, Heli Ops has covered the
progress of the RACER (Rapid and
Cost-Effective Rotorcraft) project,
as it leverages the flight test
experience and lessons of the X3
lift/thrust compounded ‘tractor’
propeller demonstrator into the
final assembly of the ‘pusher’
propeller RACER prototype.
in this
issue
98
Bird on a Diet
AIR METHODS GOES LIGHT WITH
MERCY AIR’S NEW BELL 429
Air Methods subsidiary Mercy
Air recently put a 429 fitted
with a lightweight interior into
service from its base at Hemet,
California, its first in the PacWest
region and the first to be put into
a community-based service, as
opposed to a hospital-based inter-
facility operation, as Ned Dawson
reports.
ISSUE 142 I 2023
The Only
in Town
PINELLAS COUNTY SH
UPGRADED AIR UNIT
Although the Pinellas
Sheriff’s Office has o
aviation unit for som
last seven or eight ye
seen cultural and ope
reorganization within
and upgrading of its e
resulting in a dramat
capabilities and perfo
Ned Dawson discove
 142 178 192

y Game The Power It’s Electric!

of Recovery Certifying
T
HERIFF’S eVTOL
There has been a significant move
away from training in touch down There is little doubt the electric
s County autorotations. Has this move served Vertical Take Off and Landing
perated an
the industry or created a new (eVTOL) wave is building and is
e time, the
problem? Glen White explores. on the verge of riding this new
ears have
technology wave. Electric powered
erational
propulsion systems to make the
n the unit
capability a commercially viable
equipment,
reality are developing quickly.
tic increase in
To use a bit more of the surfing
ormance, as
metaphor and an old Naval Aviation
ered.
colloquialism for aviation electrics
(green steam) – we’ll be ‘in the
green room’ soon. Chris Smallhorn
examines the challenge facing
regulators for eVTOL certification.
 LETTER
FROM THE editor mark ogden

I am delivering a class in Papua New Guinea on Root

Cause Analysis (RCA) to an airline and it occurred
to me that the lessons learned and concepts apply
to the helicopter industry just as much as it does to the
airline sector. What is this ‘Root Cause Analysis’ thing I
hear you say?
There have been ideas and systems that have come and
gone; who remembers the big push on Total Quality
Management? Some of these systems drop by the
wayside but others, such as Safety System Management,
do show results and do, when used properly, make a
difference. Do I think RCA is here to stay? Yes – because it
well supports the SMS tool and should result, when done
properly, save operators money.
How much money, how much time and how many
resources are wasted because of misapplied priorities
or simply fixing things only to find the original
issue remains? That’s one of the benefits of RCA –
understanding the real problem rather than trying to
address the symptoms. Remember, many occurrences
are symptomatic of a deeper “cause”. How often do
operators address the symptom rather than the cause
of the symptom. How much effort and resources are
expended in addressing the symptoms rather than
looking at the various occurrences to see if there are
commonalities. How often is a cause sheeted home to
something like “did not follow procedure”?
Not following procedure is not really a root cause of an
occurrence. The question must be, why procedure wasn’t

9
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10
 LETTER FROM THE

editor

followed? For example, was the procedure valid, was it

understood, and was it known?
A good example is that in Papua New Guinea, many
of the landing areas are in the remote parts of the
country where English is understood – but it is
conversational English, not technical. Sometimes, only
writing procedures in technical English may not be
helpful, especially those who are supposed to follow
the procedures. So maybe, those procedures should
also be written in Tok Pisin? (Tok Pisin is one of the
three national languages of Papua New Guinea. It is a
form of Melanesian Pidgin English that was developed
in the early 19th Century because of increased travel
and economic activity between the Melanesians and
Europeans and is still used today as one of the most
dominant and universal languages in a country that
is said to have over 800 languages.) There would be a
better chance that the procedure would be read and
understood.
How many company investigations tend to stop at an
obvious point and avoid digging deeper? How many
audit Findings are written off by those responsible with
actions that really don’t mean a lot? It is all a waste of
time if people are not serious about the processes and
are just doing enough to keep the client or the regulator
seemingly happy.

Mark

11

Manolos adds B222
Papua New Guinea based Manolos Aviation has
added a Bell 222 fitted with a stretcher and clinical
seat. Jurgen Ruh, CEO who flew the aircraft from
Tasmania to Cairns, and then on to PNG said the
helicopter fulfils his vision of having a dedicated
aircraft for medical evacuations.
Arriel 2K engine
for AW09
Leonardo and Safran Helicopter Engines
have joined forces to further enhance the
capabilities and competitiveness of the
AW09 with production aircraft being fitted
with the 1,000 shp class Arriel 2K engine.
City of Neodesha
partners with Air
Methods
The City of Neodesha have entered
into a one-call agreement with Air
Methods to provide emergency air
transport services who will be the
primary air transport service utilized
by residents, whether they are being
transported from local hospitals or
require direct from scene air transport.
Ultimate acquire CHC Offshore
Helicopter Services
The Ultimate Aviation Group has announced it has fina
the purchase of Offshore Helicopter Services UK Limite
OHS UK have provided transportation for the UK’s offsh
industry for more than 40 years’ operating a fleet of H1
helicopters from their main operating bases in Aberdee
12
 THC sign HCare
contract for ACH160s
The Helicopter Company in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has signed an
HCare In-Service contract to cover its
future fleet of six ACH160 helicopters.
The HCare In-Service package has been
tailored to THC’s planned operational
needs, providing parts availability
services to optimize maintenance
planning and service delivery.
Garmin GI 275 EFI
certified for AS350
Garmin has received Supplemental Type
Certification by the FAA for the GI 275 electronic
flight instrument in the AS350. The GI 275 is a
scalable, cost-conscious approach to an avionics
upgrade that is a direct replacement for a variety
of legacy primary flight instruments.

Enstrom receives FAA Production

Certificate
Enstrom Helicopter Corporation has received FAA Production Certificate
(PC) No. 26CE. The PC authorizes Enstrom to manufacture parts for all
models of Enstrom helicopters, an important milestone for the OEM.

alised an agreement for

ed (OHS UK) from CHC.
hore Oil and Gas
175, S92 and AW139
en and Sumburgh.

13

WCSO partners with Air
Methods
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with Air
Methods to bring a Bell 407 to the area that will transport
patients from any medical institution or emergency
medical service agency within the community.
Entrol H14 FTD for Surf
Life Saving
Surf Life Saving, Queensland, has purchased the
first Entrol H14 FTD Level 5 simulator in Australia. It
is based on the Bell 429 and will be operational by
mid-2023 at Archerfield Airport, on the eastern coast
of Australia.
Bristow Enters into
£145 Mil Financings
The Bristow Group have entered into
two thirteen-year secured equipment
financings for an amount up to £145
million with National Westminster Bank.
The proceeds from the financings will be
used to purchase ten SAR helicopters to
support Bristow’s obligations under its
£1.6B contract with the Department for
Transport and the Maritime & Coastguar
Agency of the United Kingdom.
H125 Bear Paw STC
approved
Alpine Aerotech have received a
Transport Canada Civil Aviation STC for
their Bear Paw Kit, compatible with Airbu
H125 (AS350/355). FAA and EASA STC’s
are also currently pending.
14
e Heliswiss adds Vertol 107-II
Columbia Helicopters has delivered a Columbia Model 107-II Vertol to Heliswiss International
and the sale makes them the official launch customer for the aircraft in Europe. This follows
the uncertain future of the Ka32 operated by Heliswiss and the imposed sanctions by
rd European countries.

Life Flight Network add to Enstrom opens service

Grays Harbor County
Life Flight Network have announced the addition
of a new critical care transport base in Hoquiam,
Washington and the H135 will be based at
Bowerman Airport with both fixed and rotor
wing aircraft.
center in the Czechia
Enstrom have signed DSA as a Dealer
and Service Center for Enstrom
Helicopters in the Czech Republic.
Located in Hradec Kralove, DSA
provides aircraft sales, flight training,
and maintenance for all models of
Enstrom’s.

us

15
Air Greenland bring
VR FT to Greenland
Loft Dynamics AG (formerly VRM
Switzerland) has partnered with Air
Greenland to bring its VR training
simulator to Greenland. Air Greenland
will operate a Loft Dynamics Airbus
H125 VR training simulator from its
headquarters in Nuuk.

CHC Brazil
wins Petrobras
contracts
CHC do Brazil has signed five
exclusive contracts with Petrobras
to provide for the offshore
transportation of passengers and
small loads to Campos and Vitória
basin for the next 4-5 years. The
projects are expected to start in
the second half of 2023.

H160 for
Mont Blanc
Hélicoptères
Mont Blanc Hélicoptères
has taken delivery of the
first VIP type H160 by
the HBG maintenance
team, following a year
of Electronic Instrument
System work with the
Airbus team.

16
Sweet Helicopters add two A109SPs
Sweet Helicopters is known for providing VIP charter helicopter service across the Midwest
including trips to Chicago, Indianapolis and the Great Lakes region has added two A109SPs
with executive-style interiors to their fleet.

Enstrom first new 480B flight

Enstrom has announced the flight of the first new 480B, after reopening. The turbine-powered
480B is the 1317th Enstrom helicopter built, and the 255th aircraft in the 480 series. The
aircraft was built using components procured, machined, fabricated, and assembled onsite.

17
Atlanta PD add MD 530Fs
and convert MD 500E
MD Helicopters and the Atlanta Police Department
have signed a USD$10 million purchase agreement
for two MD 530Fs and additionally signed an
agreement to convert one of its MD 500Es to an MD
530F through MDH’s FAA-approved E-to-F conversion Essex & Herts AA to fly a
program, the two MD 530Fs will be delivered in 2023.
The Essex & Herts Air Ambulance have start
having completed the Night Vision Imaging
operational period and capability.

Yello
Helic
HeliService sign
adds MD 530F cont
HeliService of Apopka, Yellowh
Florida has signed a has sign
purchase agreement for an with Saf
MD 530F to their fleet of six the Arri
MDH aircraft that support AS350 a
construction, maintenance, The Sup
inspection, and emergency contrac
response services in term Ma
different sectors, including and Ove
utility, energy, and agreem
construction. 21 engin

18

at night
ted flying in the hours of darkness,
System training necessary to extend its
Guardia di Finanza’s first
AW169M delivered
The Guardia di Finanza have taken delivery of their first
AW169M fitted with skids. The aircraft will be part of a
AW169M fleet of 24 units, including six with fix landing
gear and eighteen with skid undercarriage. All aircraft
are expected to be delivered by 2024.

owhead
copters
n SBH
tract
head Helicopters
ned a contract
fran to support
iel powering its
and H125 fleets.
pport-By-the-Hour
ct formalizes a long-
aintenance, Repair
erhaul and services
ment supporting
nes.
 SPAES
completes
refurbishment
of H125
SPAES has performed
a minor Change on an
H125 which included the
installation of an iPad
Mount, an USB-Charger and
the refurbishment of the
complete cabin interior.

Rotorcorp supporting
Uruguay Police
Aviation unit
Rotorcorp has coordinated with
manufacturers, U.S. Embassy, and
Commercial Service to deliver 2200-hour
maintenance kits, Lycoming O-540 engines,
and other spare parts to complete the
overhaul of two R44 police helicopters
operated by the Uruguay National Police.

UK Children’s AA
adds incubator
The Children’s Air Ambulance has
introduced England’s first incubator
on a helicopter to assist specialist NHS
transport teams during lifesaving flights.
The national transfer service provides the
only intensive care aircraft in the country
dedicated to transferring critically ill
babies and children from local hospitals
to specialist paediatric and neonatal
treatment centres with the Children’s Air
Ambulance’s new AW169 aircraft.

20
Native Air expands air
medical services
Native Air has expanded its coverage
in the Navajo County region with the
opening of a new base to serve residents
and visitors of North Eastern Arizona,
Native Air 18 will be located in Show Low.
DRF Luftrettung order
two H145s
German Helicopter Emergency Medical
Services operator DRF Luftrettung has
ordered two H145s and signed a contract
covering the whole fleet with a tailored
HDataPower pack from Airbus Helicopters.

Kaman to stop K-MAX

Production
As part of reshaping efforts to optimize Kaman’s
cost structure and to focus resources on growth
opportunities, improve financial performance and
deliver sustainable shareholder value the company is
stopping K-MAX production.
Kaman has designed and produced 60 K-MAX
helicopters for industries such as firefighting,
construction and emergency response. However,
the Company determined that given low demand
and variation in annual deliveries, coupled with low
profitability and large working capital inventory
requirements, K-MAX does not deliver the most
compelling growth opportunity for Kaman going
forward. As such, Kaman will discontinue K-MAX
and K-MAX TITAN production in 2023. Kaman will
continue to support the existing K-MAX fleet in
operation, including providing operators with repair,
spare parts, and fleet services as well as training.

21
Airbus Helicopters performed steadily
in a complex 2022
The figures released by Airbus Helicopters have shown that they logged 374 gross orders
(net: 362), highlighting the ongoing market recovery with an impressive 216 light single engine
helicopters sold. Deliveries increased from 338 in 2021 to 344 in 2022, contributing to Airbus
Helicopters’ preliminary 52% share of the civil and parapublic market. Airbus’ helicopter fleet
flight hours are now back to pre-COVID 2019 levels.
“2022 was a year in which Airbus Helicopters solidified its recovery, in a context of instability with
the war in Ukraine and a fragile supply chain. I’d like to thank our customers for their continued
trust in Airbus Helicopters. Our teams will continue to work hard to meet their needs and deliver
on our commitments in 2023,” said Bruno Even, Airbus Helicopters CEO. “Our orders came from
203 customers in 48 countries, underlining the importance of our global network as well as
showing that in uncertain times, the role of helicopters is more essential than ever.”
New ground was broken, with important first deliveries. The first ACH160 was delivered to
a Brazilian customer, transported by an Airbus Beluga, in July 2022. Shortly after, All Nippon
Helicopter’s H160 entered into service in Japan and the French Navy took delivery of the first
H160 for SAR operations. In October, the Company delivered the first H135s to the Spanish
Ministry of Interior following the major order just ten months prior.
Airbus Helicopters also continued to make inroads on its decarbonization roadmap which is
based on a threefold approach using SAF, hybridization, and electrification.
”The unveiling of our DisruptiveLab demonstrator at the Airbus Summit is another significant
step to decarbonizing vertical lift. The aircraft that took flight on 13 January will demonstrate our
capability to reduce CO2 emissions by 50%. Our commitment to sustainability also saw us forge
more partnerships that will support the optimal entry into service of the CityAirbus NextGen, our
eVTOL prototype,” continued Even.
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23
Thailand acquires SAR
Thales MEOLUT
Thales Alenia Space has signed a contract with
prime contractor Appworks to provide Thailand with
a complete Search and Rescue operational system
based on the COSPAS-SARSAT MEOSAR Service that
can detect and locate distress signals from beacons
on land, in the air and at sea instantaneously, over a
radius of 2,500 km centered around Bangkok.

Native Air opens

base in Yavapai
County
Air Methods has announced
the opening of a new Native Air
emergency medical service location
in Cottonwood, AZ. The opening of
Native Air 83 equipped with a Bell 407
will serve Yavapai County and beyond.

Capital Power donates

$1Mil to STARS
A second $1 million donation from
Capital Power has helped STARS reach its
fundraising goal for the multi-year capital
campaign to investment in 10 new H145s
to renew its fleet of air ambulances.

24
Davenport Aviation adds H145
Davenport Aviation continues to diversify its product line by adding an H145 to the United
States General Services Administration (GSA) schedule which will expand its availability to
federal, state, and local agencies across the United States.

