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 CONTENTS
2017 I ISSUE 111

F E AT U R E S

50
ISLAND BLUES
Blue Hawaiian Helicopters and the H130
112 With a large fleet of more than thirty aircraft and a history spanning
more than thirty years, Blue Hawaiian Helicopters is not only a
96 benchmark tourism operator in Hawaii; the company is also heavily
involved in industry and aircraft development. HeliOps visited Blue
Hawaiian to discuss the company and their newest machines, eleven
Airbus H130s.

80 AIR OPERATIONS IN THE ERA OF

UNMANNED AIRCRAFT
Unmanned Aircraft are being flown in the lower air space in increasing
numbers. A.R. Prince considers the collision risk to helicopters and
other manned aircraft and what is being done to ensure safe flight.

96 AN EVOLVING DESIGN
Alexander Mladenov looks at the recent progress of the Ansat program,
a new all-Russian type whose sales reported a sharp increase in 2016-
2017 thanks to the strong domestic government support and its first
export orders from Chinese customers.

80
112 LIFE AFTER THE SERVICE
Ex-military Black Hawks go to work with
Timberline Helicopters
Over the course of recent decades the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk has
become as ubiquitous in military service as its legendary predecessor,
the Bell UH-1 Huey. Now, however, the type is also becoming a fixture on
the civil scene and Timberline Helicopters is putting the type to work in a
variety of civil missions.

REGULARS
COLUMNS

FROM THE EDITOR 6

INDUSTRY NEWS 9

UAV TALK 28

A GREATER VIEW 30

FLIGHT SIMULATION 36

MAINTENANCE 43

FLIGHT TRAINING 46

HELICOPTER BUSINESS 48
50
 Airbus Helicopt
ers
AS350B 2 Airbus Helicopt
ers
AS355
Airbus Helicopt
ers
BK117 Airbus Helicopt
ers
EC145
Airbus Helicopt
ers
H120 Airbus Helicopt
ers
H125
Airbus Helicopt
ers Airbus Helicopt
H145 ers
Airbus Helicopt SA315B
ers Airbus Helicopt
H175 ers
H130
Airbus Helicopt
ers Airbus Helicopt
H155 ers Airbus Helicopt
ers
H160 H215

Airbus Helicopt
ers
H225 Guimba l G2
Airbus Helicopt
ers Airbus Helicopt
SA365N ers
H135

Airbus Helicopt
ers
SA341G
Bell 430
Bell 525

Bell 206B Bell 204

Bell 205A+

Bell 412

Bell 47 Bell 206L

Bell 429
Bell 429 WLG
Bell 212
Bell 407

Bell 505
Bell 214B

Erickson S-64 Aircrane

Eagle Helicopt ers

Eagle Single Eagle Helicopt ers
Kaman K-Max Kamov KA32
407HP Leonard o AW109

Boeing CH-47D

Sikorsky UH60
Leonard o AW109
Trekker
Kazan ANSAT
Leonard o W3 Sokol

Leonard o AW169

Leonard o AW139 MD Helicopt ers

Leonard o AW119 MD Helicopt ers MD500D
Leonard o AW009 MD500C
MD Helicopt ers
MD520N

Leonard o AW189

MD Helicopt ers
MD530F MD Helicopt ers
MD600 MD Helicopt ers Enstrom F28
MD902
MD Helicopt ers
MD500E

Mil Mi38 Leonard o AW609

Columb ia Helicopt Kamov KA226

ers 107-II Sikorsky S76B
Enstrom TH180

Sikorsky S61
Sikorsky S76D

Sikorsky S92

Enstrom 280FX

Robinso n R44

Enstrom 480B

Robinso n R66

Mil Mi26

Sikorsky S58T
Mil Mi171

Robinso n R22

Robinso n R44 Cadet

Illustration s by
Ugo Crisponi
Aviationgr aphic.com

Sikorsky S300

Marenco SKYe09

erahelicopters.com

heliopsmag.com

pacifichelicopters.aer
o
chiaviation.com

The HeliOps 2017 Poster is a must have

collectable for anyone who is involved in the
helicopter industry. It’s a collection of some
amazing helicopters. There is a limited print run
so grab yours while you can.

They make a great addition to your office, hangar,

home or as a gift for friends and colleagues.

4
 THE TEAM
PUBLISHER
Neville ‘Ned’ Dawson

EDITOR
Mark Ogden

DEPUTY EDITOR
Alan Norris

SUB EDITOR
Leigh Neil

EUROPEAN EDITOR
Alexander Mladenov

EAST COAST USA

Buzz Covington

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Glen White
Sarah Bowen
Nick Mayhew
Nick Henderson
Thomas Humann
Juan Cumplido Valverde
Brad Crescenzo
Scott McKenzie
Chris Smallhorn

PROOFREADER
Barbara McIntosh

KIA KAHA MEDIA GROUP

PO Box 37 978, Parnell,

Auckland 1001, New Zealand
T +64 21 757 747

EMAIL
info@heliopsmag.com

NEWS DESK

news@heliopsmag.com

www.heliopsmag.com

ISSN 1179-710X
 FROM THE EDITOR

In Defense
of the Elderly

T
he company that I work for still uses the Bell 212 and it works
well in the environment in which we work – warm sometimes
hot, humid with lots of rain and lots of dust (sounds mutually
exclusive I know, but after two days of no rain, and the place can be
like a dustbowl). Actually, the 212 is proving to be probably better than
many modern machines in terms of reliability, robustness and simplicity.
Being over 25 years old though, many companies in the resource
sector reject the model as being ‘too old’. I understand the thought
process particularly for fixed wing aircraft with issues of fatigue - but for
helicopters? I’ve heard a saying that correlates to helicopters well, “This
is the best axe I’ve ever had, changed the handle four times and the
head, five.” And so it goes for helicopters, you can change nearly every
part so an ‘old’ helicopter can be like new.

Now don’t get me wrong. I think it’s important for the industry to be
supported in developing new products and the ’25 year’ rule may have
an element of that consideration but while we have been looking for
new helicopters to replace the 212 but really haven’t found anything that
is as robust and can handle the jungle environment so well at such a
competitive purchase price and operating cost.

Modern helicopters tend to be built to save weight and use advanced

technology but in doing so, they seem to be less capable of handling
the rigors of being left outside in downpours, high humidity and heat.
I notice that internal plastic panels soon become brittle and every so
often, something won’t work until it has dried out. I just don’t think that
they are in general, cutout for working in a harsh environment unless they
can be put to bed under a roof each night. While recently looking at a
Mil 8 it was quite noticeable that even though it was built in the 1990s,
the inside looked like something from the 50’s but you know what? - that
helicopter has proved to be extremely reliable and able to withstand the
elements – something the Russians excel at. There’s something about an
analogue metal machine that seems to handle a harsh environment.

6
 FROM THE EDITOR

Now don’t get me wrong, the older helicopters certainly have their issues;
for example, they certainly aren’t as crashworthy as the modern machine and
spares do become harder to find at some point. They are rarely economical
with the fuel and can be uneconomical to maintain (which is where a complete
refurbishment may be an economical answer). Lastly, these helicopters
often just don’t have the power margins that their newer brethren retain (as
a result of the lower weight and later technology). My thought though is that
if you are going to apply an age limitation to helicopters, it should be based
on certification date, not the physical age of the helicopter – after all, the
certification basis details the design and build standards of the time. The
point in the end though is that the 25-year limitation placed by some resource
companies often makes little sense and works against the concept of using the
best machine for the particular job.
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 INDUSTRY NEWS

15TH 407HP CONVERSION FOR EAGLE

Eagle Australasia will shortly start work on a Bell 407, owned by Allway Logistics and operated
by Heli SGI, to carry out their 15th conversion to the 407HP type.

ABU DHABI AVIATION PASSES

1 MILLION FLIGHT HOURS
Abu Dhabi Aviation, the largest
commercial helicopter operator in the
Middle East, has achieved over 1 million
flight hours with 27 Bell 412s and
7 Bell 212s.
S-64 ARRIVES IN AUSTRALIA
Erickson has returned to Australia
for its 20th fire season year and has
six S-64 Aircranes located in Victoria,
New South Wales; and Perth, Western
Australia.

9
 INDUSTRY NEWS

H145 RATING STARTS IN-HOUSE AT WIKING

Wiking Helikopters has successfully completed the first type rating for the H145 under its
own Approved Training Organisation ratings and can also offer type rating to 3rd parties.

S-92
CERTIFIED IN
MEXICO
The Mexican
Directorate
General of Civil
Aeronautics
has approved
the Offshore
and Utility Type
Certification
for the S-92,
enabling
operation of
the type in all
production
configurations.

10
 INDUSTRY NEWS

NORWEGIAN AW101 DELIVERED

The first of 16 AW101s has been delivered to the Norwegian Ministry of Justice & Public Security
for its All-Weather Search and Rescue Helicopter programme to be operated by the Royal
Norwegian AF.

FIREFIGHTERS JOIN
HELICOPTER CREWS
Northland Fire and Emergency
New Zealand and Northland Rescue
have teamed up to provide a faster
way of getting to incidents in
isolated areas by flying St John flight
medics along with two firefighters to
incidents where people are trapped
and need to be cut free.

FIRST H145 FOR PHILJETS

Manila based PhilJets has taken delivery
of three new aircraft to its fleet: two H130s
and its first H145 are to operate in the
business sector.

12
 INDUSTRY NEWS

150TH H145
DELIVERED TO HTM
Helicopter Travel Munich has
taken delivery of the 150th
H145 built in Donauwörth. The
German operator, whose fleet
of aircraft also includes H125s
and H135s, will use the H145
for offshore deployments
over the North Sea.

EIGHT AW139s ORDERED FOR ITALY

A contract has been signed for two AW139s by the Italian Coast Guard and six for the
Customs and Border Protection Service valued at approximately 112 million euro with
deliveries completed by 2020.

CHC WIN NEW

NORWEGIAN
CONTRACT
CHC has been awarded the
contract from Centrica to
provide helicopter services
in support of their drilling
program at the Fogelberg
field in the Norwegian Sea.

13
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 INDUSTRY NEWS

NORTHERN HELICOPTER WINS WIND FARM CONTRACT

German operator Northern HeliCopter has won a six year contract from Spanish owned
energy company Iberdrola operating an EC155 in support of the Wikinger offshore wind
farm located 75km off the Island of Rügen, Germany.

TWO S-70is FOR LA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT

The County of Los Angeles has received two S-70i Black Hawks customized to the
Firehawk configuration and joins their three existing S-70A model Firehawk aircraft.

15
 INDUSTRY NEWS

ABU DHABI AVIATION EXPANDS AW139 FLEET

Abu Dhabi Aviation has signed a contract for two additional AW139s for offshore transport. With
deliveries expected in 2018 to expand their AW139 fleet to 15.

AW189 FOR CHC IN AUSTRALIA

CHC has started operations with three AW189s from their Karratha base on behalf of
Woodside to support their operations on the North West Shelf.

16
 INDUSTRY NEWS

AW139 FOR CHC

Lobo Leasing have completed
FALCON AVIATION COMMITS TO MORE H160s a leasing transaction to
Falcon Aviation has signed a new MoU expanding CHC Group for one offshore
their commitment to the H160 adding three configured AW139 helicopter
additional helicopters to the original Letter of Intent to be based in Karratha,
signed in May 2016. Western Australia.

MD902 FOR MISSOURI COXHEALTH

Missouri-based CoxHealth has taken delivery of a newly converted MD 902 Explorer previously
operated by the Dutch Police and the United States Coast Guard as an MD 900.

17
 INDUSTRY NEWS

FIRST H175 FOR LCI

Leasing company LCI has taken delivery of its first Airbus Helicopters H175 aircraft and placed it
on lease with CHC to be based out of Aberdeen, Scotland.

FIRST 429 IN ANDORRA

Andorra based Heliand has taken delivery of a Bell 429 configured to support EMS and
SAR operations.

18
19
 INDUSTRY NEWS

PRODUCTION STOPS
FOR H120
Airbus Helicopters has confirmed
it has stopped production of the
H120 citing a lack of orders after
22 years of manufacturing the
type. The company will continue to
support the 700 plus aircraft in use
worldwide.

HELICOPTER MUSEUM AWARD FOR EDUCATION

The UK based Helicopter Museum, in Weston super Mare, has been recognised as a
‘Recommended Venue of Education’ by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale and
is the first Museum in England to receive the award and joins a list of only 17 other venues
around the world.

AIR AMBULANCE
SERVICE FROM UTAIR
UTair has become the first
Russian helicopter operator
to receive a license
authorizing it to carry out
EMS operations using the
Mi-8/Mi-17.

20
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 INDUSTRY NEWS

WAYPOINT PLACES H145 IN CHILE

Waypoint Leasing has completed a lease transaction for a single H145 to Ecocopter in
Chile to be used in a wide range of utility work and marks the entry of the type into Chile.

MERCY ADDS THREE 429s

Mercy Flight Inc. has ordered three more Bell 429s as part of an upgrade programme
bringing the type in their fleet to four.

22
23
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 INDUSTRY NEWS

H160’s THIRD PROTOTYPE DESIGN LIVERY

The third H160 prototype has received a new paint design featuring a “carbon” livery
designed in recognition to the Airbus A350 XWB MSN2 flight-test aircraft.

H225s FOR SOUTH KOREA

South Korea’s National 119 Rescue Headquarters has ordered two additional H225s and brings
their fleet to four SAR, fire-fighting and EMS aircraft.

25
 INDUSTRY NEWS

DIGITAL FLIGHT BAG FOR UTAIR

Utair have started to introduce an Electronic Flight Bag system based on a mobile tablet
and is the first Russian helicopter operator to use a digital system.

