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RPMN: What is your greatest career accomplishment to date?


It was a long-held ambition of mine to become a chief pilot. To accomplish that position with such a great company as Papillon is just icing on the cake.


RPMN: Have you ever had an “Oh,


crap!” moment in a helicopter? Can you summarize what happened?


One of my “moments” was during my first instrument training flight aboard an RN Westland Wessex Mk 5. We’d just departed the air station and were flying in IMC at 2,000 feet on the dials. Suddenly, there was a loud bang! The aircraft made an uncommanded yaw of about 50 degrees to the right. Having recovered with all indications normal, my instructor and I made a precautionary landing to a field. Once on the ground, we learned that a Royal Navy Sea Harrier jet had just suffered a mid-air collision with a helicopter and had also made a successful emergency landing. The impact broke 6 inches off the top of the jet’s vertical fin. Our Wessex seemed fine, but upon inspection it was found to be 3 inches out of alignment along the tail cone and had to be trucked back to the airfield. Another interesting day at the office!


RPMN: If you could give only one piece of advice to a new helicopter pilot, what would it be?


Besides talking through issues with your peers, ask questions and opinions of the senior pilots around you. They’re a wealth of information and can provide useful guidance to help avoid making mistakes. As we know in aviation, mistakes can be very costly.


RPMN: What do you think is the greatest challenge for the helicopter industry at this moment in time?


We’re witnessing the dawn of a new industry: commercial UAV operations. The possibilities for their use go only as far as one’s imagination. Undoubtedly, UAVs will


replace helicopters in many applications, reducing the options for future helicopter pilots. Additionally, UAVs will also be using the same airspace as our helicopters. If we’re to maintain safety and growth, our industry needs to anticipate this and adjust accordingly.


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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