Gama Aviation’s Post

Automation and reducing pilot operations from two to one have recently been discussed in aviation. However, we must consider labor's importance in safely and efficiently operating transport-category aircraft. In the military, a pilot is a limiting factor in the operation of fighter jets as the capabilities of these aircraft far exceed what pilots can sustain. In contrast, the airline and private transport category world requires a two-person flight deck to ensure safety and command over passengers. A single person on the flight deck can hinder safety in many ways, including fatigue and mental health issues. A two-person flight deck enhances safety and command over passengers. It also provides mental well-being and symbiosis with next-gen automation, which can reduce operating costs beyond what a single-crew flight deck proposition suggests. Let's prioritize safety and the well-being of passengers and crew by maintaining the two-person flight deck. #pilotstuff #aviationsafety #mentalhealth

[#IndustrySpotlight] Yesterday, it was #CoastGuardDay, celebrating 234 years of service and relentless dedication. To safeguard our waters and shores, the U.S. Coast Guard relies on their skilled crew of pilots and medical personnel as well as #helicopters that consistently operate in challenging conditions. Sikorsky MH-60 and Airbus MH-65 helicopters are ideal for search and rescue missions, including high performance engines from #aviation manufacturers such as Safran. Due to flying in extreme conditions, engines, rotor heads and gearboxes can be hampered by dust, sand, or debris. Our rotary lip seal is a proven sealing solution that protects these critical systems. Go here to read our aviation case study about #swashplates. https://lnkd.in/gKRXnScq We honor the heroic efforts of the Coast Guard and the importance of having dependable equipment to do their job safely and successfully. #RotaryLipSeals #RotaryShaftSeals #HelicopterSealsMaterials #USCG #RotorcraftIndustry #CaseStudy #Aviation

OTD in 2016: So you thought the UH-1H was a Bell product? Not to the FAA. Small third party 'TC Holders' are responsible for assessing the airworthiness impact of usage changes for ageing ex-military helicopters. https://lnkd.in/dZF73Ex #helicopter #accident #flightsafety #aviationsafety #airworthiness

Smith Myers ARTEMIS has been in active service saving lives around the world since 2017 with the lead customer The Royal Norwegian Airforce on their Leonardo AW101 Search & Rescue Helicopter Program. The growing global customer base includes programmes in the UK, Europe, North America, South America, and the Middle East.  Check out how together with Leonardo Helicopters we have delivered Smith Myers ARTEMIS "... a game-changing mobile phone locator system that can pinpoint a missing person from just their phone’s signal. This allows crews to fly above adverse weather – rather than conduct search patterns close to the ground – with the locator system on, quickly locate a person and send them a text message that they are on their way. What used to take several hours can now take a fraction of that time, increasing the chances of survival for the missing person and freeing up the crew and helicopter for additional missions." Leonardo, Forsvaret - Norwegian Armed Forces #sar #searchandrescue #savinglives #lifesaving #awardwinning #ARTEMIS #AW101 #SARQUEEN

Today in Transportation History! 🚁 On July 15, 1952, two large Sikorsky H-19 helicopters made history by taking off from Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts. This marked the beginning of the first transoceanic crossing via helicopters. Learn more about this pioneering journey: [Link to the article] #TransportationHistory #Aviation #Innovation 🌍

It is necessary to use all the military capabilities of Colombia to work hand by hand with the Unidad Nacional para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres (UNGRD) to combat and extinguish all the wildfires across the country, prevention, planification, anticipation are facts which take a key role. Joint & interagency operations have to be considered to ensure the maximum assets availability.

