IMC conditions, but I was in a VFR-only 407. The weather was marginal VFR with about four miles of visibility and mist/ haze. There was a fog bank at the edge of the pattern limits over the water where we were working. We had made several runs in the testing pattern with no issue. On one of our passes in our pattern at about 1,000 feet, the haze had distorted our ability to judge how far away the fog bank seemed to be. Just as I was about to call out to break off from the pattern, we both went into the fog bank. I immediately started my instrument scan. Luckily being over the water and having familiarized myself with the area prior to the flights, I knew I could climb and turn freely. Making reference to the heading we were using before we went into the fog, I was able to execute a stable 180-degree turn while being fully prepared to make an emergency call to the nearest tower that we were working with. I came back out of the fog bank as quickly as I went in.
RPMN: If you could give only one piece of advice to a new helicopter pilot or mechanic, what would it be?
The piece of advice that I would give is: If you don’t know, ask! A large number of people in our industry are very willing to share what we have learned. The aviation industry is not a place where you can “fake it and make it.” And if you try to fake it, it becomes apparent very quickly. So, don’t cut corners.
RPMN: In your view, what is the greatest challenge for the helicopter industry at this moment in time?
With the onset of the COVID pandemic, some pilots are struggling with keeping their flight currency and proficiency. These pilots have gone from flying on a daily basis to being laid off, or stopped flying because of pandemic restrictions. Some of them want to move to new areas of the helicopter industry, but are running into an issue of not having met their minimum currency requirements. Even with a pilot shortage, how are we able to combat the loss of currency/proficiency in our industry due to COVID? How can we help other professionals regain their lost currency as we slowly come out of
operational restrictions? And how can we mitigate risk to help professionals in need of regaining their standards? There won’t be a one-answer-fits-all solution, but I do think it is an issue we could help one another with. It is something that all operators and owners should discuss during interviews and recurrency training.
Do you know someone who
would be a good subject for Meet a Rotorcraft Pro? Email your suggestion to the editor-in-chief:
lyn.burks@rotorcraftpro.com
rotorcraftpro.com
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