Professional Documents
Culture Documents
March 2016
March 2016
MAINTENANCE:
Predicting Parts
Demand
Swiss movement
EDITORIAL
Randy Jones, Publisher, [email protected]
James T. McKenna, Editor-in-Chief, [email protected]
Amy Kluber, Assistant Managing Editor, [email protected]
Joseph Ambrogne, Technical Editor, [email protected]
Ernie Stephens, Editor-at-Large, [email protected]
Pat Host, Defense Analyst & Associate Editor,
[email protected]
Contributing Writers: Claudio Agostini; Rex Alexander; Chris
Baur; Lee Benson; Igor Bozinovski; Keith Brown; Keith Cianfrani; Mark
Colborn; Steve Colby; Peter Donaldson; Ian Frain; Pat Gray; Michael
Hangge; Emma Kelly; Frank Lombardi; Elena Malova; Vicki McConnell;
Arthur J. Negrette; Terry Terrell; Richard Whittle.
For over 100 years, ZF has designed, manufactured and supported aviation related
gearboxes. Our extensive design, STC mod, production, test bench and MRO capabilities,
combined with our attention to customer service, have made us the supplier of choice for
both helicopter OEMs and operators around the world. ZF offers a full range of gearbox
R&O services for EC135, EC145, BO105 and BK117, and now were proud to offer the same
for Bell 407 and 212/412. We can repair or overhaul your gearbox or supply you with a
ready-to-install exchange unit verified on our own full power test rigs. Whether you have
an upcoming scheduled gearbox overhaul, or need a transmission AOG, ZF is ready to help.
After all, weve already been doing it for more than 100 years. rw.zfaviation.com
ADVERTISING/BUSINESS
Tish Drake, Vice President and Group Publisher, Aerospace,
[email protected]
North America/South America
M A R C H 2 0 1 6 | R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L
Editors Notebook
By James T. McKenna
[email protected]
R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L | M A R C H 2 0 1 6
Hughes expect will benefit the broader community that the selected operator serves.
Well have more on that at Heli-Expo and afterward; you can learn more at www.rotorandwing.
com/IFRHelicopterEndowment.
The recipient of the IFR Helicopter Endowment will be announced in September at the 2016
Rotorcraft Technology Summit, which will convene in Fort Worth. This event will build on the success of our 2015 Rotorcraft Certification Summit
and will focus on the business aspects of fielding
new technology and capabilities. Discussions during that Sept. 19 to 20 event, we fully expect, will
include the state of the low-level infrastructure for
helicopter operations and new efforts to pursue
improvements of it.
We plan to develop the program for that summit with the founding members of R&WIs Editorial Advisory Board. We established this board of
distinguished business and rotorcraft leaders to
guide this magazine in its mission to serve as the
business resource for rotorcraft management
around the world. We will be sharing the details
of that boards membership in the weeks ahead. I
personally am thrilled at the opportunity to learn
from the board members individual and collective
wisdom and experience.
In our ongoing efforts to fulfill that mission,
this month we present a set of articles aimed at
helping our readers manage familiar issues and
emerging ones.
Editor-at-Large Ernie Stephens and newly
returned contributor Todd Vorenkamp explore
the challenges that smaller operators and their
MRO providers face in ensuring compliance with
maintenance requirements while avoiding serious
disruptions to their operations.
Technical Editor Joseph Ambrogne examines
the work of the FAAs new industry-led Rotorcraft
Occupant Protection Working Group, specifically
factors surrounding its assessment of the costs
and benefits of improving measures for protecting
pilots and passengers involved in crashes.
From our sister publication Avionics Magazine,
Associate Editor Woodrow Bellamy III takes a fresh
look at the FAA and industrys continuing efforts to
manage the impact of new avionics mandates on
commercial helicopter operations.
I hope you find these articles and our other initiatives beneficial and that you each have a fruitful
Heli-Expo. Come see us there (at Booth 11933), and
let us know what you think of the magazine and
its work.
W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M
Missionready
UTC Aerospace Systems provides a
variety of rescue hoist solutions for
operations in high-demand, unpredictable
and extreme environment conditions.
Our hoists help save lives during rescue
missions and disaster relief efforts around
the world. We offer two distinct types of
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Each hoist is specially designed to meet
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utcaerospacesystems.com
Military
Commercial
Public Service
Personal | Corporate
26
38
Departments
8
10
12
Feedback
Meet the Contributors
Rotorcraft Report
Training
Products
42
Services
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24
25
47
49
51
Program Insider
People
Coming Events
Advertiser Index
Coming Up
Hot Products
Columns
4
21
46
48
50
Editors Notebook
Washington Insider
Law Enforcement Notebook
Safety Watch
Military Insider
W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M
ONLINE AT
www.rotorandwing.com
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Helicopter Photos
Go to rotorandwing.com to see more photos and read additional stories, such as:
China Receives
Frasca R44 FTD
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March 1:
Digital edition of R&WI March 2016. Electronic version with enhanced web links makes navigating
through the pages of R&WI easier than ever.
Get connected:
Join the Community
of R&WI.
