MAINTENANCE EXCELLENCE For significant and distinct contributions to helicopter maintenance David Wayne Fox Maintenance Instructor, Bell Training Academy, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
David Fox has been around aircraft since he was old enough to toddle. Some of his most cherished memories are accompanying his mechanic father to the airport. His father was his inspiration as they built kit airplanes together and performed maintenance work on Bell 47s. As a teen in 1970, David landed his first paying aviation job as a mechanic’s helper working on Bell 47 helicopters. Tree
years later, he joined the US Army and worked as a crew chief, maintaining OH-58, UH-1, and AH-1G helicopters while serving a tour in Korea. When he returned from Korea, David relied on his on-the-job training and self-
study to obtain his airframe and power plant certificate. Not long after, he earned his private and commercial helicopter certificates. In 1980, he and a friend founded Helitrans Co. Inc., a Part 135 operator and
Part 145 repair station supporting the oil-and-gas industry off the Gulf Coast of Texas. He served as both the director of maintenance and chief inspector, having received his inspection authorization from the FAA. For 20 years, Helitrans operated with a perfect safety record. Te company had
no accidents, incidents, violations, or forced landings. “My proudest accomplishment is Helitrans’s record,” David says. “Having good
people working for you and maintaining and operating the aircraft properly to manufacturer recommendations are to credit for that. I was very serious about following the rules and not cutting corners. Money isn’t everything. Sometimes people lose sight of that.” David sold Helitrans in 2000. He enjoyed semiretirement, doing a little
David Wayne Fox
maintenance and consulting work, before Bell in 2001 invited him to be a ground school and simulator instructor for its light helicopters at the Bell Training Academy. For that position, he earned his certificated flight instructor rating. David became a fixture at Bell, not just at the training center, but also within the accident investigation and legal
departments. He was also the go-to expert for Bell owners and operators around the world on all things related to their aircraft’s operation, performance, and maintenance. He taught every system on the aircraft, sharing his stories and anecdotes to help solidify student knowledge while engaging them to learn. David also taught the simulator portion of students’ aircraft transition training. He developed an exhaustive list of connections and still gets calls from people around the world when they’re stuck on a maintenance challenge. “I’ve been doing this so long, chances are I’ve seen some of the more obscure or unique issues with these aircraft and may
have a way to help,” he says. While at Bell, David was instrumental in developing the Bell 407GX and GXi initial pilot transition courses as well as
leading and standardizing pilot instruction for light helicopters. David retired from Bell in 2020 and now works part time for the Helicopter Institute in Fort Worth, Texas, providing pilot
training. He also still moonlights as a mechanic, providing maintenance services for select clients. Tese days, David’s most rewarding work is mentoring young mechanics, believing it’s essential for the older generation to share its wealth of knowledge as well as its experience and values. “It’s important to mentor these younger people,” he says. “Tis is what my dad did
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with me. He mentored me on how to do things correctly to ensure that when you send an aircraft out, it will come back. Part of that is emphasizing the importance of following the manufacturers manuals and maintenance recommendations and developing a good working relationship with your local FAA inspectors.”
MARCH 2021 ROTOR 51
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