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FAA approves 32 WAAS LPV procedures
October 17, 2011 By Carey Fredericks
Oct. 17, 2011, Washington, D.C. - The FAA has approved 32 helicopter WAAS LPV instrument flight procedures developed by Hickok & Associates, Inc. The company has another 33 helicopter WAAS LPV procedures in various stages of development and approval.
The lowest Decision Altitude (DA) to a hospital heliport has been 207 feet height above landing (HAL). Helicopter WAAS LPV procedures typically provide DA’s between 250 to 300 feet, as opposed to Minimum Descent Altitudes (MDA) of 460 to 500 feet for LNAV procedures.
Since earning FAA approval of its company’s criteria [February 2008: Heli-Expo 2008 news release] Hickok & Associates is still the only approved developer of helicopter WAAS LPV procedures and owns the only approved criteria and development software.
To implement its helicopter WAAS LPV program, Hickok & Associates developed the procedures used by the manufactures for WAAS LPV supplemental type certifications of the S76, EC135/145, Augusta 109, and Bell 429 helicopters.
During the past year Hickok & Associates has also continued its development of thirty three (33) LNAV procedures, has expanded its special helicopter low-level IFR enroute network covering New Hampshire and portions of Vermont, and implemented new enroute networks in Tennessee and Iowa. The company maintains all of its own procedures, and has also taken over maintenance of twenty eight (28) existing procedures previously maintained by FAA.
Hickok & Associates has grown to keep up with its aggressive helicopter WAAS LPV program, its expanding LNAV developments, and its increasing procedure maintenance activities. Craig Lunaas, a HEMS industry veteran pilot, joined the company and has been approved by FAA to perform flight validations, and Aaron Hickok, who joined the company in 2009 as a procedure developer, completed his helicopter ratings and has the increased responsibilities as an FAA approved procedure evaluation pilot.