Follow us on Twitter
@rotorandwing
The editors welcome new product information and other industry news. All editorial inquiries should be directed to Rotor & Wing International, 9211 Corporate Blvd., 4th Floor, Rockville, Md. 208503245, USA; 1-301-354-1832; fax 1-301-762-8965. E-mail: [email protected]. Rotor & Wing International (ISSN-1066-8098) is published monthly, except a combined December/January
issue, by Access Intelligence, 9211 Corporate Blvd., 4th Floor, Rockville, Md. 20850-3245, USA. Periodical postage paid at Rockville, Md. and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: Free to qualified
individuals directly involved in the helicopter industry. All other subscriptions, U.S.: one year $99; two years $188. Canada: one year $129; two years $228. Foreign: one year $149; two years $278.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Rotor & Wing International, P.O. Box 3588, Northbrook, Ill. 60065, USA. Change of address two to eight weeks notice requested. Send both new and old address,
including mailing label to Attn: Rotor & Wing International, Customer Services, P.O. Box 3588, Northbrook, Ill. 60065, USA or call 1-847-559-7314. E-mail: [email protected]. Canada Post 40612608.
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: IMEX Global Solutions, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2.
2016 by Access Intelligence, LLC. Contents may not be reproduced in any form without written permission.
W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M
M A R C H 2 0 1 6 | R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L
Feedback
After 10 Years, Have We Failed?
Be sure to follow
@RotorandWing to
stay up to date on the
latest helicopter news
Regarding your February cover story on the International Helicopter Safety Team and its goal of an
80% cut in helicopter accidents, Id say corrective
action depends on the cause.
Pilot error, give pilots more training and more
flight time especially. Mechanical malfunction,
either improve maintenance procedures, maintainers or maintenance training, or get better/
newer equipment. And if fatigue is an issue dont
over work your flight crews.
Taylor K. Davis
Also, like us at
facebook.com/
rotorandwing
I am sick and tired of U.S. media acting as if aviation accidents carry more weight and concern
than people getting killed in car accidents. While
the goal of operating any vehicle is to accomplish
travel without accidents, the real story is that
when it comes to deaths by road vehicles each
year, this information this is being extremely well
masked by the help of the media.
Over 30,000 deaths occur by motor vehicle
accidents each year in the U.S. alone. Over 2.4 million people have died on U.S. roads in the last 80
years. Now this is absolutely a moral outrage!
Yet the media, U.S. citizens and politicians
apparently couldnt care less about this. They
are tight-lipped about it and obviously have
little care or compassion for this annual highway
holocaust.
Now compare deaths by road accidents to
helicopter accidents: According to the International Helicopter Safety Team, from 1997 through
2005 the number of civil helicopter accidents (not
deaths) averaged 570 each year. Thats it? A moral
outrage??
I propose the problem is that many people
have an inadequate understanding of morals
(based on science) and therefore can joyfully
refuse to see the immoral nature of the media,
Whistleblower
After reading your feedback section (February
2016, page 8), I completely agree with various
comments about the topic Disclosure Woes.
Then you printed other articles like After 10
years, Have We Failed? (page 32) and Flight
Reports (page 36) in the same issue.
As long as the FAA keeps getting pushed back
from doing the right thing by emergency medical
service operators and as long as Occupational
Safety and Health Administration investigators
take one year for a whistleblower investigation
(even though their regulation mandates 60 days),
no pilot will come forward just to get fired like I
was for bringing up pencil-whipped inspections
(confirmed by the FAA) and other safety-related
issues.
Pencil whipping and other grounding maintenance issues will continue to be reported after
the aircraft arrives at its home base, putting passengers and the rest of the public in danger. My
case is still currently with OSHA, so I wont go into
details now, but itll all be public records soon.
Name Withheld Upon Request
Do you have comments on the rotorcraft industry or recent articles and viewpoints weve published? Send them to: Editor, Rotor & Wing, 9211
Corporate Blvd., Fourth Floor, Rockville, MD 20850-3245, fax us at 301-354-1809 or email us at [email protected]. Please include a
city and state or province with your name and ratings. We reserve the right to edit all submitted material.
R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L | M A R C H 2 0 1 6
W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M
Aeronautical Accessories has the mission-specific products, worldclass distribution, and exceptional customer service demanded by the
rotorcraft industry. With more than 4,000 parts and accessories, over
1,200 STCs and global availability, Aeronautical Accessories has
aftermarket products for the leading rotorcraft makes and models
around the globe.
See our website or catalog for the latest in new products, including:
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AW139 Inlet Barrier Filtration Kit
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2016 Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
JOSEPH AMBROGNE
Joseph Ambrogne is the technical editor of R&WI. He earned a bachelors degree in English from Christopher
Newport University in Newport News, Virginia, and spent eight years as a technical writer in the software and
manufacturing industries. He holds a commercial pilot license and instrument rating.
PAT HOST
Associate Editor Pat Host, in five years with our sister publication Defense Daily, has developed a stable of inside
sources to gain access to sensitive documents and stories that impact readers. He has conducted one-on-one
interviews with high-ranking members of the U.S. Congress and American military and executive branch officials, with a focus on breaking down official policy statements, memos and complex scientific information.
