My first real aviation job was with the Miles Lab (now Bayer) corporate flight department. I probably had fewer than 500 hours of total flying time, and it was my big break – a chance to fly an aircraft that didn’t require walking on the wing to enter the cockpit. The chief pilot assigned me… Read more »
As the weather warms up, it’s more important than ever to be aware of the impact chopping the throttle can have on your helicopter. A throttle chop occurs when you suddenly and rapidly roll off the throttle. In some circumstances, throttle chops can result in the engine quitting, which can have devastating consequences. Let’s peek… Read more »
Winter weather has arrived in the Great Lakes region, and at Sweet Helicopters (Enstrom’s sister company in Fort Wayne), our Director of Operations Keith Shivers tells me we’ve already seen our fair share of HAA and VIP flight cancelations due to unexpected icing conditions. It should come as no surprise that helicopters are more susceptible… Read more »
“Statistically speaking, Brand XYZ is the safest helicopter in history!” How many brands have we heard make that claim before? I understand customers want to know they’re not buying a flying Ford Pinto, but what do assertions like that actually mean? Such absolute and declarative statements always give me pause because, as an academically trained… Read more »
I recently pulled out an old Sweet Helicopters T-shirt with our old slogan printed across the back. It read, “No runway, no problem!” I wore it proudly, especially around my airplane-obsessed friends who would talk trash about rotorcraft. Not even the biggest helicopter critic can question the exceptional maneuverability of helicopters, which allows us helicopter… Read more »
Whenever you transition from a rotorcraft-friendly airport to a more rural environment, you’re bound to experience a few growing pains. A good friend compared the initial presence of a new helicopter as a “bull in a China shop.” The biggest challenge? Managing rotor downwash. Rotor downwash is a byproduct of a rotor disc generating thrust.… Read more »
Even full-time pilots might find themselves baffled by the catch-22 of logging rotorcraft turbine time. In order to affordably acquire turbine time, you need to have logged hundreds of hours already. Last month at Rotors ‘n Ribs, an experienced pilot, who recently discovered his love for helicopters, asked me if I knew the secret to… Read more »
Moving a helicopter after it shuts down can be a cumbersome task, which a helicopter dolly can help simplify, turning it into a one-person job. I frequently utilize an old dolly the Indiana State Police left behind at Goshen Municipal more than 20 years ago. But just because a dolly or moveable platform is available… Read more »
It’s summer flying season, and helicopter pilots are frequently called upon to fly for airshows or other aviation events. That might involve giving rides, doing flyovers, demonstrating our aircraft, or just parking our helicopters for static displays. Not only are these a great way to show people the amazing inner workings of helicopters, but they… Read more »