2017 I ISSUE 107

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 CONTENTS
2017 I ISSUE 107

F E AT U R E S

52
PUTTING THE FIRE IN THE HOLE
A day out with Precision Helicopters Ltd
52 and Webster Drilling & Exploration Ltd
Long before the first litre of oil or gas is piped from a productive field,
comprehensive survey work is completed to determine the correct
84 location from which to harvest the resource and it is frequently only
helicopters that can provide the means to complete those surveys.

84 STEPPING INTO MODERN-HEMS

Heli Air Servicers, based in Sofia, Bulgaria is a highly-experienced
rotary- and fixed-wing operator. ALEXANDER MLADENOV examines
how the company has changed its business model following the
introduction of Western-made helicopters for emergency medical
services, search and rescue, and general transport duties.

110 MOAB RENEWAL

Despite objections from local self-interests, a couple is building a
helicopter tour business in some of the most spectacular country in the
USA. Their story illustrates some lessons for those looking to set up a
helicopter tour business; especially near National Parks.

128 NOEL “GRUMBLES” WILSON

134
COMMUTING IN COMFORT
If you can afford it, there’s no better way to beat city traffic congestion
than flying above it by helicopter. If you can afford even more, then
why not go the whole hog and use your own luxury VIP twin-engined
airborne limousine?
110

152 WAYPOINT MEDIUM UTILITY HELICOPTER

(MHU)
Following the well documented downturn in the oil and gas markets
HeliOps talked with Waypoint Leasing about how they work with their
customers and their marketing of the AW139 MHU.

152
162 SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE...
Rogerson Kratos recently revealed a new digital cockpit upgrade for
the UH-60. PAUL KENNARD knows cockpits and here, he reviews the
latest offering for the UH-60s entering the civil market.
REGULARS
COLUMNS

FROM THE EDITOR 6

178 SAFETY AND THE MODERN HELICOPTER:
THE ADVENT OF DATA MANAGEMENT

190
INDUSTRY NEWS 9
FLIGHT TRAINING 36
MAINTENANCE 40
A GREATER VIEW 44
EUROPEAN HEMS 48
DALLAS HELI-EXPO REPORT 2017
There is no place quite like Heli-Expo. It’s an opportunity for the global
helicopter industry to showcase the very latest products in the civilian
industry. This year the Helicopter Association International hosted the
exhibition back in Dallas with 731 exhibitors taking up the one million
square feet of exhibition space and over 62 helicopters on display.
 Airbus Helicopt
ers
AS350B 2 Airbus Helicopt
ers
AS355
Airbus Helicopt
ers
BK117 Airbus Helicopt
ers
EC145
Airbus Helicopt
ers
H120 Airbus Helicopt
ers
H125
Airbus Helicopt
ers Airbus Helicopt
H145 ers
Airbus Helicopt SA315B
ers Airbus Helicopt
H175 ers
H130
Airbus Helicopt
ers Airbus Helicopt
H155 ers Airbus Helicopt
ers
H160 H215

Airbus Helicopt
ers
H225 Guimba l G2
Airbus Helicopt
ers Airbus Helicopt
SA365N ers
H135

Airbus Helicopt
ers
SA341G
Bell 430
Bell 525

Bell 206B Bell 204

Bell 205A+

Bell 412

Bell 47 Bell 206L

Bell 429
Bell 429 WLG
Bell 212
Bell 407

Bell 505
Bell 214B

Erickson S-64 Aircrane

Eagle Helicopt ers

Eagle Single Eagle Helicopt ers
Kaman K-Max Kamov KA32
407HP Leonard o AW109

Boeing CH-47D

Sikorsky UH60
Leonard o AW109
Trekker
Kazan ANSAT
Leonard o W3 Sokol

Leonard o AW169

Leonard o AW139 MD Helicopt ers

Leonard o AW119 MD Helicopt ers MD500D
Leonard o AW009 MD500C
MD Helicopt ers
MD520N

Leonard o AW189

MD Helicopt ers
MD530F MD Helicopt ers
MD600 MD Helicopt ers Enstrom F28
MD902
MD Helicopt ers
MD500E

Mil Mi38 Leonard o AW609

Columb ia Helicopt Kamov KA226

ers 107-II Sikorsky S76B
Enstrom TH180

Sikorsky S61
Sikorsky S76D

Sikorsky S92

Enstrom 280FX

Robinso n R44

Enstrom 480B

Robinso n R66

Mil Mi26

Sikorsky S58T
Mil Mi171

Robinso n R22

Robinso n R44 Cadet

Illustration s by
Ugo Crisponi
Aviationgr aphic.com

Sikorsky S300

Marenco SKYe09

erahelicopters.com

heliopsmag.com

pacifichelicopters.aer
o
chiaviation.com

The HeliOps 2017 Poster is a must have

collectable for anyone who is involved in the
helicopter industry. It’s a collection of some
amazing helicopters. There is a limited print run
so grab yours while you can.

They make a great addition to your office, hangar,

home or as a gift for friends and colleagues.

4
 THE TEAM
PUBLISHER
Neville ‘Ned’ Dawson

EDITOR
Mark Ogden

DEPUTY EDITOR
Alan Norris

SUB EDITOR
Leigh Neil

EUROPEAN EDITOR
Alexander Mladenov

EAST COAST USA

Buzz Covington

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Glen White
Sarah Bowen
Nick Mayhew
Nick Henderson
Thomas Humann
Juan Cumplido Valverde
Brad Crescenzo
Chris Smallhorn

PROOFREADER
Barbara McIntosh

KIA KAHA MEDIA GROUP

PO Box 37 978, Parnell,

Auckland 1001, New Zealand
T +64 21 757 747

EMAIL
info@heliopsmag.com

NEWS DESK

news@heliopsmag.com

www.heliopsforum.com

www.heliopsmag.com

ISSN 1179-710X
 FROM THE EDITOR

Helicopters &
Perception

W
hen covering different stories around the world, I have
concluded that many affluent city dwellers deserve a universal
kick up the butt when it comes to their perception of
helicopters. The contrast in attitude between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ is
striking. While admittedly, some helicopter operators cause issues by being
somewhat irresponsible and unwilling to minimize their impact, in the end,
the general attitude of the city-dwelling public can stink.

While many in affluent societies are willing to accept the invaluable

assistance a helicopter provides in saving life and property, often these
very same people have an attitude of ‘not in my back yard’ when it comes
to what helicopters do at other times. People will complain about the
helicopters passing overhead or landing nearby. They don’t seem to get that
the helicopter operator carrying fare paying passengers is often the same
guy that’s fighting fires or looking for lost or injured people. In contrast, while
covering a story I did recently about a medical retrieval operator in Papua
New Guinea, I realized that the less affluent who have no expectation of help
are grateful when such as service if offered and accept the minor intrusions
that come with that capability. The villagers recognizing the lifesaving
work of the local helicopter operator, did not complain about the noise of a
helicopter in the valley or operating from a pad in the neighborhood.

The tour market in or near national parks is a classic case of the

sometimes-nonsensical approach to helicopters. Unfortunately, the response
to complaints is the usual political and bureaucratic overkill. Although even
EMS and firefighting helicopters face complaints from the public, it seems
that it is tour operators who face significant hurdles, especially in the USA.
A story in this issue about a small operator’s battles to establish a tour
operation is an example of the attitudes and problems encountered.

While I think that the National Parks was America’s best idea, there are
some that need to be recognised. Millions of people visit the national parks
every year (as they should); cars and people everywhere stomping over the
landscape and generally adversely impacting the environment that they’ve
come to see. My question is, how can these people legitimately complain

6
 FROM THE EDITOR

about a passing helicopter? People take their four-wheel drives into allowed areas;
they ride motor and mountain bikes or just hike. Which has more environmental
impact? The tires and feet chewing up the ground, people camping in the forests; or
the helicopter flying overhead? The helicopter has far less impact on the flora, fauna
and landscape than the person on the ground.

The reality is that helicopters make minimal impact on the environment and
modern machines do not make that much noise. Sometimes, operators can be their
own worst enemies; too many helicopters and too many flights in a too congested
area will only build opposition. But my argument is that why should authorities be
allowed to single out the helicopter? Why shouldn’t similar limitations be placed
say, on the number people, or the number of vehicles or even the type of vehicles?
It probably would not happen because it would be unpopular and probably
unacceptable to many.

I get that the authorities struggle with trying to balance the need to preserve the
environment and the peoples’ desire to experience it. Often though, they really do
need to be more balanced and apply greater common sense when it comes to the
helicopter industry’s access to parks.
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 INDUSTRY NEWS

ANAHEIM PD ADDING H125

The Anaheim PD has received approval from the City Council for the purchase of a third H125/
AS350 B2 that is surplus from another law enforcement agency.

R66 INLET BARRIER FILTER NEW BASE FOR HÉLI-UNION

APPROVED
Donaldson Aerospace has received FAA
certification for the first Inlet Barrier
Filter on the R66 and it will be available
as a factory option or installed by
authorized service centers.
Héli-Union is opening a new maintenance
facility at Pau Airport, France for the
AS332/AS532 family. The location and
has been chosen due to its strategic
location next to its main client, the
French Army.

9
 INDUSTRY NEWS

AN-124 MOVES 205 TO CHILE

Volga-Dnepr Airlines has transported three Bell 205, a K-MAX and a flatbed truck with
trailer onboard a single An-124-100 flying from Atlanta to Chile for fire-fighting operations.

HELIKOREA SELECTS SKYTRAC

FIRST BELL 505 DELIVERED
Private operator Scott Urschel, of Arizona
based Pylon Aviation, has taken delivery
of the first Bell 505 Jet Ranger X.
SKYTRAC Systems has been selected
to provide automated flight following
services to Helikorea on their AW169 EMS
missions while integrating with the Korean
Medical Centre flight tracking system.

10
 INDUSTRY NEWS

AS332S LEASED TO STARLITE

Vector has supplied five modified AS332L Super Pumas on lease to Starlite Aviation; the aircraft
were upgraded with engine filters, dual Garmin navigation systems and tracking systems, amongst
other modifications.

HNZ SUPPORT NOVA

SCOTIA OPS
HNZ has secured a three year
contract to provide two S-92s to
support ExxonMobil Canada and
Encana Corporation’s activities
offshore in Nova Scotia, Canada.

BATTERY APPROVED FOR AS332

The Concorde Battery Corporation has
received the TSO C173a approval for
its RG-332 Sealed Lead Acid series of
batteries designed as drop in replacements
on the AS332 and EC225.

12
 INDUSTRY NEWS

DONALDSON IBF FOR AW139

Toll Helicopters have selected the Donaldson Inlet Barrier Filter system for their eight EMS
AW139s operating in the NSW Southern Region of Australia.

MI-17V-5 DELIVERED TO KENYA

Russian Helicopters has completed the delivery of a Mi-17V-5 to the Government of the Republic
of Kenya which will be operated by the National Police.

13
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To learn more, contact us at 818.902.0229 or info@helinet.com.

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 INDUSTRY NEWS

HELIONIX H135 FOR STAT

STAT MedEvac will be the first EMS service in North America to operate H135 equipped
with Helionix avionics system following an order for three aircraft.

UK NATIONAL GRID ADDS R44

Helicentre are modernising their fleet to support a National Grid gas contract, the UK’s
largest onshore pipeline surveillance contract using three R44 Raven Iis.

15
 INDUSTRY NEWS

UK COASTGUARD
BELL 505 IN CHINA
Hubei Tongcheng General Aviation has ordered
START AW189 OPS
two Bell 505s to be used for agriculture pesticide Bristow Helicopters, on
management missions. behalf of HM Coastguard,
has started flying the AW189
from the base in Lee-On-
Solent replacing the AW139
previously operated from
the base.

MH-60 MAINTENANCE
STAND
SAFE Structure Designs
COLOMBIA OPS FOR UTAIR has completed a contract
UTair has started a contract for aviation support of to supply ergonomic
humanitarian missions in the Republic of hangar equipment for the
Colombia operating two Mi-8MTVs based in Bogota USCG Jayhawks based in
and Medellin. Clearwater, FL.

16
 Custom Completions
heliSUPPORT
NEW ZEALAND LIMITED

AIRCRAFT SALES
ENGINE SALES
MAINTENANCE PART SUPPORT
CUSTOM INTERIOR DESIGN
& COMPLETION

Helisupport New Zealand offers International sales

for all helicopter types, specialising in Eurocopter
products.
We can manage or support any part of a sale,
purchase or logistical movement of complete
helicopters or helicopter parts.
We carry out post or pre-sale specialised
configurations of helicopters. Paint, Interior,
Avionics, STC fitment, Weight reductions, Packing Our Recent Successes
and Shipping can be done either in NZ or at other
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We also perform major airframe inspections with
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to see some of the work scope we carry
out or call any time to inquire more.
17
www.helisupportnz.com ph: 64 3 443 2903
 INDUSTRY NEWS

FIRST H125 FASTFIN

BLR has completed its first fleet sale of the FastFin Tail Rotor Enhancement System for the
H125 for Brainerd Aviation.

18
19
20
 INDUSTRY NEWS

USCG RECOGNIZED FOR RESCUES

Sergei Sikorsky has paid tribute to the USCG’s century of aviation (1916-2016) during
which the service adapted the helicopter as a primary life-saving tool for thousands in
need of rescue.

AIRCRANE FOR KOREA

Erickson has been contracted by the Korean Forest Service, to build an S-64E with delivery
by the end of 2017.The Aircrane will include a firefighting helitank and foam cannon.

21
 INDUSTRY NEWS

HELICENTRE EXPANDS ACADEMY

EASA approved Helicentre Aviation Academy has expanded the capability of its flight
instructor career programme with the addition of a second new FI(H) course instructor to
meet demand.

PHILJETS TO ADD H130S AND H145

Manila based PhilJets will add two H130s and a single H145 bringing their fleet to ten
aircraft and will be available by the end of 2017.

22
 Waypoint is the world’s largest independent
helicopter leasing company, with leasing expertise
in more than 30 countries, and a fleet of more
than 140 aircraft on lease, coupled with a large
selection of multi-year forward deliveries,
representing a combined value of $3 billion.
Waypoint forges lasting relationships with leading
helicopter operators worldwide, who value the
integrity, experience and long-term commitment
of Waypoint’s leadership team. As former
helicopter operators, we understand the difficult
Copyright © 2017 Waypoint Leasing Services LLC. All rights reserved.

fleet management and market challenges

operators face and structure flexible leasing
solutions to solve them.

We put operators first – always.

 INDUSTRY NEWS

200TH ECUREUIL IN ITALY

Aersud Elicotteri has signed a contract for two H125, deliveries are scheduled for 2018, this order
marks the 200th Ecureuil H125 in Italy.

AW119KX NEPALESE DEMO TOUR

Leonardo has started a demo tour of its AW119Kx with the goal of testing some features at
high altitudes and simulate passenger missions from Katmandu to several base camps at
higher altitudes.

24
 INDUSTRY NEWS

NEW BABCOCK
AUSTRALASIAN HQ
TRAKKABEAM A800 FOR ITALIAN AW139
Babcock International has
The Italian Guardia di Finanza has selected the
officially opened its new
TrakkaBeam A800 searchlight for their new fleet of
Australasian HQ in Adelaide.
six AW139s.
The new facility was first
announced in July 2016 and
is supported by a $2.5 million
incentive package from the
state government.

NHV’S H175 FLEET MILESTONE
The NHV’s H175 fleet, of eight aircraft, has logged
10,000 flight hours since their introduction as the
launch operator in 2014.
SATELLITE TRACKERS
FOR UTAIR
UTair has implemented a
program to install Satellite
trackers in all its aircraft
allowing their flight control
center to track the location
of any aircraft in real time.

25
 INDUSTRY NEWS

FAROE CHC CONTRACT

CHC has been awarded a
70 day contract with Faroe
HÉLI-UNION AW139 OPS Petroleum to provide an S-92
flying from Berge in support
Lease Corporation International has delivered the
of their exploration drilling
first AW139 to French based Héli-Union to support
program at the Brasse Field
the company’s growing activities in Asia.
in the North Sea.

407GX FOR PHI

Wysong has delivered two
407GX’s to PHI Air Medical
and are the first of the type to
HELIFLITE ACQUIRES FIRST AW139 be operated by the company.
HeliFlite has expanded its fleet with the addition of its The customization included
10th helicopter. It will be fitted with a VIP interior and avionics, LifePort EMS interior
operated from Newark Liberty Airport. and airframe modifications.

HELIATICA
CONTRACTS FOR
EMS KITS
Russian company
HELIATICA has signed
a contract with Air
Ambulance Technology
for two EMS patient
intensive care stations
for the Mi-8MTV.

26
 INDUSTRY NEWS

HELIONIX H145 DELIVERED

American entrepreneur David MacNeil, owner of MacNeil Automotive Products, has taken
delivery of a customized H145 fitted with the Helionix avionics system.

LAPD ORDERS H125

The Los Angeles Police Department will strengthen its Air Support Division this year with the
addition of four new H125 AStars as part of a long-term plan to upgrade its entire fleet.

27
 LEADING THE INDUSTRY IN INTEGRATED AVIONICS
© 2015 BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC.

INFORMATION AT-A-GLANCE AIRPORT MAPPING FOR SATELLITE WEATHER FOR

SAFE APPROACH/DEPARTURE SAFE NAVIGATION
© 2014 BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC.

INNOVATIVE AIRCRAFT FOR ALL YOUR MISSION NEEDS

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product classes, Bell Helicopter continues to change the way the world flies. Advanced tools like
the Garmin G1000H™ enhance situational awareness by delivering easy-to-read information
at-a-glance, improving operator safety. With ergonomically designed seating, a fully integrated
autopilot option, mission-specific kits and accessories, Bell Helicopter is committed to providing
aircraft that lead the industry in technology and safety.

BELLHELICOPTER.COM
 INDUSTRY NEWS

SKYTRAC FOR CHINOOK 234

Columbia Helicopters has selected the SKYTRAC Flight Data Monitoring to improve real time
awareness on their Chinook 234 missions.