TODD VORENKAMP
Todd Vorenkamp, a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, is a former naval aviator who has served
as an aircraft commander on the Boeing H-46, Sikorsky Aircraft H-3 and H-60, and Eurocopter H-65. He is the
former editor-in-chief of Rotor Review, the Naval Helicopter Assn.s quarterly publication, and is a trustee of
the association. His writing was featured in the anthology, Operation Homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan, and
the Home Front in the Words of U.S. Troops and Their Families, published by Random House and the National
Endowment for the Arts. Todd works in New York City as a writer and award-winning photographer.
ERNIE STEPHENS
Ernie Stephens, editor-at-large, spent 27 years with a major county police department, retiring as the chief pilot
of its aviation section. He began his flying career in the late 1980s when he earned his rotorcraft license and
incorporated a small aviation company as a sideline to his law enforcement career. Ernie holds a naste in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he is also an assistant professor and former
director of academics at one of the schools satellite campuses. He has been writing for R&WI since 2003 and
has performed evaluation flights in some of the latest, most technologically advanced rotorcraft in the world.
KEITH CIANFRANI
Keith M. Cianfrani, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, has more than 30 years of aviation experience flying
offshore and in the Philadelphia and New York areas. He is a master army aviator, aviation safety officer, commercial pilot and instructor pilot, and was an accident investigator for the U.S. Army Safety Center. He is rated in
both rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft and is an instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Kansas State University. Keith is also a member of the HAI Safety and U.S. Helicopter Safety Team SMS committees.
MIKE HANGGE
Mike Hangge is an active-duty U.S. Army warrant officer with an elite aviation unit. With more than 25 years
experience, he has performed duties as a mission, medevac, maintenance and developmental pilot. He has
received numerous awards, including the Distinguished Flying Cross. He also is a novelist under the pen name
mjHangge.
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W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M
FlightSafety, the global leader in training, offers Level D qualified simulators for twin- and
single-engine helicopters. Designed to enhance the safety and proficiency of helicopter flight
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training provides in-depth instruction, from basic operation to highly specialized maneuvers
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aircraft manufacturers including AgustaWestland, Airbus Helicopters, Bell Helicopter and
Sikorsky trust us to provide world-class training. Train with us and well earn your trust, too.
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For information, please contact Steve Gross, Vice President, Sales 314.785.7815
[email protected] flightsafety.com A Berkshire Hathaway company
Rotorcraft Report
Testing Progresses on Bell 525, 505
NEED TO KNOW
Piston Sales Rise
Bucks GA Trend
Rotorcraft Technology
Summit Set for September
Bristow Buys
Into Drone Business
U.S. Navy Sees RFP
This Year for IFR Trainer
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Rotorcraft Report
COMMERCIAL
PUBLIC
W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M
M A R C H 2 0 1 6 | R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L
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Rotorcraft Report
MILITARY
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W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M
ES OUT.
T SET
IT MANEUVERING TO APPROA
ING POINT (N 38 59 W 86
6 10) INTO THE
CT THE WAYPOINTAN
T D FLY
L TO
O FIVE MIL
H ATABOUT THREE T
Smart technology inside, for when your focus is outside. Thats what you get when
you bring high-end flight deck technology to your cockpit with GTN. Things like optional
search-and-rescue patterns integrated into your flight plan and shown on the moving
map. Animated NEXRAD weather. Fuel-endurance rings. And more. So you take the work
out of high-workload situations. Learn more at Garmin.com/helicopters.
2016 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries
Rotorcraft Report
PRODUCTS
PRODUCTS
16
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W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M
Rotorcraft Report
PRODUCTS
ACR ARTEX
RA MILLER TECHNISONIC
BARFIELD
COBHAM COMANT
JUPITER AVIONICS SANDIA AEROSPACE AEA 317
KGS ELECTRONICS
W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M
www.dallasavionics.com
AS9100 CERTIFIED
M A R C H 2 0 1 6 | R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L
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Rotorcraft Report
SAFETY
MILITARY
Canadian Military
Performs First
Cyclone Shipboard
Landing
The Canadian Armed Forces first new Sikorsky Aircraft
CH-148 Cyclone fully manned by Royal Canadian Air Force
personnel performed the types first shipboard landing on
HMCS Halifax off the coast of Nova Scotia Jan. 27, according
to Canadian officials. HMCS Halifax has been involved with
CH148 testing and training for the past year, including five
months of Ship Helo Operating Limits trials that began in
January 2015 to determine operating limits and best practices
for the new helicopter. Personnel at the Helicopter Operational
Test and Evaluation Facility are conducting the operational
tests.