Polish training for Ukrainian HEMS doctors

The Polish Medical Air Rescue service has been training medical personnel from Ukraine in
the procedures and organization of the HEMS. The training is a response to the reported need
for the preparation of Ukrainian medical personnel for activities related to the evacuation of
citizens by air from the war zone, but also the final implementation of the project of building
the HEMS structure in Ukraine.

Click HERE for more Up to the Minute NEWS

25
 UAV
talk
mark ogden

Autonomous Air Vehicles

T
he next big thing in UAVs is the growing push into autonomous cargo
operations. In a recent announcement, air cargo operator Ameriflight
placed an order for 20 Kona autonomous feeder cargo aircraft from
Natilus (https://natilus.co) in what is described as a strategic move
to be the first regional US carrier to develop a new roadmap for the
future of air freight operations. The announcement said that the agreement, valued
at US$134 million, brings total commitments for Natilus to $6.8 billion for delivery
of over 460 aircraft. Apparently The Natilus aircraft is a blended-wing-body offering
a 60% more volume and a 60% reduction in the cost of operations and cutting
carbon emissions by half. It, the announcement claims, enables the opening of
new and emerging markets in remote areas where larger aircraft do not have the
runway capacity and/or infrastructure to land. Natilus vehicles are intended to
fly international while being autonomous but controlled from the ground with an
onboard dual redundant autopilot to manage aircraft systems. It will be interesting
to see how the regulators and in particular, ICAO, facilitate the certification and
introduction of large pilotless fixed wing aircraft operating domestically and
internationally.
Another company, Pyka, is developing an electric cargo aircraft. The Pelican, as it
is known, is intended to fly 200nm with up to 400 pounds (181kg) carried in a volume
of 66 cubic feet. According to Pyka, the aircraft is undergoing testing at Pyka’s flight
test facility in Northern California. They say, the first commercial operation of the
new product is expected for the second half of 2023. Just where the aircraft will be
allowed to operate autonomously is unclear and I think there is still a long way to go
before the regulators issue rules that facilitate the rapid technology development
we are seeing presently. I can also see, given the propensity to use commercial
UAVs in Ukraine, there may be some significant domestic security concerns to be
worked through. The use of large UAVs by nefarious groups that can span national
and international borders would have to be a concern. Certification considerations
should include the security of the controlling software against hacking and/or
intentional misuse.

26
 UAV
talk
Another technological innovation rapidly coming down the road is Artificial
Intelligence (AI). AI is the simulation of human intelligence processes by
machines. In general, AI works through the absorption of large amounts
of training data, analyzing the data for correlations and patterns, and then
using those patterns to make predictions about the future. AI is being used in
chatbots, for example, and also as an image recognition tool. It has to be only
a matter of time before AI finds its way into autopilots and large UAVs – will
the regulators be ready or, as usual, playing catchup to an industry and its fast
moving technology.
As far back as 2016, an article in the Wall Street Journal (https://www.wsj.
com/articles/drone-regulators-struggle-to-keep-up-with-the-rapidly-growing-
technology-1468202371) identified the problem regulators would have with
keeping up with the pace of change. As noted there, drones could be designed
and built within months compared to many years for airliners. As the then
FAA chief, Michael Huerta observed, the UAV industry moves, “at the speed of
imagination”. Fox Business identified in 2019 (https://www.foxbusiness.com/
technology/wild-west-of-drones-regulators-struggle-new-technology) that
drones were developing within a ‘wild west’ environment where the regulators
were struggling to keep up. Even in 2019, the USA had some 1.3 million drones
registered compared to 211,000 traditional aircraft. The article quoted Douglas
Marshall, an aviation consultant who taught aviation law and helped draft some
of the FAA’s first drone rules, who said that “the FAA is underfunded and unable
to keep up with the fast-moving industries using and developing drones.”

“Creating new rules can take years as the agency’s staffers wade through
thousands of public comments, and it has missed some deadlines set by
congressional mandates.”

Are things any better two years later? I fear not but the industry continues
to innovate and move at an incredible pace as seen by the autonomous cargo
aircraft plans. What has changed is the demonstrated ease of use of commercial
drones in war, something that probably wasn’t considered a serious threat just
a few years ago. HO

Mark Ogden has been in aviation since a teenager. An ex-Australian Navy pilot instructor and
instrument examiner on a variety of aircraft, Mark also spent 7 years as an accident investigator
for Australia’s Bureau of Air Safety Investigation and Australian Transport Safety Bureau. He was
also for a time, the Royal Air Force Central Flying School Agent for the Royal Australian Navy.
Mark can be reached at oggy@kiakahamedia.com

27
 SAFETY

first
Terry Miyauchi

Bad Bosses

“M
My boss is a complete idiot.”
This type of statement is typically made from
emotion, but what about when we hear this from
a fellow aviation professional? This particular
statement was recently made to me form a group
of pilots and a crewmember. My first reaction was to be thankful I
wasn’t their boss and didn’t know their boss! Although this group was
verbalizing frustration, their statement also illustrates the reality of
safety concerns that can be associated with poor leadership in aviation.
If the boss in question is indeed incompetent, egotistical, bullying, or
otherwise toxic, the concern is real.In aviation we do an amazing job
in developing technical and operational skills. The same is perhaps
not always true when it comes to developing leaders. This is not to
say that we do not have great leaders in aviation; we absolutely do.
What about those that have been placed in aviation leadership roles
that should not have been? There are countless resources to develop
leaders, but what if the leader in question does not even recognize
the need, or worse yet refuse it? What are those that work under this
level of leadership to do? Good employees typically don’t leave good
organizations, but they do indeed leave bad management.
In one recent survey by a prominent segment within our industry,
“poor aviation leadership” was listed as one of the top four safety
threats. The actual segment does not matter so much as the very
fact that bad bosses were listed amongst common threats such as
inadvertent IMC and wire strikes. Although some aviation segments
might fare better than others in this area, this threat certainly needs
to be taken seriously. Regardless of formal surveys, many of us can

28
 SAFETY

first
perhaps recount our own personal frustrations with leaders that we
found to be, well, horrible.
Although, “how to handle the bad boss” is a very tough question to
answer, there are things that can be done, even if they only serve to be
partial solutions. Below are five recommendations of how to overcome
a bad boss in aviation:

Be Safety first – If safety is truly being compromised and lives are

at stake, then make safety first decisions...always. This might entail
drawing the line in a very direct way. In some cases, a decision to
stay or leave the organization may be needed. If either of these is the
case, ensure true safety-first decisions that are based on facts and not
emotions. Do not exaggerate or underestimate. Be factual and be truly
safety first.

Do your part – If you decide to stay, then do you part. Do your work
and do it well. Be above board and do everything in your power to
help the bad boss succeed (short of compromising safety!)… even if
they do not deserve it. Manage them up. This doesn’t mean you have
to compromise your values. The reality is that you cannot have great
leadership without great followers. One does not exist without the
other. As hopeless as a situation might seem, you are an essential part
of this solution. Be the catalyst for the solution, by doing your part.

Don’t get drawn in. Toxic bosses pull others into their drama. Don’t
fall for it. Keep an emotional distance and be the professional. Be
polite, honest, and clearly communitive in a positive way. Most of all,
refuse to be involved in gossip behind the bosses back. This might very
well be the toughest aspect, but it will also potentially be the strongest
means in bettering the boss. You may not like or respect your boss, but
you can emotionally insulate yourself by not being part of the drama.
Rise above the negativity, by not getting drawn in.

Consider confrontation lightly – For a conversation with a bad

boss to have any chance of being effective, a relationship with the
person needs to first exist. The conversation then needs to be well
thought out, documented, and based on objective information,
evidence and examples. Remember to objectively focus on the
problems, and not the person is the key here. This type of conversation

29
 SAFETY

first
has little chance of success if it is emotionally based. The odds of a bad
boss being grateful for constructive, useful feedback is slim. Because
of their typical clarity, the easiest conversation to discuss with a bad
boss are those that involve safety. Those situations should always be
discussed and escalated up the chain if the response isn’t appropriate to
the situation.

Don’t derail your career – You may choose not to confront your
boss on issues that are outside of those related to aviation safety.
If so, remember bosses are temporary. Your aviation career is for the
long term. Outlast the bad boss. Consider taking this long-term view
and at a minimum, don’t derail your career. Remember, the bad boss is
not forever.

Finally, for those in aviation leadership positions… can you be

sure that you don’t fit into this “bad boss” category? How would your
followers describe you? Better yet, does your organization facilitate
obtaining feedback from subordinates related to their leaders? Have you
ever pondered the question, “Would I want to work for me”?
The helicopter industry has some wonderful leaders. Like any
industry, unfortunately there are a small number of leaders who cause
their followers to seek out survival strategies. If you find yourself in
need of survival strategies… remember to think safety first, focus on
the factual issues and not the emotion or the person…and always fix
yourself first! HO

Terry Miyauchi started his aviation career in the mid-1980s and served in the U.S. Army as an AeroScout pilot.
Through the years, he has worked as a pilot, instructor pilot, standardization pilot, safety officer, regional manager
and most recently retired from the Arizona Department of Public Safety where he was the Aviation Commander.
Terry hold a bachelor’s degree in Professional Aeronautics and master’s degree in Aviation Leadership, both from
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. He has amassed more than 7,000 commercial helicopter hours in more than
12 helicopter types and holds FAA pilot ratings in helicopters, airplanes, gliders, and lighter-than-air balloons.

30
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flying
TACTICAL

Nick Minx

relationships

W
ho has a great partnership with
their ground units? With the control
towers? With management? With their
“competition”? And… when I say
competition, I mean your opposing
platforms or agencies such as helicopters versus fixed wing,
or aircraft versus drone? State police versus local police? I
could spend all day making a list of anyone who could be our
best neighbor or biggest detractor. As all of you read this, you
are probably reflecting through your daily interactions with
everyone I listed. Most of you probably are nodding along in
agreement, saying to yourself, “we have a great relationship
with (fill in the blank)!”

Ok, now really answer it.

Objectively reflect on the relationship you do have with each
example and admit to yourself if it isn’t as warm and fuzzy as
you think it is. You can probably think back to a couple of times
that you might not have made any of those people the biggest
fan of your aviation unit. There was probably a night in which
you were requested for a mission and turned it down, and deep
down knew you could go but didn’t. You knew it left the ground
units irritated.
As an aviation unit, we are easy targets for frustration.
Consider from the perspective of a ground unit. Most times,
we are only a “faceless voice.” A request is made for an air unit,
some time later an aircraft appears in the sky, a voice comes on
the radio and gives some coordination, and the voice flies back

32
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TACTICAL

away to their mountain lair, not to be seen or heard again until

the next request.
As long as this scenario actually occurs, the ground units
are happy. However, as we all know, there are a multitude
of reasons why this might not occur. Weather, maintenance,
mission priority…the faceless voice might actually tell
the ground unit “no.” Something they do not like to hear.
Unfortunately, a no is often not received well. Although you may
have a completely valid reason for not being able to respond
to their mission request, if the ground units are unaware, they
will fill in the blanks of their own narrative which most likely
will result in bad publicity for you. Left unchecked, and enough
of our customers walk away upset, the word will spread of the
aviation unit’s poor service.
Whether you like it or not, this is the harsh reality.
Maintaining a strong relationship with our colleagues is
incredibly important to the overall success of an aviation unit.
High priority should be placed on fostering strong
public relations.
What is the cost of a poor relationship with those around
us? Ultimately, it can lead to the dissolution of an aviation unit.
The officer on the ground you upset now, will be a commander
or chief in 10 years and might not have forgotten about their
interactions long ago with the “air cowboys.” In their position
of power, they have the ability and influence to make serious
decision as to the livelihood of your beloved unit.
In the short term, poor service will cause ground units to be
resistant to requesting an aerial asset and a valuable tactical
tool will not be utilized at a dynamic incident. The success of the
mission will be artificially affected by personal bias. Although
everything may work out, how will you feel if the mission ended
in failure because air support was told to go away because an on-
scene unit remembered a previous interaction with an air crew
and simply didn’t want them at a call?
Both sides have an obligation to maintain a strong working
relationship. Not only do the ground units need to remain
professional and set personal bias aside, aviation units also
need to do the same. This is going to be a team effort.
Recognize your relationship with your “customers” is going
to take more than just doing a good job. Our customers have

33
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TACTICAL

short term memories and quickly forget the times we found

someone hiding in the brush. What they do remember though
is the time you declined their mission request. Take the time to
interact with your customers both proactively and reactively.
Proactively, an aviation unit should be making attempts to
attend briefings, take ground units on fly alongs and host open
houses or give hangar tours. Often, ground units who fill in their
own narrative with what they THINK an aviation unit does every
day, is simply uneducated and the few minutes of a hangar tour
goes a long way toward changing their perception.
The same efforts should apply to our neighbors I listed in
the first paragraph. As a law enforcement aviation unit, we are
held to a higher standard and must be good stewards of both
the aviation AND law enforcement community. We are viewed
much more critically than the weekend warrior pilot. A mistake
by us, a condescending tone on the frequency, or any sort of
pretentious “im better than you” attitude will be met with
extra critique.
Representing an aviation unit comes with the added
responsibility of public relations. It is an unfortunate reality, but
taking the time to strengthen your relationship amongst those
we serve and work alongside with will have far reaching and
long-term benefits. Anyone who tells themselves everything is
fine and everyone else must accept aviation as they are, is lying
to themselves and doing a huge disservice. Failure to recognize
the importance of the need for proactive public relations will
only lead to the downfall of a unit.
I kind of like having this job around and don’t want to see it
go away, how about you?
Fly safe! HO

As owner of Tactical Flying, Nick Minx manages day-to-day operations while playing an active role in
training and development. A sworn officer for over 16 years with San Diego Police Department, Nick
was assigned to SDPD’s Air Support Unit as a Tactical Flight Officer (TFO) in 2012, and has since become
certified as a Commercial Helicopter Pilot. He has over 3,000 combined hours working both seats in an
aircraft, and continues to hone his skills as a tactical operator and a cooperative member of an aircrew.
As part of Tactical Flying , Nick has provided instruction to tactical flight operators in both domestic and
international settings, with clients ranging from military and law enforcement officers to federal agencies.