MI-171E TESTING NEW ENGINE AIRCRANE RETURNS TO CHILE

Russian Helicopters have started flight Erickson has returned to the Chilean
tests of the Mi-171E with an upgraded Bío Bío region with a single fire-fighting
power unit and rotor system at the S-64 to provide services for Ecocopter, a
Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant. Latin American national company.

26
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 UAV TALK

BY
MARK

UNMANNED
OGDEN

AERIAL VEHICLES

I
n my last column, I finished with the statement that, “Drones or
UAVs are not going away. They will proliferate regardless of what the
regulators or even the helicopter industry may want or even desire. It is
time for the industry to understand them and see how they may be able to
add drones to their service delivery.”
Well the regulators are hard at work and they need to be as the number
of occurrences of actual hits, near collision and just general stupidity of
some people operating drones are creating significant concerns in the
fixed and rotary wing communities. The technology has raced ahead of the
regulators’ systems and it’s causing heartache. The technology has made
available to the general community, machines and capabilities that just
10 years ago would have been though impossible. It is that availability to
the general public, at such an affordable price that there has been a huge
uptake of drones that is now causing a problem.
Drones are everywhere and being operated by people who really
have no idea of the risks to aircraft that these machines can pose when
operated irresponsibly. In Papua New Guinea for example, there are
reports of a drone being flown across the International Airport runways
while flight operations were in progress. Fortunately, it came nowhere near
aircraft but it does exemplify the problem; how to keep drones and aircraft
safely separated.
The great concern now is there will be an overreaction; a sort of
over-swing in the pendulum if you like. Now, and on first impression,
the helicopter industry as a whole probably won’t object too much to a
significant tightening of the rules given the competition the industry is
facing from drones. The thing is though, the professional, already licensed
drone service providers who operate properly within the rules probably
won’t be impacted too much and indeed any tightening of the rules will
work in their favour by limiting what the amateur or enthusiast can do
with their machines and where they can do it. To be fair to the regulators,
they have tried the educational route. The UK CAA published what it calls
the ‘drone code’. Stipulating what seem to be pretty standard practices

28
 UAV TALK

such as staying below 400ft and 50m away from people and property
(plus 30m from any person during takeoff and landing – seriously?), the
Authority is now embarking on, like the US FAA requiring the registration
of all drones over 250 grams. Australia, the home of the first attempts at
regulating drone operations, has not yet proposed to go down this path
with recreational drones but you can see the gradual creep of regulation.
After the registration, what will come next? Licencing requirements? How
about insurance - for example, will drone pilots have to carry insurances?
Most regulators are putting limits on how far from an airport a drone
may be operated. In very general terms, in the USA, it’s 5nm of an airport,
in PNG, 4km (2.15nm) of any aerodrome, and in Australia, it’s within 5.5km
(2.96nm) of a controlled aerodrome. To try and address the issue DJI
for example, is putting geo fencing into the flight software so you can’t
operate within the zones dictated by the regulator…trouble is, there can be
unintended consequences.
Our company is presently developing the use of drones for many
purposes and owns its airport. Ideal location to train people one
would think – afterall, the company controls the traffic and hours of
operation. Yet, it can’t operate DJI drones for training people because
of the geo-fencing enforced by DJI. Despite numerous request to DJI
to lift the restriction on the company airport, the response has so far
been underwhelming. So, what wasn’t a bad idea has some issues with
implementation.
While there is an attempt to address the issue of airports, the regulators
haven’t managed to address the one industry most affected by the
chances of collision with drones, and that’s the helicopter industry. Most
helicopters working below 400ft are usually on approach or departure
from a helipad, and emergency response site or being there working doing
such things as firefighting. Geo-fencing does not address the issue at all
and would be almost impossible to manage.
What’s the solution I hear you ask? Well, getting people trained to
avoid manned aircraft is only a stop gap measure, and won’t stop the non-
thinking idiots from putting drones in the vicinity of manned aircraft. An
elegant engineering solution is needed. While a lot of work still has to
happen, the best I think is that the drones have self-avoidance capabilities
which will allow them to get out of the way of helicopters and manned
aircraft. The technology is still being developed but once this happens, the
issue of mid-air collision would be dramatically reduced. HO

29
 A GREATER VIEW

WOMEN IN THE
HELICOPTER B Y I VA N A G O R L I N

INDUSTRY
CHARLOTTE PEDERSEN

L
uxaviation Helicopters conjures an air of refinement, of elegance, and
of success - words easily applied to an organization that provides VVIP
helicopter management; and words that are equally befitting of its
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Charlotte Pedersen.
Despite being raised on a farm on a small island in the Baltic Sea and
self-describing her young self as a “real country girl”, Pedersen’s extensive
accomplishments find her completely at home
in corporate Luxemburg. It is not difficult to
attribute Pedersen’s evolution from country
childhood to successful CEO to her strong work
ethic. From the age of 12 she held at least one
job without ever compromising her studies.
Her diligence is reflected in her being one of
only two candidates in her application group
to successfully negotiate the weeklong barrage
of testing required for military pilot selection.
She also happened to be the first female to
have done so after the Danish Army opened the
selection process to women in 1989. Such was
the momentousness of the accomplishment the
Air Force removed their male only policy and
offered Pedersen a position also.
Pedersen’s initial phase of Danish Air Force
flight training was conducted at the Flying
School Avno, Denmark before being sent to the
USA to complete the US Navy flying course.
For someone who initially applied “simply
because it sounded interesting” and with no
previous aspirations for the military or aviation

30
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 A GREATER VIEW

in general, Pedersen absolutely aced the course, graduating on the

Commodore’s List of top 20 pilots from a yearly total of one thousand
students.
While Pedersen’s Danish classmates were supportive during her
training, more broadly she experienced some gender inequity. “If I did
well it was often deemed to be luck and if I did not do well, then it
was reaffirmation that women do not have a place in this industry. But,
after a while, there was less attention around our gender and more
focus on the fact that we were part of a team that worked really well
with a mixed gender constellation.”
On return to Denmark Pedersen was posted to 722 Squadron where
she transitioned onto the S61 Sea King and spent most of her military
career flying SAR. “Search and Rescue missions are very demanding,

32
 A GREATER VIEW

mainly because you work day and night, sometimes with very little or
no sleep before a mission, in challenging weather conditions without a
planned mission. Everything pops up with no warning and you have to
find a solution in order to rescue the patients. As a commander on board
the rescue helicopter, you have to remember that you are responsible for
the other five crew members who have families waiting for them at home;
however, I’m proud to say that in my squadron, we successfully completed
more than 800 missions per year.” Apart from her flying responsibilities
Pedersen also held positions both at Squadron and Base level associated
with safety, emergency equipment and survival training. She also
coordinated and spoke at major air shows.
On leaving the Air Force Pedersen took up a position as a Flight
Operations Inspector with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in
Luxembourg. During this time she was responsible for the safety
and oversight of registered air operators, licenced flight crew, and
commercial & business flight operations. Engaged in policy, regulation
and surveillance, Pedersen also evaluated operator training programs,
equipment and facilities. For most that would be more than enough to
keep themselves occupied, but during her time with the CAA Pedersen
also maintained her flying status with part-time Helicopter Emergency
Medical Service work in France while simultaneously completing a
Masters of Business Administration (MBA). “I did already have extensive
management training and experience from both the Officers Academy
and my former military career, but to add an officially recognised MBA to
this, made the change [to civil industry]
much more fluent and made me truly
confident in my ability.”
In 2012 Pedersen moved to the private
sector starting with Luxaviation when
it was a comparatively small business
with four aircraft and 60 employees,
attracted by the direction the company
was heading and motivated by its vision
for the future. Pedersen was promoted to
Chief Operating Officer in 2014, and was
appointed CEO Luxaviation Helicopters at
its inception of towards the end of 2016.
She now holds a critical position in of one
of the world’s leading charter operators

33
 A GREATER VIEW

with more than 270 aircraft and

1,700 employees. After a year at
the helm Pedersen describes her
biggest challenge as reluctantly
having to curb that incredible work
ethic to ensure she takes enough
time away from work to relax. “I
truly love my job; I have fantastic
colleagues and every project we
work on is so interesting that it is
difficult to take a break.”
While Pedersen describes
the Luxaviation Group as being
“a 21st century company, where
race, gender and sexuality bear
no relevance on our hiring process
whatsoever”, she concedes that
the company “would certainly like
to employ more women.” Seems
though that is a reflection of where
the industry is at rather than the
company: “Aviation is still, in my opinion, a male-dominated industry.
What we are lacking is a more dedicated information stream to the
younger generation about the endless possibilities working in aviation
provides. In the future, it will not only be a task for the airlines and air
operators, but also for governments in general to ensure there is more
information about the industry. We need to educate young people –
especially women – in aviation, especially since air traffic is expected
to increase and there are currently not enough young people going
in this direction. One of the reasons is, of course, the cost of a pilot
education, which might also be an area where governments need to look.
Otherwise, there will be a lack of professionals in the aviation industry
which is deeply unsettling.”
While Pedersen sees challenges ahead, what is encouraging about the
industry’s growth is the appointment of such an accomplished woman to
the position of CEO of such a successful helicopter operator. By default,
Pedersen becomes a role model to any young woman contemplating the
pursuit of a career in aviation. In my opinion, the importance of strong
female role models in the helicopter industry cannot be overstated. HO

34
 Year: 1985
S/N: 1873
TTAF: 12059.9
Location: PNG
Equipped with Onboard Cargo Hook
ENGINE: Arriel 1B TSN: 8640.2
AVIONICS:
VHF COM KING KY196A
VHF COM KING KY196A
HF COM CODAN 2000
TPX KING KT79
AUDIO PANEL KING KMA24H-71
ELT ARTEX C406 1HM
FM COM TAIT 2000
SATELLITE TRACKING SKY CONNECT
GPS GARMIN GPSMAP 196
INSPECTION: Next maintenance action: 50 h –
Inspection at TT A/C 12109.9

ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT AND FEATURES:

Whelen Siren FOR MORE INFO
Dart External Cargo Basket LH
Pacific Helicopters Limited
AKV Cycle Counter
Pilot Floor Window Airport Road
Dual Seat Provision P.O Box 342, Goroka
Dart External Mirror Eastern Highlands Province
Pilot Windshield Wiper Papua New Guinea
Dart Rear Baggage Compartment Extender t: (675) 5321833
f: (675) 5321503
INTERIOR: White and Grey
PILOT(S)/ PASSENGERS: 1 / 5 or 1 / 6 e: dom@pacifichelicopters.aero

EXTERIOR: White
REMARKS / MISCELLANEOUS: The aircraft is operating, why
the condition and component times will be subject to changes
depending upon such operations.

35
 FLIGHT SIMULATION

BY GEOFF NE WMAN

GIVING
TOUCH-PANEL TRAINING
DEVICES THE FINGER

D
on’t panic… keep your hair on… I am a fan of the touch-panel-based training
device, so don’t get the wrong idea… BUT… are they usurping the role of the
genuine cockpit trainer and leaving us worse off as a result?
A plethora of training devices based on touch-sensitive flat panels is emerging
into the world of flight simulation. They are designed to provide economic lead-in
training for type rating students who are then required to complete the process in
either a non-motion FTD, Level D Full Flight Simulator (FFS), or the real thing.
The FFS is an expensive device but even more costly if you have no choice
other than to use it for the teaching of basic procedures such as engine starting
and stopping or the basics of automation management. A more cost-effective way
of teaching these protocols would be to use a lower level training device that had
all the attributes of the genuine replica cockpit without the luxuries of visual and
motion systems. Of course, any such device should be capable of achieving the
necessary approvals from the regulators so needs to be reasonably sophisticated as
well as reliable and simple to operate and maintain.
Help is on hand for such a strategy in the shape of ICAO document ‘9625’. In
Part 2 (Helicopters), of this guide to the use of flight training equipment,
it recommends a ‘ladder’ of such devices that range from the basic to the
sophisticated. Every flight training school will seek to provide its students with a
graduated training process using a selection of emulators and simulators according
to the depth of their pockets.
The touch-sensitive trainers I refer to use a range of panels (TV-like screens)
to represent the cockpit. The images of switches and buttons are capable of
translating, with the touch of a finger (or dedicated pointer) into an appropriate
response on the display itself, or on other cockpit display screens and indicators. All
this is possible courtesy of powerful software connected to a server.
The problem I do have with touch-sensitive devices is where they should fit in

36
 FLIGHT SIMULATION

the scheme of things. I fear that the pressures from management are driving them
towards the upper end of the training device spectrum because they superficially
do the job and as Flight Training Devices, (FTD’s) go, they are comparatively
inexpensive. Touch-sensitive devices, in my opinion, have a role to play just a step
above the desk-top computer-based training aids. It is a huge mistake, I believe, to
underestimate two vital ingredients that are so very important to a pilot learning a
new type. One is the tactile qualities of the device compared with the ‘real thing’.
The other is the disposition of the screens and panels within a ‘mock-up’ cockpit.
The aviator lives and works in a three-dimensional world, and his situational
awareness depends on his mastery of this 3-D environment. To harness the two-
dimensional world of the touch-sensitive panel is a clever idea but we should not
lose sight of the fact that a two-dimensional training device will do nothing to
develop three-dimensional skills. They can make a contribution but only if well
designed, are accurate replicas of the real thing, operate with one touch and are
stable and reliable tools.
The very act of pressing a button and feeling it pushing back, (called a ‘haptic’
response), gives the genuine device a feedback quality that seems to complete the
mental pathway and enhance understanding of the resulting system response. A
touch-panel provides the illusion of this effect, but in reality, the vagaries of slow
software and inaccurate finger-tips more often make it a frustrating experience.
The user is left, at times, with the feeling that one is taking part in a box-ticking
process rather than immersing oneself in a truly representative environment. This
is the curse of a world that seems to permanently survive on ‘Beta’ software (that’s
software that is still ‘under development’).
Hermann Ebbinghaus was a pioneering psychologist of the Victorian era.
His research into the abilities of the human mind to absorb and retain learned
knowledge was the basis for much research that followed, and this modern research
has shaped the way the world of teaching addresses the problems associated with
the retention of knowledge.
One thing we certainly understand is that the more involved the student is
with the material he is attempting to learn the longer the majority of that new
knowledge will be retained. The US founding father and polymath, Benjamin
Franklin, once summed up the situation very well when, 100 years or so before
Ebbinghaus, he said,

“Tell me, and I forget. Teach me, and I remember. Involve me, and I learn”.

