How new flight-following helps Alaskan operators | Aviation International News

How new flight-following helps Alaskan operators

Until the start of the new millennium, the business of monitoring helicopters as they flew over inhospitable expanses of land or water could be a haphazard

By Andrew Healey

January 29, 2007

Until the start of the new millennium, the business of monitoring helicopters as they flew over inhospitable expanses of land or water could be a haphazard affair, especially when the helicopter was out of radar or radio contact. Given the altitudes at which rotorcraft routinely fly, that accounts for a large proportion of airborne time and, as such, was something that many pilots preferred not to think about.

Over the past five years, tracking systems such as Outerlink’s CP-2 satellite link have transformed flight safety and boosted the confidence of, among others, offshore pilots flying over the Gulf of Mexico and EMS crews over the vast wooded areas of West Virginia. Both groups of aviators can now be confident that someone knows where they are and, if anything should go wrong, can react almost immediately.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.

Wyvern Pushing Safety as Hot Topic during NBAA-BACE

Wyvern COO Andy Day is incoming chair of NBAA’s safety committee

Changing the Gotta-land-it Mindset

Runway overruns cut across aircraft types and crews

Falcon on runway

MD Onboard Absorbs STAT-MD’s Aviation Services

Move creates a major force in aviation medicine consulting

MD Onboard control center

Confusion Reigns after FAA Drops Single-pilot Exemption

Questions arising over FAA's review of pertinent accidents

Article preview image

AINsight: Does Pilot Flight Time Equate to Competency?

Not all logged flight hours are created equal

Pilots in cockpit

FAA Rescinding Cessna Citation Single-pilot Exemptions

Action comes after a review found widespread noncompliance and safety issues

Citation jet bird strike through flock of birds

Thales Opens Center To Elevate Safety Culture

Facility initially serves Bordeaux campus but will expand to other locations

Thales Flight Safety Center

FAA Floats Allowing Jet Pilots To Forgo Wearing O2 Masks

Part 91 pilots would not have to wear masks ‘just in case,’ while 135 rules would allow higher altitudes

Cessna Citation 560 business jet accident