Tel-Tail Floodlights
EC-145

Tail Floodlight / Clam Shell Door Floodlights

Tail Floodlight / FFRL / Main Rotor Floodlights

AW-139 TAP TAP
FOR MORE FOR MORE
INFO INFO

www.devoreaviation.com 29
 INDUSTRY NEWS

POWER LINE KIT FOR RTE

Airbus Helicopters’ UK design team has been contracted to deliver seven fully certified baskets
for power line maintenance for the H135s operated by RTE-STH, a division of French public utility
company RTE.

LCI LEASE AW169S TO AIRLIFT

Lease Corporation International has leased three AW169s to the Norwegian subsidiary of
NHV Airlift AS, based in Forde, Norway to be used for sea pilot transfers.

30
31
 INDUSTRY NEWS

NEW K-MAX ORDERS

ROTAK Helicopter Services of Anchorage, Alaska has placed orders for two K-MAXs with
deliveries expected in 2018.

H175 EXTENDED MTOW

European Aviation Safety Agency has certified the maximum take-off weight extension of
the H175 from 7,500 kg to 7,800 kg. This is available at no extra cost to the customers and
only requires an update of the flight and maintenance manuals.

32
 INDUSTRY NEWS

FIRST ORDER FOR BK117 D-2

Central Helicopter Service Ltd. has placed an order for the Kawasaki built H145//BK117 D-2
and this is the first order Kawasaki has received for the aircraft type.

PAKISTAN ORDER
AW139s
The Government of
Pakistan has ordered
an undisclosed number
of AW139s which will
be used to perform
utility, SAR and EMS
operations across the
country, with deliveries
starting in 2018.

407 LEASE
PROGRAM
BY VIH
VIH Aerospace
has launched a
Bell 407 leasing
program for 2017
and have their first
aircraft on a long-
term contract.

33
 INDUSTRY NEWS

H120 INTO MALAYSIA

Helang Flying Academy has purchased the first of eight H120Bs from Kuala Lumpur based
Rotortrade, with the final delivery scheduled for 2018 to its operating base at Sultan Azlan
Shah Ipoh Airport, Malaysia.

CABRI G2 IN
VIETNAM
VNH has started
training with the
Cabri G2 at its Vung
Tau Airport following
the delivery of two
aircraft. The company
has a contract to train
Vietnam People’s Navy,
Coastal Guard and
Police pilots.

NEW WESTPAC
CONTRACT
Cairns based
Nautilus Aviation
has been awarded
an initial one-year
contract to operate
the Southern
Region Westpac
Rescue two
BK117B2s.

34
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 FLIGHT TRAINING

BY
TERRY
PA L M E R

BEYOND THE MINIMUMS

T
he Commission on Accreditation for Medical Transport Systems
(CAMTS) recently recommended that air medical operators provide
Inadvertent IMC training quarterly for all their pilots. Some operators
thought this was great while others commented that this recommendation
exceeded the regulatory requirements for annual training. This brings up
a very important point. How much training do we really need and in what
areas? First it is important to realize that regulatory requirements for training
are the absolute minimum training obligation. Training should almost always
exceed the minimum and be designed to meet the proficiency needs of
the pilot and the type of operation. Many of the accidents in air medical
operations included an unexpected encounter with poor visibility associated
with Instrument Meteorological Conditions. It was determined that there were
fewer IIMC accidents in organizations where the pilots had more frequent
training in this area.
The quarterly IIMC training exceeds the minimum FAA requirement of
annual training for VFR operations, however increases the proficiency of
the pilot for this common hazard. Companies that are already completing
this quarterly training are doing a simulator session included in their annual
training and subsequent instrument practice in the aircraft each quarter. This
training includes the practice of the perishable skill of handling the aircraft
when there is no external visual reference. The quarterly training usually
includes an hour of instrument practice with either a safety pilot or a check
airman. The benefit of this training is significant. Despite the fact that these
pilots are IFR rated, there is a comfort level attained when training for the
unexpected IMC encounter. Pilots preparing for an IFR flight are organized
and prepared for the non visual environment. Encountering IMC unexpectedly
is an emergency even for the seasoned IFR pilot because the situation was
not planned or expected.
There are many other areas where training should exceed the basic
minimum requirements. In many cases the training should be specific to the
environment and location. Operations over water will have an added focus
on ditching procedures. Those flying in mountainous terrain should train
for mountain weather anomalies and altitude performance. Cold weather
operations, whiteout or brownout conditions are other areas where additional

36
 Year: 1985
S/N: 1873
TTAF: 12059.9
Location: PNG
Equipped with Onboard Cargo Hook
ENGINE: Arriel 1B TSN: 8640.2
AVIONICS:
VHF COM KING KY196A
VHF COM KING KY196A
HF COM CODAN 2000
TPX KING KT79
AUDIO PANEL KING KMA24H-71
ELT ARTEX C406 1HM
FM COM TAIT 2000
SATELLITE TRACKING SKY CONNECT
GPS GARMIN GPSMAP 196
INSPECTION: Next maintenance action: 50 h –
Inspection at TT A/C 12109.9

ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT AND FEATURES:

Whelen Siren FOR MORE INFO
Dart External Cargo Basket LH
Pacific Helicopters Limited
AKV Cycle Counter
Pilot Floor Window Airport Road
Dual Seat Provision P.O Box 342, Goroka
Dart External Mirror Eastern Highlands Province
Pilot Windshield Wiper Papua New Guinea
Dart Rear Baggage Compartment Extender t: (675) 5321833
f: (675) 5321503
INTERIOR: White and Grey
PILOT(S)/ PASSENGERS: 1 / 5 or 1 / 6 e: dom@pacifichelicopters.aero

EXTERIOR: White
REMARKS / MISCELLANEOUS: The aircraft is operating, why
the condition and component times will be subject to changes
depending upon such operations.

37
 FLIGHT TRAINING

training should be done on a regular basis keeping in mind that many of the
associated skills become perishable when not practiced frequently.
Another area necessitating training beyond minimum requirements is
avionics and technology. As new or different technology is added to an
aircraft it takes time for the pilot to become comfortable enough with the
equipment to actually use it to its full potential. This can include anything
from autopilot operations to a fully integrated glass cockpit. The difference
between an analog cockpit and a glass cockpit even in the same make of
aircraft can be overwhelming if the pilot is not continuously exposed to the
equipment or trained on a regular basis. This situation is often encountered
when a pilot is placed in a backup aircraft with a totally different cockpit from
his/her normal routine. Something as simple as developing a new instrument
scan needs to be considered as part of the proficiency level in training on
different technology. Then when we add additional technology such as TCAS
or HTAWS for traffic or terrain awareness, these items can be distracting and
confusing if pilots are not trained to correctly use the equipment.
Insurance companies often have higher minimum training requirements
than regulators. This is usually determined by statistics on accidents and
incidents relating to a specific aircraft type or operation. The requirements
often include a requirement for factory and/or simulator training but are
rarely specific to operational scenarios or technology. This is where pilots and
operators can take the training request and make the most of the experience
by including training scenarios which they can identify as adding pilot
proficiency. Proficiency and the pilot comfort level in normal as well as high
stress situations is the key to quality training programs which of course leads
to safer operations.
Accreditation organizations and an educated customer base will often
dictate additional training requirements. It is most important that pilots and
operators keep up with these requirements and also recognize the need
for training as the industry evolves. If we look at training as the key to safe
and successful operations, we can recognize the requirements to maintain
proficiency in our individual sectors long before the regulators, insurance
providers, associations or customers can analyze data and mandate a change.
So, we should look beyond any published minimums for training and truly
consider pilot proficiency in equipment, environment and situation as the
absolute training minimum. HO

38
39
 MAINTENANCE

IS YOUR
HELICOPTER BY JER EMI AH WRIGHT

INSECURE?

M
y oldest son has gravitational insecurity, a condition which obliges him
to overreact to vestibular and proprioceptive signals. He doesn’t like to
be picked up over my head, held or laid out of vertical alignment, or
spun around quickly. He has anxiety on stairs and his body goes rigid when he
finally braves the slide on the swing-set, which lands him flat on his back in the
grass. He is afraid of heights. Maybe you’ve been around a niece or nephew,
perhaps a friend’s kid, or maybe even your own child and seen them overreact
negatively to a zealous greeting in which you tossed them in the air, or held them
high over your head. They cried and you felt like a jerk. Gravitational insecurity may
have been the cause.
Despite my boy’s condition he loves to fly in a helicopter. He says he wouldn’t want
to climb up that high, but in the helicopter it’s fine. I’ve maintained helicopters that also
suffer from gravitational insecurity. You see, human biology and helicopter engineering
share some fascinating similarities. For me, having an understanding of my helicopter
is leading to a better understanding of my son.
Odds are the helicopter you operate or maintain experiences sensory inputs in a
similar fashion as your own body. For example: you’re probably sitting down right now.
If you closed your eyes, you’d still know you’re sitting. This is due to proprioception.
This conglomeration of senses is what is really in use when we say someone is flying by
the seat of their pants. Proprioception is pretty complicated stuff for the layman such
as me, but this one aspect, pressure in the joint and muscles as you’re sitting, makes
an easy comparison to what we know as a “squat switch” or “WOG switch” (weight on
gear). By using a simple switch and circuit the helicopter can begin to know its position
in the environment. Is it in the air or on the ground?
As I lift my son from under his armpits, he feels his hips relax, the pressure relieved
from his knees, then his ankles. Finally, after his heels leave the ground the balls of his
feet feel the last of his weight lifted. Switch. Circuit open. Anxiety. Where this sensory
input creates nervousness in my son, helicopters generally use it to activate systems
like hour meters or send signals for satellite tracking. To help me understand, my
wife suggests that our son’s condition is equivalent to a helicopter lifting, the WOG
switch opens, but in place of an extinguished cockpit advisory there are alarms and
master caution warnings flashing in your face. I have actually seen something similar
occur in an EC130. The aircraft had a satellite tracking system installed. This system

40
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 MAINTENANCE

could transmit an emergency signal as required by depressing a push button on

its control panel. Soon after the aircraft began operations, the dispatching (and
tracking) agency complained that it squawked emergency on every flight. The fix?
Cap and stow a wire that was erroneously installed on just the right terminal block.
My wife and I are rewiring our son also, though the process more closely resembles
desensitizing his reception of these sensory inputs.
But my son’s gravitational insecurity doesn’t end with simply being lifted from
the ground. If I’m holding him, his legs wrapped around me, his arms around my
neck and I lean outside the vertical alignment, it triggers his anxiety. These cues
come from part of his vestibular system in his inner ear, the semicircular canals.
What I find fascinating about this system is how it reflects our three dimensional
environment. It does so by way of three canals on each side of the head, each
representing the sense of pitch, roll, and yaw. Do you recall the classic illustration of
an airplane or helicopter pierced laterally, longitudinally, and vertically to illustrate
movement about the three axes? The semicircular canals are organized this way as
well, off-set roughly 90 degrees to one another. What’s more is that the pairs, say
the horizontal semicircular canals, one on each side, reside in the same plane. They
work together so that when the left side is stimulated, the right is inhibited and a
signal shows rotation to the left. But how fast is the rotation? That data comes from
the body’s otolithic organs, the utricle and saccule. These two sense accelerations in
the horizontal and vertical planes respectively.
The helicopter’s attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) is strikingly
similar to the human body’s vestibular system. Though components of AHRS
continue to develop with advancing technology, the system’s sensory components
can be distilled into this list: three rate gyros (for pitch, roll, and yaw) and three
accelerometers (to measure movement along the longitudinal, vertical, and lateral
planes). For further reading on helicopter AHRS check out this link. The point I’d like
to make is that deep inside my son’s ears are tiny AHRS boxes containing gyros and
accelerometers that help him recognize his position relative to Earth’s surface and
gravity. He’s receiving sensory inputs much the same way my helicopter does. These
sensations help both machine and boy recognize attitude and trajectory, allowing (in
normal operation) each to react as required.
For my son, however, his processing of these signals is flawed resulting in
undesired reactions. There has been a comparable occurrence in Blackhawk
helicopters. The H-60 has a large moveable horizontal stabilizer called a stabilator
(stab[e] for short). The stab plays a significant role in the Hawk’s flight path
stabilization on the lateral axis (pitch) and under normal operation it does so
without pilot input. The stab uses a pair of pitch rate gyros, lateral accelerometers,
and other components to properly position itself at the required angle of attack to
affect appropriate pitch attitudes. When the stab’s sensory inputs are interrupted,

42
 MAINTENANCE

miscompared, or lost the result could be catastrophic as it lowers uncommanded

toward the full down position. The aircraft is non-verbally communicating, “Put me
down!”. My son says the same thing.
Discrepancies within the helicopter’s WOG switch or AHRS are generally found
on the sensory end. A gyro’s gimbal goes bad, magnetometer or flux valve becomes
misaligned, or the tab that activates the WOG switch is bent. But if the sensory
inputs are working properly while the systems are not, then your aircraft is suffering
from gravitational insecurity. You’ll have to give attention to the components that
process those senses, a task that’s not always easy. My son continues to exhibit his
anxious behavior, albeit less and less. The solution is not quick.
My experience with helicopters predates my experience as a parent. I’m used to
problem solving and quick thinking in the helicopter maintenance business, but that
my experiences with helicopters would help me understand my son’s gravitational
insecurity is a happy surprise. And I’m certain that the courage he displays when
dealing with his overwhelming anxiety, will be my inspiration next time I’m faced
with a helicopter sharing this same condition.
Safe flying. HO

43
 A GREATER VIEW

WOMEN IN THE
HELICOPTER B Y I VA N A G O R L I N

INDUSTRY
KIRSTI VAN PELT

A
psychometric test Kirsti van Pelt was directed to complete during
her High School years identified Psychology as the most suitable
career for her to pursue, but van Pelt’s reaction; “I laughed at the
teacher when he told me. Psychology was for people who didn’t know what to
do in life”. In contrast, van Pelt knew exactly what she wanted to do,“I wanted
to be a pilot”.
Van Pelt’s interest in aviation was piqued by the helicopters that regularly
flew around her childhood home in the Netherlands. That house happened to
be located in a military flight training area, and while watching those low level
helicopters van Pelt became convinced that was the life for her.
Van Pelt joined the Royal Netherlands Air Force straight from school in 1988.
Competing against Top Gun wannabes, she was one of 14 candidates selected
for flight school, which she attended after completing an initial four-year period
of training at the Military Academy. With 40 hours training in the PC7 under
their belt, the course was split with the ten fast jet candidates headed to the
USA for training, leaving Van Pelt, another
female and two male candidates to complete a
further 100 hours on the PC7 before advancing
to helicopter training on the BO105.
From 1994 to 2000 van Pelt held a pilot
position at 299 Squadron. Operationally
deployed in 1996 for a six-month tour in war
torn Bosnia Herzegovina, van Pelt experienced
some of the best and worst elements of her
flying career. She describes the juxtaposition of
flying around an incredibly beautiful landscape
while providing support to a nation made ugly
by war, as both professionally and personally
challenging.

44
 A GREATER VIEW

Having enjoyed the psychology subjects she completed during her

time at the Academy, and having significantly changed her schoolgirl
thoughts on the matter, van Pelt pursued a Bachelor Degree in
Psychology by attending night classes at University. From 2000 to 2006
she put her degree into practice as an Aviation Psychologist in the Air
Force. She describes it as an ideal posting since she was able to both
practice psychology and maintain her currency flying one day a week as
a ‘guest pilot’.
The combination provided the scope for a greater work-life balance,
which, when she became mother of two, was very important. As it
turns out, as her children grew the balance was no longer quite right.
“When my son began to talk, I realised that [I’d have] to explain to
him that I had to go on a mission again, that I had to leave him and his
little sister at home while I had to go to dangerous places. That I didn’t
want to happen, so my decision was made, clear and simple”. Van Pelt
transitioned out of the Air Force by converting her military licences to
civil and started flying for local general aviation operator Helicon. At the
same time she set up her own psychology practice.
There was no doubt which van Pelt preferred. “Sometimes clients
called me at six in the morning and I found that annoying, but when the
owner of Helicon called me out of bed in the middle of the night to ask if
I could fly at eight in the morning then I was as happy as a child”. When
people asked her what she did for a living, she asked if they wanted to

45
 A GREATER VIEW

know what she did most or

what she liked most, “flying
was still the best”. That led
her to realise that while the
work-life balance was good,
the balance within work was
not as she wanted it to be,
and so van Pelt sought a full
time pilot position again.
“Psychology can wait till
I’m old and without a flying
license”.
Since 2009 van Pelt has
been flying for the Dutch
Police. The work satisfies her
professionally. Describing
it as, “The best job for a
helicopter pilot; low flying,
catching criminals, and
landing wherever necessary.
No day is the same. When I think there is a planned flight that day, it
changes into standby or the other way around. You have to be very flexible
as a police pilot.” And the shift work satisfies her personally, allowing time
for her to be the mother she wants to be to her children (now in their mid
teens) as well as to do the other things that make her smile.

46
 A GREATER VIEW

Van Pelt flies an EC135 day and night VFR, either unaided or with NVIS,
or IFR. A shift might involve planned surveillance or short notice tactical
response. She is one of three female pilots from a crew of 36 and the
head of her department is also female, yet van Pelt still experiences some
stereotyping. “When people find out that I’m a police helicopter pilot they
really think I’m a very tough woman. But that’s really not a goal in my life.
For me flying is something that I’m good at and the best way for me to
earn my living. When people meet me for the first time they hardly believe
that I fly helicopters. Men think that you have to be some kind of male
female to do this job. I dress like a woman and I behave like a woman.
I think it’s very important to be yourself.”
Next year marks 30 since van Pelt commenced her career in a male
dominated work environment and while she admits at times it’s tough,
he believes there is no point in complaining. “When you love your job
you do it with a smile”. When asked what advice she’d give to women
entering the industry van Pelt responds,“Don’t try to be one of the guys,
just be a good colleague. I think it [is] weird if you try to be one of the
guys, because it’s not what you are; you are a stronger woman when you
behave like a woman.” HO

47
 EUROPEAN HEMS

B Y J U A N C U M P L I D O VA LV E R D E

CFIT IN
HELICOPTERS…WHY?