This advice leads us to maximise the physical involvement of the student in the
learning process, and procedure trainers score a million more points than a simple
classroom lecture - PowerPoint or no PowerPoint.

37
 FLIGHT SIMULATION

The pilot’s working environment is the cockpit. He or she must, at all times, be
comfortable in it and believe in its credibility. The pilot achieves this by maximising
his situational awareness by ensuring he or she knows not only where everything
is in the cockpit but also what it does and how it operates.
The term ‘muscle-memory’ has been used synonymously with ‘motor learning’.
This process is based on the repetitive use of items in an environment such as
an aircraft cockpit. This conveys upon the pilot a semi-automatic awareness of
his surroundings. A familiarity that enhances situational awareness and improves
reaction times. For a training device to be truly effective, it must accurately
replicate the real aircraft cockpit.
There is a fundamental mental process at work when we ‘make a switch’ or
‘press a button’, and it relates to the outcome of that simple act. If the resultant
tactile experience is convincing then we ‘believe’ that outcome and our memory
logs it as something worthy of retention. If the outcome is unconvincing,
then retention seems a lot less certain. If the designers of these devices don’t
appreciate these limitations, then they may be guilty of overselling their value
in the marketplace. Those that make the decisions about what to buy and what
not to buy may also be unaware of these limitations and be persuaded by the
apparent economy and simplicity.

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 FLIGHT SIMULATION

While teaching pilots to use the modern ‘flat-screen’ cockpit displays, sometimes
referred to as ‘glass cockpits’, I have learnt a lot about what works and what doesn’t.
These displays are densely packed with data, much of it in digital format. For those
that have been raised in cockpits equipped with dials, the flat screen displays can
often represent a significant challenge. Digital data has to be acquired from the
displays by reading it, understanding it, comprehending it, analysing it and then
deciding what to do with it. To acquire data quickly, the eye must fall upon the exact
location on the display where this critical fragment of information is located. We can
call this motor skill ‘eye-muscle-memory’. Every opportunity to deliver the necessary
training for this and all the other muscle memory related actions and drills should be
conducted in a device where the ‘cockpit’ is a very accurate replica of the real thing.
I recently used a device based on correctly oriented touch-sensitive panels, and
up to a point, it worked very well, with some reservations. I have also had to use
a device that was designed down to a price and lacked correct panel and flight
control orientation, had incorrect display configuration and was one panel short of
that necessary for true cockpit replication. Not only was it painful to use because
one screen had to do the job of two, but the whole setup delivered an unconvincing
sub-optimal training experience.
There is an old proverb that I am fond of –

For want of a nail, the shoe was lost…

For want of a shoe, the horse was lost…
For want of a horse, the rider was lost…
For want of a rider, the message was lost…
For want of a message, the battle was lost…
For want of a battle, the Kingdom was lost…
… All for the want of a horseshoe nail.

Ex-Naval types like me may prefer a more succinct variation…

Don’t spoil the ship for a ha’p’orth of tar.

For sure there have been many incidents in the past where accident investigators
have stared at a smoking hole in the ground and came to that same conclusion.
Good quality training may not solve all such problems, but at least if we do our best,
we are not left wondering.
Attention to detail will deliver the best training possible and not necessarily cost
a whole lot more. Better to pay up than kid ourselves that we are doing it right
when really, we haven’t properly understood the problem. This attitude only satisfies
the bean-counters who may only be interested in ‘window-dressing’.
It is my considered opinion that there should be another tool between the touch-

40
 The HeliOps Frontline Helicopters &
Tiltrotors of the United States Marine Corps is a
“Must Have” for everyone involved with or who
has an interest in the military helicopter industry.

HMH-36 1 / CH-53E

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VMM-26 2 / MV22B HMH-46 6 / CH-53E

HMLA-3 67 / AH-1W

VMM-16 1 / MV22B
HMHT-3 02 / CH-53E
VMM-26 6 / MV22B

VMM-16 3 / MV22B
VMM-16 4 / MV22B

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HMLA-3 69 / UH-1Y HMLA-4 67 / UH-1Y

HMLA-4 69 / UH-1Y

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HMLA/T-303 / AH-1W
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HMLA-4 69 / AH-1W

VMM-76 4 / MV22B HMH-77 2 / CH-53E

HMLA-3 67 / UH-1Y

VMMT-2 04 / MV22B
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41
 FLIGHT SIMULATION

screen training device and the FFS and that is a non-motion, replica cockpit with
basic visual system. It should feature aircraft quality software emulation that will
permit the most critical systems to be used without necessarily requiring aircraft-
grade equipment but the tactile qualities must be close to the real thing. The
complete lack of tactile integrity is the Achilles Heel of the touch-sensitive device.
This basic FTD I describe is, on the other hand, a wonderfully cost-effective tool for
it can at one and the same time be used like a small classroom or for more focused
scenario training – PLUS – it is capable of gaining significant training and testing
‘credits’ from the regulators.
So, my ideal Training Centre equipment will include four steps –

1. Desk top PC based emulators for starting, stopping and automation management.
2 Touch-sensitive panel-based cockpit trainers capable of being operated by the
student with minimal technical supervision.
3. A non-motion FTD, preferably with a good quality visual presentation. (Some
such devices are available with a token motion system but nothing like the
sophistication of an FFS). It will require a separate room or enclosure to ensure
optimum training environment.
4. A well developed, reliable, stable (software), FFS to Level-D that was fully
de-bugged before being introduced into service. This is an essential if the plan is
to do licence related testing or, if used by the military, capable of meeting their
testing standards.

One advantage of such a ‘masterplan’ is that if capacity is a problem or technical

failures occur then the FTD can do 95% of the work (including TR’s), an FFS does. A
good ‘flat-panel’ trainer will do 80% of the work an FTD does (but cannot substitute for
the FFS) and the PC based trainer can at least keep the students busy and focused.
If the Training Centre you manage is based on just one FFS, then you should
know that when it breaks or becomes fully booked, you will have a potentially severe
problem. Heaven forbid the chaos when both occur, for there will be customers reliant
on access to the sim to deal with critical, time-related, elements of their training
programme. Make sure you know where your hard-hat and flack-jacket are.
Training isn’t cheap, but if we combine good quality flight simulation training
devices with well-trained simulator instructors, we will at least get value for money.
Another quote from Benjamin Franklin sums it up –

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”

Training, remember is not a ‘cost’ – it’s an investment. If your customer ends

up in a hole in the ground, the first thing the investigators will ask for is the crew’s
training files. A sobering thought. HO

42
 MAINTENANCE

SIX OF ONE
BY JER EMI AH WRIGHT

W
e all have our favorite airframes. This one is faster. That one has
more room. This other one flies smoother. Outside of these and
other operational considerations, ease of access and maintenance
can often be overlooked with the one exception of its costs and the impact
to the bottom line. This is understandable. The helicopter’s job is to operate,
so an airframe should be chosen based on the operation. Maintenance is not
the primary consideration, but more the consequence of having decided
to operate the helicopter in the first place. Nevertheless, mechanics have
airframe preferences based less on operational standards and performance
and more on ease of access and their costs in skin and blood.
My experience has me debating between two airframes: Airbus’s H130 and
Bell’s 407. Operationally, the latest iteration of these airframes has greatly
improved in performance and capability placing them neck and neck in their
specifications. If they’re near equal in capability for the operation, which should
the mechanic prefer? I used to think the choice was clear. I maintained EC130
B4s with a solid team of mechanics in the southeast US. We ran four EC130
B4s and two AS350 B2s. The aircraft operated 24/7 as air ambulances and we
pulled all of our T inspections and 600 hours in a centrally located hangar. We
stayed busy managing the flow into the hangar and fixing them when they broke
at their bases. I grew accustomed to their maintenance schedule, anticipated
on condition replacements, and enjoyed a comfortable familiarity that was a
few years in the making. So when I moved to another contract operating the
company’s first 407GX and my first Bell product, I immediately begrudged my
comrades their maintaining the EC130.
Now, over four years of consistent Bell 407 work, I would hesitate to choose
Airbus’s H130. This probably boils down to currency. I’m not as up to date on
Alert Service Bulletins and Airworthiness Directives against the 130. I’m way
out of practice on the airframe and Turbomeca’s Arriel engine. And I’ve simply
forgotten a lot of what I knew. Bearing all this in mind I called Doug. Doug
was my go-to guy in the Southeast and part of my team. When I moved to my
current contract, he assumed my role and now leads the old troop along with
some new names and faces. He also took delivery of a 407GX which replaced
one of the older B2 AStars, so he’s elbows deep in both worlds.
After just a few minutes on the phone it was clear Doug wasn’t ready to tell

43
 MAINTENANCE

me which airframe he thought was more maintenance friendly. We had

discussed de-cowling, the 407’s rear transmission cowling clearly is a
disadvantage—it’s bolted and quarter-turn fastened requiring the removal
of the airframe fuel filter and all that that entails. The inspection schedules
differ as well, the 407 being more progressive with six recommended
events 50 flight hours apart versus the 130’s 600 hour which usually took
us three weeks to complete. I mentioned the 407’s freewheeling unit
placement and ownership. It’s a Bell part installed on the Rolls Royce
gearbox. When faced with an engine replacement, the freewheeling unit
must be swapped to the new engine adding considerable time to the
maintenance event. The 130 only has three main rotor blades to worry
over and the head tears down easy, but I find the 407 easier to balance
due to the even number of blades. So our talk stalled and I asked Doug to
think about it and let me know which he would choose if forced.
A couple hours later I got his email: “My choice would be an EC130.”
He lists three reasons. The first is “Ease of Maintenance.” Doug points out
that “the 407 is a narrow helicopter without much in the way of access
panels.” In his experience he notes that “it seems like everything that
breaks and requires replacement is in the hell hole behind the hat rack […]
I’ve even had to remove a chin bubble to replace a resistor.” The second
reason he gives is his preference of the fenestron (enclosed tail rotor) over
the conventional tail rotor. He argues that the enclosed tail rotor is safer
for maintenance personnel, easier to rebuild with no static balance, and
quieter to boot. I admit, I do miss the fenestron, though the 407 tail rotor
hasn’t presented me with any notable problems (other than the pedal
restrictor solenoid and it’s 7/32 mount nuts). The final reason Doug lists is
the 130’s Full Authority Digital Engine Control. He writes “The 130 FADEC
seems to be more “full authority” than the one on the 407. We have never
had a single over-temp during start […] regardless of battery voltage.”
Doug makes some valid points and reminds me of my own grievances
like the first time I pulled the 407’s hydraulic pump to grease the splines.
The access is terrible and most mechanic’s have made or acquired
special tools to do the job. The 130’s gear driven pump is much more
accessible, but care should be taken not to drop the hardware below the
transmission—it doesn’t always make it to the belly panel. I never look
forward to changing the friction pads on the 407GX rotor brake. Mine only
seem to last about 300 flight hours meaning I’ve got to do that left-hand

44
 MAINTENANCE

caliper mount bolt safety more frequently than I’d like. The 130’s rotor brake
lasts longer and there’s no hydraulics to worry over bleeding. Furthermore, I was
caught completely off guard when it took three days for my first engine change
on the 407. Pulling and replacing the Arriel had been a one day job at the most.
And as Doug says in his email: “The list could go on […].”
Frankly, I figured I would conclude with a to-each-his-own attitude, but
objectively I don’t think that’s true. I’ve left more skin on the 407 than I ever did
on the 130. Though the 407 does have a few maintenance advantages over the
130, I judge the Airbus to be the more maintenance friendly airframe. If it’s six of
one, it’s half a baker’s dozen of the other.
Safe Flying. HO

45
 FLIGHT TRAINING

BY
TERRY

TRAINING
PA L M E R

TO LAND AND LIVE

P
recautionary landings by definition are designed to prevent some
sort of hazard. The hazard can be as simple as a caution light or as
complicated as deteriorating weather. In any case, precautionary
landings are the right choice to make when perceived hazards can affect
the safety of flight. A precautionary landing is a premeditated landing
when further flight is possible but not advisable. This concept and practice
of precautionary landings should be covered in both initial and recurrent
training scenarios.
First let’s look at some of the reasons to land as soon as it is practical.
This is often described as continued flight is not advisable under current
circumstances. The first condition to consider would be low fuel or a
mechanical malfunction. These are fairly straight forward problems and the
common sense thing to do is land. In some cases there is a check list item
recommending the landing as soon as possible, practical or immediately.
The more complicated reasons for unscheduled landings are deteriorating
weather, bird strikes, and even illness of the pilot. All of these more
complex reasons may not seem as practical or convenient even though
landing maybe the safer decision.
Most training covers such events as loss of engine, transmission and
hydraulics in which case we teach the pilot to identify a landing spot
and execute a landing according to the emergency procedures for the
aircraft model. Training should also include the procedures and decision
making in any situation that can be considered a hazard for loss of control.
These conditions are not as obvious as mechanical issues. It could be a
loss of visibility or a loss of situational awareness. The decision to land
should be based on the ability to continue a safe flight under current
circumstances as well as the ability to make a safe landing in the current
conditions. In training a pilot for an initial rating, scenarios can be built
into the curriculum to include this type of decision making. It is extremely
important to cover precautionary landing in training new pilots. This safety
culture should be instilled throughout all training. In recurrent training or
advanced ratings, scenarios in either aircraft or simulators can be used to

