go coastal

I too use the Lifeproof case and cradle for my Ipad mini with Foreflight. From my research, I couldn't find another company that made a comparable quality product in regards to protecting the ipad and mounting it for flight. The cradle fits the Nuud (or Fre) case like a glove. You can purchase a mount from RAM that attaches to the back of the Lifeproof cradle so that it can be used with any Ram mount system. Bomber! I highly reccomend Lifeproof and Ram! Cheers, Ben

I'm a techno-peasant! Hope this works!!! https://www.dropbox.com/s/e82ee6vxcbx1epf/AW119MKII_RFM_.pdf?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/pilh2zsgjwnmlnw/A119%20RFM_IDS.Cmb.pdf?dl=0 This fuel calculator was created by my friend Mark A. Even if you don't weigh 160 lbs like his skinny a$$ does, its still a helpful guideline. https://www.dropbox.com/s/wj5koyqy7lxjg27/Koala%20Fuel%20Calculator.xlsx?dl=0 Have fun! Ben

Ok, I'll look into it and see what I can do. Might not be till later tonight. Cheers, Ben

Yes, but I think its too big to be emailed. If you know of another way, let me know and I'll fire it your way. Ben

I can confirm there has been a change in ownership. I can confirm it took place back in October. I won't say who the new owners are though. Cheers, Go Coastal

One thing I might add would be to treat your "last lift" time as an unbreakable rule. Consider it as a " if everything s**t the bed right now (i.e. size 3 avalanche with multiple burials), I am confident that I would have enough time to properly carry out a rescue. By this I mean you will need to act as the central cog in an incredible complex and dynamic situation. Emotions will be on high, responders can experience shock, digging avalanche debris is like digging concrete, your aircraft may need to play multiple roles as "responder", taxi cab for additional rescuers, and medivac transport for critically injured. Don't forget that they'll all want a ride home to the lodge at the end of it all too. From my experience, thats a lot to pile into any "end of the day" scenario. Very little goes "exactly to plan" so extra daylight is always nice to have. By the way, I don't mean to imply that we don't work with professionals; 99.9% of the guides I have flown with in my time are totally "on it". It's just the fact that we are dealing with human beings, and when dealing with human beings, especially in highly stressful situations, you want to have your ducks in a row so to speak. Consider the fact that on a "blue-bird" day this type of occurrence is going ratchet up your stress-level and workload considerably! So when you factor in fading daylight, or any kind of weather which is less than stellar, you now have your hands very very full. Again you do not want to find yourself pushing daylight in any heliski scenario. You will find that most guides have considered this scenario also and will be duly respectful of this limitation of time and daylight, however as with any area in life, there are some people out there that like to push the rules more than others. Overall, if you plan on heliskiing as a long term gig, you will need to set yourself some limitations right from the start. Some guides will push to see how far you'll go (weather, landing spots, etc.) and it is your job to let them know you are serious about the limits you've set right from the start. Just like the fact that you're serious about the limit they set for themselves as "last lift". Good luck and have fun! Ben

I purchased a Gallet LH050 a couple of years back. It's the "Janer" model but that makes it lighter and also less bulky for long-lining out of a bubble window. You still have an internal visor which is available in all the same tints as the external visor. I've been very happy with mine. PM me if you want cost, supplier etc. Cheers, Ben

Hey Flash, If you're looking for a serious answer, I would suggest you consider a Bachelor of Commerce. It can't say it will ever be "the reason" you get a particular job, but I can say from experience that the many skills you acquire while obtaining the degree will be helpful throughout your career. Some of the skills you can look forward to learning while you work towards your degree are; A comfort and ease with public speaking. An ability to organize your thoughts into a meaningful and understandable presentation. A familiarity with the various corporate structures such as sole proprietorships, limited liability companies, and partnerships as well as the tax advantages that can be achieved within each one. Financial management and forecasting. And the list goes on... Many of the previously mentioned skills do not require a degree to master and therefore you may be better to save your money and put it towards your living expenses for the first few years of your piloting career. On the other hand, completing any degree or skilled trade before you become a pilot will show all potential employers that you are willing to stick it out and see a job through. I can't say for sure that my degree has made the difference for me in my career but I definitely would say that it has been comforting to have as a fall back option along the way. I hope this helps. Cheers, Ben

Very sad news! My thoughts are with the families at this terribly difficult time. Ben Whyte

I love the 407 but I definitely wouldn’t describe it as a performer in hot and moderate altitudes let alone hot and high altitudes. I was flying the 407 on fires out of Castlegar a couple of summers ago and bucketing for a crew at 5500 feet and 32 degrees C. . The scenario I was in had me approaching the water drop with an M.G.T. just below the 5 minute take-off rating of 779 degrees and a tq of 76%. i.e I had 24% tq. remaining before reaching the take-off limit but couldn't use it due to the temp limits. This machine had a so-so engine at the time (only +12) so that was definitely a factor. I have been told that a more typical 407 power check result would be somewhere between +30 and +40 (maybe someone can confirm/deny this for me?). Anyway, it’s a sweet machine to longline from and a total champ in the colder weather but not what you are looking for if it’s hot and high places you plan to visit. This has been my experience with it. Hope this helps. Ben p.s. I flew the FX2 last winter and it was a stump puller. I haven't flown it in the summer but I would imagine it would easily out-perform a 407.

Sort of; What I was meaning was that if you fly a total of 4.0 hours over the day with 4 groups, as long as each group gets at least 20,000 or more vertical feet of skiing in that day for "their" hour of flight time then you are in the good. Obviously over 20,000 ft. per group is better and probably means the guide has his/her shite together that day. But yes, you are right, I didn't mean to imply that you could achieve 20,000 ft. for each group for each 1.0 hrs of flight time (or in other words 80,000 ft. of skiing in 1.0 flight hours). So I think we are talking about the same thing???? I'm getting confused myself. Ben

Spendthrift, Boozhound, Bar-clown. You've got me all figured out... Ben

Another type of production flying that has nothing to do with a longline is heliskiing with several groups. If you are moving four groups with one machine, your goal is production. The standard level of competance is usually gauged by how many vertical feet each group skis in one hour of flight time. Over 20,000 vertical feet of skiing per group in one hour = good, under 20,000 per group = bad. The trouble with this standard of measurment is that just like in seismic bags or drills, there are a raft of variables that are completely beyond the control of the pilot. The guide has to have his/her poop grouped and be working on an "all-day" plan. The distance betwen runs, the speed of the skiers in each group, the weather, the snow quality and conditions, first day vs. last day, etc, all have a huge impact on the end result. Like jacdor said, if they want you back you are probably providing the production they are looking for. Ben

Hey Dustin, You should have something in your email. Cheers, Ben

1500 commercial helicopters in Canada seems high. I don't actually have any data to back that up but it seems higher than I would have guessed. I would have thought the numbers would be somewhere closer to 750 commercial machines. Maybe (probably) I am out to lunch. Ben