December 2005 Issue 5
Happy Christmas!!!
What a year!!!!
Hi everyone, yes, what a year it has been. Sorry it has been a while since the last newsletter due to holidays, this brand new site that in time we want to make really interacticve and we have been busy with a few other projects. A few highlights for you to mull over...
- We had our first helicopter competition at the start of the year which was great fun
- In March we took five R22's upto Cape Reinga for the weekend.
- The first Robisnon Safety course took place in Queenstown with 25 pilots attending, then over 60 turned up to the Auckland course in November
- We moved into our state of the art hanger in September so we can now expand our courses to meet all needs
- We also visited Whenuapai Control Tower and had a look around the Sea Sprite in June
- In October we had the go-ahead to offer student loans from a highly regarded education provider which was awesome news.
- On top of all of that and by no means last, we have had a great year with many of you achieveing your flying dream
2006 promises to be an even better year and as you can see from the upcoming events there is going to be no let up.
So on behalf of us all at North Shore Helicopter Training, I would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and thank you for your support throughout 2005 and look forward to seeing you in 2006.
Up Coming Events
21st January 2006 - NZ World Helicopter Competition
Following on from our successful inaugural competition last January, we are pleased to follow up this year to test both upcoming and old pilots alike. Contact Anne to register your entry and have a look on our main events page for fuller details
11th February 2006 - Helicopter Open Day
Come and visit us here at our brand new hanger and mingle with our students and instructors and for the first timers, you can take a Trial flight for $99. Call Anne today as places will be limited.
11th - 12th March 2006 - Hawkes Bay Weekend
Join us for this fabulous weekend to Hawkes Bay by helicopter from North Shore. Last years trip to Cape Reinga was such an awesome trip with 5 aircraft, that we hope to surpass that and take 8-9 machines and stay in a stunning location in the heart of the wine region. Flying over some of North Islands most spectacluar scenery, we hope to offer some activities and fly-ins to make the two day trip truely another one to remember.
Like all of our activities, these trips are on a first come first served basis and places will be limited dependant on aircraft and your ability. We would also aim to take R44's and a jetranger so there may also be places for friends. Give us a call and register your interest now!!!
Auckland - Robinson Safety Course 12-13th November 2005
Over 50 people attended the Robinson Safety Course held during the weekend of 12/13th November in Auckland. Experience ranged from ab-initio through to 20000 hour pilots and covered the whole spectrum of helicopter operations in New Zealand.
This was the second time the course has been held in New Zealand, the first being in Queenstown during July. The course was again organised by Anne Robertson and Roy Crane of North Shore Helicopter Training in Auckland and was run by Rob Rich, Managing Director and Chief Instructor of Aviation Safety Pty. in Australia.
Rob is a dynamic presenter, whose time in the industry enables him to share many real life experiences, ensuring that the material in the course is relevant and interesting to the audience. Over 2500 pilots have attended his courses since 1993 in Australia. Support presentations were given by John Clements, CFI North Shore Helicopter Training and CAA Flight Examiner, Bill Beard from Avsure, Carie Jarvie from North Shore Aviation Services, and Rosemarie Mcrae successful author and high time bush pilot. The course was also proudly sponsored by Heliflite Pacific Ltd, CAA, Boston Marks, and Air BP.
One advantage of the two day course format was the opportunity for pilots to network and share experiences over lunches and dinner. Many acquaintances were renewed and stories told.
CAA Rotary Wing Manager John Fogden gave the inaugural address outlining the benefits of a safety culture and discussing recent statistics from which there is always room for improvement. CAA are highly supportive of the course, being keen to raise the bar for safety and in particular to see the course become an integral part of the safety culture in NZ.
Robinson rated pilots have been required for some time to attend biennial safety courses. However in many cases these have become somewhat watered down versions of ‘the real thing’ and the establishment of this course on a regular basis will go a long way to improving this situation. John commented on the need to provide attendance incentives where possible and also observed that whilst the attendance at this course was very pleasing, there were some operators who really should attend, that didn’t. Attracting these people will be one of the challenges of the future.
Course Content
Although titled as a Robinson safety course, the material covered is applicable to all helicopter pilots and operators. The content is largely non-technical and focuses more toward human factors (pilot error) and the difference between organisations who are successful at accident prevention versus those who are not. A key element here is supervision and dramatic examples are provided to demonstrate how important supervision is in developing, maintaining and benefiting from a culture of safety.
The presentations commenced with a review of Robinson accident statistics in America, Australia and New Zealand which have a history of trending down significantly in the years following introduction of the course. The type and cause of accidents has also changed over time and the course material has responded to this as required. Emphasis is given to understanding the mistakes of the past and learning what practices may be put in place to avoid them in the future. Subjects covered include energy management, low and high inertia rotor systems, rotor stall, wire strike avoidance, carburettor icing, unfriendly principles of flight, aircraft limitations, maintenance updates, emergency procedures, accident summaries, and pilot supervision.
John Clements’ presentations covered including the importance of preventing distraction by focusing on the task at hand to try and make it the best (takeoff, approach, landing, etc.) you’ve ever done. A new method designed for wire strike avoidance was gone through in detail, one of the highest cause of accidents in Australia. The consequences of not backing off personal and aircraft limits sooner rather than later were made obvious, as was the importance of currency.
Rosemary McRae, a 13500 hour pilot who has just written an autobiography of her life in aviation (Whirly Girl 530) presented several of her own experiences and made the point to everyone that passengers, owners, and insurance companies all have the right to expect a safe operation.
Maintenance issues on Robinson helicopters were covered in some depth by Carie Jarvie who stressed the importance of good communication with maintenance engineers and gave numerous useful pre-flight tips relating to his extensive maintenance experience.
John Clements finished off his slot regarding weaknesses he regularly observes across the spectrum of flight examinations, a must for instructors and students alike
Sharing of Wisdom
The greatest benefit of the course, especially for newer pilots, is the sharing of wisdom from high time pilots. With drinks sponsored by Avsure and The Helicopter Association of Australasia (HAA), sponsoring the Saturday evening dinner function, it was a chance for all to relax, unwind and swap a few tales. The HAA also held the formal launch of the NZ branch with Roy Crane as president, presented an award to Walter Wagtendonk for his services to aviation publishing.
Insurance rebates
Bill Beard of Avsure gave a comprehensive presentation of aviation insurance and explained the rebate of up to $650 per year available on any Robinson helicopter insured through Avsure and Boston Marks for course attendance and the subsequent check ride.
Future courses and information
The course was well received and future courses are already planned by North Shore Helicopter Training for Christchurch in April, Nelson in August and Auckland in November 2006.
A turbine safety course and a Crew Resource Management (CRM) course will also be run back to back with the Robinson Safety Course at these venues, please enquire for full details. Remember that these courses are applicable to all helicopter types and that attending a safety course is a worthwhile investment and will improve your currency. Education and supervision are far preferable to investigation and litigation.
Contact Roy or Anne from North Shore Helicopter Training for more information on all the courses on 09 426 8748 or email info@helitraining.co.nz.
CFI’s BIT - REMEMBER!
Remember in a turn...
You either need more power,
Or you need to slow down,
To maintain a given radius of turn.