34
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35

the east
TALK FROM

alex mladenov

Sanction-stricken
industry

R ussian Helicopters’ 2022 delivery statistics is yet

to disclosed, but available information tends to
show a collapse in the export market. The civil
deliveries, in turn, were predominantly made
to domestic government-backed organizations. Two lessors
dominate among the customers – PSB Avializing and GTLK. The
former is taking helicopters set to be delivered to the National
Medical Aviation Service (known under its Russian-language
abbreviation NSSA).
This is a government-sponsored mega-project for establishing
emergency medical services (EMS) operator with nationwide
coverage in Russia, using many brand-new helicopters. A joint
venture of Rostec industrial conglomerate (which is also the parent
company of Russian Helicopters, the umbrella holding controlling
all helicopter plants and design organizations in Russia), the
Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Ministry of Health, the
NSSA was slated to get in 2021 and 2022 a total of 66 newly-built
helicopters (this figure including 29 Mi-8MTV-1s and 37 Ansats),
all of these rolled out at Kazan Helicopters and ordered through
PSB Avializing (a subsidiary of Promsvyaz Bank, the principal bank
serving Russia’s giant military-industrial complex).
The Ansat order has a rather specific and sensitive status due
to the sanctions imposed by the West in March 2022, following

36

the east
TALK FROM

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions call for a strict ban on

the exports to Russia of all aerospace products and services. The
3.7-tonne Ansat is powered by PW207K turboshafts, supplied by
Pratt & Whitney Canada and the continuation of the production
at Kazan Helicopters in 2022 became possible thanks to the
stocks taken by Kazan Helicopters before March 2022. These
engines on stock were said to be sufficient to support the
fulfillment of the NSSA contract, but there is no chance the Ansat
production will continue into 2023 due to the lack of the Pratt
and Whitney engines, due to the Western embargo.
The resumption of Ansat’s production at Kazan Helicopters
could be possible in 2024 at the earliest, when the Russian-made
VK-650V turboshaft is expected to be available in a certificated
form. It is still unclear, however, how the existing Ansat fleet will
fare without any maintenance support granted for the PW207K
engines in the face of lack of any OEM support. There is a
possibility for re-enjoining the existing Ansat fleet with VK-650Vs
but this may not happen before 2026.
The NSSA is a mega-project, intended to dominate in Russia’s
rapidly-growing EMS sector served by helicopters and sponsored
by the state budget. Its eventual target is to establish not fewer
than 130 EMS bases countrywide, served by newly produced
Russian-made helicopters, which can use some 1,300 hospital
landing sites. According to Rostec, in its five years of existence,
the NSSA transported more than 60,000 patients in 48 regions of
Russia. In September 2018, the NSSA signed a giant framework
agreement covering the production of 104 Ansats and 46 Mi-8s,
with the first deliveries reported in February 2019. However, this
proved an overtly ambitious project and the real deliveries over
the years proved to be much smaller than initially predicted.
As a result, by 1 February 2021, the NSSA fleet numbered 22
helicopters only – 11 Ansats and 11 Mi-8s. The real progress in
the fleet growth was made in the second half of 2021 thanks to
the appointing of the Russian government of the resourceful PSB
Avializing company as a lessor to finance deliveries to the NSSA.
The draconian Western sanctions continue to derail a good
many other Russian aircraft programs, with the Ka-62 helicopter
being amongst those suffering the most. This is due to the
significant Western content (accounting for some 60% of the

37

the east
TALK FROM

helicopter’s price), including engines, main transmission, fuel

system and materials. Civil-certified in its original form in Russia in
November 2021, the 6.5-tone helicopter has currently no chances
for launch into production in its present form. Upon receiving its
type certificate, the Ka-62 became a subject to serious operational
restrictions, rendering its commercial use impossible, due to
limitations in flight ceiling, flights over water, icing conditions and
thunderstorms and the temperature range was restricted from
-25 to +25 degrees Centigrade. Additional certification testing
was needed between 2022 and 2024 to remove the operational
restrictions, but these have never been initiated, while the first
customer deliveries planned for 2022, were cancelled.
Currently, the pressing need for a significant redesign and re-
certification is set to impose a new protracted delay in the long-
suffering Ka-62 program, including the replacement of the entire
Western content in its design with Russian-made equivalents.
Given the state of the Russian aerospace industry, this replacement
is going to be a long and painful undertaking, expected to be
completed not before the second half of decade.
The French-made Safran Ardiden 3G engine, for example is set
to be replaced by the VK-1600V, which has undergone its initial
ground testing campaign in 2022, with certification slated to begin
in 2023 and completion set for 2024 (but this was an overoptimistic
expectation, and the realistic completion of the certification effort
can be expected not before 2026). There is no information about
the development state of the Russian-made main transmission and
crashworthy fuel system, and it will be safe to predict that these
activities will be protracted and costly undertakings. This way the
production of a fully Russified Ka-62 derivative and its certification
completion could not be expected to happen in foreseeable future,
leaving the otherwise promising program in jeopardy for many
years to come. HO

Alexander Mladenov is an aviation and defense journalist and photographer, based in Sofia, Bulgaria. His
articles and photos have appeared in no fewer than two dozen aerospace and defense publications around
the world and his first contribution to HeliOps dates back to 2008. Alex specializes in East European and
Soviet/Russian military and civil rotorcraft topics with a particular interest in the latest combat and civilian
technology, air-launched weapons, combat employment and business developments. He is also a co-
founder and managing partner of an aerospace and defense consulting company based in Sofia, Bulgaria.

38
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A GREATER

bronni bowen

WOMEN IN THE HELICOPTER INDUSTRY

KATHERINE MOLONEY

D espite a childhood surrounded by aviation

– her dad flew many different aircraft types
and was an airshow display pilot for over
ten years – Katherine Moloney had no initial
intentions of becoming a pilot when she grew up.
“I have many memories of being at the airfield and taking
rides in helicopters when I was young, but I never thought
any more of it. When I left school at 18, I worked briefly with
horses, but after discovering that wasn’t the path for me, I
admit I was a little unsure of what to do with myself!”
In the meantime, Katherine decided to take a job in
the warehouse at Transair Flight Equipment over the busy
Christmas period, dispatching aviation products worldwide.
It was here that her journey with aviation began.
“It was important to my dad that I at least knew one side
of the aircraft from another if I was to be involved in the
industry, so I took him up on the offer of a trial helicopter
lesson – helis seemed the most entertaining option to me! At
this point, I still had no intention of taking flying any further; I
was just grateful for the experience.”
Everything changed in that lesson. When Katherine took
the controls and flew the aircraft herself, it felt like she was
seeing for the first time.
“Perhaps because I had grown up around it, I had
taken it for granted. In any case, that lesson changed my
perception of flight irrevocably, and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t
considered it seriously before.”

40
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A GREATER

A year later, in 2018, Katherine attained her PPL(H) at age 19.

Katherine learned to fly in an R44 out of Brighton City
Airport on the South Coast of England. “It was a fantastic
place to learn to fly, as it’s a busy little general aviation
airport with incredible views of the sea and the South
Downs Hills.”
“Flight training for my private license was the best fun! I
really did enjoy it all, and treasure wonderful memories of
learning to fly.”
“Key moments in training, like my first solo and cross-
country qualifier, were crucial for my development as a pilot
– but also as a person. Learning to fly helicopters is the most
challenging and mentally demanding thing I have ever done.
It was also more fun, more addictive, and more personally
rewarding than I could have imagined.”
Katherine soon learned many aspects of the business
at Transair – from customer service, answering the phone
and taking email inquiries to trade sales, dealing with larger
aviation businesses and supply contracts. Following this, she
moved into a marketing role. Now she is a company director
and genuinely loves her job.

41
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“No two days are ever the same! I usually start in the office
around 7:30 am, catching up on emails before the rest of the
team arrives, and we get stuck into the day. There will be
meetings on new innovative aviation products and work on
new marketing material.
Flying is an integral part of Transair’s identity, with the
majority of our team being pilots. As such, our headquarters
at Lee On Solent Airport has its own aircraft apron outside,
which means we can incorporate flying into our weekly
activities and visits between bases.”
Last year Katherine hosted an inaugural lunch for Women
in Aviation. “It was the first of its kind here and was created
as a chance for women from all areas of the aviation industry
to come together, share experiences, network, and talk all
things aviation.”
“I had no female pilot role models when I was learning
to fly. I didn’t feel I was missing out as I had such great male
ones – at the time, it didn’t even cross my mind – but after I
started engaging with social media, I discovered a community
of like-minded female helicopter pilots. Their stories inspired

43
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A GREATER

me, and their progress spurred me on to be a better pilot.”

“At this point, I realized this was a support network I
might’ve missed when I started training. For all its faults,
visibility is a positive aspect of social media; as the adage
goes, ‘You can’t be what you can’t see!’
With the continued growth of social media, content
created by female pilots is now more accessible than ever. I
believe this can only have a positive effect on encouraging
more young women to engage in aviation.”
Following the success of last year’s event, Katherine is
planning another in 2023, which will be bigger and better.
“There will be around 60 women attending from all areas
of the aviation industry – engineering, private flying,
commercial, military, and wing walkers! I am very excited for
the future of this event and where it will lead.”
In 2022, Katherine was made an Ambassador for Aviation
for the Department for Transport and has worked closely with
the aviation team there since to remove barriers and improve
the cost of flight training across the board in the UK.
“Aviation is an incredible industry, and it has already

44
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changed so much in its short lifespan. I would like to see

it continually move to be more inclusive, accessible, and
sustainable. I also believe that with this continued progress,
there will be a change in the undercurrent of attitude towards
aviation, from something possibly considered elitist and
exclusionary, to something that everyone can experience,
enjoy, and benefit from.”
“Aviation has also made groundbreaking improvements in
terms of sustainability, in comparison to other industries, and
I think promoting these advancements and the incredible
people accomplishing them is beneficial to everyone.”
Katherine’s plans for the future are to try as many facets
of aviation as she can and to enjoy her flying. She’s already
added gliding, micro lighting, and a fixed-wing PPL to her
repertoire.
“I have thought about going down the commercial route
in aviation; however, I believe I am most suited to my role in
business and prefer to fly for the pure love of it. That said,
general aviation has proved a great way to travel around
the UK on business, as our road network leaves much to be
desired!”
“Challenging myself and continual learning drives my
aviation journey. I am currently training for my MD500 rating
and look forward to getting stuck into this new skill. After that
– who knows!” HO

Bronni Bowen is a fixed-wing pilot and aviation writer who lives in Melbourne, Australia. She is
passionate about the history and culture of General Aviation in Australia, and the role of women in
aviation, it is a lifelong ambition of hers to fly and tell stories from the highlands of PNG.

46
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TACTICAL

paul kennard

Does Bell Winning FLRAA

Impact the Civil Market?

T
he biggest news of 2022 for the rotorcraft
industry came near the end; the US
Army’s decision to select Bell’s V-280
Valor evolved tiltrotor as the winner of
the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft
(FLRAA) competition. Although subject to the inevitable
legal challenge from the losing consortium of Lockheed
Martin / Sikorsky and Boeing, the award to Bell promises
to secure the long-term financial viability of the company.
The initial contract award, $232m out of a first tranche of
$1.3Bn in approved funding, enables Bell to continue to
mature the V-280 design and deliver a ‘virtual prototype’ to
the Army. Follow-on production contracts will, naturally,
depend upon the Army’s appetite for the aircraft, budgetary
realism and what it perceives as the optimum ratio of
FLRAA to conventional, cheaper, Black Hawks. Nobody I
talk to in the industry expects a one for one replacement
of the Army’s 2000+ UH-60s, but even orders for 750-1000
aircraft for the Army over the next two decades will provide
multiple $Bns of income and profit, before any export
orders are factored in. The Netherlands and the UK have
already signed up for continued programme updates and
others are likely to follow, especially with likely favourable
Foreign Military Sales (FMS) pricing - exploiting US Army
production ‘bucket’ prices.

48
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What impact does Bell’s success have on the civil/

para-republic industry - well, assuming that the challenge is
not successful?
Firstly, and most obviously, Bell will be in robust financial
shape. Some of the V-280 profit will be available to be
ploughed back into R&D programs. Investment will doubtless
be made into cutting edge technologies such as eVTOL,
Urban Automated Mobility (UAM) systems and the growing
‘green agenda’ of hybrid-electric propulsion. Bell is already
making progress in many of these areas; the Bell Nexus EX4
Air Taxi concept blends all three and cash from V-280 could be
channelled to leapfrog and outmuscle some of the disruptive
eVTOL start-ups currently setting the pace in this potentially
lucrative new market. Spin offs from eVTOL, especially
hybrid propulsion, enhanced Pilot Vehicle Interfaces (PVI)
and advanced augmented reality flight control systems, can
also be exploited in more conventional rotorcraft - much
like some of the work that Airbus is exploiting from its
FlightLab and DisruptiveLab initiatives - to create greater
efficiencies, safety, and reliability. Bell could capture a
significant portion of the global corporate, VIP, and para-
republic market, especially exploiting modern platforms such
as the Bell 525 Relentless.
Secondly, and potentially, far more interesting is the foothold
that V-280 could offer Bell in the civil tiltrotor market.
At the moment the only tiltrotor on the path to civil
certification is the Leonardo AW609 - a design which, of
course, started life alongside the AW139 as a joint Agusta /
Bell project (the BA609). The AW609 has experienced a long
and painful gestation, with the BA609 first flying as long
ago as 2003 and suffering a significant setback with a fatal
crash of one of the prototypes in 2015. Certification has
proven a frustrating process. Initially estimated as 2007,
the AW609 is still not certified as of early 2023, despite the
first true production aircraft (AC5) flying in late 2022. It has
proven difficult to generate the ‘Powered Lift’ Certification

49
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TACTICAL

Specification (CS), despite borrowing aspects of CS23 (light

/ commuter / utility aircraft), CS25 (large aircraft) and CS29
(large rotorcraft). Likewise, Flight Crew Licensing (FCL)
and training requirements have both needed consideration
as the only current source of tiltrotor pilots is military
V-22 aircrew - a civil licence endorsement that reflects
this training, and a ‘pure’ civil training pipeline, are pre-
requisites to any meaningful civil tiltrotor operation.
The AW609 has a reported order book of between 60-70
aircraft - nowhere near enough to cover the development
and certification costs of the aircraft. Bell has the
enormous benefits of having the US Government effectively
underwriting their Non-Recurring Expenditure (NRE) and a
large initial order, potentially 500+ airframes, to drive down
fly away costs even more. The V-280 offers a larger cabin
than the AW609, a higher top speed and, larger access
doors for utility work and potentially, a longer range.
Bell also has the advantage of watching Leonardo do the
‘hard yards’ to achieve first of class certification - they will
know exactly what modifications they would need to make
to the basic V-280 design to make it compatible with the
new CS when published, plus, in the longer term, exploiting
a large pool of V-280 qualified crews leaving the US Army.
Despite the AW609 being produced at Leonardo’s facility
in Philadelphia, a civil derivative of the V-280 would
also likely be seen by many of the target high net worth
individuals, companies, and networks in the US as an
‘American Made’ product.
Therefore, will Bell seek a civil certification for the V-280?
In the short term, probably not. They must focus on
getting the V-280 ‘right’ and hitting their targets for the
US Army, who will not be impressed if the project were
to slip if Bell became distracted at a critical phase of the
program. In the medium term, however, things might
change. The Powered Lift certification will be mature, as
will the FCL and training requirements. By the mid 2030s a
trickle of V-280 qualified Army Aviators will start to become

50
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TACTICAL

available, to compliment the outflow of V-22 crews from

the other services. Moreover, Bell will doubtless be looking
at Sikorsky’s experience with the UH-60/S-70 Black Hawk.
For reasons lost in the mists of time, likely due to company
finances and a desire not to threaten S-76 orders, Sikorsky
did not pursue a full civil certification for the Black Hawk.
In recent years, this has hurt Sikorsky as they cannot
refit and repurpose UH-60/S-70 airframes for broad civil
applications - they remain limited to ‘Restricted-Utility’
and ‘Experimental’ categories which, while allowing
various para-republic uses such as firefighting and utility
lift, prohibits the carriage of passengers and non-mission
essential personnel. Sikorsky have also been hurt by the
flourishing third party market for Black Hawks; companies
such as Ace Aero, Rogerson Kratos and SNC have all taken
surplus US Army aircraft and improved the breed with new
digital cockpit and mission systems - leveraging the low
government auction price for surplus aircraft to undercut
Sikorsky’s new build sticker price. There are now hundreds
of surplus Black Hawks ‘out of captivity’; many have been
converted and are enjoying a productive ‘second life’, and
scores more are in store awaiting either modification or
breaking up for spares.
Subject to legal challenge, the award of FLRAA to Bell
is a huge moment in the rotorcraft industry. Quite how
Bell exploits the windfall coming their way remains to be
seen, but given the high-tech focus the company has at the
moment, one must assume they will invest it wisely. That
could be truly disruptive across much of the civil and para-
republic rotorcraft sector. HO

Paul “Foo” Kennard is a former Royal Air Force CH-47 Chinook pilot, who specialised in Tactical Instruction,
Electronic Warfare and Operational Test & Evaluation during a 23 year career, during which he flew
operationally in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Since leaving the RAF, he has
established his own consultancy company where he continues to provide input into high technology
rotorcraft and aerospace projects for governments and Industry. He is a key member of the NATO Next
Generation Rotorcraft study team, specialising in Defensive Aids Suites, Degraded Visual Environment
technology, Head Mounted Displays and teaming with unmanned aircraft.

