http://www.aviationtoday.com Aviation Today en-us 2013 Sat, 18 May 2013 6:31:53 EDT In 1998 at the Heli Japan Conference held in Gifu, Japan, I attended a presentation by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on what they thought future heliport design criteria should include. For instance, at that time the FAA was pushing a 4,800-foot straight line approach at a 3-degree slope... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/publicsafety/Heliport-Standards-Where-the-Bears-Live_79172.html Wed, 1 May 2013 0:00:00 EDT If you ask me what opportunities I consider to be my greatest blessings, meeting my wife would be on the top of that list. I would go on to say that serving as a helicopter pilot for the U.S. Army in Vietnam and working as a pilot for Los Angeles County fire would come in second and third. I mention this... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/publicsafety/Public-Service-Harder-to-Maintain_78645.html Fri, 1 Mar 2013 0:00:00 EST The Pilot’s Bill of Rights Act, authored by Rep. Samuel Graves (R-Mo.) with a concurring bill offered by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), has passed both the House and Senate and is awaiting President Obama’s signature. Now as long as the politicos that advise the president don’t identify 10... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/publicsafety/Pilot-or-Systems-Engineer_77184.html Sat, 1 Sep 2012 0:00:00 EDT In my last article (“Tips for Younger Pilots,” July 2011 Rotor & Wing), I expressed some thoughts for folks contemplating a career as a helicopter pilot. I’ve received a lot of good feedback on this article and would like to expand a bit and focus on things to think about from a career... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/publicsafety/Avoiding-Career-Landmines_74220.html Thu, 1 Sep 2011 0:00:00 EDT With the fire season at its peak in parts of Europe and North America, state and fire authorities around Australia are making plans for the 2011/12 bushfire season which will kick off in parts of the country as early as late August. With the exception of Western Australia (WA), which had one of the most... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/publicsafety/Australia-Preps-for-Fire-Season_74006.html Mon, 1 Aug 2011 0:00:00 EDT I visited my old employer, the Los Angeles County Fire Department, in early June. The visit reminded me of how much I enjoyed my career there and how I got the opportunity to be a part of such a great organization. That brought me to a couple of thoughts for the younger pilots starting out in our business... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/publicsafety/Tips-for-Younger-Pilots_73739.html Fri, 1 Jul 2011 0:00:00 EDT I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not mistake-free in my flying and the activities that surround it. Luckily, my mistakes have not landed me at the end of a long green table or, much worse, at the bottom of the briny deep! Many moons ago, sailing on a schooner, I made the same mistake several... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/publicsafety/Unlearned-Lessons_73208.html Sun, 1 May 2011 0:00:00 EDT The past two presidents of HAI, Roy Resavage and Matt Zuccaro, must be complimented for promoting a balanced approach to public aircraft operators. In the early 90’s some of the folks in HAI were … less than gracious to public aircraft operators. It was during this time of “the... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/publicsafety/Public-Aircraft-Operations_72647.html Tue, 1 Mar 2011 0:00:00 EST On July 24th, 2010 the helicopter industry lost a remarkable man and I lost a personal friend. Al Broussard was a mentor and resource both as a pilot and an A&P mechanic to the southern California helicopter community. Not many people understood the Bell 47 airframe from both a pilot and mechanic... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/publicsafety/Setting-the-Safety-Culture_71684.html Wed, 1 Dec 2010 0:00:00 EST Since my last column, I have had the privilege of attending three very unique conferences. The first was the Army Aviation Association of America’s annual showcase in Fort Worth, Texas. Seeing and listening to the professional flight and support crews that make up Army Aviation today made me come home... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/issue/columns/publicsafety/Best-SMS-Between-Your-Ears_70368.html Sun, 1 Aug 2010 0:00:00 EDT