Episodes
April 28, 2021
RWS 99 – Helicopter Flying in Iceland with Tryggvi Helgason
It is not unusual for helicopter pilots to take a winding route to before they end up with a career in the cockpit. Tryggvi worked as a baggage handler, in flight operations and as a quality auditor before taking on a flying job.
April 1, 2021
RWS 98 – Wrong Deck Landings and Approach Detection with Jon Davis
Before a helicopter approaches to an oil rig there are checks and safety procedures to be followed on the rig in preparation – the deck is cleared, cranes are moved out of the way and gas venting is stopped.
March 14, 2021
RWS 97 – A Possible Helicopter Career Plan B with Jerry Grayson
Jerry Grayson returns to the Rotary Wing Show with an update on his next adventure following a packed career in the cockpit as a SAR and film pilot. Now-a-days he keeps his feet on the ground but leverages his experience in the operation of drones – an...
March 2, 2021
RWS 96 – What I’ve Been Doing for the Last 60 Years with Richard Howell
Richard (Rick) Howell started spinning spanners on aircraft in 1960 as a QANTAS apprentice. Since then he has flown all through Australia and PNG including a 29 year run as a pilot for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Feb. 3, 2021
RWS 95 – Adventures in Helicopter Media with Elan Head
Working in the helicopter media part of the industry Elan Head gets to talk to a wide range of people and over time has had the opportunity to take the controls of a wide range of helicopters. This gives her a unique vantage point to talk about the man...
Dec. 22, 2020
RWS 94 – News Helicopter Ops Over Los Angeles with Larry Welk
Electronic news gathering or ENG is the term that those in the helicopter news corner of the industry use to capture their operations. As a platform to provide real time on-scene video at short notice over a city nothing so far beats a helicopter.
Dec. 15, 2020
Carburetor Icing in Robinson Helicopters: Safety Lessons with Richard Mornington-Sanford
Most piston engine pilots will be at least passingly familiar with the theory behind the formation of carburetor icing. However most textbooks lean towards the operation of the carburettor in a fixed wing mounted engine. Heli...
Dec. 11, 2020
RWS 92 – Human External Cargo Helicopter Ops with Jeff Yarnold
As versatile as helicopters are there are still tight places where they just can’t land to get people in or out. For overwater flights, rescue teams and some utility operations that means using a hoist or under-slung line to reach someone.
Aug. 5, 2020
RWS 91 – Helicopter Powerline Operations with David McColl
The general line thrown out there is that most helicopter pilots try to spend their careers staying away from wires – the guys and girls flying in the powerline industry get right up close as part of their job.
July 14, 2020
RWS 90 – Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) with Andrew Boniface
The pace of consumer electronics development far outstrips that of aviation equipment and helicopter installed functionality. Electronic Flight Bags are becoming a fixture in cockpits throughout the industry.
June 9, 2020
RWS 89 – Night Aerial Firefighting 2020 Update with Richard Butterworth
We first looked at night aerial firefighting in episode 65 when the capability had just finished the first trials in Australia. Now with two more fire seasons of experience fighting fires at night, Richard Butterworth is back to give an update on the c...
June 1, 2020
RWS 88 – First Solo Flights with Peter Holstein
Today’s topic is First Solo flights. If you are a student getting ready for your first helicopter solo this is the episode that you want to hear.If you are an instructor sending students solo then you will also definitely want to listen to this one.
May 24, 2020
RWS 87 – Search and Rescue at AMSA with Luke Brandley
We spend a lot of time training for emergencies in the air but how much do you know about what happens next or what kicks into gear if you go missing? Luke Brandley is an ex-Huey pilot now working as a Senior Search and Rescue Officer with the Australi...
May 10, 2020
RWS 86 – Going for Height and Film Flying with Fred North
Even if you are not an avid movie goer it is still very likely that you have seen some of Fred North’s work. Fred has been involved in many of the largest Hollywood Blockbusters in recent times either flying helicopter stunts or providing the aerial fi...
May 5, 2020
RWS 85 – Buying a Helicopter with Stephen Boyce
In the market for a helicopter or just want to know some of the ins and outs of the process? Stephen Boyce has been working in helicopter sales since 2011 and flying them since 1994. Helicopters are high cost purchases and almost always a case of buyer...
April 18, 2020
RWS 84 – Pilotage FLIR with Tony ‘Squid’ Norton
Forward Looking Infra-red (FLIR) systems have been around for a while and used in a search or surveillance function normally by an operator with a control panel. A small number of aircraft are now incorporating FLIR as a pilot vision tool,
Feb. 11, 2020
RWS 83 – SH2 Sea Sprite with Jim Palmquist
Ditching a rapidly yawing helicopter into the open ocean is one of those experiences most of us would happily pass on. Jim Palmquist and his crew onboard a SH2 Sea Sprite survived just such an event during his time as an aircraft carrier search and res...
Jan. 25, 2020
RWS 82 – Test Flying and Lessons Learnt with Tony ‘Squid’ Norton
If your perfect day sounds like flying a glider in the morning, testing the HV curve in a Kiowa at lunch and then jumping in a Swedish jet interceptor in the afternoon then Tony ‘Squid’ Norton can tell you what it’s like!
Jan. 19, 2020
RWS 81 – Helicopter Job Market USA (2020), Visas and FAA License Conversion with Jared Friend
A few years can make a big difference and that is the case now in Jan 2020 for the helicopter pilot hiring market in the USA. For the first time in a while the minimum hours/experience for job adverts are starting to decrease and operators are looking ...
Dec. 22, 2019
RWS 80 – Influencing a Positive Aviation Culture with Natalee Johnston
There are differing and some very academic definitions for what culture is. I like – “the way we do things around here”. This is a chat about organisational culture and how it impacts on aviation and specifically helicopter operations.
Nov. 21, 2019
RWS 79 – Tackling Helicopter Aircrew Distractions with Kimberly Hutchings
Have you ever taken your eyes inside the cockpit to check a notification or had your preflight inspection interrupted by a phone call? Distractions of all kinds are increasingly a problem for aircrew and they are starting to show up in safety stats.
Oct. 29, 2019
RWS 78 – Military to Civilian Transition for Helicopter Pilots with Tarryn Ryan
For many military aviators their careers at some point end up being a case of ‘up’ or ‘out’ – either promoted to more non-flying roles or transitioning out into the civil industry. Landing that first non-military position can sometimes be hard as you ...
Aug. 23, 2019
RWS 77 – Helicopter Hoist Operations with Rob Munday and David Callen
Hoist operations open up a wide range of additional roles for helicopters. They allow us to get people and equipment into and out of locations which would otherwise be inaccessible or too dangerous to land.
Aug. 9, 2019
RWS 76 – Funding Helicopter Training Using VET Student Loans (Australia Only)
A bit of change of format for this episode of the Podcast. I’m re-sharing a recording made for the flight school website where I instruct. This one is all about some of the financial assistance that the Australian Government provides that can also be u...