51
unseen
THE

kevin Humphreys

SHRAPNEL IN THE SOUL

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so”.
A quote from “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare.

WARNING, THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS REFERENCE TO SUICIDE.

W
hen I contemplated suicide and had
a psychological breakdown in 2008 it
was the biggest sense of failure I’d ever
experienced.
Months earlier I was flying missions
in Afghanistan, leading, and working with incredible men
and women. Now, I’m convulsing, incoherent and sobbing
uncontrollably. What the hell happened? The answer was
a mixture of PTSD, depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse and
bullying. Not a fun combo, but not uncommon for those with
one or more of those issues happening in their life.
I had been a Commanding Officer of an Aviation unit on
operations and now was crying on the floor. In that moment I
thought I’d failed. Not just a little failure, but a massive failure. I
thought I’d failed my country, our Army, my unit, my colleagues,
my subordinates, my parents, my wife, my family. I was
convinced I had failed everyone.
From the moment you get off the bus at officer or recruit
training, the concept of pride is verbally, visually, physically,
and emotionally reinforced at every opportunity. “Be proud
of your country!”. “Be proud of your service!”. “Be proud of
your unit!”. “Be proud of your team!”. Flags, guidons, uniforms,
patches, honour walls, unit history and so much more ensures

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 unseen
THE

every individual in the military knows the need for pride-in-

self and pride-in-service.
Equally, there’s another message transmitted
simultaneously that’s crystal clear; “don’t dare go jack on
your mates!”. To let down the team; to be selfish; to not be a
team player; they’re immutable, unforgivable military sins.
With both these themes forming an integral part of the
military training psyche (for good reason when you get to the
battlefield), it’s not too far a stretch to see how one can feel
like they’ve failed when they get to the point of psychological
distress and suicidal ideation.
It also shows the binary nature that permeates so
much of military life. Yes, most military operations happen
in an incredibly dynamic, complex, and high intensity
environment, but ultimately, military operations are about
solving problems. There’s a problem; fix the problem, now
move onto the next problem, and fix that.
Whilst we operate in the grey, the outcomes are often
binary. Indeed, many of our operational decisions are literally
life and death. There are no higher stakes. It’s a stark example
of how binary (black or white) thinking is reinforced and
rewarded in military life.
I had a deep-seated shame for my perceived failure and
a burning bitterness for several things that had happened.
So deep and painful were my negative emotions, I asked my
wife to keep it a secret so that it would never be a topic of
conversation personally or professionally. We held that secret
for what ended up being seven years, until I finally realised
that the secret we were keeping was actually keeping us.
That realisation came from a combination of business
coaching, being part of a supportive, tight-knit, and non-
judgemental business group, and exploring the concept
of paradox. As a self-proclaimed expert in black or white
thinking, paradox (a logically self-contradictory statement or
a statement that runs contrary to one’s expectation) simply
couldn’t exist in my view.
The reality is that paradox is all around us. For there to
be light, there must be dark; and yin and yang from Chinese
philosophy are just two examples.

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 unseen
THE

With this new-found guidance and wisdom not only did

I realise that shame is the opposite of pride, but that when
I was full of pride, I was also full of shame, or at least the
potential for shame. Leading up to my breakdown in 2008
I had my mask on tight attempting to hide my illness and
ideation from others. But when the psychological dam burst
and I had an immense feeling of failure, all my pride was
taken away in an instant, releasing the potential shame to
become a torrent of real shame in my mind. It felt like I had
shrapnel in my soul.
The longer I kept the secret, the deeper I buried that
shrapnel. Shame loves secrecy and hiding. It feeds on it. The
more fearful you are of a secret being found out, the greater
the shame becomes. Therefore, the way to defeat shame is to
release it to the public (or at least a trusted friend/clinician).
I bawled my eyes out when my coach told me I had to tell
other people. But a month later I did with the support of 150
people in the group I mentioned earlier. Although I expected
the world to swallow me whole, the opposite happened. I
was embraced by dozens of people, mostly men, telling me
their story is just like mine, but they haven’t got the guts to
talk about it yet. From that day, the shame no longer had a
secret to feed on. It starved and hasn’t been seen since.
That worst day of my life is now one of my most
accomplished. I don’t look back on it with either pride or
shame. I see it now as a day, neither good nor bad. A day
that created a new chapter in my life from which incredible
opportunities, challenges and experiences have shaped
me to the person I am today, able to serve in a whole
new way. HO

Kevin Humphreys served in the Australian Army for 20 years flying Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters.
He deployed on multiple operational and humanitarian missions around the world undertaking a variety
of operational flying and staff roles including Commanding Officer. Following his military service, he spent
the next decade as a civilian Search and Rescue pilot, including roles of flight examiner, Chief Pilot and
Director of Operations. Kevin now plays a significant role in mental health advocacy. He is the Mental
Health Ambassador for AIRBUS Australia Pacific, a Community Ambassador for Mates4Mates (Veteran’s
rehabilitation charity) and founder of Cor Infinitus which gives dignity and respect to the families of those
who’ve served their nation and taken their own lives.

54
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PERSONAL
profile
alan norris

Tyler Savely

I n this issue we talk with Tyler Savely an aerial

patrol pilot with Hawkeye Helicopter in Kansas.
Tyler started his aviation career in the Unites States
Marine Corps as a V-22 Crew Chief before moving
across to civil aviation. He is also a Certified Flight Instructor and
has a background in aerial utility work in Alaska.

Thanks for taking time to chat to us Tyler, perhaps you

could start with who you currently work for and where you
are based?
I currently work for Hawkeye Helicopter, we have bases in
Kansas and Kentucky and they let me live in Washington
state and commute to work. It’s a great company with diverse
scope of work and we fly primarily MDs and Bell products as
well as a large fleet of airplanes for patrol work.

How long have you been a pilot and what initially got you
into aviation?
I’ve been flying commercially since 2018. I got into aviation
because my dad was a huge fan of aviation though he wasn’t
a pilot himself. I saw a Huey and cobra demonstration at an
air show when I was really young and I’ve been dead set on
flying helicopters ever since. My last year in the Marine Corps
I got to ride in that same Huey I saw as a kid and that was
really the leap off point for my aviation career.

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 PERSONAL
profile

How many hours do you currently have and on what aircraft

types?
I have around 2,500 hours currently and I’ve been fortunate
enough to fly some neat machines. From Robinsons to
EC135s, and even an S58 still in Marine Corps Livery. Most of
my time now is spent in MD500s and Bell 206s.

Can you tell us what your time as a V-22 Crew Chief involved
and how did you find the transition from the military to the
civilian world?
My time as a crew chief was awesome. We deployed from a
ship and did operations in Iraq during ISISs rise in the Middle
East. It is an incredible machine and very capable. It was a
struggle at times maintenance wise, I definitely spent a lot
more time maintaining them than crewing them but I think

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 PERSONAL
profile

the supply issues and tattle tale systems have got better since
I left. The civilian world is certainly different than the military,
I like that there’s never a rush to do things the right way in the
civilian world but I appreciated the regiment and discipline of
the military. I think those traits have helped me a lot.

Can you tell us a bit about what your career has been like up
to this point?
It’s been diverse. You have to move around and take chances
to get the experience you need to end up where you want to
be. I started out teaching at a big flight school and I felt like
there wasn’t enough students or autonomy to grow as a pilot
so I took a chance and moved to a small outfit in Texas where
I was the only pilot.
I needed that independence and responsibility of being a one
man show to grow as an instructor and with the help of my
boss who was a great mentor I felt like I became a better pilot

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 PERSONAL
profile

than I would have staying at a big flight school. From there I

took a seasonal utility job in Alaska with Pollux and did things
I never could have imagined if I had stayed in the lower 48. At
the end of the season I took a job with Era flying power line
inspections in an EC135. Era was a great company with nice
aircraft and fantastic management but around that time I
made the decision to make utility my career path.
I came to Hawkeye and started doing utility patrols and
sensor work and now I’m moving into the long line side of
things where we update cellphone towers and we’re working
our way into power line construction. There’s a lot of room
for growth here and I’m excited to see where Hawkeye is in a
few years.

Did you have a long-term plan for your career when you first
started flight training?
When I started flying I was convinced I wanted to move back
to Kansas, fly for AirEvac and be a hometown hero. I actually
went to Alaska just to give utility a chance, I didn’t want to
leave any stones unturned before I committed to a career
path. That gamble has made all the difference for me and I
can’t see myself doing anything else now.

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 PERSONAL
profile

Can you tell us something about your time as a flight

instructor?
It was cool but it was hard. Some of my students were
pretty standard and I could stick to the PTS but a lot of them
bought their own aircraft for their own business ventures be
it agriculture, wildlife work, cattle muster, the whole gamut.
So not only was I teaching primary skills but also how to use
their machines for the work they would be doing and how
to do it safely. I liked instruction though, I remember how
excited I was for every flight when I started out so getting to
witness that in my students made it all worth it. I actually
spent a lot more time as an instructor than I needed to before
moving on to the next step but I really enjoyed it. If I had
more time I would love to do it on the side.

Working in Alaska as a utility pilot must have been a

challenging environment to operate?
It really was. I spent a few months in southeast Alaska during
their wettest summer in recorded history. I think we had five
days of sunshine that summer. We were primarily ship based
so the work was already challenging and the weather made
it even more so. Even when I started flying in other parts of
Alaska between the extreme winds and fast changing weather
it seemed to play a factor every day making even mundane
jobs tricky. The weather reporting is spotty and there just

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 PERSONAL
profile

aren’t very many airports to divert to for fuel or weather

so it’s very easy to get caught out. It was all part of the
experience and it’s made me a more thoughtful pilot. Overall
flying in Alaska was life changing. It is a true pilot adventure.

Can you tell us more about your current position and

what a typical day is like?
Depending on the contract I usually live on the road, so my
days start with sketchy continental breakfasts and end with
burgers at dive bars in small towns all across the United
States. In between checking out of one hotel and into another
I’m usually flying power line inspections, leak detection
for pipeline, and soon enough updating cell phone towers
and pulling wire as well as any other long line work we can
drum up.

What aircraft do you now fly for work and what is your
favorite aspects about the aircraft?
Right now, I’m mostly flying MD500 D and E models. I love it,
it’s a pilot’s machine. If you’re a smooth pilot it rewards you
and if you over control it humbles you. It’s a great machine
and the first aircraft I’ve loved from the moment I got into it.

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» »
» »
» »
» »
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 PERSONAL
profile

What’s your favorite type of mission to fly?

Definitely long line work. I really like the challenge and the
fruits of your labor are tangible.

Has there been anyone who has been a role model for you
that helped you to achieve your flying ambitions?
My flight Instructor Trent Vick. He’s done it all and because
he’s been ahead of me career wise he’s always been great for
advice and he’s really helped steer me in the right direction.

What would you say has been the most satisfying part of
your career to date?
The community. Like the sense of belonging you get in
the military I would say that feeling is equally as strong in
aviation. We’re all aviation nerds and passionate about it and
I really enjoy being around like-minded pilots’ coworkers.

Is there one particular flight in your career that stands out

for you, good or bad?
A good flight was a ferry from Anchorage to Dead Horse,

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 PERSONAL
profile

basically one side of Alaska to the other. I saw many beautiful

sights on the way up, I almost couldn’t believe it. A bad flight
was the trip back from dead horse, I got into some terrible
un predicted mountain wave turbulence and 60kt winds
in a Robinson. I thought I would never make it out of that
pass. I landed halfway to gather myself and I couldn’t even
roll the helicopter down to idle because it was trying to roll
over backwards. Again, the weather up there can be pretty
unforgiving.

What would you consider is some of the best advice you’ve

received over the years?
The standard is perfection, and though it may be
unattainable the more you strive for it the more likely you
are to succeed and have a long career. Another one is the
old adage “we get paid to say no” and I think that is really
important for young and old pilots alike that feel pressure to
get the job done when the situation isn’t great.

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 PERSONAL
profile

What advice would you have for someone just starting out
in the rotary aviation industry?
Be an asset all the time, be a good representative not just for
your company but for everyone that’s taught and mentored
you, and enjoy the adventure.

Are there any advances in aviation you are personally most

excited to see in the near future?
I’m not thrilled about drone advances but a lot of the
emerging markets in the helicopter world seem exciting. It
looks like helicopters will be a big part of servicing off shore
wind energy, and even things like what we’re doing now
at Hawkeye with the cellphone towers are highlighting the
capabilities of helicopters. Hopefully we see a renaissance
in the industry and we will all be flying some cool jobs in the
coming years.
What is one thing you always bring with you on every flight?
Water, a medical kit, and a Garmin inReach. Plan for the best,
prepare for the worst.

Finally, if you were able to do so what advice would your

“experienced” self of today, give to yourself, when you were
starting out in aviation?
Don’t settle for less than your best effort and don’t get so
wrapped up in what’s coming next that you don’t enjoy where
you’re at right now. HO

Alan Norris trained as an engineer working for the British Government in Research and
Development for over 30 years. He has been a freelance aviation journalist for 45 years
specializing in helicopter related journalism and photography, and has been published in many
international aviation journals. He is one of the founders and a trustee of The Helicopter Museum,
located in the South West of England, and was restoration manager for over ten years organizing
the conservation and preservation of the collection. Alan is also a Fédération Aéronautique
Internationale registered judge for helicopter sport flying events at UK National, European,
International and World Championships.

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DISRUP AIRB

70
PTIVELAB
BUS HELICOPTERS CONTINUE TO PUSH THE R&T ENVELOPE
STORY BY PAUL KENNARD
PHOTOS BY JEROME DEULIN / AIRBUS HELICOPTERS

71
Airbus Helicopters appear to be
on something of a Research and
Technology charge. In recent
months, HeliOps has covered the
progress of the RACER (Rapid and
Cost-Effective Rotorcraft) project,
as it leverages the flight test
experience and lessons of the X3
lift/thrust compounded ‘tractor’
propeller demonstrator into the
final assembly of the ‘pusher’
propeller RACER prototype.

