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Government Affairs
Playing the Waitiing Game
I’ll take one piece of paper, I’ll take my pen, and I will write zero helicopters,” Prime Minister Jean Chretien said with conviction.
Ready and Able
Wildfires, unplanned and unwanted natural or human-caused fires, are a fact of life in Canada.
Sea King off Libya
Canada’s involvement in the Libyan conflict last year under Operation Mobile is now part of our country’s impressive military history, but the memories are still fresh for several crew members with the CH-124 Sea King on the HMCS Vancouver.
Active Risk Management
The phrase “risk management” conjures up thoughts of detailed process, thick manuals, operational directives; in other words, bloat.
Prehistoric Thinking
OK, it’s time for a rant about outdated, unsafe and caustic attitudes in the Canadian helicopter industry.
Under Siege
I have been around the Canadian Aviation Regulatory Advisory Council (CARAC) table since its inception and have watched the process evolve with keen interest.
Priming the Pump
The CHC Safety & Quality Summit is quickly emerging as one of the must-attend aviation conferences of the year – and it’s doing so in a world still suffering from economic uncertainty.
Guest Column: Weathering the Storm
The American Industrialist Henry J. Kaiser once said, “Problems are only opportunities in work clothes.
Fit to Fly
Have you ever heard of a pilot hiding or masking medical conditions from his aero medical doctor?
Bushed Engineers
During a tour of a BCFS (BC Forest Service) helicopter fire suppression base, I introduced myself to the AME servicing a heavy helicopter.
An Avoidable Accident
On March 12, 2009, a Sikorsky S-92A helicopter operating as Cougar Helicopters Flight 491 crashed into the ocean 30 nautical miles east of St. John’s, Nfld., killing 17 of the 18 on board. While the TSB investigation report is to be released shortly, much is already known about the causal factors contributing to the outcome.
Declining Piloting Skills
Given that American youth are not much different from their counterparts north of the border, it might be informative to consider a report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that warns future pilots may not be up to snuff. And no, this doesn’t mean they’re shunning oral tobacco and taking up smoking.
Pilot Pay Packages
Pilots and engineering staff are drastically underpaid – especially when one considers the risks, challenges, time away from family and working conditions you must endure.
Sleeping on the Job
Pilots and unions in the big bird industry are pushing for aircrews to take turns napping in multi-crew cockpits as a method to minimize the impact of fatigue.
Return on Investment
The past two decades brought rapid expansion in airborne policing south of the border, as U.S. law enforcement, politicians, and the paying public saw value in having a friendly eye in the sky. That trend may now be reversing, as recession-weary municipalities struggle with smaller budgets. |
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