46
 FLIGHT TRAINING

provide practice for the complex decisions to land. Training should include
how to assess the level of urgency, choosing a spot to land and standing by
the decision.
The ability to recognize and accept the need to land rather than continue
the flight is often not an easy decision. We are faced with the inconvenience
of the decision sometimes before accepting the safety aspect. If we land
in an area other than the intended destination, we are faced with what to
do next as well as how other people may react to the decision. There are
perceptions that may cause us to hesitate to land. Some of the perceptions
relate to ego, while others include possible ridicule or punitive action from
regulating authorities. In some cases it can cause us to question the decision
at the expense of safety.
The IHST in both the European and US sectors have put considerable
emphasis on this. Analysis of fatal accidents continues to show that pilots
are reluctant to land despite worsening weather conditions and visibility.
Accident reports state that an early decision to land would have most likely
prevented the accident. Helicopter Association International (HAI) has
developed a campaign called “Land and Live” in order to make pilots aware
that landing the helicopter is the right option. It is the acceptable solution to
managing risk and the expected decision when faced with unsafe conditions.
Except in the instance of a catastrophic mechanical failure, a
precautionary landing can prevent most accidents. It is often hard to
quantify the results of what procedures prevent accidents; however there
are numerous accidents indentified by the NTSB, IHST and HAI that outline
the details of how the decision to land prevented accidents and fatalities. As
accident reports are reviewed in training, we can often go back to the “what
if” the pilot made a precautionary landing.
Most associations and operators support the decision of pilots to execute
precautionary landings when continued safety of flight is in perceived or
actual jeopardy. These recognized situations include, but are not limited to,
deteriorating or unsafe weather conditions, uncertainty of aircraft integrity,
or potential incapacitation of a required crew member. Pilots can be made
aware of industry support for this project during training.
Training the “Land and Live” concept should be part of every training
event in an aircraft or simulator. The right decision to land when necessary is
the safe decision and training safe decisions makes a difference. HO

47
 HELICOPTER BUSINESS

A RACE TO
THE BOTTOM B Y S C OT T M C K E N Z I E

Y
ou are probably reading this because you have an affinity with aviation. I’ve been around
aviation all my life. I’ve been lucky to have some amazing experiences as a kid helping
Mum and Dad out in their aviation company (RW and FW) then forging my own path in the
aviation sector. I am fortunate to now call people friends that were friends of my parents when I was
growing up. They have been there, done that and seen it all. Fortunately, many of them are retiring.
It’s a fantastic industry to be in with amazing experiences and people with passion. And that’s
one of the problems with the accident rate we continue to experience, people feeding that passion.
There are too many romantics and aviation lovers who want to fly and believe that starting their
own company is the way to achieve their goals. There is a difference between being a line pilot and
running a business.
The huge capital cost of equipment, cost of getting a certificate and of regulatory compliance,
mean that you need immediate turnover to start to make things pay. Some are lucky with funding
from wealthy benefactors, or Mum and Dad have sold their business. The main way start-ups get
turnover is to charge low prices, “just to get the first few jobs.” More often than not, the amount
doesn’t even cover the marginal cost of operating. This leads to a nasty spiral, financial pressure, lost
leaders to get work, which leads to poor decisions. As one experienced aviation retiree said to me
“Some people will do anything, at any cost, to feed their passion.”
This puts pressure on the operators doing it well and, at times, results in a race to the bottom of
the charge out rates. At the end of the day there are few winners. Just because you are a (good)
pilot, doesn’t mean you are a good business man.
There are clusters of aircraft in many places around the world, centred on areas that are majestic
such as the Grand Canyon (USA), Hawaii or Queenstown (NZ). Tourism, in many cases, makes them
sustainable. In many areas, the proliferation of operators means that there is not enough work
to support the number of aircraft. This leads to financial pressure and cost cutting in areas that
shouldn’t happen. Not winding back to ground idle and leaving the controls unattended to load
passengers just to save a 0.1 of a cycle. Using your rope one more time after its test certificate
expires, or the classic of not logging hours. The competitive environment results in zero collaboration
with fellow industry people (an important learning, mentoring and supervising element), dangerous
operating decisions (over loading during heliskiing or exceeding Vne to do faster turnaround times)
and no money to spend on safety initiatives to say the least.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I am a capitalist and believe that competition is a good thing. When

48
 HELICOPTER BUSINESS

my wife and I owned an award-winning hospitality business we welcomed competition. It kept us

sharp, innovative and always working on our customer service to deliver the surprise and delight
that kept our customers coming back and bringing their friends. In most cases we were more
expensive than the competition. We knew our costs, managed our waste and charged accordingly
and, because of the great food and great service, people kept coming through the door.
There has always been the joke in many militaries – “how does it feel to be flying an aircraft
and wearing the equipment of the lowest bidder?” In the current Health and Safety environment,
many buyers are questioning putting their staff in the equipment of the lowest bidder. What
short cuts are company-X taking to pay the bills and make a profit? Is their equipment safe? Is
their decision-making culture good? In the past, buyers have sought the lowest bidder because
they have thought about the bottom line as well. The lowest bidder can impact the buyers’
profitability. The culture is changing. Are you prepared?
Financial sustainability is one of key’s to reducing the accident rate. The marginal operating
cost for a helicopter is pretty standard. Overheads are generally standard. So how can one
operator charge $1400/hour vs another $1900/hour for the same aircraft operation? I understand
there are many factors, one being utilisation. But some operators use smoke and mirrors, like
charging running time, reducing flight time; adding time to bring the hourly rate up and the list
goes on. When the established operator is charging the higher amount then as a buyer you have
to ask questions.
A large number of operators are doing things right. They understand their costs (immediate as
well as delayed), have a five-year cashflow forecast (which identifies the impact of an overhaul)
and they are charging accordingly. They deliver what the customer wants, safe, excellent service,
reliable and doing what they say. In many cases they exceed the minimum for compliance, set
best practice and strive for a great safety culture. It doesn’t mean it is easy. It is relentless and
consistent effort is required to do things right.
These operators turn back early when the conditions aren’t right, knowing that they will be
able to do it another day. They fly at a speed that keeps the long-line trailing clear of the tail, they
set ground idle or shut-down before getting out and take one less passenger when it is close to
their limit. They don’t take two adult passengers in the front seat which puts them just over the
forward CofG (or overweight) just because they know the aircraft can do it, or other companies
or pilots do it. They respect door off Vne and cargo pod descent rates. They don’t have serious
financial pressure because they deliver what the client wants and they charge accordingly. They
do things right and their clients respect them for that. It’s all part of the value proposition. I enjoy
the workshop on what the needs of the customer, staff and business are. Generally, staff can list
lots about their needs and few about the customer or business needs. When everyone, including
the business owners, see the how their own needs will be met if the customer is satisfied it
changes the perspective and culture. It drives revenue, repeat business and customer referrals.
Want to start your race to the top? Start with a five-year cashflow forecast and deliver a great
service to your customer. HO

49
 Blue Hawaiian Helicopters and the H130

With a large fleet of more than thirty aircraft and

a history spanning more than thirty years, Blue
Hawaiian Helicopters is not only a benchmark
tourism operator in Hawaii; the company is
also heavily involved in industry and aircraft
development. HeliOps visited Blue Hawaiian to
discuss the company and their newest machines,
eleven Airbus H130s.

S TO RY BY L E I G H N E I L I PH OTO S BY N E D D AW S O N
51
52
D
avid and Patricia Chevalier
founded Blue Hawaiian
Helicopters in 1985 and
operated the company until Air
Methods acquired it in 2013.
Blue Hawaiian Helicopters’ management and
operations continued unchanged until the
Chevaliers moved into advisory positions in
2015, and Gregg Lundberg was then appointed
as president and still occupies that position.
The Massachusetts-born Lundberg remains a
die-hard fan of the New England Patriots and
his background includes thirty years in the
hotel industry; predominantly in Hawaii but
with six years in the Caribbean and Malaysia.
Air Methods brings extensive experience in
the rotary-wing aviation side and operations,
purchasing and maintenance are all thoroughly
understood and controlled. The combination of
Air Methods aviation expertise and Lundberg’s
tourism specialty was seen as the ideal
structure to develop and grow the already
highly successful business that the Chevaliers
had built.

53
 During “the Chevalier years,” the company was involved in an industry group
that approached major helicopter manufacturers in an attempt to produce a
better aircraft that suited the needs of the helicopter industry, while being quieter
and less intrusive to the public. The result of those efforts was a co-operation
between the user-industry and Airbus, formerly known as Eurocopter, which saw
the genesis of the EC130 Eco-Star. Blue Hawaiian was the launch customer for the
EC130 and commenced operating the type in 2001. Subsequent co-operation with
Airbus resulted in the later-improved H130 variant for Blue Hawaiian, one of the
first customers putting the type into service in 2012. The H130s operated by Blue
Hawaiian Helicopters include an avionics package that was developed by Blue
in conjunction with Airbus. Thanks to those efforts, the STC’d Garmin G500-H
750/650 combination avionics suite is now available as an option on new aircraft
from the factory. By late 2017 Blue Hawaiian Helicopters’ fleet included eleven
H130s, fourteen H130 B4s and six AS350 B2s.
Blue Hawaiian Helicopters operates throughout the Hawaiian Islands and is the

54
55
56
57
 only company with a presence on four of the major islands. The majority of Blue
Hawaiian’s H130s are based on Maui and Waikoloa, Big Island where the demands
of high altitude work and longer distance flights gain the greatest advantage
from the aircraft’s increased power and performance. The newer machines
will also be operated from other bases on occasion to cover demand, address
maintenance needs and maintain pilot proficiency on both H130 variants. With
its extra 100hp using the same fuel quantity as the older models, the H130 can
also offer greater endurance if that extra power is not required for a particular
flight profile. Reduced fuel burn also means potentially less wear on engine
components, promising increased reliability and possibly extended time between
overhaul (TBO) intervals. Blue Hawaiian is putting more hours on the H130 and
their engines than any other operator in the world and have already sent up to
three engines back to Turbomeca for overhaul. In Lundberg’s words, “the engines
came back clean as a whistle, and the TBO on two engines has since been
increased to 4,800 hrs.”
Specific type advantages that led to Blue Hawaiian making such a major
commitment to the H130 as its new platform of choice are that it is a state-of-
the-art machine with improved safety. It boasts a crashworthy fuel system and
crash-attenuating seats, a larger engine, increased gross weight capability and
better CofG envelope, while offering a noticeably better ride with substantially
reduced vibration levels, compared to its predecessor types. Lundberg summed it
up; “The H130 is a much more advanced and more sophisticated aircraft—a major
improvement over the earlier AS350 series.” The smoothness, space and comfort
of the newer machine make it a highly attractive offering for tourism operators
“Our current fleet is the right size for today’s demand,” stated Lundberg, “We’re
seeing double-digit increases in demand on all the islands annually and I think

58
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61
62
63
 Without detracting from the tourism operation in any
way, there is a move towards increasing the amount of
utility work that Blue Hawaiian conducts, simply as a
way of diversifying the company’s business portfolio.

that we’ll eventually grow the company and take on more helicopters. It’s a good
product and we’re really happy with the H130 as a package.”
If there were to be a replacement model for the H130 – a hypothetical ‘T3’ –
Lundberg quotes reduced noise as the major factor he would desire in the new
aircraft. “Noise is a significant concern in our industry and that was the key reason
for our work with Eurocopter and Airbus in the design of the H130 series, which
is still the quietest helicopter in its class. Work still needs to continue though;
developing rotor blades and systems to ensure noise levels continue to reduce.
That’s the key to the future of helicopters. We hope that with newer technology

64
66
it’ll result in quieter aircraft,” he opined. The second item on Lundberg’s wish list
for a new machine is a reduction in price. Technologies advance and prices rise
accordingly, but he sees the pricing trend of a new machine well beyond the reach
of many operators. “The development of the H130 was able to benefit from much
of the existing technology and structure of the AS350 series on which it is based.
Brand new types will be faster and quieter, but will also be totally new airframes
and systems,” said Lundberg, who can’t see many tour operators being willing or
able to spend maybe seven million dollars on a new machine.
Without detracting from the tourism operation in any way, there is a move
towards increasing the amount of utility work that Blue Hawaiian conducts, simply

67
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69
 as a way of diversifying the company’s business portfolio. Camera-ship pilot Tim
Perry is chief pilot for the Part 133 (utility, non-tourism) operations and has recently
been carrying out multiple flights to remove sections of a shipwreck from a reef.
The company is involved in the removal of feral cattle from sensitive areas and
many other one-off jobs are conducted with no detriment to the tourism operations.
Lundberg is quick to stress that there is no intention to depart from the major focus
on tourism flights, but notes that it would be shortsighted to ignore the potential

70
 71
HELIOPS FRONTLINE 17
 additional business able to be conducted by the capable fleet and personnel that
Blue has on hand. The utility work also provides a way to smooth out fluctuations
in the demand for tourism flights. Alongside the diversification into more utility
work, Blue is diversifying its tourism operation too. Working with the new/old
brand of Hawaii Helicopters, Blue has developed a new and distinctive color
scheme that reflects Hawaiian culture and is targeting a younger, more adventurous
clientele; setting up partnerships with several adventure-tourism outlets to satisfy
the demand for more physical and interactive tours. Lundberg stresses that they
are not promoting ‘thrill-rides’ but are looking to work together with providers of
such activities as ATV riding, horse ranches and zip-lines to provide combination
adventure tours. It is intended that the brand will be marketed for flights on most
of the islands; Molokai, Hawaii Island, Maui and Oahu. “Oahu is where I see our
biggest opportunity for growth right now,” Lundberg stated. “We only have three
permanently stationed helicopters on Oahu but it has the highest population and
has some really beautiful areas on the back side of the island.” The potential for
growth on Hawaii Island is limited as virtually all flights are over the volcano national
park and are dependent on a finite number of flight allocations. Without purchasing
other operators to obtain their allocations, there is little to no chance of increasing