RACER

Designed to showcase a faster, cheaper,

quieter, and more fuel-efficient rotorcraft
for future transport needs, the RACER has
recently passed a significant milestone
with the first systems ‘power on’ occurring
just before the end of 2022. Delayed by
the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,
assembly is expected to be finished 2Q23
with a first flight tentatively pencilled in for
mid-year. RACER is more than an advanced
airframe though; it relies on a host of new
sub-systems to deliver on its promise. The
Airbus FlightLab initiative, discussed in

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a previous edition of HeliOps, uses an H130 helicopter as a Test &
Evaluation platform for a host of low Technology Readiness Level
(TRL) subsystems, several of which will have applicability to RACER
and other future rotorcraft projects. Among the technologies
being evaluated in an airborne setting via a ‘vertical maturity’
methodology are the Engine Back-up System (EBS) which, in a
single engined machine, offers electrical power to maintain rotor
speed (Nr) in the latter stages of a post engine failure autorotation -
promising, in time, the ability to hover the aircraft for a short period
to select a landing site. For the twin-engined RACER, a high voltage
start-stop system permits one engine to be shut down routinely in
the cruise, reducing static fuel flow and engine wear, and enabling
the running engine to be operated at an optimum power setting - the
start-stop system ‘picking up the slack’ in the event of the running

76
engine suffering a failure. FlightLab will also look at advanced Pilot
Vehicle Interface (PVI) ad Situational Awareness technologies, such
as the EAGLE distributed camera system to detect hazards to the
aircraft – likely to be very important in a dynamically changing
urban environment where simplifying the pilotage task promises
attracting, perhaps, a pool of Urban Mobility crews who have not
had to undergo prolonged flight training to current CPL standard -
and therefore not burdened by the same level of financial debt, so
salary expectations can be more modest.
What then does the recently test flown ‘DisruptiveLab’ bring
to the party, apart from a very content Test Pilot and Flight
Test Engineer?
I was fortunate that the ever efficient and helpful Laurence
Petiard was able to secure a slot in Tomasz Krysinski’s invariably

77
77
FlightLab will also full diary just before the Christmas break. Tomasz
look at advanced is currently Airbus Helicopters’ Vice President for
Pilot Vehicle Research and Innovation and was very supportive
Interface (PVI) of the RACER article when I was researching it. He
ad Situational also, as a volunteer, serves as Chair of the Board of the
Awareness Vertical Flight Society (VFS). As I currently sit on the
technologies, Operations Committee of the VFS, I suppose in a way I
such as the EAGLE work for him part of the time!
distributed From the start Tomasz was insistent that
camera system DisruptiveLab is a very different initiative to
to detect hazards FlightLab and RACER, but also complimentary.
to the aircraft. He noted that DisruptiveLab, as the name suggests,
is looking for the ‘big leaps’ in progress, while
FlightLab is more evolutionary and incremental in
how it develops technology through a ‘Develop,
Test, Develop, Test’ iterative cycle. DisruptiveLab is
firmly looking at producing output for
RACER and other future projects in Airbus

78
Helicopters’ coherent and broad technology roadmap, while
FlightLab seeks to provide enhancements to the existing product
line as well as future platforms.
Disruption, Tomasz noted, was ‘In our DNA’ and the trinity of
RACER, FlightLab and DisruptiveLab was an ‘essential key driver’ in
delivering the technology roadmap which has been constructed to
achieve Airbus’ ambitious aims. These aims include a 50% reduction
in the total energy required for flight, a reduction in moving parts
and mechanical complexity and, in Tomasz’s words, ‘The Third
Aerospace Revolution’ - that of electrification for powered flight.
He continued that ‘everything is virtuous’; less reliance upon
turbine engines reduces carbon output and operating costs (and
removes sensitivity to volatile hydrocarbon prices). More efficient
rotor systems can exploit the power expended more effectively,
while fewer moving parts reduces weight, lowers production costs,
extends Time Between Overhaul (TBO) and simplifies maintenance
requirements. The aircraft is more available, more of the time,
enabling it to generate more revenue.

79
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Airbus is keen BIG LEAP?
to push the
boundaries on Continuing the ‘Big Leap’ philosophy, unlike the
slowed rotor H130 used for FlightLab, the DisruptiveLab helicopter
technology with is a clean sheet design. Although superficially similar
DisruptiveLab. to the H130, Airbus insists that it is a totally new
aircraft. Tomasz expanded on this point, noting that
the rotor head is a completely original design, with
integrated blades and a hingeless rotor hub. Simpler,
lighter, cheaper - a mantra that keeps repeating
throughout our conversation. The combination of
integrated and aerodynamically enhanced rotor
blades, plus the hingeless rotor hub, will, according to
Tomasz, reduce drag by about 40%. Less drag requires
less static power to drive the transmission and rotor
system and a correspondingly lower angle of attack
on both advancing and retreating blades, which, in
turn, also reduces the power required for a given
airspeed or permits higher speeds before the onset

82
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of Retreating Blade Stall. Lower angle of attack / pitch angle on the
blades with reduced rotational speed will also contribute to
reduced noise, vibration, and downwash. Again, I come back to
Tomasz’s comment that ‘everything is virtuous’. It’s starting to look a
lot like it is.
The DisruptiveLab helicopter also has a completely new tail
boom. Tomasz describes it as ‘a simplified design’ in terms of
structure and transmissions. The landing gear has also been given
extensive thought over its construction and integration into the
aircraft to reduce the mass and drag.

PUSHING BOUNDARIES

Airbus is keen to push the boundaries on slowed rotor technology

with DisruptiveLab. The use of a designed from first principles
fully hybrid propulsion system, following on from the installation
of the EBS (100kw) on the FlightLab H130, with its 250Kw motor
will provide a significant step forward. Somewhat analogous to a
‘mild hybrid’ system used by many cars, the hybrid electrical power
system seeks to reduce fuel burn by 10% via reclaiming energy
in a manner similar to hybrid cars, by scavenging excess power
in high power flight conditions and giving it back to mechanical
drive system in lower speed cruise flight. Slowing the rotor helps
efficiency by keeping the rotor tip on the advancing blade below
the transonic region, where at the critical Mach number (MCRIT),
a significant increase in drag, and therefore power required, is
experienced. MCRIT has long been one of the effective barriers,
alongside Retreating Blade Stall, to high-speed forward flight for
‘conventional’ rotorcraft, and where the tiltrotor has an advantage
as it transitions its blades to meet the oncoming airflow (albeit at the
‘cost’ of profile drag). Slowing the rotor, delaying the onset of MCRIT,
and reducing pitch angle on the retreating blade as it tries to prevent
an asymmetry of lift across the disc will all close the speed ‘gap’ to
the tiltrotor. A slower rotor tip path also makes the separation of
vortices off the tips less ‘energetic’ and easier to manage smoothly -
again, reducing drag and as a side benefit, also reducing the

86
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88
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noise generated by the rotor system. The hybrid power system, like
the EBS, can intervene to maintain Nr in the event of an unexpected
power loss or interruption - or an in-flight need suddenly appears,
for example a collision avoidance manoeuvre, perhaps cued by the
EAGLE system.
Tomasz explained that he expects the RACER to fully exploit
hybridisation and slowed rotor speed. He estimates the two systems,
working in combination, and helped by RACER’s carefully honed
aerodynamics and lift generation profile (look at the wings and
there’s an awful lot of Formula One style aero going on there to my
untrained eye...) will enable the aircraft to fly at nearly 190kts on
a single engine in the cruise. Thanks to the high transit speed, this
equated to some 40-50% reduction in overall fuel burn per sector
compared to a slower, conventional rotorcraft, of which 15-20%
is saved by shutting down one engine. Unlike the introduction
of civil Tiltrotors, which Tomasz is quick to praise, the RACER
will not require any significant changes to flight crew training or
licensing; it can be flown exactly as a conventional helicopter - the
thrust compounding propellors have differential thrust to provide
yaw control at low speed - to the pilot feeling like a conventional

90
 NETWORKING
THE GLOBAL HELICOPTER
INDUSTRY
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SU BSC R I B E H E R E 91
The hybrid power tail rotor. It just accelerates and flies faster. Once
system, like the established in the cruise, the fuselage aerodynamics
EBS, can intervene will offset the need for anti-torque input and the
to maintain Nr wings can offload a significant proportion of the lift
in the event of requirement from the main rotor - again, seamless
an unexpected to the flight crew. With both engines engaged and
power loss or the rotor slowed, ‘dash speeds’ for SAR and AeroMed
interruption - or missions in excess of 200kts are credible, again
an in-flight need closing that gap in speed to platforms such as the
suddenly appears, AW609 and, who knows, perhaps a civil derivative
for example a of the Bell V-280 now it’s been down-selected by
collision avoidance the US Army? Tomasz expects that the RACER will
manoeuvre, also be able to reuse existing infrastructure such
perhaps cued by as rooftop heli decks and heli pads with little to no
the EAGLE system. modification; the aircraft will fit in the same overall
profile shape as something like a conventional
helicopter of similar mass - the constraint being the
same - the size of the rotor disc.
The reader will likely come away from this article
with two phrases in their minds; ‘Everything is
virtuous’ and ‘simpler, lighter, cheaper’. The addition
of DisruptiveLab joining FlightLab in Airbus’s stable
of flight test aircraft, and the imminent arrival of

92
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 the first RACER prototype, suggest that Airbus Helicopters is serious
about its future technology roadmap, and aware that ‘entryism’
into the vertical flight industry via eVTOL start-ups is a growing
threat to those businesses that ignore the dangers of new players
with fresh ideas arriving. The motor industry ignored Tesla to start
with (and they delivered 1.3 million vehicles in 2022 alone). Airbus
appears to be making the bold statement that they will join the wave
of innovation and disruption in the rotorcraft / vertical flight sector
that is currently underway, position themselves at the vanguard
of the ‘Third Aerospace Revolution’ and, importantly, do so with
the gravitas and decades earned reputation of a serious aviation
company behind it.
Such a combination could be very powerful. HO

Paul “Foo” Kennard is a former Royal Air Force CH-47 Chinook pilot, who specialised in Tactical Instruction,
Electronic Warfare and Operational Test & Evaluation during a 23 year career, during which he flew
operationally in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Since leaving the RAF, he has
established his own consultancy company where he continues to provide input into high technology
rotorcraft and aerospace projects for governments and Industry. He is a key member of the NATO Next
Generation Rotorcraft study team, specialising in Defensive Aids Suites, Degraded Visual Environment
technology, Head Mounted Displays and teaming with unmanned aircraft.

94
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97
Bird
on a
Diet
AIR METHODS
GOES LIGHT
WITH
MERCY AIR’S
NEW BELL 429
STORY & PHOTOS BY
NED DAWSON

98
Mercy Air 3 heads back to
home base at Hemet after
a trip to Temecula Valley
Hospital.

99
100
Air Methods subsidiary Mercy Air recently put a
429 fitted with a lightweight interior into service
from its base at Hemet, California, its first in
the PacWest region and the first to be put into a
community-based service, as opposed to a hospital-
based inter-facility operation, as Ned Dawson reports.

A CHANGE

Airbus’ EC135/H135 and EC145/H145 have become ubiquitous

in the EMS and AirMed sector, so Air Methods’ decision to go with
the Bell 429 may seem somewhat unusual but Air Methods’ area
manager Jared Szaroleta explained the logic behind the type’s
selection. “At the time it was difficult to obtain the equipment types
that might be seen as optimal for each geographic region, and there
was a global spike in pricing driven by scarcity and a number of
other factors, all exacerbated by Covid.”

BE THERE WHEN NEEDED

“We were forced to choose between overpaying for EC135s or

145s – if you could even find one – or trying to find a more readily
available and less expensive airframe. With the 135 or 145 you’re
also dealing with lower in-service rates, because of issues with the
procurement of parts and their general airframe construction and
componentry. As a company, we have about ten years of experience
with the 429s and we did a deep analysis to establish that they

101
Crews unload
Mercy Air’s Bell 429
through the rear
clamshell doors.

can and will work here.” He noted that the 429 is a domestically
controlled product with an established, reliable pipeline for parts.
“They’re brand new and highly digitized, so there are numerous
areas in certification and maintenance where, within our
organization, we can reap the benefit of that. Maybe it’s not quite
as capable as some of those other airframes, but it will be in service
more often so we will be able to give better, more reliable service to
the patients we serve.”
Unlike Canada and about a dozen other countries, the US’ FAA
has denied Bell’s petition for a maximum gross weight increase from
7,000lbs to 7,500lbs for its 429 model. Therefore, as the average
empty weight of a standard 429 with a full medical interior is
around 5,100lbs, United Rotorcraft – another Air Methods subsidiary

102
 ‘’As a company, we
have about ten years
of experience with the
429s and we did a deep
analysis to establish
– expended significant effort at its Denver that they can and will
facility over several months to reduce
work here.’’
the empty weight of Mercy Air’s new
machine. “It’s a custom, one-off interior
and that took an enormous amount of
time and investment,” remarked Szaroleta.
“There was really no other platform available that we could get our
hands on to do that with.” She considers the high probability that the
429 will prove to have a much higher percentage of time available
in-service to be a major plus, remarking, “Because our customers
depend on us being there, especially on scene calls, and because
we’re the only one in the area to carry blood on board, it’s vitally
important to be available when we’re needed.”

103
Big Bear is part of the coverage
area for Mercy Air 3.

429 FLEXIBILITY

Hayflich praises the 429’s flexibility and cites the huge variability
of terrain and operating environments, along with the wide range
of clinical requirements the CBS (Community Based Service) role
demands, as factors that make that flexibility a key feature of the
new aircraft. “We do so much scene work here, so we have to be
ready for whatever we encounter. However, we also do a lot of inter-
facility transport so there’s a lot of specialty stuff that the hospitals

104
rely on us for, be it balloon pumps, intubation or transfusing blood,”
she remarked. From his clinician’s perspective, flight medic Aaron
Kleinschmidt considers the increased room in the 429’s cabin to
be the greatest benefit it brings to the operation. He elaborated, “If
you use an ECMO machine, you have to have a lot of room because
then you need all sorts of other machines at the same time. That’s a
highly specialized capability and not all bases have it, but now that
we have the larger airframe, it’s something that we will be able to
pursue. I took this job to treat patients both on the ground and in the
air, it’s what I trained for and this aircraft lets me do that.” Hemet is

105
The Bell 429 is not a new type for
Air Methods, with over 10 years of
operating the type.

106
107
Temecula Valley Hospital is one of the
valued partners of Mercy Air and is a
regular destination for Mercy Air 3.

one of the bases where its aircraft carry onboard blood products, and
while this is a standard situation at almost all Air Methods CBS bases
with a high proportion of scene and trauma calls, Hemet is the only
operator so equipped within its service area.
Clinical Director Lisa Kettunen visited Hemet for a clinical base
audit, and to check up on how well the new aircraft is working in
the clinical sense. She and Hemet-based Kleinschmidt both noted
that its newness and having to regularly transfer the medical
equipment between aircraft makes establishing a standard interior
equipment layout a little problematic. Ongoing experience and the
eventual retirement of the current AW109 will greatly ease those
growing pains, however, and some very good features have already
been noted. “We’ve established that this aircraft can carry up to
580 minutes of oxygen on board, and that’s a fantastic feature,”
Kleinschmidt pointed out. The 429 has a ten-liter tanked LOX (liquid
oxygen) system, a system type for which Air Methods’ minimum
onboard requirement is greater than the maximum amount able
to be carried on a cascade (tanked gaseous) oxygen system, but

108
TimberlineAerospace.com
109
Hemet Fire
Department crews
work very closely with
Mercy Air 3.

110
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 When crews got their
hands on the Bell 429
for the first time it
took some working
out where all their
equipment should go.

the 429 exceeds that minimum by a massive margin. “Having the

LOX system means there’s one less thing that you have to think
too critically about, because even the minimum gives you hours of
oxygen,” Kettunen added.

MODULAR APPROACH

The modular medical fit-out enables flexibility in layout, so

experience and experimentation will determine how best to utilize
the interior, and Kettunen remarked that she hoped the medical
personnel and aircrews felt comfortable in communicating concern
about any features, protocols or layout situations that are found
during service to need serious re-thinking. “The best thing for us is
having all that room in the back, because we’ve come from operating
in a much smaller airframe, so we’re really stoked with the 429
and its flexibility,” Kleinschmidt enthused. The Hemet aircraft do
not conduct such specialist missions as PICU and NICU (pediatric
or neo-natal intensive care), although the Air Methods crews can
support such specialist teams. Kettunen advised, however, that on
occasion the Hemet crews did end up as de facto providers due to
the unavailability of appropriately qualified and equipped providers.

