Whitestone

http://www.911hardfacts.com/report_12.htm#

I DID answer your question, and I quote, "Manufacture a villain, one who incidentally has changed is appearance a few times in the ten years or so he has been paraded in front of us." I guess I should have spoken more plainly for your benefit... it's hard to show someone, dead or alive if they never existed. That isn't to say that a person with that name didn't exists, just not the person they made him out to be. Show a picture of a man with a beard and a turban hundreds if not thousands of times and tell the public he's the enemy (yes, a guy is waging a war on the most powerful and technologically advanced nation in the world from a cave in Afghanistan using a laptop). Those who are in power need to have an enemy to justify both the "enhanced security measures" and the military expenditures. You bully or bribe the oil producing countries to only trade oil in US $ and you deflect attention from what you are doing. Create a security incident that creates the need for military intervention so that you can justify going into a country that dares oppose you AND you can make lots of guns etc. using the taxpayers dime to further your own ends (make a profit) and the taxpayer pays you for it ! Sweet ! There are so many inconsistencies with the whole Sept. 11 incident, so much evidence that something other than the official story went on but the powers that be refuse to answer any questions. W.

The free thinkers among us will always question the government. I suspect that in pre-world war 2 Germany some questioned whether it was in fact Hitler's own Brown Shirts that attacked the parliament which gave Hitler the excuse to institute martial law to "protect" the people. Fast forward to today, we have a massive military industrial complex that is suckling off the taxpayers teat. With the end of the cold war there was the possibility of an end to hyper military expenditures but this is not in the interest of those who profit from it so what to do... Manufacture a villain, one who incidentally has changed is appearance a few times in the ten years or so he has been paraded in front of us. How many of you have that scene of the first plane crashing into the tower (yeah, you know the one i am talking about...) imprinted in your heads? You my friends have been brainwashed by this image. Of course the fact that a mostly aluminum aircraft crashed into a large steel and concrete structure and NONE of its components fell to the street but that it cut into the building like a hot knife through warm butter should not give anyone pause to think... Yes believe anything and everything you are told by the government because it's run by the people for the people, not by special interest groups and lobbyists and their large corporate masters. Those who do not look can not see. And speaking of rich, the only ones getting rich are the ones pulling the wool over your eyes. W.

Well if you want to believe that when you die you go to Heaven, or Elysium or where every it is your specific religion sends you as a reward for venerating some invisible all encompassing god then fine. From what I have seen so far, other than that somewhat questionable reward it doesn't offer much except the fuzzy warm feeling that things just don't end when you die. There are those of course who use it as a tool (usually on the uneducated though not less intelligent) to control and tax them. One other "minor" trait is that it is used to turn women into second class citizens in most cases. W.

AND a big thanks to our politicians and bureaucrats for screwing both the soldiers and the taxpayers. http://www.casr.ca/ft-selling-off-chinooks.htm Don't get me started on what B$ the whole democracy for Afghanistan, 9-11/Bin Laden thing was/is, no kidding they didn't show the body after he was "killed", many believe that he never even existed but was a contrivance of the Americans in order to justify giving tax money to defense contractors while at the same time taking away the civil liberties of its own citizens. Time will tell where this whole thing is going. Remember how Hitler came to power in Germany... Night of the Long Knives, but really it's a progression. History repeats its self. (shouldn't this be in the Military section?) W.

...and this is what "8 out of 10 found work" looks like in most cases. Sorry to hear that DirtyBH47. My experience was similar, the old "work hard on the ground and you will get your chance" carrot. I had two false starts for a total of three years of no flying but I could clean ANYTHING like nobody's business, LOL. Trucks, cars, hangar (or is it hanger?) floors, snow from parking lots, even wrench on rotary and fixed wing, build fences, haul gravel, and all sorts of other $#!% not related to flying helicopters in the least way. I was the same way, running out of money but managed to get a seat and start making some flight pay so i could pay for living expenses. I wonder how many newly minted pilots find themselves in this situation and have to throw in the towel? Thanks for sharing your experience but know that sadly it is not unique. Yes you need perseverance to get going in this business but you need deep pockets too to subsidize your bottom dwelling employer who doesn't even pay you enough to make ends meet. If you are going to do your license you better have a plan for where all that extra cash is going to come from. W.