Photo courtesy of Canadian Forces
18
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Rotorcraft Report
COMMERCIAL
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M A R C H 2 0 1 6 | R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L
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Rotorcraft Report
PRODUCTS
PRODUCTS
The H160s second prototype flew Jan. 27 at the manufacturers facility in Marignane, France, according to Airbus Helicopters, which added that 2016 will be
a busy flight test year for the program to produce the medium twin. The second prototype is the first H160 to fly with the 1,100-to-1,300-shp (800-960-kW)
Turbomeca Arrano 1A engines. Prototype No. 1 is powered by Pratt & Whitney Canadas PW210 engines; Airbus decided in 2015 not to offer those engines on
production H160s. Airbus said prototype No. 1 had accumulated more than 75 hr of flight testing by the end of 2015, opening the aircrafts flight envelope and
validating some performance features and handling qualities. Airbus aims to introduce the H160 to service in 2018.
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Rotorcraft Report
Washington Insider
Budget Proposal Would Boost FVL
W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M
By Pat Host
M A R C H 2 0 1 6 | R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L
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Rotorcraft Report
Program Insider
US Navy This Year
Plans to Issue RFP
For New IFR Trainer
22
The U.S. Navy expects to issue a request for proposals by the years end to provide an Advanced
Helicopter Training System to replace its TH-57based program.
The Navy wants the new program to include
helicopters certificated by the FAA for single-pilot,
instrument-flight-rules operations, according to its
Jan. 28 sources sought solicitation (No. N0001916-R-0029). That notice does not specify the number of engines that power each helicopter and
leaves open the possibility of using a mix of aircraft
certified for IFR and those limited to visual-flightrules operations.
The service plans to hold an Industry Day and
site visit before April 1 for interested vendors to
observe facilities and activities at Naval Air Station
Whiting Field, Florida. Whiting Field is the primary
site for advanced training of rotary-wing aviators
for the Navy and U.S. Marine Corps, Air Force and
Coast Guard, including Bell Boeing V-22 pilots.
The Naval Air Systems Command said it is
seeking industry input for the most efficient and
economical approach for training rotary-wing
students. The command added that it intends to
acquire the Advanced Helicopter Training System
through competitive bidding for the services Chief
of Naval Aviation and Training.
The Navy described the sources sought notice
as a market research tool that it will use to iden-
R OTO R & W I N G M A G A Z I N E | M A R C H 2 0 1 6
W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M
N O M AT T E R W H AT S O V E R T H E H O R I Z O N ,
M I L E S T O N E W I L L B E T H E R E.
For any challenge that comes your way, take comfort in knowing
that your helicopter leasing partner will be there for the long haul.
milestoneaviation.com
Rotorcraft Report
People
Mid-Continent Instruments
and Avionics appointed Marc
Medeiros
as direc tor
of sales.
Medeiros
will lead the
c o m p a n y s
sales strategy and manage its
sales team. He has 20 years
experience in the industry
and previously held the same
position at Rockwell Collins
since 2012.
CybAero board member Claes Drougge has been
appointed
chairman
again after
its previous chairman, Anna
hrwall Rnnbck, stepped
down earlier this year after a
month. Drougge had previously been the boards chairman
since 2009.
S t e v e
Gross has
been promoted to
SVP of FlightSafety Internationals commercial unit. He
is tasked with managing its
business aviation and regional
airline training sales activities.
Gross joined FlightSafety in
1996 and was most recently VP
of sales. He earned a bachelors
degree in aviation administration and has a commercial pilot
license with instrument rating.
New management at Cool
City Avionics includes Jeffrey
Kelly as chairman, president
and CEO, James Irwin as chief
technical officer and Rick Milburn as VP of sales and marketing. Kelly simultaneously has
been president of his business,
Kelly Aerospace, since 2002.
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coming events
Rotorcraft Report
Feb. 29-March 2: Military Radar Summit, Washington, D.C.
www.militaryradarsummit.com
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Military
Commercial
Public Service
NEED TO KNOW
Operators without standby
aircraft can run into
problems with unscheduled
maintenance
Balancin
Services
Products
Training
Personal | Corporate
26
R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L | M A R C H 2 0 1 6
W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M
ng Operational Needs
With Maintenance
Downtime
Smaller operators must work with vendors
and crews to prevent maintenance slumps
from disrupting missions and inances.
By Todd Vorenkamp
f you travel by air enough, you have probably had the pleasure of experiencing a maintenance
delay with an airline. Even though the largest global carriers have factory-supported service centers
and back-up aircraft at their disposal, a break-down or unscheduled maintenance need can wreak
havoc in operational schedules and inconvenience hundreds or even thousands of customers.
When those same realities arise for a small helicopter outfit with one, two or a few airframes, the
impact of an aircraft going down for maintenance can have a crippling effect. Even worse, when a
M a r c h 2 0 1 6 | r oto r & W i n g i n t E r n at i o n a L
27
Military
Personal | Corporate
Public Service
Commercial
small helicopter operator is just getting its business off the ground, one catastrophic unscheduled maintenance event could disrupt the entire
business and undermine their budget, said Jet
Support Services, Inc. (JSSI) Director of Business
Development Kyle Sale.
S&T Services of Austin, Texas, is a single-ship
Bell 206 LongRanger operator. Manager Matt St.
Louis offered a very real scenario and its impact
on a small rotorcraft operator.
Our pilot starts his day with a preflight of the
aircraft and finds a leaking fuel filter housing. In
a couple of hours, we are expecting our clients to
arrive for a Part 135 flight. We call a maintenance
facility and let them know, said St. Louis.