T
here are plenty of statistics available to make us aware that CFIT (Controlled
Flight Into Terrain) is not a minor problem in the rotary wing community.
It is easy to understand that, as opposite to other types of emergencies that
are recognized in advance and taken care of, CFIT is only recognized by the crew
when it has already happened. There is nothing that can be done about it once
this point is reached, so it is important to detect early the potential for CFIT. The
outcome of CFIT accidents is more than 60% fatal. That is one of the main reasons
to take some time, analyze, and talk about it.

WHAT IS CFIT?
In plain words, it is when a crew flies the helicopter into the earth/water or a
man made obstacle even though the helicopter is flyable and controlled. We are not
considering then any mechanical failure; instead the main cause of the accident is
considered to be pilot or human error.
It is also easy to understand that it all boils down to the Situational Awareness
(SA) of the crew, which can be defined, also in plain words as, “the ability of make
and retain an accurate mental model of the outside world” (Cooper 1995). If you
know what’s around you, of course flying into it could be easily avoided. So, what
means do we have as crews to know what’s around us?. We could resume two main
sources of information; technology and nature.

TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS
General
• TAWS: Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems gather the main technical
solution to the problem. The system was a requirement from the FAA to bring
down the number of accidents caused in airliners killing hundreds of pax during
1970’s.

• GPWS: Ground Proximity Warning Systems (considered a type of TAWS) was

one of the types used that really got the job done quite well, although it needed
some upgrading to avoid spurious warning messages and to take into account
the flight path and conditions of the aircraft. It had a “blind spot” because the
altitude/height data was taking from the radar altimeter and hence, ignoring
what was in front of the aircraft rather than what was below.

48
 EUROPEAN HEMS

• EGPWS: Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning Systems got rid of the “blind
spot” problem relating the position of the aircraft to a global terrain data base,
giving the possibility to warn ahead and with longer reaction time to the crews.

• AUTO GCAS: Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance Systems are related to

military aircraft and have also proved their effectiveness in more than one
occasion.

The success of all these systems is based in the answer to this question: Is it
possible to fly safely from the actual position the trajectory or the flight path to the
runway? If the answer is YES, no alert is triggered but if the answer is NO the terrain
or obstacle that blocks a safe path triggers an alarm. We might say that the system
knows the pilot’s intentions.
The system looks good for airliners but their flight profile is different to that of a
helicopter.

Helicopter Specific Technology

Helicopters flight profiles run from hover to cruise including vertical/steep
takeoffs and landings, low level flying and many off-airport operations. So many
differences with the fixed wing industry called for different alerting requirements
from DOT/FAA.
TSO-C194 Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning System (HTAWS) and
RTCA DO-309 Minimum Operational Performance Standard (MOPS) for HTAWS
sets up the requirements mainly for cruise flight. Although specific for helicopters,
still lacks special features needed to fly below 500ft, where most of the critical
phases of helicopter flight take place. Our industry needs more protection to
eliminate false or nuisance alerts on that range of altitudes.
False alarms are undesirable in a busy cockpit, but the pilot needs to respond to
an alarm requiring IMMEDIATE action, so the next step was to eliminate those false
alarms and show all threats to the flight but warn only the one that is most urgent.
Due to the many different environments and profiles helicopters fly the system
needs different selection modes, which requires a robust algorithm and a very
accurate terrain data.
High performance HTAWS uses very high precision terrain data and a very small
grid, to eliminate false alarm messages without compromising safety and effectivity
of the system. Obstacles need to be individually located to be really useful so the
database has to always be very accurate.

49
 EUROPEAN HEMS

Most advanced HTAWS systems have different operating modes according to

what the actual flight profile is. These modes are typically:
• NORMAL MODE: For cruise flights
• LOW SENSITIVITY MODE: Would alert of mayor terrain changes and high
obstructions (big power lines).
• TACTICAL MODE: To alert from buildings and other type of medium obstacles.
• OBSTACLES ONLY MODE: Where alarms are related to the obstacle data base.
• OFF AIRPORT MODE: Where the system understands that you are going to land
and eliminates terrain proximity alarms.
We can say that a high performance HTAWS is a great value to avoid running into
obstacles and terrain during helicopters operations.

Synthetic Vision
The system relies on a terrain data base computed to be presented in the cockpit
in a 3D format. It is coming more and more popular in navigation systems but still
far from being able to adapt to a low level flight as helicopters require with suitable
detailed information.

Enhanced Vision
This system presents the terrain/obstacle information processed after taking
images through IR (infra red) sensors, so that in low visibility conditions crews can
rely on images that represent the real terrain, and is not a computed representation.
For low light conditions (at night) NVG’s are preferred options for most
operators, but not of much help in low visibility due to bad weather.

NATURE’S SOLUTIONS
The main device humans have to gather information of their surroundings is
their eyes. Also coming into play are other sophisticated computation channels
feeding the brain, such as speed, and acceleration; mostly picked up with what are
effectively small accelerometers in the internal ear.

LAST LINK IN THE CHAIN

Clearly, a pilot needs visibility to fly safely near the terrain where the helicopter
usually works and is more likely to encounter CFIT scenarios.
We have described how technology helps us to “see” what we have around our
flight environment and alert when needed, but not very many helicopters mount all
these systems and CFIT as said before is still is an important cause of accidents in
our industry.

50
 EUROPEAN HEMS

Last barrier to avoid an accident is always judgement of the pilot. Sometimes we

forget basic rules and axioms related to our profession, namely:

1. In low visibility conditions, speed and altitude work just in an opposite way as
usual. If you are not planning an IFR transition, stay low and slow. Speed will lead
you to not being able to stop in less distance that you can see and that will most
likely end up in CFIT. If you climb just enough to lose view of the terrain; that will
also most likely will end up in a CFIT.
2. Never lose perspective: You are flying a helicopter. That means that you can stop
and hover and land most anywhere. Do a partial landing (toeing) and relax until
you get rid of that sense of “hurry” to get out of the situation that would lead
you to point 1.
3. Never go farther than your own limits, and please, be conservative on your own
expectations. Being too optimistic is not of much help.

Of course, if you are one of the lucky ones that enjoys a four axis autopilot, just
hit the hover mode and breath normally. HO

51
Long before the first litre of oil or gas is piped from a
productive field, comprehensive survey work is completed
to determine the correct location from which to harvest
the resource and it is frequently only helicopters that can
provide the means to complete those surveys.

S TO RY BY L E I G H N E I L I PH OTO S BY N E D D AW S O N
53
 W
ater that sits below a mass
of underground oil or gas
pushes it up underneath
seams of hard, impervious
material, where it is
trapped and remains until the capping material
is breached. A seismic survey attempts to
locate those areas where oil and gas are likely
to migrate to and in order to accomplish this,
explosive charges are laid in holes drilled seventy
meters apart in straight lines. The prospecting
location being worked when HeliOps visited
the operation of Webster Drilling & Exploration
Ltd (Webster Drilling) and Precision Helicopters
Ltd (PHL) covers approximately 400 square
kilometers; with around ten percent of that area
being inaccessible to ground crews and it is that
inaccessible portion of the area that requires the
support of helicopter services in order to make
the seismic survey possible.
Wellington-based Webster Drilling, who
Precision Helicopters Ltd are providing support
services for, have been involved in seismic
survey drilling work for around four decades
and PHL have been working with them since
the company’s chief pilot Matt Newton flew on
PHL’s first job with Webster Drilling in 2003. The
work with Webster Drilling was PHL’s first foray
into the drilling support mission and the drilling
company’s experience in heli work was a real
bonus for the helicopter company, as Newton
explained. “They’d been doing this for years and
pretty much had all the procedures down pat,
although obviously by working together we’ve
improved things as time’s gone on. As you can
see, it runs like a well-oiled machine when we’re
out there doing it.” The standard workday on

54
55
 seismic survey is twelve hours, with between eight and nine hours being the usual
flying time. “We used to run one pilot when we started, but soon realized that that
was dangerously demanding, so now we do a split shift, with the first pilot working
from seven in the morning until midday and the second pilot going through from
midday until flying finishes, some time around five-thirty in the evening,” reported
Newton. “The survey work is carried out on a share roster of three pilots; Nathan
Gibson, Marty Fry and myself. These guys are all good lads and have flown with me
for years, working their way up through the ranks after starting as load masters”.
The machine typically departs the New Plymouth base at 7 a.m. and flies to the
‘lay-down’, a secure area where the crew assembles. Depending on how many rigs
are being utilized, there will be 12 to 14 people, usually for six to eight drilling rigs
and the ‘Toolbox’ meeting is then carried out. At the Toolbox, the crew discuss and
review the previous day’s work, any safety issues or problems, and also recognizes
and acknowledges any positive practices or improvements. That day’s work plan
is then discussed, taking into consideration the drilling locations and any specific
hazards. At the very beginning of each job there are the typical safety and training
requirements to be met. This usually means a full day of drug and alcohol testing
and company/site inductions – with personnel having to be inducted by Webster
Drilling, Precision Helicopters Ltd and the client. There is also a standard breath test
every morning before work commences, as is fairly standard throughout the oil and
gas industry.
Once the toolbox is over, the crews are flown to the drilling sites, the ‘Water
Boy’ is deposited at the water source and the Head Driller takes charge of directing
operations. “He tells us what to do, although we pretty much know what we’re

56
57
58
59
 doing anyway in most circumstances,” advises Newton. “We can also often be
acting as a communication relay as radio reception is frequently poor between the
furthest ground sites.” Good communication is paramount in work such as this and
according to Newton, 99% of air-ground communication is by way of hand signals
and with radio being only a secondary communications tool. “We can often go
twenty or thirty minutes without a peep on the radio because it’s all flowing like
clockwork with really good hand signals.”
The drilling rigs are 800kg ‘flush-rigs’, which use an affiliated 800-litre water
supply to lubricate and flush the borehole. The water is pumped into the drill’s mud-
tank from where it is pumped down the center of the drill, through the bit
and flushes the cuttings up the outside of the pipe and back to the mud tank, where
it is then recycled. Drilling in the Taranaki area entails boring through between five
and twenty metres of volcanic ash and then further down until the drill has bored
about five metres into the underlying hard gray papa rock; much like sandstone or
mudstone. Each bore takes on average one to two hours and can use anywhere
from one to six 800-litre barrels of water. If there is too much water loss in a
particular bore, the rig will sometimes be re-located as PHL works on a per-metre
contract basis, and anything more than four trips per hole starts to cost money.
Newton commends the working relationship with Webster Drilling, explaining
how the close working relationship between the two companies enables them
to constantly fine tune operations on a daily basis to maximize efficiency for
both parties.
The rigs leapfrog each other, with the last rig being uplifted when the hole is
complete and it is re-located at the leading edge of the drilling line. Each move

60
 We used to run one pilot when we started, but soon
realized that that was dangerously demanding, so now
we do a split shift, with the first pilot working from
seven in the morning until midday and the second pilot
going through from midday until flying finishes, some
time around five-thirty in the evening.
M AT T N E WTO N

takes an average of four or five lifts, with the 800kg rig going first, followed by
the drill rods (300kg) and sometimes the driller too, while the third load goes via
the water source, where the water barrel is exchanged for a full one. Other flights
deliver extra water as required and the explosive charges for loading in completed
holes. After the plastic-wrapped explosive charges are placed at the bottom of
the holes, they are ‘stemmed’ or tamped with bags of gravel and the wires for the
charge are buried just below the surface for the recording crew to uncover when
they come through to set off the charges a few weeks later. A typical day would

62
 Seeing our solutions make a difference for the folks
who defend our freedom, that’s what I get excited
about. There is no better feeling then knowing we’re
helping our soldiers come home safe.”
—Paul Leach, Director of Military Maintenance

WHY DO SO MANY CUSTOMERS CHOOSE COLUMBIA?

Columbia has everything it takes, especially employees like Paul,
to complete and support the most difficult jobs on the planet — yours.
Read Paul’s full story and others at coheli.com/faces

With five years of military service

and 23 years with Columbia,
Paul Leach is the man for the job.

colheli.com / 503.678.1222
 Good communication is paramount
in work such as this and according
to Newton, 99% of air-ground
communication is by way of hand
signals and with radio being only
a secondary communications tool.

64
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 see a total of around 200-250 equipment movement flights. Before obtaining the
current machine – an AS350-B2 Squirrel – PHL used an MD500 for the survey
work but Newton pointed out the major advantage of using the larger machine.
“The MD was a great machine and there are still jobs for which it is ideal,” he said.
“The AS350, is a much newer machine, utilizing much newer technology. The
maintenance and operating costs are each only around 20% higher than those for
the MD, but it has twice the lifting capability in this role so it really is a no-brainer.

70
Per kilogram shifted, the operating costs of the Squirrel are considerably cheaper.”
Newton does not regard the helicopter work as particularly difficult, but pointed
out that it does take a high level of long-line competency. “Obviously, when you’ve
got 800 kgms on the hook and guy on the ground, you don’t want to squash him.
It’s not that difficult for a good longline pilot - although it is very tiring. The safety
comes through our operational methodology, and we treat our load like you’d treat
a loaded rifle. Just as you’d never point a gun at someone, whether there’s a bullet

71
 in it or not, we make a point of never having our load directly over a person. That is
the number one rule. We also try to avoid depositing loads uphill of personnel, so
that there is no risk to them if the load rolls after we release it.” Newton describes
in more detail the actual approach procedures for taking the loads into the drill site.
“You always use a shallow approach and intercept a 30 degree approach about five
meters short of the hole. Then you bring it in at no higher than around chest height.
That means the loadmaster can fend, turn or spin the load if
required and they also know that they need to always be in a position where
they can get away from the load if necessary.” Ground personnel on the landing
site are limited to two at most, with just one wherever possible, thus minimizing
avoidance issues. 800kgs has proved to be an optimum load for the Squirrel in most
conditions, the machine lifting it comfortably at 1,000ft with 40% fuel. “The Squirrel

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HELIOPS FRONTLINE 17
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 can be difficult to see out of on long-lining,” admitted Newton, “but we’ve got an
Airwork mod which moves the seat across about six inches and there’s an extension
on the collective.”
Long-lining can present serious hazards if there is any misunderstanding as to
whether the load or the long-line itself is attached to the machine. Newton outlined
some of the safeguards the company has in place to minimize the risk. “At the start
of the day the pilot attaches the long-line to the machine and it stays attached
all day. That way there is never any doubt whether it is on and he knows that he
will always fly the machine, allowing for the long-line,” he explained. “The only
people who are permitted to attach a load to the machine are the pilot or another
approved PHL employee and if the pilot ever shuts down with a load still attached,
he has to lay the end of long line and hook beside his skid so when he returns to the
machine, he actually has to step over the hook to get in. The shortest line we use is
100ft, but on occasion a longer line of up to 200ft may be necessary, particularly
when operating in areas of tall bush (forest). We find the optimum long-line length
for a Squirrel is 100ft (thirty metres); it gives you good visibility and good control,
where the load isn’t pulling the helicopter around.” Another advantage of the
minimum 100ft long-line is that it reduces disturbance to the farmer’s stock. “There
is a heavy responsibility on the client, Webster Drilling and PHL to minimize any
disturbance to the landholder on whose land we’re operating,” advised Newton.
“With the 100ft longline and a slow-moving helicopter the stock hardly even move
as they get used to it very quickly. It would be different if we were belting around
at low level of course. In fact, sometimes they gather and move towards us because
they’re curious about what we’re doing.”

76
77
78
79
 The highly experienced Newton has amassed around 11,000hrs, with the majority
of that being long-line work. He uses steel cable for his long-lines and listed reasons
for his choice. “I’ve always used steel, ever since I started flying and most of my
flying has been on long-line. The reason I like steel is that it doesn’t stretch; you can
rub it up against a tree; you can run over it with your Landrover.” A small amount of
fiber is used in the Precision Helicopters Ltd long-lines, with a short section of heavy
duty flat strop installed just above the hook just to provide a little bit of suspension,
but the rest of the line is 7mm non-rotating wire rope. “It has a safe working load of
1,000kg and you can fly at 120 to 130 knots, pretty much as fast as you like with it.
It never gets near the tail rotor, never gets a hoop in it, never varies in length and
it’s always under you. With the light fabric composite lines, they always seem to get
a hoop in the back during high speed transit and it has more potential to go through
the tail rotor. Newton does concede that there are occasions when a synthetic line
would be useful and practical, but not for the purposes of the drilling support work,
where the line is kept on the machine for hours and worked hard over a long period.
PHL’s wire lines are covered with a clear plastic coating to protect from damage and
both line and the two-tonne SWL remote hook is inspected daily, with load testing
carried out at least annually. The hooks are over-rated for the job but Newton says
it is a conscious decision to go for a larger than necessary hook, due to the high
workload and the desire for a large, solid keeper.
Maintenance on the B2 is carried out at Hamilton-based Rotor-Craft Ltd. and
Newton appreciates Eurocopter’s change in the aircraft’s maintenance schedule
to 150hrs between main checks, with only a minor check carried out at 100hrs.

80
81
 Long-lining
can present
serious hazards
if there is any
misunderstanding
as to whether the
load or the long-line
itself is attached to
the machine.