Come on, you know you were thinking it too... ha ha ha

I'd be curious to know where all those graduates from big schools or any school are, I haven't seen a 100 hour pilot in years myself. What are they doing, driving trailers delivering fuel, sweeping, washing, answering the phone, carpentry, mowing the lawn, roofing (did i miss anything)? One thing for sure, they aren't flying, at least not within my eye site! The biggest joke in this industry is the same schools that take money from Canadians and painting them such a rosy picture (it's a good time to do your license, the [insert name of certain demographic] is about to retire...) are the same ones doing all the foreign license conversions. That's the biggest joke, THE FOREIGNERS are the ones coming out of those schools who are going to get those jobs. "Found work", talk about a misleading statement. Doesn't matter how keen you are and how much initiative you show, you are not going to fly with 100 hours and it is going to take you ten years (no kidding) of ferry and maintenance flights to get to a place where someone can use you for even the most basic jobs never mind 1500 hours. The only thing that matters is what you have written in you log book, skill seems not even to be a secondary consideration. The only guys I see coming up are Europeans via the wonderful American instructional pipeline or foreign conversions from down under. Good luck to any Canadians contemplating this line of work. If you are considering doing you license maybe do it in the States that way you might have a chance of getting a job in your own country... talk about irony! Let's hear from some actual 100 hour pilots, what's going on out there? Never mind this 8 out of 10 bla, bla, bla. Where's my shovel? LOL W.

Trucking, I have contemplated the similarities many times and the great differences. Know a few guys who have jumped ship and gone to work in the patch, good for the most part except for the night shift which studies show is quite literally killing people as we human mammals were not meant to be awake at night. The seasonal slowdowns are a drag for sure not to mention the cyclical (pardon the pun) ups and downs of the years, this makes it very stressful for the VFR pilot. At the end of the day you have to be able to pay your bills. W.

There are very few of us who did not at some point feel your pain but working for free is only going to bite you and it bites us in the butt right now. The simple truth is as someone on here long ago pointed out that there are certain jobs that have great perceived curb appeal or coolness factor and pilot, be it fixed (less cool) or helicopter is one of them. This caused more people than the industry needs to do the training and there you go, an oversupply of freshly minted pilots. Training isn't driven by a demand for pilots but by the idea of it and a slick sales pitch by the schools doesn't help. (a fool and his money are soon parted) Someone else likened becoming a helicopter pilot to becoming a Hollywood actor (or actress) in that many try, take theater in college and work around the fringes for years and years but few ever get over the hump. I wonder if schools posted a statistical sheet of how many helicopter pilots have been cranked out, how many worked for how many years and how many never even flew one commercial hour if it would give someone pause. I think not, we are a bunch of lemmings, ha ha. I know there has been a lot of advice to low hour guys over the years on the forum and i have always said you have to want it more than the other guy. In a way this is too bad because my experience starting out was filled with bad experiences from other desperate low hour guys cutting me off at the knees more than a few times, everything from verbal abuse to passive aggressive behavior to intimidation by the threat of physical abuse. Other than being a job where they don't pay you, I am of the opinion that anywhere you fly low and slow as a low hour pilot for the majority of your air time (not flight time, LOL) time is either going to kill you or make you a better pilot. Air time is good time. W.

I think that this is something in the back of everyones mind, more so when we park at an unsecure location: "did someone mess with my machine...?". W.

If I remember correctly, we could only charge the machine out at cost. Once in a while there might have been a little side trip for someone that got billed as excavator time... but I don't remember that well any more, it was a big company and I used to get a call to go somewhere and pick up someone or something... never asked anyone for ID. The nice thing was, no paperwork, just the log book. As Skidz pointed out, there is no anual training required and it sure showed when I got back in the mainstream... Even if it's just your pick-up truck, you should be going to a school and doing your emergencies etc. for your passengers and your safety. W.