113
One of the biggest
advantages over the
AW109 they used to
operate is the amount of
space in the cabin.

114
115
“The healthcare industry as a whole is currently struggling to find
and retain qualified personnel, so it hasn’t been unusual that no
qualified team is available, or that they are poorly equipped. On
those occasions, we’re just the closest, next best option,” she said. “So,
although we’re not a P/NICU team, we can do the high-flow nasal
cannular for pediatrics, the oxygen flow from the ram-cannular
increasing the pressure to support their breathing.” Kleinschmidt
added that such young patients were also likely to be victims at
scene calls, necessitating immediate care until qualified specialists
became available and for that reason, pediatric care is a strong focus
of the medical crew training regime.
The 429 is easy to load and unload as it is equipped with its
own rolling gurney, negating the need to wait for a hospital or
ambulance gurney that may or may not be ideally matched to the
aircraft. Kettunen pointed out that every time a patient is moved
from one stretcher to another, risk is increased, so not only does
the onboard gurney simplify things, it also minimizes the level of
patient risk. “You don’t need a lot of hands and can do most of it
with your partner,” Kleinschmidt commented. “When you have

116
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93
your own litter, your own bags, you don’t need the hospital to
come and help you. The flow of a call goes more smoothly, and it
simplifies the workload when you can start and set up the way you
need it to be, right from the outset.” He really likes loading through
the rear clamshells and pointed out that in comparison, loading
through the side necessitates lifting really high and bringing people
in under the rotor disc. Szaroleta was highly complementary of
United Rotorcraft’s rear-loading gurney design, as it allows the
option of transitioning to other types of stretchers/gurneys if that is
considered desirable in the future.

PEOPLE AND THE MACHINE

Mercy Air’s Hemet base currently has three full-time pilots on

its roster, with a fourth position filled by Air Methods relief pilot
Roger Maynulet until another full-timer is employed. Maynulet had
flown the new machine for about a month and a half at the time of
HeliOps’ visit, including its first revenue flight, a short inter-hospital
transport in Riverside. He reported being extremely impressed with

118
Once sorted the layout in the
back of Mercy Air 3 is pretty
user friendly.

119
Mercy Air 3 is the second
Bell 429 operating for
Air Methods in the large
greater Los Angeles area.

120
121
Crews working on
streamlining stretcher
loading procedures on
their new arrival.

the 429, after extensive experience in the Bell 407, Agusta products
and Turbomeca-powered machines. “I feel it’s one of the first
helicopters that’s been engineered with the pilot in mind,” he stated.
“It’s very pilot-friendly and Bell have obviously focused on ease of
flight, flight safety and ergonomics.”
The base currently operates an Agusta 109-Power and Maynulet
considers that in comparison, the 429’s new generation avionics
and autopilot provide enhanced reliability and give the aircrew
increased confidence in their ability to safely complete a flight, with
a greatly reduced pilot workload, particularly under IFR. “That first
flight was in the dark but I had the auto-pilot set, made the approach
and it was super-easy. It’s definitely a pleasure to fly – a real pilot’s
aircraft. It’s comfortable, there’s plenty of room for the crew to do
what they need to do, and patient access is not an issue. Bell have
finally figured out how to make a comfortable pilot seat and there’s
plenty of leg and head room for a tall pilot, whereas the 109 is quite
tight. In other birds in our fleet, such as the 407 and 109, patient
access can be an issue because of the limited space, particularly on a
patient with injuries to their lower extremities,” he stated.
Hemet’s three full-time pilots should all be 429-qualified by the

122
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124
Training with the Hemet
Fire crews enables them
to get comfortable around
the Bell 429 especially
since it’s a rear loading
aircraft.

125
Mercy Air 3 sitting under the
night time skies at Hemet
airfield.

time this article is published and Maynulet explained that all check
rides and qualifications are conducted at night, so all pilots are fully
night rated but he and one full-timer who is relieving at another
base are currently the only base pilots that are 429-rated. When all
base pilots are checked out in the 429, the 109 will be replaced as
the primary ship and most 109s will be transferred to the company’s
bases in Nevada or reinvested, with several retained in California
as spares to cover scheduled maintenance outages and unscheduled
AoG instances. “The 109s are coming to the end of their service
life as far as we’re concerned, and we’ve found that we’ve had to
deal with major maintenance issues such as cracks in the airframe,
engine replacements and the rotor-blade tip-cap issue. Their in-
service rate is comparatively poor compared to other airframes out
there and ultimately, the 429 best fit the role as their replacement,”
Szaroleta commented. While the 429 is a little taller than the
AW109, Maynulet commented that from a pilot’s perspective at a
landing zone, the footprint was not noticeably any larger. “We have
some fairly conservative clearance limitations on our LZs, so I’ve
never seen any issue with size or had to do any dodgy approaches.”

126
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 The 429 can load and unload through either the side doors or the
clamshell doors at the rear, and Maynulet explained that while there
are no established SOPs (standard operating procedures) regarding
hot loading, each case is determined by crew and pilot interaction
and a consideration of each instance’s particular circumstances, such
as safety concerns, waiting times or fuel limitations. “If someone is
on a backboard, it can be easier to load through the side door, but
the crews have been doing practice runs and feel comfortable that
they can maintain a safe distance from the tail-rotor when loading
a patient through the clamshells. That’s something that we’ll be
looking at over the next couple of months; how we limit access

128
under the tail-rotor and whether we have to keep ground crews
away while we load. That’s going to change some of our procedures,
but the situation can be fluid and we always have the option to shut
down on the scene if safety is an issue, then quickly start back up
after load-up.”

PERFORMANCE

Maynulet appreciates the new Bell’s high levels of performance,

noting that even at the high density-altitudes commonly

129
The Bell 429 is fast becoming
a sought-after EMS helicopter
in the United States.

130
131
encountered – such as on a hot day up at Big Bear’s 8,500ft airport –
there is no problem carrying out a max’ performance takeoff, even at
maximum gross weight. “I did a max’ performance takeoff out of Big
Bear and shot up to 300ft with no problem, and I was only at eighty-
five percent,” he related. Being a new type for the base can pose some
challenge for pilots, due to such differences as layout and procedures
but Maynulet stressed that it is up to pilots to be disciplined and
professional about transitioning to a new type, commenting, “It
can be easy for someone to be a little averse to stepping out of their
comfort zone, but as the professionals that we are, we need to learn
the new automation, learn the differences and challenges that any
new aircraft is going to pose, remembering that it’s just a tool and it’s
our job to learn how to best use that new tool in the same situations
that we’re familiar with. Understanding and molding ourselves
to those different limitations and capabilities is what makes us
professionals and is what we get paid for.”
A valid and important consideration when assessing the 429’s
suitability in its intended role is its cost of operation. Szaroleta cited
domestic production, the highly digitized systems, its newness
and the inherent design of the aircraft as all combining to make

132
United Rotorcraft did a
good job of designing the
429s new lightweight
interior.

133
Mercy Air out front of the
Big Bear Hospital on a fine
winter’s day.

134
135
 Onboard oxygen is
mounted up front to
provide easy access for
patients.

the overall cost of its operation one of, if not the, lowest in the
industry for a twin-engine machine. In the current reimbursement
environment and with the introduction of the ‘No Surprises’ Act
early in 2022, lower operating costs are a crucial component of
maintaining efficiency, cost-effectiveness and financial viability
for commercial EMS and AirMed providers. Hayflich added that
Air Methods had seen the writing on the wall and, over the last
couple of years, aggressively and successfully pursued in-network
approval with many of the major insurance companies, to the extent
that she estimated 70 to 80 percent of the current business is now
conducted as in-network, with a goal of reaching 100 percent by the
end of 2023 – meaning that a majority of patients transported by
Air Methods will have an in-network cost based upon the patient’s
individual deductible.

EXPANSION?

Whether the 429 will facilitate an expansion of the Hemet base’s

normal service area remains to be seen, as experience with weight
limitations and fuel/range calculation is ongoing and only real-world
experience will reveal what range improvement such measures

136
137
as using economy cruise power and determining any redundant
and dispensable medical equipment will permit. In all likelihood
though, the ability to conduct specialist transport missions such as
those requiring ECMO, will create occasional demand for operations
throughout the greater proportion of the state.
Maynulet did remark, however, that the 429 will undeniably
expand the base’s IFR capabilities within the service area,
opining, “I’m definitely more comfortable taking flights out from
Catalina over water in the 429 than I am in the 109, and we have
the mountains as well. That’s why I think it’s important to have
something like the 429 that gives us those extra capabilities at both
sea level and at altitude.” Having the new aircraft at Hemet also
brings intangible benefits and Maynulet concluded, “Flying a new,
modern aircraft with effective air-con’ and all the comfort features;
what that does for morale and the culture at a base is immeasurable.
It lifts attitudes and really makes a difference to how people
approach their jobs.” HO

Ned Dawson has had an interest in the helicopter world since his first ride in a 3 Sqn RNZAF Sioux
in his early years. Since then he has gone on to become an accomplished air to air photographer
shooting everything from R-22s to S-92s. Ned is also the group Publisher so he is more often
than not out travelling the world from Afghanistan to Africa shooting this amazing industry.

138
CO M MAN D
PE R FO R MAN C E

Image courtesy of Ned Dawson

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139
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141
THE ONLY
GAME IN TOWN
PINELLAS COUNTY SHERIFF’S UPGRADED AIR UNIT
STORY & PHOTOS BY NED DAWSON

PCSO H125 formates

alongside the Pinellas
County Sheriff’s Office
Marine Unit off the coast.

142
143
Although the Pinellas County
Sheriff’s Office has operated an
aviation unit for some time, the
last seven or eight years have
seen cultural and operational
reorganization within the unit
and upgrading of its equipment,
resulting in a dramatic increase in
capabilities and performance, as
Ned Dawson discovered.

P
inellas County on Florida’s west
central coast is the second smallest
county in the state by land area, at only
274 square miles, with a further
334 square miles of water. It is just
38 miles long and 15 miles wide at its broadest point, with
587 miles of coastline. It boasts, however, a population
of around one million residents, a number dramatically
increased by tourists, holidaymakers, snowbirds, and spring-
breakers all enjoying the Florida paradise lifestyle of the
peninsula’s many beaches, recreational areas and ocean. The
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) has responsibility for
the entire county other than incorporated municipalities

144
PCSO’s H125 out
searching for a missing
person.

145
The H125 is the newest
addition to the PCSO
Aviation Unit – and joins
two other Airbus products.

but does contract to provide law enforcement services to a dozen or

more of those municipalities and is the only law enforcement agency
in the county to operate an aerial law enforcement unit. Patrol
functions are carried out with three A-Stars for twenty hours a day
in two ten-hour shifts, starting at 09:00 and 19:00 respectively, and
shutting down at 05:00, while a Cessna Grand Caravan fixed-wing
bought a couple of years ago serves in the transport, surveillance,
and ancillary roles.

146
AGING PROBLEMS

Until approximately a decade ago, the PCSO air unit did not
boast a particularly high ratio of apprehensions to callouts, with
the result that fewer and fewer callouts were received from ground
officers who therefore had limited expectations of the air unit’s
capability. Part of the reason for this situation was the aging and
somewhat dated equipment fitted to the unit’s AS350 helicopters,

147
one of which was the first -B2 sold to law enforcement aviation
in the US and thirty years old. Recognition within the Sheriff’s
Office hierarchy that the technology was falling behind led to a
push for modernization of the unit and a subsequent order for
a new AS350-B2 to replace an aging Bell 206 Jetranger, but far
greater-reaching initiatives were needed to achieve the desired
improvements in aerial law enforcement operations.
The then sergeant overseeing the air unit had identified areas
in equipment, tactics and techniques that offered room for
dramatic improvement and modernization. As a result of his efforts,
some new equipment and new, much more advanced mapping
systems were purchased and the one new A-Star was ordered, but

148
 The west coast of Florida
provides for some
amazing scenery for PCSO
crews.

he then retired. Pivotal to the successful implementation of the

necessary changes, therefore, was the introduction of some new,
enthusiastic, forward-looking senior air unit personnel. Corporal
Paul Rogers joined the unit in early 2016 with ten years in law
enforcement, moving from a pilot’s position in another Florida law
enforcement agency. He was particularly motivated to take the
position because he was aware of the plans to progress the unit and
enthusiastic to help take it to the next level. Rogers was followed
just over a year later by Bryan Smith, who boasted a background
of extensive law enforcement, flying and instructional experience.
Rogers, although technically second in charge of the unit, carried
the lion’s share of the unit’s organizational workload until Smith

149
150
arrived to fill the Sergeant position as Chief Pilot. “Somehow I kept
things above water, but I was really glad when he (Smith) came in
because it’s a heck of a lot of work and not something I’d want to do
long term,” Rogers admitted.

CHANGE

The changes provided an opportunity to bring the unit into the

current era of law enforcement aviation, as Smith outlined. “I think
there are generational eras in our field and the current era is defined
primarily by the shift from standard definition cameras without
mapping systems, to the latest high-definition, multi-sensor systems
that utilize fully integrated, advanced tactical mapping technology
with downlink capability. There is a huge gap in capability between
those two levels of technology,” he stated, explaining that at the time
the modernization was instigated, the Sheriff’s office participated
in a very active violent crimes taskforce, and the aerial surveillance
technology was brought in as a key part of a plan to support that
taskforce. The taskforce had been using air assets from several
different agencies in the Tampa Bay area, depending on the
specific area being worked, and the notable increase in capability
that the later technology facilitated became a major catalyst for the
upgrade program.
When the new -B2 arrived in 2016, the huge increase in
operational capability and effectiveness of its new equipment was
immediately apparent, but with only one third of the helicopter fleet
so equipped, those improvements were only available approximately
one third of the time. That situation then became the catalyst
for obtaining a quote to upgrade the remaining two aircraft with
the same new technology, with the resulting quote approved and
signed off in just one week. Although the new equipment arrived in
relatively short order, the modernization process has been a long-
term project, as maximizing the new technology’s potential requires
extensive training and operational experience. “When I got here,

151
Waterfront homes make
up a large percentage of
PCSO’s coverage area.

152
153
Patrolling the beach fronts
has to be one of the prime
jobs for any air support
unit, especially along the
Gulf Coast.

there were a couple of guys that were really good with it, but there
was no established in-house training program for anything,” recalled
Smith, who opined that it is fairly common within the industry
that insufficient training is provided to optimally utilize available
technology and resources, particularly in the TFO (Tactical Flight
Officer) role. Alongside all the in-house and online training, the
Pinellas pilots, however, all get sent to HeliStream in California for
a week of additional externally supervised recurrency training and
attend various industry seminars and training forums.

154
NEW AIRCRAFT

More recently, the oldest of those two aircraft was replaced in

2022 with a brand-new Airbus H125, completed by Metro Aviation
under Airbus’ oversight and fitted with the very latest versions
of the mission equipment – including a 4th-generation MX10 that
offers major capability and performance improvements over the
1st-generation units in the older aircraft – and with all three aircraft

155
now boasting downlink capability provided by CNC Technologies.
The new aircraft boasts larger displays, and its layout was designed
by the PCSO aircrews, using their operational experience to establish
the most practical and user-friendly setup for their needs. The
H125’s Garmin autopilot offers one-touch auto-levelling, can shoot
an approach and will hover in ground effect, while the upgrade to
a Technisonic radio offers enhanced communication capability. An
additional rear-seat TFO position now allows the deployment of
three-person crews and these features add to a significant boost in
power and performance to make the 125 a noticeable improvement
over the earlier -B2 models. “I can get to the 135kt red-line for the
camera and know that I could easily go over that if I didn’t stop it,
whereas in the -B2s I could never get to that red-line,” Smith stated.
All Pinellas County Sheriff pilots are also TFOs, actively working

156
157
PCSO’s H125 was recently
delivered by Metro
Aviation who are fast
becoming a well respected
airborne law enforcement
completion centre.

158
159
One of the Air Support
Unit’s deputies becoming
a chew toy for a K-9
member.

in that role before ever flying as a pilot and Smith commented that
officers entering the unit are assessed far more on their TFO skills
and ability to manage technology, than on anything pilot related.
“I think people outside aviation underestimate how much work it
takes to do it right and do it well. It takes a new TFO a year or two
doing it full-time before they’ve honed their skillset to a really
professional level,” he stressed, and explained that once he arrived,
work immediately began to establish a range of training programs
and resources to cover all aspects of the unit’s operation. “Even
with picking those personnel who were best fitted for the TFO role,
it took a good three years before we were truly comfortable that
they were all completely mission competent. Now though, they’re
all at that level and we’re totally comfortable that any two of our
personnel can go out and fly together totally effectively.”