82
The maintenance checks are scheduled on rostered days off, with Rotor-Craft Ltd
completing a main check in around 16 hours, using six maintenance personnel.
Minor snags are usually rectified overnight in PHL’s own hangar, with a back-up
machine available through another operator in the event of unforeseen outages
or breakdowns. The remote hooks are supplied, serviced and maintained by John
Hobday’s Rotor and Wing Maintenance Ltd. in relatively nearby Taupo.
The only downside to the drilling support work is the fluctuating demand over
and above its already seasonal nature, however Newton advises that the agricultural
background and mainstay workload of Precision Helicopters Ltd puts it in the
enviable position of being able to benefit from the survey support work when it is
available, without being reliant on it. Newton enjoys working with Webster’s and
noted that, while they always had many highly experienced personnel on site, each
season they brought several new people into the job and tended to employ locals
whenever possible. This meant that the Taranaki drilling crew working with Precision
Helicopters Ltd on this job consisted predominantly of Taranaki locals and even
included Newton’s own son Gabriel, who is saving to do his own commercial pilot
license. Webster Drilling works around the world and specializes in low-impact
heli-portable drilling, although they also carry out general drilling work of all
descriptions, including exploration drilling and run one large rig. “I think it’s great
that they’re giving these young guys a chance and there are huge opportunities
within Webster Drilling and throughout the industry worldwide for someone who
learns drilling thoroughly,” commented Newton. “To work with Webster Drilling is a
great company; in fact they’re more like family. I’ve never worked with a company
that’s been so open, understanding and absolutely straight as a die. When we work
with them they actually make us feel as if we’re part of the crew and I’d say they’re
at the very forefront of heli-portable drilling; not just in New Zealand but right
around the world,” Matt Newton concluded. HO

83
Stepping
into
modern-day
HEMS
S TO RY & PH OTO S BY A L E X A N D E R M L A D E N OV
 Heli Air Servicers, based in Sofia, Bulgaria is a
highly-experienced rotary- and fixed-wing operator.
ALEXANDER MLADENOV examines how the company
has changed its business model following the introduction of
Western-made helicopters for emergency medical services,
search and rescue, and general transport duties.85
H
eli Air made its first steps into the
modern-day Helicopter Emergency
George Spassov,
Medical Services (HEMS) in 2013. Heli Air’s Chairman
Prior the introduction of the AgustaWestland has been the
(now Leonardo Helicopter Division) A109K-2, undisputable driving
force behind the
Bulgaria’s biggest helicopter operator’s business almost entirely
development of the
depended on customers outside the country, mostly in the Third company during its
World. Established 27 years ago as an independent air operator 24 years of existence.
specializing in commercial rotorcraft passenger/cargo transport
and utility services, Sofia-based Heli Air has enjoyed a well-
established United Nations (UN) business using the Mi-8. It has also been working
hard over the past four years to establish itself as Bulgaria’s leading HEMS and
Search and Rescue (SAR) operator.

FIRST STEPS INTO THE WESTERNIZATION OF THE

HELICOPTER FLEET
In an effort to compete into the modern world of HEMS and SAR, the privately-
owned company, with its operations and maintenance base located at Sofia Airport-
North, has invested in the purchase of two ex-Rega A109K-2 light twin-turbine
helicopters directly from AgustaWestland and established a base maintenance
capability for the type. Now, the decades-old dream of company founder and
chairman, George Spassov, to develop a new-style in-country HEMS operation,
is coming true.
The Mi-8 was used in the 1970s and 1980s for the HEMS and SAR work (and
Spassov was one of the leading pilots doing this job) but it had a lot of limitations
and is not suitably equipped for life-saving missions. The Mi-8 is a 12-tonne class
helicopter and is underpowered, especially evident in hot-and-high conditions. The
A109K-2 has superior performance, especially for mountain SAR work. The only
ignificant advantage of the Mi-8 is that is has a full anti-icing system which enables
89
 Heli Air Service,
operating until 2013
only Russian-made
heavy rotorcraft,
selected the
affordable to buy
and maintain A109K- it to operate without restrictions in icing conditions; a common occurrence in the
2 as a well-suited winter, early spring and late autumn months in Bulgaria. This advantage relates
start-up machine in
mainly to flying in IFR conditions.
the modern HEMS
world.
Forward-thinking Spassov decided in mid-2012 to commence a Westernization of
the company’s rotary-wing fleet, dominated until then by the Soviet-era Mi-8P heavy
twin. To make it happen, Heli Air established a relationship with AgustaWestland
and selected a high-performance light twin model at an affordable price that was
also well-suited to the HEMS and SAR job. The manufacturer offered the Bulgarian
operator the A109K-2s it had purchased back from Rega when Rega purchased the
newer and more capable AW109SP DaVinci. The two helicopters, registered LZ-CEA
and LZ-CEB, were received in March and August 2013 respectively.
The new type has proved to be a reliable and easy to service machine in Heli Air
hands. The pilots, with decades of experience on the Mi-8 under their belts, found
the A109K-2’s cockpit environment to be familiar due to the presence of analogue
instruments. At the same time, they were pleasantly surprised by the sheer power
available and maneuverability of the helicopter. The three leading pilots who are
qualified to perform HEMS and complex SAR works each have between 7,000 and
10,000 hours on helicopters. There are also two less-experienced pilots rated on the
A109K-2 for more general work.
Bulgaria’s environment is challenging with a combination of terrain, weather
and the presence of many high-voltage power lines overlying the country. When
flying from one part of Bulgaria to another, it usually involves crossing through
mountain ranges and weather can present a lot of challenges. Bulgaria is a country
with prevailing mountainous terrain, and most of the SAR operations have to be
carried out at high altitude Alpine terrain. Also, the weather can rapidly change
which makes flying VFR in the mountains a significant challenge, especially in the
winter months and even during spring and autumn. With shifting clouds and fog,
mountains can be crossed in VMC by using routes through passes and valleys but
this can be risky.

90
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HELINET.COM
 The most
experienced Heli
Air pilots are
rated on both the
With a 144-kt (267km/h) cruising speed and a cabin large enough for one
Mi-8P and A109K-2
and are qualified patient and up to three medical attendants, the A109K-2 has proved to be a perfect
to fly complex start-up option for operators such as Heli Air. Because the A109K-2 is a single-pilot,
SAR missions in VFR machine, the IFR-rated pilots maintain their currency on the Mi-8 which they
mountains.
continue to fly on a rotational basis in UN-funded missions in Africa.
Heli Air’s main helicopter business is in Africa; flying its Mi-8s under contracts
with United Nations and United Nation’s World Food Program. Currently the
company operates in Sudan and Southern Sudan, ferrying supplies (mainly food and
medicine) and people, and also providing SAR, CASEVAC and MEDEVAC services to
UN personnel in these countries on as-needed basis.

92
AMERICA’S FRONTLINE
 The Sofia-based
operator has its
own EASA Part
145-approved base
inside a recently
Asked about the A109K-2, pilots respond very enthusiasticly. It opens a whole
refurbished two- new world to them because it is very different to the Mi-8. The Italian-made
bay hangar and helicopter is small and agile, able to land almost everywhere, very responsive to
is a certified
pilot control inputs, and most importantly, it has power. With no negative comments
AgustaWestland
service station, also heard so far, in regard to the K2 flight performance and equipment, crews comment
working on third that the Mi-8 is big, heavy, underpowered and not agile. In addition, the K2 has
party helicopters much better winch (hoist) compared to the Mi-8, with 272kg capacity compared to
from the A109 series.
the Mi-8’s 150kg-capacity equipment.
Heli Air has also invested a serious amount of money in equipping its helicopters
with a full set of modern life-support equipment necessary for a successful HEMS
mission. The company has also retained the original SAR equipment from the Rega
era, such as the hoist, and the cargo hook for carrying external loads.

HEMS OPERATIONS FOR A PRIVATE INSURANCE

COMPANY
There is no yet a country-wide HEMS system set up in Bulgaria while the topic
has been hotly disputed in the media and the institutions responsible for funding
the public health care system in the country. Yet since the Bulgarian CAA
approved Heli Air to perform EMS missions, the company’s A109K-2s have already
amassed a number of both primary and secondary missions (i.e. inter hospital
transfers) as well as mountain SAR rescue missions while working on a contract with
the Bulgarian Red Cross.
In June 2014, Heli Air, together with a partner from the private health care and
insurance sector in Bulgaria, Lev Ins, launched two ‘pilot’ demonstration operations

94
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96
97
in the towns of Sofia and Bourgas, in order to display the HEMS and SAR benefits
to all interested parties and the local population. If established, such a system
would complement the existing country’s Ministry of Health’s funded universal
EMS system that presently uses ground ambulances. So far, no budget has been
allocated for HEMS services by the Government (Ministry of Health), despite the
declarations that HEMS is planned to be established in the near to mid-term, and
this has been laid down in the MoH’s Emergency Medical Services development
concept. But the real launch of government-sponsored HEMS service would not be
expected until 2018 at the earliest.
The definitive aim of Heli Air is to set up a network of strategically located
helicopter bases covering most of Bulgarian territory. This will take years
to complete while also requiring significant government involvement and
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99
 investment. As Zakhari Alexiev, Heli Air’s CEO said, the company is following in
full the established EASA concept on HEMS services. He explained that HEMS is a
commercial aviation function that has to be practiced by civilian-registered aircraft
conforming to current EASA legislation, while the necessary ground infrastructure
has to be provided by the state and privately-owned hospitals. Since 2013, there is
a process of construction of helipads at some of the biggest state- and privately-
owned hospitals in Sofia and the other major towns in country, most of which have
already been tested with the A109K-2s.
Alexiev also says that the company has worked hard to get all the permissions
and understanding from the local civil aviation authority and the air traffic service,
in order for the HEMS operations to be treated with priority and to be provided
preference for departures and arrivals at Sofia Airport, where Heli Air has its’ own
air taxiway to speed up departures and arrivals.

OTHER USES FOR THE K-2

Heli Air has also undertaken some passenger charter work with its A109K-2s
as well as being involved in the production of multimillion-budget action movies
produced in Bulgaria.
The geography and climate in Bulgaria, including its mountainous and semi-
mountainous terrain, cold winters, hot summers and humid springs and autumns,
all create challenging operating conditions for HEMS and SAR operations especially
as they are conducted under VFR rules. The A109K-2 with its ample power reserves
and rugged airframe proved well-suited to operating in the specific Bulgarian
environmental conditions. There were several SAR and transport operations at
altitudes of 8,200ft (2,500m) where the K2 did very well (at least compared to the

100
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 Mi-8), and pilots were happy with the helicopter’s behavior. The same is true for
the winch rescues they did over very rugged terrain at the Bansko sky resort in
Pirin mountain (it is a true Alpine environment), where the A109K-2 was used to
retrieve free-ride skiers and snowboarders trapped in a ravine, inaccessible by
other means.

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104
105
 The A109K-2, as Alexiev notes, is a full Cat A and Class 1 machine and offers a
great capability for high altitude operations, even in high ambient air temperature
conditions. The machine also has a pretty good flexibility and is also being offered
by Heli Air for a range of utility missions necessitating the use of an external cargo
hook such as cargo transportation, aerial construction and firefighting on as-needed
basis; the cargo hook is rated at 1,763lb (800kg). The K2 has proven to be flexible
and more efficient than the Mi-8 because it can do external sling work at a much
cheaper price for loads up to 800kg. In addition, it can do the job at a much higher
altitude and higher air temperatures. One of the more bizarre uses of the A109K-2
was to transport the ‘villains’ in the Expendables super action movie.
In July 2016, one of the helicopters was used for transporting cargo on external
sling to a mountain site in Rula mountain at 8,200ft (2,500m) above sea level, with
high ambient air temperatures, exceeding 25oC – in a logistic mission to support a
hot air balloon fest as Seven Rila Lakes area. The cargoes varied between 882 and
1,322lb (400 and 600kg) and the helicopter coped pretty well with the workload.
This specific assignment involved more than 20 flights in a single day, to transport
hot air balloons in a deflated state, their gondolas, heating equipment and other
supplies necessary for the balloon operation on external sling. The balloon gondolas
were transported to the final destination attached directly to the sling, while for
general cargo transport it used large bags attached to the cargo sling.
Another mission to transport people and cargo at high elevation was
performed in July 2015, when the A109K-2 supported a large-scale firefighting
effort next the Rila Monastery in Rila mountain. On this occasion the K2 was used to
lift teams of four or five firefighters and their equipment at otherwise inaccessible
locations in the mountain at 7,300ft (2,200m) on hot summer days. The helicopter
was also used to transport water pumps needed for the fighting the fire on the
mountain ridge.
Although the helicopters are NVG capable, Heli Air is still far away from the
introduction of NVG sets for primary missions at night and more priority is being
given to mastering and sustaining rescue operations in mountains by using the
helicopter’s winch.

106
107
 The company is a certified EASA Part 145 maintenance organization for the
A109 series and is also an authorized service station of AgustaWestland, offering
its services to third-party customers inside Bulgaria and the region. “Having our
own maintenance organization is a great advantage as it allows to trim down
operating costs”, Alexiev noted.
Heli Air has already gained some experience in operating and maintaining its
first Western-made helicopters but the real challenges lie ahead, as the expected
SAR and HEMS operations in the near to mid-term will intensify. To do this, Heli
Air will have to increase its fleet of Western-made helicopters while continuing
with pilot, technician and rescue crew training in order to maintain the safety and
quality of services. HO

108
Mi-8 still going strong
Heli Air remains a trusted provider of helicopter services in various UN-sponsored operations in
Africa and Asia; since 1991 it has been developed into a steady and profitable business. In the recent
years, the company also undertook sporadic Mi-8 operations in Bulgaria, mostly related to support to
the movie-making industry as well as for aerial photography/video filming, aerial construction works
and on-demand firefighting. Heli Air has a fleet of four Mi-8Ps equipped for utility transport, and holds a
license, issued by the Bulgarian Civilian Aviation Administration, for approved maintenance organization
for the Mi-8.
Since 1997, Heli Air’s Mi-8s have been used mainly for the support of the peacekeeping and
humanitarian missions of the UN in hot spots around in addition to its World Food Program, achieving
a very good reputation as a reliable operator, with thousands of Mi-8 flight hours amassed in hardly
accessible places and troubled countries such as Sudan, Southern Sudan, Sierra Leone, Guinea,
Mozambique, Ivory Coast, Afghanistan, Somalia and others.
The company standardized its TV2-117A-powered Mi-8 fleet using mainly passenger derivatives; the
Mi-8P is easily distinguished thanks to the square windows and the helicopter is also easily convertible
for cargo transport inside the cabin while also being capable for external sling works. The helicopters
are well-equipped with modern Western avionics for IFR operations, including weather radars, mode-S
transponder, additional HF radio and satellite tracking used to monitor from the company operations
center in Sofia each flight in Africa, from take-off to landing.

109
DESPITE OBJECTIONS FROM LOCAL SELF-INTERESTS, A COUPLE IS BUILDING A
HELICOPTER TOUR BUSINESS IN SOME OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR COUNTRY IN
THE USA. THEIR STORY ILLUSTRATES SOME LESSONS FOR THOSE LOOKING TO
SET UP A HELICOPTER TOUR BUSINESS; ESPECIALLY NEAR NATIONAL PARKS.