They find a serviceable replacement and
drive over 200 mi to deliver and install. That is
an excellent example of how things can go right
and still wrong as the revenue flight had to be
canceled, he said.
The worst part The flight was an anniversary surprise for the passengers. That hurts
a small operators reputation, added St. Louis.
Having another aircraft available would have
allowed the revenue flight to take place, which
would have paid for the unscheduled service. No
profit, but a balance.
Maintenance is a reality of aviation. There
are no maintenance-free aircraft. Helicopters
are subject to routine maintenance, scheduled
maintenance, preventive maintenance, main-
Services
Products
Training
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Coordinating Schedules
Revolution Aviation operates a small fleet of
Robinson Helicopter R22s, R44s and R66s out
of John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California.
Chief Pilot Mark Robinson said he turns the need
for heavy maintenance into a learning opportunity for students.
One particular challenge is how to coordinate the instructors schedule with clients to get
the helicopter to maintenance on time, he said.
To meet that challenge, the Southern California
school has the student and instructor fly the
aircraft to the maintenance shop so the student
can learn, meet and see the mechanics.
Revolution conducts minor maintenance
at its home airport but hopes to hire full-time
mechanics next year to service the companys
seven helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft and keep up with increasing operational
demands. The first maintenance company with
which Revolution outsourced was a disaster,
said Robinson, so choosing the right mechanic
is absolutely key.
Operators of Robinson Helicopters are not
short on praise for the Torrance, California, manufacturer. Responsive customer service, great
parts stocks, free online manuals and personalized tech support are just some of what loyal
Robinson customers compliment. One operator,
however, referred to it as the Apple computer of
the helicopter world.
Robinsons feature a large number of proprietary parts that are not available through aftermarket companies. Parts usually need to come
from the factory and will generally not be available across the ramp or down the street.
W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M
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Military
Public Service
Commercial
Photo courtesy of Ravco
Services
Products
Training
Personal | Corporate
30
created equal. I have to balance cost, personalities, upgrading components or not, etc.
When it comes to powerplant overhauls,
DeMarici sends his R44s Lycoming to Penn Yan
Aero in Penn Yan, New York. There he has the
option of having an overhaul done, acquiring a
remanufactured engine or buying a brand new
powerplant. Where he might get an exchange
core from Lycoming, using Penn Yann allows him
to specify that he gets the same core in return
following his overhauls. Penn Yann does a better job than the OEM, said DeMarici.
Years ago, Rolls-Royces factory service plan
gave birth to the term Power by the Hour.
Today, OEMs like Sikorsky, Bell, Airbus Helicopters, AgustaWestland and MD Helicopters offer
fixed price-per-flight-hour maintenance programs. One alternative to the OEM programs is
offered by 27-year industry veteran JSSI, which
calls itself the largest independent provider of
hourly cost maintenance programs for turbinepowered helicopters.
According to Sale, Hourly cost maintenance
programs are a great way for operators to stabilize their maintenance operating budget, be
protected from costly unforeseen failures and
increase overall residual value of their aircraft.
JSSI does not own aircraft, nor does it turn
wrenches. What it does offer is a comprehensive
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financial tool for managing the often unpredictable costs of maintaining a helicopter, said Sale.
Customers pay a flight-hour fee based on
type of aircraft and annual utilization. Funds are
held in reserve to pay for all routine, scheduled
and unscheduled maintenance, including service bulletins, airworthiness directives, rental
engines, component costs and foreign-object
debris damage.
The JSSI program is more effective than
simply setting aside funds for maintenance, as
JSSI assumes the risk for actual costs incurred. To
complement this financial tool, JSSI provides clients with technical advisory support. Coverage
includes access to JSSIs worldwide network of
MRO and rental pool resources and a dedicated
technical advisor that will accompany the aircraft through the overhaul process to represent
the customers interests.
In addition, customers gain access to a global
parts-buying team and to independent product
line specialists specific to their make and model
of helicopters.
As an owner-operator, you want your crew to
have the best available resources at their finger
tips. You want your clients to have a positive experience in a clean, quality maintained aircraft. And
at the end of the day, Id like to see some financial
balance, said S&T Services St. Louis.
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Parts Needs
With 40% of maintenance
coming in unscheduled,
operators and MROs need
to share information on
operational tempos to avoid
service disruptions.
By Ernie Stephens
t wasnt raining when Noah built the ark. The thrust of that proverb is
simply that you should plan far in advance of potential trouble.
Planning is something with which all helicopter operators have
an intimate relationship, particularly when it comes to maintenance. It
begins with an aircraft manufacturers direct operating cost projection
and continues with a complicated maintenance schedule that must be
adhered to. Interspersed between those date, time and dollar projections
are issues that require unscheduled service and parts replacement. Some
truly appear out of nowhere, while others may actually be foreseeable.
The operator most vulnerable to a maintenance-driven catastrophe
is the small onethe company or public-service provider that only has
one to five helicopters. If an aircraft goes down, there is rarely a spare
that can pick up the slack for an extended period. If no spare exists, missions cannot be flown, and flight crews may be left sitting idle. On-call
operations have it even rougher, because clients may have to be turned
away and could end up on the doorstep of a competitor.
A helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) operation
understands the problems faced by its smaller customers. Many do
their best to handle scheduled and unscheduled maintenance issues
as quickly as possible without cutting corners that could affect safety.
An MRO also has the headache of trying to get parts from the manufacturer sooner rather than later, especially when the part is in short
supply in the first place. A mega-customerlike the military or a private
company with hundreds of aircraftis going get priority attention from
parts providers.
So how can the administrators and managers of small
operations sidestep the land mines that accompany unscheduled maintenance issues?
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Maintenance Options
A former U.S. Army pilot, Hurdleston has been
in the small turbine repair business for nearly
30 years.
Keystone Turbine Services, like many other
engine repair depots, will try to turn the customers
engine around quickly. If the needed repair is a
limited one, technicians will start working on it
immediately. If, however, it looks like the repair will
take longer, the customer has three options.
First, manage flight operations around the
out-of-service aircraft until it has been returned.
Second, exchange the troublesome engine with
one of the MROs spares. Third, have a rental engine
installed on a pay-by-the-hour basis.
Keystones 50 or so technicians service all
Rolls-Royce M250 series engines, Honeywell accessories for the M250 and Honeywells LTS-101, Pratt
& Whitney Canada PT6 series powerplants and
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Currently, Keystone Engine Services uses ondemand customer relationship management software provider Salesforce.com to track projected
unit deliveries based upon annual hours flown
and other predictors. According to its figures, more
than 40% of Keystones engine support business is
unscheduled.
Its hard to plan materially for these episodes,
so the best you can do is look back on historical
averages and plan accordingly, said Hurdleston.
Reininger said he believes surprise maintenance issues can be reduced using what amounts
to an early detection system.
Pre-maintenance inspection visits to the
customers facility can provide advanced notice
of the extent of upcoming maintenance, he said.
Advanced knowledge will allow the MRO to order
parts and have the correct technicians available for
the job.
He also suggested that the operator provide
the MRO with a complete list of issues before it
delivers one of its aircraft to the maintenance facility. Technicians may not always find all issue if they
are not alerted to them. If there were an intermittent problem, like a strange sound or vibration
that isnt reflected in an instrument reading, do not
assume that the maintainer would discover it.
Reininger and Hurdleston were asked whether
there was anything that small operators could do
to ease the impact of unscheduled maintenance
on their MRO, considering the advantages both
parties could reap.
In a perfect maintenance world, operators and
maintainers would develop a relationship, which
includes total transparency in sharing data and
concerns, said Reininger. The MRO and operator have the same goal, and that is to keep a safe
machine in the air the greatest number of hours on
a continuous basis.
He added that he recognizes that the concept
of total transparency sends chills up the spines of
some managers in the highly competitive aviation
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R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L | M A R C H 2 0 1 6
industry. They just arent programmed to let current and future flight operational plans leak past
their own offices and hangars. Reininger, however,
suggested one possible fix.
Operators and MROs need to execute a nondisclosure agreement if there are concerns, said
Reininger. If one or both of the parties are worried
that their information will be leaked, maybe they
are dealing with the wrong partner.
Sikorsky has gotten way out in front of detecting maintenance issues before they can become
an unscheduled repair problem.
S-76Ds and S-92s are equipped with a data collection system that allows Sikorsky engineers to
monitor the health of the two lines.
For example, if engine No. 1 aboard aircraft
serial No. 0050 in the worldwide S-92 fleet were
experiencing a transient compressor problem, that
would be detected at Sikorskys 360 Live Support
Center in Connecticut. There, an engineer would
query the system to see whether any other aircraft
were experiencing the same problem.
If the problem were isolated to that one aircraft,
the center would notify the operator, recommend
a course of action, and keep an eye over it.
If a fleet-wide check reveals that more than one
aircraft were experiencing the same issue, points
of commonality would be assessed to better pinpoint the cause of the problem. Sikorsky claims this
process can detect a problem long before a pilot or
mechanic could perceive it and address it before a
catastrophic surprise catches everyone off guard.
(Think of it as a heavy, near-constant inspection
that limits surprises.)
W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M
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The NextGe
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en
IENCE
Manufacturers, oEMs,
operators and regulators
made progress in 2015
toward improving the
certiication and approval
process for certain
mandated technologies.
now, the Faa and the
industry must work together
to unlock all of the beneits
for rotary-wing operations.
By Woodrow Bellamy III
ver the last year, the FAA has actively engaged with
the industry to address avionics issues associated
with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast
(ADS-B) and other avionics concerns as part of its NextGen airspace
modernization program. But, is the agency providing this segment
of the aviation industry with the same level of projected benefits and
safety improvements projected to be derived through NextGen avionics
equipage for airliners and other fixed-wing aircraft? So far, that has not been
the case, but the FAA is looking to turn things around before its too late.