160
ADVANCED SYSTEMS

All PCSO pilots are NVG qualified and IFR rated, or in the late
stages of IFR training, and several will become flight instructors.
Smith added that, now the more capable H125 is on the fleet, he
intends to train pilots in more advanced techniques such as long-
line and fast roping and a long-term goal is to replace the two
remaining AS350s with new H125s. “During a hurricane, the Coast
Guard relocated all of its aircraft to locations out of state, so if a
storm comes through here, we’ll be the only resource to assist on the
peninsula and HEC work (human external cargo) will be the only
viable rescue method in many situations.” It was pointed out that the
high cost, heavy maintenance demand and weight penalty of a hoist
make HEC the best choice for rescue work in the light single-engine

161
H125 and A-Stars for PCSO since usually there are a dozen USCG
hoist equipped aircraft available from the local air station (unless
relocated for a hurricane). During Spring Break and the summer,
daytime water rescues are a relatively frequent occurrence, and
the helicopters will search for and locate persons in distress and
guide other rescue services to the scene, while for night rescues, the
onboard thermal camera and spotlight are obviously indispensable
aids. Although the helicopters cannot currently rescue people in the
water, in cases of dire urgency they can drop ‘rescue sticks’, auto-
inflating rescue aids for emergency flotation.
A key component of the new equipment is the L3 Harris
WESCAM MX-10 camera turret fitted to the patrol helicopters. The
MX-10 can be operated effectively on just its programmed automatic
settings and still be vastly more effective than the older generation
FLIR 8500 camera system it replaced, but Smith pointed out that its
extensive range of adjustments and manual control options make
the MX-10 capable of substantially greater performance in the hands

162
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163
Future plans for the PCSO
ASU is to have another
H125 to replace their
oldest B2

164
165
of a highly skilled operator. Wescam does provide MX-10 customers
with a comprehensive training package that goes into the finer
technical points of camera operation and mission optimization, so a
great deal of the PCSO training is therefore focused on getting the
most out of the MX-10 and its integrated tactical mapping system.
One pilot advised that the camera performance can be so precisely
fine-tuned that he has been able to see shadows on the sidewalk
while in infrared mode, from an altitude of 1,500ft, while someone
else reported locating an absconding offender after a forty-minute
search, just from a slight temperature differential in the metal
exterior of a dumpster in which he was hiding.
The quality and effectiveness of the PCSO training has been
proven during visits to other agencies, with Rogers noting that
he has been able to advise those operators of MX-10 features and
capabilities of which they were completely unaware, despite
their having used the system significantly longer than the PCSO.
He believes that the unit is now using virtually all the MX-10’s
capabilities in the missions the air unit conducts but noted that the
system still offers many un-utilized functions and features that

166
No matter how fast you
run you aren’t going to
outrun the K-9

simply don’t apply to the PCSO’s mission-set. One feature that has
proved to be a real benefit is the system’s fire-mapping function.
Although not used for fire mapping, it has been extremely useful
in mapping and reporting the ‘red-tides’, toxic algae blooms that
have a detrimental effect on an area that enjoys significant tourism.
Wayne Zelinsky related how the combination of the HD camera and
integrated aero-computer mapping enabled him to follow a pursuit
while still out of camera range, directing the camera with the mouse
on the map to the reported location so that when arriving on scene,
the camera is already dialed in and pointed at the target vehicle.
“That’s something I couldn’t have done as a first year TFO, but the
regular training and experience with the system makes it doable.
That type of work and thought process is a total culture change from
what it was here seven or eight years ago.”

GROWING PAINS

The success of the modernization has not been without growing

167
pains, however, particularly for the maintenance personnel, under
the director of maintenance, Brian Egnatuk. As the vastly improved
efficiency and effectiveness of the air unit has become proven and
known throughout the Sheriff’s office, the number of calls for air
support has increased dramatically. “Because they know the chance
of success is so high if we’re on a call with them, everybody on
the street now calls us; often even before they’re on scene,” Rogers
advised. “The inevitable result is a significant increase in flight
hours, which means much more frequent maintenance. We used
to do one 600-hour check a year and now we’re doing three, and
they’re each a month long. The maintenance personnel deserve a lot
of credit because if we didn’t have the aircraft available, we couldn’t
be as successful as we now are.” He opined that the personnel in
the Part 145-approved maintenance operation are the most highly
regarded part of the unit, and that it is unheard of to hear any
negative opinion or feedback about their support or service. “When
they work on something, their goal is not just to get it within limits,
but to get it as close to perfect as is humanly possible and that is
why the aircraft are so incredibly smooth to fly and so trouble free

168
in operation. Another maintainer would be nice though, because
they are always busy every day, from the time they arrive until they
leave at night.” Although the missions flown all fall under the public
use category, flight operations are all conducted at least to Part 91
and usually to full Part 135 standards, while maintenance is carried
out to Part 145 requirements and follows all Airbus manufacturer
guidelines and recommendations.
A fortunate and coincidental recent change within the unit
has been an intake of new, younger personnel as natural staff
movement and attrition has seen several of the older crew moving
on. The younger members have grown up with computers and
gaming and are much more at ease with the high-level technology
now utilized in the unit’s aircraft. The unit is slated for a flight crew
complement of twelve members, with three full-time maintenance
personnel but after a pilot left to take on a different role, there have
been challenges filling that final pilot slot. Efforts were made to
recruit from outside the Sheriff’s office but that did not prove easy.
“We specifically needed a fixed-wing pilot because only two of us
meet the criteria to fly the Cessna now. We wanted a minimum of

169
The TrakkaBeam is a much
utilised addition for the
H125 as the sun goes
down.

170
171
Sunsets along the Florida
coastline are impressive
– and provide a stunning
backdrop for the H125
while out on patrol.

1,000hrs flight time and applicants also had to have law enforcement
experience, because we fly in both seats and everything we do in
this unit is focused on the end goal of putting the TFO in the right
position to do meaningful work.” Smith pointed out that that many
agencies operate with a division between the pilot and TFO roles but
PCSO’s philosophy is the opposite. “By starting everybody in the left
seat they get comfortable operating the camera and systems, so by
the time they start sitting in the right seat they know exactly how
the TFO will want the aircraft positioned. Another advantage is that
experienced crews comprise two command pilots who will alternate
between the TFO and pilot position. They both therefore remain

172
current and qualified on both the aircraft and the camera systems,
and never get bored.”

THE OLD MAN

Zelinsky calls himself the ‘old man of the unit’, with 25 years in
law enforcement and a spot on the unit since 2018, logging about
1,100hrs in the last three years. He was the first pilot to be trained
in-house on the unit’s A-Stars, as prior appointees were all trained
to CPL(H) by an external training organization before transitioning

173
Air Support Unit crews on
patrol along the Clearwater
coastline in their H125.

to the A-Star on the unit. “I started on the camera for about a year
and a half, and began pilot training after a year,” he recalled. “Like
Paul said, I’ve never loved a job before, but I love this job! We only
get called to serious occurrences, pursuits, stolen cars, shootings
and so on. It’s an adrenaline rush because we’re always going to
something interesting. It can be immensely satisfying and rewarding
too, like at two in the morning when we found an eighty-five-year-
old Alzheimer’s patient who fell in the woods, and would have been
dead if we hadn’t found him. I like that we’re always getting better
and always adding to what we do.”
Rogers is still incredibly enthusiastic about his job on the unit,
commenting, “You know the saying that when you find a job you
love, you never work another day in your life? Well, that’s true for

174
me here. It’s just fun and you never know what’s going to happen
as the day unfolds. It might be a water rescue, a high-speed pursuit
or just a transport mission, but it’s always different and I can’t stand
doing the same routine every day. With the unit progressing as it
is, we’re always pushing forward so there are always new things
on the horizon and new missions to look forward to.” When Smith
moved to the Pinellas air unit five years ago, it was because had he
remained where he was, there was no likelihood of him obtaining
a chief pilot position; something he wanted to achieve before his
career ended. He added that he considered the most rewarding
aspect of law enforcement to be flying on an incident brought to
a successful conclusion, when that would not have been possible
without the support of the air asset.

175
176
PROGRESS TO THE BEST

“This unit is the best staffed, the best equipped and the most
effective that it’s been since I started here five years ago. With what
we have here now, this unit is the best kept secret and the best place
to be in law enforcement aviation. I came here because I wanted
a chance to do something significant with it and they indicated to
me that they wanted to finish moving the operational side of this
unit to the next level.” When Smith arrived at the unit there was no
established safety, pilot training or TFO training programs, and no
NVG usage but he did find motivated people that wanted to build
a professional unit, with a culture of enthusiasm to progress the
unit forwards. “The pilots here in general did not have a lot of flight
time, so there was a lot of work involved in building experience and
getting everybody NVG-qualified, instrument rated and trained
in techniques and tactics. Now though, I’ve seen our guys pick up
a fleeing car up to seven miles away. That took two or three years
of steady, hard work but now, no matter what time it is, they’re
running out to the helicopter when a call comes in because they all
want to fly and to give the best support they can. There are no other
public safety aircraft in the county so when anyone in the county
needs air support, this is the only game in town. I’m not joking when
I say that I want this to be the best air unit in the world, and upper
management has been unstinting in their support for all the changes
needed to progress towards that goal,” he concluded. HO

177
The PowerSTORY BY
GLEN WHITE

of Recovery

178
179
There has been a significant
move away from training in
touch down autorotations.
Has this move served the
industry or created a new
problem? Glen White explores.

FALSE SECURITY?

It’s a beautiful day to fly the coastline with mild outside air

temperatures and magnificent clear skies. With the temperatures
in the high 70’s Fahrenheit and mid-20’s Celsius, this January
afternoon’s conditions are a far cry from the frigid temperatures of
much of the other parts of the United States. The dazzling view, as
on most days, is breathtaking and a testament to the majesty of the
islands unbridled nature. As you fly up the coastline you search for
any of the abundant sea-life that this area is known for.
With the shoreline within gliding distance, an airspeed of 80kts
(knots), all gauges at a proper value, all caution lights extinguished
and an altitude of approximately 2000ft (feet), you have checked all
the boxes of aircraft control safety margins.
Your aircraft, an EC130T2, is a new addition to the fleet and is a
roomy helicopter with an upgraded environmental control system

180
and an increase in power from its predecessor. The left-hand
drive aircraft, with the collective installed away from any
possible passenger contact, is a great safety feature and allows
most of the passengers to be on the land side of the aircraft when
flown up the coast. Periodically, this configuration does require
the pilot to switch from right hand manipulation of the cyclic
to left hand to adjust radios or grab a bottle of water. But this
scenario, when flying at altitude, becomes as normal as any other
manipulation of the controls.
Though your job affords some of the finest daily views a pilot
can experience, the amount of talking that the job requires can
be overwhelming at times. The dry and sore throat you have is a
common end of the day condition, and this day is no different. With
a tickle in your throat and your automatic coughing reflex engaged,
you can’t help but cough directly into your mic. With an apology to
your passengers, you switch cyclic hands from right to left and pick
up your bottle of water to quench the burning in your throat.

181
RUDE AWAKENING

As the bottle touches your lips, your world’s status quo becomes
unfamiliar and unsettlingly different. Everything in the helicopter
has changed; the sound, the indications, the feel, the yaw. As all
engine parameters start to decrease, the VEMD’s FLI changes to its
triple display, lights start to illuminate on the warning/caution panel
and the low rotor horn starts to sound in your headset. With the
events but a blur of activity, the rotor rpm decreasing to below its’
redline is barely noticeable in the chaos of the event.
In the first few seconds of transformation to an irregular
circumstance in a helicopter, the pilot either automatically reacts
to the event, much like the automatic human reflex of catching a
ball, or it stays still and the analytical portion of the brain tries to
comprehend what just happened. Once the analytical portion of
the brain determines the likely cause of the event, the brain will
then decide on what course of action will be applied. The time this
analysis takes can consume many seconds.
From the onset of the undetermined event to the switching of
your left hand to the collective and your right hand to the cyclic,
two seconds have elapsed. One second later you lower your

182
collective to its full down position to try to recover the decaying
rotor RPM.
A turn is then established to the right to join the coastline with
a 30-degree roll and a 15-degree pitch downward. As the turn
continues it is now eight seconds after the aircraft’s malfunction,
with a descent rate of 4000fpm (feet ) and an airspeed of 75kts. At
one point during the turn the intermittent high rotor rpm aural
warning indication began to sound with the NR now indicating 450
(20 rpm above its redline). Increasing the collective, the rotor rpm is
corralled back into its limits and the descent rate slows to 2000fpm.
With the aircraft now at 900ft and the right turn continuing, the
rotor once again goes low. Then by placing the collective in the full
down position, the NR begins to recover.
It is now 11 seconds after the onset of the event and the
realization of the failure has now come into view. With this
newfound clarity you key your radio mic and announce, “I lost my
engine”. Now at 600ft, 85kts and a descent rate of 2600fpm, the
intermittent aural warning in your headset again indicates a rotor
rpm of over 410. At 15 seconds after the onset of the engine failure
the NR is now at 430 (the upper redline indication). Pulling the
collective up, the NR is brought back into limits, but this application
has the aerodynamic aircraft response of the nose of the helicopter
pitching upward.
This nose up attitude slows your airspeed, and the raising of
the collective to stop the rotor rpm increase has drooped the NR to
a low status once again. Now at 20 seconds after the onset of the
engine failure the aircraft is at 350ft, 60kts and has an indicated
rotor rpm of 364. Three seconds later the NR is 340 and the airspeed
is 40kts. At 275ft, with a near zero airspeed, the helicopter makes a
pronounced vertical rapid descent to the beach surface. Pulling the
collective, the NR decays to 260 as ground impact is made.

IMPACT

Since you were wearing your 4-point seat belt correctly, low, and
tight across the waist, the energy attenuating seat does its job and

183
collapses, reducing the severity of your back injuries. The other
occupants of the helicopter were not so fortunate, with varying
levels of improper seat belt placement. The least tightly securing
passengers moved upward during the rapid descent, hovering
them above their seats during the fall. Suspended by their seatbelt,
the then rapid downward movement toward the seat at impact
does not allow the energy absorbing to occur and massive spinal
injuries are induced.
This accident occurred in 2016 and is not a unique or a
surprising scenario. The events described above are obtained from
its NTSB accident docket which analyzed the recording of the
aircrafts Onboard Image and Data Recorder. When compared to
other engine failure accidents the particulars of this event are very
similar and the pilots of other engine failure incidents made similar
control inputs.

IMPROPER INPUTS

These improper autorotational control inputs are not induced by

chance but rather the control inputs made in these accidents have
been taught to the pilot.
The plain truth is that in the helicopter industry we have
been told a lie for 30 years to a point where we accept this lie as
an unquestionable truth. This has so completely enveloped our
community that to speak against the dogma is considered heresy.
Those who speak against our shared illusion are disregarded and
our own mental self-protection convinces us that we would do it
differently had we piloted the accident helicopter.
The lie is the power recovery autorotation.
For pilots of single engine helicopters, the most import skill set to
maintain is the ability to land the helicopter safely after an engine
failure. For the first 30 years of the helicopter industry practicing
full down autorotations was just another normal maneuver. Then
the industry started using a particular helicopter for primary
training that was more difficult to autorotate. Not impossible….
More difficult.
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185
 The sensical reaction to this should have been to address how
to safely autorotate that helicopter. The industry reaction was to
bring the engine back to flight status prior to ground contact and
proclaiming this is the very same as taking the helicopter to the
ground. With no consequences of the bottom of the maneuver, the
control manipulation became ingrained. This control manipulation
did not reflect the proper movements of the controls but rather
the proper manipulation of the controls for re-induction of engine
power to the rotor. The results from 30 years of accident reports
reflect the detrimental outcome of this change.
So how as an industry, did we get to a point where the majority of
helicopter pilots have done few to no full down autorotations while
being the sole manipulators of the controls? It’s a question we should
all be asking and investigating answers to.

