6 Peeks Into the Bizarre Underbelly of Aviation

Things Are Getting Weird!

As a professional pilot, whether you're flying fixed-wing or flying helicopters, you're learning new things in your aircraft every day. From figuring out more efficient workflows to new routes, the types of mundane discoveries that a pilot makes, it must be said, are often only interesting to pilots. The really exciting stuff, for passengers at least, is happening right outside the windows of the aircraft.

But there's all kinds of stuff that even pilots don't know about what goes on with aircraft, just waiting to be discovered. There's certainly nothing in the training about anything you'll see covered in this post. All of this is really just an excuse to post some pretty cool material.

So while we're touching on the more eccentric end of things in this post, always remember that if you're considering becoming a professional helicopter or fixed-wing pilot, you should consider how the training at Upper Limit Aviation could get you started in one of the most exciting careers in an industry that is filled with opportunities for growth.

The AMARG, (Aerospace Maintenance And Regeneration Group) Davis-Monthan Air Base, outside Tucson, Arizona

Where do airplanes go to retire? Well, they go to what's called an aircraft boneyard. 

What you're looking at is a small portion of the airplanes housed at a facility that holds more than 4,200 retired aircraft. Actually, not all of the aircraft at AMARG are retired, some of them are being repared. But boneyard has a nicer ring to it. And in fact, that is why this facility is nicknamed The Boneyard.

It makes you kind of sad to see all those planes with nobody to fly them.

Uh Oh. This Airspace is Getting a Little Crowded!

Ok, maybe this one is cheating a bit. This is the work of video artist Cy Kuckenbaker who has created composite videos of dozens of planes taking off culled from several hours of footage captured near San Diego International Airport.

Who's to Say that Airplanes Have to Be Shaped Like Airplanes?

German designer Luigi Colani is well known for creating all kinds of forward looking industrial design concepts. His designs are typically sleek looking, with just a little bit of an 'are you sure that's an airplane sort of a feeling. This aircraft was designed as a concept for Japan Airlines. To be honest, it's unclear whether the designer ever intended for it to actually be flown, because as yet an engineer has yet to take a good whack at how the thing would work. But if you look at it from an aerodynamic point of view, I believe it could fly.

NASA released this concept along with other potential future flight solutions envisioned as being ready for the year 2025. That's not as far away as you might think.

We're guessing the plant-like plane (the designer calls it 'biodynamic') is supersonic. That makes us super-excited about it.

The Ideal Vacation Spot for a Professional Pilot

You know, it's pretty amazing what a pilot's spouse has to put up with (more on that later). I mean, pilots try to spend every single possible moment in the cockpit. Sometimes day to day life can feel like it takes a backseat to an all consuming obsession with all things flight. That's why sometimes it's healthy for the committed aviator and his or her spouse to go get away from it all on vacation... unless that vacation means staying in the Costa Verde Resort in Costa Rica, in this suite, which was built into the cabin of a converted 727.

Talk about separation anxiety!

There's No Other Way to Say It, These People Are Just Crazy

Ok, we're going to let the photo do most of the speaking here. I can't even really imagine how one person suggested this to the other person. I mean they have to both be pilots, right? Because who else would be crazy enough to do something like this? And the minister? Give me a break. Well, it's probably the most romantic, viscerally intense experience that anyone of them will ever have. So cheers to them, we guess.

Ok... The last one is a helicopter stunt that we'll let close out this post. It's another in a long line of

cool aviation events and stunts put on by Red Bull.

All we can say is that we prefer to stay in the helicopter. But that's just us, we love to fly.

Let's Just Call This What It Is: Helicopter Dive

If you'd like to get involved with helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft in a much more traditional way (as in flying them, just like god intended!), call Upper Limit Aviation at 1-855-HELIEDU.

Helicopter Spotlight: Eurocopter UH-72 Lakota

An Aircraft That People Just Can't Get Enough Of

The Eurocopter UH-72 Lakota is truly a feat of engineering. The usual high quality standard of Eurocopter is more than upheld in this model. The typical demands that you'd expect from a dual engine aircraft of this size are maneuverability and power, and it's got a lot of both.

This aircraft was designed to be deployed for today's multi-mission environment. It can reliably provide general support across the full range of what you would need from a light utility helicopter, but is also ideally suited for medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), recovery of personnel and air-land operations such as eye in the sky, personnel transport or tactical support for counter-narcotics missions.

While the current version of the UH-72 Lakota is currently primarily used for homeland security operations, combat-ready versions are being explored. Namely, they are being evaluated for armed aerial scout programs.

According to test pilot Grady Wilson, you can easily take the UH-72 Lakota up to 10,000 feet, cut one of the engines and still climb 500 feet per minute. That's power. That's reliability. The aircraft is certified to 18,000 feet and has a huge amount of power to support it.

The versatility of the helicopter makes it a dynamic aircraft to fly.

This kind of performance usually comes at a premium, but the Eurocopter UH-72 Lakota is the cheapest military helicopter to buy and operate. All of the above features are what made the Lakota ideal for the National Guard's Security & Support Battalion. But there are even more features that make it ideal for all kinds of missions.

EO/IR sensors and cameras allow for what seems like great tracking from distances that allow the aircraft to remain unnoticed. This seriously high tech helicopter offers a sophisticated touch screen data display at each sitting station. The helicopter has full GPS and mapping technology, while in flight recorders allow operators the choice to record flights for intelligence gathering, training, or maybe just because you love to look at awesome helicopter footage. If that is the case (and we don't blame you if it is), then you'll be able to watch that footage and access flight data from the ground thanks to the Lakota's data downlink system.