72
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74
75
 business in that area so growth must be targeted at other islands. Hawaiian tourism
in general is currently increasing at around 3% annually; Kona has re-introduced its
international airport and is taking inbound flights direct from Japan.
Although Blue is the dominant operator in the Hawaiian tourism scene, it is
only a very small part in the Air Methods operation and Lundberg advised that
being part of such a large company provided major benefits to Blue Hawaiian. “Air
Methods established a tourism division with its own president, with the intention
of creating a fully experiential division with personnel fully-versed in all aspects of
tourism; not just providing tour flights. We can also utilize the purchasing power
of Air Methods in the event that we decide to buy more aircraft, but can also get
access to existing Air Methods resources.” Lundberg gave an example of the latest
addition to the Blue Hawaiian fleet, formerly an air medical H130 B4, the 3,000-hour
machine was given a full 12-year overhaul; refurbished, repainted, and now on the
line and indistinguishable from a new machine, at a fraction of the cost. Also, key
to the success of Blue Hawaiian is the cadre of vastly experienced personnel. “I’m
lucky to have a fantastic team of senior aviation executives,” enthused Lundberg.
“Our Director of Operations Eric Lincoln has been with Blue Hawaiian for 20
years and plays an integral role in the success of our company. The same goes

76
for our previous Maintenance Director Troy Atkinson and our current Director of
Maintenance David Sellers. Every teammate, from our reservation agents and base
managers to our sales and marketing team and all of our pilots, are responsible
for making Blue Hawaiian the leader in helicopter tourism.” Lundberg is highly
complementary of the company’s previous management as well. “Dave and Patty
Chevalier and David Griffin led this company for 30 years and in all that time they
were absolutely committed to safety and customer service excellence. This led to
Blue Hawaiian Helicopters being named the first company in the United States to
be certified under the Tour Operators Program of Safety (TOPS), the first helicopter
tour company to be certified by the HAI Platinum Program of Safety and Level-2
certified under ISBAO (International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations).
Equally committed to technology, David Chevalier was the one to put in that
first order for ten H130s. That was visionary and he saw the long-term benefit. I
have been given the great privilege of taking over a company with an incredible
foundation.” Despite making the decision to sell Blue Hawaiian, David Chevalier is
still readily available for advice and Lundberg admits he is in regular contact with
him to seek his experience and industry wisdom. “He still bleeds Blue,” quipped
Lundberg. The company now employs around 275 people, including 58 pilots,

77
 and Lundberg believes that the employees are what really make the difference.
“Helicopters are just one part of the experience we deliver. What truly leaves a
lasting impression on our guests are our teammates.” Blue Hawaiian currently flies
around 40,000 hours and carries more than 200,000 passengers annually. The
awe-inspiring experience for customers is what generates the powerful word-of-
mouth advertising and public awareness.
With regard to the future of Blue Hawaiian, Lundberg does see potential for
substantial growth in diverse areas. The establishment of the tourism division within
Air Methods opens the way for air-tour expansion into the mainland USA, and the
focus on growing into an ‘experiential’ tourism business creates opportunities to
expand into areas outside aviation, building on partnerships with such activities as
heli-skiing. Already the largest operator in Hawaii, with a Hawaiian fleet four times
the size of its nearest competitor and the only operator to operate from five bases
on all four main islands, Blue Hawaiian’s proven, successful business model and
reputation will no doubt give it a substantial head-start in expansion efforts outside
the Hawaiian Islands. HO

78
79
 S TO RY BY A . R . P R I N C E

Unmanned Aircraft are being flown

in the lower air space in increasing
numbers. A.R. Prince considers
the collision risk to helicopters and
other manned aircraft and what is
being done to ensure safe flight.

81
T
he recent proliferation of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), called
remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) by the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO), and also unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and
drone, has caused concern about the collision risk to helicopters and
fixed-wing aircraft. Collisions indeed have already occurred. Two have
involved helicopters; the second of these occurred on September 21, 2017 over
a metropolitan area, New York. The helicopter, a military Sikorsky UH-60 (S-70),
suffered damage to a main rotor blade and the window frame and transmission deck.
Debris recovered comprised a UAV motor and arm. The investigation is continuing.
Earlier, on January 20, a Canadian-registered Kamov Ka-32A11BC operating
in Chile was struck while returning from dropping water on a forest fire. Though
it was not directly evident that a UAV had struck, it was inferred. The pilots
had heard a loud noise during flight but there were no warning lights and no
mechanical abnormalities. Examination following landing did not reveal evidence
of the otherwise likely cause, a bird strike. There was a tear rather than a dent in
the helicopter skin, a smear on the paint and damage to the lower door hinge, all
suggesting collision with a hard object like a UAV.
UAVs have also collided with fixed-wing aircraft. The heaviest fixed-wing
aircraft so far confirmed to have been involved is a Beech King Air A100
commuter on October 12, 2017 inbound to an international airport in Quebec City,
Canada. The aircraft sustained minor damage and this investigation is also
continuing. Other confirmed collisions have been with motor gliders, model
aircraft and other UAVs.
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 NARROWLY AVOIDED COLLISIONS
There have been many incidents where collisions have been narrowly avoided
including airliners landing at international airports. A term analogous to ‘narrowly
avoided collision’ is “airprox”, a situation, according to the ICAO, in which the
distance between aircraft and their relative positions and speed is such that the
safety of the aircraft involved is compromised. The determination is made by a
pilot or controller. In Britain, the Air Proximity Board states that 81 reports were
filed from January to September 2017, 71 in 2016, and 29 in 2015. In the US, the
analogous term is UAV “sighting” information. This is collected by the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA), from not only pilots/controllers but also law
enforcement authorities and the general public. 100 reports are received each
month. The latest period for which a specific number has been revealed is January
to March 2017 - 404 were received. The FAA states that the number has “increased
dramatically” over the past two years.
In Australia the term is “near encounter”, an event in which a UAV interrupts or
is seen in the proximity of a manned aircraft; the latter to maintain safe separation
would have had to maneuver. An Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) report
of August 2017 states there were 242 near encounters since 2012. The figure
also includes those between model aircraft / toys and manned aircraft. 114 of
the encounters were in 2016 and a similar figure from the data available so far is
projected for 2017.
From data available for 2010-2014, helicopters accounted for around 13% of
the flying hours compared to all manned types and were involved in 16% of the
encounters. For the 2012-2017 data, the altitude was known around 85% of the
time. The majority of these encounters occurred above 1,000ft (300m) above

84
AMERICA’S FRONTLINE
 sea level, about half between 1,000 and 2,000ft (300 and 600m) and about
21% above 5,000ft (1,500m). Most of the encounters were above urban areas
and proportionally more on weekends; the ATSB concludes that most were not
commercial. These percentages and trends likely would correspond to those in
other countries.
The number of UAVs in use is expected to grow. The FAA forecasts that the
number of small hobby types will increase from 1.1 million vehicles in 2016 to
3.55 million in 2021 and the number of commercial types from 42,000 in 2016 to
442,000 in 2021.
To meet this increase international authorities are amending and promulgating
regulations. For example, Britain has announced that UAVs more than 0.25 kg will
have to be registered and their users tested. Australia solicited public comment
on a discussion paper on topics including UAV registering, UAV user training and
knowledge, and geo-fencing – the creation of a virtual boundary in space around
and between certain areas. Responses could inform amendment to UAV regulations.
Canada solicited public comment for proposed regulations for UAVs of less than
25 kg. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is to propose to the European
Commission by the end of 2017 regulatory amendment to allow the EU (European
Union) to regulate all commercial/civil UAVs in Europe. Up to now UAVs less than
150 kg have been regulated by the respective member states. The EASA notes that
several member states have implemented national rules that are not harmonized
with each other.
The current US regulations (FAR Part 107), detail that, among other conditions,
UAVs must weigh less than 25 kg, operate within visual sight of the pilot, in daylight
and within 400ft (120m) of the ground or a structure.

COLLISION IMPACT
There has been a formal study of the impact of UAV-manned aircraft collision.
Originating in Britain, it was commissioned by the Department for Transport,
Military Aviation Authority and British Airline Pilots’ Association. The study
considered helicopter windscreens and tail rotors specifically (along with airliner
windscreens, not discussed further in this article). The windscreens were tested

86
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 under impact and the tail rotors modeled by computer. In the impact tests
UAV components were shot from a large gas gun. The latter’s firing mechanism
allowed impact speeds to be varied and repeated. The study examined the
UAV configuration most popular in the hobby market, the four-propeller/rotor
quadcopter, and a fixed-wing configuration used in both the commercial and the
hobby markets. The quadcopters considered in the study were of maximum take-
off weight 0.4 kg, 1.2 kg and 4 kg and the lone fixed-wing UAV was of maximum
take-off weight 3.5 kg. These configurations/sizes were considered representative
of UAVs on the market. For comparison, the UAV which struck the UH-60 over
New York, a DJI Phantom 4, was a 1.4 kg quadcopter.
The 4 kg-class quadcopter and the fixed wing UAV could not fit within the
gun barrel. It was considered that an acceptable approximation could be made
by using just the central components. Two of the arms including their two motors
were removed - though this reduced the weight of the quadcopter by about 50%,
the heaviest remaining part, the two motors, would impact closer to the impact
point. Further, because the arms would likely break off in a collision, removing
them was considered to have minimal effect. For the fixed-wing UAV, only the
battery and propeller spinner were used, not the lighter wings and fuselage
casing. Two helicopter windscreens were used, one birdstrike certified, one
not. The impact speeds were selected by considering typical helicopter cruise
speeds. Further, it was considered that the helicopter and UAV were on a direct
collision course, travelling in opposite directions, so that the impact speed would
be the sum of their airspeeds. The study found that the non-birdstrike certified
windscreen provided low resistance to all four UAV classes: They penetrated the
windscreen at speeds much lower than the typical cruising speed of a helicopter
of that type. The fixed-wing UAV could penetrate it even if the helicopter was
stationary.
The birdstrike certified windscreen was “much more resistant”. Still the
quadcopters could penetrate it when their speed were similar to typical helicopter
cruise speed. The fixed-wing UAV could penetrate it even if the helicopter was
flying “significantly below” typical cruise speed, but was “unlikely” to penetrate it
if the helicopter was stationary.

88
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 For the tail rotor modeling, to allow comparison with the live tests, use was made
of the same four UAV classes. The tail rotors were more vulnerable to UAVs due
to their high speed of rotation; modeling showed that impact with any UAV could
“critically damage” the tail rotor.
The study confirmed that UAV components do not behave in the same way as
would, under similar conditions, a bird of similar weight. Some lighter projectiles -
when there was more exposure of the harder and denser components like motors
and batteries - actually caused more damage than heavier ones. UAV configuration,
angle of collision, component masses, and orientation of the motor shaft were
significant factors in the extent of collision damage; the impacting of plastic
components before metallic ones caused less damage to the windscreen. One
conclusion from the study was that birdstrike certification does not necessarily
predict UAV protection.
In the US, an FAA-led evaluation has recently been completed into the “severity”
of quadcopter and fixed-wing UAV collision with an airliner and a business jet.
Although helicopters were not used, the study suggests the type of consideration
that could eventually be given to them. The UAVs weighed 1.2, 1.8 and 3.6 kg.
The study considered, among other things: the determination of collision severity
criteria, the possibility of the impact classification of a collision similar to that for
a birdstrike, and the possibility of the categorization of collision severity based on
UAV type.

MANNED-UNMANNED INTEROPERABILITY
Earlier this year, a team demonstrated that a helicopter crew could monitor the
position and altitude of an approaching UAV. The team comprised Sky-Futures
and Bristow Group and the demonstration occurred in Louisiana, USA. A Bristow
Sikorsky S-92 helicopter first hovered at 500ft (150m). Then a small VTOL (vertical

90
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 take-off and landing) UAV, keeping a horizontal distance of 200ft (60m),
ascended in 100ft (30m) steps to an altitude of 400ft (120m). The S-92 pilots
were able to monitor the UAV throughout its ascent on an iPad tablet computer,
without visual contact. The UAV transmitted ADS-B (Automatic Dependent
Surveillance – Broadcast) signals from a transponder mounted to its frame.
These signals were received by an ADS-B receiver in the S-92 cockpit and the
corresponding flight data interpreted and presented by software on the iPad.
Technology is also being developed to allow manned aircraft pilots to detect
UAVs and maneuver to avoid them. The concept, called detect and avoid (DAA),
was investigated by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) in the “DAA iN The cockpit” (DANTi) program, details of which were
revealed this year. DANTi seeks to provide a safety augmentation to pilot “see
and avoid” capabilities, more specifically to supplant traditional eye-sensing. It
has developed and flight tested DAA software, which displays traffic alerts and
maneuver guidance to pilots on an electronic flight bag. Flight was on a Cirrus
SR22 aircraft, with a Cessna 206 as “intruder”. A cockpit sensor in the test aircraft
received ADS-B flight data transmitted by the intruder. “Ownship” data came
from conventional cockpit instruments.
The DAA software functions by constructing a “well clear volume” (WCV)
around each nearby intruder. The WCV is determined by distance-based
horizontal and vertical thresholds and a time-based “closure time” threshold. The
WCV shape, though complex, can be conceived in simplified form as an intruder-

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 centered cylinder whose radius is the horizontal threshold and height above and
below the intruder the vertical threshold; the cylinder is lengthened along the
intruder-ownship closure velocity in proportion to the closure-time threshold and
the closure rate. DANTi is to alert pilots and suggest maneuver guidance in time
for well clear separation to be maintained through just normal flight maneuvers -
aggressive collision avoidance maneuvers would not be required.
An important requirement of detect-and-avoid or similar technology is seen to
be the ability to receive ADS-B signals. As mandated, by January 1, 2020 aircraft
operating in “most controlled US airspace” will transmit ADS-B signals. A DANTi-
type system will depend for its effectiveness on UAVs also transmitting such signals.
Even without DANTi-type technology though, mandatory UAV ADS-B transmission
will at least inform pilots of aircraft equipped to receive such transmissions of UAV
positions and velocities. UAVs would be part of the totality of ADS-B capabilities
which the FAA calls the ADS-B Traffic Awareness System (ATAS) which it promotes
as beneficial for reducing collisions. In ATAS, aircraft will also have collision-
prediction software. On detecting a traffic conflict the software would generate an
audio alert, and the conflicting aircraft would be shown on a cockpit display. ATAS
would assist the pilot in maneuvering to avoid collisions. However, it would not
provide actual maneuver guidance.
A maneuver guidance-providing technology is TCAS II (Traffic Collision
Avoidance System II). However apart from doing so only above 1,000 feet above
ground level and against transponder-equipped intruder aircraft, TCAS II is yet to
be certified by the FAA for helicopters. Still, in an operational DANTi-type system
it would likely be sought to conform WCV shape and size with TCAS II limits.
An operational system developed from the prototype flown may have to further
consider the possibility of excessive false alerts near airports. A system similar to
the prototype though might not be far away for the lighter helicopter. It would have
an ADS-B sensor and conflict-prediction software and would display alerts and
maneuver guidance on an electronic flight bag or tablet display. A more capable
though more expensive system could be envisaged eventually for the heavier
helicopter. Its sensors in addition to ADS-B, could comprise a TCAS interrogator
and a radar. The latter would allow detection of “non-cooperative” intruders, those
not transmitting ADS-B or TCAS signals. Sensor data would need to be combined

94
before being processed by the software. The display could be the primary flight/
navigation/multifunction display.