THE GREAT LIE

The great lie in our industry started with new pilots being

186
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introduced to autorotations as difficult or dangerous maneuvers.
How a person is introduced to a subject will determine his/her
views toward it for the rest of their lives, law of primacy. You are
taught that doing a power recovery autorotation is safer and will
result in the same skill sets as a full down autorotation. If this were
true, then after doing power recovery autos for many years the pilot
should be proficient with the full down autorotation maneuver. The
truth is that the muscle memory you obtain during power recovery
autorotations will lead to a real-life landing at a high rate of descent.
This muscle memory is engrained and will not change in the
actual maneuver. Most NTSB engine failure accident reports reflect
this truth. So, since this is a reality, why do we continue down this
road of self-induced delusional training?
The reality is that pilots have almost no control on whether we
are exposed to full down autorotations or not. When a pilot first
learns to fly a helicopter they are taught that the way to practice
an engine failure is to roll the engine back to idle and then prior to
ground contact to bring the power back in. It is expressed to them
that taking the helicopter to the ground is too risky. That reasoning
contains a certain amount of truth, as in that the instructor is often
a low time pilot with little to no skills at landing that helicopter

188
safely after an engine failure and the student is even at a lower
level of ability. Of course, this could have been resolved with more
experienced pilots teaching the autorotations, but this course of
action was very rarely explored.
These same primary pilots go on to jobs like electronic news
gathering, tours or EMS. The instructor pilots at these companies
come from the same stock as the new hire and the company training
is conducted using power recovery autorotations. This maneuver
is comfortable for both pilots since they are both proficient at doing
the power recovery autorotation maneuver. They pat themselves
on the back after the maneuver ensuring themselves that they have
the skills needed to safely land the helicopter after a real engine
failure. Little do most pilots know, we have further ingrained the
movements of the controls that will either lead injury or death in
the actual occurrence.

SKILL DEGRADATION

Some pilots during the process of becoming a certified flight

instructor (CFI), or after they became an instructor, perform full
down autorotations regularly. Ability and confidence are abundant
in their autorotational skills, and the pilot holds that as a memory
of current ability status. The fact is that over time we lose a learned
skill set or memory item. The amount of loss in ability correlates
to the amount of exposure you had with the skill. Pilots who have
stopped flying, for one reason or another for a period, often find
that the skill set, though rusty, comes back quickly. Much like
riding a bike. This regained solidification of the flying skill set will
be proportional to the number of hours the pilot has flown. A pilot
that has 5000 hours of flying will regain the skill set quickly after
a year of not flying. A pilot with 100 hours of flight time may not
regain all or any of the skills after a year of not flying. The full down
autorotational skill set works the same. If a pilot did thousands of
full down autorotations as a CFI, the time in which the skill is lost is
greater. If a pilot has only performed five full down autorotations in

189
their complete flying career, the loss in skills could happen in weeks.
Beyond the ability to perform a full down autorotation, the pilots
perceived current ability status is distorted by the memory of the
last autorotation performed. As humans we remember our ability
with a skill the last time the skill set was used. We remember that
perfect last auto and believe that we still are operating at that same
level. We remember last perfect baseball pitch we made, but 30
years later we can’t get the ball over the plate. The truth is that over
time, in proportion to the amount of full down autorotations that
have been performed in a pilot’s career, the autorotational skill set
will diminish in quality until it is completely forgotten.
Though we cannot control the training program at a prospective
employer we do have the ability to choose a company to work for
that does provide proper engine failure training.

TRAINING

A good example of how full down engine failure training should

be conducted in a large organization is The Los Angeles Police

190
Department (LAPD). The helicopter unit at that department has
close to 50 pilots, nine of which are instructors in the unit. Not
only do they train most of their new pilots from zero hours to
commercial standards, but once in the unit, they get training every
three months. This training includes stuck pedals, hydraulic failures
and full down autorotations. Not only are they doing full down
autorotations, but they are also doing them with full fuel and a
night sun landing light and a million-dollar camera installed on the
helicopter. They are conducting full down autorotational training
almost every day of the year and they are doing it safely.
So why is it dangerous for Company X to do full down
autorotational training at but LAPD does not seem to have any
problem with every pilot doing a block of them four times a year?
First, from hour one of an LAPD pilots flight career they are taught
that autorotations are performed to the ground and when performed
regularly and within the proper parameters are not only safe but the
‘funnest’ portion of the training. They are oblivious to the prevailing
mindset that the maneuver is dangerous.
The instructor pilots at the unit having risen through the
department’s mindset of “training is important”, continue this
disposition to the pilots they train. Not only do the instructor pilots
provide training every day but they receive outside training to
ensure they operate at their high level. This mindset provides for an
extremely successful aviation department and is the example for the
rest of worlds police departments.
To put it simply, a full down autorotation is challenging in one
model of helicopter. Not impossible, but difficult. Most of the rest
of the single engine helicopters in our industry are enjoyable to
autorotate when conducted within its proper parameters and with a
qualified safety pilot instructor.
You need to ask yourself, if your engine quits will you have the
skills to survive the ground contact? You will not have an engine to
arrest your rate of descent before ground contact is made. You will
not possess proper collective manipulation skill set. At the bottom
there is no power for a recovery. HO

191
192
IT’S ELECTRIC!
Certifying eVTOL
STORY BY CHRIS SMALLHORN

Joby Aviation’s Joby S4 (USA) – part

way through FAA System Review
process, aiming to certify by 2025.

193
There is little doubt the electric
Vertical Take Off and Landing
(eVTOL) wave is building and is
on the verge of riding this new
technology wave. Electric powered
propulsion systems to make the
capability a commercially viable
reality are developing quickly.
New fuels such as hydrogen and
ammonia for on wing electricity
production, improvements in battery
power density combined with some
unique and balanced aircraft design
concepts are converging. To use a bit
more of the surfing metaphor and
an old Naval Aviation colloquialism
for aviation electrics (green steam)
– we’ll be ‘in the green room’ soon.
Chris Smallhorn examines the
challenge facing regulators for
eVTOL certification.

194
 AMSL Aero’s Vertiia (Australia) –
aiming to certify in 2025.

REGULATOR INERTIA

The world’s aviation regulators are not being idle. We all know
that aviation regulation can be a slow moving thing, and frankly
there is not too many of us in the operational flying world who
don’t find some level of frustration with regulator’s agility and
responsiveness. However, all of us who take aircraft to the skies,
and those who take the heavy responsibility for the engineering
and maintenance clearances to let them take to the sky, enjoy an
extremely safe industry when measured against the risk of the
endeavour. This is in no small part due to the deliberate and careful
nature of the regulators. Of course, I am hearing the collective groan
of those who’ve waited for the license, wondered why the FCOM
takes so long to clear, or who is battling an AVMED task…
I have spent the vast majority of my own career in the regulated
community to be sure, however during some of those years
working as a test pilot I came to value the careful consideration of
our regulators and place great value in working with the relevant

195
Volocopter
VoloRegion targeting
2026 entry to
service.

regulator underpinned by our mutual desire for safe outcomes.

We need tight and engaged aviation regulators now as the next
generation of flying machines enter the market. It is crucial to
safe outcomes but must be balanced against assuring progress is
not unnecessarily impeded, and assessing the economic value to
industry and community measured against risk.

THEY’RE EVERYWHERE – BUT NOT YET

E-VTOL aircraft, or indeed a conventional take-off and landing

aircraft powered by electrically produced thrust, seem to be
permeating every other aviation press release feed and magazine we
see these days. There’s a reason; it’s exciting, it’s new and is shaping
the future of aviation. Interesting and difficult things always capture
the interest of the inquisitive. E-VTOL fit that billing like a glove.
This is not about the products themselves, however a quick scan
of a few of the emerging products enable us to see the wide variety

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of design approaches and ideas spinning around. When you look at
these new shapes and designs, reflect on the early black and whites
of the different configurations and ideas that seemed to come to
testing every other week during those golden years of aviation. New
shapes and designs that look different to what we’ve seen before; it
feels a little like when the F117 Stealth Fighter became public and
the images of the heavily modified Black Hawk involved on the
Osama Bin Laden raid were released. These new shapes and forms
were taking to the skies.
Designs are popping up across the world. In general, it seems the
target for commercialisation is around the 2025+ mark. Wing form
and shape, engine numbers, jet vs prop designs and fuel types all
vary. A few of the leading designs are shown just to give a flavour.

MARKET DEMAND AND ECONOMIC

OPPORTUNITY ARE DRIVERS

Backing these developments is serious money coming from new

entries, some of the bigger names in the aviation industry and some
major venture capitalists. The stakes are high with estimates of the
eVTOL global market in 2030 to be worth USD$30.5 billion. To put
this into perspective the value of the global airline market updated
as at 1 Dec 22 was $785.6 Billion having been USD$868.2 billion in
2019 pre-COVID. eVTOL as an industry will represent a significant
proportion of the future global aviation value based footprint. It will
have serious economic effect, and potentially, profoundly reshape
the aviation industry and service expectations or the travelling
public and other users of aviation.
Market need, community interest drivers with civic virtue
foundations and a convergence of new technologies inclusive of
green energy, improving energy density systems, zero carbon
footprint services, uncrewed operations for passenger carriage,
lower costs, and greater automation with artificial intelligence
and data driven system-of-systems philosophies and products are

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Lilium GmbH ‘Lilium Jet’ all
electric 36 engine eVTOL.

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199
Vertical Aerospace
Ltd VX-4. Aim to
certify in 2025

fuelling the pace of change. The perfect storm perhaps. The next
generation will demand these things and the current generation
know it’s on our doorstep.

REGULATION IS A CRITICAL ENABLER

We operate in a highly regulated industry. For a great portion of

the world who will be able to exploit these vehicles government and
industry accountability and responsibility is high – a wrong move
will become punitive quickly; such is business today. However too
slow and economic and market advantage may be lost. The role of
the regulator is truly multi-faceted – it must efficiently allow nations
to consume new technology while establishing the best conditions
for safe outcomes commensurate with the levels of safety aviation
enjoys today. There will be little tolerance for less.
So let us take a look at how the regulators are tackling this new
product line. Firstly, the regulator community needed to decide
whether eVTOL was an evolution or revolution. An evolution
would suggest we re-use current regulation and see if something

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new develops, a revolution would demand designing eVTOL
regulations with a ‘blue sky’ approach. The sense is that most of us,
while recognising eVTOL as innovative and ‘the next big thing in
aviation’, we do not so much see it as a revolution but an evolution.
It is however and evolution that will in great part redefine access to
aviation for nation’s citizenry.
Our regulators appear to agree. Wise cherry picking and re-use
of existing regulation is the approach that has emerged, while new
regulations will naturally be developed as the regulator, industry and
products ‘grow’ together.

CERTIFICATION 101…

When setting to certify a new aircraft, or indeed major

modification of an existing aircraft, the first step is to define the
Certification Basis against which the regulator can assess the aircraft
for the issue of an Aircraft Type Certificate. Type certifying an aircraft
is a process which evaluates and approves an aircraft type design data
against a set of Design Standards. Once such approval is completed a
Type Certificate may be issued.
A Type Certificate may be issued by a National Airworthiness
Authority (NAA) such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),
European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Transport Canada Civil
Aviation (TCCA), Civil Aviation Administration of China or the Civil
Aviation Safety Authorities (CASA) of Australia or New Zealand
(CAA). There are of course many more around the world, these
were to name but a few. Each have their own detailed procedure
of achieving the same outcome, however in essence they are all
the same and generally have hard routes back to ICAO and in turn
the 1944 Chicago Convention. This is more formally known as
the Convention on International Aviation drafted by 54 nations
established to ‘create and preserve friendship and understanding
among the nations and peoples of the world’. Sounds pretty grand.
An Initial Agreement was signed at the 1944 Convention later to

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be operationalized as the Provisional International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO). The Provisional ICAO was ratified in 1947
when the first ICAO Assembly was held. The Convention has head
marked the FAA and all other ICAO recognized sovereign aviation
regulators around the world. It is easy to not give due credit or
recognition to those who established this body as it set our industry
on a path to change the world. It has.
Back to the certification…a Type Certificate is required in order
to issue an individual aircraft a Certificate of Airworthiness
(CoA) which allows the aircraft to operate within its category of
registration (Restricted, Commercial, Sports etc). There is a good deal
of mumbo jumbo but there’s a solid logic to it!

A CLEAR DESCRIPTION OF THE

CERTIFICATION AND DESIGN BASIS IS
THE FOUNDATION

The Certification Basis is the cornerstone. The Certification Basis

consists of the basic Design Standard together with any special
conditions associated with the individual design. Most of the
Western World NAAs utilise a very similar, if not near identical,
regulation nomenclature and numbering system. These are broken
into Parts which include regulations pertaining to Flight Operations,
Training, Initial and Continuing Airworthiness amongst many other
things. Included are the Design Standards packed into ‘Parts’ of the
regulations which address categories of aircraft.
We will use the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) in our
discussion noting that most other western world regulators have
built their national aviation regulations on the FARs. The FARs
have detailed, in Part 21, the Certification procedures for products
and parts. The Design Standards that are used on the Certification
process are broken down by aircraft category and use and are,
generally speaking, historic in nature. Another way to put it is that
decades of experience and knowledge have been distilled into these

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 pac-international.com

BELL
CUSTOMER SERVICE
FACILITY
203
Archer Midnight (SA) –
PDR 2022, CDR 2023,
Flight Test 2024.

standards such that when a design meets these standards there is a

reasonable level of assurance of a safe design.
Categories of aircraft include airplane, rotorcraft, powered lift,
gliders, lighter than air, powered parachute and weight-shift-control
aircraft. The regulations then break these down in additional Parts
to compliment Part 21 covering Normal Category Airplanes and
Rotorcraft, Transport Category Airplanes and Rotorcraft, Engines,
and Balloons amongst other things. The Parts do not facilitate an
eVTOL as a standalone section or Part. This is to say there is not a
nicely packaged up Design Standard for eVTOL aircraft – they are a
bit special.
FAR Part 23, the Airworthiness Standards for Normal Category
Airplanes (up to 19 passengers and 19000 lbs MTOW) is an example
of a Design Standard, as is FAR Part 27, Airworthiness Standards
205
Australia’s CASA
Regulatory Framework
in a picture (Each
‘disc’ and number
represents a Part
– the dark blue are
the Certification and for Normal Category Rotorcraft (up to nine passengers and 7000lbs
Airworthiness Parts MTOW) and Part 33 Airworthiness Standards for aircraft engines.
with many of these
Parts representing These Parts are largely historic documents, built on experience,
Design Standards)
separated into classes of aircraft (e.g. small, large, rotary, airplane)
that generally speaking contain the necessary safety requirements
applicable to the class.
At the centre of applying the various Design Standards and
navigating the certification process is the aforementioned Part
21, which includes the detailed description of the procedural
requirements for issuing airworthiness certificates inclusive of
the Type Certificate, and design approvals for aircraft and part
designs. The certification process in turn, and in support of Part 21,
are ‘serviced’ by numerous Parts that constitute Design Standards.
Figure 2, while drawn from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority
(CASA) of Australia gives a clear picture of how all the Parts sit
together (see the dark blue discs) – these Parts mirror the Parts
of the FARs.
The certification basis also makes explicit reference to design
standard issue dates and amendment states, and any ESDs which
may be agreed prior to program commencement. HO

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