S TO RY & PH OTO S BY M A R K O G D E N

111

MOAB
Moab located in eastern Utah in the
western United States, is nestled near
Canyonlands and Arches National Parks.
Attracting an ever-increasing number of
tourists, Moab is experiencing significant
growth with two major hotels being built
each year. The town is a popular base
for adventurers such as hikers, mountain
bikers and off-roaders. Agriculture,
primarily ranching was the basis of
Moab’s economy for many years until
mining and eventually tourism become
the primary earners. Taking advantage
of the rugged scenery, western movies
were made here, using the local national
parks as backdrops. John Wayne even
became Moab’s favourite son with
him working on a couple of ranches
and making movies here. Uranium and
vanadium were discovered in the area
during the early 20th Century, followed
by potash and manganese, and then
oil and gas. Moab became important
to the nuclear arms race and nuclear
generation of electricity after a rich
deposit of uranium ore was discovered
south of the city.
A population explosion ensued but
as the threat of a nuclear war receded,
Moab declined and by the early 1980s
nearly all the uranium mines had closed.
As the mines closed, tourism rose in
importance. Photographers, rafters,
hikers, and adventurers in general
discovered the rugged uniqueness of
the area with Moab’s population swelling
during spring and summer.
CLIMBING TO THE PINNACLE
If sheer hard work and determination
is the mark of success, then Ben
and Dacia Black, who are Pinnacle
112
Helicopters, will make their mark on
the Moab tour industry. They have had
many challenges in developing their
business and operation, but with a
passionate dedication and reluctance
to let others get them down, it seems
to be coming together now. They’re
experiences though do provide
lessons for those who want to set up a
helicopter tour business.
Ben always wanted to be a helicopter
pilot and joined the US Navy in 1993;
not to be a navy helicopter pilot but
rather to save money and use the GI Bill
to eventually get his license. He says he
grew up fast working on the USS Essex
in crash and salvage. “I was lucky to tie
my shoes when I joined the navy,” mused
Ben. “It grew me up and my plan was to
leave the navy and train at Hillsborough,
they were the big thing back in those
days.” But, he did what most kids did
then, partied hard and as a result, kicked
the flying gig down the road a bit.
Although the timing did not quite
work out as planned, in 2007 Ben
gained his license at Helicopter Services
Inc. in Houston, and worked as a flight
instructor building flight time. In 2008,
he went to work flying Seismic with
Aerial Coalition Technologies; but that
was short-lived. Ben explained, “I loved
that job and wanted to do that for ever.
They had a couple of B2 AStars and
three 206Bs working in Texas, Oklahoma
and Louisiana. The 206s worked great
down south and the B2s were needed
for the work in the mountains out west.
Only lasted seven or eight months
following an oil and gas downturn.” He
thinks that the west is now really, “B3
country although the last seismic work I
saw, they were using a 205 to lift the drill
and 407s to move crew.” After leaving
 the seismic exploration world, Ben joined
the oil and gas rush, working in the field.
“I didn’t fly for a while except doing
some work for a friend of mine who was
setting up a game capture company.”
Ben worked as a net gunner with Mike
Ross who established the successful
company, Helicopter Wildlife Services.
“I met Mike down in Texas and did part
time with him and learned to fly the
Hughes 500. He’s got a pretty good
sized company now working in USA and
South Africa.”
In 2012, an old family friend
suggested to Ben that they set up a
helicopter tour operation. Ben explained,
“John called me up and asked if I wanted
to start a helicopter company with him.
114
John Sullivan, who was a partner in
Sundance Helicopters (now part of the
Air Methods Corporation), had an R44
that he wanted to use to set up an air
tour operation in Arizona at Lake Powell,
working with the Navajo Nation. After
several months setting up the company,
and working through the agreement with
the Navajo Nation, they came to realize
from a newspaper article that another
large tour operator was about to start
a service there. “They’d been greasing
the skids for some time and when we
read that article, that was the end of that
plan.”
OWN BOSS
Ben was now sold on the idea of
115
 being his own boss, “Flying helicopters,
being his own boss, man this is what
I’m supposed to be doing.” Ben and
Dacia lived in Durango in Colorado but
knew Moab well. Dacia was working
as a chemical engineer for BP. They
realised that Moab was beginning to
boom through tourism and realised
that no-one was doing a helicopter tour
business there. With John as a partner,
they began Pinnacle Helicopters in
Moab. “June 24, 2013, we did our first
tour. “John was instrumental in the
initial set-up and success of Pinnacle
Helicopters. Without John’s advice
and previous expertise in helicopter
tour operations, it is difficult to say
whether this operation would have been
feasible.” John recently decided to
step aside, and we became sole owners
of the company.” Dacia left her job to
support Ben in the business; it was now
or nothing.
Interestingly, the R44 originally
used to set up the company ended up
being leased out after the operations in
Arizona feel through. “While we were
putting the Moab operation together,
116
John lent the R44 to a buddy. It crashed
but fortunately no-one was hurt. The
aircraft was a write-off.” John then found
an R44 in Las Vegas where the owners
were prepared to lease it out on a month
by month basis. “We started in June in
Moab and flew it back to its home Vegas
in October that year. We went back to
Durango, ran the numbers and figured
we could afford our own helicopter.”
The helicopter they now own came out
of Tennessee. “Had about 730 hours on
it – beautiful machine, spotless. It will
be timed out and up for overhaul at the
end of this season (2017).” Each year, the
company grows about 30% on the year
before. In 2016, the company flew 450
hours and the expectation is that while
the rate is expected to slow, the business
will keep growing.
The work is Moab however, is very
seasonal. “November is our last month
where we break even. December just
falls on its butt with very little in January
and February before it picks up again
in March.” Ben explains that the most
people who come to Moab, come for the
outdoors. “They are outdoor enthusiasts;
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 mountain biking and the like. In winter,
these people are out skiing the Rockies
not looking at the scenery in Moab.”
“It’s funny though, but Moab and its
surrounding area is actually more
spectacular around winter and it’s a
great time of the year to fly; the R44 is
like a rocket.”
The tours also tend change as the
season progresses. Early in the season,
“We tend to get the weekend warriors
and spring break travellers. As the
season progresses into summer, our
numbers pick up with vacationers
coming to Moab to visit the National
Parks, including a large number of
international travellers.” “About half of
our customers plan their trip in advance,
and have their tours planned before
they even arrive in Moab. But the
remainder of our customers plan their
activities after they arrive. We have
large numbers of same day bookings
and walk-ins. We stay very busy during
the summer months, managing the large
118
numbers of requests from travellers
already in town.”
As a single helicopter operator, they
have not had to hire other pilots; until
this year because of adding the second
R44. Ben’s personality and knowledge
of the area is one of the reasons the
business grows and his passengers
enjoy the flights. As Dacia commented,
“All of our reviews essentially mention
Ben by name. I foresee one of the big
challenges in finding new pilots will
be to ensure that they have a rapport
with our customers, and also to impart
the general knowledge of the area so
people come away knowing more than
when they came.” This view of the type
of pilot needed is shared by many tour
operators.
STRUGGLES
Developing the business hasn’t
been without struggle though. Like so
many other places around the world,
helicopters are regarded by some as
 environmental vandals when in fact, the
helicopter causes negligible damage;
especially when compared to four-wheel
drives. For example, in Arches National
Park, the road traffic is significant with
full carparks and people everywhere; but
don’t anyone try to fly a tour overhead
because it’s spoiling the environment!
It is this disconnect in perception that
has been a challenge for so many tour
120
operators and proved an additional
barrier that had to be overcome by Ben
and Dacia.
When he first sought to setup the
company in Moab, the County fought it.
“There were people who just didn’t want
helicopters in the area. There had been
problems in the past with operators
working in town, flying up and down the
main street and basically considered a
nuisance even though they had been
valuable for doing searches and rescues.
They saved lives but annoyed people.”
The County eventually created
an ordinance in the 1990s banning
helicopter operations from private
heliports, essentially forcing any
helicopter tour operator to operate out
of the Moab Canyonlands Field airport,
approximately 20 miles north of Moab.
When the ordinance was written, the
original the operators left town, but still,
the memories were still fresh to Moab
residents when Ben came along.
MY BUSINESS MY HARD
WORK
“I take everything personal after all it
is my business, my hard work, my money
so every little obstacle I come across
121
 with the County just feels very personal.
Especially when there is no reason for
it,” explained Ben.
When Ben first raised his proposal
with the County that he wanted to start
a helicopter operation, he found the first
obstacle was the County Board. “I had
to get a business license and there were
people on the County Commission who
said that they did not want helicopters
and so allowed protesters to enter the
building, allowed them to speak yet
wouldn’t let us! They were just freaking
out about helicopters.” Ben said that
people were worried about the noise.
They harked back to their ‘experiences’
in the Grand Canyon even saying it
reminded them of Vietnam with all the
‘wok wok’ noise. “But everyone knows
that helicopter just don’t make much
noise these days and never had that
type of noise issue in the Canyon.”
“The County suggested that they
just wouldn’t issue a license and then
I wouldn’t be able to operate.” As ben
explained, “Fortunately, the Airport
122
Manager pointed out that because the
local airport accepted federal funding,
it was agreed that no discrimination
against different types of aviation would
take place.” Ultimately, the County
issued a business licence because
Pinnacle Helicopters was going to
operate from the airport in accordance
with the county ordinances.
(In April 2000, the National Parks
Air Tour Act was enacted and the
FAA issued a definitive rule (US Code
40128), called “Overflights of National
Parks” which lays down limitations and
requirements for commercial air tour
operations over national parks in the
USA.)
Then National Parks at Moab then
decided to become involved and a
potential David and Goliath battle
was developing. The National Parks
interpretation of the rules could have
stymied Ben’s efforts if it were not for
his access to good legal advice. As Ben
explained, “The Superintendent here
runs both Canyonlands and Arches
National Parks, and believed that I was
constantly breaking the rules. She didn’t
fully understand the air tour rule and
that was the problem.” “I have always
done things right, have never broken
the rules, and I won’t break the rules.”
The only tours that Pinnacle has ever
advertised and conducted were and
are flown well outside of the parks’
boundaries.
“People would ask for a tour over
the Parks but we always advised that
we are not permitted to fly over the
national parks. Those who wanted to
do specific photography were the only
people we took over the parks and that
is allowed under the rules. No tour was
ever involved. We never advertised a
tour and never conducted one over a
park.” Indeed, and unsurprisingly given
the scenery, Ben has photographers
who are repeat customers. “We get
photographers from the US and all
around the world, who come back
maybe twice a year.” Many of the
photographers know what they want
to capture but often they will ask Ben
for advice on what’s best to see. The
scenery, especially at sunrise and sunset
is spectacular as it is rugged. The rocks
just light up with all kinds of colours,
the Colorado and Green Rivers
meander through the canyons while
the low sun casts long shadows; a
photographer’s dream.
“So, when the National Park
Superintendent saw our helicopter
over the National Park, she thought she
had me and wrote a long letter to the
FAA. The FAA took her seriously and
responded by putting pressure on me.”
“John and I had good legal counsel
due to John’s experience in helicopter
tour operations, and we had a letter
issued to the FAA who passed it to
National Parks. Essentially it was ‘cease
and desist’ – I couldn’t have done that
on my own and I was lucky to have the
help that I did.”
The big lesson from such experience
is that start-ups need to have good
legal advice from lawyers who fully
understand aviation law. Sometimes
authorities need to be challenged to
ensure the law is properly applied.
Interestingly, the fixed wing aircraft
tour operator in Moab can conduct air
tours over the parks because they were
‘grandfathered’ under the rule change.
Other things have caused
frustrations, including just getting
the Part 135 certificate. “We finally
received our Single Pilot 135 Air Carrier
Certificate from the FAA in December
2016,” explained Dacia. “Our first letter
of intent was sent in 2012, but because
of a backlog of applications in the FAA,
we were put in the queue for over
two years before our application even
came up for review and the application
process could begin. Now that we have
our 135 Certificate, we can perform
charters and additional commercial
operations.”
CONCILIATORY
Despite their trials and tribulations
with the local and national authorities in
getting the business off the ground, Ben
sounds a conciliatory note. “Our tours
tend to go out into the back country
where the ATVs and jeeps rip up and
down the roads so they’re not worried
about noise.” Their longer tours tend to
go into back country areas that it’s rare
to see anyone, such as Robbers’ Roost;
this was Butch Cassidy country.
“The County is coming around, now
they’re getting to know us and really
never see us flying around anyway. They
still fight us here and there but nothing
major, and we work a solution that works
for everyone,” Ben explained.
It really does depend on where an
operator wants to fly and the local
attitude to operations. “In Tennessee at
the foot of the Smokey Mountains, you’ll
see a helicopter by the side of the road
123
 about every 40 yards or so but people
don’t mind as it’s a tourist economy.
People began coming here after the
mines closed down to escape to the
quiet and solitude and helicopters to
them goes against all that.”
Ben said that there was some buzz
about another operator who wants to
set up another R44 tour operation now
that Ben and Dacia have paved the way.
“I don’t mind competition,” Ben said,
124
“but I just don’t want anyone else to
mess up our relationships and reputation
by doing something dumb like they did
back in the ‘90s. It’s our fifth year of
operation now and I think we’ve built up
a pretty good reputation to this point.”
R44
The R44 has been a reliable, low cost
helicopter that has allowed
Ben and Dacia to build their business.
“We settled on the R44 because it was
a machine we could afford,” Ben
explains. “It is incredibly economical
and it’s really hasn’t cost us a lot since
we’ve had it. We’ve replaced an exhaust
and an auxiliary fuel pump and that’s
about it as far as big items go.” He said
that pitch change links needed changing
regularly and the magnetos also fail;
often without warning. As the company
develops, it is purchasing necessary
spares to ensure the helicopter can be
fixed quickly if need be. Slowly building
their fleet, another R44 is on the way
to be the backup the current helicopter
this season. “This business has no debt
and we plan to keep it that way. The R44
does what we need and does it well and
economically.”
A problem that is common in desert
areas is dust erosion. Many don’t
consider the effect fine dust and sand
125
 can have on the rotor blades and even
the windscreen. The effect will often
graze the windscreens and lead to
premature wearing out of bearings.
“We do see rapid erosion of the blade
paint on the -5 Robinson blades due to
the high dust content in the area. We
perform regular blade paint touch-up to
keep the bond line on the -5 blades from
being exposed.”
Ben is critical though of Robinson’s
approach to the Low-G mast bumping
issues. “As much as I appreciate and rely
on the R44, I am critical of Robinson’s
handling of the Low-G mast bumping,
and the appropriate training of pilots
as a result of the actual causes of
the R44 fatal accidents. I recently
received a new placard to place below
my airspeed indicator ‘Do not Exceed
110 KIAS except in smooth air’. I can’t
even get my R44 to 110 out here. These
helicopters are having low-G issues at
all speeds, the issue is exceeding the
appropriate speed for the conditions at
the time. Pilots need to be informed and
trained appropriately.”
As well as the tour business,
Pinnacles picks up utility work doing
things such as slinging equipment into
cell phone sites and utility survey work.
They also do work with the Bureau of
Land Management in wild horse and
donkey capture. According to Ben,
“Trying to break into general utility work
with the R44 is tough. In my opinion,
the Lower 48 (the contiguous states of
the Continental USA including District of
Columbia) really don’t like the R44 for
anything but tours. Every helicopter has
its limits and the R44 at height struggles.
I’m happy with one passenger to go to
pads at around 9,000ft but that’s about
it. Try and do anymore and you’ll get
yourself in trouble.”
To improve the customer experience
and to have a product many other tour
companies offer, the company is looking
to attach a system from Rugged Video
126
in Wisconsin to the helicopter. “You
don’t need an STC as the gear is self-
powered, attached with suction cups
and zip ties. Nothing is actually installed
in the aircraft,” Ben explains. “It’s a
cool system. You fly the route, mark
waypoints and it learns when and where
to switch between the three cameras.”
Talking to Ben about operating in the
area and there are a lot of points where
an unwary pilot will get caught out.
Although Moab is at 4,000ft, in summer
the Density Altitude (DA) can be over
7,000ft especially when the temperature
is over 100oF (>37oC). The areas around
Moab are higher and so, 9,000ft or
even 10,000ft DA is not unusual. That’s
a challenge in the R44. “You’ve got to
watch that you don’t get into Settling
with Power; I’ve had some pilot buddies
fly the aircraft with me sitting next to
them and they invariably get to the
limits where I need to take over. It’s just
something you have to watch at this
altitude.”
He also said that microbursts are
common in the storm season around
July and August. “The thing is that the
burst will travel along the canyons for
miles. So you don’t have to be anywhere
near a storm and you’ll get the effects,”
explained Ben.
Ben would like a turbine machine
such as a B206L but the problem is that
for several months of the year, it would
not be used as there just isn’t enough
work for it in the area yet during the off
season. “Bell’s new 505 is the machine
that excites me when it comes to the
future of our company, but for now all
I can think about is the R44. Anything
else is a pipedream.”
FINALLY
Pinnacle Helicopters is a good
example of people having to face
challenges in establishing a business
in the helicopter industry. Some will
take on a lot of debt to start big; or
they acquire debt in getting bigger.
Managing that debt through good and
tough times will always be a challenge
for any business but a helicopter is a big
capital cost. Some helicopter businesses
will fall foul of authorities because they
don’t understand the national and
local rules, or just as importantly, don’t
understand the local’s views. Perception
can override reality so it’s important to
manage perception.
“It’s a tough business and it had been
tough for us,” opined Ben. “We’re finally
getting to a point where we’re starting
to relax but honestly, I’ve always had fun.
I like talking to people; talk too much
sometimes but I like to make people feel
like I’ve brought them into my house.” HO
127
129
 I
t is with the deepest regret that
HeliOps joins with family, friends
and colleagues in mourning the
passing of Noel Edward Wilson,
known to all as Grumbles, who
died when his R22 crashed into a hill
barely five miles from his home. Despite
the nickname, Noel was Grumbles only
in name and definitely not by nature.
Starting his flying in a homebuilt
fixed-wing, Grumbles then progressed
to microlights for a few years and spent
those years flying extensively over
the vast areas of lush bush-clad West
Coast countryside he affectionately
referred to as his backyard. He loved
the great outdoors and all nature so it
was natural that Noel began to earn his
living by working in the bush, trapping
and skinning possums or collecting
sphagnum moss. Always an extremely
hard worker, Grumbles became a highly
competent excavator and machinery
operator, and even did a stint on moss
in Chile to eventually earn sufficient
money to achieve his dream of flying
helicopters, paying his way through
flying school to obtain his PPL(H). Some
years after getting his license, Noel
bought a time-ex Robinson R22-HP,
which was rebuilt and refurbished to
become his pride and joy. This became
his regular transport of choice for
both work and pleasure in his backyard,
the Brunner and Victoria mountain
ranges. The R22 supported his
possuming and moss operations, as
130
well as providing the means for
shooting the occasional deer for either
his freezer or one of his mates’.
As is typical among those who
spend their lives working in the
outdoors, Grumbles was also a great
conservationist and treated the care
of his local area of the West Coast
wilderness as his own responsibility.
He established his own little unofficial
but very real conservation area and
went to great lengths to manage it,
shooting goats and setting lines of stoat
traps to protect the small population o
f endangered blue duck (whio)
that live there. There were no
government subsidies for Noel; he did
all this in his own time and at his own
expense purely out of his deep passion
for the countryside in which he lived
and worked.
Grumbles’ generosity became
well known throughout the area and
he was always keen to share his love
of flying with any who wished to
experience it for themselves, especially
the elderly or disadvantaged who might
otherwise never have the opportunity.
More than a few passengers with
terminal illness have had their one
and only ride in a helicopter at
Grumbles’ side and at his expense.
Rated as an instructor on microlights
and gyrocopters, Grumbles was also
unstinting in his willingness to pass on
his knowledge and skill to youngsters
equally taken by the allure of flight.
 Only weeks before his passing,
Grumbles was thoroughly delighted
to see two of his students obtain their
licenses in gyrocopters.
While Grumbles held only a private
license, he was a highly experienced
pilot and always held safety as his
number one priority. Every risk was
assessed and allowed for before any
decision was taken and this earned him
a lot of respect from the community
and other operators; his safety record
was unblemished prior to his tragic
accident and many of his friends and
acquaintances flew with him regularly
purely because of how safe he made
them feel. His good friend Lindsay
Barrow related how Noel would
sometimes call him out of the blue of an
evening, asking if 5.30 the next morning
was okay to go shooting. Although
Barrow didn’t work with Noel, he often
rode with him as friend, assistant and
132
shooter. He remembers that Grumbles
would always have a complete pre-start
done, the bubble polished and waiting
until he heard Lindsay’s car arriving at
the bottom of the hill, at which time
he’d light the fires. By the time Lindsay
was on board the machine would be
immaculate, fuelled, prepared and
warmed up ready to go. The magazine
for the rifle would even be loaded and
ready for use.
In a town and region where
helicopters are relatively commonplace,
and pilots are a ‘dime-a-dozen’, it is
noteworthy that Noel ‘Grumbles’ Wilson
is regarded as one of the best by all
that knew him and flew with him. He
was a devoted father to his son Travis
and a loyal son to his parents Noel snr.
and Doreen, frequently helping on their
small lifestyle block. He will be sorely
missed by not only friends and family,
but by a whole community. HO
 Airbus Helicopt
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Erickson S-64 Aircrane

Eagle Helicopt ers

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Kaman K-Max Kamov KA32
407HP Leonard o AW109

Boeing CH-47D

Sikorsky UH60
Leonard o AW109
Trekker
Kazan ANSAT
Leonard o W3 Sokol

Leonard o AW169

Leonard o AW139 MD Helicopt ers

Leonard o AW119 MD Helicopt ers MD500D
Leonard o AW009 MD500C
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MD520N

Leonard o AW189

MD Helicopt ers
MD530F MD Helicopt ers
MD600 MD Helicopt ers Enstrom F28
MD902
MD Helicopt ers
MD500E

Mil Mi38 Leonard o AW609

Columb ia Helicopt Kamov KA226

ers 107-II Sikorsky S76B
Enstrom TH180

Sikorsky S61
Sikorsky S76D

Sikorsky S92

Enstrom 280FX

Robinso n R44

Enstrom 480B

Robinso n R66

Mil Mi26

Sikorsky S58T
Mil Mi171

Robinso n R22

Robinso n R44 Cadet

Illustration s by
Ugo Crisponi
Aviationgr aphic.com

Sikorsky S300

Marenco SKYe09

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The HeliOps 2017 Poster is a must have

collectable for anyone who is involved in the
helicopter industry. It’s a collection of some
amazing helicopters. There is a limited print run
so grab yours while you can.