Mandates
Helicopter operators in the United States face the same Jan. 1, 2020, mandate for
ADS-B Out as the rest of the industry. However, air ambulance rotorcraft are also
required to become equipped with Helicopter Terrain Awareness Warning System (HTAWS)
and Flight Data Monitoring Systems (FDMS) by 2017 and 2018, respectively. Unlike ADS-B,
the FAA does not directly associate these mandated technologies with the overarching goals of
its NextGen program, and therefore doesnt have a set of performance metrics and stated goals in
order to show operators what is derived by equipping.
In fact, the FAAs updated NextGen Priorities Joint Implementation Plan, published in October 2015,
does not mention the word helicopter or rotorcraft anywhere in the text.
The biggest challenge previously was just the timeline to do the [Standard Type Certificate] STC program; its
a very arduous, detailed process to get the STC. Now, really it doesnt matter what you have to submit, and what the
applicant has to do does not vary a whole lot whether its an ADS-B installation, a single pilot [Instrument Flight Rules]
IFR installation or a major STC program; the steps are all still the same and its an arduous process, said Milton Geltz, managing director at Metro Aviation.
Metro is a multi-faceted operator and helicopter completions center with a fleet of 130 helicopters operating throughout the U.S.
Over the past year, Geltz said the agency has relaxed some of its processes for approving mandated equipage.
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Erickson is in the
process of upgrading its
S-64 Aircrane fleet.
Photo courtesy of
Erickson Inc.
40
I think the FAA figured out that they had to really relax the reins on the [Flight Standards District
Offices] FSDO and the approval processes to meet
the 2020 compliance mandate. So, thats flowing
pretty well now under that AFS-300 guidance. All
that is for ADS-B Out; the ADS-B In solution is still an
STC program, said Geltz.
Other operators, such as Erickson Aviation, are
also finding it easier to progress through the FAAs
approval process. Erickson operates S-64 and Bell
214 helicopters for customers throughout Europe
and in Australia, China, Africa, the U.S. and Latin
America. The company acquired the Type Certificate (TC) for the S-64 in 1992 and has manufactured, maintained, operated and leased the aircraft
to customers throughout the world who require
crane-lifting, construction and firefighting services.
As the OEM, operator and maintenance center for
the S-64 and certain Bell helicopters, Erickson in
August 2015 obtained certification for S-64 ADS-B
Out and In modifications with upgraded GPS units
and new HTAWS and is currently in the process of
introducing the upgrade package across the global
S-64 Aircrane fleet.
The FAA has some very strong requirements
that you have to show including having opposing
aircraft that you fly at; theres an [Advisory Circular]
AC that describes a lot of this. We went through a
very tough flight test program with the FAA proving
out all these systems, and they do it very well. That
was the metamorphosis of that project. It grew out
of the need to upgrade and replace the GPS, and
by that we realized the abilities of the systems now
would just fit marvelously into the machine and
get us ready for the next generation, said Erickson
Chief Engineer Ian Gibson of the package, which
provides both ADS-B Out and air ambulance operations HTAWS compliance.
Suppliers such as Applied Avionics are also
seeing increased demand for their digital to discrete converter products from OEMs, operators
and installation centers to provide less expensive
compliance with some aspects of the mandate. For
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Metro Aviation,
FAA to Meet
in Louisville
Metro Aviation officials plan
to meet with FAA counterparts to discuss how to determine whether previously
installed terrain-warning
systems meet recently adopted standards for Helicopter
Terrain Awareness Warning
Systems (HTAWS).
HTAWS are mandated for
installation in air ambulance
helicopters next year.
Metro Managing Director Milton Geltz said, Right
now, the FAA has no way
of determining out in the
field that these types of
solutions that are the exact
same equipment as whats
listed for HTAWS compliance
would actually meet todays
Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS)
and Technical Standard Order
(TSO) requirements.
Currently, there is no
mechanism for any type of
relief on grandfathering in
the previously installed system in some way, he said.
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An FAA-directed industry
group is meeting behind
closed doors to appraise
crashworthiness mandates
for new-build rotorcraft.
By Joseph Ambrogne
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W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M
ce of
(Above) Research at NASA Langley Research Center has involved dummies and a test helicopter to test crash forces.
Occupant protection measures include rotorcraft seat/harness systems able to withstand downward acceleration forces of as
much as 30 g. Photos courtesy of NASA Langley Research Center and Fischer Seats
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International Marketplace
27
Heliport Lighting
HELIPORT LIGHTING FAA-approved equipment.
MANAIRCO, INC. (419) 524 - 2121, www.manairco.com
Helmets
ANVIS 6 HELICOPTER HELMETS (Kevlar helmets and
spares including: HGU models). NOMEX coveralls, jackets,
gloves, etc. factory new, in stock. Sage green and desert
tan. GOVERNMENT SALES, INC., 69 Francis Ave. Hartford,
CT 06106, Tel: (860) 247-7787, Fax: (860) 586-8020.