UAV SYSTEMS
Consideration is also being given to the UAV specifically. The future Airborne
Collision Avoidance System X (ACAS X) for various aircraft types, in the ACAS
Xu version is to equip UAVs. ACAS X uses transponder as well as ADS-B signals.
ACAS Xu test flights have been made (UAVs used included the fixed-wing
Northrop Firebird with a safety pilot onboard). ACAS Xu is part of a comprehensive
program to integrate UAV operations in US airspace. Outside of ACAS Xu, the DAA
research discussed above is also envisaged to equip UAVs. NASA has indeed flown
several UAVs and manned aircraft over the past few years in its development and
evaluation of the technology for UAVs. The RTCA (Radio Technical Commission for
Aeronautics) is developing standards for both ACAS Xu and DAA.
Otherwise, a collision avoidance sensor for UAV use, the Passive Intelligent
Collision Avoidance Sensor (PICAS), has been developed by the National Research
Council of Canada. It was aimed to detect aircraft at long ranges yet be light and
require low-power for UAV installation. It uses seven cameras which have a large
field of view but also a “microscope-like capability” to detect objects at long range.
Software “examines” the images to determine if a detected object is an aircraft on
course to collide with the UAV. The system is said to be able to detect Cessna-sized
collision-course objects at up to 8 km; this would probably correspond to a medium-
sized or smaller helicopter. The sensor could be fitted on the exterior of the UAV.
Flight tests have been underway and commercial availability is envisaged from 2018.
The UAV has quickly established itself in niches, including the hobbyist one, and
numbers are increasing. Studies and experience though have shown the destructive
effect possible in collision with helicopters and other manned aircraft. Detect and
avoid technology is fundamental to reducing the collision risk. Substantial effort is
being invested in this technology, and it could lead to evolved cockpit systems and
piloting procedures for helicopters / manned aircraft. HO

95
 S TO RY BY A L E X M L A D E N OV
PH OTO S BY A L E X M L A D E N OV A N D R U S S I A N H E L I C O P T E R S

The Ansat is set for a gross take-off weight increase

with external load of 8,595lb (3,900kg), which is
660lb (300kg) more than the currently certificated
gross take-off weight. (Alex Mladenov)
Alexander Mladenov
looks at the recent
progress of the Ansat
program, a new all-
Russian type whose
sales reported a sharp
increase in 2016-2017
thanks to the strong
domestic government
support and its first
export orders from
Chinese customers.

97
 The baseline Ansat was civil-certified in Russia in August 2013. The improved derivative is outfitted for
passenger transport and features a new stability-augmentation system and received its type certificate in
December 2014. The HEMS configuration’s approval followed in May 2015. (Alex Mladenov)

T
he Ansat 3.6-tonne twin program, the
first ever featuring a Kazan Helicopters’
own design, saw a considerable progress
in 2016 and 2017 including a rapid growth
in orders to serve the newly-established
Russian emergency medical service (EMS) system.
Kazan Helicopters has also revealed an ambitious
plan to improve the helicopter’s design in order to
improve performance and passenger comfort, and
provide for an eventual certification for operations
under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). Upon completion
of this effort in about two years, the Ansat’s
commercial appeal should be significantly boosted.
A dedicated law enforcement version with various
mission kits is also under development. This will be
offered to the Russian National Guard Troops as well
as export customers.
ANSAT LEASING SCHEME BOOST SALES
The Ansat was an unexpected beneficiary from
the 2016 joint initiative of the Russian Ministries of
Health, Transport and the Industry and Trade, which
called for setting up a low-interest finance leasing
scheme for new-build domestic rotorcraft to be used
for helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS).
Its main aim was to stimulate the domestic rotorcraft
manufacturers and to also to make the machines
more affordable and attractive to commercial
rotorcraft operators across Russia. These operators
are set to be involved in the provision of HEMS to
the local health care authorities on contract basis in
a number of regions with underdeveloped ground
transportation networks.
As a result, the well-funded government initiative
boosted Ansat sales in 2016 and 2017, allowing
Kazan Helicopters work further towards it target
to ramp up production to 20 units a year. For 2017,
the production tally is expected to be up to 16
examples, ten of these earmarked for delivery to the
Russian MoD (in the Ansat-U militarized version with
wheeled undercarriage) plus six more for commercial
operators, outfitted with EMS interiors. In 2018,
the production is set to reach 20 units, all of these
intended for civil customers in Russia and abroad.
The first production-standard Ansat equipped for
the HEMS role was acquired by the government of
the Russian republic of Tatarstan and was introduced

98
99
 The HEMS configuration features a basic layout with one stretcher and three
seats for medical attendants. (Alex Mladenov)
in regular service in October 2016. This was in fact,
a form of traditional support to Kazan Helicopter
provided by the local authorities in Tatarstan in order
to launch the new model in commercial service.
This particular machine, registered RA-20002, was
purchased by the local authorities in Tatarstan
for Roubles 217.7 million (equating to US$3.62
million at the time of contract signature). Operated
by Aviaservice company, it is mainly used for
transporting emergency patients to Tatarstan’s Clinic
Hospital in the capital city of Kazan.
A wider heavily subsidized by the Russian
government leasing initiative was launched in late
2016. The lessor is the state-owned State Transport
Leasing Company (better known under its Russian-
100
language abbreviation GTLK), previously known
with its activities in the passenger aircraft sector
aimed at boosting sales of Russian-made airliners. In
December 2016, GTLK placed its first order for four
Ansats (later increased to six), all of which were HEMS
configuration. The price for these six was Roubles
1.332 billion (about $22.2 million) after application
of the agreed discount amounting to some Roubles
300 million ($5 million) obtained thanks to the bulk
purchase. Unit price for the Ansat after application
of the discount amounted to Roubles 272 million
(equating to about US$3.67 million), including the
rapidly-removable EMS equipment in the spacious
cabin. All of these helicopters were slated for delivery
at the end of 2017.
102
RVS took its first VIP transport and training Ansat
in October 2017. (Alex Mladenov)
103
 The very basic cockpit layout of the Ansat version certified for VFR
operations, with analog flight/navigation instruments and digital screens for
displaying engine and systems information. (Alex Mladenov)
The first HEMS Ansat delivered in October 2016 to the government
of the Republic of Tatarstan, a prospering territorial entity in Russia,
which is also the home country of Kazan Helicopters. (Russian
Helicopters)
The GTLK-ordered Ansats feature a rather simple
VFR avionics/equipment configuration, in order
to keep the acquisition price as low as possible.
The state-sponsored leasing scheme for the Ansat
operators features very low interest rates, with the
leasing itself subsidized by Russia’s state budget.
When leased out for a duration of ten years without
104
This helicopter, RA-20006, seen during its factory testing at Kazan Helicopters,
is among the initial six machines ordered by GTLK and was delivered in
October 2017 to RVS for Helimed operations in the Moscow region. (Russian
Helicopters)
advance payments, the monthly lease payments
(lease rentals) for a period of 120 months amount to
Roubles 2.3 million (equating to about US$38,000).
The Russian commercial operators who take
the helicopters will be paid for the HEMS service
rendered by the local authorities in the served
territories on contact basis. At the same time, they

servicing. This is the proposed Ansat version for IFR operations equipped with the
will be free to use their Ansats for other type of
commercial work such as passenger and cargo
transport, pipeline and electric line patrols, etc. in the
periods without requests for HEMS work. As GTLK
director general, Sergey Khramagin, said, this initial
order for Kazan Helicopters-built Ansats represents
the first phase of a priority state-sponsored project
for the development of the HEMS in Russian regions
due to their underdeveloped road networks. The
financial lease of the helicopters offered by the GTLK
will span over ten years.
GTLK also announced on 25 May 2017, that it
will continue ordering helicopters for the HEMS
initiative, this time 12 more Ansats, set for delivery in
2018. This contract, priced at Roubles 2.664 billion
(equating to about US$45 million), was inked on 20
July 2017 and the production of the first machines
began in late September. This is a continuation of
Russia’s government efforts to support the domestic
rotorcraft industry. According to Mikhail Kazachkov,
the chair of the Russian Helicopter Industry
Association (RHIA), the initiative for the development
of the country-wide HEMS is the biggest government-
A look at the nose fairing in open position to allow avionics and equipment
Russian-made Contur weather radar. (Alex Mladenov)
sponsored effort ever undertaken to boost up the
sales of domestically-made civil rotorcraft. At the
same time, the Russian Government has allocated
a total of Roubles 3.3 billion ($55 million) for the
development of the HEMS program in 2017. The
vast majority of this budget is set to be utilized as
payments for HEMS services (on the flight hour basis)
rendered by Russian-registered commercial rotorcraft
operators, which are offering suitably-equipped new-
build helicopters to the local health care authorities.
LAUNCH CUSTOMER
Moscow-based RVS company has been the first
recipient of the GTLK-ordered Ansats, which has
been used for launching a HEMS operation in the
Volgograd District in the southern corner of the
European part of Russia bordering the Caspian
Sea. The first helicopter registered RA-20009, was
handed over to RVS at a ceremony during the Heli-
Russia exhibition on 25 May 2017 and its commercial
operation commenced shortly afterwards.
RVS, based at Heliport Borivikha in Odintsovo
105
 The prototype for law enforcement with an
extensive package of mission kits for tactical
operations. (Alex Mladenov)

Law enforcement version in making

The development of a law enforcement version was unveiled in October 2016 and a prototype was
shown for the first time in a completed form at the MAKS-2017 air show in Zhukovsky near Moscow.
It was developed by taking into consideration the specific requirements of the Russian
organizations engaged in law enforcement and public security operations. The cabin equipment
allows for a rapid configuration from police to the medical evacuation role and vice versa.
The machine comes equipped with an external platform for transporting a rapid reaction team
of four to six operators. There are also consoles on both sides for fast roping which can be rapidly
jettisoned in emergency.
The newly-added mission equipment also includes an UOMZ SON-730 optronic surveillance
payload with gyro-stabilized TV and thermal imaging cameras for day/night operations, working
together with downlink equipment for sending the gathered motion picture to a ground-based
command post at a distance of up to 2.7nm (5km).
Among the other new pieces of mission equipment integrated on this new Ansat derivative are the
SX-5 searchlight and the TS-200WP loudspeaker pack.

area near Moscow, is known as the most experienced
Ansat operator and had participated in the interior
modifications and rework of the type’s technical
publications in 2015 and 2016 to assist in making the
publications similar to those offered by the Western
rotorcraft manufacturers. This effort had been
undertaken by RVS, teamed with Russian Helicopters
and Kazan Helicopters, in order to make the Ansat
more commercially attractive and competitive when
pitted against Western-made models in the same
weight class. In the second half of 2016, RVS, owned
by Russian entrepreneur and RHIA chair Mikhail
Kazachkov, became the launch customer for the
civilian-certified Ansat.
Currently the company has a fleet of two Ansats
taken in 2016 in addition to four machines of the
same type leased from GTLK in 2016.
RVS began operation of its first machine, outfitted