They make a great addition to your office, hangar,

home or as a gift for friends and colleagues.

133
 S TO RY BY L E I G H N E I L
PH OTO S BY N E D D A W S O N
If you can afford it, there’s no better way
to beat city traffic congestion than flying
above it by helicopter. If you can afford
even more, then why not go the whole hog
and use your own luxury VIP twin-engined
airborne limousine?

135
 B
ased at Washington’s
Dulles airport, and used
primarily to get its wealthy
owner in and out of New
York City, N727KS is a Bell
429 boasting the first Mecaer luxury
VIP interior in the US. Paul Schaaf
manages the 429 for its owner and
described a typical sortie, stating, “The
machine regularly flies six or seven
minutes up to his farm, picks up the
136
owner and an hour and ten minutes
later he’s in downtown Manhattan.
That means he can get up there for a
business meeting and back in time for
lunch. He estimates that taking any
other form of transport would add two
hours each way to his trip.” According
to Schaaf, the Washington-New York
commute constitutes around 40% of
the 429’s flying and added, “He also
has significant interests in Eastern
138
139
 Pennsylvania, which is only about forty
to fifty minutes flying time distant.
In fact, the other day we took off at
the same time as the jet (a CJ4) to a
Pennsylvania destination and landed
just seven minutes behind it. We
can go straight, whereas the jet has
routing and pattern delays that make
it very little quicker over such a short
sector.” Richmond, Virginia is another
common destination and the balance
of flights (around 20%) can be to
almost anywhere. The unpredictability
of traffic volumes and delays in the
region is another major reason that
the helicopter is the primary choice of
transport for this owner.
Prior to the fully IFR Bell 429, the
owner – a fixed-wing pilot himself –
endured around four years of operating
VFR-limited helicopters; firstly an EC120
and then an EC130, before deciding
that the benefits of IFR op’s made it
140
prudent to purchase a new machine.
The EC130 will not be sold, however.
It is co-owned by another person and
will be retained as a ‘utility’ machine or
standby and as his private machine. The
429’s owner is now enjoying the vastly
improved dispatch reliability of the IFR
aircraft but notwithstanding that, most
of his trips into New York are conducted
VFR, enabling a direct ‘bee-line’ flight.
The New York flights could terminate
at any one of the three heliports or
one of several airports, dependent only
upon which is the closest to the owner’s
intended destination. When asked
to describe a typical flight schedule,
Schaaf explained that almost all flights
were at short notice, frequently with
the pilot only being advised in the
afternoon or evening of a required flight
early the following morning.
Basing the aircraft at Dulles, while
necessitating the short flight to uplift
141
 the owner from his home, does provide
advantages to the operation. A great
instrument landing facility and 24-hour
handling are the principal benefits, but
work is being done on establishing a
GPS IFR approach to the owner’s house
and the feasibility of establishing a
hangar at the smaller municipal airport
is being researched.
This particular machine was bought
directly from its Brazilian owner and
turned out to be just the right machine
at the right time. “He got a good
deal on the aircraft and the fact he
could specify a new interior and paint
scheme really helped sell it,” explained
Schaaf. The MAG (Mecaer Aviation
Group) interior is to the customer’s
own specifications and incorporates
not just the rear cabin’s moving-
map display, luxurious hand-crafted
leather fitments, dual center-consoles
142
and electro-chromic windows, but
also sound deadening to a level that
permits conversing at normal tones or
listening to music without the need for
headphones. The green and gold of the
external paint scheme was chosen to
duplicate the colors of the high school
attended by both the owner and his
wife. Further additions fitted during the
four-month upgrade process include
a four-axis autopilot and heater kit.
According to Schaaf and the 429’s
pilot, Simon Ayling, working with
Mecaer was very user-friendly and
they speak extremely highly of how
helpful and flexible the company
was in completing both the design
and the work. At the time HeliOps
visited the operation, the aircraft had
flown 58 hours in just one month
since completion and already the
IFR capability had proved its worth,
143
144
145
146
148
149
 with several IFR flights necessitated
by weather conditions. Even in VFR
though, the owner insists on two-pilot,
twin-engine operations at all times.
Previous consideration had been
given to the EC155 and the S76 before
the purchase of the Bell, but the new
machine is fulfilling all the mission
requirements admirably. When asked
how they viewed the new aircraft in the
VIP role and in general, both Schaaf and
Ayling were generally positive, but with
a couple of reservations. “Payload is its
Achilles’ heel,” remarked Schaaf. “The
aircraft certainly performs but payload
is a limitation at 7,000lbs. The 7,500lb
gross would make it a lot more viable in
America. Ayling was impressed with the
performance and flight characteristics
in particular, saying, “The speed and
the power to weight ratio are really
phenomenal, even at maximum gross
weight. It’s a very easy helicopter
150
to operate and very predictable.” A
further comment, and one that echoed
remarks from several other operators
of the type, was that the avionics were
less than optimal. “We’re really just
waiting for Bell to come up with some
truly modern avionics for the 429,” said
Schaaf. The pilot pointed out that the
majority of the 429’s flights were lightly
laden and able to be operated at the
high speeds preferred by the owner,
but on the occasions when three or four
passengers were carried, lower speeds
were necessary in order to reduce fuel-
burn and maximize range.
Despite the few small niggles, the
performance and luxury of the Bell
twin has made it an excellent transport
tool for the demanding owner, while
one glimpse of its Mecaer interior will
no doubt encourage many more US
customers to look at that option for
their own high-end aircraft. HO
MISSION PROVEN.
FOLLOWING THE WELL
DOCUMENTED DOWNTURN IN
THE OIL AND GAS MARKETS
HELIOPS TALKED WITH
WAYPOINT LEASING ABOUT
HOW THEY WORK WITH THEIR
CUSTOMERS AND THEIR
MARKETING OF THE AW139 MHU.

S TO RY BY A L A N N O R R I S
153
 C
HC were one of the largest operators supporting off shore oil and gas
platforms and in early 2016 the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
protection, a legal process designed to save financially troubled
companies in the US courts. At the time, 153 of the 230 helicopters
in the CHC fleet were on lease from various leasing companies and
they received permission from the court to immediately return 90 of their aircraft,
followed by a further 65 at a later date.
At the time of the petition date Waypoint Leasing had the third largest exposure
with 44 helicopters in the CHC fleet. Many of Waypoints competitors negotiated a

154
deal to allow CHC to continue operating their leased aircraft. But Waypoint was not
willing to accept those terms and took back 29 of their aircraft.
Ed Washecka, Chief Executive Officer of Waypoint, said, “We were encouraged
by the broad market support for, and acceptance of, aircraft returning from CHC, to
service a variety of missions across the globe. We expect our continued remarketing
efforts to translate into new transactions, as the price of oil stabilizes and other end
markets increasingly rely on helicopter leasing to fulfill their missions.”
 Within three months of the first aircraft being returned to them by court
order they had re-deployed two AW139s with new customers in Africa and Asia
supporting oil and gas operations. The company has also actively engaged with
a number of interested parties to remarket more of the former CHC aircraft for a
range of missions outside of oil & gas and more recently PT. Air Born has agreed a
long-term lease for a single AW139 to support mining operations in Indonesia.
Generally in the aviation industry leasing companies have just been the money
guys, in the fixed wing sector the aircraft are often seen just as a cost to capital
commodity. But Waypoint has always approached helicopter leasing in a different
way. Most of Waypoint has come from the operating side of the business with a
third of the company’s senior management originally coming from the helicopter
industry. This has given them a better understanding of the sector and they know
that helicopters have to be configured specifically for a certain mission to suit a
variety of operators whether it’s SAR, EMS or oil and gas. But it’s not just the senior
management their technical teams also come from a helicopter background.
“We view our role as a partner with the lessor and we feel we have to do
more than just sell the product, otherwise it becomes just another commodity.”
Allan Rowe, Managing Director explained. “We are technical people coming from
the helicopter sector and our technical teams work with them to get the right
configuration for the aircraft. They have to be configured specifically for a certain
mission for a variety of end users and gas and you have to have that knowledge. We
also have a number of outsource partners who do all of the technical work but all
of the management is done in house. We feel that the operators value the technical
ability of Waypoint with its people that can speak the same language.”
Waypoint has partnered with Canadian based Eagle, a helicopter maintenance
and support group, to carry out some of the rework on the returned CHC aircraft
and they have also announced an asset management business looking to manage
fleet for banks that have had CHC assets returned.

156
WAYPOINT MEDIUM UTILITY HELICOPTER (MUH)

Utilizing the short-nosed AW139 platform, the Waypoint MUH will offer significant empty weight reduction
with enhanced performance characteristics while leveraging the latest avionics and safety systems inherent in
the AW139.

LIST OF EQUIPMENT
• 2 Pratt & Whitney PT6C-67C engines • GPS and FMS kit
• Dual Controls • Crew footsteps
• High visibility main rotor blade paint scheme • Rotor brake kit
• Forced ventilation and heating kit • 4 axis autopilot kit
• Cabin intercom system panel • Wireless hoist intercom kit (POLYCON)
• Single AC power inverter kit • Pedestal equipment rack
• Baggage compartment anchor system • 4 point seat belt kit
• ELT • Cargo restraint net
• Rescue hoist (complete provisions) • Second radar altimeter kit
• Cargo hook (complete provisions) • Second anti-collision light

LIST OF AVIONICS
• AW139 Standard Avionic Package including • EGPWS
• Penny & Giles CVR/FDR • TCAS
• Honeywell WV-660 WX radar

OPTIONAL UTILITY ACCESSORIES

• Rescue Hoist (equipment) • Mission Specific Radios
• Searchlight • Satellite Tracking
• Tactical Radios • Wire Strike Kit
• Mission Specific Cargo Holds • Flashlights kit
• Cargo Hook (equipment)

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159
 The ‘Global Asset Management Service’ company will offer fleet management
solutions for third party asset owners such as banks and other institutions. “We see
the combination of Waypoint’s sales and technical teams with Eagle’s maintenance
and fleet support team as ideally suited for asset owners to manage unplanned
returns of aircraft or who require support finding a home for their aircraft but are
not equipped to remarket the aircraft themselves.
Through this partnership with Eagle, we will provide a cost-effective solution to
get idle aircraft back to work.” said Rowe
From the hardware side of the business the two companies have also entered
into an aircraft reconfiguration and marketing program for the returned AW139s,
known as the Waypoint Medium Utility Helicopter (MUH).
The MUH reconfiguration will primarily focus on enhancing the performance of
the older short-nose model AW139s through significant empty weight reduction.
Currently a short nose AW139 equipped for offshore operations fitted with auxiliary
tanks, flotation equipment and a 12 seat PAX configuration has a mass weight of
9850lb (4468Kg). Stripping out the oil and gas kit, but keeping the avionics safety
systems, could create a potential weight saving of nearly 2000lb (900kg). Plus
designing modular mission specific equipment installations, will allow the aircraft to
operate with more payload, increased range and greater tasking flexibility.
The aim is to target the utility operators and Waypoint believes that the AW139
is a versatile aircraft so the pool of early short-nose models is ideally suited for the
job. Reconfigured MUH will be well suited for missions including: firefighting, light
EMS/SAR, mining and powerline support.
“As our company has grown, we have continued to focus on key assets that
are core to a modern international helicopter fleet. Aircraft lessors create value by
adding needed liquidity which in turn makes for efficient markets, wherever we are
in the economic cycle. This includes trading and acquiring assets to meet demand,
plus keeping aircraft operating in secondary missions ultimately brings down costs
for the industry.” Rowe explained. HO

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163
 Rogerson Kratos recently revealed a new digital
cockpit upgrade for the UH-60. Paul Kennard, an
independent aerospace and defence consultant
and director of Ascalon Defence Consultancy
Limited, is a Subject Matter Expert on Defensive
Aids Suites, Degraded Visual Environment
(DVE) Operations, CBRN and mid-air collision
technologies amongst others. He knows
cockpits and here, he reviews the latest offering
for the UH-60s entering the civil market.

DIGITAL OVERHEAD
I imagine we’ve all done it. We’ve bought a new PC or laptop, excitedly got it
home, fired it up and found that it is full of Software and Hardware that we either
don’t need, didn’t know was pre-loaded or, most importantly, didn’t ask for. As
we spend a couple of hours going through the Software “bundle” deleting items
we don’t need the thought crosses our mind that we, somehow, have paid for this
Software and that if we don’t remove it there is the risk it will slow our desired
functionality down, or, even worse, prevent us loading the programs or peripherals
we want to use. There has been a trend for digital aircraft cockpits to start down
the same slippery slope; and the problem with a cockpit is that it’s hard to simply
remove components in case certification is impacted. Operators run the risk of
paying over the odds for capability they will never use.
All of these concerns make the Rogerson Kratos digital cockpit upgrade for
legacy UH-60 Black Hawks a welcome breath of fresh air. Heli Ops was privileged
to be invited to fly the aircraft at the recent Heli Expo 2017 held in Dallas (where
the static aircraft display was graced by no less than 5 ex-US Army UH-60s in
assorted configurations). The UH-60 is my second favourite helicopter (once you’ve
spent time in the CH-47, most other aircraft do pale a bit…)1 so I was delighted at
the opportunity to both reacquaint myself with the aircraft and to evaluate the new
digital cockpit.

THE CIVIL BLACK HAWK

But first, some background. The US Army is in the process of divesting itself of

1. I’ve not flown an AH1, AH64, CH-53 or V-22 yet, so the jury is out. If anyone can make it happen….

164
 between 400 and 800 early model UH-60s under a program known as the Black
Hawk Exchange and Sales Transaction (BEST) in order to partially fund the move
to the more modern, digital, UH-60M. 2 BEST is a similar concept to that pioneered
for the CH-47 by PM Cargo under the Cargo Helicopter Airframe Procurement
Support (CHAPS) initiative which has enabled both foreign militaries and domestic
companies to purchase used CH-47Ds3 not selected for upgrade to CH-47F.4 While
the cost of a new UH-60M is in the region of $6m, surplus UH-60As have been
made available to the market for comfortably less than $1m, with the final auction
price dependant on the usual component times and spares; some have been sold
for as little as $400k (indeed, one UH60 owner at Heli Expo commented that he
bought a UH-60A and when it was delivered a whole spares package arrived with
it – the US Army team just shrugged and said “well, we don’t need them and we
don’t have the space to store them…”). The basic equipped aircraft as flown was
valued at around US$5-5.5M. The final pricing depends on the final configuration
and the condition of the Army retired helicopter when it purchase the helicopter.
The Company performs an extensive ‘re-set’ before upgrading and modernizing the
cockpit and going to market.
The UH-60 offers a 11-pax cabin or 6-8000lb lift capability for considerably less
outlay than most of the competition; so what’s the catch? The UH-60 is limited by
two major factors. Firstly, the FAA only recognise the UH-60 in the RESTRICTED/
Utility category, making the carriage of non-essential fare-paying passengers

2. https://www.army.mil/article/128123/Exchange_of_A_model_Black_Hawks_generates_significant_cost_
savings
3. Indeed, Columbia Helicopters brought an ex-US Army CH47D (modified for firefighting) to place in the
static display at Heli Expo 17 and the Canadian military was able to quickly access CH-47 capability whilst
waiting for their own, new build, CH-147Fs to be delivered.
4. Through production efficiencies, Boeing could reduce the cost of a complete new build CH-47F to the
point where the price differential between refurbished and new-build was negligible. The same appears to be
happening on the UH-60M programme.

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 impossible, so unless the CEO is a qualified pilot he’s not arriving at the heliport
via Black Hawk. Secondly, and where aftermarket suppliers like Rogerson Kratos
come in, there remains real concerns over the medium to long term supportability
of several of the avionic and instrumentation systems. Engines and transmissions
seem to be readily available and, ultimately, civil users could follow the US Army’s
lead in upgrading the engines from T700-GE-700 to -701D standard (in effect,
creating a UH-60L), but avionics can have a relatively short shelf-life and may
not be compliant in future civil airspace without a military waiver, so even buying
additional airframes to strip for spares will only take you so far into the future. In
order for the UH-60 to have a meaningful ‘second life’ post military use in the US,
or, indeed, to be offered for military resale to other countries through FMS / DCS
routes (and in accordance with the State Depts ITAR restrictions) something with
more longevity is required.
The key is supplying certified future-compatible avionics at a competitive price.
This is exactly where Rogerson Kratos have concentrated their efforts.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The team from Rogerson Kratos met us at the FBO and we had a quick pre-flight
brief about the cockpit architecture and the design philosophy. As we walked out
to the Company Demonstrator, N683DN5, I was reminded of just how modern the
basic UH-60 design still looks and couldn’t help but notice that she looked quite
menacing in a wraparound matt black “SWAT” style paintjob. We opened the ‘hood’
and had a look at the small, subtle changes that have been made to accommodate

5. Rogerson Kratos had another UH-60, N684DN, on static display at Heli Expo 2017 but this was still fitted
with the “stock” UH-60A cockpit.