There's other cool stuff, like a powerful hoist that can unspool 300 feet of cable to offer difficult rescue extractions, and the hoist has a sturdy maximum capacity of 600 pounds.

If you're chasing bad guys or doing something else that is the crazy mixture of serious and fun that we get to do for a living, you can use a programmable searchlight that slaves to the sensor, allowing you to track targets automatically.

Performance. Capability. Affordability.

From everyday applications like border security to one off events such as disaster relief, the versatility of the UH-72 Lakota makes this helicopter ideal. The price makes it essential. If you needed further convincing, it might be nice to note that the chopper is American made. The factory in Mississippi is comprised of about 50% US military veterans.

Jealous Yet?

We are. I know it sounds like Eurocopter probably paid us to say all this awesome stuff about the Lakota. They didn't. We're just big fans. But if you look at what we've written, it's really just a list of all the cool stuff this helicopter does. And yeah, we wish that we could get in the cockpit. It's a military helicopter. 

But, well, actually it turns out that it is based on the Eurocopter EC145. Oh, we didn't mention that? Yeah, so it might not be all that tough for regular pilots to get at least a taste of what it's like to fly that. Granted, the Lakota is a militarized version of the EC145, but you'll get a good feel for the mechanics of the thing.

The EC145 is actually used for pretty much the civilian versions of all the above tasks: passenger transport, it makes a great corporate helicopter, emergency medical services (ems), search and rescue and more. Its higher weight load and greater range make it a functionally versatile.

OK, so, we don't have one of these things at Upper Limit Aviation, but we do have a Eurocopter AS350. If you recall, it's the AS350 that made the climb up Everest. It's a pretty amazing ride, if we do say so ourselves, and our students are extremely lucky to have the chance to train in a helicopter that's one of the aircraft that sets the industry-wide standard for excellence.

If you have Eurocopter fever like we do, then call Upper Limit Aviation at 1-855-HELIEDU and let's get you flying!

There's never been a better time to get involved. But let's face it, if you read this far, you're already sold. If you want to be able to fly these amazing aircraft for a living, the best way to start out is to get amazing training. We honestly feel that we're your best bet to get a great start.

United Airlines Pilot Furlough Ends

Aviation Industry Gets A Boost as Recovery Has Finally Reached Those Hardest Hit

The aviation industry took a big hit in 2008, due to the weakened US economy leading to a decrease in air travel, as well as rising oil prices. This led to cutbacks across the board for many big and small airlines and other carriers. We've been covering the story since then, happy to report that so many employers are back in top form and expanding our industry. That's why it's such a big relief that even those who were hardest hit by the economic downturn, like our biggest commercial airline, United Airlines, have finally begun to see a return to industry norms.

Furloughs began in 2008, and at one point as many as 940 pilots were on a forced leave of absence from their careers. Some have come back to work since then, but now United plans to put all remaining 600 pilots back to work as soon as possible.

Airlines Are A Significant Facet of the Recently Rejuvenated Aviation Economy

Apart from the fact that air travel is returning to expected levels, there is an increase in demand for pilots at United due to the fact that so many active pilots (those who remained working often stayed because of seniority) are now reaching retirement age. This same trend has had an impact across hiring sectors throughout the industry. Additionally, new regulations about pilot rest mean that more pilots have to be rotated in.

United Airlines is a great American employer, and we welcome them back to an aviation industry that shows signs of growing robustness every day.

If you dream of one day flying for a commercial carrier such as United Airlines, where you will work a rewarding job for competitive pay, consider enrolling in Upper Limit Aviation's (1-855-HELIEDU) fixed-wing training program.

We Train Pilots, Not Autopilots

Learning Core Flight Skills During Training Ensures Pilot Competency

There is never any mistake about who is in control of an aircraft. Pilots fly. Technologies like autopilot have added a great benefit to aviation in general, but they do not fly the aircraft. They may assist a pilot in flying an aircraft. Being a pilot is having a comprehensive understanding of flight systems, general knowledge, geographical knowledge, mental math, mechanical proficiency, good old enthusiasm to get the job done well as well as a hundred other things. Systems like autopilot are only one component encompassed by the 'mechanical proficiency' portion of that recipe. Though there is a popular perception that autopilot 'flies' the aircraft, we know that's not true. Core concepts that you learn during training will make you the most effective pilot you can be, always in charge of your aircraft.

In a large commercial aircraft, there will be a huge variety of controls. In flight monitoring, not only of your own controls, but also those of your co-pilot as well as the co-pilot himself, is absolutely essential. A change to regulations instituted by the FAA in 2003 incorporated authoritative information from a 1994 study that indicated that 84% of incidents could possibly have been avoided if flight crew had noticed mistakes or questioned the choices of their superiors. The regulation made it so that both pilots would always be responsible for actively monitoring all flight systems.

Vital Skill Connections Formed In Training

Pilots are generally engaged in what they do. It's in our nature. But at Upper Limit Aviation (1-855-HELIEDU), we build engagement into our training methodology. We teach that flying is something that you do actively. We believe that we build a foundation for our pilots that they will take with them into their future careers. When they take the reigns of a commercial airliner, they fly that puppy themselves.

We've said it many times, but we don't believe in training to the minimum requirements. That only makes you the leader in a race to the bottom. We're trying to train pilots at the elite level demanded by today's top employers in the aviation industry.