This is just another example of the bar being lowered. It's like the box stores who don't give anyone full time so they don't have to pay benefits, it's like your favorite donut and coffee shop hiring all their staff from the Philippines, it's like all the security guards being hired from Nigeria or some place like that. It's about tour companies not paying their employees. It has nothing to do with giving someone an opportunity and everything to do with giving yourself an unfair competitive advantage and putting more money in your pocket. I think we all know how most "charities" work these days, give them a buck and 97% is spent on "administrative" expenditures which include meetings held in Mexico or the Bahamas and luxury car rentals, and part time staffing which turns out to be hookers, etc. (it's like the helicopter companies who hire foreign workers) all are shades of the same color. W.

Can't speak to how others do or did their maintenance but years back I worked for a non-aviation company that had a huge contract that required helicopter support. They crunched the numbers after using a commercial operator for a while and decided to get a machine of their own. It was privately registered and maintained to a commercial standard by an approved maintenance organization and other than not doing a PPC I conduced ops like a "regular" commercial operator. ...other than the fact that I hauled only people who worked for our company and their freight. Sure pissed off a couple of the local operators though. W.

I'm one of those who appreciates these CADORS postings, I may not be a fan of the business model of certain companies but I do not wish ill will on a fellow pilot but these incidents give us all an opportunity to reflect on our own piloting and how we can improve or avoid a similar fate. As the old saying went in the Vortex leaflet, "Learn from the mistakes of others, you'll not live long enough to make them all yourself" (or some such...). Most of us have been using the "land in snow" technique all summer already, landing in tall grass that moves and landing or hovering over water where you have to focus on something that does not move but now there is the added element of not only loosing visual reference with the ground but the "sky" as well when we create a snow ball effect. Also, it's that time of year when the leaves fall and bushes that were easy to see now blend in to the background so give the area you are going to stick your tail and main rotor a really good look on approach. Cheers and fly safe all, W.

In light of Skids posting of what is most likely a snow related incident i though it might be timely to resurrect this thread. Some of you are most likely already carrying sleeping bags etc in your machines while others are just making the transition from the warmer weather flying to winter operations. W.

http://trustssaints.ca/ChiefClarenceLouie.html

Coastal, you can't be serious? I have evaluated some of those former 1000 hour (or 2000 or what have you...) instructors who lacked the confidence to land in a confined area that could have held two 61's. Not a fan of puppy mills or the generalization that because a school has international contracts it makes them better, they have the contracts because they have the infrastructure in place to deliver the product that was required and deliver it at a competitive price. At the end of the day it comes down to money. I will say though, location, location, location... Also just because you have lots of experience does not make you a good teacher (H56 not withstanding). There are instructors at both big and small schools who might be good pilots or bad pilots but are crumby teachers and some who are terrible pilots in industry too and have a bad reputation and that is why they teach, because they can't make it out in the world. Where ever you go don't be afraid to change instructors (or even schools) if the one you have is not giving you good value for your money. But seriously, why do you want to become a helicopter pilot... W.

One thing I try to keep in mind these days is that almost everyone has a camera on their phone or some other video recording device and you never know when someone is going to make you the feature of their little video production. So, don't break the rules or stunt fly, etc. because inevitably it will end up on the 6 o'clock news or on the Internet. The pilot could probably have safely dipped within five feet of a boat but you have a lake full of vacationing boaters some of whom are "indulging" and want to record the festivities so it's best to stay away as R0T0R mentioned. Now that the media has gotten a hold of it, it's become a big deal and a huge safety issue and buddy filming it has gotten his five minutes of fame as well. I remember years back when a good friend of mine dumped a nice cold bucket of water on a friend of his who was driving his open cab tractor on his farm. Ah, the good old days... Nobody video recorded it, no one called the TV news, no TC investigation, no license suspension, etc., just a few laughs later at the BBQ. We live in different times now. One could argue too that what if he had a mechanical failure and had to put it down in the lake? Where would have have gone? Best to stay clear of the peanut gallery. I hope everyone is having a busy and safe summer, W.