Thank you to the The Washington Post for raising awareness about the barriers our pilot patients face in seeking medical care due to fear for loss of flying status. Our group has slowly been building the case for the barrier pilots face for seeking care due to fear for loss of flying status. 56.1% of a sample of nearly 4,000 US pilots reported a history of healthcare avoidance due to fear for loss of flying status (1). We found nearly the same rate in Canadian pilots (2). The data speaks to the challenges we face ahead. How do we meet the unique healthcare needs of pilots in the aeromedical system of the future? (1) https://lnkd.in/eJbgR_xR (2) https://lnkd.in/g4Rrze3F Federal Aviation Administration Aero Crew News, LLC UND Aerospace National Transportation Safety Board National Business Aviation Association United States Air Force Air Line Pilots Association Air Force Research Laboratory #pilots #pilotsofinstagram #pilots #pilotstuff #studentpilot #flying #pilotstuff #airlines #flightsafety #airlinesandairplanes #airlines #airlinenews #airlinenews #safety #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters David Roza Air & Space Forces Association

US Air Force refuels a tanker plane backwards In a topsy-turvy bit of military aviation, the US Air Force used a C-5M Super Galaxy heavy transport to refuel a KC-10 Extender refueling tanker aircraft, pumping fuel backwards up the boom from transport to tanker instead of the other way around. First conceived in the 1920s, inflight refueling has developed from a dangerous stunt to a vital part of the infrastructure of the major military powers. The idea is to vastly extend the range of warplanes to prevent problems often seen during the Second World War when bombers had the flight unescorted by their shorter range fighter planes, which had to turn back. It also allowed for extremely long range missions like the famous raid on Port Stanley Airport during the Falklands War in 1982, where Vulcan bombers based in England flew nonstop to the South Atlantic and back. The process of a tanker plane using a mechanical boom to hook up to a trailing aircraft and pumping fuel into it may look the same today as in the opening credits of Dr. Strangelove, but it's undergone considerable evolution over the past six decades. Instead of relying on two attentive pilots and a highly skilled boom operator, engineers have developed increasingly autonomous systems that control both aircraft as well as the boom for increased safety and efficiency. However, there's still the problem of how to refuel the refueler. The obvious answer is to return to base for another load or to use a second tanker to refuel the first, but both of those mean taking a tanker out of service when they could be tending to other aircraft. To overcome this, the US Air Force's 22nd Airlift Squadron (AS) is experimenting with a new concept where, on December 12, a C-5M Super Galaxy transport in the skies over Northern California and Oregon hooked up with a KC-10 Extender. From the outside, it looked like a normal refueling maneuver, but it was actually running in reverse. Instead of the aviation fuel going into the C-5M, the C-5M was pumping the fuel into the KC-10 tanker. In this case, 23,500 lb (10,700 kg) of fuel in approximately 30 minutes. According to the Air Force, it's still early days and the recent demonstration was intended to gather data to further refine the technique, especially since the two aircraft fly differently as their weights shift. If it succeeds, it could mean air missions can remain in the air longer with more aircraft operating at longer ranges. "By using a C-5 as a huge floating gas station, it allows more tankers to be positioned for offloading to fighter or mobility aircraft, versus having to use one tanker to refuel another, which takes away a tanker asset from the mission," said US Air Force Major Justin Wilson, 22nd AS chief of standards and evaluations and C-5M evaluator pilot. "This allows more tanker aircraft in the theater and extends their range or orbit time."

A few thoughts on the plane crash involving three Ukraine combat pilots and two L-39 Albatros aircraft vessels. My condolences to the close ones of the deceased. It was a great loss. The circumstances of this accident are very strange and resemble more a coverup than a true chain of events. A midair collision is in the realm of flying in tight formations. What was the need for such flying for combat pilots? There is no reason to stage an air parade or an acrobatic show in the time of war when every pilot counts. Tight formations are just an additional risk. Perhaps it was an exercise to land on a highway or to takeoff from it. The cramped conditions are inherent to this scenario.  

OTD in 2015: We look at three aspects from the investigation into a fatal KA200 air accident in the UK: Recording of aircraft defects, TAWS and the carriage of non-crew members on the flight deck. https://lnkd.in/ebMxtrt #accident #flightsafety #aviationsafety