168
169
170
171
 the new systems. It is a reminder of just how much avionic ‘kit’ is lodged in the
nose, and my mind wandered briefly to the loss of the HH-60G (88-26109) in the
UK which flew into a flock of Geese at night, incapacitating the crew and damaging
critical avionic components, tragically causing the loss of the aircraft and all crew….
So far, so (almost) standard UH-60. I hopped into the Left Hand Seat and that
impression rapidly changed. The centre console has a familiar feel to it, save for the
twin Garmin GNS 430 Nav/Comm fit at the top of the console 6 and a control panel
to select and drive the pointers on the E-HSI7, but the cockpit displays are all new.
The “steam” instrument displays have been replaced by four landscape-orientated
flat panel “smart” displays8 . The result is a very clean looking cockpit, with several
panel blanks suggesting plenty of scope for additional capability.
My pilot, Jeremy Bennett, flicks the battery master on and the whole system
springs to life. He points out that the Nav System was already aligning, and that
virtually full cockpit functionality is available on the Battery Bus. This could be
a major factor in reducing launch times in critical response roles (firefighting /
SWAT etc) but it does need consideration of battery life because discharging the
battery below the required current to start the APU could be a little embarrassing!
Not a problem today though, and Jeremy started the APU, brought both engines
on line and the rotor system up to speed; all comfortably within 3 minutes. As an
ex-CH47 pilot used to huge power spikes during the change-over between APU
and engine-driven generators, the smoothness of the start was a revelation; the
strain on the old Mil-Std 704 (just…..) system on the CH-47 gave crews all sorts of
problems knowing when to turn sensitive equipment on/off to prevent damage.
Indeed, bringing new equipment onto the Chinook as an emergency capability
modification and working out when you could switch it on without either damaging
it or overloading the system, was often akin to working out how to power up the
Apollo 13 Command Module before re-entry with limited battery power….

6. The “production” cockpit is planned to have twin GNS 750.

7. Electronic Horizontal Situation Indicator.
8. The displays are “smart” as they have on-board processors rather than being “dumb” remote displays.

172
 Emphatically not the case here. With everything now powered up I had the first
opportunity to assess the quad displays with all functionality running. The usual
‘Pilot/Co-Pilot’ switch ensures that the Primary Flight Display is always displayed in
front of the Handling Pilot (HP), and the logic ensures that in the event of a display
failure the next display closest to the HP will switch to Primary Flight Display (PFD)
mode. The Pilot Vehicle Interface (PVI) seems intuitive; the soft keys around the
display bezels are clear and unambiguous and, unlike some digital cockpits I’ve
experienced, all relevant information is, at most, one button press away. The PFD is
a blend of the old and the new, with a standard EFIS AI flanked by representative
“round-dial” ASI and BarAlt with tape/needle VSI. Without wishing to enter the
debate over round-dials vs tapes, all I will comment on is that it is intuitive and the
Landscape display left the PFD feeling uncluttered and easily readable; in many
ways very similar to the new ‘virtual interface’ that Audi has introduced into the
motor world. Additionally, if you wished to display an EO/IR image on the screen,
there would be no need to ‘squash’ or crop the display as is usually the case for
Portrait mounted displays.
Moving away from the PFD, there are also pages for Hover / ground cushion
work, a number of filterable overlays (including TCAS and stick-map) and a fully
certified EICAS (Engine Indicating and Crew Alerting System), hence removing the
legacy engine/transmission instruments and Caution/Advisory Panel (CAP) from
the cockpit. Jeremy explained that the system had several map options available for
the customer to role configure, and had plenty of adaptability for advanced mission
avionics such as EO/IR turrets, Degraded Vision technology and even Aircraft
Survivability Equipment (ASE) if required by foreign military customers.

IN FLIGHT
Once up and away from Dallas Executive Airport I could assess the cockpit in
flight conditions. With the caveats that it was Day/VMC (albeit bumpy with a strong
gradient wind) and that we were operating at a comfortable altitude, without a
tactical scenario, my first impressions continued to be positive. From the LHS all 4

173
 displays were visible and largely readable; even in sun glint as we turned. So cross
checks and cross comparisons were relatively straightforward. The integration
between the G430s and the EFIS was smooth with no sign of jitter; impressive
considering the aircraft had only had its first flight a month earlier. The selection
of comms, navaids and waypoints were all simple and logical, and, using the centre
control panel, I could set up the RHS display from the LHS which is useful when
offloading a busy HP to reduce workload. Again, all information that I needed to
access or change (range rings on displays, altimeter settings, TCAS and CDB /
heading bug etc) was either at the top level of functionality or just one layer down
the menu structure.
The over-riding impression was one of elegant simplicity, and one that will
not require endless practise and revision to prevent skill fade. I’m not too familiar
with the G430, but I would suggest that for a non-military pilot transitioning to
the UH-60 such integration and familiarity would greatly ease the process. We
conducted various speed, height and heading changes with the cockpit responding
smoothly and without any appreciable lag. We conducted a low overshoot and
entered the circuit for a final time. As the speed washed off even the ‘burble’
of disrupted air around the pitot/static system was displayed on the ASI as the
expected flicker. It was a true digital representation of an analogue function, and to
me shows the attention to detail of the installation. It’s often tempting to attempt
to digitally “dial out” such feedback. All too soon we landed and shut down; again a
swift and simple process. As the aircraft ticked itself cold we had an honest debrief,
with the crew and support staff genuinely keen for feedback and, of interest to me,
the groundcrew/systems engineers demonstrated how they could swiftly access the
maintenance pages of the MFDs. But all this functionality was housed in the deeper
menu structure, well away from the where the crews will normally access. Again, it
follows the mantra of ‘pilot stuff up the top where you need it’.

174
THE VERDICT
Returning to the computer analogy, what Rogerson Kratos have done with
this cockpit is provide the customer with, essentially, a laptop and an operating
system only. It leaves the customer free to decide what their requirements and
budget
are, and then trade capability down to the affordable level. For some operators,
doubtless, the ‘out of the box’ system will suffice. Others will seek to upgrade
the basic architecture with EO/IR cameras, Synthetic Vision Systems, obstacle
warning and any number of other bespoke options; including air mission systems
for operators in the back to enhance CRM on certain mission types. The point is,
you don’t pay for capability you don’t want or need. Longevity is assured by having
current state-of-the-art displays and Nav/Comm equipment, with commitments
by Rogerson Kratos to be fully compliant with both the FAA/EASA 2020 Global
Air Traffic Management initiative and with the emerging FACE (Future Airborne
Capability Environment) open system architecture, permitting rapid and affordable
capability and technology insertion.
The latter may well prove especially attractive to foreign militaries keen to insert
advanced mission avionics /ASE into affordable, yet still capable, used airframes.
There is plenty of life in the old ‘Hawk yet, for several military, para-military and civil
uses. The Rogerson Kratos cockpit architecture is an excellent, certified, baseline
for organisations to tailor the aircraft’s avionics to suit their own needs, obtain best
value for money and to ensure a long operating life as technology and regulations
move with the times.

Thanks to Max Wiley at Rogerson Kratos for the kind invitation to fly the aircraft,
to Jeremy Bennett for flying and to all at the Rogerson Kratos team at HAI 2017. HO

175
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S TO RY BY
A .R. PRINCE
 179
Bell FCX-001
 T
he helicopter has a higher mechanical functionality than the fixed-wing
aircraft. While the latter uses an essentially static structure, the wing,
to provide lift and thus uses its engines only to provide thrust, the
helicopter uses its engines for both lift and thrust. Consequently, the
propulsive element of the helicopter is both more powerful and complex
than it would be for a comparable fixed-wing aircraft. This means there is more that
can go wrong, negatively affecting helicopter safety.
Further, the helicopter tends to undertake journeys of shorter duration than
most fixed-wing aircraft, which means that proportionally more time is spent in the
more dangerous take-off and landing phases. It also tends to operate closer to the
ground, increasing the risk of ground collision. Additionally, a substantial proportion
of the helicopter fleet is engaged in missions which are intrinsically riskier, notably
emergency medical support (EMS) and some oil-and-gas-industry missions.
The helicopter indeed historically has been reputed as having a high accident
rate. By the mid-2000s the consensus had grown in the community that a coherent
effort was needed to lower that rate. In 2006 leading helicopter associations,
aviation regulatory authorities and helicopter manufacturers around the world
formed the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) for this purpose. At the time
of its formation, technology for the collection of system data for analysis had been
evolving. Such data could improve safety by showing where failure would be likely
to happen. The IHST promoted data collection and analysis to determine effective
safety recommendations.

HEALTH AND USAGE MONITORING

Leading in civil helicopter data collection and analysis at the time was the
UK North Sea oil and gas industry. Notably the UK industry had introduced the
technology specifically to improve the safety of its helicopters. The data set
collected was primarily vibration information and the overall action was termed
vibration health monitoring (VHM). Because of the high dynamisms of the helicopter
compared to the fixed-wing aircraft, vibration is a greater problem. The helicopter
experiences more than five times the level of vibration than a jet-powered
fixed-wing aircraft. Vibration mainly emanates from the main and tail rotor, the
powerplant and transmission, (including drive shafts, gearboxes and bearings).
Sustained excessive vibration leads to fatigue cracking, component and structural
failure, and accelerated component wear.
Sensors to measure vibration in the North Sea helicopters were primarily fitted
to the engine, main, tail and other gearboxes, drive shafts, and rotors. The sensor
data was recorded for post-flight analysis. Because of the amount of data collected
and the speed with which it was required to be processed, an alerting system that
was normally automatic was required. Alerts are provided when data exceeds
set ‘threshold’ values. A concept related to VHM is health and usage monitoring
(HUMS), from which the current system has evolved over the years to encompass
wider aircraft and engine monitoring. HUMS is a particular focus for the oil and gas
helicopter industry organization HeliOffshore, formed in 2014 by the leading UK and
US operators in the field.

180
The tail rotor
bearing of the CHC
Scotia S-92A after
landing. The bearing
was described by
the AAIB as “highly
distressed”.
Source: UK
Air Accidents
Investigation Branch
 ABOVE: The Bond
Offshore Helicopters
EC225 LP which
ditched in the North
Sea in May 2012 is
seen here afloat,
about 8 hours after
ditching.
Source: UK
Air Accidents
Investigation Branch

RIGHT: The CHC

Scotia EC225 LP
which ditched in
October 2012, here
afloat, about 24
hours after ditching.
Source: UK
Air Accidents
Investigation Branch

SIKORSKY S-92A LOSS OF TAIL CONTROL

The intimate connection between HUMS and safety is illustrated by examining
recent incidents. The most recent occurred last December. This was the loss of
control of a Sikorsky S-92A operated by CHC Scotia. While it was landing on an oil
platform in the North Sea, it experienced severe yawing and rolling. Examination
afterwards showed damage to the servo piston which powers tail rotor pitch
change. The problem was attributed to the failure of a bearing, which showed signs
of overheating and extreme wear and material seizure. But the HUMS did provide
an indication of the possibility of failure. Although this was only realized after the
incident and analysis of HUMS data routinely downloaded the day before. Analysis
showed that the bearing’s energy analysis limit had been exceeded.
There had been two previous incidents involving the same bearing on other
S-92As, one in 2007 and one in September 2016. Both had led to reduced tail
rotor control and resulted in the immediate landing of the helicopter. Following the
September incident though the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued
an emergency airworthiness directive that operators examine the tail rotor pitch
change shaft.

182
 A PHI S-92A near
an oil rig in the Gulf
of Mexico. One such
aircraft experienced
reduced tail
Following the December incident, in January, Sikorsky issued a bulletin to rotor control last
September and had
operators mandating inspection of the bearing assembly. They also issued a
to immediately land.
notice that operators review the bearing energy analysis condition indicators more Source: Sikorsky
frequently and inspect the shaft and bearing if alert levels are exceeded. Aircraft (Lockheed
Martin)

EUROCOPTER EC225 LP LOSS OF MAIN ROTOR OIL

PRESSURE
But the overall possible contribution of HUMS to safety is not quite as simple
as may be inferred. Examples include two incidents, each involving the Eurocopter
EC225 LP (Airbus Helicopters H225 LP) type in the North Sea during 2012. The first
occurred in May, the second in October and both led to ditching, and recovery of
personnel by life rafts. In each case, there was an initial loss of main rotor gearbox
oil pressure. The emergency lubrication system was activated, ostensibly to
provide an additional (up to) 30 minutes of lubrication; supposedly enough to allow
the helicopter to reach the nearest airport. In both cases however, shortly after
activation the indications were that the emergency lubrication system had failed.
Following recovery of the helicopters though, examination indicated that
in both cases the emergency lubrication system was actually working but the
cockpit indicator had malfunctioned. The original loss of oil pressure though
was real, caused by the failure of the bevel gear vertical shaft in the main rotor
gearbox. This gear drives the oil pumps, the bevel configuration allowing a change
of shaft direction. The failure was due to a fatigue crack at a weld joining two parts
of the shaft.
The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) stated in its report that HUMS,
“was not intended to provide warning of the type of failure that occurred to the
shafts”. It added however that in both accidents a type of indicator in HUMS, MOD-

183
 A CHC Helicopter
S-92A. One of the
type, operated
by the CHC
Scotia subsidiary, 45, provided early warning of the shaft failure, while in the first accident alone
experienced another type, the MOD-70, also provided warning.
difficulty landing at
The operator of the first helicopter, Bond Offshore Helicopters, had identified
a North Sea platfom
in December. what is termed a ‘rising trend’ on the two indicators from the HUMS data. This
Source: CHC is a relatively fast change in values and normally indicates a developing fault.
Helicopter
Bond began to closely monitor the helicopter to ensure the trend did not rise
to an unacceptable level and it also sent a diagnostic report to Eurocopter. It
was awaiting the latter’s response when the accident occurred. Eurocopter later
informed the AAIB that Bond acted appropriately.
In the case of the second helicopter, the operator, CHC Scotia, had downloaded
and analyzed HUMS data the day before the accident in the time between the
two flights undertaken that day. Later analysis of the recovered HUMS data for
the second flight did not show any discernible trend requiring maintenance to be
performed before the next flight.
Apparently in the conditions for both flights the MOD-45 should detect a
rising trend about five hours before shaft failure occurs. Following the accidents
this indicator was used to warn of the possible presence of a crack on the bevel
gear vertical shaft on the EC225 LP / H225 LP fleet. Various service bulletins were
also issued.
These two incidents prompted examination of the setting of the threshold.
These are statistically determined to indicate where there is a fault, that is, failure is
forthcoming. When set too low, there may be more erroneous warnings, too high,
faults going undetected.

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS H225-FAMILY MAIN ROTOR

SEPARATION
There may be cases where the data collected does not provide warning of a
fault at all. An example is an accident in which the main rotor separated from a CHC
Helikopter Service H225 on Norwegian commercial air transport duty, resulting
in the death of all 13 on board. The accident occurred in April last year and is still
being investigated. The most recent preliminary report of the Accident Investigation
Board Norway (AIBN), dated the following June, determines the most likely cause

184
 ABOVE: he main
rotor of the CHC
Helicopter H225
after its separation
in flight over Norway
in April last year.
Source: Accident
Investigation Board
Norway

LEFT: Advanced
HUMS include
cockpit voice and
flight data recorder
technologies. The
combined version
of the latter two,
pictured here, is
the main source
of aircraft data
for post-accident
analysis of the
Norwegian H225.
Source: Accident
Investigation Board
Norway

of the separation to be fatigue fracture in one of the second stage planetary gears.
The planetary gears reduce the engine speed to that required for the main rotor.
The cause of the fracture is yet unknown but data from the retrieved combined
cockpit voice and flight data recorder and analysis of the recovered wreckage were
the basis for lab analysis.
The AIBN report stated that the HUMS “appears unable to identify symptoms of
such degradation in the epicyclic module”, ‘epicyclic’ here being synonymous with
‘planetary’. It stated, “it appears that the fracture propagated in a manner which
is unlikely to become detected by existing mandatory or supplementary systems
for warning of an imminent failure.” The H225 and related AS322 have since been
grounded in Norway and the UK, though returned to service elsewhere.
A Bond Offshore Helicopters AS332 L2 some years earlier (2009) in UK had lost
its main rotor in flight and crashed. The AAIB determined that failure initiated in one

185
 ABOVE: Pilot
controls for the
Metro Aviation
IRIS monitoring,
recording
and satellite
communications
system. Through
them the pilot could,
among other tasks,
check the status of
system functions.
Source: Metro
Aviation

RIGHT: A screenshot
of a ground
communications/
control center IRIS
display screen.
Source: Metro
Aviation

of the second stage planetary gears. The gear had fractured due to a fatigue crack
of indeterminate origin.