The "old days" of poor to non-existent forecasting combined with unexpected low ceilings and trying to read a VNC chart while on the tree tops after going beyond the point of no return and flying on a compass heading and your watch, made for some tense moments. Upon reaching the appointed time/distance, then flying in ever increasing circles till you found the camp or fuel cache, that's a documented fact. I also consider myself fortunate to have been able to talk at length with a few retired bush flyers and they have shared their experiences with me, kind of like a taking "Vortex" news letter in some cases. There are of course exceptions to every rule, pilots who are lucky enough or really amazing, never to have had something like that happen to them. I am still looking forward to meeting that old timer and talking to him, but it would probably have to be outdoors though because i don't think their head would fit through the door... ha ha ha, roll-eyes ! I am not saying that GPS is only the answer, but it's another arrow in your quiver so to speak, to use to help you get to your destination safely and on time. Navigation has been an evolution, starting with someone walking using landmarks then somewhere along the way the compass was invented and on and on it went to the present day. Not to far into the future we will either be completely paperless or back to waking from tree to tree. Happy flying, W.

helicopterjim, It's a question that needs to be asked till its fixed because until we have representation we will have situations like the committee that sat to advise TC about Flight and Duty Times and we did not have a voice so they just threw us the Airline serving, all that bla, bla, bla about sectors, shortening the duty day and so on. I know one of the people (fixed wing of course) who sat on that committee very well and he thinks that helicopter pilots as a group must be the dumbest creatures on the face of the Earth to not be at those talks. There might be a few dozen who have managed to climb to the top of the very low hill that is VFR helicopters and think they have reached the top of Everst but for the rest of us, we know there should be more. You keep saying you've done fine but so has the city bus driver when compared to you. I have a close relative who works for a large transit company and made over $90K last year and he laughs at me. Mama don't let your babies grow up to be... helicopter pilots ! I am so tired of people who say they haven't worked a day in their lives (hey it's true, I have worked with far to many of you, you actually haven't worked) and that they would do it for free and on and on. It's people with your kind of thinking who keep our pay in the 70's. We should be making twice as much as we do for the risks we are asked to take and sacrifices we make. W.

I didn't know that BaseCamp supported the KMZ/KML file type. I have tried BaseCamp a few times but never consistently, I kept running into "roadblocks", the filing system for one, so have not learned the in's and out's of it. It was just easier to keep using MapSource but maybe this revelation will get me to take another look and stick with it. Thanks Freewheel. W.

Very funny Topher and here I was biting my tongue about not thinking he had graduated from crayons to pencils yet... All in good fun, we know what a clever and talented fellow you are helicopterjim ! I "fondly" remember the good ol' days days when pilots didn't find their destination due to difficulty navigating due to low altitude flying in poor weather or running short of fuel, yeah, the good old days... With the technology we have at hand today, GPS gives us another layer of security. I look at my charts when going into an unfamiliar area but for the most part it's GPS. Point "A" to point "B", simple if the info or data you were give and converted is accurate. If you have to convert it to another format and the grid and datum you were given was correct and converted and installed correctly, still lots of pit falls. Found this on the net: http://www.foreflight.com/support/user-waypoints So given that KMZ-KML (Google Earth type) files are one of the supported types for Foreflight, you could use GPSBabel to convert it to a GDB Garmin file. Has anyone used that system yet to convert and install files? W

Seems like Apple and all their propitiatory BS (as much as Garmin's) are the default setting since Garmin was pantsed in the school yard and stood there like an idiot instead of pulling up their pants and getting to work. Even though I do love my 296 and MapSource I do acknowledge that Garmin have failed to serve the VFR helicopter market by not developing new products we want, maybe there is just not enough money in it for them to bother? I have always used my own GPS since I first "discovered" technology even if the machine had a company unit in it, the convenience of knowing what data you have, the condition of the unit, its antenna and it's battery (or cable) etc. far outweighs my concern for some schmo who won't invest a bit in himself by buying his own. A few companies I have worked for have Garmin 196's or 296's so it's easy to give your cross shift the waypoints as an email file or SD card or USB stick from your own GPS via the computer software but if there is a stone age Trimble, Bendix King, or a Garmin 100 or such that usually has no user manuals, compatible interface cords and who can remember or figure out how to use them, then you're on your own as far as I'm concerned. I never use the ships' GPS, just too much of a pain and if the pilot coming in wants to, they can figure out how to get the data converted and installed and learn how to use a different unit each time they get in a different machine. I am enjoying the exchange of information and ideas, W.