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Mar
30
2026
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Posted by Admin
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To an outsider, it might appear that the leadership and training staff at Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC) work around the clock— in many ways, they do. Under the leadership of President and CEO David Smith and the steadfast dedication of Chief Flight Instructor Guillaume Mailet, the company continues to reach new heights in its training excellence. RHC’s long-standing Safety Course, now in its 42nd year, has been refreshed with a modern approach that emphasizes accident causation trends and contributing factors. Building on that foundation, the company recently added its Flight Instructor Standardization Course, which has already graduated more than 80 instructors worldwide since its introduction last year.
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Tags:
Robinson Helicopter Company
Categories:
Training
Safety
Company Profiles
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Mar
22
2026
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Posted by Admin
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RPMN: What is your current position?
I am a contracting pilot. I have been working seasonally between my homeland of Australia and Canada for the last eight years with most of my recent experience being in firefighting and mineral exploration in the Bell 212 and 407. I’ve recently started posting some of my work adventures on social media under the name “Bushpiloting” to share my experiences with others while having fun!
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Tags:
Contract Helicopter Pilots
Darcy Taylor
Meet A Rotor Pro
Categories:
Human Interest
Helicopter Sectors
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Mar
16
2026
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Posted by Admin
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In the Southern Hemisphere when winter fades and early spring unfolds, fruit growers across Chile, Argentina and Peru deal with one of the most crucial periods of their growing season: frost events that occur during late winter and the beginning of spring. For cherry, plum and grape producers, a single cold night during this time can erase an entire year of investment. When temperatures drop a few degrees below critical thresholds, fragile blossoms are damaged by ice crystals and that can delete revenue up to $20,000 USD per hectare (approx 2.5 acres). To fight Jack Frost, helicopters have become one of the most reliable tools to protect crops and secure livelihoods.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Aerotoscana
Heliicopter Frost Control
Categories:
Company Profiles
Helicopter Sectors
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Mar
08
2026
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Posted by Admin
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If there was a Mount Rushmore for the giants of helicopter history, the late Frank Robinson would be carved in granite. The rotorcraft pioneer’s driving vision was to put a sophisticatedly simple, affordable light helicopter in the sky. So, he left his position as a chief engineer at Hughes Aircraft to start Robinson Helicopter Company at the draft table in his Palos Verdes, California, living room where he began to will his vision into reality by founding Robinson Helicopter Company 53 years ago.
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Tags:
David Smith CEO President Robinson
Robinson Helicopter
Categories:
Company Profiles
Human Interest
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Mar
02
2026
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Posted by Admin
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In the bustling sprawl of New York City and its surrounding empire, time is life. The difference between minutes and hours can equate to millions of dollars, missed opportunities, and even critical lifesaving support. The airspace surrounding it has grown and evolved to accommodate the desire to save time and make the unpredictable predictable and attainable. Zip Aviation has been a player in that evolution since 2005.
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Tags:
Helicopter tour Operations
ZIP Aviation
Categories:
Company Profiles
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Feb
23
2026
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Posted by Admin
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For decades, the helicopter industry was defined by incrementalism—marginal gains in lift, slightly quieter rotors, and traditional turbines. But as we settle into 2026, we are witnessing a fundamental decoupling from the past. This year marks the moment when "future tech" graduated from the laboratory to the flight line and is fundamentally altering how we view vertical lift.
The most visible shift is the electrification of the rotorcraft. This year, the first flight of the battery-electric Robinson R66 demonstrator has signaled that zero-emission flight is no longer a niche pursuit for startups, but a priority for the world’s most prolific manufacturers. Coupled with the expansion of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)—now reaching a critical mass in supply chains—the industry is finally addressing its carbon footprint with "drop-in" solutions that require no hardware overhauls.
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Tags:
Editor Lyn Burks
Editors Letter
Categories:
Opinion-Editorial
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Feb
16
2026
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Posted by Admin
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In aviation, visibility is everything. Whether you’re performing a detailed preflight inspection on a dark ramp or managing systems in the cockpit during a night approach, proper lighting can mean the difference between a smooth operation and a costly oversight. Pilots have long relied on flashlights, headlamps, and panel lighting—but each has its drawbacks. Enter the patented DEX FingerLight, a compact, wearable illumination tool that’s quickly becoming a pilot favorite and a piece of equipment that I don’t leave the ground without.
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Tags:
DEX Finger LIght
Categories:
Training
Safety
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Feb
09
2026
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Posted by Admin
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In the far south of South America, between the fruit valleys of central Chile and the dramatic landscapes of Patagonia, operates Aerotoscana — an aviation company that blends the precision of modern flight with the adventurous spirit of its founders, María Jesús Ardura and Felipe Reitz. What began as a shared dream has grown into a reputable helicopter operation known for its professionalism, versatility, and innovative approach to rotorcraft aviation.
[Read More...]
Tags:
Aerotoscana
Helicopter Operators Chile
Helicopter Operators Patagonia
Categories:
Human Interest
Company Profiles
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Feb
02
2026
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Posted by Admin
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The helicopter training community has long been built on mentorship, credibility, and shared experience. For generations, knowledge has been passed from one aviator to the next through hard-earned expertise and honest, practical instruction. Today, that tradition is threatened by a growing issue: false narratives, manufactured authority, and AI-generated content presented as fact. With a camera or an internet connection, anyone can publish training commentary, and because online platforms reward attention rather than accuracy, the newest and most impressionable members of our industry are increasingly exposed to misinformation with real-world consequences.
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Tags:
helicopter training ai generated content
Helicopter training social media
Categories:
Career Development
Safety
Opinion-Editorial
Training
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Jan
26
2026
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Posted by Admin
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About an hour’s drive southeast of Rome lies Frosinone Air Base. At first glance, the base appears to be a small location in a valley with only a grass strip. However, it is the training ground for Italy's military helicopter pilots and home to the 72nd Stormo (72nd Wing). The unit operates the small, reliable, and rugged TH-500B. Unit Commander Colonel Alessandro Fiorini briefed us on a unique mission: performing the very first aerial dances with the newest helicopter pilots of the Italian armed forces.
Colonel Fiorini’s path to Frosinone is as varied as it is impressive. After joining the Italian air force academy in 1996, he graduated as a military pilot in 2002 at the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT) program at Sheppard AFB in Texas. Fiorini said, “After the lead-in fighter training course, I served as a Panavia Tornado pilot and as an instructor at the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU). My instructor position at the OCU was followed by a temporary assignment at the ENJJPT program as a T-38C flight instructor.”
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Tags:
72nd Wing
Frosinone Air Base
Italy's military helicopter pilots training
TH-500B