REAL-TIME OPERATIONS
As noted, HUMS data is downloaded after flight. The use of the data to improve
aircraft safety has been termed, ‘flight data monitoring’ (FDM) or ‘flight operational
quality assurance’ (FOQA). From April 2018 FDM equipment will be mandatory
for air ambulance operators in the US. Other equipment they will require include
helicopter terrain and warning systems and radar altimeters.
In the incidents with the S-92A last December and the EC225 LP in May 2012,
alert-indicating HUMS data was available but only consulted after the incidents. The
ability to analyze the data more quickly could be beneficial. It would be even better
though if the data could be analyzed in real time, that is, during flight. It could
be sent to a ground station by way of satellite link. Technology for the real-time
transfer of flight information is currently being evaluated on an S-92A helicopter

186
 ABOVE: An IRIS
camera. Up to three
could be utilised.
Source: Metro
Aviation

LEFT: The IRIS data

communication
processor and flight
data acquisition unit.
It receives airframe
and engine data,
supplementing it
with that from its
internal altitude
and heading
reference system
and acceletometers.
Data is sent
to the ground
center through
two redundant,
independent satellite
networks.
Source: Metro
Aviation

operated by PHI for oil and gas support. The basis of the technology is the
Outerlink (Metro Aviation) IRIS monitoring, recording and satellite communications
system. Data, recorded, can be processed onboard and sent at broadband speed
to ground communication or control centers every 10 seconds. The ground center
could receive updated information on helicopter engine and airframe subsystems
including immediate alerts and warnings, and updated information on helicopter
geospatial movements. It could communicate by radio with the helicopter,
immediately and anywhere in the world. IRIS is compatible with older analog
helicopters and can be used in a mixed fleet.
Another system is based on Honeywell’s Sky Connect Tracker III talk/text/
tracking mission management system. Again the ground center could receive near
real-time helicopter position and flight information. Revealed in December, it will

187
 A HUMS from an
Airbus helicopter
from which data
is about to be
downloaded at the
helicopter main
operating base.
Source: Airbus
Helicopters

188
 ABOVE: Truth Data’s
partnership with
Honeywell allows the
latter’s Sky Connect
Tracker III mission
management
system to transmit
helicopter system
data in real-time.
One feature is the
‘Flight Profile with
Events’ display.
This encompasses
an entire flight and
shows potential
serious events in red.
Each such event will
have to be assessed
by an analyst...
Source: Truth Data

LEFT: Another
feature is a Flight
Animation which
provides more of the
context of an event
including terrain,
aircraft motion,
cockpit readings and
also be able to receive helicopter system data through Honeywell’s partnership
flight parameters.
with FDM/FOQA specialist Truth Data. The ground center could communicate with Source: Truth Data
the helicopter by text messaging or voice telephone worldwide. Tracking and voice
services could be simultaneous, continual and uninterrupted. Another feature is a
non-battery power backup which allows final position reports to be sent after the
helicopter is powered down or if power is interrupted. Honeywell says that the Sky
Connect Tracker III could be installed on any helicopter.
Of course, while both the Honeywell and Metro Aviation systems would enable
ground centers to receive at least near real-time HUMS data, near real-time analysis
is still a different matter. Analysis is necessarily cerebral and thus while automation
can be a great aid, analysis really requires human operators. This means in at least
some cases it may require time. Still the in-flight data transfer enabled by the
Honeywell and Metro Aviation technologies otherwise should allow the possibility to
improve helicopter safety. HO

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S TO RY & PH OTO S BY A L A N N O R R I S

There is no place quite like Heli-Expo. It’s an opportunity for

the global helicopter industry to showcase the very latest
products in the civilian industry. This year the Helicopter
Association International hosted the exhibition back in
Dallas with 731 exhibitors taking up the one million square
feet of exhibition space and over 62 helicopters on display.
 191
Bell FCX-001
 T
his is a key event for the rotary wing sector worldwide and is attended
by experts, the main OEMs and companies offering services and
solutions in the helicopter sector.
It’s unusual for the industry to unveil a truly new helicopter, with
previous shows providing only new variants of existing products,
but Bell rolled out its new concept helicopter the FCX-001. This is their first
concept aircraft and represents a roadmap for delivering safer, smarter and more
efficient rotorcraft solutions. CEO Mitch Snyder explained that it is not intended
as a production model but is aimed at looking at developing innovative future
technologies that can be used in future designs. Innovations include: a blade less
anti-toque system embedded in the tail boom, a five blade main rotor that can
morph the blades to allow the aircraft to optimize
performance in different flight regimes and a
hybrid propulsion system that combines advanced
thermal engine cores for the main propulsion with

It’s unusual for the electric motors to drive the anti-torque system.
A single pilot and an entirely new flight deck
industry to unveil a truly allow the pilot to control the aircraft through
augmented reality and an artificial intelligence
new helicopter, with computer assistance system.

previous shows providing Snyder also told HeliOps that the company
had a strong finish in 2016 despite many
only new variants of challenges in the industry, sales during the latter
part of the year from VIP customers, parapublic
existing products, but Bell and government orders yielded revenue of over

rolled out its new concept $3 billion. On the commercial side they delivered
114 aircraft and are optimistic about the
helicopter the FCX-001. helicopter market particularly an increase in the
parapublic sector. “We currently have a 64%
military and 36% commercial sales but I would
prefer to have 50% commercial and 50% military
and both of them growing.”
MD Helicopters CEO Lynn Tilton unveiled the new MD6XX aircraft. Inspired by
the payload capability of the MD600N, the new project features a number of newly
designed structural elements and systems that combine to deliver enhanced safety,
reduced pilot workload and lower the cost of ownership. “This is a completely new
redesigned aircraft although it may look similar but everything is different, this is
a start to finish brand-new aircraft”. The company expects to have it market ready
by 2019 and the single engine aircraft is expected to have a maximum take-off
weight of 5,500lbs (2,494kg), a service ceiling of 20,000ft, cruise speed of 140kts,
a 500nm range with 4.5 hours of endurance.
“To get to the useful load we are looking for, we needed to get a four-bladed
tail rotor, and we needed much improved blades”. This will be achieved by building
the extended tail boom of composite materials and with a redesigned 4-blade tail
rotor that delivers 40% more anti-torque compared to NOTAR. “This is going to be a
composite aircraft.” explained Tilton.

192
Bell FCX-001
 Bell

194
 MD Helicopters

“This is a completely
new redesigned aircraft
although it may look similar
but everything is different,
this is a start to finish
brand-new aircraft”.
LYNN TILTON

Further features include the Genesys Aerosystems

IDU-680 glass cockpit, three-axis autopilot and
new Helicopter Technology Company S411 bonded
main rotor blades. They will have an innovative
3-section airfoil design to deliver more efficient, more
aerodynamic operation, reduces noise profile and
better auto-rotation.
They have also selected the Genesys Aerosystems
cockpit displays for the MD902 and it will become the
standard fit across the company’s civil and military
platforms. Tilton admitted that they have not kept pace
with innovation regarding the MD902, due to focusing

195
 MD Helicopters
196
 Airbus Helicopters

on their military single engine orders. They have now started an

extensive investment in the aircraft which will be known as the MD969. More
power for the NOTAR system will come from upgraded Pratt & Whitney engines,
plus the glass cockpit and a 4-axis auto pilot system will be certified by the end
of 2017. Tilton told HeliOps “We are bringing more in house production to Mesa,
Arizona, including all our fuselage manufacturing, giving us greater saving of
up to 35% for each component built in house” To manage this increase the
company has space on site to expand but is also purchasing more land around
the Mesa facility.
Airbus Helicopters showcased its best-selling light singles and twins with the
H125, H130, H135, and the H145 on display at the show. The company introduced the
H135 equipped with the Helionix digital avionics suite and STAT MedEvac will be the
first air medical transport service in North America to operate the type, following an
order for three new H135s.
Guillaume Faury, Airbus Helicopters CEO acknowledged that 2016 was one of the
most difficult for all the industry with an overall drop of 13% for all manufacturers,
but the company still maintains the largest share of the civil market at 47%. They
received 388 orders, with the highest number in their light single engine range, and
delivered 418 aircraft in 2016 and have a backlog of 766.
Flight testing of the H160 is continuing and cold weather trials are currently
being carried out by the third prototype in Canada and Faury said that he expects
the setup of the assembly line will start soon that will pave the way to the first firm
orders of the new model.
There is no doubting the downturn in the helicopter markets over the last few
years and this was reflected in the 19th Annual Turbine Powered civil forecast,
which was released at the show from Honeywell Aerospace. It is a snapshot of
the helicopter business and this year’s survey queried more than 1,000 chief

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 Airbus Helicopters

198
 Sikorsky

pilots and flight managers of companies operating 3,746 turbine and 362 piston
helicopters worldwide. The forecast is for 3,900 to 4,400 civilian-use helicopters
to be delivered between 2017 to 2021, roughly 400 helicopters lower than the 2016
five-year forecast. The biggest expected spend is on the light single engine models
accounting for over 66% and the lowest spend on the heavy multi engine models.
Heli-Expo 2017 was good measure of this as it was not a big news show with an
obvious lake of order and contract announcements made throughout the three days
compared to previous years.
But all is not lost and optimism is returning to the civil helicopter market as
reflected by purchases by the major leasing companies in the industry.
Milestone Aviation wrote $1 billion in leases and letters of intent in 2016, and
the value of its helicopter fleet has now surpassed $4 billion. They increased this
with a $211.5 million order for 26 aircraft including seventeen H145s, six H135s and
three H175s. “Milestone was very active in emergency medical services and other
parapublic segment in 2016, and this order gives us near-term availability for H145
and H135 aircraft to support growing demand in these segments,” said Milestone
President and CEO, Daniel Rosenthal. This was followed by the company signing
a further $95 million order for six AW139s and three AW169s. Milestone will be
deploying some of the AW139s to Norway in the EMS sector as part of a contract
signed in 2016. All part of the company’s strategic move to expand its leasing fleet
in to the medium lift twin helicopter segment as the oil and gas market continues a
slow recovery from the downturn.
The second lessor, Waypoint Leasing, the largest independent global helicopter
leasing company, announced an agreement valued at more than $105 million to
purchase 16 aircraft including H135s and H145s and the first H175 on their fleet of
more than 140 aircraft. The H135s and H145s will be for operators performing EMS
and utility missions, while the H175 will be available for oil and gas, SAR and public
service missions.

199
 Sikorsky

200
Sikorsky have recruited more customer
support staff and split its customer care
centers into two: AOG Resolution Center
and a Fleet Management Center.

“We are pleased to be growing our fleet with the H175, a cost-effective and
reliable helicopter,” said Ed Washecka, CEO of Waypoint. “We are beginning to
see sustained demand for heavy aircraft in the market, while at the same time
recognizing and responding to the growing demand for interest in ‘Super Medium’
aircraft that are well-suited for a wide range of missions,” he added.
Waypoint has also entered the Chinese market with multiple helicopter lease
agreements. The first with Shanghai Skyway General Aviation Company (“Skyway”),
a provider of helicopter transportation and related support services in China, for
one new Airbus H135 helicopter, which will be used for emergency medical services.
The second contract is with another operator in China for an AS350B3.
Sikorsky president, Dan Schultz, told HeliOps magazine that the first year under

201
 Lockheed Martin has been a great success and had gone better than expected. On
display this year Sikorsky had its two flagship aircraft: the VIP configured S-76D
and the second S-92 that will be delivered to the South Korean Coast Guard. S-92
flight hours passed the one million mark in 2016, an increase of 20% on 2015 and
are expected to continue to rise in 2017.
In response to a lot of adverse customer feedback regarding customer support
Sikorsky have recruited more customer support staff and split its customer care
centers into two: AOG Resolution Center and a Fleet Management Center. They
also set up four forward stocking locations in Scotland, Norway, Brazil and Australia
to improve parts availability. “In 2016 we started with just four shipments from
Stavanger and by the end of the year it had increased to 250.” said Dana Fiatarone,
Vice President, commercial systems and services. These initiatives have reduced
the AOG occurrences by 72% and improved aircraft availability to more than 95%.
The company has also added the ability to carry out real time HUMS monitoring
in flight relaying any irregularities to a ground based operations center. This
enables the pilot to discuss the problem with engineers while in flight who can
advise and be prepared to deal with the issue as soon as the helicopter lands.
Five ex-military Black Hawks were on display and recognizing the increase in
commercial operators of the type Sikorsky has stated it remains committed to
serving the more than 30 operators who have acquired U.S. Government surplus
UH-60A models. Commercial operators have acquired approximately 140 UH-60As
since 2014 and the FAA regulations restrict their use to a limited set of utility
operations, such as firefighting with a water bucket, and precision heavy lifting.

202
203
 Operators often take on humanitarian roles, such as plugging dams, supporting
agricultural, wildlife conservation and water dropping on fires.
“We urge new operators to register their interest at our aftermarket support
portal www.sikorsky360.com ” said Dina Halvorsen, Director of Aftermarket
Business Development. “Once registered, operators can easily access a range of
services, tap into our 40 years of experience supporting the Black Hawk, and learn
new ways to standardize operational procedures with this versatile platform.”
The first commercial sale of the UH60A was announced by Arista Aviation
Services who signed a contract with the International Defense and Aerospace
Group for the sale of four aircraft.

204
 Robinson announced they had lower than expected sales in 2016 although
they recorded a total of 234 aircraft deliveries with 60% of those outside of North
America. Company President Kurt Robinson said they were looking at a number
of projects including Lithium batteries to power the R44 and R66, which offered
a weight saving of 20lbs. They are also testing the use of unleaded fuels for both
piston models. He acknowledged that the fuels are slightly heavier, more costly
and you get less miles per gallon but emphasized it’s unleaded and time for our
industry to move on to be environmentally friendly. Robinson said “We see that it
is important that an aircraft could be able to switch between fuel types if unleaded
fuels are not immediately widely available.” The company will have the R66 cargo
certified this year, for commercial use, and will have an external load capacity of
1,200 pounds (545 kilograms).

205
 Robinson

206
 Leonardo Helicopters

Rolls-Royce has expanded support for operators of its RR300 engines powering
the R66, adding new service locations, extended warranty coverage and updated
technology. Nearly 800 engines have been delivered, with R66 operators amassing
more than 550,000 flight hours on the RR300.
Leonardo Helicopters Managing Director Daniele Romiti says that development
of the AW609 is on track for certification in 2018 with icing trials getting
underway soon and the fourth prototype is in assembly at the Philadelphia facility.
Certification of the AW109 Trekker is also expected by the end of 2017.
The AW139 is now their most successful helicopter program in ten years and the
900 in service worldwide have recorded 1.7 million flight hours. Pratt & Whitney
Canada will soon deliver its 2,000th PT6C-67C engine to Leonardo for the AW139
“We have enjoyed an exemplary relationship with Leonardo Helicopters over the
years and achieving this milestone speaks to the value of that relationship and
the enduring popularity of the AW139 helicopter program,” said Irene Makris, Vice
President, Marketing, P&WC.
Leonardo expanded its presence in Japan with the order at the show from a
private customer for theAW139 in VIP configuration marking the entrance of the
type into Japan’s corporate market.
Deliveries of the AW169 continues, reaching over 20 to date with some
being put to some unexpected new uses including wind farm and near shore oil
and gas support.
Romiti told HeliOps “The oil and gas situation has clearly hit every OEM in the
industry and the market was shrinking but we are still capturing markets such as
EMS and have now sold 25 AW119s to China for EMS operations.” Leonardo and
Sino-US Intercontinental strengthened their strategic cooperation in the Chinese

207
208
 Enstrom

civil helicopter market by renewing their existing sole

distributorship agreement in China.
The company also announced that it has elevated
its Customer Support and Training offerings under a
new unified brand, TeamUp. Romiti continued “Our
TeamUp approach brings together the best of our
customer support, training personnel and resources
to deliver for our customers and their aircraft around
the world.”
Enstrom has partnered with aerial imagery
provider Vertivue to promote the new Skybox
stabilized camera system on the 480B. The camera
system was originally developed for the small DJI
drone market and costs considerably less to install
and operate in comparison to other camera systems
on the market. Fitted to the nose of a helicopter a
heavy-duty gyro eliminates the vibration from the
helicopter and the system takes advantage of the
revolution in the drone world. The camera operator can capture sharp images, using
a standard tablet device to control the camera, from the helicopter without the
normal drone operational restrictions, such as, no flying over crowds, beyond line
of sight or at night. Vertivue founder and president, Ted Rosenberger expects the
Skybox to retail at just over $30,000. 
Celebrating their 60th anniversary Columbia Helicopters won the prize for
biggest helicopter, having flown in the the firefighting capable CH-47D Chinook. The
2016 fire season saw seven of their helicopters log nearly 1,500 hours, fighting more
than 50 fires in 16 US states.

209
 It also marked the first full season using the 2,800 gallon Fire Attack System
internal water tanks with a 12-foot-long, 10-inch diameter hover pump that can refill
the tanks in less than 60.
Heli-Expo is not all about the big guys in the industry. Guimbal made a landmark
sale for the 200th production Cabri G2, to the UK & Ireland distributor HeliGroup.
Additionally the company is expected to place an order for four more G2s for
delivery in 2018.
Marenco Swisshelicopter had a full-scale mock-up of its SKYe SH09 and
announced that Swiss Alpinlift Helikopter has placed an order joining Air Zermatt as
launch customers. Marenco is now largely funded by Russian billionaire Alexander
Mamut and at the start of 2017 Andreas Loewenstein became the new CEO. Test
flying continues with the second prototype and when the third prototype, currently
under construction, joins the program certification is scheduled for 2018.
Cicaré Rotorcraft of Argentina was a first time exhibitor with their single-seat
Model 7B and SVH4 trainer. The company has appointed DEAGA USA as
Exclusive Cicaré helicopter distributor for North America. The SVH-4 is a Model 7B

210
Columbia

211
 Marenco Swisshelicopter

attached to an adjustable ground-based unit, which allows a student pilot to run-

through liftoff, hover and hover taxi at a controlled altitude of three feet agl. The
FAA has approved the ground based trainer for 10 hours towards the total PPL (H)
flight training.
Perhaps noticeably missing was Russian Helicopters who normally have a large
and successful presence. This was generally felt to be due as a direct result of
the current political situation within the US and Europe. A number of exhibitors
expressed concerns as this is slowing down many mutual business opportunities
with the leading Russian manufacturer.
The HAI offer more than just a helicopter exhibition with many training courses
taking place during the days leading up to the opening with more than 1,500
attendees at 62 Rotor Safety Challenge sessions.
Despite attendee numbers being comparable to previous years, the show is still
a vibrant place to showcase the worldwide helicopter industry. Next year’s show
returns to Las Vegas and will again be the place to be if you are serious about the
helicopter industry. HO

Cicaré

212
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