Over-Talk

Depends on what you fly the most…… If you’re putting it on top of a 212 fabric seat or cushion, the 2” is fine. If you are removing the A-Star cushion and using a ROHO instead, the 4” is perfect, but needs to be a bit smaller to fit inside the seat frame.

I still sit on mine at my desk….several years after my retirement!! If I’m a passenger on a flight of more than 3 hours I’ll take it on the trip. Love ROHO! Mine is 16.5 x 16.5 and 2 inches deep. 9 x 9 air pockets. Single valve. I had tried the one with 2 valves (so that one side doesn’t collapse when you lean out the window, as mentioned above) but the single valve model has been great for general flying work and occasional long-lining. The 2 inch has also worked well for me. Try to always use the pump and not inflate it with your mouth….all that moisture isn’t great. There will be occasional tiny leaks but they are really easy to find and just as easy to fix. The supplied alcohol and patches work great and more patches can be bought at a camping store like MEC. Your butt will thank you!!

It would be interesting to hear why you would post a comment like that.

I've used a Roho for almost 15 years in Bell mediums, with regular or tilt seats... Now I can't handle any more than 5 minutes in a Bell without my Roho!!! It is worth every penny you (or hopefully your insurance plan) pay for it. I use a model 99LP, as do many other guys I know. That is, 9 pockets wide by 9 pockets deep, single valve, and 2 inches high. That measures 16 inches by 16 inches and comes with a cover, pump and patch kit. Enjoy.

Some things need to be cleared-up here.... Northern Canada is a great place to gain top quality experience. Subsequently, Canadian pilots can work almost anywhere in the world and their skills are respected. Many foreign pilots want to come to Canada to also gain that type of experience. The TFW program that was designed to help other industries also helps foreign pilots get work in Canada. Subsequently, some Canadians may miss out on jobs. Many industries would be threatened without the TFW program. It would be hard to prove the Canadian helicopter industry would be threatened without the TFW program. It could (and should??) be discontinued in our sector. A petition will help that, but it will be a hard struggle. Most of the Operators will fight it, as will HAC. Also, the TFW program is strongly supported by big corporations like Tim Hortons. Please don't misunderstand me....I don't condone the TFW program in our industry. I'm just saying it will a hard struggle to remove it. Sign-up, and then keep up the fight. Fighting amongst ourselves won't help at all.

Rotor, these refits are worth every penny. But you should also look at the kit from Oregon Aero. I've used them for years in my SPH5.

This is all getting very misleading.....so let's try to clear this up. 1.As reported above, Mustang had a heli-ski accident and seriously damaged a 205 near Revelstoke with no injuries. 2.As mentioned above, a ski guide was killed in an avalanche but was not working for a heli-ski company. 3.I spoke to some Alpine guys. They said there were some minor incidents while heli-skiing, but all machines are flying again and no one was injured. Cadors was notified as a matter of procedure. .....which brings us back to the original post....... where is the Cadors report from Revelstoke?? I have heard about a few accidents recently....but can't find them on Cadors. Hmmmm?!?

You guys can be as optimistic as you want....but I suggest you be realistic. N or C registered doesn't matter. This deal is all about licensing...not work visas. However, there are jobs available under NAFTA, (get a new lawyer), but they are hard to find. That won't change. If you do qualify for a visa you will probably need a FAA licence as in the past. That was possible to get in the past, but a hassle. This will just make that process easier. P.s. My remarks come after 10 years of NAFTA work. Good luck. It's not easy. Your employer will need a good lawyer.

The unmanned K-Max is not only flying real missions in Afghanistan, now it is bucketing too. http://youtu.be/53cBlCfLpZg. I realise there is a section to post videos, but this seems to have more relevance to General Helicopter Operations than many of the posts here lately. If we get a few of these in Wabasca and Rainbow Lake we won't need all those TFWs anymore!!!

Great post Elliot, thanks. Congrats on the job, and you are right about perseverance and luck in the timing.....that has always been the case. It is interesting that one thread here is talking about all the lay-offs and closings in our industry lately, and then there are posts like Helilog's. Bob, with great respect, I suspect that your information may not be current. Yes, several operators were hiring new staff in previous years, but I doubt that is happening lately, and things don't look great for next spring's hiring period either. It would be improper for any of us to recommend a young person spends a lot of money for a licence in these times without them doing a lot of research. Hopefully they don't hear that 8 out of 10 figure....it is hard to believe it is still accurate. Regards OT.

I just spoke to one of those 'goat' guys. He said those 4 ships were returned to the leasing company a couple of years ago and weren't leased-out by anyone this year. They are still wearing 'goat' paint. The 3 that went to another country just moved to a different country from the one where they had been. Whatever the exact details are....their ships remaining in Alberta and BC had a quiet summer like everyone else. But at least their hangar lights are still on and they are anxiously waiting for ski season to start! Best wishes to all the other guys that are affected by this mess.

There is a report floating around about a company in Prince George doing the same thing. Anybody heard anything about that??

This article has remarks from the person in the tube. I suspect the Kamloops Fire Center is asking whether the pilot really needed to dip that close....several times it seems. http://www.castanet.net/news/Central-Okanagan/120708/Close-encounter-with-chopper

I've been watching this topic through all of its different threads for the last month and said nothing...but this deserves a comment. We've heard it all before, The pay from the 70s, The risks we take, The time away from home, ....and the classic, Who is standing up for us? Come on guys, who do you expect to stand up for you???? Your boss? HAC? Alberta Forestry? The big oil companies? No!! Only you must stand up for you. Stop asking the question and DO IT. It seems so many of you don't want to sign-up because you would have to list your real name...ah ha!!...and that proves that our industry has a serious problem right there. If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. So stop asking who is standing up, and stand up for yourself (and thus, each other).

Yeah, claim this stuff on the 2200. If they refuse it, so what. You can appeal, or just be back where you are now. Claiming unallowed expenses on your taxes is not like tax evasion i.e. a crime that will have you locked away and sharing a cell with a guy named Bubba. Do it.