Catalogue on website: www.aviationhelmets.com
advertiser index
Page# ..... Advertiser........................................................................................................................................................Website
19 ....................Aerometals............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.aerometals.aero
9.......................Aeronautical Accessories.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.aero-access.com
52 ....................Airbus Helicopters ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.airbushelicoptersinc.com
17 ....................Dallas Avionics...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.dallasavionics.com
47 ....................Chopper Spotter ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.chopperspotter.com
11 ....................FlightSafety...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.flightsafety.com
15 ....................Garmin International .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. www.garmin.com
35 ....................HeliExperts International .................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.heliexpertsinternational.com
37 ....................Helitech International ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.helitechevents.com
25 ....................ITT Enidine....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.enidine-aviation.com/rotorcraft
2.......................Marenco Swisshelicopter ................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.marenco-swisshelicopter.com
23 ....................Milestone Aviation .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.milestoneaviation.com
31 ....................Standard Aero ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.standardaero.com
47 ....................Survival Products .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.survivalproductsinc.com
5.......................UTC Aerospace Systems.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................www.utcaerospacesystems.com
3.......................ZF Aviation .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. www.zfaviation.com
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Safety Watch
By Keith Cianfrani
Laser Hazards
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R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L | M A R C H 2 0 1 6
much light or a bright light and may cause discomfort for as long as the light is present.
Flash blindness is a period of visual desensitization of varying strength and durations that
persists after exposure to a bright light.
The startle effect is the involuntary reaction to
an unexpected event that alters mental, physical
and visual activities and diverts selected attention away from the normal primary tasks of the
flight crew. The startle response can be broken
into four specific categories: distraction; disruption; disorientation; and incapacitation.
There is no single solution to the laser problem. Equipment like windshield film is effective
but expensive. Many law enforcement aviation
departments use protective eye wear, but education and training seem to be most effective.
Some experts say warnings should be placed
on the lasers to inform the user of the danger of
laser beams to aviation. Some lawmakers are calling for a ban on lasers.
Flight crewmembers should maintain situational awareness to assess the potential for a
laser strike. Certain flight configurations present a
higher risk of exposure. This would be during low
altitude operations, such as landing and departure, and slow stable airspeed.
Flight crewmembers also should know how to
handle a laser incident when they encounter one.
During critical phases of flight, disruptive laser
strikes should be treated as any other abnormal
or emergency situation. Unfortunately, there are
no industry-wide protocols that address this.
If lased, flight crewmembers should communicate immediately their visual status and transfer control of the aircraft to an unaffected pilot.
In addition, crewmembers should not rub their
eyes, should avoid looking at the light source
and should report the incident per FAA AC 70-2A,
Reporting Laser Illumination of Aircraft.
Educational materials should outline the
effects of visual sensitivity and hazards to flight.
Operators should develop protocols, even as part
of their safety management system programs.
With education and training, pilots can take
actions to protect their vision and passengers.
As alwaystake action to fly safe.
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Coming Up in
April 2016:
Avionics ChallengesKeeping Your
Cool: As demand for the capabilities offered by
more advanced avionics grows, manufacturers face
the challenge of keeping boxes cool in rotorcraft
compartments. We check out how OEMs are meeting that challenge.
Certification UpdatesRadar Altimeters and Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems: We report the latest on meeting
Bonus Distribution: Avionics Expo Europe, AEA Expo, Quad-A, ABACE, NAB
May 2016
NoiseI Cant Hear You: We examine the
nature of helicopter noise, its perception (both
physically and politically) and possible solutions
that are being researched and developed.
Bonus Distribution: AUVSI, OTC, AHS Forum, Navy League, Heli Russia, EBACE
W W W. R OTO R A N D W I N G . C O M
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Military Insider
By Mike Hangge, mjHangge
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R OTO R & W I N G I N T E R N AT I O N A L | M A R C H 2 0 1 6
should be someone who will not allow difficult emotions to affect decision-making and
be someone you trust with your assets even
while youre still alive. Review and update your
documents yearly or whenever you have a
life-changing event. Send copies of your will to
your executor or keep them secured in a safe.
Additionally, I suggest that you plainly list
your last wishes, such as where and how you
wish to be interred, anything specific like songs
or poems you want at your funeral, your final
words for those who attend and your obituary. Do not leave your family unarmed to make
these difficult decisions; arm them with the
knowledge of exactly what you want.
Yes, I did just suggest that you write your
own obituary. Why not? Consider it as a chance
to write your own legacy and find out how you
want to be remembered. If this doesnt make
sense to you, just imagine your grieving spouse
trying to describe your life only hours after
being told youre not coming home for dinner.
Do not do that to your spouse.
With a pencil in hand, take a few more
moments to express your love for those you are
leaving. Its been well more than 20 years since
I wrote my first good byes. Putting my feelings
and final farewells on paper reminded me to
live and love every day, not just on my final
days. Write that letter to your family so they will
know how much you cared and what they truly
meant to you. Give them something by which
to remember you and something to carry with
them throughout the rest of their lives. I promise that the time spent pouring out your soul
will not be a wasted exercise.
Lastly, be right with your family, friends and
your God. Not just some times, but all the time.
Take every moment to show them how much
you care. That alone might make you a better
person more worthy of that grand obituary you
just wrote.
More than anything else, live your life so
well that the only thing left to say at your
memorial is Amen.
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