106

with VIP interior, received in the second half of 2016.
It is used for passenger transport and training while
its second Ansat, outfitted for HEMS, was accepted
in early 2017. This machine, RA-20007, was taken
on financial lease provided by Sberbank, one of the
biggest Russian banks. In April 2017, RVS commenced
commercial operation with its first HEMS-equipped
Ansat used for transporting patients in Moscow
district and around the city of Moscow under the
Helimed private initiative. Helimed is a RVS subsidiary
set up to deal with the provision of all aspects of
HEMS and related services to all kinds of customers
in Russia.
By early November 2017, RVS won the
competitions for providing EMS services via its
Helimed subsidiary in three more Russian regions.
The second Ansat, provided on lease by GTLK,
RA-20009, was introduced in regular service in the
Kurgan region in September, operating under the
Helimed brand. The third machine, RA-20007, also
This is the cockpit of the Ansat version to be certified in Russia
for IFR operations, dominated by three large-size color displays. It is offered
by the Russian RPKB company. (Alex Mladenov)
taken from GTLK in September, was provided by
RVS to serve the needs of Pskov region and another
machine is also expected to begin operation there in
foreseeable future. The Russian government provided
a budget of Roubles 21 million for funding the HEMs
operation in this region, augmented by Rubles 4
million provided by the Pskov region’s authorities for
2017. The fourth Ansat leased from GTLK was taken
by RVS on 19 October 2017. Wearing the RA-20006
registration, it is set to be used for Helimed
operations in Moscow region. Another Ansat from
the GTLK order, RA-20004, was leased out in August
2017 to Vyatka-avia company for HEMS operations in
the Kirov region.
In November 2016, the first export order was
placed for the Ansat from the Chinese company
Wuhan Rand Aviation Technology Service Co, which
ordered two machines (with six more options) for
HEMS. Another Chinese customer, Jiangsu Baoli
Aviation Equipment, ordered one more Ansat, which
107
 will be also equipped for the HEMS role. Delivery of
all three Ansats to their new Chinese owners is slated
for 2018. According to Andrey Boginsky, director
general of Russian Helicopters, speaking to the press
in early November, the company has already taken
steps to civil-certify the Ansat in China. He also
added that the type is set for certification in Pakistan,
Mexico, Columbia and Brazil.
DESIGN IMPROVEMENT ROADMAP
A raft of improvements in the baseline design of
the civilian-certified version of set to be implemented
between 2017-2020 in order to boost performance
and make the helicopter more attractive for
demanding commercial customers, including the
long-delayed certification for IFR operations. The
plans were announced at the Ansat User Conference
held in October 2017 at Kazan Helicopters. According
to Kazan Helicopters’ chief designer, Anton Bushuev,
the list of new mission equipment to be integrated
on the Ansat includes an external hoist, with testing
planned for late 2017. In addition, an external cargo
108
basket rated at 440lb (200kg) will also be added to
the optional equipment of the helicopter; its flight
testing is also slated for launch soon.
The design team is also working on the integration
of an active vibration suppression system. The
delivery of an experimental system was reported
in the end of September, for installation onboard
a helicopter for flight testing. As Bushuev shared,
the first version of the system, mainly intended for
VIP-configured machines, is made by four active
dampers; this can be also installed onboard the
machines configured for EMS. There is also a simpler
and cheaper system on offer, consisting of three
active vibration dampers.
Bushuev also revealed that the civil-certified
Ansat is also set to receive an external cargo hook to
expand the range of possible use of the helicopter.
Supplied by US company Onboard Systems, the
external hook is rated at 3,300lb (1,500kg). When
equipped with the device, the Ansat’s maximum
gross weight for external cargo operations will
increase to 8,595lb (3,900kg) compared to the
current limit of 7,934lb (3,600kg). The certification of
A new all-composite nose section is currently in testing for Ansat
and it has already passed its bird strike testing. (Alex Mladenov)

109
 The range is among the most notable Ansat shortcomings. This is set to be
extended from the current 257nm (510km) to 540nm (1,000km) when the
new increased-volume and crash-resistant main tank in combination with
an auxiliary tank is introduced. (Alex Mladenov)
the external hook, together with the new increased
maximum gross take-off weight when transporting
external loads, is slated for completion in the second
quarter of 2018. Bushuev also noted that a new nose
fuselage section has been designed, using carbon-
plastic composite material. It has already completed
bird strike testing and its flight testing is set to be
undertaken in the first and second quarters of 2018.
The layout of the tail surfaces will be also altered, in
order to improve stability of flight. It is expected that
the use of composites will also result in prolongation
of the helicopter’s service life in terms of fatigue
and corrosion damage. According to Bushuev,
Ansat’s improvements slated for implementation in
2018, include the installation of a modified onboard
information control system to enable operations
under IFR.
Ansat’s range extension is one of the main future
performance-boosting improvements requested by
110
potential customers. To do this, Bushuev said that the
company plans to use an all-new new crash-resistant
fuel system supplied by French company Aerazur.
This is planned for flight testing in 2018 in order to
extend the range to 291nm (540km). Then, in 2019,
a further increased-volume fuel system is slated for
installation on the Ansat. It will use a 1,000-liter main
tank to extend the range to 378nm (700km), while
use of the auxiliary tank would allow for a further
range extension to 540nm (1,000km). Installation
of the increased-volume fuel tank is set to be
undertaken together with the use of new,
more efficient main rotor blades which will enable a
gross take-off weight increase with internal load to
8,265lb (3,750kg).
Among the first improvements to be introduced
in 2017 or early next year, is the expansion of the
operating temperature range up to +50°C. This was
undertaken through a testing campaign in Pakistan
 The Ansat-U is the military training
derivative, developed for the
Russian Air and Space Force to
be used as its new-generation
training and liaison platform.
The type is currently operated by
the Sokol Training Air Group near
Saratov. (Alex Mladenov)

Russian moD continues with the orders

The Ansat program has succeeded in remaining aloft thanks to the military orders for 40
examples placed by the Russian MoD between 2009 and 2011. The potential market for the newly-
unveiled law enforcement version is estimated to be up to 40 more examples during the next five to
seven years. Russian MoD has announced its intention to buy ten more Ansat-U training helicopters.
These machines were originally slated to be handed over to the Russian MoD until the end of
2017. The operating base is the Sokol airfield in Saratov region, which is the main training base of the
Russian Air and Space Force (RuASF). It is used for the initial training of rotorcraft pilots. The total
price of the newly-ordered machines is about Roubles 2.075 billion (US $35.7 million).
Currently the RuASF operates a fleet of 40-plus Ansat-Us, delivered between 2010 and 2016.
This is a militarized derivative of the baseline Ansat design with a gross take-off weight of 7,270lb
(3,300kg), outfitted with a wheeled undercarriage and fly-by-wire controls, and powered by
Canadian-made Pratt & Whitney Canada PWC207K turboshaft engines.
Equipped with a full-authority digital engine control (FADEC), the PWC207K, used to power both
the civilian and military derivatives of the Ansat, comes rated at 630shp for take-off and 550shp
for maximum continuous power; one engine inoperative (OEI) rating of 710shp is maintained for 30
seconds, while 659shp can be maintained for two minutes.

during the first half of November 2017 and took no
fewer than 50 sorties. The Ansat is already certified
for cold weather operations without restrictions in
temperatures down to -45°C.
An anti-icing system is set for testing on the
military-standard Ansat-U between December 2017
and January 2019.
The results from this effort will be then used for
a follow-on anti-icing system design, integration and
certification on the Ansat’s civil-certified derivative
but Bushuev noted that there is no timeframe set for
the completion of this comprehensive development
effort so far.
Also, according to Roman Belov, lead designer
from Kazan Aggregate Plant, his company is currently
working on a module for equipping the HEMS-
configured Ansat for the transport of newborn
babies. HO

111
Ex-military Black Hawks go to work
with Timberline Helicopters
Over the course of recent
decades the Sikorsky
UH-60 Black Hawk has
become as ubiquitous
in military service as its
legendary predecessor,
the Bell UH-1 Huey. Now,
however, the type is also
becoming a fixture on the
civil scene and Timberline
Helicopters is putting the
type to work in a variety
of civil missions.
S TO RY BY L E I G H N E I L
PH OTO S BY N E D D AW S O N
113
 W
hen Brian
Jorgenson first
started flying a
Kaman Huskie on
logging operations
for his father, he was a youngster with
a mere 350hrs. Today the 36yr old has
over 15,000hrs logged and virtually
all of that has been accumulated on
longline work. Brian and his wife Ammy
co-founded Timberline Helicopters in
2007, commencing business with a
single Kaman K-Max performing logging
operations in the northwest United
States. Gradual and steady growth
over the years saw the addition to the
fleet of additional K-Max, a Bell UH-1H
Huey, an MD530F, two 500D’s and a
Schweitzer 300CB. More than three
years ago, Brian heard the disturbing
news from Kaman that in the absence
of further orders for the K-Max, the type
may be discontinued. In an attempt
to bolster the company’s business, he
purchased a new B3e A-Star but sold
114
it not long after, when he realized that
that segment of the market was hotly
contested and difficult to break into
with a brand new aircraft.
The unusual move to Black Hawks
was not really a gamble for Timberline,
as Brian elaborated. “The original
thinking was we know this marketplace.
We’d flown the K-Max for ten years at
that point, and we already had a solid
customer base. We knew there was
definitely a ready-made market for a
6,000lb plus lifting machine and we
figured that we could make it work.” At
the time he had a couple of mechanics
that had experience working on Black
Hawks, both with the military and with
a civilian company. When the ex- US
Army UH-60A’s came up on the GSA
(US government general services
administration) auctions website,
Jorgenson and two of the crew flew
over to look at them. “We ended up
jumping on a plane and flew down
there, kind of as a lark,” remarked
116
117
 Jorgenson. “When we got down there,
our mechanic crawled all over ten of
them and told me ‘these things are in
really, really good shape. If you’re going
to do this, these are the right ones to
do it with.’” As a result, Timberline bid
on and bought two of the aircraft in
that October 2014 auction. Jorgenson
continued, “After we bought them I sat
in an office with Travis (Travis Storro,
Timberline’s Chief Operating Officer)
and told him, ‘now I’ve bought them,
you’ve got to certify them.’” Then
began the major undertaking of making
the aircraft suitable and legal for civilian
operations. The paperwork to fly them
out of Alabama to Timberline’s base at
Sandpoint airport in Idaho took until
late February 2015 to come through,
and in the interim Jorgenson took
Flight Safety’s S70 type-rating course.
In March 2015 he and a National Guard
pilot known to one of his mechanics
flew the two ‘green’ Black Hawks home.
On arrival, one of the aircraft was
118
kept flying to enable training to get
underway for SICs (second in command
pilots) and for Jorgenson to maintain
currency, while work began shortly
thereafter on the other aircraft to
obtain the FAA type certificate.
The aircraft was stripped down,
inspected, and the necessary
modifications made to meet the
requirements of the restricted category
usages that Timberline would engage in.
This included the fitment of the remote
hook cockpit control systems for the
hook and firefighting buckets. While
not necessarily required for the type
certificate, a lot of unnecessary wiring,
equipment, soundproofing and systems
were removed, and then the aircraft
was completely stripped, etch/alodined
and repainted – in a striking metallic
blue and bright orange scheme that is
virtually up to show quality. Jorgenson
explained, “The military works on the
principle that you wire the aircraft up
for every conceivable system that you
MISSION PROVEN.

