Push to Talk with Bruce Webb: A Helicopter Podcast

Lindsay Cunningham is a former accident investigator for Airbus. Today, she works as Managing Director for Helisim in the United States, where she facilitates the cutting-edge of simulation training. In this conversation, I’ll speak with Lindsey about the psychology of accident investigation; how to avoid false starts and misleading conclusions.

Rusty Sloane is a lecturer at Baylor University’s aviation program, where he prepares student pilots for careers in the airlines. A former coast guard helicopter pilot, Rusty spent several years flying with me here at Airbus. 

In this conversation, I’ll speak with Rusty about finding one's place as a pilot, a student, a leader, and everything in-between. We’ll look at the truth behind the pilot shortage, the importance of camaraderie, and much more.

Chris Baur (US Helicopter Safety Team) returns to the show to speak about the power of volunteer work in aviation — how we can take the lessons we’ve learned at any level of experience, use them to enrich the lives of others, and, in doing so, enrich our own lives as well. 

Perhaps nothing today exemplifies the strides our industry is making more than the Airbus RACER , an experimental compound helicopter that made its first flight in April of this year. With reported ability to reach unprecedented speeds while maintaining groundbreaking efficiency, RACER is changing aviation as we know it.

As the chief test pilot for Airbus, Herve Jammyrac is front and center in the development of the RACER. In this conversation, I’ll speak with Herve about his work as a test pilot, his experience on the RACER program, and the exciting things just around the corner of our industry. 

Jeff Trang is a lifelong test pilot. His flying played a part in certificating some of the most widely-flown airframes today. For several years, Jeff was my boss here at Airbus; today, he’s the head of the National Test Pilot School, a civilian test pilot training institute in the Mojave desert. 

In this conversation, I’ll speak with Jeff about his life, his work, and what it means to serve as a link between those who develop aircraft, and the pilots who fly them day-to-day.

Krista Haugen is the director of patient safety for Global Medical Response. While working as a flight nurse in 2005, Krista survived a helicopter crash; an experience that emboldened her to speak up. Today, Krista is a fierce advocate for all things human; from accident prevention, to stress management and trauma recovery, her compassionate insight is key in moving the air medical industry forward.

1. Act safely, even when no one is watching. 
 2. Accept that it could happen to you 
 3. Always follow the rules
 4. Abide by personal minimums 
 5. Always steady, never impulsive 
 6. Own the outcome and speak up 
 7. Never cut corners 
 8. Never say "Hey, watch this!"
 9. Regularly use simulated training environments  
 10. Believe that zero fatal accidents is achievable 
 
 Nick Mayhew is a pilot and instructor of nearly five decades. From serving as an officer in the UK’s Royal Navy, to managing training programs at Bristow Academy, Nick understands the habits that shape a successful aviator. 

In this conversation, Nick will guide us through his cleverly named “Enjoy Retirement” checklist — a set of ten rules that, if followed, secure a pilot’s best chance of a long career. 

Eleonora Avi is an aviation psychologist based in Italy. The same year Eleanora earned her degree in psychology, her mother was rescued by a Helicopter Air Ambulance — an event that inspired Eleonora to give back to the industry by helping pilots understand the inner-workings of their minds. 

In this conversation, I’ll speak with Eleanora about her unique and fascinating field; how can we recognize what drives our bodies to act, and use it to be more conscious aviators? 

Frank Kanauka is a helicopter pilot and former army aviator.  In this conversation, Frank and I will discuss his early training in the Warrant Officer program during the Vietnam War, and the events leading up to his survival of a mid-air collision in Cambodia. 

Personal and private flights account for the largest percentage of helicopter accidents — despite making up just 3% of hours flown. So how can we fix this?

Our guests today are Scott Tyrell — a former FAA accident investigator — and Arvid Albanese — a business owner and private pilot. As co-sponsors of the personal/private segment of the US Helicopter Safety Team, Scott and Arvid promote safety ideas for those pilots who might not have easy access to the learning resources other sectors of the industry do.

In this conversation, Scott, Arvid and I will take a look behind the personal/private accident rate — why is it higher than other areas of the industry, and what philosophies can personal/private pilots apply to their flying to maximize safety? 

Update:

In this episode, Bruce briefly discusses his friend and IndyCar driver, Dario Franchitti. In the discussion, Bruce explains the reason Dario, who was a licensed helicopter pilot, chose to sell his helicopter after his friend Colin McCray was killed in a helicopter crash. Bruce incorrectly stated that the crash occurred because McCray was “flying in horrible weather trying to maintain VFR in hard IMC conditions.” A listener in the UK contacted us, providing the correct reason McCray crashed. The AAIB report indicates that McCray was flying low level, at high rates of speed, while executing steep turns. Complete details may be found at: Eurocopter AS350B2 Squirrel AAIB Accident Report