119
 might want to deploy in it, but only plug
in the systems that you actually want
to use at the time. We needed hardly
any of those extras and the end result
is that each aircraft we convert loses
between 800 and 1,000lbs of excess
weight.” Major weight reductions came
from the replacement of the standard
125lb HIRSS (hover infrared suppression
system) exhausts with simple 29lb units,
and the stripping of enough wiring from
the aircraft to fill two 55-gallon drums.
Jorgenson cut the original flight
manual down by half, to around 500
pages, and Timberline gained their own
type certificate for their Black Hawks,
which meant working closely with the
FAA’s Seattle ACO (aircraft certification
office). This was not an easy working
relationship to begin with, as the Seattle
office was not the rotorcraft directorate
but dealt primarily with commercial
transport airplanes – understandably,
with Boeing being on their doorstep.
Jorgenson believes that due to this, the
Seattle office held Timberline to some
120
demanding standards than might have
been the case with another directorate.
“They understand transport airplanes,”
remarked Jorgenson, “but throw a
restricted category helicopter at them
and they’re on the back foot. That
actually cost us about three or four
months as we worked out the process
with them. However, on the other side
of the coin,” Jorgenson is quick to
point out, “once they understood that
we knew what we were doing with
the aircraft and were keen to learn
how to meet their requirements, they
were still kicking stuff back to us but
it was always for good reasons that I
could agree with. Since then they have
been extremely good to work with.”
The difficult start to the relationship
was well worth enduring according
to Jorgenson, who stated that the
process with subsequent aircraft has
been efficient and streamlined; and
that several people within the FAA
have subsequently advised him that the
Timberline Helicopters UH-60A type
122
123
 certificate has come to be regarded as
the ‘gold standard’ against which others
are judged.
The military BEST (Blackhawk
Exchange and Sales Team) program
ensures that the aircraft all come
with copious necessary documented
information when they go to the new
owner, and this is crucial for putting
the aircraft into civilian service. This
includes proof that it was sold with the
intention of further flight, that it’s never
been involved in an accident unless
either the OEM or the military repaired
it, that it’s never been submerged in
salt water, and an equipment list of
the exact aircraft configuration at the
time of disposal. The first aircraft finally
obtained its type certificate from the
FAA on the day that it flew to Heli-Expo
at the end of February 2016, almost
exactly a year from the day it flew out
of Alabama for Sandpoint.
There are now three UH-60A’s in
Timberline’s fleet, although one is still
‘green’ and was put into service before
124
the usual refurbishment to fulfill a STC
project that required a configuration
similar to the Army. The UH-60s are
flying between 80 and 200hrs per
month and long term, Jorgenson
sees the fleet including a total of four
airworthy Black Hawks, along with
some spare-parts airframes. He is also
adamant that the two K-Maxes will
remain, as will the MD530 and 500.
There is little to no chance that there
will be additional K-Maxes though, as
the base price for a new one is around
$7 million USD. “The actual price out
the door is probably higher, so I simply
can’t make it pencil to buy a new
one,” he commented. “They are an
exceptional repetitive heavy lifter and
ours are basically paid for, plus we have
millions of dollars of spare parts for
them so I’ll always keep them around.
In comparison, the current value on
a refurbished and Type Certificated
UH-60A ranges from two and a half
to four million dollars, so the K-Max
is at a distinct pricing disadvantage,
125
 and the Black Hawk is undeniably a
more capable all-round helicopter.”
Considering the current market value of
a “green” UH-60A is about $1.5 million,
the decision has been a major financial
win for the company. More recently, the
US government has decided to give
around 200 Black Hawks to Afghanistan
and Iraq, so there are currently no
flyable airframes becoming available
for purchase from the GSA as they
are all being snapped up by the State
Department. “What come to auction
now are only those airframes that have
been stripped for parts to complete
other aircraft for those foreign military
sales,” explained Jorgenson.
Other than the fact that both types
are great heavy lift platforms, they have
very little in common. Jorgenson likes
the K-Max and has flown it extensively,
so is in a good position to compare the
two aircraft. “Above 10,000ft the K-Max
and Hawk are pretty comparable. As
126
you come down below that, the Hawk
starts to pull ahead of the K-Max and
down at 4,000ft it’ll lift eight thousand
pounds to the K-Max’s six. The K-Max
is cheaper to operate, and we can sell
it to the customer at a lower rate, but
the Hawk is one and a half times as
fast so even at the higher price, the
customer will often get the job done
cheaper with a Hawk if there’s any
distance involved.” Jorgenson reports
that the K-Max is comfortable to fly
at just below its 100Kt Vne, while
the Black Hawk will cruise all day at
70% and 145Kts. Timberline’s work is
almost exclusively longline and the
type certificate allows for the UH-60 to
be flown with the doors off. The pilot
flying the external load flies from the
left seat, while the right seater monitors
all instruments and provides a constant
flow of information to the load pilot.
“Basically, whenever a load is under
the machine the guy in the right seat is
127
 operating the aircraft, while the guy in
left seat is operating the load. The PIC
will be flying the external load in most
cases but there’s no reason that the
SIC can’t do it, provided he’s suitably
qualified. The type certificate requires
that we have a type rated pilot and a
second-in-command in the machine.
It doesn’t restrict the SIC from flying
the machine as long as the PIC is in the
machine too.” explained Jorgenson.
As a happy coincidence, the machine’s
configuration makes it sit nicely three
and a half degrees left side low and
the stretch to the door opening is less
than that in a Kaman Huskie. The Black
Hawk’s AFCS (automatic flight control
system) provides dynamic stability and
maintains static stability, making the big
machine extremely smooth and stable;
ideal attributes for precision external
load operations.
Jorgenson is impressed with the
handling qualities of the Hawk and
stated, “It actually flies just like a big
500, its super-stable and it does exactly
128
what you ask it to do. One thing that’s
a really crucial characteristic of the
Black Hawk is that it has absolute, hard
engine limits. If you reach the temp limit
for example, the computer will hold the
fuel controller at that flow and not allow
you to access any more power. You
can pull as much collective as you like
beyond that but you’ll only droop the
rotor. It’s a great feature, but it can be a
real ‘gotcha’ if you’re not prepared and
have a plan for that eventuality when
operating at high altitudes! Although
a customer always wants you to carry
the absolute maximum weight, because
of the unforgiving nature of the limits,
I always try to keep a margin in hand
so that I have a little extra performance
available in the event that I need it.”
To begin with, Jorgenson went with
the published numbers to establish the
Hawk’s maximum capabilities and he
has found that the machine will do a
little better than that. He then used the
experience gained in operational use to
come up with his own set of numbers
129
 based on real-world experiences. “It
depends on conditions of course but
with everything going our way on a
cold day with minimum fuel, we’ve set
8,000lbs at 8,000ft. Just two weeks
ago we set 4,500lbs down on top of a
tower at just over 11,000ft. We also flew
6,000lbs to a mountain top at 11,000ft
and set it down.” Jorgenson explained
that loads taken to the ground can
always be heavier than loads that are
to be held over working crews, as
the margin is necessary to ensure the
maximum safety for the personnel
working beneath the helicopter.
Jorgenson advises customers that
on work over 10,000ft altitude,
Timberline’s Black Hawks will take
4,500lbs to the ground and 4,000lbs
held over personnel.
Customers didn’t immediately accept
the type and Jorgenson recounted
his experience. “After the first three
months, I thought that if I heard one
more customer tell me that you can’t
longline out of a Black Hawk, I was
going to puke! That was the impression
130
in the marketplace though.” Firehawk
Helicopters/Brainerd had already
been operating the UH-60 since
about 1995, but predominantly in the
firefighting role using a camera system
to view the external load. Jorgenson
eventually charged the UH-60 out to
an existing client for a construction
job on a ski lift at the same hourly rate
as a K-Max. He proved his point when
the aircraft out-performed the K-Max
by a considerable margin. “Pouring
concrete is one job where the Hawk
will definitely outperform the K-Max,
if there’s any distance at all involved
because it just goes so much faster.”
The machine costs clients around $1.50
per second so being more efficient
means substantial potential savings.
Although the company was founded
and built up on heli-logging, Jorgenson
estimated Timberline’s workload now at
around thirty percent electrical, thirty
percent firefighting, twenty percent ski-
lift work or ski-related construction and
ten to twenty percent logging. It is not
intended that the Black Hawks will be
131
132
133
 used in the logging mission, however, as
Jorgenson sees that as the real forte of
the K-Max.
Now that the UH-60 is well
established and accepted by heavy-lift
clients, the machines are proving to
be popular and capable. Firefighting
jobs have proved to be a strong point
in the Black Hawk’s repertoire, despite
initial concerns from firefighting
agencies about what they perceived
to be a high hourly operating cost.
However, the Hawk’s high airspeed,
combined with Timberline’s extremely
versatile power-fill Bambi buckets,
has been a real eye-opener for those
134
agencies, which are now very keen to
utilize the type. The Black Hawk can
access water in places most other
machines can’t and can power-fill the
900gal bucket in 38 seconds, from
less than two feet of water. After an
introduction at HeliExpo, Timberline
has developed a strategic partnership
with Pay’s Helicopters, based in Scone,
NSW, Australia. This partnership led
to a Timberline Black Hawk being
shipped to Australia last year for their
firefighting season and the machine
flew about 100hrs on firefighting
missions. The UH-60 performed so well
on its Australian firefighting debut that
the firefighting agencies are very keen
to have the machine back for future
seasons, although Timberline again
had to disprove the initial concerns
about cost. The UH-60 is charged
out at three times the cost of a Huey
but it immediately proved that it was
delivering well over three times the
volume of water or retardant that the
Huey was capable of putting down,
and after the first couple of fires it
was wanted everywhere. International
shipping involved one added difficulty
though, as the ex-military UH-60
required an ITAR (international traffic
in arms regulations) license for export
from the US. This entailed a lengthy
and tedious application process and
although permitting for the helicopter
itself has now been transferred to
the US commerce department, the
machine’s spare parts are still subject to
ITAR permits. The whole permit process
does seem somewhat redundant,
considering that the Australian military
is also a Black Hawk operator.
Another common perception
about the Black Hawk is that as an
ex-military type, it will demand an
inordinate amount of maintenance
input. Jorgenson has found that not
to be the case and detailed the minor
135
 issues that have surfaced so far, stating,
“Not a lot of our work is carried out
down at or near sea level and it’s been
a pleasant surprise at just how well its
done and how reliable it’s been. I don’t
think we’ve had anything that’s caused
a failure-to-dispatch on any of our
missions apart from a single tail-rotor
input gearbox seal that exceeded leak
limits, and that was directly due to the
aircraft sitting idle for a couple of years
before we obtained them. A couple
of other items, such as elastomeric
rod-end bearings have also degraded
for the same reason, but they haven’t
caused any dispatch failures.” The
battlefield maintainability aspect of the
UH-60’s design is a real benefit to civil
operators. “The T700 engine in this
aircraft is the first one I’ve seen that is
not only modular, but all the accessories
sit on top and everything is quick-
change. We can change a starter, for
example, in about five minutes and if we
have to change a main servo, it takes
136
longer to re-safety everything than it
does to actually change the servo. With
a couple of good mechanics, we can
pull in a flying aircraft, do an engine
change and have the aircraft flying
again, shafts balanced, in around two
and a half hours,” reported Jorgenson.
One experienced mechanic can take
care of the aircraft in the field, and a
rotable set of components prepared
ahead of time can significantly reduce
the down-time for phased maintenance
inspections (PMI).
Another advantage the type offers
is that Sikorsky still sells new parts for
the type and has so far been willing and
able to supply everything Timberline
has ordered, at or before the promised
delivery date - something that has
not always been the case with other
manufacturers – and Sikorsky parts
have so far proved to be cheaper than
the equivalent items from other OEM’s,
although Jorgenson added the proviso
that there are a lot more Black Hawks.
137
 In time, Jorgenson intends to build up
a substantial parts inventory and much
of the Black Hawk’s componentry is
on-condition, rather than limited with
a specified TBO. “The input gearbox,
for example, is on condition,” reported
Jorgenson. “We’ve got one on one of
our machines that has a CCAD tag from
1995, so that hasn’t been overhauled
for over twenty years and has passed
condition inspections ever since
installation.”
With around 1,600hp available from
each engine, the Black Hawk has OEI
performance that Jorgenson describes
as ‘good, not great’ so a future upgrade
that is planned for Timberline’s UH-60s
is an engine change to the more
powerful -701D engines as fitted to the
AH-64 Apache and UH-60M. “When
the military went to Afghanistan and
were operating around 14,000ft, they
realized they needed more power,”
explained Jorgenson. “They then went
to the 701D engine with a 701C fuel-
control module. That gives you an
extra couple of hundred horsepower
138
per side, so when we’ve run the hours
out on these engines, we’ll do that
upgrade, which is available directly
from GE. That’ll allow us to fly away
in virtually any configuration we
operate in because, once the external
load gets dropped, we’ll be operating
a 12-13,000lb aircraft with 1,800 to
1,900hp.”
The shift from a K-Max to the Black
Hawk was massive, from a piloting
perspective. Jorgenson admitted that
he had been initially prepared to have
difficulty coming to terms with flying
the new type after all his experience
in the much smaller Kaman machines.
“I’d had some preconceptions about
flying with another pilot but, so far,
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. There’s
someone to take a bit of the load off
when you’re busy and someone to
share a little BS with when you’re not,”
he said. “The K-Max is really basic. It
has no hydraulics and its kind of loose
to fly; kind of like driving a ’57 Chevy
pickup. It’s a great aircraft and I love
flying it but it’s not very refined. I once
139
 heard someone ask Greg Haufel what
it was like to fly a K-Max with a tank
installed and his reply, while not really
making any sense, is about the best
I’ve ever heard. He said it flew about
like a ruptured walrus.” Jorgenson also
described how every K-Max seems to
have a slightly different ‘personality’
and all feel a little different to fly,
whereas every Black Hawk feels almost
identical and it is much easier to
feel immediately comfortable when
swapping from one aircraft to another.
“When we first got the Black Hawks
we were flooded with military pilot
140
resumes,” recalled Jorgenson. “I told
many of them that while they have the
credentials to fly the aircraft, without
vertical reference longline experience
it’s cheaper, faster and simpler for me
to take a solid longline guy and send
him to school to fly the Black Hawk
than it is to train a Black Hawk pilot to
fly a longline, because at the end of the
day, it’s just another helicopter.” There
are currently only three Black Hawk
pilots with Timberline and they were
all already with the company; no new
pilots were taken on to fly the type.
“We may hire guys in the future with the
intention of putting them in the Black
Hawk, but they’ll all be guys that we
know already have that solid longline
skill. I would say that we’ve got a good
reputation in the industry for bringing
guys to the job that can move your stuff
to exactly where it needs to be. A lot
of the time in this job, you’re dropped
in the deep end and guys that can take
the knowledge they have, apply it to the
situation they find themselves in and
then act accordingly and correctly; well,
they’re pretty hard to find.”
The first of the Black Hawks to enter
Timberline service has now done over
1,200hrs, so how does Brian now view
his decision to put the Black Hawk into
the fleet? “I try to look at everything I
do through the customer’s eyes. They’re
paying a lot of money for us to be there
so lets be efficient and move as fast as
we can, without compromising safety.
The Black Hawk lets us lift more and do
it faster. I really try to drum into all my
guys that when we’re on the job, we’re
not pilots, we’re really crane operators.
The customer doesn’t care what lifts
his stuff up, just that it gets where he
needs it, as cost-effectively and safely
as possible. There’s not much that’s
141
142
143
 not to like about the aircraft and I’ve
been pretty impressed with it. Maybe
one day I’d like to see a bubble door
that actually works and lets you see out
properly, and no doubt there will be
a tank developed for it at some point.
Built to mil-spec, it’s a really rugged
aircraft and it’ll really take a pounding.
Heck, in the military hitting the ground
at 540fps is a normal landing under
16,000lbs!” The only durability question
that remains in Jorgenson’s mind is
how well the airframe will cope with
being constantly stretched under the
demands of the external load mission.
“Sikorsky builds tough stuff though.
Look at the S61,” he opened, “That
wasn’t built specifically for lifting, but
look how it did in service with operators
that treated it properly. The Black Hawk
is the first crash-worthy helicopter the
military has had. The seats are built for
ten g’s, the landing gear is built for ten
g’s, it has a fully break-away fuel system
and those two long keel beams that run
the length of the bottom of the fuselage
are designed as skids basically, so if you
hit the ground going forward it won’t
144
buckle, it’ll just slide. This aircraft was
a paradigm shift in aircraft design and
has features that the FAA is still trying
to get included in current-production
standard category aircraft.” Overall,
Jorgenson believes the UH-60 is the
safest aircraft there is for carrying out
the work that Timberline does and he
says he has absolutely no regrets over
the decision to adopt the Black Hawk.
“The thing I’m most proud of with
Timberline is the group of people that
choose to call it home,” said Jorgenson,
who is one of the few owners of
companies as large as Timberline who
still spends most of his time flying.
“Another K-Max operator once said to
me that the company was growing so
much that I would have to consider
getting out of the cockpit and behind
a desk to run the business. That’s just
not me and I told him, ‘If it ever gets
to that point, there’s a really simple
solution; we’ll just sell some stuff and
keep flying.’ I enjoy flying helicopters
and doing this job. It’s why I do what I
do and I’ll keep doing it as long as that’s
the case.” HO
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